Felipe Pena

Mrs. Jewell

ERWC:Period 3

17 March 2022

Hamlet

In Hamlet, Claudius displays a series of characteristics that portray him as the antagonist

of the story. He corrupts every aspect of Denmark’s kingdom for his own personal gain. Not

understanding how his consistent manipulation, controlling personality, and villainous acts send

young Hamlet down a spiral into madness.

Still mourning the sudden loss of his own father, young Hamlet was faced with the cold

bitterness from Claudius. People began to believe that Prince Hamlet’s long standing mourning

and failure to accept reality was inappropriate and that he should just move on with his life.

Shortly after receiving the news that his own father has died, his cruel uncle-father gives Hamlet

an inappropriate speech,

But you must know your father lost father,

That father lost, lost his, and survivor bound.

In filial obligation for some term

To do obsequious sorrow. But to persevere. (1.2.94-96)

As comforting as he might seem, Claudius’ speech was only an act to come off as someone

trustworthy. His manipulation tactics were working on Prince Hamlet. Gradually believing his

uncle even during young Hamlet’s lowest point in his life, motivated by everyone around him to

stop grieving the loss of his father, Prince Hamlet found comfort in his uncle-dad’s harsh words.
A comfort that would soon turn to resentment. This is not the only way the King negatively aids

young Hamlet’s descent to madness.

For instance, not even a moment passes by after King Hamlet's death when Claudius is

already seeking to be the next king. When his mischievous brother takes the throne, he is also

taking over the late King Hamlet’s sloppy seconds, the Queen’s hand in marriage. Nonetheless,

his incestous act leaves young Hamlet even more confused and deranged than he was before. To

ease his confusion, the newly appointed King delivers this monologue.

Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death

The memory be green, and that it us benefited

To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom

To be contracted in one brow of woe.(1.2.1-4)

Taking power of Denmark led to a ripple effect to young Hamlet's mental well being. All

that was brought to him by Claudius’ desire to control and conquer everything and anything that

was in his way to his throne. Claudius’ acts of narcissism and selfishness affected Prince Hamlet

in a more detrimental way.

Most important of all, Clauius is responsible for the worst thing any man could ever do:

murder. The murder of the King Hamlet and the direct consequences of his actions is essentially,

entire plot of the story. Without Claudius, this tale wou;d have been a boring play about a King

running his country from the fifteenth century. Ironically, nobody even knew this was a murder.

The only person who knows that the King was murder, is dead, but that does not stop the ghost

of the king from telling his succesor,

A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark

is by a forged process of my death

 Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth,

The serpent that did sting thy father’s life

Now wears his crown.(1.5.43-47)

Prince Hamlet's mind unravels when he figures out this news. The pieces of his broken world

were finally getting placed back together only to reveal that his beloved uncle-daddy is actually

the true villain of this story. Filled with anger but self contained with the intent of revenge,

young Hamlet's only desire is to curate the perfect plan of assasination for the murderous King

who killed his father and married his mom; all because Claudius wanted the crown placed on his

head, and not his own brother’s.

Hamlet is a tragedy filled with betrayal and tragedy, thanks to our main antagonist

Claudius. He deliberately manipulates, has an obsession over control, and is responsible for all

the misdeeds in this play by far.

 Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2012.

 Notes
Commentary
What is commentary?
-Thorough interpretation of text
- Connects evidence back to support augment
and your overall claim
-Provides depth of evidence
-Provides insight into characters, plot, theme,
setting, conflict
-Opinions based on evidence provided
-Explanation of characters (emotion) and how
they affect the other characters/plot,etc.
-Rhetorical chives of the authors/effects on an
audience
-
Summary (avoid when writing commentary)
What is a summary?
-Concise explanation of plot.
-Key details of story or characters
-Details of author’s story
-Not original thought
-Repeating in your own words
Where does the summary belong?
-Introduction (background)
-Context/lead-in
-Paraphrased evidence