I haven't had ANYBODY proofread it. I was suppoused to have my teacher look it over for mistakes and what not but I didn't get it done until just now.
So, if anyone would like to be a good samaratan and look this over for any stupid grammatical errors and ambigiuities, I would be much abliged.
----------------- paper start -------------------
Claudius is a shrewd, lustful man who contrasts sharply when compared with the other male characters in the play and as the antagonist of Hamlet. Whereas most of the other characters are preoccupied with their ideas of justice, revenge, and the fabric of moral balance Claudius is utterly bent on maintaining his own power. The old King Hamlet was a proud and noble warrior, where Claudius is a corrupt politician whose main weapon is his ability to manipulate others with his silver tongue. One of the many underlying themes to be found in Hamlet is told through the usage of imagery which suggests decay, rot, and corruption. Shakespeare effectively incorporates imagery of decay to illustrate the corruption that Claudius embodies and which spreads to infect key characters of the storyline, and ultimately the kingdom that he reigns over.
The King is a master of deception and manipulation. “[I]n his appearance, in the attitude of others towards him, there is no suggestion that he is anything but an ideal king, with all the superb qualities which that implies. To look at him no one would imagine the foul crimes of which he is guilty, the murder of a brother, the filthy, animal sin of incest. Not the mark of Cain, but a clear conscience seems to show itself on Claudius’ brow; he seems to emanate health and brightness of soul, and a gracious spirit of nobility” (Betram 140). Claudius is a corrosive character, in that everything about him is poisonous. He is a master in the form of coercive conversation in that he can corrupt and convince all those around him to do his bidding and even betray Hamlet, such in the case of Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. In the figurative sense, he spews poison in the form of words that convince others that its meanings are benign and something else. In the much more literal sense Claudius also uses a poison to his advantage in many other occasions during the course of the play in order to achieve his goals—from pouring it down the ear of his brother and late king, placing it on the tip of Leartes fencing foil with the intention of slaying Hamlet, and hidden in a chalice of wine with the same intention of ousting Hamlet. “In the end, all save Ophelia die of that poison in a literal as well as figurative sense” (Mack 58). The thing with poison is that its deadly nature is hidden and it isn’t realized it until it’s too late, very much like Claudius. Nobody aside from Hamlet knows of his true nature as an evil and corrosive entity that plagues the very existence of Denmark and all of its inhabitants, and because of that, Hamlet appears to have gone insane.
Denmark is frequently referred to as a physical entity made ill by the corruption that seems to spread throughout the land. The first statement of the idea is heard from Marcellus when the Ghost of the King appears and is a supernatural omen that “[s]omething is rotten in the state of Denmark” (1.4. 90). The word “rotten” has a strong sense of imagery and direct connotations that tie into the central theme of corruption. Under the rule of old King Hamlet, Denmark was a prosperous and healthy country; but this was compromised by Claudius whose wicked ambitions corrupted Denmark to sedate his own appetites, “… all leading characters manifest, through their choice of language, their awareness of the odor, originating in the foul soul of Claudius, that permeates the kingdom” (Altick 113). In the first exchange with his mother and newfound father-in-law, Hamlet characterizes the King with painstaking accuracy through the use of a pun.
“The usual interpretation of the line (a quibble on son and sun–I am too conscious of my character as son, and I am uncomfortable in the presence of the King, the sin) does not convey the entire meaning. Claudius is the sun, of course, but what is often overlooked is that the sun is a powerful agent of corruption” (Altick 113). As the sun, the king can spread corruption wherever his influence may fall. Hamlet remarks that he is uncomfortable in the sun because he is being exposed to the full glare of Claudius’ power. Further evidence of the sun’s corrosive effects is given when Polonius talks to Hamlet in Scene II.
At this point Hamlet is aware of the evil influence of the King and warns that Ophelia too may be in danger from the same corruptive force: “[T]he sun breed maggots in a dead dog.” As the King is really the sun in a literal sense, he seeks to infect all those who walk in the sun, those under his influence, with a corruption much like maggots being bred in a dead dog. This piece of dialogue makes the central theme of Claudius embodying a sort of evil that seems to infect and corrupt the state of Denmark all the more evident.
Insanity is another central theme to Hamlet, and it is ironic that Hamlet, the only one who knows the truth about King Claudius and his father’s murder, is seen as such. His strange behavior is attributed to his knowledge which causes him to utter eccentric statements that appear as if her were mad. It is not strange that the world in which Claudius flourishes should been seen by Hamlet as “…an unweeded garden / That grows to seed, things rank and gross in nature” (1.2. 135-136). This statement, carrying with it strong connotations of rot and decay, makes the analogy of a corrupt kingdom and relates to the central theme of the corruption that Claudius spreads. However, this statement was made before the dawning of the knowledge of Claudius’ evil and his father’s murder. It is clear then that Shakespeare wrote the role of Hamlet, deliberately giving him some insight, enabling him to describe things as they are even if he does not know it himself, much like the metaphor of the king being the sun that spreads corruption that was explored earlier.
