ipl-logo

Why Claudius Is To Blame For King Hamlet In Shakespeare's Hamlet

922 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hamlet death symbolism

Two people in particular in the play Hamlet are very responsible for the “rotting in the state Denmark.” The two people are Claudius and King Hamlet also known as the ghost. Claudius has demonstrated many actions in this play that show he is guilty and also does not make a good king because of the actions he has made in the passed and present. As for King Hamlet, returning in ghost form shows that the rotting of his body still lingers and haunts Denmark. Unknown to many people in Denmark, Claudius is the reason why King Hamlet is dead. The main rottenness that is still in Denmark is the death of King Hamlet and who caused it. Even Marcellus said it himself; “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (Act 1, scene 4). In act 1, scene 5 …show more content…

This particular passage that Claudius said in the chapel is very important because it seems to be one of the climaxes of the play and also because it shows a lot about how Claudius is the reason as to why Denmark is rotten. In the beginning of his soliloquy he begins off saying “oh, my offense is rank. It smells to the heaven” (act 3, scene 3). In this first line he is saying that he knows that the crime he had committed is rank and that it can be smelt from the heavens, he knows that eventually the truth will be out. Claudius does not understand as to why he is feeling so guilty as he says, “my stronger guilt defeats my strong intent,” which means that his guilt is more powerful than his desire to be forgiven. Claudius then says a very important metaphor “what if this cursed hand, were thicker than itself with brother 's blood, is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow?” This metaphor is a representative of the idea of water being used to cleanse our souls and give us rebirth and to be forgiven of our sins. This metaphor is also important because it shows that the rottenness has stained Denmark and there is no way of it to come off or be forgiven and forgotten unless God comes and basically spreads holy water all over Denmark. Although Claudius is begging and praying for these things to happen, he knows they can’t because he is guilty. As King Hamlet said in the passage mentioned above Claudius killed him for his queen, crown, and ambition, in the end of Claudius’s soliloquy he says “that cannot be, since I am still possessed of those effects for which I did the murder: my crown, mine own ambition, and my queen. May one be pardoned and retain th’ offense?” (Act 3, scene 3). Claudius saying this goes to show that he knows why he had killed his brother and what things it has caused. This quote also shows how much of a bad king

Show More
Related
398 Words | 2 Pages

In this speech, Claudius wisely starts off with the recognition of Denmark’s grief over the death of King Hamlet through the use of personification where it says, “ our whole kingdom to be contracted in one brow of woe). This helps emphasize that Denmark, as a whole, has suffered a loss. He also says that he still has fresh (green) memories of his brother. He starts off his speech saying all of this because he wants Denmark to think that he is also grieving with them as a nation and that he not only lost a King like everyone else but he also lost a brother. His use of language in speech really exemplifies how Claudius is the master of deception - in the middle of his speech from lines 5 to 6, he justifies his marriage to Gertrude by my making

Read More
405 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout Claudius “O my offense is rank” speech there is much figurative language used that sets the mood and tone for this passage. In this passage, it is reviled that Claudius did in fact murder his brother as he admits it in his soliloquy. The mood created in this passage is fear, guilt, regret and shame for what he has done to his brother. The figurative language and sounds contribute to the mood, the biblical parallel connects to the story as he prays for forgiveness of his sins “though my sins be a scarlet, they shall be white as snow”(Isaiah, 1:18) this gives more depth to the fact that he is finally admitting what he has done and feels guilty and is trying to be forgiven. Other figurative language used is allusions such as -“O,

Read More
741 Words | 3 Pages

Claudius is then compared to the internal organs of slaves and a man without morals, remorse or kindness (Ham.2.2.607-608). The powerful metaphors and adjectives used to describe Claudius not only express Hamlet’s intense contempt and disdain towards him, but also serve to convince Hamlet to commit murder. However, Hamlet depicts himself as a whore, a prostitute, and a swearing kitchen maid (Ham.2.2.614-616), reiterating the notion that he is worthless, as well as weak for expressing his emotions through words rather than actions. The shift from metaphors to similes indicate Hamlet’s failure to move past his cowardice and proceed with an act of revenge that would inflict

Read More
785 Words | 4 Pages

This is explained by the Ghost when Hamlet learns of his father being murdered in Act 1 Scene 5, in lines 35 -39, “’Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forged process of my death Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life . Now wears his crown.” 2) The soliloquies that Hamlet provides over the sequence of the entire play allows us to distinguish what Hamlet was thinking about and display how he was losing his sanity.

