IndexIntroductionThe manipulation of Claudius in HamletConclusionReferencesIntroductionIntroduction: In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Claudius, brother of the late King Hamlet, secretly messed with the minds of others to get what he wanted when he wanted It . People considered him as a supporter of people's problems while he was the one behind all of them. He will manipulate his wife, Queen Gertrude, who was King Hamlet's wife, Hamlet his nephew as well as his son, and finally Polonius' family. Throughout the show, Claudius has used his actions to confuse the minds of others and get what he wants to maintain the power of being the king and secure the throne of Denmark. Using his manipulative skills throughout the play in incidents, in the lives of others around him, as well as in the relationships he has formed over the years, he has caused drama over what is true and what is actually a lie. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Manipulation of Claudius in Hamlet Throughout the book, many saw Claudius as a supporter and someone to turn to in difficult times. For the comment: Claudius' essential goal is to gain power, he used manipulation both in Hamlet's life and in his attempt to kill Hamlet. His anxiety and thirst for power began with the murder of King Hamlet, his brother. By committing this crime to take the throne of Denmark, Claudius will feel superior to all that faced him, but he had to get Hamlet out of the picture as he was a huge threat to his throne. Evidence and Quotations: Claudius will use his words to twist the minds of others, “From the first coarse to the one who died today,” “it must be so, we beseech thee, cast him to the earth.” This incessant pain, and think of us. As of a father” (Act 1, scene 3). Thesis: Claudio's manipulation is very complex and methodical, and you will see how everyone around him is constantly manipulated so that everything goes right. We can first look at one of the tactics that Claudio uses to manipulate those around him, which is to tell them what to think about problems they may face. By telling them how to feel in every situation, without thinking too much, everyone will start to believe their version of the facts if they feel more involved in the situation; the more involved he becomes in the situation, the more reliable a source of information he will become, he will even be more trustworthy. Theme Sentence: Claudius consoles Hamlet with his sweet and comforting words, while deep down he really wants to get in his head. He uses repentant and sincere tones to express the whole process of life and death to Hamlet. Topic sentence: Claudio adds by saying that those who have lived must go and accept the inevitability of death. Since Claudius' plan did not follow the way he had organized it because Hamlet's suspicions had increased on him, he decided to send Hamlet's friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with the task of spying on what Hamlet had in mind to plan on him. Having the opportunity to bring the power of Denmark instead of Hamlet, led to Claudius' manipulative ways of rising higher. Unfortunately for Claudius, he has discovered that Hamlet is aware of his crime and will plan as much as he can to dethrone him. Topic Sentence: Manipulation of the emotions and relationships of others was skillfully used by Claudius in his plan to gain power and authority as king. Placing Gertrude, the Queen, in total deception was the type of manipulation Claudius used to get closer to her power. As a strategic move forhelp him take the throne away from Hamlet after the king's death, he decided to marry Gertrude. Comment: Without Gertrude knowing the crime Claudius committed by killing her late husband, she has placed all her faith in Claudius' false motive to save the nation and agrees to marry him. Besides that, he identifies himself as a loving and caring stepfather to Hamlet in order to gain Gertrude's love and trust. For example, Claudius shows his false love for Hamlet in front of the queen, “This young man mad but so much love”… (Act 4, scene 1). Theme Sentence: Claudius shows his concern for Hamlet's mental illness, but in reality, he has lost his patient to Hamlet and he plans to kill him. In one article, critics generally felt that Gertrude in the play was seen as a weak-willed person, highly dependent on Claudius and easily manipulated by Claudius (Shakespeare for Students). Claudius considers Ophelia as a weakness of Hamlet that will tempt him to reveal the reason for his madness. After all, Polonius is Ophelia's father, which gives him the ability to hold his daughter back from accepting Prince Hamlet's love. By doing this to Hamlet, Claudius can easily cause Hamlet to break down and lose his sanity. Manipulating the emotions of both Ophelia and Hamlet through the power of his inferior, Polonius. Using this same method also applied to Laertes. Theme Sentence: Claudius does this to Laertes by convincing him that Hamlet is responsible for his father's death and that Hamlet is their common enemy. Evidence and Quotations: Claudius begins by challenging Laertes' loyalty to his father, Polonius: “Laertes, was your father dear to you? Or are you like the painting of a pain, Like a heartless face? (Act 4 scene 1). Comment: Claudius is concluding that if Laertes were loyal to his father, he would defend his honor in action. Evidence and Quotes: Accordingly, Laertes declares his passion and plan of revenge on Hamlet, "To cut his throat in church" (Act 4, Scene 2). Comment: This shows that Claudius successfully took advantage of Laertes' anger and hatred for Hamlet in helping himself achieve his goal of killing Hamlet. According to the criticism of Claudius in Hamlet Outline, it is stated that "Claudius is clearly an intelligent politician and manipulator of people and skillfully turns Laertes' pain and anger to his own purposes" (SparkNotes). Having control of his power, Claudius takes full advantage of people's loyalty by taking control of the event in the show. Polonius dutifully serves King Claudius and is willing to use his own daughter to spy on Hamlet. Subsequently Polonius voluntarily dedicated himself to eavesdropping on the conversation between Hamlet and the queen. However, he only put himself in danger and is ultimately killed by Hamlet. Polonius' death leads to Ophelia's madness and subsequent grief-induced drowning and also to Laertes' alliance with King Claudius to kill Hamlet, to avenge his father's death. Overall, Claudius not only took advantage of Polonius' loyalty and made him willing to sacrifice his daughter to achieve Claudius' goal, but he also used Laertes as a tool to help him in killing Hamlet. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are courtiers of King Claudius, both of whom grew up with Hamlet. Evidence and Quotes: When Claudius assigns them the task of sending Hamlet to England, neither man has a problem exchanging their friendship for betraying Hamlet and choosing to obey the king's order. “The most sacred and religious fear is to keep those many, many bodies safe. Who live and feed on your majesty” (Act 3 scene 1). Comment: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern express their respect and devotion to Claudius in this particular speech, stating that it is a sacred duty to protect the lives of all.