The Importance Of Appearance In Claudius

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The first individual to create a false appearance which works and declines in his favour is Claudius. The primary approach Claudius uses with appearances is to hide his crime of killing his brother. In order to disguise the fact that he killed his brother to become King, Claudius presents himself as a calm individual. This is first seen at the beginning of the play with his wedding. When Hamlet acknowledges the death of his father, Claudius replies, “’Tis unmanly grief. It shows a will most incorrect to heaven, A heart unfortified, a mind impatient, An understanding simple and unschooled” (1.2. 94-97). Throughout this text, Claudius shames Hamlet from mourning for so long, claiming it is unmanly. It is evident that Claudius wants Hamlet to …show more content…

Since Hamlet does kill him, it is clear that Claudius’ forced appearance through his social status and temperament make him hide and reveal his crime, ultimately leading to his death. Furthermore, Claudius uses a fearless appearance to hide his intimidation of Hamlet. After discovering Hamlet killed Polonius, Claudius talks to himself, revealing the anxiety Hamlet has bestowed upon him. He says, “I have sent to seek him and to find the body. How dangerous is it that this man goes loose!” (4.3. 1-2). In comparison to that fear, Claudius’ demeanour is firm when Hamlet is brought to him. As king of Denmark, Claudius abuses his power to banish Hamlet to England. Alone again, Claudius reveals the letter he sent to the king of England, requesting Hamlet’s execution. These actions favour Claudius, as killing Hamlet in a separate country by a different leader makes Claudius avoid political controversy. A consequence of this firm appearance however, is losing sight of Hamlet and losing two of his henchman. Within the intensity of the moment, Claudius insists the courtiers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern accompany Hamlet. However, Hamlet rewrites the letter, requesting that the courtiers will killed instead

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