Valeria Colmenares

Mrs. Jewell

Period 6

18 March 2022

The New King

There is always someone looking for full power, and who will do anything to get to that

point. In the opening acts, Claudius tries to become Hamlet’s new “father” because he married

the Queen. That is already a lot for him to take in and process it all. On top of his father passing

away and originally young Hamlet was supposed to be heir to the throne. Therefore, Hamlet's

life has changed in just a brief period, and he does not know what to do with all these

overwhelming emotions. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Claudius’s character influences

young Hamlet with confusion and anger, towards meaning in his life.

Claudius starts off with trying to step into fatherhood. He tries to step in as a replacement

as Hamlet's father and the King. “But now, my cousin Hamlet and my son-” (1.2.66). He

pronounces Hamlet as his son, and he is not happy with it. He sees him as trying to be something

that he is not. The prince already had a father and did not see Claudius as his new one. Claudius

is already trying to make these sudden changes. When Hamlet was just trying to mourn and not

even with the comfort of his own mother, young Hamlet was alone. Shakespeare is making

Claudius’s character strong and bold, masking his true weaknesses and intentions.

As if Claudius was not controlling enough. He now has demands about Hamlet grieving

his own father's death. “While grief for his father is appropriate, it's inappropriate for him to

continue grieving for so long” (1.2.90-121). To Claudius, Hamlet should not be sad about his

father for so long because it makes him weak. He tells the people/kingdom one thing and Hamlet
something completely different. Hamlet is starting to see Claudius’s true intentions and how

cruel he is being only towards him. The King tries to act better than Hamlet since he is his

competition because Hamlet should really be heir to the throne. He feels threatened by him and

feels the need to express who is in charge and makes the decisions. Although young Hamlet is in

no position for that spot and is not mentally ready for all that responsibility. He has all these

emotions of anger, confusion, and frustration all bottled up. It should really be his and with

Claudius in power, it is making him rethink his choices of life.

Hamlet has had some encounters and has had a lot of second thoughts about letting

Claudius control his every move. He begins to start acting a little strange and at ease. King

Claudius starts to notice it and he and Polonius plan to spy on Hamlet. “If circumstances lead

me, I will find where truth is his, though it were hidden, indeed, within the center” (2.2.169-171).

They plan to use the love of is life Ophelia, to get information from him. Going to any extent and

invading Hamlet's privacy to get what he wants. Young Hamlet already does not trust him and is

cautious with his words. Getting information out of him will not be easy because he is already

suspicious and on high alert. He knows the truth about his father's death and is just waiting for

the right moment to strike. Although Hamlet still feels intimidated and overruled by Claudius.

He does not' know if he has it in him to do what needs to be done for vengeance. Claudius’s

influence has affected Hamlet so much he is now always second-guessing himself.

Overall, Claudius’s character has had a major impact of Hamlets feeling and emotions

with his life. Trying to become a “father” figure to him, and then being cruel and obnoxious

towards him. Hamlet no longer wanted to live with all these stressors and traumas in his life until

a spark of light “the ghost” approached and gave him something to live for. Which is to avenge
his father's murder. Claudius’s idea to take full control and become powerful will take more

effort than he thought.

Works cited

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2012.

Notes:

 Summarizing:

o restating other ideas into your own words

o Are not your ideas (not original thoughts)

o “gist” of a passage/story

 Where it belongs:

o As a paraphrase (evidence)

o Background info = introduction

o Lead in before evidence (context)

 Commentary:

o Elaborates on evidence

o Explain the significance of evidence

o Analyzes characters actions/emotions

o Reveal the relationship between evidence, subclaim, AND claim

o Provides “opinion” type language

o Analyze events and the effect on other areas of the plot [authors choice]

o Elaborate on character motivation

o Talks about what evidence means, instead of what happened in it

 o Insight and inference

 Commentary belongs:

o After the evidence

o Thesis/claim = subclaim

o Conclusion

 Body:

o Subargument/reason

o Lead in

o “evidence”

o Commentary = reveals its connection to sub-argument explains how it ties to main

claim (transition to next piece of evidence)