n, including her father who now cannot collect a dowry for her. Most notably, Hamlet plants the seeds of suspicion in his mother's mind. When the seeds of her own involvement in the death of her husband, and involvement in corrupting Denmark are planted, Hamlet is then no longer personally responsible for her actions. Fortunately for Hamlet, Gertrude is quickly convinced of her own guilt. In a sense, Hamlet is responsible for Gertrude's death, but not responsible. The ghost of his father advised to leave Gertrude to the justice of Heaven or Hell. Hamlet then, in good conscience, cannot kill his own mother. Yet, he cannot let her live knowing she has committed incest and was involved, however remotely, in regicide. Hamlet must know, as he is a cagey observer of human nature, that Gertrude will take her own life. Yet Gertrude is too like her son to be willing to take her own life. She must suspect then in her husband the poison in the wine. She seemed too eager to drink, and Hamlet too reluctant to drink from the cup. The murder/suicide of Queen Gertrude seems to be an understood act between mother and son during that fateful final scene. Hamlet killed her with words. Additionally, when Hamlet is convinced of Rozencrantz and Guildenstern's betrayal, he turns the tables by having written orders for their deaths delivered to England. Again, Hamlet did not personally perform the murders, thus making him responsible, but not guilty. He killed his friends with written words. These are prime, though a bit complicated, examples of Hamlet's manipulative skills and genius for human observation. A mind filled with such calculated plans cannot possibly be deranged, but coldly sound.Hamlet ActsThere is a single murder attributed to Hamlet's personal hand. That is the death of Polonius in Gertrude's chamber. Many critics (in fact, most) have argued that Polonius' death was a case of mistaken identity, and Hamlet's only slip up. Yet Hamlet is not an ir...
