In Shakespeare's Hamlet, King Claudius is one of the most controversial characters. There are many sides to this character that are overlooked that make him out to be just a villain. There is Claudius the father, the husband, the ruler and the human being himself. .
Claudius the father never had a problem stating his feelings about Hamlet in front of a crowd. He would stand up and say that he feels the same about Hamlet as his father felt. In reality however, Claudius was the one who killed his father. It seems, in the play, as if Claudius has no problem talking to Hamlet in front of a crowd, but in private he can't seem to find words to speak. This could be due to his guilt from killing his father and taking the thrown all in the matter of a short period of time. Although this makes him seem like a villain there are other parts that people do not recognize that may change their opinion.
Claudius the husband is not a very clear or understandable part of him. There isn't much we know about Claudius" and Gertrude's private life but that of what Hamlet reveals. However what Hamlet reveals cannot be taken seriously because there is no truth behind it. However, what we do know about Claudius the husband is that he must have treated Gertrude with respect or she wouldn't have married him in the first place. .
Claudius was also a great leader. He handled disputes over lands taken from Fortinbras" father with ease. He realized that a war at the beginning of his reign would not make him look good and turn the people against him. Since he had just come to power, he had decided to handle the matter without ever having to use force or go to war. There were also rumors of incest going around. He did not want to be blamed for tainting the Queen's bed and being responsible for the fall of the kingdom. .
King Claudius also had feelings and a conscience like everyone else. In act 3 Claudius reveals to us that he did kill King Hamlet.
Hamlet Hamlet is a young man who's father dies and his life is turned upside down. ... Hamlet is battling his conscience. ... Hamlet is extremely indecisive. ... Hamlet wants to kill his uncle because he killed hamlets father. ... Hamlet only trusts Horatio. ...
The old king Hamlet is murder by Claudius and therefore Hamlet must take his revenge. ... Hamlet begins to doubt the ghost. ... Hamlet is contradicts himself. ... Hamlet's next problem is that of morality. ... Hamlet's flaw of irresolution, the uncertainty on how to act or proceed, is shown when Hamlet sees a play and the passion the actors had, after Hamlet's third soliloquy, in Hamlet's fourth soliloquy, and in Hamlet's indecisive pursuit in avenging his father's death. ...
Hamlet In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet never loses his sanity, in his plan to feign madness. ... It is after this statement that Hamlet begins to act mad. ... Guildenstern asks Hamlet what he means by this and Hamlet professes he is "" . . . but mad north-north-west. ... Polonius believe he [Hamlet] was mad. ... In a conversation, Gertrude questions Hamlet's sanity. ...
Hamlet In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet never loses his sanity, in his plan to feign madness. ... It is after this statement that Hamlet begins to act mad. ... Guildenstern asks Hamlet what he means by this and Hamlet professes he is "" . . . but mad north-north-west. ... Polonius believe he [Hamlet] was mad. ... In a conversation, Gertrude questions Hamlet's sanity. ...
Laertes is a mirror to Hamlet. ... Laertes is decisive and Hamlet is not. ... Fortinbras acts as Hamlet's inspiration; he motivates Hamlet to go forward with his plan to kill Claudius, which in the end leads to Hamlet's downfall. ... Horatio is Hamlet's friend and solid rock on whom Hamlet can trust and depend. ... Horatio cared for Hamlet greatly, and so Hamlet cared greatly for Horatio. ...
KING Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius? HAMLET At supper. ... If Claudius does not stand on one side of a titanic conflict, his betrayal of Hamlet's father and Marriage to Hamlet's mother, do ignite one: Hamlet's conflict with himself. ... In the end Hamlet dies along with most of the principle characters whether they were duplicities against Hamlet or not. ... By the end of the play Hamlet has thoroughly explored the question but like Hamlet, it remains an enigma. ...
Hamlet The study of Shakespeare's Hamlet has been one that is very extensive as well as enormous. ... A critic of Hamlet once said, "a man set out to read all the books about Hamlet would have time to read nothing else, not even Hamlet." ... "Hamlet is the tragedy of reflection. ... For where Hamlet saw that "the time is out of joint," Hamlet himself was "out of joint." ... (Mack. 64) Hamlet begins his questioning with the death of elder Hamlet. ...
Hamlet 1 Throughout Hamlet, Hamlet expresses his thoughts via several soliloquies. ... In this scene, Hamlet is being "set up" by Ophelia, Polonius, and Claudius. ... This is quite different than the "emotional Hamlet" seen in 1.2, or the "vengeful Hamlet" seen in 1.5. ... The three claim to be concerned for Hamlet's mental state of mind. This is ironic, because as the characters within the play see Hamlet mentally deteriorating, readers see Hamlet mentally developing. ...
Hamlet Tania Kozie-Slobodzian Hamlet is categorized as one of Shakespeare's tragedies. ... Horatio a friend of Hamlet tells Hamlet that he is afraid because he thinks he has seen a ghost who resembles the late King. ... The Ghost of Hamlet's father appears in front of Hamlet. The ghost is in fact Hamlet's late father. ... Now that Hamlet is said to be crazy, Polonius goes to the King and tells him about Hamlet's strange behavior concerning Ophelia. ...
