At this point in the play most people will have their opinion of Claudius. I believe that his presentation can differ to every person reading it and to different directors directing the film. I am going to explore these different interpretations.
My initial thoughts of Claudius in Scene 2 were that he was quite emotionless. This is shown in the way that he talks about his brother's death in his first speech. It is said so casually. It's almost as if he is shrugging it off, like it doesnt matter to him. The way he talks is also very insensitive and he gives me the impression that he is more bothered about his new Queen than he is the mourning of his brother's death, her late husband.
This thought is shown in one of the versions we watched. He drifts from person to person, his speech just seems to roll of his tongue. He is trying to please everyone and therefore making him seem fake. There is no thought in the words he says, no emotion. This makes us think that Claudius is not a very nice person and that he doesn't really care about his brother dying. However, another version of Hamlet shows otherwise. He seems to be quite warm and friendly, contrasting to the other interpretation of him. After watching this I started to question my opinion of him. The director made him act almost friendly and warm, his voice was also a lot different, slower and more calm. Not as quick and rushed, he came across not to be as self-absorbed.
The last version was much like the first. Claudius spoke with more haste and less meaning. He was played like he didn't care what he was talking about like he just needed to say it and not actually caring what he was saying. Once again he was playing to the crowd, saying what they want to hear and not taking Hamlet's feelings into consideration. Throughout the whole of scene one in fact Claudius is very unforgiving of Hamlet's mourning. He seems like he doesn't accept it and like it isn't right for him to be feeling that way. Which is silly because he has every right to.
When Claudius is addressing Hamlet in Act 1 Scene 2, lines 87-102, he comes across as almost patronising, "'Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet," He tells him that "your father lost a father" which to me seems quite insensitive to Hamlet's feelings, seen as his father just died. There is no sympathy from Claudius to Hamlet. He is also very rude to Him, later calling his mourning over the death of his father, 'unmanly grief'. Then further insulting him saying that his actions are 'incorrect to heaven'. When Claudius tells Hamlet to 'think of us as of a father' he is suggesting that his father is easily replaced. Once again showing us his insensitivity toward Hamlet. It seems to me that Claudius is trying his best to rid any feelings Hamlet has for his father. He wants him to move on and to stop acting like a woman over his father's death, again seeming unsympathetic.
However the portrayal of Claudius and my thoughts of him being rude and insensitive may be wrong. As the play starts after the King dies we know little about him. I wondered why the Queen is so quiet during these scenes because surely she loved her husband and thinks that it is wrong of Claudius to be telling Hamlet to stop mourning him? However, as we do not know what the King was like we cannot judge her fully on her actions, or lack of. This brings me onto my next point about why Claudius seems to not be bothered about his brother dying. In the films he acts like he doesn't really care, and in the play he talks like he doesn't care. Here I think both the film and the play mirror each other. You can have the actors acting differently but you cant change the words that are spoken. I think it is pretty obvious that Claudius isn't the nicest man just by what he says.
I think that the actors playing Claudius should be very carefree. They shouldn't think too much about their actions as I don't believe he intends on moving that much, it's just the words he says that have all the power. I believe that Claudius is a man that doesn't dwell on his words or actions. And I think that this should be made clear to the audience. I think only one of the three versions that I have looked at was incorrect. And this was the one where he was warmer and on the whole seemed nicer. To me I do not get that impression from what I read.
I did not enjoy this task and don't think my essay very good at all. In fact I think I may have done it wrong. But oh well, I tried. :)
Holly, if you've done it wrong i've done it wrong! Anyways, my opinion of Claudius pretty much matched Hollys, so its hard to think of anything else to say.
ReplyDeleteBut re-looking at the play, i came across this line - "that shall not be my offer, not thy asking?". I think this displays a chance for ambiguity with Claudius. Some people may think that this highlights insecurity, as he demands that people interact with him. It's almost as if Claudius needs the feedback to know that he is being supported by his people. However, personally i think he's full of himself, and whilst he may feel like he needs others' support, he's doing it for purely selfish reasons. I also think that after his heartless speech about his brother, and a speech that has caused great pain to Hamlet, is spiteful to Hamlet, to prove that no one is listening to him, to demoralise him further.