William Shakespeare accentuates the negative impact of family relationships in his play Hamlet by highlighting the harmful repercussions of disrespectful gestures on Hamlet's character. Claudius and Gertrude degrade their relationship with Hamlet as they resort to manipulation and espionage in a greedy attempt to attain an understanding of the source of Hamlet's melancholy and insanity. Hamlet deems Claudius and Gertrude untrustworthy, which forces them to use other resources to begin to restore a normal frame of mind in Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet's friends from school in Wittenberg, are summoned by the King and Queen "to draw him on to pleasures, and to gather so much as from occasion you may again" (II.ii.15-16). Claudius
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Claudius and Polonius set up a seemingly random encounter between Hamlet and Ophelia to "frankly judge and gather by him, as he is behaved, if 't be th' affliction of his love or no that thus he suffers for" (III.i.37-40). Claudius watches the encounter between the two previous lovers to test Polonius' theory that Ophelia's denial of love is the cause of Hamlet's insanity and depression. By doing so, Claudius manipulates Hamlet's free will and invades his personal affairs. This act of espionage demonstrated that the source of Hamlet's strange behaviours is not Ophelia's withdrawal of love. However, Claudius will continue to meddle with Hamlet's life upon his belief that "madness in great ones must not unwatched go" (III.ii.203). Espionage and manipulation will continue until Claudius discovers the source of his madness. Claudius plans to send Hamlet to England for a change in scenery in an attempt to coax him back into sanity. Claudius demonstrates that he is more concerned with Hamlet's personal affairs than with the state and threat of Denmark which is serving as marching grounds for the Norwegian army on its way to Poland. Claudius' spying on Hamlet is an infringement on Hamlet's personal life, a hindrance to his ability to act freely and a manipulative factor on the manner in which he
Claudius and Polonius set up a seemingly random encounter between Hamlet and Ophelia to "frankly judge and gather by him, as he is behaved, if 't be th' affliction of his love or no that thus he suffers for" (III.i.37-40). Claudius watches the encounter between the two previous lovers to test Polonius' theory that Ophelia's denial of love is the cause of Hamlet's insanity and depression. By doing so, Claudius manipulates Hamlet's free will and invades his personal affairs. This act of espionage demonstrated that the source of Hamlet's strange behaviours is not Ophelia's withdrawal of love. However, Claudius will continue to meddle with Hamlet's life upon his belief that "madness in great ones must not unwatched go" (III.ii.203). Espionage and manipulation will continue until Claudius discovers the source of his madness. Claudius plans to send Hamlet to England for a change in scenery in an attempt to coax him back into sanity. Claudius demonstrates that he is more concerned with Hamlet's personal affairs than with the state and threat of Denmark which is serving as marching grounds for the Norwegian army on its way to Poland. Claudius' spying on Hamlet is an infringement on Hamlet's personal life, a hindrance to his ability to act freely and a manipulative factor on the manner in which he