King Claudius' Manipulation of Laertes

King Claudius uses deliberate language and tone in order to manipulate Laertes into gearing all of his anger and rage towards Hamlet. Laertes is extremely vulnerable due to his fragile and malleable state of mind that resulted from the death of his beloved father. As King Caludius clearly does not like Hamlet he takes advantage of Laertes' vulnerability and manipulates him into wanting to take revenge on Hamlet through killing him. As Claudius works Laertes up, once Laertes finally asserts that he will take vengeance on his father's killer, Claudius validates Laertes as he says "Why, now you speak/ Like a good child and a true gentlemen" (IV. 5. 142-3). Furthermore, Claudius plays into Laertes emotions as he validates his wishes/feelings. Additionally, Claudius takes advantage of Laertes fragile state to clear his own name. For example, in Act I, Scene 5, lines 192-203 Claudius tells Laertes that if Laertes were to assemble his wisest friends, have them determine whether or not he has betrayed Laertes and they decide that he has indeed betrayed Laertes, then Laertes can have all of Claudius' possessions. Essentially, Claudius offers such an extreme proposition that Laertes doesn't even question Claudius.

Sounds in Poetry: Hamlet

Hamlet's soliloquy at the end of Act II is written in blank verse, ending with a rhyming couplet. Shakespeare uses blank -- unrhymed iambic pentameter -- verse because it is very conversational and natural so the Hamlet can easily convey his innermost thoughts to the audience. Shakespeare inserts a rhyming couplet at the end of his speech to give dramatic closure. Shakespeare uses many rhythmic sound effects. For example, in line 24 Hamlet asks himself "Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across?" Here he uses a caesura also to create a dramatic pause that shows his intense confusion. Shakespeare inserts several interjections into Hamlet's soliloquy such as "Ha!" "O, vengeance!" in order to depict Hamlet's erratic state of mind. He also inserts these in their own lines which in turn interrupts the smooth rhythm of the iambic meter. In line 507, Shakespeare uses plosive alliteration with the words "bloody" and "bawdy" which he then juxtaposes with sibilance when Hamlet cries "Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!" By using this plosive alliteration, Shakespeare highlights the contempt Hamlet feels for Claudius whereas the sibilance suggests how sinister the sinning Claudius certainly is.

Hamlet body 1

Looking at two major speeches of each character – Hamlet’s first soliloquy in act 1 scene 2 and two of the ghost’s speeches in act 1 scene 5 – the elements of audience, delivery, and style first deserve close attention. The identity of the listener helps determine the speech patterns of each character: Hamlet’s being himself and the ghost’s being Hamlet. Because Hamlet is talking only to himself, he reveals his raw thoughts; he is essentially delivering his train of thought and so does not have to explain or censor himself. As Hamlet is utterly disturbed by his mother’s hasty marriage to his uncle after his father’s death, Shakespeare deliberately uses a specific style to convey Hamlet’s distress:

                        she followed my poor father’s body,

            Like Niobe, all tears: –why she, even she –

            O God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,

            Would have mourn’d longer – married with my uncle,

                                                                                    (I. 2. 148-151)

Here, Hamlet expresses his explicit thoughts through his direct diction, impulsive interjections, and prolific punctuation. Shakespeare’s frequent use of dashes that are even sometimes juxtaposed with other punctuation marks illustrates Hamlet’s passionate temperament and his unfiltered thoughts. His insulting reference to his mother as “a beast” reveals his blunt and uncensored diction. Unlike Hamlet’s private soliloquy, the ghost’s main speeches address and exhort an actual person. Essentially, if Hamlet were a computer, the ghost would be trying to hack him.  Moreover, the ghost is trying to manipulate Hamlet to avenge his “murder most foul” (I. 5. 27). Rather than directly explaining to Hamlet what happened in the orchard, he instead speaks in confusing metaphors and tricky riddles. After introducing himself to Hamlet, the ghost begins to ADVERB intrigue his son through vague references to “foul crimes” and “secrets of my prison-house” (I. 5. 12, 14). Further teasing his son, the ghost asserts: “I could a tale unfold whose lightest word/ Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood” (I. 5. 15-16). After dangling this terrifying tale before Hamlet further postpones revealing the story by referring to a mysterious serpent: “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/ Now wears his crown (I. 5. 39-40).  He first uses implication when mentioning a serpent that stung him; next, he alludes to the snake in the Garden of Eden; finally, he employs the snake as a metaphor for his conniving brother, the new king of Denmark.