An analysis of Claudius, Hamlet's Uncle Introduction to Claudius in Hamlet As with all the supporting characters in Hamlet, Claudius is not developed to his full potential. His primary role in the play is to spawn Hamlet's confusion and anger, and his subsequent search for truth and life's meaning. But Claudius is not a static character. While his qualities are not as thoroughly explored as Hamlet's, Shakespeare crafts a whole human being out of the treacherous, usurping King of Denmark. When we first see Claudius, he strikes us an intelligent and capable ruler. He gives a speech to make his court and country proud, addressing his brother's death and the potential conflict with Norway. Claudius knows that a change in government could ignite civil unrest, and he is afraid of possible unlawful allegiances and rebellion. His speech juxtaposes 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, "the whole kingdom/To be contracted in one brow of woe" (1.2.3-4). Claudius has assumed the role of the chief mourner, and the people can unite behind a collective suffering.

He can now concentrate on his kingly duties, and he takes immediate and decisive action by sending Cornelius and Voltimand to appease the Norwegian king. He also deals skilfully with Laertes' request to leave for France. "On the whole, then, there emerges a King who is well qualified for his office...there continually appears on the stage a man who is utterly unlike the descriptions, and this in turn gives to Hamlet's words their real value." (Lokse, Outrageous Fortune, 79). But Claudius, in private, is a very different person. The Ghost refers to him as "that incestuous, that adulterate beast" (1.5.42), and we soon realize that his crime is what is "rotten in the state of Denmark." The King has committed fratricide and regicide and has bedded the Queen with "the witchcraft of his wit" (I.v.47). Claudius represents the worst in human nature -- lust, greed, corruption, and excess.

Claudius and his corrupt court bask in the pleasures of the flesh: The king doth wake tonight and takes his rouse, Keeps wassail, and the swaggering up-spring reels; And as he drains his draughts of Renish down, The kettle-drum and trumpet thus bray out The triumph of his pledge (1.4.8-12) However, Claudius is not a total sociopath, devoid of moments of guilt and regret. His deeds, on occasion, weigh heavy on his heart: (aside) O, 'tis true! Hamlet: Claudius | Character Analysis | CliffsNotes Character Analysis Bookmark this page Manage My Reading List Shakespeare 's villains are complex. Unlike the earlier antiheroes of the revenge or morality plays that were popular in Elizabethan and Jacobean culture, Shakespearean criminals lack the simple clarity of absolute evil. Claudius is a perfect example of a quintessential Shakespearean antagonist. Claudius is socially adept, and his charm is genuine.

He can exhibit deep distress over his "dear brother's death" and admiration for his wife, "Th'imperial jointress to this warlike state." He knows the value of a great funeral, but quickly turns mourning into celebration and moves on "With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage" to whatever lies ahead. He is a decisive man, fair in his politics and commanding — if Gertrude 's allegiance is any indication — in his bedroom. The Queen has chosen to marry Claudius, and she defends him even to her son. In fact, she never opposes Claudius in anything. Were he dark and sinister in all things, she would fear and despise him; she follows him willingly even when he arranges to send her beloved son into the jaws of death. He must be sincere in his love for her. He explains his feelings for her at the end of Act IV, but he has proven these feelings consistently throughout the play The Queen his mother Lives almost by his looks, and for myself, My virtue or my plague, be it either which, She's so conjunctive to my life and soul That as the star moves not but in his sphere, I could not by her.

A character who loves is not merely a cold-blooded killer. Like Hamlet , his conflicting imperatives tear him apart. Whereas he recognizes that he his "offense is rank" and "smells to heaven," he also admits that he will not make amends with God because he refuses to give up what his crime has bought him. He is willing to take the consequences of his actions. In some ways, Claudius exhibits more heroism than Hamlet. He manipulates fortune and takes what is not rightfully his, but remains unapologetic for his actions; he possesses enough strength to admit that he would do the same again. Hamlet, torn by conscience to smite the morally deficient Claudius, causes the death of six innocent people before he accomplishes his goal. By taking full responsibility for his actions, Claudius mitigates his evil nature. The mark of a great Shakespearean antagonist is how completely he mirrors the protagonist. Claudius is no more Machiavellian than Hamlet; both ultimately believe that the end justifies the means, and both ultimately sacrifice humanity and humaneness in the acquisition of their goals. What makes Claudius a villain is that he is wrong, and Hamlet is right.

Claudius is a sneak who murdered and lied. Hamlet commits his murders in the open and suffers the pangs of his own conscience. Claudius subverts his conscience and refuses to ask for divine forgiveness. Hamlet seeks contrition and absolves himself of guilt before he dies; Claudius receives no absolution and seeks none. Hamlet will spend eternity in Heaven; Claudius will burn in Hell. SparkNotes: Hamlet: Character List Character List Plot Overview Analysis of Major Characters Hamlet - The Prince of Denmark, the title character, and the protagonist. About thirty years old at the start of the play, Hamlet is the son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet, and the nephew of the present king, Claudius. Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle’s scheming and disgust for his mother’s sexuality. A reflective and thoughtful young man who has studied at the University of Wittenberg, Hamlet is often indecisive and hesitant, but at other times prone to rash and impulsive acts. Read an in-depth analysis of Hamlet. Claudius - The King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle, and the play’s antagonist.

