Love is a crucial key in the play Hamlet. The whole plot of revenge is based upon the love Hamlet had for his father and how the love was so strong it made him prepared to do something that was extremely difficult of him to do. Later in the play the love Laertes had for his father and sister drove him to seek revenge for their deaths. Even most of the sub-plots in the play were about love including the conventional love of Hamlet and Ophelia, the friendship 'love' between Horatio and Hamlet, the incestuous if not lust filled love between Claudius and Gertrude and the love between family members. All of which make up the essential and important parts of the play.

A known fact is revenge is more often than not driven by love. In this case Hamlet, because of the great love and admiration he had for his father, was compelled to do something he found extremely difficult to do. That is killing

Hamlet and Horatio are two best friends. Horatio is also there for Hamlet to offer him advice. The advice Horatio gives to Hamlet is often very good advice because first of all Horatio is scholar and an intelligent person and secondly Horatio is able to offer advice from the side line as he is not caught up in the emotional limbo like Hamlet and can offer calm and rational advice. Hamlet thinks very highly of Horatio and the two share a very special bond. It is Horatio who Hamlet turns to when he needs someone to confide with. On numerous occasions in the play Hamlet calls on Horatio for guidance. A special trust can be seen between the two as the audience can clearly see that in even in his most difficult time where deception lurks everywhere (for example Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are friends of Hamlet sell him out to Claudius) Hamlet only trusts one person, Horatio. Although the don't love each other the same way as a man loves a woman their relationship is much more than just simple friendship. Horatio remained loyal to Hamlet even when other close friends of Hamlet betrayed Hamlet in order to win the favor of the new king. It was Horatio who stood beside Hamlet when he died and Horatio seemed deeply saddened by Hamlet's death muttering, " Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet Prince" (Act 5 scene 2 line 374). It was Horatio at the end that convinced Fortinbras that Hamlet was a hero and Claudius was the villain. The relationship of Hamlet and Horatio is well explored in the play and it gives the often crazy play some stability.

Claudius, which would therefore mean avenging his father and allowing his father's tortured soul to go to heaven. Although he may have procrastinated in doing his duty as a son he eventually gets the job done. In the play Hamlet thought very highly of his father. This can be seen in how he describes his father to his mother. "Look here upon this picture, and on this, counterfeit of presentment of two brothers. See what a grace was seated on this brow: Hyperion's curls, the front of Jove himself, An eye like Mars to threaten and command, A station like the herald Mercury. New light on a heaven-kissing hill: A combination and a form indeed. Where every god did seem to set his seal to give the world an assurance of a man. This was your husband." (Act 3 scene 4 line 59) As shown in the above quote Hamlet's love and admiration for his father was so great that he compared King Hamlet to a god. Hamlet would not even consider taking revenge for someone unless he really loved him or her. Killing King Claudius was so hard for Hamlet because of his conscience which would not let him commit the act of murder. Also killing the king would be an act of regicide therefore sealing Hamlet's death warrant. Hamlet's devotion towards his father was what led to him to even consider killing Claudius, and despite his delays, in the end he did manage to fulfill his father's wishes. Love is what fueled Hamlet's thirst for revenge, and since revenge is what the play is about, it also fueled the main plot of the play.

Gertrude and Claudius's relationship in the play is extremely important because it helps the audience understand many parts of the play. The quick marriage of Claudius and Gertrude is something in which Hamlet is furious at. Claudius and Gertrude share a very controversial relation

Some common words found in the essay are:
Claudius Gertrude, Ophelia Act, Hamlet Gertrude, Horatio Hamlet, Prince Hamlet, King Claudius, Claudius Hamlet, Hamlet Ophelia, Hamlet Hamlet, Hamlet's Ophelia's, claudius gertrude, play hamlet, love hamlet, horatio hamlet, love love, play love, scene 2 line, mother loved, 2 line, hamlet ophelia, love family, love admiration father, act 1 scene, scene 3 line, act 5 scene,
Approximate Word count = 2254
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)