A character that intrigues me is Claudius, the King. He is determined to keep his power no matter what the cost is. Unlike Hamlet, who wants justice and who has a moral code he lives by, Claudius enjoys manipulating people. Although it can be argued if Claudius really loved Gertrude, I believe he did it so Hamlet couldn't become king, so he could take the throne from him. His own need for power and his manipulation was his down fall in Act 5, because he wanted there to be more than two ways to kill Hamlet, he gives a third. The third option that causes Gertrude's death and Hamlet to finally kill him.
