In Shakespeare's "Hamlet," shattered idealism is one of the several flaws of the main character. Hamlet's expectations of mankind were destroyed when he learned of the unmerciful motives and reasons of action from his close friends and relatives. This harsh reality of society sent Hamlet into severe depression, which caused him to surrender the love of life he once possessed.
             Hamlet's first disturbing realization was the incestuous, illicit marriage between his mother and uncle. Most likely, she married him out of the self-intent of maintaining her noble standing. Not only does Gertrude appear to show no remorse for her husband's death "yet within a month" married already, she constantly exhibits public affection for Claudius directly after the funeral of King Hamlet. As Hamlet remarks "Frailty, thy name is woman!," it is evident that he is deeply distressed, and it appears that it has made him lose respect for his mother, as well as other family members.
             Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were once old school fellows of Hamlet, whom he believed were friends visiting him out of the goodness of their hearts, until he learns the reasons of their sojourn. After replete questioning of their intentions for being there, the two bumbling fools admit to Hamlet that King Claudius and Gertrude have asked them to inquire about his recent strange behavior. For one of two reasons, they either believed that this would gain them more respect, or it could have been just another act of their stupidity and ignorance. Along with everything else, "man delights [him] not, {no}, nor woman neither," emphasizes the newly shattered idealism that Hamlet now has for his fellow commoners. He begins to believe that man is nothing more than the "quintessence of dust."
             Ophelia was just one of several other people that had acted on terms against Hamlet. Worse yet, she had been his love, but still went along in a setup with her fath...