The Sins of Claudius
How could you not put the majority of the blame on the person who starts something bad? Claudius was the one who tried to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spy on Hamlet, set up the duel between Laertes and Hamlet, and poisoned the wine which killed Gertrude. Some might say that the events of the play were Hamlet’s fault because he killed Polonius which drove Ophelia mad. What this argument doesn’t take into account, was that the only reason he killed Polonius was because he thought Polonius was Claudius, and he was trying to get revenge on Claudius for the murder of his father. This is why the events of the play can be attributed to Claudius.
An example of why Claudius can be blamed for the events of the play is …show more content…
He tells them “To draw him on to pleasures and to gather So much as from occasion you may glean, Whether aught, to us unknown, affects him thus” (II, ii, 15-17). Claudius wanted to use Guildenstern and Rosencrantz to try and figure out why Hamlet has been acting so strange. However, Hamlet figured out very quickly that they were working for Claudius and he tells them “I know the good queen and king have sent for you” (II, ii, 274-275). This begins Hamlet’s distrust of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Claudius later gives Rosencrantz and Guildenstern a letter to give to the king of England that instructs Hamlet to be executed. He says he wants “By letters congruing to that effect, The present death of Hamlet” (IV, iii, 66-67). Claudius goes behind Hamlet’s back and gives Rosencrantz and Guildenstern the letter which effectively ends Hamlet’s friendship with them. He finds …show more content…
Hamlet hears him behind the curtain and stabs him which Polonius yells “Oh, I am slain” (III, iiii, 25). Some might say that Hamlet killed a man with no good reason and showed little remorse over it. Some might also say that due to the fact that her father died and because of the way Hamlet treated her, Hamlet was also responsible for Ophelia’s death. A gentleman said to Gertrude that “She speaks much of her father” (IV, iiiii, 5). Her father’s death caused her to go insane which resulted in her drowning. Gertrude tells Laertes “Your sister drowns, Laertes” (IV, iiiiiii, 163). Hamlet was acting crazy on purpose in order to find out the truth about his father’s death. This involved constant verbal abuse towards Ophelia like when he makes sexual puns at her expense like when he asked her “That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs.” (III, ii, 108). Some might say this was an additional factor into her fall into madness. You could argue if Hamlet never insults her, she never loses her sanity, which would have prevented her from drowning in the lake. You could that if Hamlet never kills Polonius and insults Ophelia, Ophelia never falls into madness and never drowns in the
How could you not put the majority of the blame on the person who starts something bad? Claudius was the one who tried to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spy on Hamlet, set up the duel between Laertes and Hamlet, and poisoned the wine which killed Gertrude. Some might say that the events of the play were Hamlet’s fault because he killed Polonius which drove Ophelia mad. What this argument doesn’t take into account, was that the only reason he killed Polonius was because he thought Polonius was Claudius, and he was trying to get revenge on Claudius for the murder of his father. This is why the events of the play can be attributed to Claudius.
An example of why Claudius can be blamed for the events of the play is …show more content…
He tells them “To draw him on to pleasures and to gather So much as from occasion you may glean, Whether aught, to us unknown, affects him thus” (II, ii, 15-17). Claudius wanted to use Guildenstern and Rosencrantz to try and figure out why Hamlet has been acting so strange. However, Hamlet figured out very quickly that they were working for Claudius and he tells them “I know the good queen and king have sent for you” (II, ii, 274-275). This begins Hamlet’s distrust of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Claudius later gives Rosencrantz and Guildenstern a letter to give to the king of England that instructs Hamlet to be executed. He says he wants “By letters congruing to that effect, The present death of Hamlet” (IV, iii, 66-67). Claudius goes behind Hamlet’s back and gives Rosencrantz and Guildenstern the letter which effectively ends Hamlet’s friendship with them. He finds …show more content…
Hamlet hears him behind the curtain and stabs him which Polonius yells “Oh, I am slain” (III, iiii, 25). Some might say that Hamlet killed a man with no good reason and showed little remorse over it. Some might also say that due to the fact that her father died and because of the way Hamlet treated her, Hamlet was also responsible for Ophelia’s death. A gentleman said to Gertrude that “She speaks much of her father” (IV, iiiii, 5). Her father’s death caused her to go insane which resulted in her drowning. Gertrude tells Laertes “Your sister drowns, Laertes” (IV, iiiiiii, 163). Hamlet was acting crazy on purpose in order to find out the truth about his father’s death. This involved constant verbal abuse towards Ophelia like when he makes sexual puns at her expense like when he asked her “That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs.” (III, ii, 108). Some might say this was an additional factor into her fall into madness. You could argue if Hamlet never insults her, she never loses her sanity, which would have prevented her from drowning in the lake. You could that if Hamlet never kills Polonius and insults Ophelia, Ophelia never falls into madness and never drowns in the