Jennifer+Ai

Dear diary,

All is not well.

For entertainment, a group of actors came to the palace to display a show today. After my brother’s death, I married Gertrude to bring some festivity and positive spirit into the country. Everything is okay but I thought watching a play couldn’t hurt. It was not supposed to be like this. Could it just be a coincidence? No.

I saw Hamlet before the play and asked him how he was. His response left me confused. I did not understand him. He spoke of chameleons and eating air. I think he may be mad. It wouldn’t be a bad thing I suppose. He is the heir to the thrown and a threat to me. If he were mad, I would not have much to worry about.

I saw down and waited for the actors to begin their play. A queen and a king begin by displaying their love of 30 years now. The king says that he is weak and may pass soon and tells her queen that perhaps she may remarry after his death. This line clung to me. The queen replied, “None wed the second but who killed the first.” She further vowed never to get remarried and claims she will be loyal forever. She then heads off to bed.

I began to feel a little nervous but I thought I was just being paranoid. I turned to Hamlet and asked if he knew the plot and if there was anything offensive in it. He told me no and that is a story based on a murderer in Vienna. It goes by the name of Mousetrap. He told me that people like him and I, the ones who have nothing to feel guilty about will make nothing of it. I believed him and hoped that was the case.

Another character enters, Lucianus is his name. He is the nephew of the king. While the king is asleep, he pours a deadly mixture of poison into his ear and kills him… I overheard that later in the plot, Lucianus wins over the love of the widowed queen.

The guilt struck me and I froze.

The play became unbearable to watch and I stood up to leave. I shouted to turn on the lights and stop the play. Who wrote this play? Is it really based on a murderer in Vienna? So many questions rushed through my mind.

Why? I’ll confess. I killed my brother. I used the same method. And the part about stealing the queen and winning over her love. Could it be? Does someone know? I hide my tracks and there were no witnesses. I cannot and will not give up everything that I have worked for. I have worked too hard to give it up now! The kingdom and Gertrude. Oh my queen Gertrude. I do not know what I would do without her.

Brother! Please rest well in Heaven.

Claudius