#tragic danish boyfriends
The other day I saw a production of Hamlet, where as everyone’s dying, Hamlet runs to Laertes as soon as he starts falling down and holds him in his arms while he’s explaining what happened. He runs to kill Claudius with sword and with poison, and then comes back to hold Laertes as he begs for forgiveness on both sides. There’s a quiet moment and when he says “Heaven make you free of it” it sounds almost tender, and he lets his boyfriend to the ground gently.
And then of course Horatio holds Hamlet the same way, but for longer, and it was a beautiful parallel, so polyamorous Hamlet is what I’m saying.
Someone randomly liked this post, so I’m coming back five years later to add on that the paapa essiedu production has hamlet and laertes clinging to each other while covered in blood!
Fellas, is it gay…
horatio calls hamlet babygirl
honestly not to sound like a homophobic english teacher but whether hamlet and horatio like each other romantically just isn’t as interesting of a question to me as “how is hamlet’s relationship with horatio different from his other relationships, and how does it affect the narrative”. because, like, hamlet does LOVE ophelia, at least in the sense that he is kind of obsessed with her and definitely romantically and sexually attracted to her. but despite even probably knowing her for longer, there’s none of that same trust or dedication that he has with horatio in his interactions with her. and sure YES hamlet and horatio are gay lovers who kiss gayly and have gay sex with each other, that is definitely true. but that on its own doesn’t fully explain their relationship. like the romantic love is just a part of it do you see what im sayin
