Claudius and Hamlet
Why Claudius is King?
When at the beginning of Act I scene ii of Hamlet we find that Claudius, and not young Hamlet is king of Denmark, we are surprised.
Part of this surprise comes from our anticipation that the son of the old king should be the natural heir to the throne. Shakespeare takes advantage of this expectation by naming his prince 'Hamlet'. So when, after encountering the ghost, Horatio and the others decide …
Is this Essay helpful? Join now to read this particular paper
and access over 480,000 just like this GET BETTER GRADES
and access over 480,000 just like this GET BETTER GRADES
…father, laments the incestuous nature of his mother= relationship with Claudius, but never once disputes his uncle=s claim to the throne. When the ghost reveals Claudius' treachery, Hamlet's response - after his initial fury - is to lament the "cursed spite" that he "was born to set it right!" (I, v, 216).
Claudius may have engineered events to suit his ambitions, but Hamlet's nature and behavior has provided him - pun intended - free reign.
Need a custom written paper? Let our professional writers save your time.