There are multiple spying events going on which leads to incidents. Claudius is the mastermind behind all of the spying. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were in on the spying but didn 't really act like spies. Gertrude loved Hamlet no matter what had happened. Hamlet basically knew what was going on since the beginning. Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Gertrude, and Hamlet are main characters who have stayed true to themselves.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two of Hamlet 's childhood friends from Wittenberg. King Claudius and the Queen summoned for them to come and “heal” Hamlet in his hard times. They were sent for to come to the aid of Hamlet but as soon as he sees them he has a feeling that something is going on. They were the beginning
In those words she feels that Hamlet is lovesick and is why he has gone ‘mad.’ Claudius is the one who ‘tries’ to understand Hamlet in his ‘delusional’ state.
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.
“... I entreat you both
That, being of so young days brought up with him
And since so neighboured to his youth and haviour,
That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court
Some little time, so by your companies
To draw him on to pleasures and to
Till I know ’tis done,
Howe’er my haps, my joys were ne’er begun.” (VI.iii.68-72).
The king wants Hamlet dead because he fears that he is insanely mad that he may kill whatever is in his way. Claudius fears his life more than the others. Hamlet was not killed, but in his place was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. At the beginning of the play Hamlet has a feeling something is going on because his mother marries his uncle roughly a week after his father 's passing. A little later on he is told about a ghost that people are seeing that looks like King Hamlet. So he goes with them the next time to see the ghost. They see the ghost and the ghost ends up wanting to ‘talk’ to Hamlet alone. Hamlet then finds out what he basically suspected. The ghost tells him that he had been “MURDERED,” so then the ghost precedes to tell him who he was murdered by and how. Hamlet responses with, “O my prophetic soul! My uncle!” (I.v.46). Later on down the road Hamlet sets up a play to be depicted the true way the king dies to see what Claudius does. He tell Horatio
“Even with the very comment of thy soul Observe my uncle. If his occulted guilt
Do not itself unkennel in one
Within their very first appearances in the play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern leave a memorable imprint upon the readers’ mind. They are rather blurred characters, with seemingly little personality and relatively little distinction between them. They are also “very isolated and self-serving figure[s]” (Friendship-Introduction). They finish one another’s sentences and even when being spoken to by Gertrude and Claudius, they are referred to almost as one person (Ham. 2. 2. 35-36). The reason for this is because they are not meant to represent an actual character, or in this case, a set of characters. They are meant as a symbol, a metaphor for the betrayal and dishonesty that occurs throughout the play. We see this instantly, as we find in their very first appearance that their sole purpose of coming to Denmark was to spy on their friend (Ham 2.2.10-18). Although Hamlet views them initially as old friends, the reader is able to view them as a distant and fake, portrayed together to lend to the concept that they are an idea rather than individual characters or merely the comic relief in the play.
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
Of the four young men who occupy a place in the life of Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appear, at least initially, to be his closest friends. They are schoolmates at Wittenburg, and Hamlet greets them both amicably, remarking, " My excellent good friends! How dost thou,....." Queen Gertrude affirms the status of their relationship when she says, "And sure I am two men there is not living to whom he more adheres." Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are unaware, however, of the real story behind the death of Hamlet’s Father. They do not have the benefit of seeing his ghost, as Hamlet has. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are very loyal to the new King. Unlike Hamlet, they initially have no reason not to trust Claudius. But they become unwitting and unknowing pawns for both factions. Their relationship with Hamlet begins to sour. Hamlet realizes what the King is up to, and he becomes distrustful of the two. "’Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?...
Hamlet is a character that we love to read about and analyze. His character is so realistic, and he is so romantic and idealistic that it is hard not to like him. He is the typical young scholar facing the harsh reality of the real world. In this play, Hamlet has come to a time in his life where he has to see things as they really are. Hamlet is an initiation story. Mordecai Marcus states "some initiations take their protagonists across a threshold of maturity and understanding but leave them enmeshed in a struggle for certainty"(234). And this is what happens to Hamlet.
Throughout the play Hamlet is in constant conflict with himself. An appearance of a ghost claiming to be his father, “I am thy father’s spirit”(I.v.14) aggravates his grief, nearly causing him to commit suicide and leaving him deeply disgusted and angered. Upon speaking with his ghost-father, Hamlet learns that his uncle-stepfather killed Hamlet the King. “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown”(I.v.45-46) Hamlet is beside himself and becomes obsessed with plotting and planning revenge for the death of his father.