The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, driven by his sexual appetites and his lust for power, but he occasionally shows signs of guilt and human feeling—his love for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere. Read an in-depth analysis of Gertrude. Polonius - The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court, a pompous, conniving old man. Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Horatio - Hamlet’s close friend, who studied with the prince at the university in Wittenberg. Horatio is loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play. After Hamlet’s death, Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet’s story. Ophelia - Polonius’s daughter, a beautiful young woman with whom Hamlet has been in love. Ophelia is a sweet and innocent young girl, who obeys her father and her brother, Laertes. Dependent on men to tell her how to behave, she gives in to Polonius’s schemes to spy on Hamlet.

Even in her lapse into madness and death, she remains maidenly, singing songs about flowers and finally drowning in the river amid the flower garlands she had gathered. Laertes - Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother, a young man who spends much of the play in France. Passionate and quick to action, Laertes is clearly a foil for the reflective Hamlet. Fortinbras - The young Prince of Norway, whose father the king (also named Fortinbras) was killed by Hamlet’s father (also named Hamlet). Now Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father’s honor, making him another foil for Prince Hamlet. The Ghost - The specter of Hamlet’s recently deceased father. The ghost, who claims to have been murdered by Claudius, calls upon Hamlet to avenge him. However, it is not entirely certain whether the ghost is what it appears to be, or whether it is something else. Hamlet speculates that the ghost might be a devil sent to deceive him and tempt him into murder, and the question of what the ghost is or where it comes from is never definitively resolved.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern - Two slightly bumbling courtiers, former friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg, who are summoned by Claudius and Gertrude to discover the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior. Osric - The foolish courtier who summons Hamlet to his duel with Laertes. Voltimand and Cornelius - Courtiers whom Claudius sends to Norway to persuade the king to prevent Fortinbras from attacking. Marcellus and Bernardo - The officers who first see the ghost walking the ramparts of Elsinore and who summon Horatio to witness it. Marcellus is present when Hamlet first encounters the ghost. Francisco - A soldier and guardsman at Elsinore. Reynaldo - Polonius’s servant, who is sent to France by Polonius to check up on and spy on Laertes. No Fear Shakespeare: Hamlet: Characters No Fear Shakespeare Act 1, Scene 1 Hamlet The prince of Denmark, and a student at the University of Wittenberg.

At the beginning of the play, Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet, has recently died, and his mother, Queen Gertrude, has married the new king, Hamlet’s uncle Claudius. Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle and disgust at his mother for marrying him. When the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears and claims to have been murdered by Claudius, Hamlet becomes obsessed with avenging his father’s death but keeps thinking of reasons why he should wait before killing Claudius—then chastizes himself for failing to act boldly. Hamlet is a character of contradictions. He admires characters like Fortinbras and the Player King, who behave passionately and even violently for no good reason, but is himself thoughtful, reflective, and philosophical. At times Hamlet is indecisive and hesitant, but at other times he is prone to rash and impulsive acts of violence. Claudius The king of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle. The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, adept at manipulating others for his own ends and willing to execute, assassinate, or murder to stay in power.

He doesn’t understand Hamlet or Hamlet’s motives, but he is quick to perceive Hamlet as a threat and take decisive action against him. Claudius does occasionally show signs of remorse and human feeling—his affection for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere. Gertrude The queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, recently married to Claudius. We never get to observe Gertrude on her own, so we know much more about how Hamlet feels about her than about how she sees herself. She seems clearly to love Hamlet, but Hamlet sees her as a weak, even depraved, woman motivated wholly by lust. Hamlet has such strong feelings about her sex life that he becomes momentarily distracted from his revenge quest, urging her toward a life of chastity. Polonius The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Polonius has good intentions, but he tends to be somewhat conniving and underhanded. He frequently leaps to the wrong conclusions, and his speeches are comically pompous and long-winded. He is completely incapable of figuring out what Hamlet is up to.

Horatio Hamlet’s close friend, who studied with the prince at the University of Wittenberg. Hamlet trusts Horatio above any of the other characters, valuing him for his even temper and equanimity—qualities that Hamlet seems to despise in himself. Horatio is loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play. After Hamlet’s death, Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet’s story. Ophelia Polonius’s daughter, a beautiful young woman with whom Hamlet has been in love. A sweet and innocent young girl, Ophelia dutifully strives to obey her father and her brother, Laertes, allowing Polonius to use her in his scheme to spy on Hamlet. When her father dies, her sanity unravels, and in her madness she paints a scathing picture of young men as sexually exploitative and unfaithful, and her mad speeches about flowers conceal implied condemnations of Claudius and Gertrude. Laertes Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother, a young man who spends much of the play in France. Passionate and quick to action, Laertes is a foil for the reflective and agonized Hamlet.

