Hamlet Villain Essay
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the city of Elsinore has sunk into mourning after the death of King Hamlet. Seeing this as an opportunity to gain power, King Hamlet’s brother, Claudius, hastily marries the Queen and assumes his role as the new King of Elsinore. Claudius addresses the grieving people by expressing his condolences, making mention of his recent marriage and Norway's plans to invade Denmark. Readers may see this as a charming and genuine leader merely undertaking his role as a king, when in reality this is simply Claudius behaving misleadingly to mask his sinister plans. He is in fact the one who murder King Hamlet by pouring poison into his ears. Not only is Claudius a cold blooded killer, he’s completely unapologetic for his actions and represents the ills of society, undoubtedly making him the true villain of this play. …show more content…
To maintain an image of a charismatic, capable and good natured King, he delivers a speech addressing King Hamlet’s death and the brewing political tensions between Norway and Denmark. Claudius attempts to soothe Hamlet’s sorrow and distract him from his father's death. He tells Hamlet “To do obsequious sorrow: but to preserve in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness” (Act 1 Scene 1). These are all calculated actions intended to disguise people from his murder of the former King, however that does not last very long. The deceased King himself appears in the form of a ghost and reveals to Hamlet how he was
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the city of Elsinore has sunk into mourning after the death of King Hamlet. Seeing this as an opportunity to gain power, King Hamlet’s brother, Claudius, hastily marries the Queen and assumes his role as the new King of Elsinore. Claudius addresses the grieving people by expressing his condolences, making mention of his recent marriage and Norway's plans to invade Denmark. Readers may see this as a charming and genuine leader merely undertaking his role as a king, when in reality this is simply Claudius behaving misleadingly to mask his sinister plans. He is in fact the one who murder King Hamlet by pouring poison into his ears. Not only is Claudius a cold blooded killer, he’s completely unapologetic for his actions and represents the ills of society, undoubtedly making him the true villain of this play. …show more content…
To maintain an image of a charismatic, capable and good natured King, he delivers a speech addressing King Hamlet’s death and the brewing political tensions between Norway and Denmark. Claudius attempts to soothe Hamlet’s sorrow and distract him from his father's death. He tells Hamlet “To do obsequious sorrow: but to preserve in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness” (Act 1 Scene 1). These are all calculated actions intended to disguise people from his murder of the former King, however that does not last very long. The deceased King himself appears in the form of a ghost and reveals to Hamlet how he was