answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Claudius was the brother of old King Hamlet (father of Prince Hamlet the hero of the play). When King Hamlet died, Claudius became king and married his widow Gertrude (Prince Hamlet's mother). Hamlet felt that it was too soon after his father's death for them to marry and also there used the idea that your husband or wife siblings were your siblings so to marry them was a kind of incest. So Hamlet wasn't very keen on his uncle to begin with - then he saw his father's ghost and found that Claudius had murdered his father. Read the play or at least see the film - the one with Mel Gibson isn't bad. Or read the prose version in Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare. It is worth studying properly.

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Who is Claudius and why does Hamlet dislike him so much?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Movies & Television

Claudius and gertrude are the rulers of?

Claudius kills Old Hamlet the former king, then marries Gertrude (Old Hamlet's wife) so Claudius is now the King of Denmark.


Who killed Hamlet's father and how does Hamlet find out?

Hamlet's uncle Claudius killed Hamlet's father (called Hamlet Sr.). The ghost of Hamlet Sr. comes back from the dead and tells Hamlet Jr. so. Hamlet Jr. confirms this by re-enacting the murder as a play, which upsets Uncle Claudius.


Does Laertes agree to Claudius' plot to kill Hamlet?

Hamlet didn't write any letters to Laertes--ah, you mean "Did Claudius read the letter Hamlet wrote to Claudius out loud to Laertes?" I confess that it is difficult to phrase this question so it is unambiguous. Yes, Claudius reads the letter he got from Hamlet out loud to Laertes and asks whether Laertes can explain it.


Why did Claudius want to kill Hamlet?

Hamlet was causing problems for Claudius. His antics had disturbed the court and the kingdom. His killing of Polonius had deprived Claudius of his counsellor and had put him in an awkward position, since a murderer ought to be tried and put to death yet that would be politically unwise. Finally, Hamlet was on to him. Claudius had a pretty good idea that Hamlet knew that he had killed Hamlet Sr. and how it was committed. All this meant that Claudius was worrying about Hamlet instead of running the kingdom, which he had been doing quite well before all this. Claudius says, "like the hectic in my blood he rages."--it is becoming an obsession.


Was Hamlet in position of power?

Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark so that does come with its own power. But Claudius is the one with the most power. However Hamlet is loved by all the people so it essentially makes Hamlet unkillable because if Claudius kills him the people will turn against him. In the eyes of the people Hamlet can do no wrong, so in a way he is in a position of power.

Related questions

Claudius and gertrude are the rulers of?

Claudius kills Old Hamlet the former king, then marries Gertrude (Old Hamlet's wife) so Claudius is now the King of Denmark.


Who killed Hamlet's father and how does Hamlet find out?

Hamlet's uncle Claudius killed Hamlet's father (called Hamlet Sr.). The ghost of Hamlet Sr. comes back from the dead and tells Hamlet Jr. so. Hamlet Jr. confirms this by re-enacting the murder as a play, which upsets Uncle Claudius.


When does Hamlet duel Laertes?

does* and it's a duel that was set up before by Laertes and Claudius to kill Hamlet. For Laertes because Claudius told him that Hamelt murdered his brother and for Claudius so Hamlet doesn't spill the secret that Claudius murdered Senior Hamlet.


What is Claudius' relationship to Prince Hamlet in Shakespeare's play?

Gertrude's first husband was King Hamlet. King Hamlet was the brother of Claudius. This makes Claudius and Gertrude in-laws. After Claudius murders King Hamlet, he marries Gertrude, so they are then husband and wife.


Who was Hamlet's heir?

Fortinbras takes over after the death of Hamlet, (and Claudius,) so in that sense Fortinbras was.


Does Laertes agree to Claudius' plot to kill Hamlet?

Hamlet didn't write any letters to Laertes--ah, you mean "Did Claudius read the letter Hamlet wrote to Claudius out loud to Laertes?" I confess that it is difficult to phrase this question so it is unambiguous. Yes, Claudius reads the letter he got from Hamlet out loud to Laertes and asks whether Laertes can explain it.


Why did Claudius want to kill Hamlet?

Hamlet was causing problems for Claudius. His antics had disturbed the court and the kingdom. His killing of Polonius had deprived Claudius of his counsellor and had put him in an awkward position, since a murderer ought to be tried and put to death yet that would be politically unwise. Finally, Hamlet was on to him. Claudius had a pretty good idea that Hamlet knew that he had killed Hamlet Sr. and how it was committed. All this meant that Claudius was worrying about Hamlet instead of running the kingdom, which he had been doing quite well before all this. Claudius says, "like the hectic in my blood he rages."--it is becoming an obsession.


Was Hamlet in position of power?

Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark so that does come with its own power. But Claudius is the one with the most power. However Hamlet is loved by all the people so it essentially makes Hamlet unkillable because if Claudius kills him the people will turn against him. In the eyes of the people Hamlet can do no wrong, so in a way he is in a position of power.


Why is the ghost's reminder about his descent to Hell significant in Hamlet?

It sets up Hamlet's choice in Act 3 not to kill Claudius while he is praying, so that Claudius will suffer even more in the afterlife than Hamlet Sr. did.


How does Claudius kill King Hamlet and why?

Hamlet stabs Claudius with a poisoned sword, but only the tip is poisonous and it is dubious whether Laertes' poisoned tip cuts the king as King Claudius cries out for help claiming he is only hurt. Hamlet then holds him down and forces him to drink the last of the poisoned wine that had been intended for Hamlet, but his mother, the queen, drank it and died. Laertes says the king "is justly served; It is a poison temper'd by himself. [the king]" Implying Laertes' poison didn't kill Claudius, Claudius's poison killed himself, just as Laertes was slain by his own posion from the sword. So, Hamlet kills Claudius by making him drink a cup of poisoned wine that Claudius had intended for Hamlet.


What is Claudius' response when Gertrude tells him Hamlet has murdered Polonius?

Hamlet doubts the ghost's statement that Claudius had murdered him--the ghost could be lying. He re-enacts the murder in a play and has it performed in front of Claudius. Sure enough, it causes an attack of conscience in Claudius.


In the play Hamlet who are gertrude and Claudius?

Hamlet was the main character; he was the son of Gertrude(the queen) and she married Claudius(the king) who killed Hamlets father so he could take the throne instead of Hamlet.Ophelia is Polonius's daughter; Polonius is Claudius's best friend and Hamlet and Ophelia are engaged. Polonius has a son named Laertes who was Hamlet's nemesis.