Hamlet V. Claudius
Hamlet vs. Claudius:
A Fight to Remember
In the literary classic, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, controversy meets corruption. The monarch of Denmark, King Hamlet, is murdered by his jealous brother, Claudius. While the son of the king, Prince Hamlet, is away at school, Claudius seizes the throne and marries the adulterous Queen Gertrude. Hamlet returns to Denmark finding his father dead, his mother remarried, and his uncle the king. Grief succumbs Hamlet and his only relief is from the truth told by the ghost of his late father. The ghost reveals the true nature of his death and relies on Hamlet to avenge his wrongful end. The plot thickens, as Hamlet must find a way to expose Claudius' evil ways and regain the throne as the rightful ruler. Throughout the play, the true characters of Hamlet and Claudius are revealed in their entirety, both exhibiting the potential to be good or evil. One in the same, yet the two sides of every man, Hamlet and Claudius must survive each other. Though Hamlet is the protagonist of the play and Claudius the antagonist, these two characters show various similarities, in addition to their differences. For example, both men contain the love for their queen, Gertrude. This love may be unlike between the two, but they both feel deeply for the woman in their life. Moreover, Hamlet's love for his mother changes as the truth is revealed. He learns more of his mother's ignorance and naivety, to the point where he is angry with her and threatens her life, "Andwould it were not soyou are my mother," (72). This statement of Hamlet's shows how he no longer loves his mother, but cannot bring himself to hurt her based on the fact that she is his creator. In terms of Claudius' love for his wife, change also occurs as the plot progresses. The changing of his heart is shown when Claudius does not sincerely attempt to stop Gertrude from drinking the poison in the goblet during the duel of Laertes and Hamlet (118). In addition to
A Fight to Remember
In the literary classic, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, controversy meets corruption. The monarch of Denmark, King Hamlet, is murdered by his jealous brother, Claudius. While the son of the king, Prince Hamlet, is away at school, Claudius seizes the throne and marries the adulterous Queen Gertrude. Hamlet returns to Denmark finding his father dead, his mother remarried, and his uncle the king. Grief succumbs Hamlet and his only relief is from the truth told by the ghost of his late father. The ghost reveals the true nature of his death and relies on Hamlet to avenge his wrongful end. The plot thickens, as Hamlet must find a way to expose Claudius' evil ways and regain the throne as the rightful ruler. Throughout the play, the true characters of Hamlet and Claudius are revealed in their entirety, both exhibiting the potential to be good or evil. One in the same, yet the two sides of every man, Hamlet and Claudius must survive each other. Though Hamlet is the protagonist of the play and Claudius the antagonist, these two characters show various similarities, in addition to their differences. For example, both men contain the love for their queen, Gertrude. This love may be unlike between the two, but they both feel deeply for the woman in their life. Moreover, Hamlet's love for his mother changes as the truth is revealed. He learns more of his mother's ignorance and naivety, to the point where he is angry with her and threatens her life, "Andwould it were not soyou are my mother," (72). This statement of Hamlet's shows how he no longer loves his mother, but cannot bring himself to hurt her based on the fact that she is his creator. In terms of Claudius' love for his wife, change also occurs as the plot progresses. The changing of his heart is shown when Claudius does not sincerely attempt to stop Gertrude from drinking the poison in the goblet during the duel of Laertes and Hamlet (118). In addition to