To What Extent Is Hamlet Justified To Kill Claudius

Improved Essays
The Justification of Claudius’ Death
Two wrongs don't make a right, however in the case of Claudius’ murder in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark By William Shakespeare, they do. In the book, Hamlet ultimately comes to the decision to kill King Claudius, his uncle and stepfather, after King Hamlet comes to Young Hamlet in ghost form. King Claudius murdered King Hamlet in order to steal the throne and his wife. Young Hamlet ultimately kills King Claudius on behalf of his country and father. Claudius’ death in Hamlet is justified since Claudius disrupted the chain of being and Hamlet was following his father's orders. The chain of being was ultimately broken when Claudius murdered King Hamlet. Marcellus is one of the first to notice “something

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    Once again Hamlet uses sarcasm, but this time to express his disapproval for his mother and Claudius. While conversing with Horatio about his visit, Hamlet states, “Thrift, thrift Horatio! The funeral baked meats / did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables” (I.ii.30). Hamlet refers to his mother's sudden wedding, stating that it happened too soon after his father's death. This statement lets the audience know Hamlet's objection to his mother's wedding.…

    • 86 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Which makes me wonder if the fact that Claudius did it causes hamlet to hesitate on getting revenge right away because Claudius is now the new king. The change in the way, in which hamlet seeks justice is in Act III , Scene III. He says “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying, And now I'll do 't. [He draws his sword] And so he goes to heaven, And so am I revenged. That would be scanned: A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven.”…

    • 1073 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    was the best chance to revenge for his father, but he hesitated. He was worried that Claudius would go to heaven after his death, so he decided to choose another time to assassinate him. However, he didn’t anticipate the decision would eventually lead to the tragedy which everyone dies in the end. In my opinion, he is a smart prince. He knew how to disguise himself and let others thought that he lost his mind, and used the play to imply that Claudius killed his father and tampered with the content of official letter to prevent him from being executed by the King of England.…

    • 280 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hamlet wants Claudius to suffer in hell for murdering his own brother, who is also Hamlet’s father. Killing Claudius while he repents his sins for murder would send him to heaven and be unfair to Hamlet’s father. Even though I do believe that Hamlet is playing the role as a madman, I do not believe he delayed in killing Claudius because there was no audience. Hamlet truly wants revenge on his uncle for murdering his father then marrying his mother. In the Oxford English Dictionary, revenge is defined as, “The action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands”.…

    • 1010 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the events in Shakespeare's Hamlet Claudius’ hand has worked its way throughout Elsinore, deceiving its inhabitants for his own greedy ambitions. In his attempts to further himself he has remained directly responsible for death of Old Hamlet and all the events which unfold during the duration of the play. Claudius’ manipulative grasp encompassed Denmark and sent the castle into a spiraling descent of madness and utter chaos. Money, power, and love, Claudius desired these things so greatly that he went to such radical lengths as to murder his own brother, Old Hamlet, the king of Denmark. Nothing stood in his way, he could marry Gertrude, claim the throne and gain the riches of a king, except until Hamlet began acting as a threat…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Death of Polonius Hamlet has gone through a vast amount of change. His father is dead and his uncle, whom killed his father, is now married with his mother Gertrude. These changes have vastly effected Hamlet in a way in which he seeks revenge. Hamlet should not be held accountable for the death of Polonius. There are many factors contributed solely by Claudius himself, to prove that Hamlet in fact should not be held responsible.…

    • 1329 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, Claudius establishes himself as responsible for the death and destruction of many characters through the heinous act of murdering his brother, King Hamlet. Early in the play, a ghost, who resembles the dead King, appears to Hamlet and tells him the truth about his death. He was in fact murdered by Claudius. Hamlet becomes vengeful and begins to take on an act of lunacy. After Hamlet discovers the truth of his father’s death, his need for revenge escalates and causes a chain of events that influence many of the character’s actions and behaviors all leading back to Claudius.…

    • 1990 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    When Hamlet finds out Claudius killed his father he plots to kill him. His actions continually make Claudius uncomfortable and Hamlet basically makes his life a living hell. Claudius is forced to watch his back and be cautious in everything he does. He tries to keep the balance between trying to kill Hamlet while continuing to please the public and not appear to be the “bad guy.” Hamlet is affected by a number of different people; his real father was such a big influence on his actions that it caused him to kill Claudius along with innocent people.…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While his decision did prove to the public that King Hamlet was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet died as well. The reason Hamlet tried to avenge his father was because he loved him and if he had not loved his father, he would not have made this decision and would not have died as a result. Therefore, because Hamlet’s father was betrayed, Hamlet made an unwise decision based on love which cost him his…

    • 1737 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    And is ’t not to be damned To let this canker of our nature come In further evil?” (5.2.68-76) Hamlet is debating the morality of his thoughts to murder Claudius. He believes it is moral to avenge his father due to the circumstances Claudius has mounted onto Hamlet’s family, such as stripping Hamlet from the crown, whoring Gertrude into incest, and plotting to murder Hamlet is sufficient evidence for his murder to be justified. Due to the corruption of King Old Hamlet in asking Hamlet to murder for revenge, it results in Hamlet’s decay as well, and ultimately, his death.…

    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Hamlet is tasked by the ghost of his father to avenge his death. Discuss at least two reasons Hamlet doesn’t kill Claudius when he has the opportunity and what this suggests about his character. Hamlet doesn’t kill Claudius because he realizes that Claudius is praying. The people felt that if you prayed, you were absolved of all sins. Hamlet thought that if he killed Claudius, he would go to heaven and be freed from his sins.…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    While on his way to England Hamlet discovers that his uncle had sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with a letter that contains orders for him to be murdered. Hamlet comes back to Denmark but allows Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to continue the journey with a new letter he wrote himself. In the letter Hamlet writes instructions to England to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He abuses his power in this case because now that he can write a new letter he can choose keep Rosencrantz and Guildenstern alive but decides to murder them. Even though King Claudius is the villain in “Hamlet” , he was a victim of Hamlet’s misuse of power during the play.…

    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Why Hamlet Should Be Charged With Murder Where is the fine point between insanity and sanity? Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragedy about a prince of Denmark, Hamlet. First Hamlet’s father, the deceased king, is murdered by his brother, who then becomes king, and also marries his wife. Then, Hamlet’s father’s ghost appears and tells Hamlet to get revenge. In the events that ensue, Hamlet murders Polonius thinking that he is Claudius, his murderous uncle.…

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Hamlet attains an opportunity to prove that Claudius is…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    While Hamlet is willing to hurt and push away his loved ones in order to perfect his insane act, Claudius is willing to go to much more dangerous and morbid lengths to preserve his great image and create a flawless façade. To make sure Hamlet will not expose the real him, Claudius is prepared to plan Hamlets own murder. After Claudius confirms that Hamlet knows of the murder and is a threat to his “good guy act”, he tells Hamlet he is set for England, and later reveals his letter to the King of England which says that he must help him with ‘”the present death of Hamlet, for like the hectic in [Claudius’] blood, he rages” (4.3.65-66). Claudius is willing to do whatever it may take to tie up his loose ends and perfect his image, all to hide his true self. There is no limit to what Claudius’ will do to remain hidden and prefect his façade, not even the murder of his step son/nephew.…

    • 1113 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays