King Claudius in William Shakespeare´s Hamlet

King Claudius

William Shakespeare brought to life an interesting character in King Claudius. On one side you see a kind and affectionate man toward the Queen. Yet on the other side you see a character that Shakespeare would have you believe is truly diabolic and will kill to get what he wants. I believe Claudius is not the bad person that most critiques would have you believe; rather he was a man who loved his country deeply enough to kill his own brother King Hamlet for it.

We enter King Claudius’s life with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet’s friends and very quickly we see how the King shows his compassionate side. He asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to check on Hamlet and see if they can find out what truly afflicts Hamlet thus causing Hamlets change in behavior. On the surface what the Kings is asking of Hamlet’s friends shows genuine concern or is it a way of finding out if Hamlet suspects Claudius of any wrong doing.

The cause of the change “ I cannot dream of.”

Some little time; so by your companies,

To draw him on to pleasures, and to gather

So much as from occasion you may glean

Whe’r aught to us unknown afflicts him thus,

That open’d, lies within our remedy. (II,ii,15-20)

Later in the play we see how like everyone else in the kingdom of Denmark, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are deceived by the king and is costs them their lives. Is this the sign of a man desperate to hide his secret or someone that loves Denmark and willing to do whatever it takes to keep it strong?

Claudius, appears at first in the play as if he is a kind and gentle king however he can’t escape the chain of events that link him to his crime. He might have gotten away with it if it wouldn’t have been for Hamlet.

The story begins w...

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... man was one of complexity. He was compassionate toward the Queen and even Hamlet at first. An argument could be made that he truly loved the Queen and their relationship began as an unintended consequence of King Hamlet’s murder and the Ghost was jealous of Claudius’s relationship with the Queen thus planting the seed of murder into Hamlets mind.

Claudius was a master of manipulation by convincing several people within this story to do his dirty deeds. Or did the Claudius love Denmark so much and didn’t want to see it go to war and decided to take matters into his own hands by killing King Hamlet. Thus, in his mind saving his beloved Denmark.

In conclusion I believe Claudius did what he thought was necessary to protect his country and wasn’t a power hungry man that on the surface could be made out to be. I believe his character goes much deeper than that.