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This evidence supports my claim because these lines show that when Claudius brushed off Gertrude fainting even though he knew she would die, Gertrude realised that Claudius was trying to kill Hamlet by poison which then caused her to tell Hamlet, which then led to Hamlet killing Claudius. If King Claudius had acted more subtly in his plan and had cared for Gertrude, then she would not have realised that she was poisoned which would have kept Hamlet from killing him. Hamlet moved forward in his plan for revenge only because Gertrude exclaimed that Claudius was trying to poison her. If Claudius had acted like he were trying to help Gertrude, she would have most likely not have realised that she was being poisoned and Hamlet would not have killed him. Claudius brought on his own death by his selfish actions which could have been avoided otherwise.

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King Claudius is to blame for his own death because if he had not hidden the fact that Gertrude fainted due to poison then she would not have revealed that he was trying to murder Hamlet during the duel: "She swoons to see them bleed... I am poisoned" (Hamlet 5.2, 317-319).

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This evidence supports my claim because if King Claudius had not killed King Hamlet and taken his wife, then Hamlet would not have needed to get revenge on him because there would not have been any bad deeds that have been done. If Claudius had not taken the life of his brother, then he would still be alive at the end of the play, because although Hamlet directly killed him, ultimately Claudius caused his own death by initiating the revenge that was exacted upon him.

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King Claudius is to blame for his own death because he is the person who started all of the conflict that occurred in the play: "And in the porches of my ears did pour / The leperous distillment... Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand / Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched" (Hamlet 1.5, 68-69, 79-80).

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King Claudius is to blame for his own death

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King Claudius is to blame for his own death

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King Claudius is to blame for his own death

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King Claudius is to blame for his own death

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This evidence supports my claim because if King Claudius had not killed King Hamlet, then Hamlet would not have exacted his revenge upon him and all of the conflict of the play could have been avoided. Usually the villain is the person that the protagonist is going against, and they usually cause all of the conflict. Hamlet is the protagonist of the play as it is based around him (and his name is literally in the title), and he is trying to take down his enemy who is King Claudius. Also, by killing his own brother, King Claudius displays his role in an evil did which most villains in plays do.

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This characteristic applies to King Claudius because he is the villain of Hamlet because he was the one who initially caused all of the conflict: "And in the porches of my ears did pour / The leperous distillment... Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand / Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched" (Hamlet 1.5, 68-69, 79-80).

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This evidence supports my claim because King Claudius married Gertrude two months after the death of King Hamlet. Normally when one's spouse dies, they mourn for a longer period of time, but Gertrude jumped into the arms of Claudius and he married her almost immediately after King Hamlet's death. This lust that Claudius exhibited in regards to Gertrude is one of the biggest reasons why Hamlet is so angry with Claudius and is so willing to avenge the death of his father.

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This characteristic relates to King Claudius because part of the reason why he killed his brother was so that he could marry his wife because he lusted after her for a long time: "By what it fed on; and yet within a month - /  Let me not think on't! Frailty, thy name is woman" (Hamlet 1.2, 147-148).

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This evidence supports my claim because if King Claudius had never selfishly killed his own brother, then Hamlet would not have come and killed him as an act of revenge. If King Claudius had not been so selfish and blind by his desires, then he would still be alive, and he would have been able to move on, and the woman he loved (Gertrude) would still be alive as well. Shakespeare is trying to get the audience to think about how their actions will affect themselves and others. More often than not, when someone does a selfish deed, it will come back to get them. King Claudius dying due to his selfish deeds relates to the audience of when it was written by teaching them to think about their actions and to not live selfishly. It also relates to today's society, because we have become blinded by material possessions and often partake in selfish things in order to satisfy our desires, but Shakespeare is teaching us that when we live selfishly, it can have dire consequences so one much be careful.

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King Claudius killed his own brother because he wanted to take his wife and become king but that selfish act came back to get him in the end:  "Here, thou incestuous, murd'rous, damned Dane, /  Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? / Follow my mother" (Hamlet 5.2, 335-337).

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In acts four and five, the theme that is being presented is that selfish acts never end well

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In acts four and five, the theme that is being presented is that selfish acts never end well

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This evidence supports my claim because these lines portray King Claudius brushing over his wife collapsing due to the poison that she accidentally drank in order to hide that he was trying to kill Hamlet. King Claudius says that he loves Gertrude which is why he took her as his wife, yet he sacrificed her in order to help bring his murderous plan to fruition. Someone of sane mind would not normally sacrifice the life of someone they love in order to succeed at something, yet Claudius was willing to do so which shows how selfish he is.

