Starting on page 93 of my "playbook" . . .
"This is definitely a valid assumption as to the reason behind the cause
of our son, Hamlet's apparent madness," Queen Gertrude said to her husband,
King Claudius, as she gently rested her gloved hand on her husband's shoulder.
Since Polonius is known to Gertrude and Claudius as a
trustworthy person, they both knew that
lying isn't in Polonius' nature. Lies that can be easily proven wrong
by anyone with half a brain are especially not told by him.
Polonius was in the middle of proposing a union between his daughter and
their young prince and a clumsy theory could ruin his precious daughter's
chance at happiness. It was up to Polonius, though, to prove his
theory of Hamlet's madness to the King and Queen of Denmark. His
theory revolved around the fact that Hamlet had entered Ophelia's room
and disturbed her peace. The love Hamlet showed to her during that
brief, awkward moment was enough to bring Polonius to the royal couple,
but was it enough to base his daughter's future on? This lingering
question was present in Polonius' mind as he deeply thought of a course
of action into proving his theory of Hamlet being overwhelmingly in love
with his daughter, Ophelia.
"Is it true that Hamlet walks for hours at a time here in the main hall?"
asked Polonius.
"Yes," Claudius answered, intrigued by the question's forthcoming reply.
"Since Ophelia isn't busy tomorrow afternoon, why don't I send her here
to meet Hamlet again? If the two of us stand watching, we'll know
if Hamlet is indeed in love with my daughter," Polonius said wisely.
"Okay, we'll meet behind the ancient tapestry that my relatives gave Gertrude
and I as a wedding present. From there we will be able to spy easily
on the young children without causing a bother to them," Claudius said
with authority, as if he was the one who had the brilliant idea to look
into his stepson's behaviour. In his egotistical frame of mind, a
young man like Hamlet, being of royal blood, should be a ripe target for
a husband. He was the stepson of the King. Who else would be
in a better position to love? In the time in which they lived, a
mistress or two wouldn't harm Hamlet's reputation if Ophelia's love didn't
hold true. As long as his new son's first marriage was a success,
King Claudius figured his fathering days would be over and Hamlet would
get over the death of his father easily and with little time.
* * * * *
As Polonius
stepped out of the hall and into the drawing room for a spot of tea, Hamlet
approached the leather chair and, with perfect grace, the prince dropped
his behind into the red chair and continued to read his book as if Polonius
didn't exist at all.
"Good-day,
Lord Hamlet! How are you this fine afternoon?" Polonius inquired.
"God shall
have mercy on those who trespass against us," stated Hamlet, not even bothering
to look up from the thick novel that he was engulfed in. Polonius'
attitude was that of a scheming elder and Hamlet could see right through
his professional act. Hamlet knew of his daughter's beauty and did
feel some love towards her. Showing that love would be against his
plan of convincing the retrenched world, in which he lived, that he was
indeed a mad man.
"Hello Hamlet,
how has your day been so far?" asked Polonius.
"Do I know
you?" Hamlet asked knowing full well who Polonius was and what he wanted
to know. I was quite obvious by the way Polonius was coddling Hamlet
that Polonius wanted them to be "chums" because of the impending marriage.
Ignoring Hamlet's
snide remark, Polonius said, "Have you seen my daughter?"
"Sure I have.
She should stay out of the sun, you know. The skin cancer could strike
down those who are not careful with their bodies of gold," Hamlet advised
Polonius, aware of how obsessed Ophelia is about her complexion.
"So. . . "
Polonius sighed taking a moment to gather his thoughts. His daughter
never stepped a foot outside anywhere near noon, when the sun was up ahead.
He knew this, Hamlet knew this, but why was Hamlet denying that fact?
Polonius mind spun into turmoil about the boy's
behaviour. If Hamlet was indeed
mad, could he risk leaving his daughter alone with him, even for a brief
moment when all of the earth that Hamlet was exiled from in despair could
fall apart at her feet? Maybe he was being to harsh on Hamlet, Polonius
concluded, the day was still young, and so was he.
Sitting idly
next to Hamlet in another chair, Polonius looked up at Hamlet and asked
"so, boy, what are you reading this fine afternoon?"
"Words, just
a bunch of words," Hamlet replied as if that was painfully obvious to those
around him what he was reading and Polonius was just of a lower stature
to him to of not have known that.
"I'm aware
of the fact that you are reading words, dear Hamlet, I was merely inquiring
as to in what order they appear before you," Polonius laughed to Hamlet,
attempting to hide his discomfort at the fact that the usually social able
Lord Hamlet wouldn't engage himself in conversation.
"Its Carroll,"
Hamlet replied, "the thought of a land so far away where all of the nonsense
in the world is turned around to make sense, is quite comforting.
To think I could merely walk out of this very room and fall asleep in a
tree and be transported into there, is of great comfort to me. The real
world would be a better place without me anyway. I'm sure many agree
with me."
"Oh well, I
must be off," Polonius said looking at his watch, "I'll see you around
Lord Hamlet. Have a nice day." Polonius stood up and stretched
his muscles and pivoted on his left foot and walked with a strut out the
door.
