What is the Duty of Prince Hamlet?
In reading Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it is easy to make the initial judgement that Laertes was a more dutiful son than Hamlet was. This may have been evidenced by Laertes’s immediate response to avenge his father’ss murder, as opposed to Hamlet’ss more contemplated approach in confronting a similar situation. I feel that to decide the level of duty or honor of either of these men based on their immediate response to each of their tragic losses is unfair. Both men have been raised completely different, and because of that, our expectations of them are biased. It seems more likely to expect the son of the king to seek revenge for his father’ss death without hesitation or contemplation. However, we are clearly shown that Hamlet’ss very nature was inquisitive and calculating. He replays in his mind the events that have taken place and he contemplates his mother’ss reactions and responses to those events. He is clearly disturbed by the behavior of both his uncle (who is now king) and his mother