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King Claudius wants to kill Hamlet almost more than anything in order to secure his place on the throne is willing to do anything to achieve that: "She swoons to see them bleed... I am poisoned" (Hamlet 5.2, 317-320).

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King Claudius is a selfish man and is willing to sacrifice those that he loves in order to succeed. 

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King Claudius is a selfish man and is willing to sacrifice those that he loves in order to succeed. 

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How has the relationship changed since the beginning of the play? 

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How has the relationship changed since the beginning of the play? 

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This evidence supports my claim because since the beginning of the play, Hamlet has been plotting to exact his revenge on King Claudius for killing his father, and he has at last finally succeeded bringing his father to rest. Over time, Hamlet's relationship with Claudius becomes more and more negative and hostile and this is shown by Hamlet's use of the word "thou" in addressing his uncle before he kills him. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet was already upset with his uncle for marrying his mother, but this anger has strengthened throughout the course of Hamlet because of King Cladius' careless ways.

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King Claudius and Hamlet's relationship is significant because at the end of the play, Hamlet was finally able to get his revenge on Claudius which is the climax of the play and brings it full circle: "Here, thou incestuous, murd'rous, damned Dane, /  Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? / Follow my mother" (Hamlet 5.2, 335-337).

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Claudius

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This evidence supports my claim because he is directly saying that he cannot repent because he does not want to give up what he has. He knows that all he needs to do in order to repent is to give up his possessions (wife and crown etc) but if he does so, he will lose all of the things that he has wanted for so long. Normally when someone does something wrong, they usually do what they can to fix their mistakes, but King Claudius' does not do so because he loves what he has too much. If he were not selfish, he would not have killed his brother and stolen his wife in the first place.

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King Claudius' selfish nature is shown in Hamlet when during his soliloquy he expresses in his soliloquy that prayer is of no use to him because his intentions are impure as he is unwilling to give up what he possesses even though he knows it is wrong of him: "... Pray can I not... And both neglect" (Hamlet 3.3, 41-46).

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King Claudius is selfish because he is willing to keep his fortune and possessions despite it being morally wrong. 

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King Claudius is selfish because he is willing to keep his fortune and possessions despite it being morally wrong. 

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This evidence supports my claim because during his soliloquy, King Claudius expresses the remorse and guilt that he feels for murdering his brother and then taking his crown and his wife, but he then goes on to say that he cannot give up his possessions because they matter too much to him. The language that he used expresses his remorse as well. King Claudius knows what he did was wrong, and he knows that in order to be forgiven he needs to give everything up, but he cannot do so because he is torn between doing what is right versus doing what he wants even if it is wrong. Shakespeare is trying to show the audience how it is difficult for man to give up something they have even when it is right for them to do so. He is trying to get the audience to contemplate how man can be so selfish at times even though their answer for forgiveness is right in front of them.

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King Claudius' yearning for repentance yet unwillingness to do so is shown during his soliloquy: "My fault is past. But oh, what form of prayer... May one be pardoned and retain th'offence" (Hamlet 3.3, 54-59).

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King Claudius knows that he is guilty and that he should repent for his sins but he is unable to do so because he does not want to give up his fortune and is torn between doing what is right versus what he wants. 

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King Claudius knows that he is guilty and that he should repent for his sins but he is unable to do so because he does not want to give up his fortune and is torn between doing what is right versus what he wants. 

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This evidence supports my claim because if King Claudius knows that Hamlet knows what he did and thought about what was happening, then he most likely would have realised that Hamlet would attempt to get revenge on him by killing him. Then, as a result of this realisation, King Claudius would have kept quiet in order to ponder how to best protect himself. Instead, King Claudius jumped out of his seat immediately as soon as he learned that the play was directed at him which then turned into Hamlet going on a hunt to find him. King Claudius has been known to make hasty decisions (ie. believing that Prince Fortinbras was surrendering immediately), and this situation is no exception.

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King Claudius' quick decision making is shown during his viewing of The Murder of Gonzago when he realises that Hamlet knows he killed his brother and jumps up to leave the room: "The King rises... Lights, lights, lights" (Hamlet 3.2, 256-261).

