In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Claudius conspires with others to carry out his various schemes. Fueled by the desire to obtain his brother’s success, Claudius’ reign of power leaves a path of destruction in its wake. Once he kills the King, his true goal shifts to murdering Hamlet. After learning of Claudius’ betrayal, Hamlet seeks retribution. Consequently, this fire Claudius sparked in Hamlet’s heart burns brighter with each waking moment, and as the flame grows, his mind continues to falter. Ultimately, King Claudius is directly and indirectly responsible for the deaths of those in the play, as well as his own demise, resulting from his attempts to quell Hamlet’s rebellious attitude coupled with Hamlet’s deteriorating psyche. The play begins with Claudius as Elsinore’s new leader, yet his acquisition of this position is a treasonous one. He poisons King Hamlet, resulting in a chain reaction with Hamlet at the forefront. He discovers the chilling truth from the ghost and pledges to seek vengeance, but characters like Polonius continue to interfere with his goal. In fact, as Polonius spies behind the tapestry, Hamlet exclaims, “How now? A rat! Dead for a ducat, dead” (Shakespeare 190). The motive behind this is based on …show more content…
One must consider how Hamlet slowly loses his sanity after learning of his father’s death. He seeks revenge, and this desire consumes him to the point where he acts irrationally. However, he is not the one who is truly responsible. Instead, Claudius’ actions, as the one who murdered King Hamlet in cold blood, serves as the true motivation for Hamlet’s behaviors and deteriorating psyche. In addition to his indirect influence, Claudius also kills several characters, including himself. From having Polonius spy on Hamlet to brainwashing Laertes to carry out his evil plans, King Claudius must take responsibility for his impact on the deaths of those in this renowned