Crown Prince of Norway, Fortinbras

Fortinbras, crown prince of Norway, I entrust you with the kingdom of Denmark. You are headstrong, willful, and powerful, and this is precisely why you will do well in the position of king of Denmark. Do not hold the same indecision I did, nor make the same rash decisions as I; go in and come out strong, sword at your hip and army at your back. Fight with the same passion you did to avenge your father; fight to protect this land.

The Day It All Ended

Laertes, you may have challenged me to a duel but I can assure you that there is nobody in this world who loved Ophelia more than I. Not one man. I have nothing to lose. Let us take this duel on; honor must be protected, as is the norm.

argh . . .

You . . . ! You malicious man! I refuse to take this poison. Come, join Ophelia and I in our graves. Never before did I resort to this rapier switch.



choking noise

Was that the queen? She has drunk that which was meant for me. The killer . . . the killer! I shall avenge all the deaths he has caused now. Drink! Drink and join us in our graves.

What foolishness, this potency . . . how dare you, Laertes. We are all on our death beds. There is no hope for ourselves. I can, however . . . No, I must appoint a new ruler. Fortinbras shall have the honor. Horatio, I trust you with the task. Do not die with me! You are my only confidant. Tell the world about Hamlet's struggle and of his father's honor. Protect our names and give proper treatment to that of this man who has no integrity.

Though the old rule of Denmark is lost, let the kingdom remain strong for eternity.

My Friend, Horatio

 Horatio . . . You are my only friend left. You know everything there is to know. I have put my life in your hands because I trust you. I know you can and will support me along the way.


Don't join me when I die. You still have a bright future.
Tell the world who Hamlet truly was, tell them everything. The people will heed your word and follow their new leader. I trust you with this mission.


Thank you for all you have done for me.


Hamlet

Polonius' Son, Laertes

Valiant man, Laertes. I respect you. You loved your sister as I did. You fought with all your soul to avenge your sister and protect your family and the royal family's honor. I can't say you hold the most integrity, as you did associate with my uncle the king. However, as a man you followed the right path. Given the chance, I would further mourn your death as well. The end was quite unfortunate indeed.

My Fiancée, Ophelia

Ophelia, I have known you since my childhood. Please, understand my actions. I don't want you to get involved in any of this at all. I'll come back, dear, I'll definitely return.

Why . . . ? Even though I tried to prevent this . . . WHY? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO AND DIE? I'm alone, Ophelia, I needed you, why did you have to leave?

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Ah, the two former friends of mine. How you have betrayed me in these last weeks. I will not forgive your attempt to murder me, nor forgive your betrayal. Of all people, you were taken in by my uncle and his wife. Be as it may, I will continue to believe that you two were fully aware of the potential outcome of your actions. Given the chance, you did not refuse my uncle, nor did you spare my life.

You had your fate coming to you. Do not place the weight of blame upon my shoulders which are already burdened with your betrayal.

The Day I Confirmed My Suspicions

And thus I confirmed what the ghost had said . . . the king had been murdered by none other than his brother. I saw it with my own eyes, without doubt, and Horatio confirmed the fact--my plan had worked perfectly. 

Only one more step.

The usurper must be eliminated.

The King's Right Hand Man, Polonius

Bah, who does this man even think he is? Father of my one and only Ophelia, yes, but what more? What kind of man must my uncle have been to select such a being to be at his side? Well, that much is obvious.

Never before have I seen someone look so unsophisticated with a simple glass of wine! What a foolish man. Is it his wine that messes with his mind or has he just always been this way? I cannot tell.

His death was unfortunate, but the fault lies not within me.

I was not the one who killed him.

It was the deranged Hamlet.

Not me.

Wait for me, Ophelia, do not mourn his death . . . !

My Uncle, Claudius

My uncle-father. I refuse to accept him as the rightful king of my land . . . The one who killed my honorable father and took his throne.

Every day after my father's death, without fail, feasting and savoring the taste of such lavish wine . . . Such acts are absolutely unforgivable. Have you no heart?

Die, thou incestuous, murderous snake.

My Mother, Gertrude

This beautiful lady is my mother. Her name is Gertrude. Gertrude is married to my uncle, but she is not my mother. She can not be my mother. My mother's pure soul would not do such a thing as betray my true father.

Who is this woman? She is full of incest, of lust. She shows me very clearly how disgusting the female race is. Incestuous . . . incestuous beasts! She has forgotten her old husband. He no longer lives in her; she cannot see him anymore. Do not think I will listen to your banter any longer, lady. I am not the son of such sin.

My Father, King Hamlet

Why did this have to happen to my father? What did he ever do wrong?

I will avenge him. This may very likely be a murder, and it will not be forgiven.

"Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand

Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched,

Cut off, even in the blossoms of my sin"

 (1.5.81-83)

"Adieu, adieu, adieu. Remember me."

(1.5.98)

Yes, father. I will remember you to the end.

Me, Hamlet

Pictured to the left is myself as a baby. Born and raised in Denmark, the land of my father, I learned the ways of the noble, and here I shall continue to serve.

I grew up to be a fine young man . . . or so I was told. I enjoyed riding in the woods with my father. He would teach me things . . . many things. My childhood was normal like the other children, I'm sure, but to me those were the most important times.




And now? Those times cannot happen ever again.

My father is now dead. My uncle has taken over his kingdom. I will not stand for this mutiny. I will, without fail, avenge his death.