"To achieve something one does not already possess; one must do something never done before." A classic quote that explains how King Claudius, the main antagonist in William Shakespeare 's Hamlet, seems to hold dear to his heart. King Claudius has one main goal and that is to protect his kingship by staying alive. On the other hand, Hamlet, Claudius ' stepson and nephew, desires to kill Claudius to acquire rightful revenge for his late father 's death. It is clear that by the closure of Act Three, Claudius is in the better position to achieve his goal because on countless occasions, Hamlet appears to be losing sight of his target, he is to be sent to England, Hamlet illustrates the signs of madness and last but not least, Claudius is the King
…show more content…
He believes the Ghost "abuses [him] to damn [him]" (II. Ii. 601), meaning he thinks the Ghost is the Devil as per the beliefs during the Elizabethan time period. Thus, Hamlet needs "grounds more relative" (II. Ii. 602) than the words of the possibly faulty Ghost. This explains Hamlet is questioning everything and stops trusting people because his madness is getting to him. The most striking part is that perhaps his depression is strengthening his vulnerability to evil, providing one more reason to not assassinate the King. Hence, Hamlet is not in the correct state of mind, while Claudius is. At numerous points throughout the play, Hamlet affirms the belief that he is deranged. His "to be or not to be" (III. i. 57) soliloquy is the main contender, where he contemplates the idea of suicide and death; is it nobler to deal with the unluckiness he faces or to simply end it all once and for all. Hamlet weighs the moral ramifications of living and dying and which would end his suffering. This is a clear sign of Hamlet 's lunacy and he may go mad before the success of his primary goal. Claudius, however, is mentally and physically stable, so he does not any difficulty in making sure he stays alive. Hamlet does not the sanity to reach his goal, proving Claudius to be in the beneficial position. Identically, Hamlet is the sole person …show more content…
The moral order of life places the King as the second most important being, underneath God, hence every person in Denmark looks up to whoever is in the kingly position and does not believe anything against him. Claudius is a manipulative and tactical person, crafting him into being even more powerful than he is because he relays to the citizens what they desire to hear. "With one auspicious and a dropping eye, with mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage" (I. ii. 11-12) maps the priorities of Denmark and utilizes flattery to establish his breadth as a powerful King, loyal husband and brother. In contrast, Hamlet is on the bad side of the public eye because he is harsh with his words and does not hold the position for King. While the other characters in the play preoccupy themselves with revenge, justice, and moral dignity, Claudius is completely immersed into maintaining power over Gertrude, Denmark and just about anything else that threatens his safety, namely his stepson, Hamlet. The reason Claudius speaks to the public well is because he is extremely authoritative and holds free reign over Hamlet, playing him like an instrument. None would believe if Hamlet were to say that Claudius has the blood of his father on his hands and there would be an uproar if Claudius,
He believes the Ghost "abuses [him] to damn [him]" (II. Ii. 601), meaning he thinks the Ghost is the Devil as per the beliefs during the Elizabethan time period. Thus, Hamlet needs "grounds more relative" (II. Ii. 602) than the words of the possibly faulty Ghost. This explains Hamlet is questioning everything and stops trusting people because his madness is getting to him. The most striking part is that perhaps his depression is strengthening his vulnerability to evil, providing one more reason to not assassinate the King. Hence, Hamlet is not in the correct state of mind, while Claudius is. At numerous points throughout the play, Hamlet affirms the belief that he is deranged. His "to be or not to be" (III. i. 57) soliloquy is the main contender, where he contemplates the idea of suicide and death; is it nobler to deal with the unluckiness he faces or to simply end it all once and for all. Hamlet weighs the moral ramifications of living and dying and which would end his suffering. This is a clear sign of Hamlet 's lunacy and he may go mad before the success of his primary goal. Claudius, however, is mentally and physically stable, so he does not any difficulty in making sure he stays alive. Hamlet does not the sanity to reach his goal, proving Claudius to be in the beneficial position. Identically, Hamlet is the sole person …show more content…
The moral order of life places the King as the second most important being, underneath God, hence every person in Denmark looks up to whoever is in the kingly position and does not believe anything against him. Claudius is a manipulative and tactical person, crafting him into being even more powerful than he is because he relays to the citizens what they desire to hear. "With one auspicious and a dropping eye, with mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage" (I. ii. 11-12) maps the priorities of Denmark and utilizes flattery to establish his breadth as a powerful King, loyal husband and brother. In contrast, Hamlet is on the bad side of the public eye because he is harsh with his words and does not hold the position for King. While the other characters in the play preoccupy themselves with revenge, justice, and moral dignity, Claudius is completely immersed into maintaining power over Gertrude, Denmark and just about anything else that threatens his safety, namely his stepson, Hamlet. The reason Claudius speaks to the public well is because he is extremely authoritative and holds free reign over Hamlet, playing him like an instrument. None would believe if Hamlet were to say that Claudius has the blood of his father on his hands and there would be an uproar if Claudius,