Fortinbras The young prince of Norway, whose father the king (also named Fortinbras) was killed by Hamlet’s father (also named Hamlet). Now Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father’s honor, making him another foil for Prince Hamlet. Hamlet admires Fortinbras for his willingness to fight for no good reason. The Ghost The specter of Hamlet’s recently deceased father. The ghost, who claims to have been murdered by Claudius, calls upon Hamlet to avenge him. However, it is not entirely certain whether the ghost is what it appears to be. Hamlet speculates that the ghost might be a devil sent to deceive him and tempt him into murder, and the question of what the ghost is or where it comes from is never definitively resolved. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Two slightly bumbling courtiers, former friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg, who are summoned by Claudius and Gertrude to discover the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior. Osric The foolish courtier who summons Hamlet to his duel with Laertes. His speeches are pretentious and difficult to understand.

Voltimand and Cornelius Courtiers whom Claudius sends to Norway to persuade the king to prevent Fortinbras from attacking. Marcellus and Barnardo The officers who first see the ghost walking the ramparts of Elsinore and who summon Horatio to witness it. Marcellus is present when Hamlet first encounters the ghost. Francisco A soldier and guardsman at Elsinore. Reynaldo SparkNotes: Hamlet: Analysis of Major Characters Analysis of Major Characters Themes, Motifs & Symbols Hamlet Hamlet has fascinated audiences and readers for centuries, and the first thing to point out about him is that he is enigmatic. There is always more to him than the other characters in the play can figure out; even the most careful and clever readers come away with the sense that they don’t know everything there is to know about this character. Hamlet actually tells other characters that there is more to him than meets the eye—notably, his mother, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—but his fascination involves much more than this. When he speaks, he sounds as if there’s something important he’s not saying, maybe something even he is not aware of.

The ability to write soliloquies and dialogues that create this effect is one of Shakespeare’s most impressive achievements. A university student whose studies are interrupted by his father’s death, Hamlet is extremely philosophical and contemplative. He is particularly drawn to difficult questions or questions that cannot be answered with any certainty. Faced with evidence that his uncle murdered his father, evidence that any other character in a play would believe, Hamlet becomes obsessed with proving his uncle’s guilt before trying to act. The standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt” is simply unacceptable to him. He is equally plagued with questions about the afterlife, about the wisdom of suicide, about what happens to bodies after they die—the list is extensive. But even though he is thoughtful to the point of obsession, Hamlet also behaves rashly and impulsively. When he does act, it is with surprising swiftness and little or no premeditation, as when he stabs Polonius through a curtain without even checking to see who he is. He seems to step very easily into the role of a madman, behaving erratically and upsetting the other characters with his wild speech and pointed innuendos.

It is also important to note that Hamlet is extremely melancholy and discontented with the state of affairs in Denmark and in his own family—indeed, in the world at large. He is extremely disappointed with his mother for marrying his uncle so quickly, and he repudiates Ophelia, a woman he once claimed to love, in the harshest terms. His words often indicate his disgust with and distrust of women in general. At a number of points in the play, he contemplates his own death and even the option of suicide. But, despite all of the things with which Hamlet professes dissatisfaction, it is remarkable that the prince and heir apparent of Denmark should think about these problems only in personal and philosophical terms. He spends relatively little time thinking about the threats to Denmark’s national security from without or the threats to its stability from within (some of which he helps to create through his own carelessness). Claudius Hamlet’s major antagonist is a shrewd, lustful, conniving king who contrasts sharply with the other male characters in the play. Whereas most of the other important men in Hamlet are preoccupied with ideas of justice, revenge, and moral balance, Claudius is bent upon maintaining his own power.

The old King Hamlet was apparently a stern warrior, but Claudius is a corrupt politician whose main weapon is his ability to manipulate others through his skillful use of language. Claudius’s speech is compared to poison being poured in the ear—the method he used to murder Hamlet’s father. Claudius’s love for Gertrude may be sincere, but it also seems likely that he married her as a strategic move, to help him win the throne away from Hamlet after the death of the king. As the play progresses, Claudius’s mounting fear of Hamlet’s insanity leads him to ever greater self-preoccupation; when Gertrude tells him that Hamlet has killed Polonius, Claudius does not remark that Gertrude might have been in danger, but only that he would have been in danger had he been in the room. He tells Laertes the same thing as he attempts to soothe the young man’s anger after his father’s death. Claudius is ultimately too crafty for his own good. In Act V, scene ii, rather than allowing Laertes only two methods of killing Hamlet, the sharpened sword and the poison on the blade, Claudius insists on a third, the poisoned goblet.

