Hamlet Sociopath Essay

“The need we have to use you did provoke / Our hasty sending,” King Claudius says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, childhood friends of Prince Hamlet, to explain why Claudius invited them to see Hamlet (2.2.3, 4). In this dialogue, Claudius manipulates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, explaining to them that he reached out to them to find out what is causing Hamlet’s erratic behavior. Hamlet, the protagonist of the Shakespearian tragedy Hamlet, pretends he is insane after secretly discovering Claudius, his uncle, has murdered Hamlet’s father. Claudius is the new king of Denmark, taking the throne after his late brother’s death, and he has recently married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Claudius mimics emotion but acts without it, manipulating people to do his dirty work for him; consequently, he is a sociopath. The strongest characteristic of a sociopath is the ability to manipulate
At first, a reader may assume that Claudius is a sensitive and caring king because of his speech in Act I, but he has no feelings. Although Claudius appears to grieve over the loss of his brother in the aforementioned monologue, he goes straight to business after taking a moment to appear sad. Claudius urges his subjects to move on with their lives, saying “[s]o much for him” and quickly closing the discussion of Hamlet’s father’s death (1.2.25). Claudius explains that Hamlet’s grief is endearing but “unmanly” and instructs Hamlet to let go of depression and act more mature (1.2.94). A large aspect of a sociopath’s personality is also the de-sensitivity to death; Claudius shows this characteristic in his successful homicide of Hamlet’s father and attempted homicide of Hamlet. While his prayer in Act III may convince a reader that Claudius feels guilty, murderers often fake the emotion of guilt to gain support. Claudius can easily mimic grief and other emotions, his outward appearance not remaining true to his actual