Who's Hamlet's Daddy?

Common phrases such as “You have your father’s eyes” or “You have your father’s laugh,” are used as a means to distinguish a child from their father, but physical characteristics are not the only defining factors. Fathers could bear no resemblance to their child and still be their biological father because of their similar behaviors or attributes. Conflicting arguments arise concerning the relationship between Hamlet and Old Hamlet, who the audience believes is Hamlet’s biological father. However, there is evidence and other instances that suggest Claudius, Gertrude’s current lover, is Hamlet’s birth father. Even though Hamlet is the protagonist and Claudius is the antagonist of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, these characters illustrate numerous similarities that depict Claudius’ true relation to Hamlet. Hamlet and Claudius are closer than meets the eye through the way both men treat the women in their lives (romantically speaking), the concepts of procrastination as it pertains to both men, the plots to slay one another, the artistry with which both use words, and the need both men have to be surrounded with “advisors.”

Hamlet and Claudius have an analogous outlook on love and the way they treat the women in their lives, especially Gertrude. As the story progresses, the audience witnesses how both of these characters are willing to sacrifice love to accomplish their goal which is to get each other. Hamlet denies his love for Ophelia in order to further convey his message of madness. Even though he is playing mad, his actions contribute to her suicide. Claudius, in comparison to Hamlet, is the cause of his wife’s unnatural death. His motives were directed towards the death of Hamlet however his actions accidentally takes a turn for the...

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...hat has occurred: “So tell him, with th’ occurrents, more and less, / Which have solicited-the rest is silence” (5.2.394-395).

Looking deeper into how Claudius and Hamlet are similar only proves one thing: Hamlet is Claudius’ child. This clarifies Gertrude’s innocence in the death of her first husband, and her hasty marriage to her second one. The evidence given is enough to prove that Claudius and Hamlet are more closely related than the audience thinks. Hamlet’s behavior and actions reveals his true character which in fact echoes Claudius’. Therefore because of the way both men treat the women in their lives (romantically speaking), the concepts of procrastination as it pertains to both men, the plots to slay one another, the artistry with which both use words, and the need both men have to be surrounded with “advisors”, Claudius is Hamlet’s biological father.