What a fool,
Hamlet laughed to himself, he wouldn't know his head from his buttock
if someone bit his behind! The plan is falling into place. Polonius
was stressed out over his behaviour and Ophelia was a mere pawn in his
game.
Hamlet looked
up towards the sky and said, "I'm doing this for you, Papa. I play
this mad game for you. In due time, you will rest in peace father,
because I won't until you do."
Interrupting
Hamlet's chatter with himself, two school friends of Hamlet's, Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern, entered the drawing room. Claudius had sent them to learn
the cause of Hamlet's 'madness' and a quiet afternoon at the Danish Palace
was just the time and place to pry into
Hamlet's psyche.
"Hello, Lord
Hamlet! How are you today?" Rosencrantz asked.
"Yes, dear
Hamlet. We haven't seen you in ages, what's up my dear friend?" Guildenstern
continued.
"Oh don't give
me that look of concern over my well being, I know my father sent you here
to spy on me. I'm fine, okay! I don't mean to not see you often,
I just get, um, preoccupied at times. You do understand don't you?" Hamlet
asked carefully because what he said could very well reach his stepfather's
ears.
"Sure, " Rosencrantz
sighed.
"Fine, my lord,"
Guildenstern said defeated.
"So what brings
you here besides the order from the King. Surely you had a back-up
plan for a delightful afternoon conversion amongst friends," Hamlet said
as he sat back in the chair and watched as Rosencrantz mustered up the
confidence to speak his mind. Rosencrantz was having problems with
his new girlfriend after the last one dumped him and he was weighing his
opinions on how to go about explaining his problem to Hamlet. Ophelia
was Hamlet's love interest and Rosencrantz should have been focusing on
that as a topic of conversion, but, 'friendship first' was one of his mottos
in life.
"Okay, I'll
tell my thoughts to you, the world's gone honest! Okay? My
new girl is all mushy about telling her the truth all the time and I don't
always want to admit the fun the three of us can get into on a Friday night
out on the town! I like spending time with you two and now here I
stand before you, tied to a woman. Why is life so complicated?" Rosencrantz
complained, "Do you know what I mean Hamlet?" He flopped his bottom
down in the chair next to Hamlet and watched Guildenstern start to
laugh at him.
"What is so
funny about my life, Guildenstern? I have a girl, okay? I don't
see you married or anything of that nature," sneered Rosencrantz towards
his friend who by this time who had laughed so hard his face had turned
a deep red colour.
"Oh, just dump
her! There are other fish in the sea," Guildenstern advised as he
made himself comfortable in the other chair that was near Hamlet.
"Well, unlike
Guildenstern here, Rosencrantz, I'm not touching your girlfriend problems
with a ten-foot sceptre! I did find an error in you pattern of thought
though, care to hear it?" Hamlet asked politely arousing Rosencrantz's
curiosity.
"Sure, my life
can't get any worse. A little advice can't kill me. Let's hear
this 'error' I said," Rosencrantz challenged his buddy.
"The day of
reckoning is upon us if 'the world's gone honest'!" Hamlet exclaimed, "it
never will be a fair world. For example, exactly what have I done
to deserve being sent to this prison anyway?"
"What prison,
my lord? You are situated in a very elegant palace with servants
at your feet, why do you deem this establishment a 'prison'?" Guildenstern
asked looking around himself with admiration of the home in which Hamlet
lived.
"Yeah, dear
friend, I see nothing the matter with your living quarters. They are far
better than anything I could ever dream for, why do you knock this arrangement?"
Rosencrantz inquired as he looked into his friend's blue eyes.
"Denmark's
the prison! I'm not really talking about this palace. I'm totally
trapped here in this country," Hamlet cried out.
"Trapped!"
the two schoolboys shrieked in unison.
"You are a
prince, Hamlet. Can't you just leave the pathetic land in which you
live to be your own man?" Guildenstern said thoughtfully. For Hamlet
to have a problem like not being able to go anywhere was unheard of.
He always had the ability to call a chauffeur and get taken out of any
situation that warranted that course of action. Now Hamlet was viewing
such a small country as a prison and Guildenstern felt obligated to help
his friend through his time of need.
"My stepfather
won't let me return to school. I'm stuck here, in this land of which
many call home, reading," Hamlet held up Alice in Wonderland and continued,
"I have been catching up on my sleep, that is how bored I am. I'm
here, doing absolutely nothing with my life. I'm now viewed solely
as King Claudius' poor stepson and I hate it! I was 'Prince Hamlet
of Denmark' before he came along and married my mother. No one realizes
that I am my own person and now I'm associated with that tyrant and I can't
break free of the chains of which have been placed around me."
"Oh, how harsh
your words can be," Rosencrantz said, "please remember though that ambitions
are but dreams and dreams can disappear and reappear without warning.
Change you outlook on life, dear friend."
"But dreams
are only shadows of the real world," Hamlet observed quietly, with tears
in his eyes, "the world that hates me and is destined to ruin my life forever."
