Example research essay topic: Claudius And Gertrude Pain And Suffering - 1,790 words

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In Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, the protean characters mask their true identity with misrepresentations, appearing to be one person on the outside, but on the inside we see an entirely different person. It is as almost the characters walk around with masks on to hide who they really are. Claudius appears to be a somewhat kind and caring person who is well liked throughout the kingdom. The audience knows his true face of being a murderous brother, brought to the throne by lust and envy. Both women in the play, Ophelia and Gertrude, use masks to cover what is obvious to the audience: their pain and suffering.

Finally, Hamlet hides in the sanctity of his madness, whether it be real or pretend, not showing anyone his indecisive and spiteful nature. Only the audience is able to see the real, true characters in the play because of their insecurities and frailties to each other. This theme of masking develops further throughout the play as the characters try to cover their secret intentions, desires, and fears with a portrayal of an entirely different person. Claudius is a well liked king, as a leader in the state of Denmark who portrays himself as a caring and friendly person.

Claudius wants Hamlet to stay in Denmark instead of departing for Wittenberg to further his education at the university. Claudius speaks highly of Hamlet, and to Hamlet he appears to be very loving and caring, And with no less nobility of love/ Than that which dearest father bears his son/ So I impart toward you (I. ii. 114 - 116). This quotation shows that Claudius takes a caring role towards his nephew, Hamlet, at least on the outside. While Claudius and Gertrude interact very little in the play, from what we see in the dialogue Claudius carries the same attitude from Hamlet to Gertrude. He always treats her well, and is caring and affectionate towards her.

This is the Claudius that the audience sees through his dialogue: a loving, caring husband who appears to want to help his grieving nephew. However, the audience also learns of the malicious actions of Claudius through King Hamlets ghost. He commits regicide by killing the king of Denmark, Hamlets father and his brother. He makes sure that his actions are covert so not to be caught. Claudius then commits the act of incest with Hamlets mother and his brothers wife, Gertrude, O, most wicked to post/ With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! (I. ii. 161 - 162).

Although his actions are legally not considered incest, in the realm of the play, both Hamlet and King Hamlet consider Claudius and Gertrude's marriage incest. At the conclusion of the play, Claudius lets Gertrude drink the poison, merely suggesting that she should not Gertrude, do not drink... It is the poisoned cup. It is too late (V. ii. 317, 319).

Claudius indirectly kills Gertrude by allowing her to drink the poison filled cup, and does not express any remorse for his so called loving wife. As the audience sees, Claudius puts a mask of loving and caring, but truly he is a self-serving, cold, remorseless, calculating man. Whether he makes Hamlet stay in the castle, or pretend like he loves a woman and then allows her to die, he will do anything to keep his corrupted throne. But, we do see that Claudius is not all evil when he repents for his sins there the action lies/ In his true nature, and we ourselves compelled to give in evidence (III, iii, 65 - 68).

Here, the audience sees Claudius separate his mask from his identity when he realizes that even though he wears redemption like his outside self, his real self cannot surrender the hideous and horrific crimes and sins that he commits. In this brief moment, the audience sees the caring and loving person that Claudius portrays himself to be. Unfortunately, these traits are not consistent and he goes on to indirectly murder three more people (Laertes, Gertrude, and Hamlet) before his reign of terror ends by the same sword that takes Hamlets life. The two women in the play, Ophelia and Gertrude, both mask the harsh cruelties in their lives. Hamlets ambivalence towards Ophelia leads her to believe that he loves her. He writes her poems and sonnets professing his love, in a schoolboy like fashion, I love thee best, O most best, believe it (II.

ii. 129 - 130). Conversely, in every other act than the first one, Hamlet is nothing but incessantly cruel to Ophelia. After Ophelia denies Hamlets visit, he proclaims to her face that he never loved her and she misunderstood his words and actions, even though she says that she is now ready to love him, You should not have believed me, for virtue/ cannot so{inoculate} our old stock but we shall/ relish of it. I loved you not (III. i. 127 - 129). Ophelia does not believe Hamlet, and attributes his cruelty to his temporary insanity.

