Claudius: The Deceitful, and Unemotional Step-father and King Shakespeare is a well-known poet around the world. One of his most famous plays is Hamlet. In Hamlet, Claudius is the new king of Denmark, an uncle, and a stepfather. He is highly intelligent and unemotional, especially when it comes to Hamlet, or the death of his brother. He uses the death of his brother to his own advantage. He becomes a king, a husband to his brother’s wife, and a stepfather to his nephew. He uses this marriage and fatherhood for his own benefit, to have the power of the crown. Claudius is selfish and controlling. He needs to be aware of everyone’s intentions. Claudius is a deceitful, unemotional, and controlling king who murders his own brother for his own benefit to gain power and rule over Denmark and his family. Claudius took over the role of his brother, shortly after his death. He murdered his own brother and is deceiving those around him. Hamlet believes he knows that Claudius killed his father. This causes Hamlet to seek the revenge that Claudius deserves. Claudius is misleading all of Denmark, who should be mourning the loss of their previous king. He doesn’t care about his people or family, he only cares about his power of holding the crown. He has Gertrude, the Queen and his wife, fooled into thinking he genuinely …show more content…
Hamlet attempts to seek comfort. Claudius is an unemotional, and coldhearted person. “’Tis unmanly grief; it shows a will most incorrect to heaven, a heart unfortified, a mind impatient, an understanding simple and unschool’d” (Ham. 1.2.94-97). Claudius doesn’t care about how Hamlet is feeling. To him, it’s unmanly and incorrect. He feels entitled to tell Hamlet how to feel. That being angry and grieving is incorrect to heaven. Claudius is being unemotional towards Hamlet, when a stepfather should comfort his stepson and grieve along with him. Telling Hamlet how to feel shows how controlling Claudius