It scares Claudius and makes him afraid of Hamlet. * Hamlet is now sure that Claudius is the murderer, but Claudius is so worried that he sends Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with an order for Hamlet to be killed.
Hamlet, after conversing with the ghost of his dead father, learns that Claudius killed his father and swears revenge on Claudius. By Hamlet putting on his antic disposition he is able to get closer to Claudius so he can be sure of the tragic murder of his father was done by Claudius, and when given the perfect opportunity he can take his vengeance. Hamlet was able to find out that it was Claudius by setting up a trap for him involving a play.... ... middle of paper ...
Hamlet does not take the opportunity to slay Claudius as he prays because he believes it will save his soul. His contemplative nature takes over regarding the ghost’s revelation and he decides to devise a play to pique Claudius’ conscience and make sure he is really guilty.
Deceit, misleading information, and spying on others can lead to their demise, intentionally or accidentally. The misleading and deceitful instances in the play are indirectly responsible for Hamlets’ death. Claudius misleads Hamlet when he shipped him off to England under the guise of a restful retreat and when he realizes that the new king has lied to not only him, but the people of Denmark about the death of the former king. Hamlets’ deceit comes from his mother, believing that she has betrayed his father’s love by not mourning for long enough after his death, and by marrying Claudius. Spying also causes problems for Hamlet down the line since it leads to the killing of Polonius, and the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet revolves around Hamlet’s quest to avenge his father’s murder. Claudius’ first speech as King at the beginning of Scene 2, Act 1 introduces the themes of hierarchy, incest and appearance versus reality and plays the crucial role of revealing Claudius’ character as part of the exposition. The audience is left skeptical after Horatio’s questioning of King Hamlet’s ghost in the first scene of the play. By placing Claudius’ pompous speech immediately after the frightening appearance of Hamlet’s ghost, Shakespeare contrasts the mournful atmosphere in Denmark to the fanfare at the palace and makes a statement about Claudius’ hypocrisy. Through diction, doubling and figurative language, Shakespeare reveals Claudius to be a self centered, hypocritical, manipulative and commanding politician.
Claudius is the king of Denmark, who is a very powerful and assertive man. He is the type of person that will do anything to get what he wants and everything in his power to stay king. He will do what it takes to get his way, even if that means betraying the person he is supposed to be committed to and love, his wife Gertrude. Gertrude is the mother of Hamlet, who she deeply cares for and loves. She is convinced that Claudius does as well. In order for Claudius to stay as king he must keep Gertrude happy and pleased. He accomplishes this by pretending to love Hamlet in front of Gertrude when in reality he wants to kill Hamlet. Claudius faces the truth that his secret got out and Hamlet knows he killed King Hamlet. Not wanting to ruin his reputation and of course stay king he plans to have Hamlet killed. He lets Gertrude believe...
After several attempts to kill Hamlet fail, Claudius teams up with Laertes and tries to murder Hamlet once and for all. Each of these plans directly or indirectly caused Hamlet’s death. After Hamlet talks to the ghost of his father, he finds out that Claudius killed him to gain the throne of Denmark. Hamlet has to get revenge by killing Claudius. To do this, he must act insane to draw away suspicion from himself. Hamlet says to Hortaio "How strange or odd some’er I bear myself as I perchanse hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on,"(I;v;170-172).
With his thinking mind Hamlet does not become a typical vengeful character. Unlike most erratic behavior of individuals seeking revenge out of rage, Hamlet considers the consequences of his actions. What would the people think of their prince if he were to murder the king? What kind of effect would it have on his beloved mother? Hamlet considers questions of this type which in effect hasten his descision. After all, once his mother is dead and her feelings out of the picture , Hamlet is quick and aggressive in forcing poison into Claudius' mouth. Once Hamlet is certain that Claudius is the killer it is only after he himself is and and his empire falling that he can finally act.
For Guildenstern and Rosencrantz to betray Hamlet the way they did is utterly despicable. Especially considering that their taking the orders from Claudius. Claudius turns out to be quite a good lire, and shows his skill of being able to manipulate people, into doing what he wants. "Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Moreover that we much did long to see you, the need we have to use you did provoke our hasty sending". ( II;ii; 1-4). Since Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spied on Hamlet, and brought back the fact that he is mad to Claudius. Claudius could then figure out Hamlet’s next move, and counter act it with his own. " Was not like madness. There’s something in his soul." ( III; i; 161). If Claudius hadn’t had Guildenstern or Rosencrantz to aid him in his efforts, I think Hamlet could have had a chance at survival.