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King Claudius is someone who is quick to take action and does not take long to dwell on a situation. 

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King Claudius is someone who is quick to take action and does not take long to dwell on a situation. 

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This evidence supports my claim because in Act I, it is revealed by the ghost of King Hamlet that he was murdered by King Claudius who then later seduced Gertrude in order to get her to marry him. Although in the play, The Murder of Gonzago, the King is not murdered by his own brother, the King is still murdered and his wife does get taken away from him just as King Claudius murders King Hamlet and takes his wife from him.

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The parallels between Hamlet and The Murder of Gonzago is shown in the beginning of The Murder of Gonzago when the play starts and explains the circumstances of the King's death: "Enter a King and a Queen... but in the end accepts his love" (Hamlet 3.2, pg 162).

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This evidence supports my claim because as soon as King Claudius sees the scene where the King is murdered by a man who pours poison into his ear and then takes his wife, he jumps out of his seat and calls for the lights to be turned on and for the show to end. If King Claudius were not anxious and fearful about the parallels of the play and his own life, he would have continued to watch the play, and he would not have frantically called for the lights to be turned on.

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King Claudius' fearful reaction to the play is soon shown after the play starts and he calls for it to stop: "The king rises... Lights, lights, lights" (Hamlet 3.2, 256-261).

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The Murder of Gonzago connects to the play Hamlet, because in the beginning of both plays, the king is murdered. Also, soon after the King's murder, the murderer then woos the widowed Queen with gifts until she agrees to marry him.

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King Claudius' reactions to the play was absolute fear and anxiety. King Claudius reacted the way he did to the play, because it parallels the events that occurred in his own life.

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This evidence supports my claim because before seeing the play, King Claudius felt no remorse for his actions, but as soon as he saw the play (requested and edited by Hamlet) he left the theater in a panic and went to go pray about the shame he felt despite being unable to do anything about it. If King Claudius had not seen the play, then he most likely would not have reached his breaking point where he himself reveals how selfish he is. He knows that Hamlet is on to him and that Hamlet is coming for him, and at this point in the play, King Claudius' relationship is at its worst.

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King Claudius' relationship with Hamlet is significant because Hamlet is the one who gets him to finally feel guilty for his actions, and Hamlet is the one who shows how truly selfish King Claudius is: "Oh my offence is rank, it smells to heaven... And both neglect" (Hamlet 3.3, 39-46).

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King Claudius is worried about his position on the throne, and he thinks that Hamlet is plotting against him, so as a result he uses Hamlet's "madness" to mask his ulterior motive of protecting his position. King Claudius wants to get information about Hamlet's actions so badly that he pits Hamlet' s two closest friends and his ex-girlfriend against him despite the consequences that Hamlet's relationships with them will face. Shakespeare is trying to get the reader to contemplate King Claudius' character and to determine whether or not he is being sincere (he isn't), and he wants to portray how selfish one can truly be- further ruining a relationship with one's child just to protect their status and position (on the throne).

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King Claudius is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants 

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King Claudius is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants 

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This evidence supports my claim because King Claudius is scheming with Polonius to physically spy on him without Hamlet's knowledge. These actions are dishonest, and if King Claudius had kind intentions, he would have gone and asked Hamlet himself what was wrong instead of using Ophelia to do his dirty work for him. This moment in the play shows the reader that King Claudius is a man who likes to be deceitful and use others to do his work for him.

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King Claudius is selfish because he goes about finding the root of Hamlet's madness by spying on him with Polonius: "At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him... We'll try it" (Hamlet 2.2, 173-179).

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This evidence supports my claim because just moments ago, young Fortinbras was trying to take back his land and the people were concerned enough that there were guards on watch for his attack, yet all of a sudden he has agreed to peace and just wants to pass through Denmark while all King Claudius' guards surrender to be peaceful. This idea does not make sense because in Act I, it was shown that Young Fortinbras felt extreme anger because he lost his land, so he would most likely not give up that easily. If King Claudius were not gullible in falling for the first sign of good news he received, he would have put more thought into Fortinbras' proposition, and this development shows that King Claudius is not that invested in the safety of his country or else he would have thought more.

