The Hamlet Project

This is the most amount of backbone
We will ever see from Ophelia.
After listening patiently to an extremely righteous sermon,
She subtly but pointedly points out the possible hypocrisy
Embedded in it. Very probably, Laertes has his own intemperate affairs
And has not employed a watchman to his heart.
I wonder if he thinks she doesn’t know.
He dismisses this idea rather quickly and swiftly
Such as did not previously seem to be his style –
And then tries to make a hasty exit.
I think she’s on to something here
Laertes is certainly puffed (see this speech prior)
And reckless (see his impromptu attempt to seize the throne)
And his father thinks that he might be running around with prostitutes
And if he were, that might not be the worst thing, he thinks,
As he’s charged his spy to ascribe that fault to him.
Laertes probably thinks Hamlet’s a dog because he’s something of a dog himself
And surely his sister knows it and can call him on it.
It’s too bad no one can really reck his own rede in this play.
Poor dears, they all end up on that steep and thorny path and most of them fall down it.