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HAMLET From the evidence, presented in scenes 2, 4, and 5 of Hamlets Act I, it appears that it would be wrong to refer to Claudius as the embodiment of evil, who is only preoccupied with pursuing his personal agenda. Apparently, Claudius is concerned about the well-being of the kingdom, as his foremost priority, which suggests that the role of king really does suit him well: Now follows, that you know, young Fortinbras, Holding a weak supposal of our worth, Or thinking by our late dear brother's death Our state to be disjoint and out of frame (Act I, Scene 2) The character of Claudius is more complex then is commonly being assumed. We can say that Claudius represents the psychological qualities of a true political leader, who is well aware of the fact that, in this world, person needs to be capable of committing crime, in order to advance socially. At the same time, we cannot say that the poisoning of his brother came naturally to Claudius. He is not a natural born killer, which is why Claudius is having a hard time, while trying to suppress his feeling of self-guilt, throughout the play. Claudius is worried over the fact that Hamlet is being overly depressed; he strives to cheer up young prince, without giving a second thought about the true nature of Hamlets depression: But, you must know, your father lost a father; That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound In filial obligation for some term To do obsequious sorrow: but to persevere In obstinate condolent (Act I, Scene 2) This Claudius speech suggests that his actions are motivated by rationale.
In fact, he tries to convince Hamlet not to give in to his irrational feelings of sorrow. This again, can serve as an indication of the fact that Claudius kingship would not necessarily have a negative impact on the Kingdom of Denmark, if he was allowed to rule. Thus, it would be the most logical to think of Claudius as a tragic figure, who is psychologically divided between his existential idealism and his understanding of the fact that one must be harsh and merciless, in order to be able to cope with objective reality. Claudius is not ready to admit, even to himself, that he did something utterly wrong. Still, he was not able to fully succeed in it, which is the reason why Hamlet felt that there is something rotten in the Kingdom of Denmark, even before he met the ghost of his father. Be as ourself in Denmark says Claudius to Hamlet and the overall context of Act I allows us to conclude that he really does mean it.
It is only with time that Claudius gets to realize that, in order for him to keep the original crime concealed; he will need to continue perpetrating highly immoral acts. It seems that the personal vengeance was not the major motivation for the Ghost to appear before Hamlet. It was quite naturally for the Ghost to be upset with its own brothers treacherous ways. Nevertheless, it is the fact that Claudius committed transgression against nature, by marrying Gertrude, that Ghost considers as the biggest crimes of all, on his Claudius part: O, horrible! O, horrible!
most horrible! If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not; Let not the royal bed of Denmark be A couch for luxury and damned incest (Act I, Scene 5) If Claudius was just a murderer, he would not be kept in such contempt by Hamlet and the Ghost. Despite the fact that Claudius appears to be a man who is genuinely concerned about Denmark, engaging in incest with Gertrude undermines the integrity of a nation, because the blood mixing of close relatives results in the birth of physically and mentally deficient children that cannot possibly inherit the throne. In its turn, this creates preconditions for the civil disorder. Thus, even though Claudius possesses the psychological qualities of a true king, he is doomed for the ultimate demise, because he chose to defy the laws of nature.
Bibliography: Shakespeare, W. Hamlet. 2002. Info motions. Com. Retrieved February 18, 2008 from web
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Research essay sample on Act I Scene Father Lost
