Blood is thicker than water, which is easy to see when it's spilled all over the floor

at the end of the play. Hamlet dwells on issues of incest and revenge, both of
which just might be taking the familial bond a little too far. You shouldn't have sex
with your familypretty much everyone can get behind thatbut
maybe, Hamlet says, you shouldn't be murdering for them, either. So, what's left?
Normal families? Nah. This is Shakespearean tragedy; keep looking.

Questions About Family

1. What's the purpose of the Fortinbras plot? Why does Fortinbras keeping
popping up in the play?
2. Why is Hamlet so upset about Gertrude's marriage to Claudius?
3. Hamlet often accuses Gertrude of being a bad mother is he right? Why
or why not? What would "mothering" look like for an almost-grown-man like
Hamlet?
4. Why do Laertes and Polonius warn Ophelia about being intimate with
Hamlet?
5. Do parents always/ever look out for their children's best interests
in Hamlet? What evidence supports your answer?

Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devils advocate.
In Hamlet, parents can't be trusted to look out for their children, especially when
matters of politics are involved.
Hamlet is sad that his dad's been murdered, but he's more sad about his mom's
remarriage to Claudius.