Hamlet's Metaphor for the Betrayal of His FriendsIn Shakespeare's Hamlet, act three, scene two, line 327, Hamlet is in the middle of a conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, which, as usual for Hamlet, is fraught with riddles and double meanings. When he discovers that his old classmates are traveling to Denmark, it is no coincidence, but is actually part of a plot by Claudius to figure out why Hamlet has gone mad. So, after discovering the motives for their return to Denmark, Hamlet no longer has any trust or camaraderie for his former friends. In order to confuse Claudius and the two hired spies, he participates in dialogue with both, although his relationship is no longer the same as before. Instead of the honest friendship he has with Horatio, he has been very impersonal with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz since she learned of their association with the king. He converses with the two in an enigmatic manner, full of mind games of riddles and confusion, making a brilliant analogy to their attempt to extract the truth from him by playing a recorder. After the play, Hamlet orchestrated as an experiment to test Claudius' reaction. , Hamlet ensues in a conversation with the spies. Hamlet asked Horatio to watch Claudius closely to study the king's reaction to the play which is so similar to his own situation. Horatio determined that Hamlet's suspicions about Claudius were correct due to Claudius' overreaction and hasty withdrawal from the play. After Horatio's judgment, Hamlet determined that the ghost's message must be true, so he must take revenge on his father's ghost. As they discuss their findings, the courtiers Guildenstern and Rosencrantz enter to have the conflict outlined...... middle of paper ...... the ambitions of Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. He shows them that it is ridiculous that they are trying to extract information from him that he would never divulge. Throughout Shakespeare's Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark constantly speaks with a confusing wit. Thanks to his mastery of argumentation and speech, he goes around in circles around his former friends who have been hired to extract information from him. Naturally, Claudius ends up looking like the stupidest character for employing the two who are certainly no match for Hamlet, as Hamlet was suspicious of the two immediately after their return to Denmark. Hamlet describes the humor and scandalous nature of their attempted espionage. Although he resents their betrayal of their friendship, he finds their incompetence humorous. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. World Shakespeare Theater Series. 1996.