Dear Cornelius,
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirit. Alas, I cannot say so about myself at the moment. I cannot possibly explain what heartbreaking and unfortunate news awaited thy loyal friend Hamlet upon his returning home. You are my kindred spirit and the only one I can trust, so I beseech your support and advice. Oh, my dearest Cornelius, let me start from the point of my arrival and end with the most puzzling choice I have to make.
As you have probably heard, my father passed away under unclarified circumstances, and my mother was already married to his brother when I came home. Sad as it was, I could not but accept my mother’s will. However, what you (or anyone else) could not have known is the reason why my darling father died. Neither did I until last night when I saw his ghost that talked to me so convincingly I had no doubts it belonged to my kind and honest late parent. Imagine my astonishment, Cornelius, when the ghost told me that his murderer had been his brother! I still cannot believe it, although it is obvious. Claudius poured poison into my father’s ear when he was sleeping – what a dishonest, low, cowardly way to kill anyone, let alone his brother! And what a snake one has to be to ask his widow to marry him immediately after the funeral!
I understand that this news has taken you aback, and I will give you a few minutes to get your breath back. For what I am going to say next is, in fact, the most disquieting piece of this letter. My father’s ghost asked me to do one thing, Cornelius, which I can share with no one but you. The thing is, he said that his death had to be revenged, and that I had to kill Cornelius. Now, this is the most outrageous thing to ask for, do you not think so? I have been pondering over that request for two days, and I still have not come to a decisive conclusion. I need your help, my comrade, I require it so badly as I have never done before.
Oh, my poor soul is being torn to pieces! What should I do: get back at my father’s murderer and pay for his death or just leave the things as they are and not listen to the ghost? My mind seems to explode soon from so many thoughts! I cannot face my mother, cannot even get close to my uncle – the cold-blooded assassin. What is even worse, there is this girl, Ophelia, who seems to be interested in me, but I have neither will no time to engage in any romantic relationships at the moment… Each and every minute of my time is preoccupied with that single question: to kill or not to kill my father’s murderer?
Of course, it is what a good son would do, and it is probably what I will do, after all. But still, my honest and noble comrade, I would like to hear your opinion. If you support my decision, tell me how you would best arrange the revenge if you were me. If you think I am crazy, open my eyes to it, too, and show me the evidence of this decision’s absurdity. Thou art my only savior, my sole sober-minded advisor, my single confidant. I cannot wait to receive your response, and I do hope not to have gone out of my mind completely before your letter arrives.
Yours faithfully,
Hamlet.