CLAUDIUS TO HAMLET
Act 1, Scene 2
A BRIEF SUMMARY
The Tragedy of Hamlet is an original play by Shakespeare and is
set in the ancient kingdom of Denmark. The play is about the
revenge of a prince after his family members, including the king,
King Hamlet, were murdered by his uncle, Claudius, so that he
could inherit the throne as well as the wives of his kinsmen. The
play culminates when the young king finally kills Claudius and
manages to take back the thrown of his father. The theme of the
play is that of revenge, family ties and corruption. It is
Shakespeare's longest play.
SOAPS: SPEAKER
• Claudius
• Intelligent and well-spoken
• Manipulative and dangerous nature
• Conscience is what makes him such a
complex villain
SOAPS: OCCASION
• Claudius has just recently killed his brother,
King Hamlet
• He also has just married Hamlet’s widow,
Gertrude, who is the mother of Prince Hamlet
SOAPS: AUDIENCE
• Claudius is addressing the court, and, more
specifically, Prince Hamlet
• Prince Hamlet is grieving his father’s death and
in need of reassurance
SOAPS: PURPOSE
• To give closure to the situation of Hamlet’s
death
• To reassure the court and Prince Hamlet that
all was well
• To articulate his plans regarding Fortinbras
SOAPS: SUBJECT
• King Hamlet’s death
• Claudius’ marriage to Gertrude
• Claudius’ plans regarding Fortinbras
THE SPEECH
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=yrfUawdF2Co
SPEECH IN TEXT
“Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe,
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him,
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,
The imperial jointress to this warlike state,
Have we, as 'twere with a defeated joy,-With an auspicious and a dropping eye,
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole,-Taken to wife: nor have we herein barr'd
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along. For all, our thanks.
Now follows, that you know, young Fortinbras,
Holding a weak supposal of our worth,
Or thinking by our late dear brother's death
Our state to be disjoint and out of frame,
Colleagued with the dream of his advantage,
He hath not fail'd to pester us with message,
Importing the surrender of those lands
Lost by his father, with all bonds of law,
To our most valiant brother. So much for him.
Now for ourself and for this time of meeting:
Thus much the business is: we have here writ
To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras,-Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears
Of this his nephew's purpose,--to suppress
His further gait herein; in that the levies,
The lists and full proportions, are all made
Out of his subject: and we here dispatch
You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltimand,
For bearers of this greeting to old Norway;
Giving to you no further personal power
To business with the king, more than the scope
Of these delated articles allow.
Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty.”
RHETORIC
• Claudius appeals to ethos in the beginning,
admitting that he himself still has fresh
memories of his brother, and saying that it was
proper to mourn Hamlet’s death
• He quickly shifts gears though, adding that life
still goes on and that one should mourn while
also thinking about their own well being
RHETORIC
• Claudius then talks of his marriage to Gertrude,
using more ethos but also some pathos
• He admits to having mixed feelings of happiness
and sadness, appealing to ethos by informing the
audience of his struggles with marrying his
brother’s widow
• The audience also can attempt to relate to him
emotionally, appealing to pathos
RHETORIC
• He then uses heavy pathos, establishing
himself as a worthy king by detailing his plans
for Fortinbras
• He refuses to surrender any territory gained
previously by his brother, bolstering his
reputation as a strong leader
TONE
•
Claudius’ speech starts off with a melancholy tone as he addresses King
Hamlet’s death.
•
“Together with remembrance of ourselves.”
King Hamlet was one of the people.
•
Shifts to commanding as Claudius brings up Fortinbras and how to deal with
him.
They will not stand for this.
•
Claudius speaks condescendingly regarding Fortinbras.
“Colleagued with the dream of his advantage.”
DICTION
•
“That we with wisest sorrow think on him”
Alliteration
•
“Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, the imperial jointress of this
war-like state “
Personification
•
“Have we, as 'twere with a defeated joy, with one auspicious and one dropping
eye”
Oxymoron
•
“With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight
and dole”
Antithesis
Mirth is laughter and dirge is a funeral hymn
DICTION
• “Thus much the business is: we have here writ to Norway, uncle of young
Fortinbras”
Personification
• “Now follows, that you know, young Fortinbras, holding a weak supposal
of our worth, or thinking by our late dear brother's death , our state to be
disjoint and out of frame, colleagued with the dream of his advantage, he
hath not fail'd to pester us with message, importing the surrender of those
lands”
Periodic sentence
WORKS CITED
"An Analysis of Claudius, Hamlet's Uncle." Claudius, Hamlet's Uncle. N.p., n.d.
Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
"The Complete Works of William Shakespeare." The Complete Works of William
Shakespeare. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
"Hamlet: Quotes." Hamlet: Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
"William Shakespeare." - Biography and Works. Search Texts, Read Online. Discuss.
N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.