Nicholas Russell Mr.

Housley Humanities 23 April 2012 First Impressions Are Everything William Shakespeare knew that laying the groundwork in creating a play was necessary if he wanted the play to be successful. He incorporated this theme into many of his other plays, but in Hamlet, no first impression is more important than Claudiuss. When he comes into the play in Act 1 Scene 2, he proclaims that he is fit to be king, but some do not believe him. He had to do many things in that one scene that proved to everyone in the room listening to him that he should be king. Lao-Tzu, a sixth century B.C. Chinese philosopher wrote an essay entitled Tao-Te Ching. In this essay, he writes a basis of Taoism, which is a religion founded around A.D. 150, and he writes about how a good government should be ruled. The morals and ethics that Claudius possesses in the first scene match up with these writings that Lao-Tzu has stated, proving that he is the right choice for king. Therefore, Claudius rightfully upholds his claim that he is fit to be king in his monologues and subsequent conversations in Act 1 Scene 2 of Hamlet. Claudius's decisive and quick decisions throughout this scene helped the kingdom in multiple ways and because of this, he bolstered his claim that he should be king. One of the ways he accomplished this is in his stance and course of action on Fortinbrass attempt to attack Denmark. Fortinbras feels that since the kingdom of Denmark just had a change of kings, this is perfect opportunity to strike and capture Denmark while the state is disjoint and out of frame (Hamlet, I, ii, 20). Claudius had to decide if he wanted to go straight into

battle with Fortinbras or not, and he did the smart thing. Claudius tells the kingdom, we have here writ / To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras / of this his nephews purpose, to suppress / His further gait herein, in that the levies, / The lists, and full proportions are all made/ Out of his subject (Hamlet, I, ii, 27-28, 30-34). He, instead of going to battle with Fortinbras, chooses to write to Fortinbras uncle and thus not use excessive force and try to fight him. According to Lao-Tzu, a philosopher and founder of Taoism in sixth century B.C., the king or leader of a country should follow the Taos rules (the Tao is a very vague expression, but it acts like a good supernatural being). One of these rules is Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men/ doesnt try to force issues/ or defeat enemies by force of arms/ Violence, even well intentioned, always rebounds upon oneself (Lao-Tzu, 26). Claudius here used Lao-Tzus method of commanding a country strikingly well, by not using arms or forceful tactics. He uses the peaceful way to handle the situation, as he will ask the King of Norway to stop his son from taking over Denmark, and this according to Lao-Tzu, would make him a valuable king for Denmark. Next, when Hamlet tells Claudius that he is still in mourning over King Hamlets death, Claudius swiftly and eagerly seizes the opportunity to show that Hamlet would not have been right for the position of the King of Denmark. Claudius tells Hamlet that to mourn like this, [is] unmanly grief. / It shows a will most incorrect to heaven, / A heart unfortified, (a) mind impatient, / An understanding simple and unschooled (Hamlet, I, ii, 98-101). Here he proves to the company with the king that Hamlet is not fit to be king because he is not manly enough and he is going against gods will that everyone has to move on. This quick decision has to be made because all Claudius wants is for Hamlet to be happy, and when a king is happy, people come to like him more and start to enjoy themselves as much as he does. As Lao-Tzu explains in Tao-Te Ching,

