In an excerpt from The Natural Power of Kings by Sir Robert Filmer, the defined paternal positions of father and king are inextricably synonymous. In the periods in which the plays of William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and King Lear occur, the usurper of the throne Claudius and the psychologically declining Lear are expected to undertake and practice these familial obligations: "Like the father over one family, so the king, as father over many families, extends his care to preserve, feed, clothe, educate, and defend the whole Commonwealth” (McDonald, 284-85). paternal towards Hamlet and Gertrude by putting his own desires and ambitions before inherited responsibilities, he politically manages to guarantee the security of the state of Denmark by defeating England and peacefully evading the war with Norway, but Lear falls even lower than Claudius in the his duties: he fails to act as a father figure to his loving and loyal daughter Cordelia, curses barrenness upon subsequent heirs, and fails to provide for the citizens of Great Britain considering nothing more important than his duties. own apparent personal interest. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay When it comes to Hamlet above all, Claudius escapes his obligation to serve and protect his deceased brother's son. When we first meet Claudius in 1.2, he immediately promotes a moody and ridiculous speech by telling Hamlet that his mourning for his deceased father is an "unmanly sorrow" (Hamlet 1.2.94). To follow up on his sexist comment, he further insults his nephew by saying, “He shows a very incorrect will to heaven…A simple and uncultivated understanding” (Hamlet 1.2.95,97). Scorning one's family by saying that they are "acting like a woman" and that the pain they feel over the death of another family member is even condemned by the God in heaven cannot be interpreted as an act of compassion or goodwill. Claudius's speech towards Hamlet is a direct insult to both him and the king's obligation to rightfully serve and protect the interests of those closest to him. Once King Hamlet's ghost informs his son of Claudius' regicidal act, Hamlet responds by playing a role of madness. . Claudius, worried about the reason for Hamlet's sudden evolution, sends for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern "To lure him to pleasures and to gather / As much as from occasion you can glean" (Hamlet 2.2.15-16). On the surface this may seem like a familial act of concern for his nephew's well-being, but just as Hamlet plays a role, so does Claudius. Continuously throughout the play, Claudius offers an expression of compassion only when Gertrude and the others are present. His real commitments concern not the mental clarity of young Hamlet's mind, but the advancement of his fortunes and the increase in the frequency of visits to his incestuous bed. As Claudius himself shouts in 3.3, his reasons for usurping the throne are not to improve the lives of his brother's family, but for "My crown, my ambition, and my queen" (Hamlet 3.3.55). So, when Claudius says “To lure him to pleasures” (Hamlet 2.2.15), this is a compassionate speech front aimed at specifically pleasing Queen Gertrude; his next line, "to gather / As much as you can glean from occasion" (Hamlet 2.2.15-16) also appeals to the queen's concern for her son, but overtly reflects Claudius's fears and anxieties that the delusional Hamlet could upset his newly acquired kingdom. Claudio constantly pretends tohaving this kind of compassion for Hamlet in order to appease his queen, but when she is not present he devises how to justify sending Hamlet to England, and later with Laertes on how to successfully and permanently dispatch him. But with so much overwhelming evidence painting Claudius' commitment to Hamlet and Gertrude as subversive, selfish, and disingenuous, it's quite easy to overlook the political impact of King Claudius' reign on the state of Denmark. In the first speech of Claudius' play in 1.2 he immediately establishes a commitment of the state before the family. He acknowledges his brother's death and brandishes him as a once "valiant" being, but then quickly moves on to deal with the problem of the young Norwegian Fortinbras who is planning an attack on Denmark. He gives his messengers Voltimand and Cornelius stern orders, giving them "no personal power / For business with the king beyond the scope" of the commandments of his letters (Hamlet 1.2.36-37). Instead of wallowing in reflection on his brother's death and Hamlet's grief, he places his responsibility to the safety of the general public on a higher pedestal than that of his responsibility to the well-being of his own family. As a result of Claudius' diplomatic efforts, the King of Norway thwarts his young nephew's plans to attack Denmark and Norway, so he agrees to obey King Claudius' will. Claudius not only successfully uses his sovereign power to foil a Norwegian war against the people of Denmark, but also leads them to victory over England which gives them advantages. Claudius alludes to this victory in 4.3 as he says, “Since thy scar seems raw and red / After the Danish sword, and thy free fear / Pays homage to us –” (Hamlet 4.3.64-66); the fact that the scar is “raw and red” implies that the war was recent and fought under his rule, and now the English must in turn serve and pay homage to the power of the Danish king and people. This victory is another political victory for the state of Denmark under Claudius' rule. While Claudius may fail at home but succeed politically as a ruler, King Lear offers no such victories on either front. He begins the play in 1.1 with a blatant contempt for both his daughters' interest and the kingdom of Great Britain, dividing the country into sections by inheritance on the basis of a false show of love which he himself invents to fondle his own ego. But when his only loyal daughter Cordelia refuses to join the game of shameful deception with her sisters Regan and Goneril, Lear denounces and banishes Cordelia, saying, "for we / have no such daughter, nor shall we ever see / that face of hers ". again” (Lear 1.1.266-269). The ever-loyal Earl of Kent attempts to peacefully intervene in Lear's brazen denunciation of Cordelia, but Lear then banishes Kent as well, calling him a "vassal" and an "unbeliever", threatening to kill him if he does not disappear from the land within. ten days (Lear 1.1.164-181). Lear's contemptuous and reproachful remarks directed at Cordelia and Kent must be interpreted as a failure to fulfill his paternal duties towards his daughter and as a failure to respect the apparent interests of Britain as a whole. As we find out later, Goneril and Regan have no love for their father and demonstrate this on multiple occasions by putting him out in the rain and plotting his death. But it is Cordelia who proves humble, grateful and full of compassion despite her father's actions towards her, but Lear does not extend his care to Cordelia, only because she does not wish to take part in the artificial spectacle to make an offering. his favors. His selfishness and self-interest also have the, 2009.