When Gertrude inadvertently drinks the poison and dies, Hamlet is at last able to bring himself to kill Claudius, and the king is felled by his own cowardly machination. Gertrude Few Shakespearean characters have caused as much uncertainty as Gertrude, the beautiful Queen of Denmark. The play seems to raise more questions about Gertrude than it answers, including: Was she involved with Claudius before the death of her husband? Did she love her husband? Did she know about Claudius’s plan to commit the murder? Did she love Claudius, or did she marry him simply to keep her high station in Denmark? Does she believe Hamlet when he insists that he is not mad, or does she pretend to believe him simply to protect herself? Does she intentionally betray Hamlet to Claudius, or does she believe that she is protecting her son’s secret? These questions can be answered in numerous ways, depending upon one’s reading of the play. The Gertrude who does emerge clearly in Hamlet is a woman defined by her desire for station and affection, as well as by her tendency to use men to fulfill her instinct for self-preservation—which, of course, makes her extremely dependent upon the men in her life.

Hamlet’s most famous comment about Gertrude is his furious condemnation of women in general: “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (I.ii.146). This comment is as much indicative of Hamlet’s agonized state of mind as of anything else, but to a great extent Gertrude does seem morally frail. She never exhibits the ability to think critically about her situation, but seems merely to move instinctively toward seemingly safe choices, as when she immediately runs to Claudius after her confrontation with Hamlet. She is at her best in social situations (I.ii and V.ii), when her natural grace and charm seem to indicate a rich, rounded personality. At times it seems that her grace and charm are her only characteristics, and her reliance on men appears to be her sole way of capitalizing on her abilities.

Casey Schelble Casey Schelble 28 April 2010 Hamlet: A Comprehensive Study Guide for AP Exam ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ The main character of this tragic Shakespearean play, Prince Hamlet of Denmark , has found himself in a horrifically trying situation; his father, King Hamlet, has recently died, and his mother, Queen Gertrude, shortly thereafter remarries Hamlet's uncle, Claudius.ï¿½ While the still young Hamlet remains at school outside of the kingdom, Claudius gets elected king and hurriedly marries Gertrude.ï¿½ One night after his return, Hamlet encounters a ghost in the dark courtyard, which he finds out to be the spirit of his deceased father.ï¿½ The ghost of the late king informs Hamlet of Claudius' murderous plot.ï¿½ King Hamlet's spirit requests the prince to avenge his fatherï¿½s wrongful death, yet Hamlet has trouble activating his revenge towards Claudius, a significant basis for the pain currently wrenching his heart and mind.ï¿½ Hamlet

ï¿½s inability to be certain about Claudius is a recurring theme in the play.ï¿½ The indecision and lack of forward action on Hamletï¿½s part leads the reader to believe that Prince Hamlet will not do anything at all about his fatherï¿½s death.ï¿½ By frequently looking to obtain more information, Hamlet allows the play to be slow and contemplative rather than action-filled.ï¿½ By delaying the retribution, Hamlet makes it seem as though it were impossible to have confidence in the knowledge of Claudiusï¿½ crime.ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Hamlet experiences more sorrow and angst in his romantic love over a young lady, Ophelia.ï¿½ï¿½ Due to his depressed feelings, Hamlet often considers suicide.ï¿½ This poses many questions of morality and existence.ï¿½ There is a disagreement since Hamlet contemplates whether or not suicide is a legitimate moral action to escape the cruelty of his recent state, but also worries heavily about the consequences that come after death for his decision.

Like his inability to take action against Claudius, Hamlet does not choose to further pursue his thoughts of suicide.ï¿½ A reoccurrence of this theme can be seen by the uncertainty of whether or not Ophelia committed suicide.ï¿½ Throughout the play, depression and sorrow are linked to suicide and the longing for relief from life.

Hamletï¿½s recent behavior has been deeply altered by the combination of sorrow for the loss of his father and also the ecstasy of love he maintains for Ophelia.ï¿½ Noticing Hamlet's unusual behavior, Claudius calls two investigators, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to find out why Hamlet behaves so madly.ï¿½ However, Hamlet sees right through their faï¿½ade and becomes enraged at the realization of their disloyalty towards him.ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ In his efforts to seek revenge against the newly crowned king, Prince Hamlet seeks more assurance regarding his knowledge about Claudius' crime.ï¿½ To gain some clarity, he puts on a play that perfectly mimics the murder scene of King Hamlet in the garden.ï¿½ Although Hamlet carried reasonable evidence to take down Claudius in previous parts of the play, his witnessing of Claudius' reaction to the play action allows him to finalize his plan to kill Claudiusï¿½eventually that is.ï¿½ In such an unstable state, Ham

let accidentally stabs Polonius, who hid behind a curtain listening in on Hamlet's reflections.

