Is King Hamlet Selfish

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Recommended: The Character of Claudius in Hamlet play

What should be said of a person who kills his own brother to ascend to the throne of Denmark? It is easy to label Claudius as an indefensible murderer, especially because Shakespeare relays many of the events in Hamlet through Prince Hamlet’s perspective. Although Claudius is unquestionably villainous, he is also a highly effective and judicious statesman.
Claudius ends King Hamlet’s life in order to pursue a more sophisticated style of governance. King Hamlet had been a proud, haughty man who took risks with his country. Horatio describes this as a positive characteristic, saying that when the King was challenged, he “Did slay this Fortinbras, who by a sealed compact well ratified by law and heraldry, did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands which he stood seized of to the conqueror” (1.1.85-88). His brash actions were wildly popular in Denmark at the time—Horatio and the guards are awestruck by the bravery that King Hamlet displayed in gambling the country to maintain his pride— but they weren’t the actions of a skillful diplomat. In assassinating the …show more content…

When Hamlet killed Polonius, Claudius could have punished him in any overt manner he chose. However, he had two reasons to suppress the incident: first that Gertrude loved Hamlet and would have wanted him to be protected, and second that Hamlet was quite popular and punishing him would have caused further instability to Claudius’s rule. His solution was to separate Hamlet from Denmark, and have him killed while on a seemingly innocent diplomatic mission to England. This took all the blame off of Claudius, and had it succeeded, would have solved many of Claudius’s problems. The plan, though well thought out, ultimately failed because Hamlet had a stroke of luck in stumbling upon the letter bearing the order to kill him. It shouldn’t be considered a shortcoming on the part of

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    Claudius is responsible for the death of King Hamlet, regardless of this, he wants to portray himself as someone that is worthy of running the nation of Denmark. Claudius connects to the people of Denmark by demonstrating that they are all participating in the grieving of King Hamlet, “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief” (I.ii.1-3). King Hamlet’s death is very recent, but Claudius places himself as someone that is part of the kingdom that will be mourning the death of King Hamlet. This is demonstrated through irony since instead of mourning he is actually enjoying what King Hamlet has left behind; the nation of Denmark and his wife, Gertrude. Through this, Claudius also demonstrates that he wants others to believe that he has not done anything wrong. In order to convey the image of being healthy, Claudius and his court drink merrily within the castle; making the excesses that the court enjoys apparent. Hamlet is not fond of the drinking but then comes to the conclusion that “His virtues else, be they as pure as grace, As infinite as man may undergo, Shall in the general censure take corruption” (I.iv.33-35). Hamlet then foreshadows his own destiny. No matter how good a person may be, that person can become corrupt due to something that has ...

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