Hamlet Notes
Honors British Literature
P.3
Tashi Tsering, Anh Nyugen, Tenzin Nyima
Description:
Claudius: Uncle of Hamlet; Brother of King Hamlet; and Husband of Gertrude.
Claudius was a type of person that could have done anything to strike power and wealth. He had killed his brother the King and married his brothers’ wife Gertrude. Claudius was a very sly and very calculative person.
Characteristics and Changes:
Greedy:
1.5 pg.59 “Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother’s hand of life, of a crown, of queen at once dispatched.” This quote shows that Claudius could have done anything to gain power and wealth even if his brother’s life was at stake.
1.2 pg.19 “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death. The memory be green, and that it us befitted.” In this quote Claudius is pretending to care for his brother so that he can look loving and caring towards his wife, hamlet, and the people of Denmark since he was the King Of
Denmark now.
Calculative:
2.2 pg.77 “Welcome dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern...Something have you heard of
Hamlets transformation.” This is when Claudius sends Hamlets two friend Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern out to spy on Claudius because Hamlet has been acting very weird. This is making
Claudius more careful of his surroundings.
Sly:
2.2 pg. 81 “He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found, the head and source of all your son’s distemper.” Claudius now knows that Hamlet likes Ophelia but still Claudius does not think that that is all that is making Hamlet acting the way he was acting.

2.2 pg.89 “how may we try it further?” in this scene Claudius uses Ophelia to find out if Hamlet loves Ophelia or not.
Inconsiderate:
So Claudius had sent a spy and not just a spy it was one of Hamlets Friend. When he had found out that his friends were spying on him he felt used and that they could not be trusted. “… by what more dear a better proposer could charge you withal, be even and direct with me whether you were sent for or no.” 2.2 pg.77
Scared Easily:
3.1 pg. 127 “love? This affections do not that way tend, nor what he spake, though it lacked form a little, was not like madness.” “There’s something in his soul o’er which his melancholy sits on brood.” Claudius had just found out that Hamlet is not after Ophelia he is after something else. At that time he thought that Hamlet may know his secret of killing his Father.
Schemer:
Claudius wants to get rid of Hamlet because he knows that Hamlet knows his secret.
3.3 pg. 155 “I like him not, nor stands it safe with us, to let his madness range.” This scene is when Claudius is done watching the play “MouseTrap”. So Claudius had just found out that
Hamlet knows who killed Hamlet, so Claudius decides to find a way to get rid of Hamlet.
Guilt:
Claudius feels ashamed and guilty.
3.3 pg. 159 “Forgive me my foul murder? That cannot be since I’m still possessed of those effects for which I did the murder.” Claudius feels guilt, because he had killed his own brother for wealth. This shows that he isn’t very evil and cruel.
Covers up his mistake:
He wants to cover up his mistake by getting Hamlet in trouble so that Hamlet cannot find out anymore of the truth. “I have sent to seek him, and to find the body. How dangerous is it that this man goes loose.” 4.3 pg.183
User/brain wash:
Claudius uses people to get what he wants.
4.7 pg.221 “we’ll put on those shall praise your excellence and set a double varnish on the fame... you may choose a sword unabated, and in a pass of practice requite him for your

father.” He uses Laerten in this scene telling him that Hamlet had killed his father and that he should kill Hamlet and not Claudius. Claudius uses him because he knew that hamlet was coming for Claudius after.
Terminate:
Claudius is a type of person that likes to eliminate people if they don’t do what he says or if he is afraid that something bad might happen to him.
5.2 pg. 265 “Stan, give me drink. Hamlet, this pear is thine.” [he drinks, and throws a pearl
(poison) in Hamlets cup} here’s thy health. Give him the cup.” This was all planned with Laertan so Hamlet can win and that they can poison Hamlet. Claudius had wanted to poison Hamlet so that Hamlet would not have told anyone what had happened to his Father.