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

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

"Your worm is our only emperor for diet" (4.3.23) is an example of the sarcasm he displays whilst speaking to Claudius. ... Claudius exclaims, "Have you heard the argument? ... Hamlet then begins a formula of "revenge play" as the apparition of his father cries for retaliation on Claudius. ... Acting foolish is simply a disguise to obtain information to justify his acts of revenge. ... As eight out of the nine main characters pass away, such as Gertrude and Claudius, it is evident that Hamlet's speech foresighted the death of these characters, as they will all be ...

• Word Count: 685
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

He is displeased with the marriage of his uncle, Claudius, to his mother so soon after the death of his father. ... He ends this speech with "This above all: to thine own self be true" (1,3. 84). ... "Let come what comes, only I"ll be revenged/ Most thoroughly for my father" (4,5. 153-154). Laertes feels obligated and more then willing to seek revenge on his father's death. ... The story opens up with the possibility of a war and Claudius is sending ambassadors to negotiate and avoid a war...

• Word Count: 1201
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

" after obeying the ghost's command to "...revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.... This is reflective of the Roman-style revenge plays during the Renaissance, which celebrates the idea that it is the son's responsibility to take justice by seeking revenge for his family. ... Act 1, Scene 2 delves further into the complex characterization of Hamlet and the moral dilemma he is governed by, the death of the King and marriage of Gertrude and Claudius. ... Through Claudius' speech in this scene, Shakespeare introduces tension through dramatic binaries, the questionin...

• Word Count: 1435
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Hamlet's "Madness" Hamlet was the prince of Denmark, son of the assassinated King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude, and nephew to Claudius. ... These rapid and clumsy changes, from rational speech with those he trusts to irrational conversation with those whom he wishes to impress, are strong evidence of fraud. However, Hamlet knows he must act mad if he wants Claudius to believe him, so Hamlet uses his confrontations with Ophelia to display it. ... Not only has he not fooled Claudius, he has fooled poor Ophelia into believing he was mad, and she then takes her own life. ... The late King...

• Word Count: 1057
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School