The Manipulation of Denmark In his Elizabethan play, Hamlet, William Shakespeare entertains the idea of family rivalry, murder, and revenge. While his dark tragedy centers around protagonist Hamlet, the underlying focus dramatizes a man’s passion and wit to taking the throne. In the Elizabethan era, high status through politics proved essential to having power. Shakespeare uses manipulation as a tactic for King Claudius to achieve his political aspirations. John F. Andrews spoke truth when he coined Shakespeare “…a man for all time.” The author of Hamlet, William Shakespeare, was born in 1564 to the son of, what is traditionally called, the mayor. As a teen, he attended his hometown of Stratford’s school of English, grammar, and acting.
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Because the “idea of self-government was in fact so deeply embedded in the English psyche,” a man would do anything it takes to obtain a position of importance, even if it meant killing his own brother (Lavery). Claudius’ scheme begins before the true start of the play and follows carefully planned direction. His speech to the grieving Hamlet about his father’s death serves the purpose of trying to get Hamlet to talk of the death as little as possible in hopes that no light will be shed on the actual murder. He tells Hamlet that grieving “shows a will most incorrect to heaven” (Shakespeare I.2.95). In this, he means that Hamlet should be happy that his father is in heaven. Hamlet buys this speech and decides to lay his griefs aside, even though Claudius’ new marriage to his mother discomforts him. Later, the ghost of the previous king visits Hamlet. He shows Hamlet a vision of his death, revealing that he was actually murdered with poison at the hands of his brother, Claudius. Since the elder Hamlet did not repent for his sins before his murder, his soul remains trapped in a hellish purgatory. Hamlet’s new knowledge ignites a fire that burns through the facade that Claudius has created, thus beginning to unravel his master plan. He decides to start acting crazy in hopes he can catch Claudius in his lies and avenge his father. His actions ranged anywhere from wild …show more content…
Earlier in the play, Hamlet had murdered Polonius accidentally, as he thought he had found Claudius spying. Claudius takes the moment to encourage Laertes to blame Hamlet and in this, “finds yet another way to avoid killing Hamlet himself” (Bonnet). This time, his speech lacks the preparation that he had with Hamlet’s. Due to this, the speech also gives Laertes less time to think clearly about the situation. Claudius says, “Not that I think you did not love your father, but that I know love is begun by time, and that I see in passages of proof” (Shakespeare IV.7.111-113). By this, Claudius means that if Laertes does not act, it would prove that he does not truly love his father. This cruel form of manipulation drives Laertes to agree to face Hamlet in a duel. During this time period, “blood feuds” were often a means of “violent revenge...to achieve resolution for anger” (Lavery). Blood feuds existed to respond to a wrong committed to an individual’s self or family, and were a very common theme in many of Shakespeare’s plays. The fight between Hamlet and Laertes proved to be fatal, as both men killed each other with the same poisoned sword. By the end of the play, even Claudius bears the weight of his own actions by being driven through with his own sword at the hands of Hamlet
Because the “idea of self-government was in fact so deeply embedded in the English psyche,” a man would do anything it takes to obtain a position of importance, even if it meant killing his own brother (Lavery). Claudius’ scheme begins before the true start of the play and follows carefully planned direction. His speech to the grieving Hamlet about his father’s death serves the purpose of trying to get Hamlet to talk of the death as little as possible in hopes that no light will be shed on the actual murder. He tells Hamlet that grieving “shows a will most incorrect to heaven” (Shakespeare I.2.95). In this, he means that Hamlet should be happy that his father is in heaven. Hamlet buys this speech and decides to lay his griefs aside, even though Claudius’ new marriage to his mother discomforts him. Later, the ghost of the previous king visits Hamlet. He shows Hamlet a vision of his death, revealing that he was actually murdered with poison at the hands of his brother, Claudius. Since the elder Hamlet did not repent for his sins before his murder, his soul remains trapped in a hellish purgatory. Hamlet’s new knowledge ignites a fire that burns through the facade that Claudius has created, thus beginning to unravel his master plan. He decides to start acting crazy in hopes he can catch Claudius in his lies and avenge his father. His actions ranged anywhere from wild …show more content…
Earlier in the play, Hamlet had murdered Polonius accidentally, as he thought he had found Claudius spying. Claudius takes the moment to encourage Laertes to blame Hamlet and in this, “finds yet another way to avoid killing Hamlet himself” (Bonnet). This time, his speech lacks the preparation that he had with Hamlet’s. Due to this, the speech also gives Laertes less time to think clearly about the situation. Claudius says, “Not that I think you did not love your father, but that I know love is begun by time, and that I see in passages of proof” (Shakespeare IV.7.111-113). By this, Claudius means that if Laertes does not act, it would prove that he does not truly love his father. This cruel form of manipulation drives Laertes to agree to face Hamlet in a duel. During this time period, “blood feuds” were often a means of “violent revenge...to achieve resolution for anger” (Lavery). Blood feuds existed to respond to a wrong committed to an individual’s self or family, and were a very common theme in many of Shakespeare’s plays. The fight between Hamlet and Laertes proved to be fatal, as both men killed each other with the same poisoned sword. By the end of the play, even Claudius bears the weight of his own actions by being driven through with his own sword at the hands of Hamlet