Upon hearing of his father's death, Laertes proposes to seek vengeance on Hamlet.ï¿½ Revenge is one of the most prevalent themes throughout the play.ï¿½ Since Prince Hamlet immediately learns of Claudiusï¿½ offense right at the beginning of the play, this causes the entire rest of the play to be motivated by his revenge.ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Laertes collaborates with Claudius in a twisted plot to stab Hamlet with a poison-tip sword in a fencing match.ï¿½ The two face off, and Laertes manages to scrape Hamlet, ultimately being a fatal blow.ï¿½ Hamlet gains possession of the lethal sword and strikes a hit to Laertes as well.ï¿½ The Queen then drinks from the poisoned cup that Claudius had prepared as a back up plan, and ends up dying as well.ï¿½ In the midst of unraveling the entire plan, Hamlet stabs Claudius with the sword and forces him to swallow the toxin wine, ensuring his demise.ï¿½ Polonius attempts to kill himself

 (another example of suicide) by drinking from the cup, but Hamlet halts his actions and demands he tell the story of how the kingdom fell apart.ï¿½ Just before dying, Hamlet appoints Prince Fortinbras the new king and leader of Denmark 1972- In retrospect, the reader often discovers that the first chapter of a novel or the opening scene of a drama introduces some of the major themes of the work.

Write an essay about the opening scene of a drama or the first chapter of a novel in which you explain how it functions in this way.ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ In William Shakespeareï¿½s Hamlet, the combined theme of uncertainty and revenge introduced in the opening of the play set the tone for the rest of play.ï¿½ Through Hamletï¿½s encounter of his ghostly fatherï¿½s soul in the courtyard, the young prince learns some devastating and revealing information.ï¿½ Hamlet has now been given motivation to take action against his newly elected king and uncle, yet he lacks the clarity to bring together all of his questions and emotions in an effort to take vengeance against the man who murdered and replaced his own father, King Hamlet.ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Other than the revelation in the courtyard, Hamlet has no concrete evidence to bring down Claudius.ï¿½ This ends up elongating the process

 of revenge, a process that we typically see take place in short time periods.ï¿½ Since Hamlet constantly seeks reassurance about his fatherï¿½s death, Claudius is left to freely mind his own business as King of Denmark until Hamlet decides to take action.ï¿½ This can be seen through Hamletï¿½s playmaking.ï¿½ Hamlet needed to see some sign of physical evidence that Claudius poisoned the former king.ï¿½ There were no witnesses to this crime however, which makes it even more difficult for Hamlet to conclude surely about his future actions towards Claudius.

ï¿½ ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Hamlet is not the only one seeking revenge in this play.ï¿½ Laertes also assumes the right to take vengeance against Hamlet for accidentally killing his father.ï¿½ Much like Hamlet, Laertes values family very much, but is unlike Hamlet in the sense that he seeks immediate reciprocation for the crime that Hamlet committed.ï¿½ Hamlet demonstrates his inability to be certain about what action he shall take against his fatherï¿½s aggressor, and Laertes serves as the exact contrary; he looks to take revenge right away.ï¿½ Violence in Shakespeare: Suicide, Murder, and Combat in Shakespeare's Plays Suicide, Murder, and Combat in Shakespeare's Plays Introduction Elizabethan and Jacobean audiences reveled in shocking drama. While patrons liked a good comedy, they consistently packed the theatres to see the newest foray into treachery, debauchery, and murder. Scenes of bloodshed were staged with maximum realism.

An account of the props required for George Peele's The Battle of Alcazar (1594), for example, lists three vials of blood and a sheep's lungs, heart, and liver. Kyd's Spanish Tragedy calls for an arbor with a dead body swinging from it (as described in Karl J. Holzknecht's, The Backgrounds of Shakespeare's Plays). Some of Shakespeare's most violent plays were by far his most popular during his lifetime. Although modern audiences are often repulsed by its gore and brutality, Titus Andronicus was a huge success in Tudor England, coveted by several of the finest touring companies. And certainly it is no coincidence that Shakespeare's most profound psychological masterpieces have their share of sensational melodrama. Shakespeare often deviated from his sources to include more titillating details. Hamlet's father is poisoned with a potion so potent that it immediately causes bubbling scabs on his body; King Duncan is lured to Macbeth's castle to be slaughtered in his bed, and so on. Presented here are those characters who meet their ends violently -- those who feel "death's eternal cold" through murder, treason, suicide, and bloody combat.

Suicide But resolution and the briefest end. Antony and Cleopatra (4.15.91-2) Brutus (Julius Caesar) Brutus, knowing that he has lost the battle with Antony and Octavius, convinces a servant to hold his sword as he throws himself upon it. Cleopatra (Antony and Cleopatra) Cleopatra chooses the deadly venom of two asps as her method of suicide. Goneril (King Lear) Goneril, the depraved scoundrel who concocts nefarious schemes against her father, Lear, and her husband, the Duke of Albany, commits suicide when her plots are exposed. Juliet (Romeo and Juliet) As she kisses her beloved Romeo one final time, Juliet stabs herself with Romeo's dagger and falls dead upon his body. Lady Macbeth (Macbeth) Although we are told in Act 5, Scene 5 that Lady Macbeth is dead, it is not until the closing lines of the play that we learn her death was a suicide: ...

