becomes a frequent event. Although many people lose their lives as a

result of their own self-centered wrong-doing, there are others whose

death are a result of manipulation from the royalty. This is the case

of Polonius' family. The real tragedy of Hamlet is not that of Hamlet

or his family but of Polonius' family because their deaths were not

the consequence of sinful actions of their own but rather by their

innocent involvement in the schemes of Claudius and Hamlet.

The first character to die in Hamlet is Polonius. Although

Polonius often acts in a deceitful manner when dealing with Hamlet, it

is only because he is carrying out plans devised by the king or queen

to discover the nature of Hamlet's madness. Being the king's Lord

Chamberlain, it is his duty to obey the king and queen's wishes and it

is this loyalty that eventually proves to be fatal for him. An example

of hoe Polonius' innocent involvement with the royalty results in his

death can be found at the beginning of Act III, scene iv, when Hamlet

stabs him while he is hiding behind the arras in Gertude's room. This

shows how Polonius, a man unaware of

last look at Ophelia before he becomes engaged in his plan to kill

to Ophelia's death. The passing of Ophelia is a tragedy because she

this attempt that Laertes loses his own life to the very poison he

Hamlet's scheme which brings about the death of Polonius which leads

have been condoned by the people who saw the play. The difference

Ophelia. Ophelia's death is tragic because of her complete innocence

father in ActIV, scene vii. Hamlet comes back; what would you

is not about Hamlet or his family. It is, however , about the tragic

The last member of Polonius' family to die is Laertes,

they omit but by their being manipulated by Hamlet and Claudius for

are discussing Hamlet when Claudius says:

undertake to show yourself in deed your father's son more than in more

Some common words found in the essay are:
Claudius Laertes, Polonius Hamlet, Act IV, Act III, Hamlet Hamlet, Ophelia Ophelia's, William Shakespeare, Lord Chamberlain, Ophelia's Polonius's, Hamlet Claudius, polonius' family, murder hamlet, scene vii, claudius laertes, death tragedy, scene iv hamlet, dealing hamlet, manipulated hamlet, father's death, family deaths, hamlet hamlet, iii scene iv, act iii scene, iv scene vii, polonius' family deaths,
Approximate Word count = 965
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)