The royal couple has no suspicion in the beginning that the heir to the thrown of Denmark knows what treachery they have committed. When asked by King Claudius why his nephew seems to display "turbulent and dangerous lunacy," Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern reply, "He does confess he feels himself distracted; but from what cause he will by no means speak. ... The Prince of Denmark does confess there is something amiss, but his old friends do not yet see that the thing gone awry is his father's death and not his mind. ... The callous way King Claudius dismisses Hamlet's grief as childi...

• Word Count: 1514
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School