"his fiend-like queen, Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands Took off her life." (5.7.100-2) Mark Antony (Antony and Cleopatra) Antony falls on his own sword but lives longs enough to meet one final time with Cleopatra. Cassius (Julius Caesar) Cassius, certain that he will soon be captured by Antony and Octavius, kills himself with his sword. Ophelia (Hamlet) Ophelia, driven insane by Hamlet's cruelty and the murder of her beloved father, plunges from a tree branch into the current below. Although her fall is an accident, Ophelia makes no attempt to save herself, and thus her drowning is viewed as a suicide. Othello (Othello) When Othello discovers that his wife, Desdemona, whom he has murdered, is not guilty of adultery, he drives a dagger into his chest and falls dead beside Desdemona's body. Portia (Julius Caesar) Convinced that her husband, Brutus, will not be able to defeat Antony and his army, Portia commits suicide in her Roman home.

Romeo (Romeo and Juliet) Carrying the fast-acting poison he has purchased from an apothecary in Act 5, Scene 1, Romeo arrives at the tomb of Juliet. He believes her to be dead and drinks the fatal potion, exclaiming, "Thus with a kiss I die." (5.3.121). Timon (Timon of Athens) Wandering through the wilderness, Timon can no longer take the hypocrisy of mankind. He is found dead in his cave -- an apparent suicide. Murder Truth will come to light, murder cannot be hid long. The Merchant of Venice (2.2.76-7) Desdemona (Othello) Unjustly accused of adultery, Desdemona is smothered to death by her jealous husband, Othello. Banquo (Macbeth) Out horseback riding with his son, Fleance, Banquo is cornered by three murderers hired by Macbeth. Banquo is slain but Fleance escapes. Lady Macduff (Macbeth) Lady Macduff is chased down and slaughtered offstage by Macbeth's henchmen. Her son is also killed by the murderers.

Polonius (Hamlet) Acting as a spy for King Claudius, Polonius hides behind a curtain in Gertrude's chamber to listen to her conversation with Hamlet. Hearing a noise, Hamlet stabs through the curtain and kills the old eavesdropper. Cordelia (King Lear) A murderer hired by the evil Edmund hangs Cordelia in her cell. Emilia (Othello) Emilia is stabbed by her husband, Iago, when she reveals his role in the plot against Desdemona and Cassio. Lavinia (Titus Andronicus) After being raped and mutilated by Tamora's two sons, Chiron and Demetrius, Lavinia is murdered by her own father, Titus, to spare her further shame. Gertrude (Hamlet) The Queen drinks from the poisoned chalice of wine intended for Hamlet. She dies exclaiming, "The drink, the drink! I am poison'd" (5.2.320). Claudius (Hamlet) Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned rapier and then forces him to drink from the poisoned goblet.

Titus Andronicus (Titus Andronicus) Saturninus kills Titus Andronicus after Titus reveals that he has baked Tamora's two sons in the meat pie that Saturninus and Tamora are eating. Tamora (Titus Andronicus) Tamora is stabbed to death with a butcher's knife by her arch nemesis, Titus Andronicus, at the gruesome dinner party arranged for the Emperor. Regan (King Lear) Regan is poisoned by her sister, Goneril, after she sets her sights on Goneril's lover, Edmund. Assassination and Execution There is no sure foundation set on blood, No certain life achieved by other's death. King John (4.2.104-5) Hamlet's Father (Hamlet) Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, assassinated Hamlet's father by pouring the "juice of cursed hebenon" (1.5.63) in his ear while he slept in his orchard. Hebenon is a folk name for Henbane, the expressed juice of the fresh plant, Hyoscyamus niger.

Other folk names for Henbane include Black Nightshade, Cassilago, Devil's Eye, and Jupiter's Bean. The death of Hamlet's father was inspired by a real event in 1538, when the Duke of Urbino was killed by a poisoned lotion rubbed into his ears by his barber. Duke of Clarence (Richard III) The pitiful Clarence is wrongfully arrested and jailed in the Tower by his brother, Richard. One night as he awakens from a terrifying nightmare, two henchmen sent by Richard burst into his cell. Clarence pleads for his life but one of the assassins stabs him. To ensure Clarence is dead, the first murderer drowns him in a "malmsey-butt", a cask of sweet wine also containing the severed heads of two hogs. Richard II (Richard II) King Richard II, usurped by Bolingbroke, later Henry IV, is taken to the Tower of London. Contemplating remarks made by Bolingbroke, a nobleman named Exton mistakenly believes that Bolingbroke desires Richard dead, and he takes his henchmen to Richard's cell and kills him.

Henry VI (3 Henry VI) The pious but ineffectual Henry VI is stabbed to death in his Tower of London cell. His assassin is the villainous Richard, Duke of Gloucester, soon to become Richard III. Coriolanus (Coriolanus) A group of merciless conspirators, spurred on by the leader of the Volscians, Aufidius, surround and stab Coriolanus in the play's final scene. Julius Caesar (Julius Caesar) Conspirators fearing a return to tyranny close in on Caesar and stab him to death. Duncan (Macbeth) The noble King of Scotland is murdered in his sleep by Macbeth during his visit to Macbeth's castle, Dunsinane. Aaron (Titus Andronicus) Aaron, sentenced to death by the new emperor, Lucius, is to be buried up to his neck in the sand and starved to death. Killed in Combat My voice is in my sword. Macbeth (5.8.6-7) Macduff and Macbeth fight ferociously in hand-to-hand combat, before Macduff appears holding Macbeth's severed head.

Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet) Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, the cousin of his darling Juliet. Enraged that Romeo will not defend his honor, Mercutio challenges Tybalt to a duel. Romeo attempts to separate the two, but Tybalt fatally wounds Mercutio. As he dies, Mercutio cries, "A plague o' both your houses!/They have made worms' meat of me." (3.1.108-9). Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet) Romeo challenges Tybalt to a duel after Tybalt kills Romeo's cousin, Mercutio. The fight is short and Romeo leaves Tybalt dead on the ground. Richard III (Richard III) The Earl of Richmond, later Henry VII, slays the outrageous villain on Bosworth field. Hamlet (Hamlet) Hamlet is stabbed with the end of Laertes' poisoned rapier. Laertes (Hamlet) During the final climatic fencing match, Laertes and Hamlet scuffle and their rapiers are accidentally exchanged. Hamlet grabs Laertes poisoned rapier and wounds Laertes. Laertes soon dies from the injury.

Hotspur (1 Henry IV) Young Prince Hal duels and mortally wounds the honor-driven Hotspur on the battlefield. Hotspur manages to render a final speech, but dies before he can finish his last thoughts. Edmund (King Lear) The malicious villain is mortally wounded in a duel with Edgar. Paris (Romeo and Juliet) Romeo kills Paris in a duel before Juliet's tomb. Romeo promises the dying Paris that he will lay him beside Juliet. How to cite this article: Mabillard, Amanda. Violence in Shakespeare's Plays. Shakespeare Online. 19 Aug. 2008. < > . _________ Shakespeare Hits the Big Time Shakespeare's Pathos "The fact is, that Shakespeare never, whether in comedy or tragedy, ends in the pathetic key, a point to which I shall return later. That there is an admixture of compassion in these great scenes is true; but the passions with which it is commingled are so agitating, the action so frantic, the consequences so prodigious, that pity is smothered up in dismay.

At the very end, to be sure, the winds fall and cease, and the waves break back on themselves in a mighty subsidence; but it is the calm of a supreme exaltation." J. F. Pyre. Read on... Reviewing The Character Claudius In Hamlet English Literature Essay Reviewing The Character Claudius In Hamlet English Literature Essay Published: Last Edited: 23rd March, 2015 This essay has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work written by our professional essay writers. Claudius is the murderous uncle to Prince Hamlet. Claudius' dialog ultimately leads to his downfall. His dialog gives away many of his ideas. It also causes conflicts between him and other characters. These ideas and conflicts come back to hurt him by the end of the play. In the beginning of the play it is seen that Claudius is the brother of the late King Hamlet. In Claudius' first speech, people believe that Claudius is a caring brother. In the first few lines Claudius talks about his grief and sorrow for his dead brother. Then, Claudius talks about how happy he feels because he is going to marry his sister-in-law Gertrude.

Claudius speaks about marrying Gertrude in front of Hamlet. This was a huge mistake because Hamlet is disgusted by the fact that his uncle is now married to his mother. Another example of bad speaking decisions is when Claudius speaks to Hamlet for the first time. Claudius seems concerned for Hamlet's feeling of mourning for his father's death. However Claudius does tell him that "obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness" (1.2.95-96). What Claudius was saying is that it is foolish for Hamlet to mourn his father for so long. This did not go over well with Hamlet. After this statement Hamlet started to suspect foul play by Claudius. Claudius brings in two of Hamlet's old friends in order to try to find out what Hamlet is depressed about. Claudius shows interest in Hamlet when he speaks with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Claudius asks if they were able to find out Hamlet's issues. They were unable to find the reason but were instructed to invite the king and queen to a play at Hamlet's request. The two agree to go in order to please Hamlet.

As Hamlet enters the scene, Claudius and Polonius hide in order to hear Hamlet speak to Ophelia. At the play The Mousetrap, Claudius is being lead into revealing his murder of King Hamlet. When the king in the play is murdered Claudius cries out for light and exits the room. When Claudius exits the room he says, "Give me some light. Away" (3.2.260). At this moment, Hamlet realizes that Claudius killed his father. These few words ruin Claudius' secret about killing King Hamlet. After the play Claudius retreats to another room. While in the room Claudius begins to express his guilt and sorrow for murdering his brother. However Claudius is unwilling to give up the spoils from his bad deed. "That cannot be, since I am still possessed of those effects for which I did the murderâ€¦.May one be pardoned and retain th' offense" (3.3.56-59).

