Shakespeare’s Hamlet‚ deceit is a major cause of the downfall of Hamlet. This is demonstrated in three instances in the play. First‚ Polonius spies on Hamlet while he is talking privately with his mother Gertrude. Second‚ Claudius sends Hamlet away to England. Finally‚ Laertes and Claudius scheme to kill Hamlet. The first way that deceit leads to the eventual downfall of Hamlet is Polonius’ spying. In Act III‚ scent iii‚ Polonius decides to help the king by spying on Hamlet and his mother when he says
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advantage on many occasions throughout the play. He seems unable to act to further his cause‚ instead making excuses as to why he should be passive in a given situation. The first example we see of this is when Hamlet is not quite ready to kill Claudius even after his father’s ghost has told him too. He makes the excuse saying that the spirit he saw‚ “May be a devil‚ and the devil hath power / T’ assume a pleasing shape; yea‚ and perhaps‚ / Out of my weakness and my melancholy‚ / As he is very
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and the wife of her dead husband’s brother‚ King Claudius. As the reader‚ we only see her briefly‚ but she still manages to be a central figure in Hamlet playing the role of the elusive and sometimes shallow queen. There are several questions surround the life of Queen Gertrude‚ starting with even before the play‚ having to do with the death of her husband‚ Hamlet’s father. When the play starts‚ she has already remarried to Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius within such a short amount of time. This is rather
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useless and in constant chaos. By creating these vivid images of death and decay‚ Shakespeare lets us peer into Hamlet’s soul and recognize his real underlying motivations. Claudius’ relationship with Hamlet is harsh‚ for he harbors a great hatred for his nephew and even feels threatened and at risk when he is by Hamlet. Claudius says "But like the
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getting hurt and in the end‚ he himself gets hurt. When his father died‚ he knew that his death was not natural‚ but he had to make sure he was correct before he avenges his father’s death. When the ghost of Old King Hamlet told Hamlet that King Claudius murdered him just to take the throne‚ Hamlet vowed he would stop at nothing until his father’s death was avenged‚ which lead to many deaths. The play revolves around the theme of “Appearance vs. Reality” because of the ways characters try to hide
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felt for Gertrude and Claudius ’ love affair‚ and maintaining the relationship he has with Ophelia without exposing his plans to kill his uncle Claudius for the murder of King Hamlet. During the first act‚ Prince Hamlet meets the ghost of his father‚ King Hamlet. His father ’s ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius poured poison in his ear while he slept. The spirit also explains that he wishes for Hamlet to avenge his death‚ but not to punish Queen Gertrude for marrying Claudius. He tells Hamlet that
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Character Relationships for "Hamlet" Character: Claudius Claudius’s Introduction in the story: Act 1‚ Scene 2‚ commences with Claudius holding court. He quickly dispenses with the memory of King Hamlet‚ asserting his position as the new leader of Denmark with decisive authority. Claudius’s dismissal from the story: Claudius dies at Hamlet’s hand: "Here‚ thou incestuous‚ (murd’rous‚) damned Dane‚ Drink off this potion. Is (thy union) here? (Forcing him to drink the poison.) Follow my mother
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personification‚ allusion‚ and a rhetorical question to advocate that the climatic moment of Act III is when King Claudius admits to the murder of King Hamlet because‚ by definition‚ it is the act that turns the action of the scene around‚ leading toward an inevitable conclusion. Shakespeare uses personification when King Claudius says that “[his] offense is rank‚ it smells to heaven” (line 36). Claudius’ guilt of killing his very own brother‚ King Hamlet‚ is constantly on his conscious‚ which is why he gives
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father to revenge Claudius due to his thinking‚ Shakespeare creates a “one part wisdom and ever three parts coward” out of him; he is willing to cause pain and heartbreak in a bid to ensure his mother regrets her actions. In this instance Gertrude does not confess her wrongdoings but does admit that Hamlet’s words are ‘like daggers to [her] ears’‚ suggesting that his words are indeed stronger than previous actions against her. When the audience is first introduced to Claudius in Act 1 Scene 2
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opportunities to avenge his father’s murder‚ but his depraved‚ conscious‚ and rational considerations make him reluctant and hesitant to act. Hamlet’s indecisiveness is not only due to his awareness that Claudius’ murder would be immoral‚ but that killing him in a moment of repentance would grant Claudius the rewards of heaven. Due to his studies at Wittenberg‚ Hamlet has gained theological understanding that only contributes to the complexity of the situation. Hence‚ Hamlet’s allegation of betrayal
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