Vanesa Josephine Jenavieve period 1 Claudius

 King Claudius first appears in Act 1 scene 2.  Claudius appears when he is making his speech about the King’s death. Claudius appears to be kind and wise when he says “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). He appears to touch on the death of the king with sorrow but he says later that they must move on to more important matters.

 King Claudius seems to be kind and considerate, but he is just using one of his personal qualities: Deceptiveness.

 When Claudius first appears, the first impression he creates is a feeling of sarcasm. He only seems to be sarcastic to himself since he knows that he is not really sad for his brother’s death. “With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight and dole, taken to wife; nor have we herein barred your better wisdoms, which have freely gone with this affair along.”(pg.10)

 Incestuous  Manipulative  Liar  Murderer  Ambitious

 Deceptive  Deceitful  Manipulative “ No place indeed should murder sanctuarize; Revenge should have no bounds. But, good Laertes, Will you do this?”

 King Claudius is the reason Hamlet is seeking revenge. Because of the King, Hamlet begins to distrust everyone since he killed his own brother.

 When Hamlet puts on t he play he shows King Claudius that he knows his secret.  He mocks him making the King feel inferior.

 King Claudius enforces the fencing match between Laertes and Hamlet. He is encouraging Hamlet to win but at the same time he poisons the drink. Things fall apart and he ends up getting stabbed by Hamlet.

 “ My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” Although Claudius has proved true of his horrible traits, he does have sensitivity and love in him. He is devastated about Polonius death, and he truly loves Queen Gertrude. It is through Claudius’s guilt that we can see he hasn’t fully found a true meaning of life. His ambition gets the best of him and his actions.