Two Kinds Essay, Research Paper

Intro-Throughout the play of Hamlet we are shown different sides of Claudius. At times Claudius seems to be in full command, such as when he gives his imposing speech at Elsinore. At other times he is worried and is constantly sensing trouble. His guilt eats at him at times, while at other times all he can do is think of new ways to cover his own trails. As the murder of King Hamlet is exposed, we see Claudius outward appearance falter, and his inner guilt come out.

Intro- Claudius is first introduced to the reader as the imposing new King of Norway, appointed after the untimely demise of his brother, King Hamlet. His skills and ease of manner at speaking are apparent from his eloquent speech at council, in which he speaks well of King Hamlet by showing a general love for him by all his subjects. In reality he cares little for the old king, he speaks kindly of him only to give the appearance of a loving brother. This is the part of Claudius, which is at first hidden from the people, only to be revealed later by Hamlet.

Ghost-Hamlet first finds out about the murder of his father in Act one Scene five, where Hamlet is told by the ghost of his father, that Claudius murdered his father. Claudius notices Hamlet acting strange but attributes it to Hamlet s extreme love for Ophelia. Claudius forced himself to believe that this was the case, and Hamlet couldn t possibly know about the murder. Deep down, however, Claudius knows something is up, and Ophelia is set up to talk to Hamlet while Claudius and her father listened. After finding out that Hamlets madness was in fact not lovesickness, only then does Claudius begin to worry.

Enemies- Claudius is very careful when it comes to covering his trails, even before he becomes suspicious of Hamlet. He knows that in order to be ready for any arising problems, he must keep all possible enemies under his careful watch. This is evident in the beginning of the play, when Claudius begs Hamlet to stay in Denmark, and not return to school. Claudius also marries Gertrude only a short while after the death of King Hamlet so that she will never become suspicious of him. He knows that the murder could easily be exposed and lives with its burden, yet he seems to have everything under control. It is ironic that his keeping Hamlet in Denmark is the beginning of his downfall.

Play-The play within the play in act three scene two is the first time Claudius realizes just how much Hamlet knows about the murder. Claudius is clever enough to know that he has covered his tracks well. By marrying Gertrude and keeping possible threats under his watch, Claudius is sure that nobody has caught on to the murder. What he did not count on was the ghost visiting Hamlet. The play within the play caught Claudius off guard and his guilt came rushing back. After all his careful planning, the murder being replayed in front of the entire kingdom shocked him into jumping up and running out of the play hall. This guilt has effectively trapped Claudius and justified Hamlets beliefs.

Prayer- In the scene three act three we finally see Claudius alone, and he reveals his innermost thoughts while acknowledging his guilt. After the play within the play, Claudius conscience is in turmoil and he kneels in his room and prays. In his prayer he reveals his regret for his sins and realizes that he must truly repent in order to receive salvation. However, he is unwilling to give up either the crown or Gertude, both of which he loves very much, and he resigns himself to a hopeless fate. Claudius is clearly a tormented man who has fallen victim to the temptations of love and power.

Prayer-While Claudius is praying, Hamlet walks in and draws his sword. Claudius guilt is once again instrumental in his downfall, just like when he ran out of the hall in the middle of the play. In the first two acts, he is able to mask his unbalanced conscience with a confident appearance, however, as Claudius wrestles with the mounting task of balancing his outward appearance with his interior thoughts, he becomes overpowered and succumbs to his guilt. Hamlet, however, decides not to kill Claudius while he is praying

in case it will cause him to go to heaven. This is not the case, however, as we see from Claudius saying My words fly up but my thoughts remain below. Words without thought never go to heaven.

Killing- Claudius attempts to kill Hamlet in many ways. After the play, Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England, where Hamlet will be beheaded. Hamlet figures out the plot to kill him and instead Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent to their deaths.