Tone is an important aspect of all Shakespeare's works. In lines 42-44 the kings language and tone reveal his feelings of betrayal by his brother, "That adulterate beast...witchcraft of his wits...his shameful lust." The king also expresses a vengeful tone against his brother in lines 81-84,"If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not..." Clearly the king wishes that Hamlet would expose the crimes of his uncle and avenge his father's death. In contrast to the ghost's opinion of the crime, King Claudius feels mixed remourse and self serving ambition. In lines 36-39, Claudius compares his crime to the crime of Cain in the Bible. "It hath the primal eldest curse upon't..." Further along in his speech he wonders aloud, "Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow..." These lines clearly show that while Claudius did plot his brother's demise, he did not slay without remourse. However Claudius then prays to angels ho

Clearly, Shakespeare has given us many ways to interpret Hamlet. Through tone, imagery, and how they both feel about the crime Shakespeare paints a compelling portrait of a criminal's inner troubles and a victim's wishes for vengence.

Obviously in any case a victim and a perpetrator of a crime will have different views about the crime in question. In his speech, the ghost reveals his feelings about what his brother has done in lines 60-64 . He feels the infringement was unprovoked and that it was an iniquitous end to his life, "Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole........" Although the ghost knows the queen was involved in his death, he blames Claudius entirely in lines 55-60, "My crown, mine own ambition and my queen..." Claudius wants to be forgiven, but he realizes that to be forgiven he must give up all the things he commited the crime for in the first place. He knows that as king he will get away with his sins, but he will still have to pay for them in heaven in lines 59-62 , " And oft 'tis seen the wicked prize itself Buys out the law. But 'tis not so above......"

ping that God will make his subjects more obedient to him, "Bow stubborn knees and hearts with strings of steel..." Although the evil of Claudius' crime is obvious, Shakespeare uses the

Some topics in this essay:
Cain Bible, , Cane Able, King Claudius, secure thy uncle, seen wicked prize, thy uncle stole, lines 42-44, heavens wash, secure thy, hath primal, uncle stole, thy uncle, aspect shakespeare's, wicked prize, crime king, seen wicked,