Hamlet--King Claudius

Claudius felt no remorse for killing King Hamlet. Throughout Hamlet it is obvious that Claudius is only concerned with his own power and safety. He thinks of no one but himself. He has no real pangs of conscience and never even considers confessing to his crime. Every word he says and every action he takes is only in the interest of protecting his “innocence”.As early as Act I, scene ii, Claudius is deceiving others and saying things just to make it seem as though he is really saddened by King Hamlet’s death. He gives a speech about the king’s death in which he says, “…that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe…” (Shakespeare 1553) How could anyone give such an eloquent speech as this one and remain so composed if guilt were tearing at his soul? It is more likely that Claudius is concerned solely with his own image.

Toward the end of the play, Claudius is talking to Laertes about how they will go about murdering Hamlet. Through his ever-calculating mind, Claudius has planned an inconspicuous and seemingly foolproof way to get rid of the threat of Hamlet by having Laertes kill him. However, the rest of his actions--his attempts to get rid of Hamlet and his conniving ways with Laertes--make his sincerity questionable. Claudius has no redeeming qualities. His best trait is his ability to control other people. Never once does it cross Claudius' mind that he is about to commit another murder, which is what got him into this situation to begin with. nius' death in Act IV, scene i, Claudius responds peculiarly. He helps him plan not one, but three ways to ensure Hamlet's demise: a sharpened fencing blade, a poisoned fencing blade, and a poisoned goblet. It would seem that a loving husband would first want to make sure that his wife was alright if she had just witnessed a murder. He says, "The harlot's cheek, beautied with plast'ring art, Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it Than is my deed to my most painted word. Claudius puts himself first in the situation. At the very least it would be appropriate for him to make a remark about the loss of Polonius' life. He loves no one but himself, and it is because of this total self-love that the incredible tragedy and destruction of lives takes place. However, the first thing he says is "O heavy deed! It had been so with us had we been there.