Claudius Quotations

Question 1

Act 1 Scene 2 Claudius speech setting

Answer 1

. Held in great hall after Old Hamlet’s funeral and his marriage to Gertrude
. First important speech after coronation
. Setting juxtaposes the cold outdoors where the ghost first appear

Question 2

How does Claudius address his brothers death?

Answer 2

. Only dedicates six lines to him
. Quickly brushes over it
. ‘Our dear brother’

Question 3

What does the Claudius want the audience to do in mourning the king?

Answer 3

Oxymoron of ‘wisest sorrow’ - court must be wise and sensible through grief, Claudius wants the court to forget the old King and accept his Kingship

Question 4

How does Claudius address his remarriage?

Answer 4

‘Sometime sister now our queen’ - wants to appear as a legitimate ruler and good king, actions may seem incestuous but he presents himself in a calm, orderly manner so the court accepts him, by saying ‘queen’ last the court remembers her as such rather than his sister in law

Question 5

What is the structure of Claudius’ speech like

Answer 5

Rhythmic and regular indicating it is rehearsed, calm and orderly, Denmark is not calm and orderly

Question 6

What is the opening line of Claudius’ act 3 scene 3 soliloquy

Answer 6

‘Oh my offence is rank it smells to heaven’

Question 7

Claudius cannot pray for forgiveness

Answer 7

‘Pray can I not’

Question 8

Claudius says his sin is too bad to be forgiven - link to blood

Answer 8

His ‘cursed hand’ were ‘ thicker than itself with brother’s blood - sins is to bad to be forgiven

Question 9

Not enough in heaven to clear him of sin

Answer 9

‘Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow’

Question 10

Cannot pray because he still has the reward of sin

Answer 10

‘I am still possessed of those effects for which I did murder’ as he still has ‘my crown, mine own ambition, and my queen’

Question 11

Ironic line which shows Claudius is not actually praying

Answer 11

‘my words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go’

Question 12

‘But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son’ - explained

Answer 12

. ‘Cousin’ - meaning distant relative, humiliates Hamlet, but also ensures the court forget the incestuous relationship
. ‘My son’ - appearance vs reality, seems like a close relationship to the court
. ‘But now’ - Claudius addresses Hamlet secondly and uses Laertes as a model son, causes Hamlet to feel bad as he is not as important as his courtier’s son

Question 13

‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father: But, you must know, your father lost a father’ - explain

Answer 13

. Appearance vs reality - tries to appear caring and understanding Hamlet before criticising him
. Form of manipulation
. ‘But’ - conjunction, quick turning point conveys how unsympathetic he is, signals his guilt
. ‘Your father lost a father’ - uses a patronising tone, everyone’s father dies so Hamlet should get over it

Question 14

Hamlet is sinning by grieving so much like a girl

Answer 14

‘tis unmanly grief; It shows a will most incorrect to heaven’

Question 15

And now, Laertes, what’s the news with you? You told us of some suit; what is’t, Laertes? You cannot speak of reason to the Dane, and loose your voice: what wouldst thou beg, Laertes?’ - explained

Answer 15

. Asserting his position as King and most important

. Repetition of Laertes - could be intense + patronising or it could be playful or helpful

Question 16

Claudius’ first address to Laertes

Answer 16

And now, Laertes, what’s the news with you? You told us of some suit; what is’t, Laertes? You cannot speak of reason to the Dane, and loose your voice: what wouldst thou beg, Laertes?’

Question 17

Claudius’ first address to Hamlet

Answer 17

‘But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son’

Question 18

Claudius tells Hamlet about everyone experiencing death

Answer 18

‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet, To give these mourning duties to your father: But, you must know, your father lost a father’

Question 19

Claudius tells Hamlet his mourning is not masculine

Answer 19

‘tis unmanly grief; It shows a will most incorrect to heaven’

Question 20

How does Claudius address R+G in an insincere way

Answer 20

. ‘Welcome dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’
. ‘We much did long to see you’

Question 21

Pragmatic, Claudius wants to send Hamlet to England

Answer 21

‘And he to England shall along with you’

Question 22

Claudius deferring to Laertes father, dig at Hamlet as sons should obey their fathers

Answer 22

‘Have you your father’s leave? What says Polonius?’

Question 23

Claudius criticises Hamlets mourning in a severe way

Answer 23

‘a heart unfortified, a mind impatient’ (stupid), ‘a fault to heaven, a fault against the dead, a fault to nature’

Question 24

Claudius tells R + G if Hamlet has fun with them he will forget himself and forget something, information by deceit

Answer 24

‘Draw on him with pleasures’

Question 25

Claudius is distancing himself from Hamlet when talking of Hamlet’s madness

Answer 25

‘source of all your son’s distemper’

Question 26

Claudius suspects Hamlet, harsh, worries about reputation

Answer 26

‘With turbulent and dangerous lunacy’

Question 27

. First aside

. His pious action is conveying his evil, actions are different to what he is telling people

Answer 27

‘how smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience’

Question 28

Claudius is convinced love is not the cause of Hamlet’s madness and it is not safe to have him in court

Answer 28

‘There’s something in his soul o’er which his melancholy sits on brood’

Question 29

Claudius wants to quickly end the dumb show

Answer 29

‘Give me some light. Away’

Question 30

Claudius feels guilt and knows Hamlet would have killed him, initially a self centred reaction, he realises his self centred news and quickly shifts to a pretence of care

Answer 30

‘It had been so with us had we been there. His liberty is full of threats to all’

Question 31

Hamlet is like a disease people don’t want to admit

Answer 31

‘But like the owner of some foul disease’

Question 32

Critical of commoners who like Hamlet because of his appearance not his mind

Answer 32

‘He’s loved of the distracted multitude, who like not in their judgement but their eyes’

Question 33

Tells Hamlet he is sending him away for his safety

Answer 33

‘Hamlet this deed for thine especial safety’

Question 34

Hamlet is so corrupted in Claudius’ blood

Answer 34

‘For like the hectic in my blood he rages’

Question 35

Political, ignores Ophelia being upset when she goes mad

Answer 35

‘This is the poison of deep grief it springs all from her fathers death’

Question 36

Not as worried as Hamlet’s madness as Ophelia is only a woman, not a prince

Answer 36

‘Divided from herself and fair judgement’

Question 37

Claudius slips up and mentions how he killed Old Hamlet, loss of composure

Answer 37

‘And wants not buzzers to infect his ear’

Question 38

Guards from Switzerland, does not trust his country men, is it paranoia or does he know how disliked he is

Answer 38

‘Attend! Where are my swissers?’

Question 39

Claudius is patronising towards Laertes when egging him on

Answer 39

‘Like a good child and a true gentleman’

Question 40

Let the guilty person face the consequences

Answer 40

‘And where th’offense is, let the great axe fall’

Question 41

Claudius becomes more nasty, insulting and manipulative towards Laertes to get him to kill Hamlet

Answer 41

‘Or are you like the painting of a sorrow a face without a heart’

Question 42

Claudius questions what Laertes would do to prove his love, Claudius wants actions not words

Answer 42

‘What would you undertake to show yourself in deed your fathers son more than in words’

Question 43

Claudius lies that he calmed Laertes

Answer 43

‘How much I had to do to calm his rage’

Question 44

Reveals he knew about poison to everyone, pathetic attempt to stop her drinking or shows his love as he is willing to risk exposure

Answer 44

‘Gertrude do not drink’