Hamlet Assignment

“Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain.” Using this quotation as a starting point, discuss how Shakespeare depicts Claudius in Hamlet.

Elena Stojanov

In Act 2, Scene 2 of Hamlet, Hamlet says that Claudius is a “Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain.” However, Shakespeare depicts Claudius in a different way, illustrating that the king doesn’t possess these traits using asides, soliloquies, and poetic devices. Claudius possesses ‘traits of being a kind man and a capable ruler; however he is also a ‘treacherous villain.’

Most of our views of Claudius come from Hamlet and the Ghost; however, their views are very biased towards him. Both characters hate Claudius as he has committed a mortal sin, yet the rest of the court seem to think of Claudius as a good King and leader. When we first see Claudius in Act 1, ii, we see him as arrogant and intelligent man, vigorous and a capable ruler who is respected by everyone in court. He illustrates his grief of his brother’s death, ‘though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death/ The memory be green,’ showing the compassion he feels, and also turns his attention towards the political situations that he and Denmark faces. We see that he is a quick thinker as he sends messages to Norway to prevent Fortinbras from attacking Denmark. Shakespeare illustrates Claudius’ intelligence and leadership by making him speak in iambic pentameter and displays high rhetoric, making everything he says smooth and authoritative. However Shakespeare juxtaposes this with his response to Hamlet’s grief. He asks Hamlet ‘how is it that the clouds hang on [him]’, even though Claudius knows very well that Hamlet’s father died not two months ago. He also states that Hamlet’s grieving is ‘unmanly’, signifying how unkind Claudius can be.

However, Claudius is a different man when not presenting himself in front of Denmark. Hamlet, describes Claudius as being a “remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain”, also...