He issues a speech and begins by saying: " Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death " This gives the impression that Claudius is saddened by his brother's death, yet it is later revealed that it was he who murdered him. ... Through Claudius perception of death Shakespeare reveals Claudius's true character. ... Claudius's skill with words is essential to his character. ... His political attributes are visible to see, particularly during act 1 scene 2 when Claudius delivers a speech, addressing the crowd for the first time as king: "Contracted in one brow of woe...

• Word Count: 1997
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Hamlet vows revenge on his uncle, Claudius. ... If Hamlet had taken action at the first opportunity and killed Claudius while he was praying, Claudius" soul would have gone to Heaven. ... He also faces the problem of requiring proof that Claudius is the murderer, and refuses to take revenge until his has proof. ... There is a suggestion that perhaps Hamlet felt jealous of Claudius because Hamlet felt that Claudius was separating him from his mother. ... However, the reason behind this is never completely clear as Shakespeare integrates Ophelia's speech with double meanings. ...

• Word Count: 2360
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

Claudius is presented as a multi-faced character. ... He gives a speech to make his court and country proud, addressing his brother's death. ... His speech compares the people's loss with the new beginning they will have under his care, and he uses the death of Hamlet's father to create a sense of national solidarity. ... On the surface, it appears to be the perfect time to act out the revenge. ... Hamlet decides that killing Claudius would be an unsatisfactory form of revenge since Claudius's soul would go to heaven since he is at prayer, and the blade is then slowly withd...

• Word Count: 1422
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

Hamlet himself would probably take any little movement by Claudius as a confession of guilt simply because he is angry with his father's death and wants revenge so very badly. Revenge causes one to act blindly through anger, rather than through reason. ... The old "To be or not to be" speech, but although many people know the beginning of this speech, emphasis on the beginning because less people know the middle and the true meaning of his speech. ... The meaning of this speech is whether or not he should kill himself. ... He is an educated man, who lets revenge control him, but not tot...

• Word Count: 1928
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Hamlet is ready to end Claudius' life and avenge his father's death, but realizes that killing Claudius while he prays would send him to heaven. ... Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge." ... (I, ii, 1-7) Using Claudius' speech as a guide to the truth, the audience believes that King Hamlet died naturally, unaware that the new king murdered him. ... The farther Hamlet is from Claudius, the more danger Claudius could be in. ... All doubts that Hamlet once had concerning the reality of Claudius' actions dissolve as he acknowledges the evil that Claudius has co...

• Word Count: 1415
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

Claudius highlights the 'unholiness' of these crimes in his first private speech: King: O, my offence is rank. ... An important part of Hamlet's revenge is for Claudius to be perceived as the killer he really is. ... Hamlet knows that if he were to kill Claudius as an act of revenge, he would need society and the members of the court to question Claudius' innocence. Hamlet also needs to be sure that he is right in seeking revenge and if he could prove Claudius' guilt, Hamlet's revenge would not be treated as treason as it would be if Claudius was perceived ...

• Word Count: 1891
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Claudius has not only committed fratricide, but regicide. ... Claudius is thus not only Cain but Adam.[7] Claudius's sin has, for Hamlet at least, turned Denmark into a fallen Eden; thorns and thistles dominate the landscape. ... Claudius has also wed Gertrude, Hamlet's mother and queen of Denmark. ... [10] The dissonance in the ghost's speeches indicates that he is not what he claims to be. ... When the players arrive at Elsinore, Hamlet requests the first player to recite a favorite speech about Pyrrhus, the son of Achilles, who killed King Priam of Troy to avenge his father...

• Word Count: 1931
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

This contrasts to Shakespeare's slant on a revenge tragedy. ... He vows to take quick revenge "May sweep to my revenge". ... It provides a cloak for him to watch from and gather evidence against Claudius. ... He goes on to justify this statement; "this is hire and salary not revenge" saying that he would be rewarding Claudius not punishing him. ... He compares Claudius and King Hamlet and throughout this speech Hamlet confronts Gertrude with her own sexuality, "since frost itself as actively doth burn". ...

• Word Count: 2065
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Later, Claudius is seen giving a speech, acting as if he feels sorrow and remorse over the death of his brother, and former king, Hamlet. ... Claudius wants them to find the truth whether Hamlet is plotting to avenge his father and kill the king. ... As that was told to Hamlet, Laertes was told it was to get revenge for killing Polonius therefore the tip of the sword will have been sharpened with the venom of a snake on it as a result only one knick would determine the fate of Hamlet: "Revenge should have no bounds. ... Thus, Claudius also has a plan B in the case Hamlet will be victorious. .....

• Word Count: 1918
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

In Hamlet's eyes Claudius is a beast in comparison to the god-like features of his father. ... His resolution to do nothing will be the source of his problems in following speeches. ... Hamlet never discusses the act of vengeance, only the actor's ability to "cleave the general ear with horrid speech"(II, ii, 569). ... At the conclusion of this speech it seems that Hamlet is torn by his morals and his desire for revenge. ... He is still struggling with the righteousness of revenge. ...

• Word Count: 1431
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

And finally, Hamlet appears to be mad and insane, but really he is using his madness to hide his true intentions of seeking justice/revenge for his father's murder. ... Claudius is a multi-faced character. ... " – Claudius Act I, Scene II, line 1-5. ... " - Claudius, Act 4, Scene 1, lines 41-45. ... Within his speech to Laertes, Polonius advises him to not borrow from others, to remain true to himself, and not to lie. ...

