Hamlet’s dead father and Claudius, his brother- Style: MLA- Level College

Hamlet by William Shakespeare portrays a clear picture of noble and wicked personalities by presenting Hamlet’s father and his brother Claudius. The roles played by Hamlet's father the king and Claudius his brother has led to the contrast between each of their traits that resemble the characteristics. In the tragedy of Hamlet, the two kings are contrasted by establishing the idea about the presence of a clean-minded individual within a dirty and a greedy world that aims to get power by hook or by crook. The notable adjectives like a clean, innocent and fair individual are contrasted with unfair, corrupt and unjust. Such adjectives stating the contrast of the two Kings are clear from the lines in act three stating the confrontation of Gertrude with her son.

The comparison of characters within the tragedy Hamlet is very much vital for analysis to understand the role of both the characters. The analysis establishes a way of contrast between the characters called Claudius and King Hamlet who are brothers of each other. Such an analysis has led to the examination of nature and the characteristics in between the two characters. William Shakespeare has placed the nature of a just person in an unjust world to establish a contrast between the two. The actual King Hamlet in the play has been regarded as a fair individual existing in a dirty situation and he perceives that the title of the king means that a person is the representative of the almighty. The words just, fair and innocent has been placed after the name of king Hamlet or Hamlet’s father.

Throughout the play, Shakespeare has shown disparity by conveying the nature of gracefulness within a person who had authority. Using such characteristics, he has a place, King Hamlet, as a character of the play. In one of the scenes, Hamlet's father the king is told as a man in whom “every god did set his seal” and as when the author says “ So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother” ( Shakespeare, 11). William Shakespeare has pointed out the nature of a fair mountain and explained the character of Hamlet’s father or the actual king. In the play, the planets have been picked up and like Mars and Mercury to describe the character of Hamlet's father. This is clear from the lines spoken by young Hamlet stating that "Hyperion's curls; the front of Jove himself; an eye like Mars, to threaten and command; A station like a herald mercury" (Shakespeare, 18).

Besides, Hamlet's father has been considered as a man of sacrifice who has loved his wife the queen, Gertrude, for the entire of his life and even after death. Words like love and concern have been used to depict Hamlet's father's love towards his mother or the queen. Shakespeare has told about such characteristics of the King from the mouth of the son or the actual heir to the throne after the King Hamlet's death that converses with his mother Gertrude and tells that “Look here, upon the picture, and on this, The counterfeit presentment of two brothers, See what a grace was seated on the brow. He weeps for what is done”

(Shakespeare, 89). These lines tell about the nature of the actual king of Hamlet who has been assassinated by his brother Claudius. Using these lines spoken from by the King's son, Shakespeare has depicted the fairness and tenderness of the actual king of Hamlet. Through these William Shakespeare has contrasted the two kings the actual King of Hamlet and King Claudius.

Whereas King Claudius has been represented as corrupt and bloodthirst king to get the power or the kingly title. After describing King Hamlet’s characteristics, the author has used the mouth of the younger King Hamlet and conveyed the characteristics of King Claudius. Within the entire play, King Claudius has been regarded as the traitor and corrupt king which are just the opposite extremes of the characteristics possessed by Hamlet's father or the actual king. King Claudius has been considered as "like mildew’d ear" (Kerrigan, 238).

Furthermore, Shakespeare has conveyed the nature of Claudius and contrasted it with the actual king within the later lines which are conveyed to Gertrude. Young Hamlet expressed “Claudius as a murderer and villain; A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe. Before it opens Claudius and the Queen have been guilty of adultery and Claudius alone of murder” (Shakespeare, 266). Using these lines, the actual king has been contrasted with Claudius and William Shakespeare has contrasted the characters with some magical words that depict the character of Claudius. Shakespeare has used the word thief to describe the character Claudius and tells that King Claudius is a thief who has stolen the power by foul means. Using this opposite adjective of fair and innocent the author has exhibited and contrasted the character, King Claudius.

In every part, the activities of King Claudius has been criticized and disregarded by the younger king Hamlet. “From the very beginning Claudius believes, and naturally too, that Hamlet alone is the sole obstacle in his way, and that, Hamlet alone is dangerous” (Shakespeare, 313). In the many parts of the scene, it is seen that the adjectives of King Claudius are just the opposite of the actual king of Hamlet and the uncle of young Hamlet or King Claudius has been regarded as convening or duplicitous man who has used the companions of Hamlet to kill him. Claudius is generally, a cunning man in every part of the play and the two kings are contrasted with each other through the establishment of kindness, love, innocence and dirty-minded, cunning, wild, and corrupt.

Thus, Hamlet, the tragedy is a connection of characters those posses two distinct characteristics that are opposite's extremes of each other. Shakespeare has used the words of the younger King Hamlet to convey and establish a contrast between two characters namely the actual king and King Claudius. The lines spoken by Hamlet about his father and uncle lay down a contrast of roles played by King Claudius and the actual king.