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The idea that King Claudius is a gullible man is shown when he accepts at first glace that King Fortinbras and the people of Norway have agreed to peace with Denmark because he dismisses the content of the message without a second thought: "It likes us well... Most welcome home" (Hamlet 2.2, 85-89).

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At this point in the play, it is common knowledge to the reader that King Claudius murdered King Hamlet in order to take his place on the throne, and that he is worried about Hamlet doing something to take that away from him, because Hamlet was supposed to be next in line for the crown. King Claudius is trying to find out why Hamlet is acting like insane, because he wants to know whether or not there is reasoning other than Hamlet just being lovesick over Ophelia rejecting him. Although his intentions for checking on Hamlet seem pure on the surface, he is deliberately making the decision with negative intent to spy on Hamlet for his own personal gain.

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King Claudius is consciously making the decision to spy on Hamlet because he deliberately summons Hamlet's friends to spy on him in exchange for money:  "Good gentlemen, he hath much talked of you... As fits a king's resemblance" (Hamlet 2.2, 19-26).

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King Claudius is worried that Hamlet will attempt to take his position on the throne

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King Claudius is worried that Hamlet will attempt to take his position on the throne

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This evidence supports my claim because if King Claudius had not been weary of Hamlet, he would not have asked two of his best friends to go against Hamlet's back and gather information for him. Although King Claudius portrays his actions as him being worried for his son, he is actually worried about whether or not Hamlet is making moves against him on the throne. This theme was present in Act I of Hamlet, but it has further progressed to a growing obsession on King Claudius' end.

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King Claudius has grown more weary of Hamlet and his actions which causes tension on their already strained relationship and as a result of this, he enlists two of Hamlet's closest friends to gather information from him: "Welcome , dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern... I cannot dream of" (Hamlet 2.2, 1-10).

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This evidence supports my claim because the language that Polonius uses is very grand and confident and the King just obliges and goes along with it without a doubt. This relationship has developed from the beginning of the play, because in the beginning, Polonius did not have any alterior motives to his relationship with the king, but in Act II he does. In Act II he is more focused around protecting his reputation than he was in Act I of Hamlet. King Claudius goes along with Polonius' plants because he believes him because he is his highest advisor.

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Polonius is the advisor to King Claudius, and King Claudius trusts Polonius which Polonius uses to his advantage to prove that Hamlet is lovesick over Ohpelia in order to protect his reputation without the King's knowledge: "Have I? My lord... The very cause of Hamlet's lunacy" (Hamlet 2.2, 46-52).

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Allusion to Niobe, a grieving woman in a Greek myth.

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Allusion to Niobe, a grieving woman in a Greek myth.

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This evidence connects to my claim because in Greek mythology Niobe is a woman who heavily grieves and wallows in sorrow just like how his mother did after King Hamlet passed. Shakespeare included this allusion to show that although the Queen grieved for her husband to the likes of Niobe, she quickly moved on to be with her new love King Claudius.

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This evidence supports my claim because Shakespeare puts this allusion to Hercules in the middle of the scene where Hamlet expresses his anger and negative feelings about King Claudius. Hamlet is saying that King Claudius is the opposite of King Hamlet in his virtues and other traits just as how he himself is unlike Hercules in regards to strength etc.

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This evidence supports my claim because Shakespeare used a mythological reference to  talk about how King Hamlet was such a strong, good man. He is hinting at the fact that King Claudius is the exact opposite and that he is not worthy of being a great king which is supported by Hamlet's disdain for his uncle.

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The allusion to Niobe occurs during Hamlet's expression about King Claudius and his mother. Hamlet resents his mother for not properly grieving her husband and for marrying a man as wretched as King Claudius: “Like Niobe, all tears- why she, even she -” (Hamlet 1.2.151)

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During Hamlet's period of reflection, he expresses his anger at how his mother married a man as awful as King Claudius, and he expressed how his father is unlike King Claudius just as how he (Hamlet) is unlike Hercules: “My father’s brother- but no more like my father/ Than I to Hercules” (Hamlet 1.2.154-155)

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When King Claudius and Queen Gertrude leave the room, Hamlet reflects on the difference between his late father and King Claudius and how his father is so much better than King Claudius: “So excellent a king, that was to this/ Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother” (Hamlet 1.2.141-142).

