I never liked Claudius as much as the Old king, and yet Queen Gertrude chose to remarry so soon after the King's death. After the funeral and soon marriage, Hamlet was complaining often about,"Frailty, thy name is woman— A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she follow'd my poor father's body Like Niobe, all tears—why she, even she— O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourn'd longer—married with my uncle, My father's brother, but no more like my father ..."(1.2.146-153)Hamlet feels that it was disloyal of his mother to remarry so soon after the murder of her first husband. As a friend I saw fit to offer advice and comfort the best can, but right now his complaints have to cease of what transpired yesterday evening, the ghost of his father. I could not find him the day of the vent so by the Devil himself I could not hold this secret any longer as I told him."As I do live, my honour'd lord, 'tis true;And we did think it writ down in our duty To let you know of it." (1.2.221-223)I feel that it is my duty to inform Hamlet that I have seen the ghost of Hamlet's father. At first he was skeptical, but my description of him even scared him was that the apparition wore what he was buried with and always beckoned someone to come near, to probably talk to it. I asked of him to stay watch and see for himself the ghost of King Hamlet haunts us. He agrees to keep watch tonight and see if he can speak with this ghost.
By the Lord Himself as I saw my friend wander into the woods after the spirit. I recently learned it was the spirit of our Old King Hamlet, who was murdered by his own brother. We trusted him as he gave his speech, "Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe..."(1.2.1-5)He said that out of loyalty and respect to the recently deceased King Hamlet, the whole kingdom should be contracted in one brow of woe. His words, of course, are contradicted by his actions: he is the one who murdered King Hamlet for his own personal benefit!To think I could trust a man like Claudius and Gertrude I'm not sure if she played a role in this foul play, but like Hamlet, the ghost dwells on Gertrude's "seeming" virtue.The spirit is definitely angry at her as well as well "Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts,—O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power So to seduce!—won to his shameful lust The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen...From me, whose love was of that dignity That it went hand in hand even with the vow I made to her in marriage, and to decline Upon a wretch whose natural gifts were poor To those of mine!" (1.4.43-52) But was the ghost saying Gertrude cheated on him when they were married, or does the ghost merely see her remarriage as a betrayal? Either way, the ghost implies that Gertrude's remarriage retroactively makes their marriage into a sham.
I have been spooked beyond reason, the spirit has revealed so much to us yet if were we to reveal it to others, we would be seen as loons. I almost felt like going mad as Hamlet asked us a favor,"And now, good friends, As you are friends, scholars and soldiers, Give me one poor request....Never make known what you have seen to-night." (1.4.140-143). I could only mark my loyalty to my friend, as well as Marcellus, but the ghost was not satisfied, as we must swear by Hamlet's sword we would dare not speak of what transpired that night. I'm loyal to my friend to the end and will do anything to keep this a secret.
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