King Claudius' Speech

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Recommended: Analysis of Claudius's soliloquy

King Claudius' Speech

I will be comparing and contrasting the impression that we get of the

new King Claudius. I will be doing this by looking at his first speech

and the speech in Act 3, Scene III.

Claudius’s rather dramatic opening speech (II.1) appears to be

relaxed, eloquent and confident, but its careful structure indicates

that the speech is well rehearsed. The style of his first extended

speech is open to interpretation; he can be portrayed as overly

confident about his marriage, referring to Hamlet as his “cousin” and

“son” and his kingship; insecure about his marriage, referring to

Gertrude as “th’imperial jointress”; crafty and devious, speaking of

Hamlet’s death with no real sorrow or observably fake sadness; or

unsure of his role as King; he begins his first Royal speech by

speaking at length on personal matters – this could be seen more as

small talk than anything else. The reaction of his court can also be

seen as ambiguous – his subjects are portrayed as respecting their new

King, declaring “In that an...

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