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Claudius' influence on Hamlet's actions
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Recommended: Claudius' influence on Hamlet's actions
In Act l of Hamlet, we see how Hamlet’s character development changes throughout Acts l and ll. We also see how a conflict between Hamlet and Claudius intensifies.
When first reading Act l of Hamlet, we can see how Hamlet goes through some changes in his life. Hamlet’s father who was the king has died. Which leads him to being sad and confused how it can happen. Hamlet tries his hardest to keep his father’s remembrance still alive, but his mother has moved on to the king’s brother,Claudius. Hamlet says “ would have mourned longer-marries my uncle…” Gertrude, his mother has not thought about what Hamlet thinks. Claudius being closer now to the family leads to Hamlet’s frustration which carries on to Act ll, where Hamlet is being watched by the king and queen for his “own good.” Hamlet then figures out what Claudius is trying to do to him, and tries to get the revenge needed.
Claudius, is the king now, who’s really made Hamlet’s life so confusing and difficult for him to understand what is going on. Claudius is the one who poisoned old Hamlet, which leads to Hamlet wanting to get revenge back for his father, who isn't able.
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Claudius and Hamlet have had conflict throughout Act l and ll.
The conflicts intensify between these two as we keep reading. Now that Hamlet knows who killed his father has started tension. Claudius doesn't see the wrong in what he’s doing, so Hamlet tried his best to get back at him. As we see now in Act ll, Hamlet makes a play called ‘The Murder of Gonzago,’ which is a play where Hamlet has specifically done it for Claudius so he can see how guilty he is, and Hamlet said “ - I have heard that guilty creatures sitting at a play, have by the very cunning of the scene been struck so to the soul that presently they have proclaimed their malefactions; for murder, though it have no tongue, will speak with most miraculous organ.” which is true and shows that this conflict between Hamlet and Claudius has only started and will be the end of
Claudius. The drama that has been shown in these two Acts, has really affected the relationship between each character. Hamlet has drama in every relationship he’s in, either with Polonius about Ophelia, or Claudius wanting revenge over his father Old Hamlet. Claudius probably thought in Act l, he can just get Hamlett to be his son and no worries, but that’s not how it happened. The death of Old Hamlet has only intensified their relationship leading to more drama and Hamlet losing himself. As we’ve seen in both Acts the shifts of Hamlet's character and the conflicts, only lead to him trying to understand what is going on in his life.
Claudius greedy intentions take him to his murderous action. Claudius says, “The whole kingdom/to be contracted in one brow of woe”. (Shakespeare1.2.3-4) Claudius killing old king Hamlet knows that was the only way to have the kingdom. He gives the kingdom a new start under his new government and things that favors him but he still has those devious ways. He also gives the people a speech to represents how good of a ruler his is going to be and he even acknowledges his brother’s death. He gets to maintain the country affairs in his own way. The
Throughout William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the audience attaches to the young protagonist Hamlet. Throughout the play, his wit, and his underdog situation, compel the audience to root for him, and thus wishing evil upon his foe, Claudius. As the play progresses, Claudius seems weasel-like as he rubs the situation in Hamlet's face, and indulges in decadent rituals while enjoying his scandalous throne. In act three, scene three, however, the humble side of Claudius is visible for the first time. As he prays for forgiveness in his soliloquy, we see that he truly regrets his spiteful crime. This soliloquy deepens the play as it pulls the audience's emotions towards the middle, creating more mystery and suspense.