However, Hamlet is consistent and breaks down Ophelia. Her mask shatters after Hamlet mistakenly murders Polonius, driving her to the brink of insanity. Her frailty was no match for Hamlets persistently wretched actions and words, and finally she can no longer bear the harsh truths and realities of the world, and takes her fate into her own hands by committing suicide. Gertrude creates a fantasy world, a world that shields her from all the malice and cruelty of her own reality. One month after her husband dies she marries his brother, an incestuous act within the context of the book, Within a month, / Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears... she married (I.

ii. 158 - 161). It is inconceivable that she was over her husbands death, not to mention remarry. One possibility is that Gertrude and Claudius were having an affair while she was still married to King Hamlet. Whether it be Gertrude's lack of mourning or her adulterous action, either way she is mentally weak, frailty, thy name is woman! (I.

ii. 150). Later in the play, Hamlet confronts Gertrude and tells her the truth about Claudius and his murderous ways, Gertrude cannot bear to hear the truth, for it breaks down her fantasy world and further exemplifies her mental weakness, O Hamlet, speak no more! / Thou turns my eyes into my {very} soul (III. iv. 99 - 100). Hamlet makes Gertrude swear not to say anything to anyone, for he has his plan to avenge the death of his father. However, it would be logical to conclude that such news as your husband is a murderer and your thinks you played a role in the murder, would be cause for concern at the very least. The audience never sees this concern or worry, because it is not there.

As long as Gertrude can remain indifferent and unaffected by the realities of her world then she can live a happy, carefree life. The audience knows that Gertrude is mentally weak, so she represses her problems in her life to function and live a manageable life, without all the pain. Out of all the characters, Hamlet is the most diverse between his true self and his false identity. There is a very thin, and difficult to discern, line between his mask and madness. Even if Hamlets madness is not real, it is a mask to cover his true self, actions, and plans. In his mad state, he hurts the people that care for him (Ophelia and Gertrude) with harsh verbal attacks, and he hurts his status and reputation throughout kingdom by killing Polonius, How now, a rat?

Dead for a ducat, dead (III. iv. 29). From either perspective Hamlets madness can be looked upon, it still acts as a mask for a cruel, ambivalent, and impetuous person. Hamlet drives Ophelia to suicide, kills Rosencratz, Guildenstern, and Polonius without pondering the possible repercussions of his murderous actions.

We see all throughout Hamlets soliloquies his indecisiveness, with it being most prominent when he is pondering the thought of suicide, To be or not to be- that is the questions die, to sleep-/ No more, (III. i. 64, 69 - 70). The point is further supported by Hamlet admits to himself that he knows the right thing to do is revenge his fathers death, but he cannot bring himself to do it. Here, Hamlet shows the audience the true Hamlet: a confused coward.

While his words speak for his ambivalence, his actions speak for both his cruelty and impetuousness. The cruelty is very prevalent with his relationship with Ophelia, where he writes her one thing but later contradicts himself by telling her that he does not love her. This all but destroys the frail character. This cruelty comes out further at Ophelias grave when he contradicts himself again, proclaiming his love for her, I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers/ Could not with all their quantity of love/ Make up my sum (V. i. 285 - 287).

This shows that Hamlet not only does not care how he treats others, but also has to mask it with madness. His impetuousness is evident when he commits his three murders: Rosencratz, Guildenstern, and Polonius. In each of the murders, Hamlet does not think twice about killing, it is instinctive. Hamlet uses his madness, both through words and actions, to cover up the true Hamlet- someone who does not think twice about killing people who are inconsequential to him, a cruel individual, a coward at heart.

Throughout the play, we see that every character wears a mask, in some shape or form. Each mask serves as a defense mechanism, protecting and blocking all the other characters from discovering the true identity of the respective character. Claudius masks his true intentions of selfishness: his greed for the throne. His actions are masked by a loving person who is only looking out for the best for his uncle, but in fact he is only protecting what he has worked so hard for: the throne. Ophelia and Gertrude wear masks to create a more perfect world, free from pain and suffering.

They do not want to admit the harsh realities of their worlds to themselves. Hamlet, like Claudius, does not want the other characters to find out his true self, so he creates a mad Hamlet to cover up. Inside, we know Hamlet as a murderous coward, hurting those who care for him and killing those who are trivial. In one way or another, the true identity of each character is revealed to the audience. The theme of masks is the quintessential theme of the play, controlling each characters actions in ways that prove to be contradictory to the true identity of the character.

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Research essay sample on Claudius And Gertrude Pain And Suffering