Claudius is not only defined as a villain but a hypocrite as well. “The peculiar quality of this hypocrite lies in his ability to not merely to hide evil, but to present it openly when he chooses, in a manner which leads ordinary people not to recognize it emotionally for what it is, but to respond to it as good. […] [H]is heart does not smile with his face; he is guilty of murder and incest, the smile on his face hides guilt and the planning of yet more villainy in his heart” (Betram 140-41). In the scene where Laertes confronts Claudius for the death of his father Polonius, Claudius demonstrates himself as a hypocrite and as a man who is truly a master of deception. “Laertes, was your father dear to you? / Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, / A face without a heart” (4.7. 106-108). Coming from the same mouth of the man who admonished Hamlet, another son who has lost his father; Claudius in turn consoles Laertes when presented with a very similar situation. With his strongest tool, deception, the King ultimately convinces Laertes to be the very instrument of Hamlet’s death. This is not an act of legitimate empathy on his part, for Claudius does not care if Laertes gets his revenge but is only acting in such a manner so that he can rid himself of Hamlet before he potentially unveils his cloak of lies. Claudius is an inwardly focused character who is self-preoccupied with maintaining his place on the throne and his own preservation. It was not enough that the king allowed Laertes to have a sharpened foil during the fencing match; he had to make sure that it was poisoned as well. Those methods were not enough, however, as the King insisted on providing a third method to ensure himself of Hamlet’s demise, which led to the Queen’s death:
It is interesting to note that this is the only time that the Queen does not abide by the King’s word. “In order to honor Hamlet, she directly disobeys Claudius for the first time” (Smith 206). Claudius did not succeed in stopping her; he could have told her that the wine was poisoned, but instead he simply chose to tell her “do not drink.” Even to the bitter end, he let the farce unravel itself rather than tip his hand. Claudius selfish attempts at self-preservation are what led to the dramatic conclusion and in turn the fall of Denmark.
Claudius is a character that ironically describes himself, even though not intentionally or directly, when actually describing Hamlet: “But, like the owner of a foul disease, / To keep it from divulging, let it feed / Even on the pith of life” (4.1. 21-23). Claudius harbors a sort of evil that seeks to “feed” and by allowing it to do so the evil that manifests inside of Claudius seeks to infect others with the corruption of sin. This remark is made in the very scene in which the King turns two of Hamlet’s closest friends, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, against him. “For Shakespeare’s contemporaries, Claudius as a hypocrite in their sense of the word was no caricature. To say that one could smile and be a villain was to express a deep truth that which goes right into the nature of things in the world which has suffered a fall: and for the [R]enaissance that was the world of all who came after Adam. […] Only when we are prepared to consider Claudius as an overwhelmingly evil person, whose seeming is the opposite of his being, are we able to appreciate how his creator has organized the elements of the story to [create] The Prince of Denmark” (Betram 145). Claudius was created to embody evil, someone with no redeeming traits, and as an entity that seeks to infect and spread corruption. This analogy is made all the more clear when one considers the Bible and the story of Cain and Abel: “O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven; / It hath the primal eldest curse upon‘t, / A brother’s murder. Pray can I not, / Though inclination be as sharp as will. / My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent” (3.3 36-40). While Claudius does try to pray and repent for his sins, he cannot, for his “words fly up while his thoughts remain below” (3.3 1379). The cause for this lies in Claudius’ guilt and his inability to part with the fruits of his sin. In the face of being confronted with the crime that he has committed by watching the play-within-a-play, he knows that he should repent, yet he cannot.
---------------- paper end -------------------
I just noticed I start a lot of paragraphs with the "Claudius...", and that I throw his name around a lot and it makes the paper sound redundant. But eff it man, this is it. This is what I'm turning it.
EDIT: grammatical errors fix'd
So, if anyone would like to be a good samaratan and look this over for any stupid grammatical errors and ambigiuities, I would be much abliged.
----------------- paper start -------------------
Claudius is a shrewd, lustful man who contrasts sharply when compared with the other male characters in the play and as the antagonist of Hamlet. Whereas most of the other characters are preoccupied with their ideas of justice, revenge, and the fabric of moral balance Claudius is utterly bent on maintaining his own power. The old King Hamlet was a proud and noble warrior, where Claudius is a corrupt politician whose main weapon is his ability to manipulate others with his silver tongue. One of the many underlying themes to be found in Hamlet is told through the usage of imagery which suggests decay, rot, and corruption. Shakespeare effectively incorporates imagery of decay to illustrate the corruption that Claudius embodies and which spreads to infect key characters of the storyline, and ultimately the kingdom that he reigns over.