This is a crucial element in the development of the revenge plot for the reason that it will confirm that the murderer is indeed Claudius, thus allowing Hamlet to further proceed with his revenge. If, on the other hand, Claudius does not show any signs of guilt, the revenge plot will be delayed as Hamlet will have to find other ways to prove that Claudius is responsible for his father’s death. Furthermore, through Hamlet’s display of antic-disposition, it results in Claudius to come to a decision to send Hamlet off to England. In this particular scene, further character development of Claudius can be seen as he explains to Gertrude, “The sun no sooner shall the mountain touch / But we will ship him hence; and this vile deed” (IV.I.29-30). As noted from the previous act, when Claudius attempts to repent for his sins, he explains that he wishes to keep all that he received as a result from killing the King. For the reason that Claudius decides to send Hamlet away in fear that he is in danger, his character is further developed as being a man of fear who values materials and power more than anything else. All in all, it is evident that external conflict between Hamlet and Claudius is present throughout the play as they continuously plot against each
Hamlet when speaking to his mother exclaims that Claudius is a, “Monster custom who all sense doth eat of habits devil,” (III, iv,167-168). Adding the words, “monster,” and, “devil,” Shakespeare highlights how vile Hamlet believes Claudius to be. This acidic depiction of Claudius reveals Hamlet’s true rage about his father’s death which will ultimately be the cause of Claudius’ death. For the relationship, Hamlet’s rage tears it apart; any preexisting love for one another has been depleted by animosity. This vitriolic relationship will cause the demise of both people which points to Shakespeare’s idea that distrust in relationships ultimately leads to demise. On the other hand, Claudius, viewing Hamlet as a threat, plots a way to kill Hamlet that way, “no wind of blame shall breathe,” (IV, vii,65). Claudius wants nothing to do with the death of his step-son because he already has blood on his hands, so he prods his puppet, Laertes, to kill Hamlet for him. Shakespeare was insightful to phrase Claudius’ comment because it portrays that nothing and no one will ever hear about the true cause of the death of Hamlet. At this point in the play, it is safe enough to say that Hamlet and Claudius are sworn enemies due to the way they speak of each other and premeditate one another’s
Act 3 Scene 4, so called the closet scene, is the first time we see Hamlet and Gertrude together alone. In this scene Hamlet releases his anger and frustration at his mother for the sinful deed she has committed i.e. her marriage to her brother-in-law and the murderer. We can see that Gertrude is unaware of her husband's murder when she says `As kill a King?' and it is the first time she confronts her own behavior. There is a conflict between the two; Hamlet gives powerful replies
Claudius is the man who murdered Hamlet’s father: his own brother; and married his wife, so that he can be king. By doing so, the audience can clearly see that he will disregard all his morals, and act decisively to achieve his goals. This is important to see because it highlights Hamlet’s own personalty. Hamlet is the opposite of Claudius because he is concerned about is morality, and is very indecisive about acting upon what he says. This powerful contrast between the two is what makes Claudius and important foil to Hamlet.
An important factor of any fictional story is the antagonist, or a person who conflicts with the protagonist – the “hero” of the story (Encarta). As many have come to the realization already, Claudius is the main antagonist to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Uncle to Prince Hamlet, King of Denmark and Husband of Gertrude, Claudius is quite a character. Imagine the guilt and anxiety brought about by killing one’s own brother, claiming his kingdom as your own, and then going so far as to marry his widow. These were the crimes of King Claudius of Denmark, and one can see that he was pretty much written to be despised by the reader, a noticeable aspect of Shakespeare’s age-old work. Moreover, many often quickly assume, upon their first reading of the play, that Prince Hamlet ought to kill the king (Goddard).
Claudius is Hamlet’s uncle and stepfather. He had an affair with Hamlet’s mother and murdered Hamlet’s father. Claudius cared for no one in the play but himself. There were very few happy moment for Hamlet in the play, but one came when he made a play within the play. Hamlet wanted to see the reaction the Claudius had to the scene on the play where they show how the king was murdered. Claudius’ reaction to the scene was astounding. “Give me some light. Away!”(III.2. 255). Hamlet saw his reaction and knew for sure that Claudius killed his father. Claudius was a horrible uncle ...
Throughout the play Claudius fought with his internal conflicts of either protecting his loved ones or protecting his assets as king. It is obvious that we were intended to read Claudius’s character as a murderous villain, but the evidence is not black and white. Claudius cares for the people around him. He hurts when they hurt. He is not a monstrous killing machine; he is a diseased person who simply can’t control his convulsions for total power. Hamlet may have been the tragic hero, but Claudius was undoubtedly the tragic villain.
