Abuse Of Power In Hamlet Character Analysis

‘Man is not what he thinks; he is what he hides’ Andre Malraux was a 20th century French novelist in the 1900’s who constructed this simple quotation that simply explains how characters hide things in Hamlet. Characters in Hamlet hide the truth through their actions and words. Good morning and welcome to the Shakespearean conference, I am honoured to be here to speak about such an intriguing play. Four hundred years ago William Shakespeare created another one of his famous tragedies. This was the time before democracies when people believed in witchcraft and supernatural powers. The ironic thing about these beliefs is even though we have developed into a modern democracy we still have the same moral dilemmas. The royalty were abusing their

power in Hamlet and political parties are still doing the same. This theme can be seen in the play through character traits and key events specifically relating back to modern day dilemmas.
Although Hamlet was constructed during the Elizabethan times there are many characters in the play which resonate with modern day politics through the theme abuse of power. There is one main character in the play that often can be seen abusing his power, Claudius. Abuse of power is evident in Hamlet but also significantly echoes with today’s politicians. Who would have thought that such a ‘noble king’ would abuse his power and deceive the minds of many? Claudius is stated as having killed Old King Hamlet and several others for ‘…My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen’. Where old King Hamlet is a stern warrior, Claudius is a corrupt politician whose main weapon is his ability to manipulate others through his skilful use of language. He used his language to convince Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that Hamlet should go to England with them as ‘the terms of our estate may not endure hazard so dangerous as (those that) grow out of his lunacies’. Claudius’ speech is compared to poison being poured in the ear – the method he used to murder Hamlet’s father. Claudius used his power, which he got from stealing the throne, to eliminate any powerful figures that came before him. He even tried to kill King Hamlet in the last scene of the play. Why did he do this? He did this because he was concerned his power would be overridden. He isn’t a wise man; he seems wise by deceiving people. So you are probably thinking, how do Claudius’ misdemeanours relate to 21st century political dilemmas? Let us take a moment to think back to the day Tony Abbott said that ‘Australia will not be allowing any boats into the country, the boats will be turned back’. He had the power to deceive Australians that ‘Asylum seekers are criminals’ which he used to justify his questionable and broadly criticised methods of ‘turning back the boats’. His actions have since been condemned by local powerhouses such as the leaders of Australian political parties to international powerhouses such as the United Nations Human Rights Commission but he uses his power to continue justifying his agenda. While Tony Abbott didn’t murder anyone he still used his power to manipulate many innocent people deceiving them to believe what he thinks and justify his actions, just like Claudius. Hamlet is a significant Shakespearean tragedy that is still relevant in today’s modern world.

Abuse of power is evident through key character events throughout the play.

There are many events in the play that exemplify characters abusing their power such as Ophelia’s father, Lord Polonius, ordering her to ‘repel (Hamlet’s) letters and den(y) his access to (her)’, abusing the power he holds over his unwedded daughter. This key theme aligns with modern day governments doing what they choose even their actions are morally questionable, similarly to Claudius and Polonius in the play. Throughout the play the audience sees Polonius trade his moral dignity, family and honour to maintain his position of power as the King’s chief adviser. He even uses his own daughter, Ophelia, as a pawn in a political game. Claudius can also be seen abusing his own power when he spies on Hamlet and Ophelia. Claudius and Polonius are two very similar rulers. Both of these characters have key moments in the play where they are seen misusing their power. Claudius’ abuse of power is evident in the play at Ophelia’s funeral. We see Claudius’ power in commanding that Ophelia, whose death seemed like suicide, should nevertheless be buried on consecrated ground. The priest at her burial says ‘her death was doubtful’ and that it was the King’s ‘great command’ that forced him to disobey orders. The priest is forced by Claudius and his power to go against the beliefs of the Church that those who commit suicide should not be buried on consecrated (holy) ground. What 21st century examples reflect these key events in Hamlet? Spying, phone tapping and data mining have been several morally questionable acts used by politicians in recent times. What happens when a politician is caught doing this outrageous act? How do we, as citizens, defend for ourselves? Take a minute to think what you would do. I can tell you the average answer would be, just go along with it. Just like Claudius and Polonius political groups such as the government, stand tall and speak out their beliefs to deceive many innocent

people. This is when they abuse their power. It even happens in Australia. Cast your mind back to 2009 when Australia was allegedly ‘spying’ on Indonesian president. Well that was just the beginning. In December 2013, Sarah Hanson-Young (a Greens Senator) was allegedly filmed by security guards in her hotel room during a covert operation to monitor her during a tour of immigration detention facilities on Nauru. This operation was set up by the current government to monitor what she was doing to ensure she wasn’t helping these so called asylum ‘criminals’. The security guards were also told ‘to follow her, and they were told to keep notes on who she was talking to around the island and in her room.’ Similarly to when Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet and Ophelia, it is evident that the abuse of power, extending to spying, is still prevalent in today’s society. The alleged spy case is not just morally reprehensible, it is essentially a crime and it was led by the country's governing body. This is equivalent to when Claudius forced Polonius to spy on Hamlet. The similarities between Hamlet and modern day life are especially evident in politics.
Claudius is not what he thinks, he is what he hides. Claudius’ act of abusing his power through deception is significantly relevant to modern day political dilemmas such as, Tony Abbott. Polonius is a replica of Claudius; he uses his sneaky day to day tactics to manipulate people’s thoughts and beliefs. It is mind blowing that such a tragedy can still strongly resonate with audiences of the 21st century. Thank you for allowing me to speak here today, it has been an honour. If I can leave you with one thought, let me quote Eugene Victor Debs on the responsibilities of citizens in a modern democracy, ‘in every age it has been the tyrant, the oppressor and the exploiter who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion or both to deceive and overawe the People.’