The King is a master of deception and manipulation. “[I]n his appearance, in the attitude of others towards him, there is no suggestion that he is anything but an ideal king, with all the superb qualities which that implies. To look at him no one would imagine the foul crimes of which he is guilty, the murder of a brother, the filthy, animal sin of incest. Not the mark of Cain, but a clear conscience seems to show itself on Claudius’ brow; he seems to emanate health and brightness of soul, and a gracious spirit of nobility” (Betram 140). Claudius is a corrosive character, in that everything about him is poisonous. He is a master in the form of coercive conversation in that he can corrupt and convince all those around him to do his bidding and even betray Hamlet, such in the case of Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. In the figurative sense, he spews poison in the form of words that convince others that its meanings are benign and something else. In the much more literal sense Claudius also uses a poison to his advantage in many other occasions during the course of the play in order to achieve his goals—from pouring it down the ear of his brother and late king, placing it on the tip of Leartes fencing foil with the intention of slaying Hamlet, and hidden in a chalice of wine with the same intention of ousting Hamlet. “In the end, all save Ophelia die of that poison in a literal as well as figurative sense” (Mack 58). The thing with poison is that its deadly nature is hidden and it isn’t realized it until it’s too late, very much like Claudius. Nobody aside from Hamlet knows of his true nature as an evil and corrosive entity that plagues the very existence of Denmark and all of its inhabitants, and because of that, Hamlet appears to have gone insane.
Denmark is frequently referred to as a physical entity made ill by the corruption that seems to spread throughout the land. The first statement of the idea is heard from Marcellus when the Ghost of the King appears and is a supernatural omen that “[s]omething is rotten in the state of Denmark” (1.4. 90). The word “rotten” has a strong sense of imagery and direct connotations that tie into the central theme of corruption. Under the rule of old King Hamlet, Denmark was a prosperous and healthy country; but this was compromised by Claudius whose wicked ambitions corrupted Denmark to sedate his own appetites, “… all leading characters manifest, through their choice of language, their awareness of the odor, originating in the foul soul of Claudius, that permeates the kingdom” (Altick 113). In the first exchange with his mother and newfound father-in-law, Hamlet characterizes the King with painstaking accuracy through the use of a pun.
KING: But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son—
HAMLET: [Aside] A little more than kin, and less than kind.
KING: How is it that the clouds still hang on you?
HAMLET: Not so, my lord. I am too much in the sun. (1.2. 1331)
HAMLET: [Aside] A little more than kin, and less than kind.
KING: How is it that the clouds still hang on you?
HAMLET: Not so, my lord. I am too much in the sun. (1.2. 1331)
“The usual interpretation of the line (a quibble on son and sun–I am too conscious of my character as son, and I am uncomfortable in the presence of the King, the sin) does not convey the entire meaning. Claudius is the sun, of course, but what is often overlooked is that the sun is a powerful agent of corruption” (Altick 113). As the sun, the king can spread corruption wherever his influence may fall. Hamlet remarks that he is uncomfortable in the sun because he is being exposed to the full glare of Claudius’ power. Further evidence of the sun’s corrosive effects is given when Polonius talks to Hamlet in Scene II.
HAMLET: For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a god kissing carrion—Have you a daughter?
POLONIOUS: I have, my lord.
HAMLET: Let her not walk I’ th’ sun. Conception is a blessing, but as your daughter may conceive—friend, look to’t. (2.2. 1354)
POLONIOUS: I have, my lord.
HAMLET: Let her not walk I’ th’ sun. Conception is a blessing, but as your daughter may conceive—friend, look to’t. (2.2. 1354)
At this point Hamlet is aware of the evil influence of the King and warns that Ophelia too may be in danger from the same corruptive force: “[T]he sun breed maggots in a dead dog.” As the King is really the sun in a literal sense, he seeks to infect all those who walk in the sun, those under his influence, with a corruption much like maggots being bred in a dead dog. This piece of dialogue makes the central theme of Claudius embodying a sort of evil that seems to infect and corrupt the state of Denmark all the more evident.