He reveals that he in fact feels guilty, but he thinks that being the king and being married to Gertrude are good enough reasons to feel this guilt, "Yet what can it when one can not repent" (3.3.69). Claudius feels that if he is not forgiven he will be filled with guilt until he dies. This soliloquy shows the beginning of Claudius' his downfall. This speech shows how the King is trying to protect himself. At this point in the play Claudius is overwhelmed by guilt because he has killed his beloved brother Hamlet. He wants forgiveness but he knows he will not receive it and this is causing him to mentally break down. He knows he has revealed that he killed King Hamlet to Prince Hamlet and cannot get over the fact that he is probably going to get killed. He having an emotional breakdown and is beginning to hate life. He prays to god and wants forgiveness so much. As he cries out, "Help, angels! make assay" (3.3.73), he is saying that he will never be forgiven and is asking god for forgiveness. At this point, he thinks the only way he will be saved is by a miracle.

After attending The Mousetrap, Claudius is aware that Hamlet knows of his plans to send Laertes to kill Hamlet. Instead of allowing Laertes to kill Hamlet one of two ways he devises three ways to kill Hamlet. The third way is a poisoned goblet. It is this overwhelming desire to protect himself that ultimately leads to the death of Gertrude when she drinks from the poisoned goblet. This shrewdness also forces Hamlet to lunge his poisoned sword into Claudius and make him drink the same poisoned drink that Gertrude had died from. In conclusion the dialogue of Claudius shows him to be a selfish king. Claudius' dialog ultimately leads to his downfall in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Essay on Contrast Between Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras - 1027 Words Hamlet ...The Shakespearean play, Hamlet, is a story of revenge and the way the characters in the play respond to grief and the demands of loyalty. The importance of Fortinbras and Laertes in the play is an issue much discussed, analysed and critiqued.

Fortinbras and Laertes are parallel characters to Hamlet, and they provide pivotal points on which to compare the actions and emotions of Hamlet throughout... 1323 Words | 4 Pages compare and contrast Hamlet, Fortinbras and leartes Essay ...Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is probably the most renowned work in the history of English literature. Four hundred years after it was written, its themes and characters still serve to illuminate aspects of human nature. Perhaps the most important of those aspects is the impulse to seek out vengeance, and the effects different reactions to that impulse can have. Shakespeare accomplishes such an illumination through the actions of the characters of Hamlet,... 2269 Words | 6 Pages A Compare Contrast of Hamlet through his foils ...characters. Hamlet is by far Shakespeare's most compelling character. In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, various character traits, exhibited by Hamlet, can be seen through his foils. Similarities with Hamlet and Horatio's education, as well as their levels, can be drawn. However, Hamlet's character is in constant change and even philosophical. Fortinbras, without question encompasses many of Hamlet's qualities. They are both...

1712 Words | 6 Pages Essay on Hamlet ...Hamlet, Fortinbras and Leartes are all very different people with different lives, but as these men interact in the play we learn that there are many circumstances surrounding them that mysteriously connect them. All three of these characters had some reason to avenge some circumstance in their life, but they all had a very different way of conquering the object of their hatred. Fortinbras Fortinbras had levied an army to attack... 1138 Words | 4 Pages Hamlet, Laertes & Fortinbras Avenging Their Fathers Essay ...In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the theme of revenge is very palpable as the reader examines the characters of Hamlet himself, as well as Laertes, son of Polonius, and Fortinbras, prince of Norway and son of the late King Fortinbras. Each of these young characters felt the need to avenge the deaths of their fathers who they felt were untimely killed at the bloody hands of their murderers. However, the way each...

1331 Words | 3 Pages Essay about Hamlet, Fortinbras, Laertes ...One of the overriding themes of William Shakespeare's Hamlet is the futility of revenge. The most obvious insistence upon revenge in the play is that of Hamlet himself who seeks to right the wrong of the murder of his father by Claudius. Both Laertes and Fortinbras are also out to seek revenge. Every one of the three eldest sons had one thing in common: they all wanted revenge for a slaughtered father. In the time in which this play is... 686 Words | 2 Pages Shakespeare s Hamlet compare and contrast Hamlet vs. Laertes Essay ...uniqueness, style, and way of life. The audience witnesses this phenomenon in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Lord Hamlet and Laertes experienced similar childhoods, and shared similar family attributes. They were both born into royalty and throughout their lives were treated as such. Hamlet and Laertes were reared with the same forms of schooling, and were taught to abide by the same ethics and morals. Although Hamlet...

1419 Words | 6 Pages Laertes and Fortinbras as Foils to Hamlet Play Hamlet Playwrite William Shakespeare Essay ...character that contrasts strongly with another. In Shakespeare's great tragedy Hamlet, Laertes, Fortinbras, and Hamlet find themselves in similar situations. While Hamlet waits for the right time to avenge his father's death, Laertes learns of his father's death and immediately wants vengeance, and Fortinbras awaits his chance to recapture land that used to belong to his father.... 1931 Words | 7 Pages

Question: Claudius is the murderous uncle of which character in a Shakespearean play?
Answer: Hamlet