How is Claudius similar to Macbeth?

Numerous similarities exist between Shakespeare’s Claudius and Macbeth. Both are extremely ambitious. So much so that they both assassinate a reigning monarch to achieve the throne for themselves. Both also, when it becomes necessary, are willing to continue killing to maintain their power.

Is Claudius insane?

After all he’s done to everyone, and the way he’s treated everyone, the fact that he thinks people in that room are still his friends shows that Claudius is truly insane and the old man has finally fallen off his rocker. His manipulative and controlling ways are over, because he dies after saying these last words.

What is the difference between Hamlet and Macbeth?

They both die but Hamlet dies respectably avenging his father’s death, while Macbeth kills many people to get what he wants. Hamlet killed for revenge while Macbeth only killed for power and greed. Both Macbeth and Claudius killed a king because of their greed but they both end up dying at the end of each play.

Who would make a better king Claudius or Hamlet?

Hamlet would make the best king in that his actions are consistently based on a strong consideration of right vs. wrong. He set up someone else (Laertes) to kill Hamlet at the play’s end, then tried to stack the deck with poison. Claudius is immoral, but he does act.

How are Claudius and Hamlet similar?

They both have similar situations; plotting to kill someone, scheming, etc. They both create similar situations for themselves, for example having advisors or their inability to act, but they do have differences. Hamlet is angry whereas Claudius is just trying to save himself.

How does Hamlet describe Claudius?

The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, driven by his sexual appetites and his lust for power, but he occasionally shows signs of guilt and human feeling—his love for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere.

What is Hamlet Shakespeare about?

Hamlet Summary. The ghost of the King of Denmark tells his son Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing the new king, Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death, and seeks revenge. His uncle, fearing for his life, also devises plots to kill Hamlet.

What makes Macbeth different?

He has multiple flaws in his character, the most prominent being vaulting ambition and his impressionability. His lust for power makes him commit horrendous crimes. After being crowned king, he suffers from extreme paranoia, fearing anyone who might be a threat to his power, and trying to eliminate their existence.

Why is Claudius king instead of Hamlet?

Depending on how far back you think his eccentric behavior goes, it is plausible that he has shown a history of mental instability, and that Claudius became king because the electors thought Hamlet was unsuitable. At the start of the play, Hamlet is newly arrived from university, and he seems pretty sane.

Is Claudius a good king in Hamlet?

Claudius is definitely a bad man: nice guys don’t kill their brothers and steal their wives. But he might not be such a bad ruler. William Camden said in 1586 that Richard III—another of Shakespeare’s tricky kings—was a “bad man, but a good king” (source).

How does Hamlet compare his father and Claudius?

He compares Claudius to his father (his father was “so excellent a king” while Claudius is a bestial “satyr”).

How does Claudius feel about Hamlet?

Claudius’ fear of Hamlet causes him to make decisions that prove his selfishness. Although Claudius is concerned about his brother and good friend Polonius’ death, he is more concerned with what would have happened if he were there. He shows sorrow after the death of Polonius; he also appears to love his wife Gertrude.

How much time passes between Hamlet and Claudius’s speech?

Hamlet had probably been lamenting his father’s death for quite some time now, so Claudius had ample time to compose the speech. It is unclear how much time passes between this point and when Hamlet puts on the play intended to catch Claudius in her guilt.

How does hamlet take full responsibility for his actions?

Hamlet, torn by conscience to smite the morally deficient Claudius, causes the death of six innocent people before he accomplishes his goal. By taking full responsibility for his actions, Claudius mitigates his evil nature.

What does the ghost of Hamlet’s father tell Hamlet?

Early on in the play, the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears to Hamlet and tells him that Claudius murdered him for the throne, then charges Hamlet with avenging the murder. Hamlet’s hatred of Claudius intensifies after speaking with the ghost—but still, Hamlet is unable to take the action needed to get revenge for his father.

Does the murder conspiracy exist in Hamlet’s head?

Hamlet’s apparent descent into madness might otherwise suggest that the murder conspiracy exists solely in Hamlet’s head, but Claudius’s confession clears this ambiguity up—but not for any of the characters in the play, sadly enough. My words fly up; my thoughts remain below.