King Claudius Power

The Power of Claudius

“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;/ Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” (). King Claudius is a man of power and wealth. Claudius throughout the course of the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, finds that evil and corruption only snowballs into his own demise. Corruption, Manipulation, and secretiveness are the factors that characterize the King, and with this Heaven is becoming more and more difficult to grasp as events fold out. The King’s avarice as it seems, will only take him to the depths of despair.

King Claudius, as first revealed by Hamlet Sr.’s ghost, is a corrupted man. During Hamlet’s exchange with his ghostly father in the castle barracks, the secret of Claudius’s crime is exposed to Hamlet “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/ Now wears his crown.” (1.5.45). Claudius had killed Hamlet Sr. and was now trying to hide it with notable acting. Continuing with lacerations at Claudius, the ghost described him as “that incestuous, adulterate beast/ With witchcraft of

Covering up his murder of Hamlet Sr., Claudius addresses the citizens of a very “tragic” accident “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death… to bear our hearts in grief…”(1.2.3) where Hamlet Sr. was bit by a venomous snake. Following events of Hamlet’s demented behavior, Claudius lies to gertrude about his relationship with Hamlet saying “But so much was our love…”(4.1.20) to make her believe he wasn’t going to do anything that would harm her son. Hamlet though, knows all along that Claudius is only putting on a facade to hide his demons, and follows him all along on his actions. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have an encounter with Hamlet, Hamlet tells them they are only being used by Claudius “When he needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you, and, sponge, you shall be dry