Claudius of Hamlet A close second in nobility to the protagonist in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the incredible King Claudius. His superior qualities render him a worthy antagonist capable of a plummeting downfall at the climax. G. Wilson Knight in "The Embassy of Death" interprets the character of Claudius: Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal. He is - strange as it may seem - a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with…

The Character Horatio in Shakespeare's Hamlet In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the confidant Horatio is created to serve a number of different purposes. Horatio is a flat character. He is a loyal, obedient, and trustworthy companion to Hamlet. His character does not undergo any significant transformation throughout the play, except that he serves as a witness of the death of Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude. Horatio's role in the play seems to be as a utilitarian character that Shakespeare…

Claudius in William Shakespeare's Hamlet Ans. 'Hamlet, Prince of Denmark' is perhaps Shakespeare's best tragedy. It was written between the years, 1600-1601. Hamlet's character in the play is one of introspection and reflection. He is a person who thinks too much before he acts and also expresses a lot of his feelings before actually doing something. All of Shakespeare's tragedies concerned people in high positions in a country and his fall would affect every one in…

room Hamlet barged in with dirty and messed up clothes, looking pitiful and insane. He then went up to Ophelia and held her wrist while stroking the side of her face, nodding three times and sighing "profoundly", then subsequently leaving her. It was surprising to involve Ophelia so directly in Hamlet's play at insanity, as I figured he would act around Claudius and Polonius instead. But by acting as a distraught lover, the source of his insanity is clearer and easily acceptable by Claudius, Gertrude…

The Character of Claudius in Hamlet Shakespeare presents Claudius as a character with many faces yet the audience can clearly understand his motives and ambition throughout the play. His character does however change and we clearly see how his evilness and weakness increases as his need to escape discovery and his clandestine nature in doing so, is revealed. It is in Act one scene two that we are first introduced to the character of Claudius. The impression made…

Shakespeare's Presentation Of Claudius In Hamlet 'Hamlet' opens with the death of Old King Hamlet, Father of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The new king, Claudius, brother of the previous king has married Gertrude, the dead man's widow and has taken the throne. Shakespeare presents Claudius as the plays 'damned smiley villain' although he does allow him some redeeming features; leading an audience to view him as a complex and contradictory figure within the play.…

Hamlet is arguably the greatest dramatic character ever created. From the moment we meet the crestfallen Prince we are enraptured by his elegant intensity. Shrouded in his inky cloak, Hamlet is a man of radical contradictions -- he is reckless yet cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. He meets his father's death with consuming outrage and righteous indignation, yet shows no compunction when he himself is responsible for the deaths of the meddling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern…

Character of Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet Hamlet is a man of many discoveries. The tragic hero in Shakespeare's Hamlet undergoes many changes throughout the play. His mindset is set deep and far away from the physical world that both helps him and hinders him in his plight for revenge against his uncle, Claudius, and his mother. When Hamlet is first introduced in Act I, Scene II, the reader is shown the depths of his sorrow. The King asks Hamlet "How is it that the clouds still hang…

Claudius of Shakespeare's Hamlet’s G. Wilson Knight in "The Embassy of Death" interprets the character of Claudius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal. He is - strange as it may seem - a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime. And this chain he might, perhaps, have broken except for Hamlet, and all would have been well. But, granted the presence of Hamlet - which Claudius at first genuinely desired…

The Character of Claudius in Hamlet As a supporting character in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Claudius is not developed to his full potential. His primary role in the play is to initiate Hamlet's confusion and anger, and his subsequent search for truth and life's meaning. But Claudius is certainly not a static character. While Claudius’ qualities are not as thoroughly explored as Hamlet's, the treacherous King of Denmark is a complete character. When we first see Claudius, he strikes us…