A Selfish Serpent of a King William Shakespeare is well renowned for the dynamic characters that he included in the writings. The Tragedy of Hamlet, for instance, has many characters who change throughout the play. Claudius, the king of Denmark is one of the people. His selfishness causes him to change into a more manipulative person than before. He commits crimes and is forced to lie to his people due to his selfishness making him want to be king. He feels guilt for the things he has done, but even his repentance is rooted in selfishness. Claudius also lets his selfishness take control over him when he realizes that Hamlet knows what he has done, so he plots against Hamlet so that he can remain in control. Claudius’s selfishness and greed are major flaws of his, and they come back to lead to …show more content…
He becomes a murderous man because he wants his brother’s life as king with a beautiful queen. His envy gets the best of him, so he put “cursed hebona in a vial and in the porches of [Claudius’s] ears did pour the leprous distilment”(I.v.68-71). Claudius’s selfishness turns him into a devious man. After killing the king, he must win over the people, so he gives a speech to the people, pretending that Claudius has died of natural cause and that he is grieving the loss of his brother (I.iii.5-7). He is a deceptive character in the way that he manipulates others. Claudius even has to lie when Hamlet proves that he is guilty of killing King Hamlet. He has a very dramatic reaction because he knows Hamlet is aware of what he did. He blames his reaction on a sudden need for lights. It happens while he is watching Hamlet’s play, “The Mouse Trap,” a play in which the king’s nephew pours poison into the king’s ear. This shocks the king, and his jealousy and selfishness cause him to have to hide and cover up his crime that will follow him for