] I know that the ghost already told the story, so guilt is easier to see for the audience, for Hamlet, and for Horatio--but why are so many people blind to any hint of it?

The only reason I have ever been able to come up with is that they plain and simple like Claudius. They think he is a good King, a nice chap who has made Gertrude happy and brought joy (and parties) back to court. So they are predisposed to think good of him, not evil.

Sari