Comparison Of Hamlet And Claudius

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Comparison of Hamlet and Claudius

Relationships are very important today and they where very important in

the past. Each relationship is different, some are good and some are bad. Good

relationships can last a long time and sometimes forever but bad relationships

can end very quickly. In some cases, relationships determine the direction life

will take and they can change everything. Although love and relationships can

sometimes be wonderful and happy, they can sometimes lead to things such as

madness, suicide and depression. This is the case in Hamlet. A comparison of

the love relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet and Gertrude and Claudius, will

illustrate that betrayal, selfishness and lack of love cause the downfall of

these relationships.

There are many examples of betrayal in the play Hamlet. In these

examples betrayal leads to the destruction of relationships. Claudius is the

king of Denmark and he will do anything to stay that way. His wife Gertrude

loves her son Hamlet and Claudius knows that. In order to stay king he must

please Getrude, therefore he pretends to love Hamlet in front of Gertrude but

behind her back, he plots to murder Hamlet. "I will work him To an exploit, now

ripe in my device, under the which he shall not chose but fall. And for his

death no wind of blame shall breathe"1. Gertrude's trust is betrayed by

Claudius at that moment because Gertrude believes that Claudius loves Hamlet,

when in fact, he despises him and wishes death upon him. Claudius is not the

only character that betrays in the play Hamlet. Hamlets makes Ophelia believe

that he loves her for a long time, until one day he tells her things that break

her heart. Because Hamlet suspects that someone is listening to his

conversation with Ophelia, he acts like a mad man and says cruel things to

Ophelia. "Virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it.

I loved you not."(III, i, 118-120) All the promises he had made to her before

that day are now broken; he has betrayed her trust. Hamlet and Claudius

betrayed someone that they where supposed to love. Because of this betrayal the

relationships they had ended in a sad tragedy.

Although trust is a major part of a relationship, selfishness is an even

more important part of a relationship. Particularly in the case of Hamlet.

Claudius and Hamlet are both very selfish men. Claudius wants to be the king of

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