Analysis of Claudius' Speech, Act I, Scene II

In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Act I, Scene II, Claudius presents himself to be arrogant, authoritative, as well as compassionate, as the new King of Denmark. The role of Claudius is known to be the most intriguing and crucial character in this tragedy. Claudius is the most controversial, the most mysterious and the most talked about character in this play. According to the quotation presented in The Prince, by Nicolo Machiavelli: “Every one sees what …

…avail. There are a few instances where Claudius strays from the path, but he corrects his mistakes and does, or at least tries to do what he must to secure his position. Claudius was a murderer, conspirator and a liar, but also a passionate man. He was smart in using the words he did and was a strong and influential character throughout the play, clearly shown in his use words in Act I, Scene II.