Courtney Dunn Dr. Riley Approaches to Literary Study 8 March 2013 Claudius as a Tragic Hero There are multiple tragic heroes that can be identified in Hamlet by William Shakespeare, some more obvious than others. A few of the central characters require more in-depth reasoning; one example being King Claudius. In order to support this statement, one must study the specific traits that qualify a character as a tragic hero; admiration, hubris, audience sympathy, and selfinflicted downfall. Upon doing so, it becomes apparent that Claudius truly is a tragic hero, against common interpretations. Exhibiting the roles of husband, father, and king, it is difficult to ignore Claudius s admirable character traits. Gertrude is often presented in the company of Claudius. Although it is not until late in the play, Claudius states his love for the Queen while addressing Laertes on the subject of Hamlet. He declares, The Queen his mother Lives almost by his looks, and for myself My virtue or my plague, be it either which She s so conjunctive to my life and soul That, as the star moves not but in his sphere, I could not but by her. (4.7.11-16) Because Claudius loves the Queen so deeply, he cannot help but care for Hamlet as well. It is also best for the King to show devotions towards Hamlet in order to please the people of
Dunn, 2 Denmark. Therefore, he declares these feelings early on in the play while celebrating his recent marriage to Gertrude. Seeing Hamlet in a continued state of mourning for the deceased King Hamlet, Claudius says, As of a father; for let the world take note, You are the most immediate to our throne, And with no less nobility of love That that which dearest father bears his son Do I impart toward you. (1.2.108-112.) The fact that Hamlet does not show the same fondness towards Claudius is not necessarily the King s flaw. As a reader, we are only provided with dialogue. Therefore we lack direct insight into the minds of each character. Hamlet s perception of Claudius could be based on a protective instinct towards his mother. It could also be based on the fact that Hamlet is portrayed as the least stable character in the play. There are multiple perspectives that the reader can take. We cannot assume much about the murder of King Hamlet because it happened prior to the play s first scene. There is no way for us to know whether it was a justified or simple murder. What is essential, though, is that as a reader we remain open to all of these possibilities, not just those presented by Hamlet. By restricting Claudius to the position of a murderer, we remain ignorant to his more admirable qualities. Without a doubt, Claudius is not perfect; a fact that only supports his role as a tragic hero. He is plagued by greed and profound hubris. If he were to be loyal to his nation and loved ones, Claudius would admit to the murder of King Hamlet, but this would result in the loss of his crown, his wealth, and much respect. These potential losses prevent him from coming forward
Dunn, 3 and therefore prove to be his hamartia. He only admits his guilt when no one is present. He says to himself, Though inclination be as sharp as will, My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent, And, like a man to double business bound, I stand in pause where I shall first begin, And both neglect. (3.3.39-43) It is clear that Claudius feels tremendous guilt for the sin he has committed in murdering King Hamlet, but he is still unable to repent in public or in prayer. This tragic flaw evokes a sense of sympathy amongst the audience because it is so great that he feels he cannot turn to anybody, not even God, for help and forgiveness. The downfall of this predicament is that Hamlet feels the King is being a deceitful, conniving man rather than a character lost within his own guilty conscious. Therefore, he plots Claudius s murder with a vengeful passion that remains evident throughout the entire play. When Claudius decides to send Hamlet off to England in response to the murder of Polonius, he is demonstrating both a moment of admiration and flaw. In his attempt to be a good king, he feels impelled to rid the nation of Hamlet s unstable influence. He tells Gertrude, [Hamlet s] liberty is full of threats to all To you yourself, to us, to everyone. Alas, how shall this bloody deed by answer d? It will be laid to us, whose providence Should have kept short, restrain d, and out of haunt This mad young man. (4.1.14-19)
Dunn, 4 Any intellectual figure in power would do his best to protect his nation. In the scene in which Hamlet slays Polonius, it is evident that he is not in a safe state of mind for those around him. Revenge has plagued his mind to the point of being irresponsible and far too quick to react. It is admirable for Claudius to make the decision to send Hamlet away even though this will most likely upset the Queen and Hamlet, characters whom he has declared his affections for. The fatal flaw in the King s decision presents itself in the actions of Hamlet. Being sent away to England would inhibit him from fulfilling his murderous goal. This sudden pressure only increases the instability of Hamlet s character. He is more determined than ever to seek his revenge on Claudius. Therefore while trying to protect himself and his nation, Claudius only hastens his own downfall. Another characteristic of a tragic hero is being in a position of power; a quality clearly exhibited by Claudius. Because he is the king of a nation, his tragic flaw affects not only himself but a vast amount of people. When Hamlet finally succeeds in killing Claudius in the final scene, the King s death is accompanied by that of many others. Gertrude dies due to the poison Claudius has planted for Hamlet. Laertes attacks Hamlet with his poison tipped sword, which Hamlet then uses to stab Laertes. All four characters die as a result of Claudius s greedy actions. Thinking beyond this scene to the broader world of the play, the entire nation will be affected by this incident. They have no king or queen. They do not even have a successor to the throne. Claudius s pride to protect his country and greed to protect himself leaves an entire nation devoid of a leader. Although having admirable attributes, the death of Claudius is welcomed by the audience. Throughout the play Claudius manages to evoke some sympathy from the audience, but this final quality of a tragic hero is reasonable. The play would not be a tragedy if
Dunn, 5 Shakespeare allowed him to survive. It seems that the only way for the audience to be truly satisfied is if all evils are reprimanded. As much as we as readers try to remain open-minded, our moral and legal values intrude on our reading experiences. Therefore, murderers and conspirators must pay for their actions. The only way this can happen is to wipe the slate clean, killing four of the main characters, all with their own tragic flaws. By looking at all perspectives and focusing on the evidence at hand, we can perceive Claudius as a tragic hero in Hamlet. As a reader, our duty is to do just this. Although there are times when it is almost impossible to keep our opinions out of the interpretation process, it is advantageous to remain as open-minded as possible. By doing so, we are able to rely on evidence alone to understand the given text. By allowing ones self to perceive Claudius as the true tragic hero, based solely on the evidence presented within Hamlet, one can take on a new perspective that remains far out of reach to the more close-minded reader.
Dunn, 6 Work Cited: Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Literature: A Portable Anthology. Ed. Janet E. Gardner, et al. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin s, 2006. 777-898. Print.