How Is King Claudius Selfish

King Claudius Humans have the ability to choose to achieve greatness in life or not. It is up to a human to make the right choice that will bring him/her to happiness or into darkness. In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Claudius knows what is right and wrong however he constantly chooses to do wrong which leads him to darkness. Since Claudius knows what he is doing when it is wrong, he has no problem being the villain. He is driven by the fear of losing power and this resulting in his selfish acts. These choices are greatly influenced with his desire to do whatever he can to keep himself on top even if it is bringing him into the darkness. Claudius’s motives as king are selfish and are controlled by the fact that he will not lose his royalty.
Claudius and Gertrude begin to notice that Hamlet is acting strangely. Claudius orders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England because of his suspicion that Hamlet is a threat to him and his Kingdom “I like him not, nor stands it safe with us / To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you; / I commissions will forthwith dispatch, And he to England shall along with you: / The terms of our estate may not endure / Hazard so dangerous as doth hourly grow / Out of his brows.” (III.iii.1-7). Claudius says he is protecting himself from losing any power that he has. In addition his selfishness is highlighted by his reaction to Polonius’ death by how he fears for his own death and puts aside his affection for a good friend “O heavy deed! It has been so with us, had we been there” (IV.i.13-14). He thinks that if he were the one standing behind the curtain it would have been him dead, selfishly thinking about his own life and fate instead of mourning for his loyal friend Polonius. In addition to his selfish behavior Claudius recognizes that Hamlet’s condition is not of love but he truly is after Claudius “It shall be so: / Madness in great ones must unwatch’d go” (III.i.188-189). After observing Hamlet behind the curtains, Claudius believes that Hamlet is dangerous. He does not want to lose all that he has gained and fears that Hamlet may be a
The Kings’ desire to gain power results in his immoral deed in killing his own brother and taking the crown, living each day pretending to be a victim as well “the serpent that did sting thy fathers life / wear his crown.” (I.v.39-40). The death of Claudius brother accident, Claudius himself killed him. His actions were selfish and he did not think twice and show any signs of true remorse. He orders Hamlet to be shipped off to England and asks the King of England to kill him for the sake of his insanity. “The present death of Hamlet. Do it, England: For like the hectic in my blood he rages, And thou must cure me. Till I know ‘tis done, Howe’er my haps, my joys were ne’er begun.”(IV.iii.66-69). Claudius suspects that he is in danger from his crown and orders for Hamlets execution. Lastly, in order to finally get rid of Hamlet, Claudius manipulates Laertes. “To thine own peace. If he be now return’d / As checking at his voyage, and that he means / No more to undertake it, I will work him / To an exploit, now ripe in my device, / Under the which he shall not choose but fail; / And for his death no wind of blame shall breathe, / But even his mother shall uncharged the practice, / And call it accident.” (IV.vii.61-68). Although Claudius is somewhat eager to kill Hamlet, he does not possess the urge to kill Him for the sake of his image. If he killed Hamlet others may think