Insanity is another central theme to Hamlet, and it is ironic that Hamlet, the only one who knows the truth about King Claudius and his father’s murder, is seen as such. His strange behavior is attributed to his knowledge which causes him to utter eccentric statements that appear as if her were mad. It is not strange that the world in which Claudius flourishes should been seen by Hamlet as “…an unweeded garden / That grows to seed, things rank and gross in nature” (1.2. 135-136). This statement, carrying with it strong connotations of rot and decay, makes the analogy of a corrupt kingdom and relates to the central theme of the corruption that Claudius spreads. However, this statement was made before the dawning of the knowledge of Claudius’ evil and his father’s murder. It is clear then that Shakespeare wrote the role of Hamlet, deliberately giving him some insight, enabling him to describe things as they are even if he does not know it himself, much like the metaphor of the king being the sun that spreads corruption that was explored earlier.
Claudius is not only defined as a villain but a hypocrite as well. “The peculiar quality of this hypocrite lies in his ability to not merely to hide evil, but to present it openly when he chooses, in a manner which leads ordinary people not to recognize it emotionally for what it is, but to respond to it as good. […] [H]is heart does not smile with his face; he is guilty of murder and incest, the smile on his face hides guilt and the planning of yet more villainy in his heart” (Betram 140-41). In the scene where Laertes confronts Claudius for the death of his father Polonius, Claudius demonstrates himself as a hypocrite and as a man who is truly a master of deception. “Laertes, was your father dear to you? / Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, / A face without a heart” (4.7. 106-108). Coming from the same mouth of the man who admonished Hamlet, another son who has lost his father; Claudius in turn consoles Laertes when presented with a very similar situation. With his strongest tool, deception, the King ultimately convinces Laertes to be the very instrument of Hamlet’s death. This is not an act of legitimate empathy on his part, for Claudius does not care if Laertes gets his revenge but is only acting in such a manner so that he can rid himself of Hamlet before he potentially unveils his cloak of lies. Claudius is an inwardly focused character who is self-preoccupied with maintaining his place on the throne and his own preservation. It was not enough that the king allowed Laertes to have a sharpened foil during the fencing match; he had to make sure that it was poisoned as well. Those methods were not enough, however, as the King insisted on providing a third method to ensure himself of Hamlet’s demise, which led to the Queen’s death:
KING: Gertrude, do not drink.
GERTRUDE: I will, my lord; I pray you pardon me.
KING: [Aside] It is the poisoned cup, it is too late. (5.2. 257-259)
GERTRUDE: I will, my lord; I pray you pardon me.
KING: [Aside] It is the poisoned cup, it is too late. (5.2. 257-259)
It is interesting to note that this is the only time that the Queen does not abide by the King’s word. “In order to honor Hamlet, she directly disobeys Claudius for the first time” (Smith 206). Claudius did not succeed in stopping her; he could have told her that the wine was poisoned, but instead he simply chose to tell her “do not drink.” Even to the bitter end, he let the farce unravel itself rather than tip his hand. Claudius selfish attempts at self-preservation are what led to the dramatic conclusion and in turn the fall of Denmark.
Claudius is a character that ironically describes himself, even though not intentionally or directly, when actually describing Hamlet: “But, like the owner of a foul disease, / To keep it from divulging, let it feed / Even on the pith of life” (4.1. 21-23). Claudius harbors a sort of evil that seeks to “feed” and by allowing it to do so the evil that manifests inside of Claudius seeks to infect others with the corruption of sin. This remark is made in the very scene in which the King turns two of Hamlet’s closest friends, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, against him. “For Shakespeare’s contemporaries, Claudius as a hypocrite in their sense of the word was no caricature. To say that one could smile and be a villain was to express a deep truth that which goes right into the nature of things in the world which has suffered a fall: and for the [R]enaissance that was the world of all who came after Adam. […] Only when we are prepared to consider Claudius as an overwhelmingly evil person, whose seeming is the opposite of his being, are we able to appreciate how his creator has organized the elements of the story to [create] The Prince of Denmark” (Betram 145). Claudius was created to embody evil, someone with no redeeming traits, and as an entity that seeks to infect and spread corruption. This analogy is made all the more clear when one considers the Bible and the story of Cain and Abel: “O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven; / It hath the primal eldest curse upon‘t, / A brother’s murder. Pray can I not, / Though inclination be as sharp as will. / My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent” (3.3 36-40). While Claudius does try to pray and repent for his sins, he cannot, for his “words fly up while his thoughts remain below” (3.3 1379). The cause for this lies in Claudius’ guilt and his inability to part with the fruits of his sin. In the face of being confronted with the crime that he has committed by watching the play-within-a-play, he knows that he should repent, yet he cannot.
---------------- paper end -------------------
I just noticed I start a lot of paragraphs with the "Claudius...", and that I throw his name around a lot and it makes the paper sound redundant. But eff it man, this is it. This is what I'm turning it.
EDIT: grammatical errors fix'd
Comment