As illustrated through his speeches and soliloquies Hamlet has the mind of a true thinker. Reinacting the death of his father in front of Claudius was in itself a wonderful idea. Although he may have conceived shcemes such as this, his mind was holding him back at the same time. His need to analyze and prove everythin certain drew his time of action farther and farther away. Hamlet continuously doubted himself and whether or not the action that he wanted to take was justifiable. The visit that Hamlet recieves from his dead father makes the reader think that it is Hamlet's time to go and seek revenge. This is notthe case. Hamlet does seem eager to try and take the life of Claudius in the name of his father, but before he can do so he has a notion, what if that was not my father, but an evil apparition sending me on the wrong path? This shows that even with substantial evidence of Claudius' deeds, Hamlet's mind is not content.
Claudius is the brother to the late King Hamlet and is now the husband of the Queen and also Hamlet’s uncle. Claudius has been trying to “get rid” of Hamlet from almost the beginning of the play. He is also the one who sets up the spying that leads to pretty much all of the deaths in the play. With the first spying Claudius has two of Hamlet’s close friends brought in.
At the beginning of Hamlet the reader finds out that Hamlet’s father has been killed by his own brother and he marries his old wife and takes the throne. Hamlet’s father comes back in the middle of the night as a ghost to tell Hamlet the truth about his death and to avenge his death and get him out of purgatory. Hamlet himself is distraught and angry from the news he has received and begins to make a mess of things. The differences between Hamlet and Claudius are Claudius is a doer and he does things for himself. Hamlet on the other hand, he thinks about everything but his biggest problem is the fact that he over thinks situations and doesn’t act on them. The story Hamlet is about prince Hamlet and how he finds out that his father (King Hamlet)
The findings in Sarah Casimong in “Does Love Make You Do Stupid Things?” can also be applied to Hamlet. He also had impaired judgement due to his love for his father. Hamlet seemed to think very highly of his father and he sincerely loved him. Hamlet refers to his father at the beginning of the play as “Hercules” and “excellent king”. He also says “He was a man, take him for allin all, I shall not look upon his like again." (I.ii.139-188). This shows how much his father meant to him. So when the ghost of his father tells him that Claudius murdered him; Hamlet felt the need to gain revenge for him. Claudius being the man, who killed his father and then took the throne by marrying Queen Gertrude, makes it logical that Hamlet would have a vendetta towards him. Hamlet began to be consumed with the need to revenge his father and it started to control his life. Ashley Fern wrote, “When people seek out revenge, it tends to consume them entirely. Some people take it way too far and it is hard to control yourself once you get going.” (Fern, Ashley). Hamlet’s life was driven by a need for revenge and his actions couldn’t be controlled because of this. Hamlet’s life was in shambles at this point because what he thought was true was shown to be false. Claudius acted as though he grieved for his father when in actuality he was the one responsible for it. He says, “Though yet of Hamlet
The relationship between Hamlet and Claudius is problematic, largely due to the fact that they both wish death upon the other. For instance, they view each other as a threat, which is a foreboding sign within a royal family. When Hamlet learns that his father was murdered by his own uncle - Claudius, Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s death by killing Claudius when he is told, “But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” (1.5.38-40). In other words, the ghost of Old King Hamlet informs Hamlet that Claudius has murdered him. He compares Claudius to a serpent, a large deadly
... the only way to honour his father Polonius is by killing Hamlet. In addition, as Claudius reads the letter from Hamlet to Laertes he says “'Tis Hamlet’s character. “Naked” And in a postscript here, he says “alone.” Can you advise me?” (IV, VII, 52-53). This shows that Claudius takes advantage of Hamlet’s return alone as an opportunity for Laertes to kill him. Through Claudius’s actions the readers observe how he deceives Laertes into killing Hamlet for his own benefit without getting blood on his hands. Furthermore, Claudius’ desperation to kill Hamlet leads to him losing sight of what is important, which is being the king of Denmark, what he originally wanted, instead the lies he told and the manipulation he spread is now taking over. To conclude, it is evident through the play that the words and actions of Claudius have only lead to the spread of deception.