However, these characters are quick to turn on their friend and work for the king. They are false friends who are sent by Gertrude and Claudius to discover what is wrong with their son. Their knowledge is superficial and their intelligence mediocre, so they are easily outwitted by Hamlet. They are fools, rather than knaves and their immoral and despicable work for the king behind Hamlet’s back adds to the disorder in Denmark.At the beginning of the play there are many political and legal matters that contribute to Denmark’s chaos. The preparation for the expected battle with Fortinbras adds to the prime thematic idea of revenge that occurs within the play. The marriage of Queen Gertrude to her past husband’s brother seems unusual as well. Hamlet’s despair stems from his mother’s marriage to his uncle and it is this that is the driving force behind his yearning to set things right. By custom, Gertrude should have mourned her royal husband for at least one year before remarrying. However, she remarried with “most wicked speed.” (Hamlet. 1.2, l.156) She has, furthermore, married within the bounds of an incestuous relationship, making it evident to the reader that Denmark is in a state of disorder. Also, Hamlet has been cheated out of his rightful inheritance and he is naturally indignant at being compelled to live in the hated surroundings of the court. Hamlet’s sense that he has been deprived of his proper place as king and the suspicion that his father’s sudden death was not an accident add to his already felt doubts and forewarnings of disaster that “all is not well.” (Hamlet. 1.2, l.254) In response, he will put an “antic disposition” on in attempt to make things well in Denmark once again.As the play opens, the reader learns that “all is not well” in the state of Denmark. The appearance of the ghost of the late king is a strange an...
