In Act 1.5, a conversation between the ghost (Hamlet's father) and Hamlet takes place. The conversation begins with older Hamlet telling younger Hamlet that he must revenge his murderer, which just so happens to be his own brother, who is now the new king. The relationship between father and son seems like a close one. I'm sure that when old Hamlet was alive, the two were very close. It is easy to see that young Hamlet cares very much about his father and fulfilling his wish of seeking revenge on his uncle. This is noticeable when Hamlet says, "All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain, unmixed with baser matter" (1.5.100-104). Hamlet is saying that he will remove all other information from his head so he can focus on the vow he made with his father.
Act II begins with yet another description of a father-son relationship. This time between Laertes and his father, Polonius. To put it plainly, Polonius does not trust his son. In this scene Polonius is sending his servant, Reynaldo, to spy on Laertes while he is in France. Polonius says, "Your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth, And thus do we of wisdom and of reach, With windlasses and with assays of bias, so, by my former lecture and advice, shall you my son" (2.1.63-68). Polonius is explaining to his servant that if he tells a little lie to people in France, the truth may come out so Polonius can know what his son is up to. Therefore, I would say that it seems like Laertes and Polonius are not very close because there is no trust between them. Parents need to trust their children, unless the children give them a good reason not to.
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