Claudius, both uncle and father to Hamlet, second husband to Gertrude and the murderer and brother of the dead king. Despite his moral drawbacks, Claudius is a very impressive king. He is bent on maintaining his power and control. His ability to manipulate others through his speech and his strategic plans are what help him strike a balance in which he maintains control and popularity in Denmark. All this makes Claudius a quite notable character in Hamlet.
Since the beginning Claudius has played out to be a quite smart fellow. Corrupt, but smart. He takes a diplomatic approach versus going to war; Claudius would rather avoid war but isn’t naïve enough to ignore it. He prepares for it, in case the worst results occur for his attempts of peace. Although his lover for Gertrude seems real, it is quite likely that it was just a strategic move so that after the death of the king, he could win the throw
n from the prince. So far, he’s been in control of himself, his guilt for the murder has either not sunk in, or he’s an awful good actor, and is using the situation to his advantage. If he had overplayed his grief, suspicions might have arised, therefore Claudius strikes a balance in which he maintains a good impression and is in control of the situation at hand. On the same note, not letting Hamlet leave for Wittenburg is another thought out decision because it could be seen as a chouse where Claudius is showing concern for Hamlets state and wants to help him, so the image of a “happy family” can be kept. On the kings side of the decision, its possible that he might fear some kind of revenge on him, so by limiting Hamlets freedom he can somewhat keep control of the situation. Control is an essential human need. Through strategy and wits Claudius maintains a balance where he has power and the people
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