Hamlet, in Shakespeare 's Hamlet, endures the tribulations of a new marriage. Much to his distaste, his mother has thrust him into a new stepfamily at “O, most wicked speed” (1.2.161). This marriage is not much liked by Hamlet, compounded by the ill council of his late father. This marriage also brought the end to a trusting family relationship, drove Hamlet to madness, and ended in the demise of the entire stepfamily. Although Hamlet’s situation is quite extreme, many stepfamilies today experience unhappiness and distress in the beginnings of their new relationships. However, steps can be taken to prevent such issues, steps that could have prevented Hamlet’s bloody finale.
In some cases, like that of Hamlet, children are tasked with mourning a parent. In this same way, a child needs to also mourn the death of a marriage before a new spouse should be introduced. If enough time is not given, “[stepchildren] may be reluctant to embrace their new stepfamily” (Fanning). Hamlet is not afforded this luxury. His father is nothing “but two months dead,” before Gertrude remarries, which is not enough time to process the sad end of his parent’s marriage (1.2.142). Hamlet’s distaste could have been avoided if a trusting bond with Gertrudes new spouse was fostered before matrimony was considered. According to Kevin Shafer, a teacher and researcher at Brigham Young University’s School of Social Work, “[children] should be a pretty active participant in discussions of what the family is