Kristofer Gutierrez

Ms. Chickedantz

English 11 Honors

10/27/2010

Claudius: Man or Boy

A real man has great qualities that are not easily bisected, claudius on the other hand is too

shallow and thus his motives shine out like a beacon of despair and cowardice. The play Hamlet was

written by none other than William Shakespeare himself, thought to be one of the greatest writers in

english literature. The deceit, lies, and madness that fill the pages of Hamlet are all of the

consequences and misdoings of King Claudius as he struggles to hold onto the power that he unjustly

came to posses. That which makes an evil man is cowardice, dishonesty, and hatred, all characteristics

that King Claudius possesses in aces.

For one to be a good king, one has to be a good man, in short one cannot possess the essence of

a demon and still be a fair king. Hatred, treachery, jealousy, and manipulation, are all foul

characteristics, all of which are possessed by King Claudius. The king is inquiring whether there is

some sort of penance he could pay so that he can go to heaven, “What if this cursed hand Were thicker

than itself with brother's blood, Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavensTo wash it white as

snow?” (Claudius, scene iii) This prayer is not one of true feelings of regret or remorse. Claudius is

praying because he has just discovered that Hamlet is aware of what his entire scheme was, and is now

scared for his life. His question was whether he had done something so terribly wretched that he could

not be pardoned. This display of fear and cowardice is connected to the next example of his pathetic

attempts to spare his life which unfortunately succeed, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below;

Words without thoughts never to heaven go.” Claudius, scene iii. Affirmation to the prior statements

are proven with his prayer stating that he is being dishonest and insincere. He is confirming that what

he says and his true thoughts are completely separate and for that reason his “prayers” will never reach
God's Ears. Anyone capable of omitting the horrendous and despicable acts that Claudius is a part of

on a regular basis, could not ever be considered a good king.

A man that would murder his own brother in his and by means of poison, is solid proof that he

is not a man, but a power hungry little boy. Claudius conspired to take the life of King Hamlet, his

brother, and would then proceed to claim Gertrude as his wife, so that his ascension to the throne would

be obsolete. The cunning that Hamlet possess he uses to avenge his father and avoid death. The

slyness and ingenuity that Claudius wields is used solely for his gain and for his indefinite control of

his new kingdom. Claudius is never even brave enough to act out his plans himself, he is constantly

manipulating others, “Laertes, was your father dear to you?Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, A

face without heart”(4.7.107-110). Here Claudius is feigning to be Laertes friend, so that Laertes feels

more comfortable, until Claudius sets the final trap. Upon being questioned if his feelings of affliction

were sincere Laertes jumped at the opportunity to prove his honor and avenge his father by killing the

man responsible for leaving him fatherless. Laertes's honor is his weakness as Claudius exploits it so

that Hamlet will be the victim of an unfortunate “accident”, and no one will be the wiser. To have

Laertes kill Hamlet off in a duel with a poisoned blade is one thing, but to actually poison a glass of

wine so that there were no chances of survival for Hamlet just corroborates the previous statements

declaring Claudius a coward. Any person that would want this type of power hungry and manipulative

person as their ruler deserves to be locked up in an asylum.

King Claudius is a cunning person who manipulates people to fulfill all of his dreams, wreaking

havoc and causing people to lose their lives, just so that he can keep a hold of the kingdom he stole

from his brother. To summarize Claudius is not a good man due to his evil ambitions, and the course

he takes to act on them; he is not a good king because he is incapable of being a solid and overall

mentally secure person. Even if Claudius had been the best king Denmark had ever seen does the end

really ever justify the means?