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Claudius Theme Of Deception

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Claudius is seen at the beginning of the play to be a capable monarch as he deals diplomatically with such issues as the military threat from Norway and Hamlet's depression. It is not until the appearance of King Hamlet's Ghost in the courtyard that the reader questions his motives. During the play's progression he takes a turn for the worse by first resorting to spying, and, when that fails, murder. It is in Act III Scene 3, when Claudius forestalls Hamlet's revenge by confessing his sins to God in his own private chapel, that the audience can be sure of his guilt. He is shown to be discontent and unhappy with the events taking place. The young prince spies him brooding about his wrongdoings and trying to pray for forgiveness, but he knows
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After learning this, Hamlet’s sole motivation is to avenge his father’s death by revealing Claudius’ deception. Hamlet’s initial plan to expose Claudius is to have performers put on a play imitating the events of his father’s death. Hamlet says, I’ll have these players play something like the murder to my father before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks; I’ll tent him to the quick. If ‘a do blench, I know my course…The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King (Shakespeare

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1378 Words | 6 Pages

Claudius expresses his thoughts on Hamlet to many people including Gertrude: “His liberty is full of threats to us all” (iv.i.14). Hamlet makes attempts to expose Claudius for murdering his father by putting on a play that mirrors the murder and he shames his mother for marrying Claudius. After seeing the play and hearing of Polonius' murder, Claudius felt even stronger about Hamlet being a threat. In order to prevent Hamlet from convincing everyone Claudius should not be king. He tells the people around him that Hamlet has gone mad and must leave.

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535 Words | 3 Pages

In Act I, Scene 2, Claudius lies about killing the king. “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death the memory be green, and that it us befitted to bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom to be contracted in one brow of woe, yet so far hath discretion fought with nature that we with wisest sorrow think on him together with remembrance of ourselves.” (pg, 10, 1-6) Furthermore, Claudius shows his tragic flaw of deceitfulness in other ways throughout the

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117 Words | 1 Pages

Hence Hamlet seizes what he believes is his first possible opportunity to kill Claudius and exact his revenge. Upon realizing that it is not Claudius he has killed, but an innocent bystander, he shows no remorse.

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574 Words | 3 Pages

However, Hamlet delays his revenge for several reasons, including the uncertainty of Claudius's guilt, his Christian faith, and, most important, his sexual interests towards his mother. First, Hamlet’s uncertainty of Claudius’s guilt is one of the reasons he postpones getting revenge for his father’s death. After the ghost tells Hamlet that he has been murdered, Hamlet wants to make sure that Claudius is the actual killer. Hamlet sets up a plan to

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785 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet was given the prime opportunity to kill Claudius when he found him on his knees begging for forgiveness. Hamlet negated not to kill him right then and there because he wanted Claudius to go to hell, not heaven. Hamlet’s lack of sanity, or his tragic flaw, in the play is definitely what caused his inability to

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621 Words | 3 Pages

Claudius doesn’t confess and puts on quite a show during the murder scene that one would be puzzled as to why no one could see past his fake, friendly exterior. Claudius failing to confess just illuminates his truly malicious spirit. The ghost is also a character that sparks many questions within the play. Hamlet himself questioned whether the ghost was actually his father or the devil in disguise, trying to tempt Hamlet in committing a crime just as wicked as his step-fathers. However, Hamlet quickly dismisses that thought and convinces himself he needs to murder Claudius for revenge.

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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.

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1327 Words | 6 Pages

Hamlet’s intelligence is shown when he does not blindly listen to what the ghost said “Hamlet is aware of the unreliability of otherworldly apparitions and consequently reluctant to heed the ghost’s injunction to perform an action that to him seems objectively evil.” [Foster 2], and instead makes his own plan to see if Claudius is truly guilty of murder because. Hamlet plans to “...have these players / Play something like the murder of my father / Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks” [Shakespeare II, ii, 596-598], and see how his uncle reacts to the play , which is like the murder of King Hamlet because “Hamlet believes that he must have greater certitude of Claudius’s guilt if he is to take action.” [Foster 2] he does not rush into anything without analyzing the facts that he has, and checking to see if they are true.

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836 Words | 4 Pages

In the beginning of the play, he exhibits no remorse as seen by his remark about his brother: “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death, the memory be green, and that us befitted to bear our hearts in grief” (I, ii, 1-3). Claudius fools the court into believing he is

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575 Words | 3 Pages

When he learns Claudius is responsible for the death of his father, he intends to reveal this newfound information to not only Gertrude, but the rest of the characters. He is smart enough to know that she will not believe him based solely on his encounter with the ghost, and must create a trap where Claudius will reveal his guilt on his own. When the players arrive at the castle, he alters their script to mimic the king’s murder and “catch the conscience of the king” (II.ii.567). During the performance, Claudius shows signs of guilt and worry, making Hamlet’s plan a success and proving his

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1534 Words | 7 Pages

Firstly, Hamlet is a play of a man by the name of Hamlet, whose father was murdered by Claudius, his uncle. Claudius murdered the king by pouring poison in his ear to claim the throne for himself. Hamlet is then told by a ghost to murder Claudius for revenge, and he struggles within himself for the length of play whether to do it or not. When Hamlet begins to hesitate it does more damage than good and causes a chain reaction of tragic events, and makes the readers question whether Hamlet is truly sane or not. Claudius’s corruptness begins to show when he uses his authority to order those around him to rid of Hamlet.

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679 Words | 3 Pages

“To be or not or not to be - that is the question” (3.1.64). In life, people often have to decide whether to fulfill their desire by harming others or to uphold their conscience. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, King Claudius chooses to pursue his desires through the suffering of King Hamlet, Queen Gertrude, Hamlet, and his servants. King Claudius’s lust for absolute power, in addition to his deceitful and manipulating tactics, leads to his downfall.

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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

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1313 Words | 6 Pages

However, Hamlet soon discovers that Claudius has been lying to him, and Claudius’ real motive is to kill Hamlet in order to exterminate all possible threats to his reign. Claudius’ role play affects the entire country of Denmark, and he convinces the people that he is the rightful king, when he is not, and has murdered his brother for the throne. Gertrude, too, takes on a role; throughout the play, she seems oblivious to her wrongdoings. She claims that she loves Claudius, and did not just marry him for political reasons.

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