Mr. Allen
AP Language and Composition
15 April 2011
Parent Child Relationships: Displayed in Hamlet Through Appearance Versus Reality Parents are something that is shared by every single person in the world no matter how different each person may be. Throughout life people experience ups and downs with their parents. As people get older, they are going have ups and downs with their parents. There will be the times that parents maybe in disagreement, or they cause anger and frustration. Conversely parents will also cause people to be in thanks and debt. There are many times that parents do something that cause a pure hate from their child. It is really easy to go through life hating a parent and wanting nothing to do with them. Most children do not usually proclaim how much they love their mom or dad on a daily basis. However often there are the times that every day a child goes through each day expressing their hate and resentment of a certain parent. Parent child relationships are sometimes not what they appear. This case presents itself in Shakespeare’s tragedy known as Hamlet. Hamlet, the main character of the play, has had his father taken from him at the very beginning of the play. His father’s death fuels his motives throughout the play. He eventually learns that the man responsible for his death his newly acquired step father and uncle, Claudius. His mother, Gertrude, does not wait long at all to remarry, and she has chosen the late King Hamlet’s brother and Hamlet’s uncle. This marriage also adds to Hamlet’s struggles as he plots out his revenge of his deceased father. The other parent child relationships are not always what they appear to be. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet the relationships between parents and their children are illustrated through appearance versus reality. Two other characters in the play, who are father and son, also share a complicated relationship. Polonius and Laertes’s relationship is marred with confusion and indifference. Usually Laertes is in France studying at school. However, he has returned back to Denmark for a short while to attend King Hamlet’s funeral and the wedding ceremony of Gertrude and Claudius. Eventually Laertes must return back to France to resume school. Before he leaves Denmark, Polonius takes the time to talk to Laertes and give him instruction and guidance on his behavior while he is France. Polonius contradictory advice to Laertes states, “Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice./Take each man’s censure but reserve thy judgement” (1.3.74-75). There are many other prerequisites that Polonius offers Laertes in this speech. Each line of advice shares the contradictory manner. Polonius is saying do this but not that. The contradictions appear one way; however they are meant another way. This represents the appearance and reality shifts in their relationship. Also once Laertes has left for France Polonius had given orders to one of his servants. He wants a man to go to France as well and follow Laertes. He wants him learn everything that Laertes is doing while he is back at school. He instructs him to ask around about Laertes and almost persuade who asks into telling him that Laertes has been acting against his father’s wishes. Earlier in the play Polonius was acting so kind and supportive to Laertes. Once he is gone Polonius is secretively having someone spy on his son. This is a real representation of how their relationship as father and son is not actually what it appears to be. There is a hidden truth. Polonius and Laertes are not the only father and son with a complicated relationship in the play. Hamlet and his new step