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Allusion to Hercules, a Roman mythological hero known for his immense strength

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Allusion to Hercules, a Roman mythological hero known for his immense strength

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Allusion to Hyperion- a superhuman race in Greek Mythology that ruled the world before the Olympian Gods. 

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Allusion to Hyperion- a superhuman race in Greek Mythology that ruled the world before the Olympian Gods. 

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King Claudius' theme is that he gains what he wants at the expense of others

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King Claudius' theme is that he gains what he wants at the expense of others

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This evidence supports my theme because King Claudius does not take the life of King Hamlet nor young Hamlet into account when he decides to kill King Hamlet. King Claudius wants to become the king of Denmark, but his only path to the throne would be to kill his brother which he does in cold blood and without remorse.

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King Claudius kills his own brother because he wants to become king more than he cherishes his brother:  "'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard... The serpent that did sting thy father's life / Now wears his crown"  (Hamlet 1.5, 40-45).

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This evidence supports my claim because King Hamlet states that him sleeping in the orchard was a common occurrence so it would not be suspicious if he were to be bitten by a serpent while out there. King Claudius wanted the crown so badly that he went as far as acquiring special poison to poison his brother while he slept, and he did not even let him repent for his sins. If King Claudius cared about his brother even a little bit, he would have let him repent for his sins before killing him.

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King Claudius killed King Hamlet so that he could be king and marry Queen Gertrude, but he covered up the murder to make it seem like an accident: "Sleeping within my orchard... The thin and wholesome blood" (Hamlet 1.5, 64-75)

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This evidence supports my claim because the language that King Claudius uses makes him seem as though he is glossing over the death of his brother and that he does not really care about it and does not respect his brother enough to do so. He also pushes his court to move on from their sadness and to instead focus on his marriage to Queen Gertrude because that is what really matters to him which in turn shows that he lacks respect for his brother because he married his wife so soon after his death and committed and act of incest.

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King Claudius lacks respect for King Hamlet by marrying his wife so soon after his death because King Hamlet has no use to him anymore:  "Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death... In equal scale weighing delight and dole" (Hamlet 1.2, 1-13).

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King Claudius lacks respect for others. 

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King Claudius lacks respect for others. 

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This evidence supports my claim because King Claudius plainly states that young Hamlet needs to get over himself and move on from his father's death or else he will be less of a man. If King Claudius actually cared for his brother and young Hamlet, then he would be respectful and take the time to grieve respectfully.

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King Claudius is a cold man which is shown when he berates young Hamlet for mourning the death of his father: "But you must know your father lost a father... A fault against the dead, a fault to nature" (Hamlet 1.2, 91-104).

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This claim supports my evidence because one would not normally kill their brother unless they had evil intentions just as King Claudius did. The phrasing used by King Hamlet shows that King Claudius had the intention of murdering him for the crown which shows that King Claudius and King Hamlet did not necessarily have the best relationship. Also, further in the play King Claudius is seen partying which shows that he does not really grieve the death of his brother which in turn shows that he does not truly care for him.

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King Hamlet and King Claudius are brothers, but King Claudius does not think of him that way as he was the one to kill him in order to take the throne: "'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard... The serpent that did sting thy father's life / Now wears his crown"  (Hamlet 1.5, 40-45).

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This evidence supports my claim because in King Hamlet's conversation with  young Hamlet, King Hamlet stresses the idea of lust in Queen Gertrude's relationship with King Claudius. Also, when he states that God should judge her, he hints that she knows what she has done wrong (Being in love with King Claudius whilst being married to King Hamlet). King Hamlet also brings up Queen Gertrude's relationship with King Claudius, because they got married only one month after he died which shows that she never truly loved him and loved King Claudius instead.

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King Claudius and Queen Gertrude are romantically involved with one another, and their marriage is more than just a formality, and it has been this way for quiet some time according to King Hamlet: "Let not the royal bed of Denmark be... And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge / To Prick and sting her" (Hamlet 1.5, 87-93).

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This textual evidence supports my claim because King Claudius stated that he knows Hamlet is next in line for the throne. Later in the act, it is revealed that King Hamlet was murdered by King Claudius. If King Claudius is willing to kill his own brother for the throne, then he would be willing to do whatever it takes to keep his place = even if it means not letting his "son" receive an education.

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King Claudius and Hamlet are not that close and they both do not trust each other: "And with no less nobility of love... Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and son" (Hamlet 1.2, 112-119).