“My words fly up: my thoughts remain below. Words without thought never to heaven go” (Shakespeare, III. iii). In this quote, Claudius is confessing that he is not truthful when he’s repenting and that he doesn't really mean it. Even though Claudius recognized his moral wrongdoings, he still chose not to. This is a common feeling for several characters, namely Hamlet. The quote relates to the rest of the play as Shakespeare intends to show us how revenge can impede purposeful, logical, action. As well as how one may say something but do something different. That the spoken version of one is diminished by what they actually do. Hamlet often acts abrasively and Claudius is conscious of his evils but is still blinded by his greed. All characters …show more content…
In Act III scene IV, Hamlet confronts his mother and his anger causes him to blindly stab Polonius, thinking it was Claudius. This act of rage is considered a fine example of Hamlet’s personality. He swiftly and impulsively kills having no consideration for the consequences. So much so that he kills the wrong person, his lack of logical, decisive action is a major flaw in Hamlet. Hamlet’s response to killing Polonius is a prime example of this. He claims that heaven has “Punished me with this, and this with me” (III. iv.158). This shows that Hamlet has nearly no remorse for his actions. This is a stark contrast to what would be expected. Polonius was a close ally to Claudius and presumably his father, as well as the father of his lover and friend. The audience would expect Hamlet would regret and feel guilty, but he instead acts as if the consequences are a burden to him. This idea is strongly shown in Mel Gibson’s version of Hamlet. Gibson’s style of acting and portrayal of Hamlet as truly mad really show the separation of his personalities. Specifically, the argument with Ophelia. They were portrayed as having a very intense, intimate, close relationship with each other. For him to suddenly switch into this aggressive state is unlike his original character. This is yet another example of Hamlet saying one thing but showing