Read More
253 Words | 2 Pages

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” In Act One Scene four, Marcellus says this after we see the ghost of Hamlet’s father. It is an ominous sight this ghost and it is a foreshadowing of events to come, all is not well in Denmark or that not all is as it seems. The dead should stay dead a ghost means something is not done, its incomplete

Read More
1517 Words | 7 Pages

In great literature there are often characters who are deceitful to others to carry out a greater purpose. By doing so the character often compromises relationships with friends and family but it can also compromise the safety of the character and others around them. In the play Hamlet Shakespeare uses Hamlet’s character to elaborate on this situation, Claudius is deceiving his family and friends for a greater purpose which at times seems to do more bad than good. Claudius deceives many people in the tragedy Hamlet.

Read More
628 Words | 3 Pages

And so am I revenged. That would be scanned, a villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (line 74-79). Hamlet believes that Claudius is praying and doesn’t want to kill him, because he doesn’t want him to go to heaven. This inability is the tragic mistake that hamlets creates, to his soon to be

Read More
407 Words | 2 Pages

One of the major themes in the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is deception. In Act I Scene IV, one of the characters, Marcellus, claims: “Something is rotten in the State of Denmark” (1.4.100). This is referring to the act of deception, where everything may look fine to the naked eye, but there are underlying problems occurring in the state of Denmark. In utilizing diction and metaphors, Shakespeare adds more depth to one of the major themes of the play. Metaphors are used by Shakespeare to compare Claudius to a deathly creature, while nobody realizes his mal intentions.

Read More
1358 Words | 6 Pages

Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, centers around Hamlet’s contemplation of killing his uncle in order to avenge his father’s death. His decisions and values determine his fate. However, Hamlet’s intended action to avenge his father’s death is continuously postponed due to his moral dilemma. However, this moral dilemma causes him to make the decisions he does, and therefore, demonstrates the theme of his uncertainty versus his faith. Not only does faith stop him from taking alternative routes to achieve his goal, but his uncertainty causes him to either delay his revenge or make the wrong decisions.

Read More
1667 Words | 7 Pages

William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet at a time when England was embroiled in debate about the nature of ghosts. The Elizabethan people believed in the existence of spirits. However, there was a discrepancy in how the people believed the spirits interacted and influenced mankind. The conservative held to the old doctrine stating that ghosts were spirits of deceased people and therefore not evil, while the reforming denied the possibility of ghosts in favor of spirits being evil devils. The Elizabethan Era was one marked by extreme violence and superstition which heavily influenced Shakespeare 's writing, including the ghosts he incorporated into his plays.

Read More
1170 Words | 5 Pages

Though Hamlet may earn love from the people of Denmark, Claudius earns respect. Some may argue it is better to be loved than feared as a leader, but Claudius’ resilience in his quest to murder Hamlet proves

Read More
1932 Words | 8 Pages

Pray can I not, though inclination be as sharp as will: my stronger guilt defeats my strong intent” (III.iii.39-41). Claudius is admitting to himself that he betrayed his family murdered his brother in order to become king. Claudius and Polonius both meet their demise after countless betrayals of those who trusted

Read More
679 Words | 3 Pages

First of all, King Claudius’s ambition to become the next King of Denmark causes him to lose his conscience. As King Hamlet’s ghost reveals the truth of his death, he anguishes, “Thus was I [King Hamlet], sleeping, by a brother’s hand, Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched” (1.5.81-82). The throne of Denmark motivates King Claudius to slay his own biological brother to succeed King Hamlet’s “crown”. His desire to gain power has overwhelming covered up his moral values.

Read More
842 Words | 4 Pages

Claudius had arranged an execution for Hamlet, to get rid of him permanently. Behind these acts of deception, we can see Claudius had wanted power, and would do anything to achieve it. This makes

Read More
782 Words | 4 Pages

Jan-Erik Aavik IB English HL B. Raid 04.11.2016 Written Task 2 Outline: Part of the course to which the task refers: Part 3 Literature - text and context Title of the text for analysis: Hamlet, William Shakespeare 1599

Read More

More about Why Claudius Is To Blame For King Hamlet In Shakespeare's Hamlet

Related Topics

Open Document