The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I really enjoyed Hamlet. Of all the plays I've ever read by Shakespeare, I'm pretty sure it's my favorite. I think there is some really interesting character development that goes on in the play. I feel as if there are two sides to most of the main characters. You have the black and the white, the better side and the worse side.

Take for example, Hamlet. When he's talking to Horatio he speaks pretty plainly. He explains his plans, not in great detail, but he makes sense. But when he talks to the King, the Queen, Polonius, etc., he talks in riddles. He sounds mad. He is obviously struggling with the fact of his father, his uncle, and his mother and the whole "dysfuncational-ness" of his family, but really, of all of them, he's the most sane. He knows what he is doing and fully understands the consequence.

Then there's King Claudius. He murders his brother for "[his] crown, [his] own ambition, and [his] queen." And yet he feels remorse and guilt. Hamlet stumbles upon his praying, but won't kill him because he is praying. Claudius is trying to repent, but feels that he is just so caught up in his doings that he can't escape it. He can only move forward with his sin.

Polonius, I also think, has two different sides. Now as extreme as crazy/sane, or murderous/repentant, but I still think it's there. And I think the differences in him are more related to his station than anything. He honors his king and queen and will serve them. Even if it means spying on Hamlet and using his children to follow his orders. And yet he is a very loving father. He cares for Ophelia and Laertes and only wants the best for them. One of my favorite speeches in the play was given by Polonius to Laertes, before Laertes leaves. He's giving Laertes some fatherly advice, and I just think it's beautiful. "Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice/take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment." This is good stuff. And then the very famous line, "This above all: to thine ownself be true." Golden. Love it.

On a bit of a different note, one of my favorite quotes from the play was when Hamlet was talking to Guildenstern about playing the recorders. He states, "Do you think I am/easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what/instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you/cannot play me." 

Shakespeare's writing, to me in this play, is just so good. This quote is just clever and witty, and yet is deep enough to get me thinking about how I treat others and what I expect out of them. Am I using them for my own benefit or gain? Am I treating them like I'm supposed to? Or am I just trying to play them and use them, despite me not knowing what is going on in their life?