Shakespeare's Presentation Of Claudius In Hamlet

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Shakespeare's Presentation Of Claudius In Hamlet

'Hamlet' opens with the death of Old King Hamlet, Father of Hamlet,

Prince of Denmark. The new king, Claudius, brother of the previous

king has married Gertrude, the dead man's widow and has taken the

throne.

Shakespeare presents Claudius as the plays 'damned smiley villain'

although he does allow him some redeeming features; leading an

audience to view him as a complex and contradictory figure within the

play.

After Old King Hamlet dies Claudius is crowned king of Denmark and

talks to the people as though he has sympathy and is saddened by his

brother's death 'and that it is us befitted to bear out hearts in

grief, and our whole kingdom to be continued in one brow of woe.'

However, he comes across as insincere as he marries his brother's wife

so soon after the funeral. Claudius is sly and clever as he counters

possible opposition to his marriage by flattering his court; thanking

them for their better wisdoms, which have freely gone with this

affair! For the same reasons he turns his attention to the threat of

invasion by Fortinbras and shows himself to be an excellent king:

knowledgeable, organised and efficient in dealing with the imminent

attack by diplomatic means.

The king's treachery is revealed when the ghost of Old King Hamlet

appears to Hamlet who talks very much of his hate of his brother,

Claudius 'The serpent that did sting thy fathers life now wears the

crown.' Referring to Claudius as a serpent who plays around beneath

you, very deceptive and sly. Claudius has committed two crimes of

murder, Fratricide- murder of his brother and Regicide- murder of the

ki...

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..., I am but hurt.' Hamlet kills Claudius by forcing

him to drink the poison his mother has drank. Hamlet is not an

unprincipled murderer and traitor, Claudius is! Claudius has

manipulated Laertes and deserved to die by Hamlet, as it was an act of

revenge and justice for the murder of his father.

Claudius is the obvious villain of the play presented by Shakespeare

as a contradictory character with clear strengths and weaknesses. He

possesses excellent leadership qualities, is diplomatic, determined

and clever but beneath this impressive public image he is cowardly,

deceptive, murderous and duplicitous. He is therefore presented as a

complex character throughout the play. Shakespeare's presentation of

Claudius allows him to explore human nature and the themes of

corruption, appearance and reality and political intrigue.

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