Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Introduction
A. Lord Acton once said: “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
B. The guise of love is a powerful tool for manipulating others. It isn’t love that runs the
world however; it is power.
C. I will discuss the appearances of family and romantic love on the part of the characters
and compare this behaviour to the power struggle between the central hero and villain.
II. Body
A. The appearance of Familial Love:
Claudius as deceiver: Father and Brother (1.2)
o Underway in only two months since Old Hamlet’s death "With mirth in
funeral, and with dirge in marriage" (1.2.12). Hamlet’s father is "..freely
gone / With this affair along”. Claudius, Old Hamlet’s brother, has
married Gertrude, with no consideration for his nephew/son’s emotions.
It also appears that Gertrude had been unfaithful to her vows taken to
Old Hamlet. (1.2.15-16). The members of the court accept this union
without question. Claudius asks Hamlet to stay, but his motives are not
clear.
Gertrude as immoral mother
o Gertrude misidentifies the source of Hamlet’s grief “Seek for thy noble
father in the dust./ Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die”
(1.2.73-75) while she ignores the context of her situation, described as
“incestuous” (1.2.57) and “stewed in corruption” (3.4.84–85)
o She is able to identify the grief she has caused her son “it is not other but
the main —His father’s death and our o’erhasty marriage.” (2.2.56–57)
but never acts to correct her actions
III. Conclusion
A. The façade put forth by the characters ultimately ends in their mutual destruction; all
while under the influence of their wish to control others.
B. This was shown by the illusion of family and romantic love, as well as the reality of the
two main characters, whose stakes were much higher as they fought for power over
one another.
C. Because Claudius premeditated and acted upon his desire for power of Denmark,
Hamlet was spurred by the ghost of his father, to take back power, using revenge.
Ultimately, everyone around them suffered horribly. To act with true intentions is a
much more virtuous way of life, that is free of suffering.