Blog # 5 Is Claudius evil? Or a flawed human being?

Option One:

Describe Claudius.  Is he purely evil or is he merely a flawed human being?  


In my opinion I do not want to say that Claudius is purely evil because that does sound a bit too harsh. As humans we all make mistakes and we are not perfect. I believe Claudius was just a flawed human being, as we all are. Everyone has flaws and so did Claudius. Claudius may seem purely evil to many people and I think he definitely did have an evil side to his personality as we all do. Even good people can have a bad, evil side. In addition, Claudius is a very flawed character that goes through many different stages and phases. 

There are two sides to Claudius's character just as I said before there are two sides to everyone. Some of the other characters in "Hamlet" such as Hamlet as example value morals and justice. However, all Claudius cares about is gaining more and more power. Claudius is so envious of his brothers life as King, that he does everything in his power to become King and even becomes the husband of Gertrude. He becomes King in the beginning of the story by poisoning King Hamlet in his sleep. Its morally wrong to kill your very own brother in his sleep and it seems only a coward would do so. Therefore, this helps me understand that Claudius might have been afraid of his brother and had to kill him during his sleep. 

Claudius tries to comfort his nephew Hamlet and told him he loves him as his own son, however, this speech only makes Hamlet more angry and upset with Claudius because Hamlet was not convinced, he felt that Claudius was being too harsh and demeaning towards his feelings. In Act one, scene 2, Claudius says: "Tis sweet and commendable in your nature , Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father. But you must know your father lost a father, That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound" (Act 1, Scene 2). Claudius is trying to tell Hamlet that he is sweet to mourn the death of his father but that he needs to get over it because that's life. He is also telling Hamlet that he needs to get used to the new ways things will be ran.

 

 

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Blog Five Hamlet

Hamlet is sad and angry when his father dies and his mom remarries only two months later to his uncle. He feels that his mother didn't even cry or mourn the death of his father; he felt that she moved on so fast and so easily. "Like Niobe, all tears. Why she, even she O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer! - married with my uncle, My fathers brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules" (1.2 28). He thinks nothing good will occur after hearing such terrible news, he thinks that his mother marrying his uncle is disgusting and will only make everything worse. Hamlet states "It is not nor it cannot come to good, But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue" (1.2.28); in other words he is saying that his heart must break in silence because he cannot discuss his reals feelings with anyone, only alone to himself.
Hamlet is confused and spends too much time critically analyzing everything instead of doing anything. Hamlet has trouble working up enough anger to get revenge and he doesn't have a clear mind with everything that he is going through and feeling.