Blog #5

Shakespeare uses his ‘artistic vocabulary’ to establish the power relationship between Claudius and Hamlet in the opening act of his play Hamlet. This relationship is most notably established in the second scene. Claudius pledges that the joy of his marriage to Gertrude balances the sorrow for his brother’s death. This is an idiotic idea because Gertrude is his dead brother’s widow, and marrying her is not necessarily a joyous occasion. However, although very superficially, the royal court still seems to support Claudius. Hamlet is the only person who is unwilling to go along with Claudius’ attempts to demonstrate a healthy royal court. Shakespeare immediately uses Hamlet to contradict Claudius. Claudius refers to Hamlet as a son. I am not sure if Claudius actually thinks of Hamlet as a son or if he is continuing his manipulative actions. Hamlet sees his relationship with his Uncle Claudius as strictly family, not a relationship with fondness. Hamlet is still wearing black mourning clothes for his father. In an attempt to give fatherly advice, Claudius explains that all fathers die, and that all sons are supposed to mourn for their fathers. However, sons must not mourn too long or it is seen as inappropriate and unmanly. Claudius’ attempt to give Hamlet fatherly advice gives the reader a negative impression of Claudius. He tells Hamlet to stop grieving for this dead father. Claudius attempt to be a fatherly figure to Hamlet is an unpleasant idea since Claudius is Hamlet’s dead father’s brother and he married Hamlet’s mother Gertrude. Claudius’ advice is also suspect since Hamlet was in line to be king until Claudius came and snatched it away. Shakespeare uses the Gertrude-character to further emphasize the power relationship between Claudius and Hamlet. Hamlet feels betrayed by her mother’s remarriage. He remembers how in love his parents were and voices his pain in his soliloquy at the end of the scene. Hamlet is intensely disgusted at his mother’s marriage to Claudius and how soon it happened after his father’s death. He says, “By what it fed on: and yet, within a month,— Let me not think on’t, Frailty, thy name is woman!— A little month; or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father’s body” (I, ii, 145–48). Hamlet also compares his father, “an excellent king,” to his Uncle Claudius, a “satyr.”