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Hamlet: Ghost Dad, a la Shmoop. Dads have an important job to do, and for

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the most part they’re pretty awesome at it…

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…but they’re not perfect.

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Especially when they get murdered by their brother, come back to haunt the living, and

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have trouble letting go of a grudge. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Daddy dearest bites

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the big one…

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…but that doesn’t prevent him from fitting in some quality father-son time.

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Hamlet Senior returns in ghostly form…

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…to bring his son into the loop on how he was bumped off by junior’s uncle.

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He then urges his son to do something that… may not show up in too many parenting books.

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He asks him to take revenge. i.e… finish off Claudius.

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Was Ghost Dad way out of line here? Or was his request… justified?

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First of all, we feel for the guy… really, we do.

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Sibling rivalry is one thing, but offing your own brother in a disgusting power grab? Not

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cool, dude.

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So we get where he’s coming from… but involving your son… and putting him in harm’s

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way… doesn’t seem like the most responsible coping method.

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Instead of being able to let bygones be bygones… he was on his way to the great beyond, after

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all…

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…he heaps all this pressure on his son, and places him in a dangerous position.

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Besides, hadn’t he ever read any other Shakespeare plays? He had to know it probably wouldn’t

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turn out so well… But… members of royalty live by a code.

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Just because Senior isn’t around anymore doesn’t mean there isn’t a serious wrong

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that still needs to be made right.

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Yeah, Hamlet might end up adding to the body count…

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…but even if that should come to pass, it’s a small price to pay if it means upholding

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the integrity of the post.

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In the ex-King’s mind… what’s left of it, anyway… maybe he sees this final act

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as a fulfillment of his legacy…

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…to leave behind his nation with power in the hands of the just and upright.

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Rather than in the hands of the sleazy and rotten.

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Or… it could be that he was thinking only of his son.

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It seems counter-intuitive… you don’t usually try to protect someone by asking them

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to grapple with a known killer…

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…but Senior knew what Claudius was capable of.

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What was to stop him from taking a similar action against Hamlet, if he suspected the

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kid might be a threat?

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Maybe he was just suggesting a preemptive attack…

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…so Hamlet wouldn’t constantly have to worry about joining his dad on that big fishing

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trip in the sky. What was Daddy’s reasoning?

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Was he just being stubborn and spiteful?

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Was he trying to preserve the integrity of the throne?

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Or was he looking out for… number two? Shmoop amongst yourselves.

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