Because [the king] is content with himself, / he doesnt need others approval. / Because he accepts himself, / the whole world accepts him (Lao-Tzu, 27). Lao-Tzu is saying that if a king is happy and loves everything that he and the country does, then the country will be happy and love everything that the king does. Therefore, because Claudius made this quick decision to tell Hamlet he is unmanly for not forgetting, he shows that Hamlet was not fit to be king because he is unhappy and that Claudius should be because of his content for everyone in the palace and in Denmark. In conclusion, Claudiuss quick decisions in Act 1 Scene 2 help him convince the kingdom that he should the king. Claudiuss compassion for Hamlet successfully qualifies himself as the better candidate for king than Hamlet. Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu talked about how he wanted to teach rulers three things about how to lead a nation. I have just three things to teach: / simplicity, patience, compassion. / Simple in actions and in thoughts, / you return to the source of being. / Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. / Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world (Lao-Tzu, 32). Lao-Tzu is saying that simplicity, patience, and compassion are the keys to ruling and living and if a ruler has those, the kingdom will live happily. When Hamlet talks about how he is still miserable over his previous fathers death, Claudius uses his compassion towards Hamlet to let him know how much he feels for Hamlet. Claudius tells Hamlet, We pray you, throw to earth / This unprevailing woe and think of us / As of a father / It is most retrograde to our desire, / And we beseech you, bend you to remain / Here in the cheer and comfort of our eye, / our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son (Hamlet, I, ii, 110-112, 118121). Claudius is telling Hamlet is that he feels Hamlet should throw away all of his sadness and instead of dwelling on his father, think of everyone around him as his father. He also

does not want Hamlet to go back to college at Wittenberg because he feels that Hamlet is still too sad to go back and that he wants to see Hamlet get better before he lets him go. He follows Lao-Tzus teaching by showing patience and compassion towards Hamlet in the way that a fatherly figure would. All Claudius wants is to make sure that Hamlet is ok and he will do whatever it takes to make sure that Hamlet will be back to his normal self. This also shows that Hamlet is not fit to be king because he does not have the same compassion towards Claudius as Claudius does to him. Hamlet resents Claudius for marrying Gertrude only a month after King Hamlets death and according to Lao-Tzu, a ruler should have compassion and patience towards others and themselves. Since Hamlet does not follow these rules, he leaves the door open for Claudius to make a substantial claim for king by letting him be compassionate and patient to Hamlet and everyone else in the room. In short, Claudius uses his compassion towards Hamlet and proves to everyone that Hamlet is not fit to be king, yet Claudius is. Claudiuss speech also righteously substantiates his claim for the throne by explaining to everyone that they need to move on. Hamlet tells everyone in the chamber that he has still not gotten over the fact that his father died, and he still continues to wear black clothing and act somber around the castle. Claudius sees this and tries to explain to Hamlet and the court that they must move on from tragic events. He says to Hamlet, Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, / Hamlet, / to give these mourning duties to your father, / But you must know that your father lost a father, / That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound / In filial obligation for some term / To do obsequious sorrow (Hamlet, I, ii, 90-96). What Claudius is trying to project to the crowd is that people need to move on after a death. It is just nature taking course in the harshest of ways, taking our people whom we loved most and never

being able to see them again, and Claudius understands this to the fullest extent. Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu writes that a king should, [understand] that the universe / is forever out of control, / and that trying to dominate events / goes against the current of the Tao (Lao-Tzu, 26). Lao-Tzu projects this idea for kings, higher officials, and even common people, because natural causes are out of everyones control. If kings dwell on the past, there is no way that the kingdom can progress and the kingdoms would be all in ruins, hoping that things could go back to the way things were. Claudius exhibits the qualities that Lao-Tzu has said that kings should have by not dwelling on the past and noticing that he cannot change the past. He explicitly and implicitly tells the court that Hamlet is not fit to be king because he dwells in the past way to much, and he proves that he is the right choice because he can move on from tough times and progress eagerly and efficiently into the future for Denmark. In short, Claudius, through his ability to suppress his thoughts of the past and focus on the present, showed the kingdom that he is extremely fit to be king. Through Lao-Tzus rules on how to rule a kingdom, the audience can see that Claudius rightfully deserves to be called King of Denmark and that Hamlet is not fit to be king just from the first scene they are in. Lao-Tzu through his writings showed many different rulers, government officials, and even just regular people how to live their lives and rule their kingdoms or families. Claudius has almost all of the characteristics of Lao-Tzus ideological ruler in the first scene that he is in. He is a person who is compassionate, decisive, and not afraid to forget about the past and focus on the present, and that is not just the sign of a great king, but a great person as well.

Works Cited Lao-Tzo. Tao-Te Ching. 600 B.C. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. New York, NY, USA: Washington Square, 1992. Print.