• Word Count: 1361
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

O, this is hire and salary, not revenge. ... Here he is, in the perfect position to extract revenge, and he doesn't follow through. ... That way, Claudius will go to hell, instead of heaven. ... In a conversation with some players (actors), Hamlet recites a lengthy speech by rote. ... Nay, rather, it seems like an act of calculated revenge. ...

• Word Count: 1991
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

These conflicting behaviors are related within Hamlet's internal struggle-to kill Claudius for revenge of his fathers' murder; or act responsibly, and await further proof of Claudius' guilt. ... Hamlet is stating his utmost commitment to nothing short of revenge of his fathers' death. ... In act two, Hamlet is again prompted towards vengeance-this time by a poignant speech delivered by one of the players. ... If his occulted guilt Do not itself unkernnel on one speech, It is a damned ghost we have seen" (1088, line 72). ... Hamlet needs his revenge to be dramatic, so that ...

• Word Count: 2118
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Hamlet's speech contains obsessive thoughts about suicide and death. ... When Hamlet finally gains the nerve to kill King Claudius, Hamlet enters the room where Claudius is praying. ... It is then that Hamlet realizes that if he kills Claudius while he is praying, Claudius will go to Heaven. ... Hamlet does not want to send his father's killer to heaven; he wants the worst possible revenge for him. Hamlet uses Claudius' prayer as an excuse to further delay the act of revenge because his conscience will not permit him to commit premeditated murder. ...

• Word Count: 2110
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Hamlet has dedicated more of his time and energy to the salvation of his mother, rather than taking revenge on Claudius. ... He says a key line that helps us see his attitude towards women in this speech. ... During his isolate speech on page 111, Hamlet questions himself and his courage, and asks himself if he is a coward. ... He feels he is on trial, and that he cannot get himself going, he is not motivated enough to try any large scale revenge on Claudius or his mother. "How all occasions do inform against me, and spur my dull revenge!...

• Word Count: 1900
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

During Hamlet's soliloquies, Shakespeare creates the illusion of insanity through structure, with spontaneous, erratic speech. ... Most Shakespearean characters that, through their speech, reach a firm decision will conclude on a Shakespearean rhyming couplet. ... Gertrude plays a major role in the origin of Hamlet's madness, as without her Claudius would have less motivation for murdering his brother. This becomes the root of Hamlet's quest for revenge, and the hatred he holds towards Claudius and Gertrude, as he tries to save her from "things rank and gross in nature" [I.ii.13...

• Word Count: 1550
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

This speech also gives the reader insight to Hamlet's low self-esteem and his great admiration for his father, and likewise, his discontent for his uncle. ... Not only can he not decide his own fate, but he also struggles to decide whether or not he should kill Claudius. He wants revenge against Claudius for killing his father, and he is at a loss for his country following the death of his father, who many felt was a great king. ... This only leads Hamlet farther in his misery and intensifies his hatred for Claudius. ... Throughout the play, Hamlet also continues to plot revenge again...

• Word Count: 1324
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

This speech is quite ironic, because it is Hamlet's "one defect" (his hesitancy and inability to take action), regardless of his other qualities (such as honor and integrity), will be the main reason why the play ends so tragically. ... To the audience, who have already heard the ghost's speech, Claudius seems to be going over the top, saying that he can't imagine what has rendered Hamlet mad and going back to childhood memories. ... This is partially to try and protect her from the carnage that Hamlet must suspect will ensue when he eventually takes his revenge, but it is o...

• Word Count: 1952
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

This draws attention to his unbalanced state as a character and rises more speculation as to why he is delaying his revenge, not only by the readers but also by Hamlet himself: "That would be scanned," Hamlet feels his revenge needs further consideration under the circumstances that Claudius is praying. ... He is extremely intellectual; his speech and interests express this, and even though as much as he loved his parents, university had been his chosen place until the Ghost bid him to seek revenge. He seems to be philosophical, he studies the meanings of his life and thoughts, and because ...

• Word Count: 2036
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Furthermore, Hamlet instructs his mother not to sleep with Claudius " Good Night. ... Superficially, Hamlet's quest for revenge may seem only to be brought on by his love for his father, but this is not so. ... He speaks very sexually in regards to her relationship with Claudius. ... This speech seems to be very effective because it forces Gertrude to admit her faults and even ask Hamlet for a solution to this conflict "What shall I do?" ... Hamlet loved his father and may even suspect that Claudius and Gertrude had affairs before his father's death....

• Word Count: 2226
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

His uncle, Claudius, marries his mother, the queen, to gain control of the throne. ... Hamlet is visited by the ghost of his dead father, who informs Hamlet that he was killed by Claudius. Hamlet wishes to seek revenge on his uncle for the death of his father. ... In his desire for revenge, Hamlet also shows an interest for death, starting from the point when he meets the ghost of his father. ... When they question Hamlet about his father, Hamlet goes on a speech to show how the death of his father has affected him. ...

• Word Count: 1475
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

He also had motive for putting on the contrivance as it would disguise his investigation of his father's strange death and his plans for revenge against his uncle Claudius if he found him to be guilty. ... Lastly, by pretending to be mentally disturbed, it provided Hamlet with an excuse for any sinful deeds he would commit on his pursuit of revenge. ... Hamlet's pursuit of the truth and revenge was much better accompanied by madness rather than sanity which gave Hamlet a clear motive to fabricate insanity in the play. ... If his occulted guilt / Do not itself unkennel in one speech, ...

• Word Count: 1678
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School