Guilt And Madness In Hamlet

Merriam-Webster defines guilt as “a bad feeling caused by knowing or thinking that you have done something bad or wrong”. Shakespeare incorporated more guilt and madness into “Hamlet” more than any other emotions, and he ultimately built the story around the two feelings. When “guilt” and “Hamlet” are mentioned in the same sentence, people normally think about Claudius. Throughout the play, it is hard for readers to really understand whether or not Claudius feels real guilt, or if he is just scared of being killed or exposed by his stepson-nephew Hamlet. Several instances infer that he only feels guilt because he is scared of Hamlet, but there are a few times when it seems that he feels real guilt.

One of the main reasons that some people

think Claudius does not feel guilt at all, is that shortly after he murders his brother and assumes the throne, he throws a huge party, known as a rouse. “The king doth wake tonight and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail, and the swaggering up-spring reels; And as he drains his draughts of Renish down,The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out the triumph of his pledge”(Shakespeare). Hamlet hears the commotion, and it enrages him. The fact that Claudius has this party so soon after his brother’s death shows that what Claudius has done is obviously not weighing on his conscious if he has the nerve to throw a party. Some might say that he throws the party to try and lighten the mood of the kingdom, and it could be an attempt to get the people to forget about King Hamlet and accept him. After Hamlet conversates with the ghost and finds out that Claudius killed his father, he decides to put on a play for the people and King Claudius and Queen Gertrude called “Mousetrap”. In the play, a man sneaks into a garden and pours poison into the ear of the king. When Claudius sees this and realizes that somebody might know what he has done, he stands up and exclaims “Give me some light, away!” and flees the room, much to the delight of Hamlet(Shakespeare). When Claudius sees this play, he flees in terror and it causes him to really start thinking about what he has done. This is a turning point for Claudius, and it causes him to seek forgiveness for his actions.

After Claudius flees and retires to his room, one of the most important instances in the story happens. The king kneels beside his bed, and begins to pray. “O, 'tis true! How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience! The harlot's cheek, beautied with plastering art, is not more ugly to the thing that helps it than is my deed to my most painted word: O heavy burden!”(Shakespeare). This is one of the very few moments where people start to see signs of Claudius actually feeling true remorse. Claudius shows that he does feel somewhat terrible for the act he has carried out. But, coveting overshadows this feeling of guilt, and causes Claudius to reluctantly accept the dirty deed. “My fault is past. But O, what form of prayer Can serve my turn? Forgive me my foul murder? That cannot be, since I am still possess'd Of those effects for which I did the murder, My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.”(Shakespeare). Claudius ultimately accepts his actions because he is not prepared to give up all the riches or the lifestyle that he got as a result of murdering his brother. This quote shows that possessions are more important to Claudius than telling the truth, and he lets that get in the way of allowing his guilt to get the better of him. The prayer is significant in finding out whether or not Claudius actually feels guilty, but Claudius does not think that his prayers will be heard.

Claudius is obviously not a spiritual person, and does not have a lot of experience in prayer.

“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.”(Shakespeare). With all of the things happening in his life, Claudius begins to think a lot more about how he feels about everything. Ultimately, Claudius feels guilt for his action, but he would rather cover up the truth than uncover it. Earlier in the story, he says “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death, The memory be green, and that it us befitted, to bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom, To be contracted in one brow of woe, Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature, That we with wisest sorrow think on him, Together with remembrance of ourselves”(Shakespeare). At that point in the story, Claudius believed that it was understandable for the people to mourn for King Hamlet’s death, but he thinks that they should move on, and come to accept him as their king.

Throughout the story, different events give contradictory views on whether or not Claudius ever really truly feels remorse and/or guilt. I believe that at one point in the story, Claudius felt true remorse, and that was when he was praying. I believe that Claudius does truly feel sorry for murdering King Hamlet, but he is too greedy to admit it to the people and Hamlet. His possessions are the only thing that stops him from ever revealing the truth. It is hard to really tell if Claudius ever reaches a real point

of being truly guilty for killing King Hamlet, but I personally believe he does.