Patriarchy in HamletWilliam Shakespeare's Hamlet employs the concept of patriarchy in several scenarios and each at different levels. These levels of patriarchy, even for the same character, vary in their role in the play. Three patriarchal characters are easily identifiable: the ghost of Hamlet's father, King Claudius, and the chamberlain Polonius. Despite their differences, each patriarchy displays values ​​and actions that are key factors in bringing about Hamlet's catastrophic end. Claudius fills the role of a father figure both as king of a nation and as stepfather to young Hamlet, whose father has died unexpectedly. It is later revealed that Claudius is responsible for the death of his brother, King Hamlet. This very act of murder to obtain the throne and marry one's sister-in-law, an act amounting to incest in the eyes of their society, shows from the beginning the poor quality of monarchy that can be expected from Claudius. The young Fortinbras of Norway believes that since King Hamlet is dead, he is entitled to his inheritance of land, and rightly so since the contract was made between King Hamlet and Fortinbras' father. Young Fortinbras obviously represents some sort of threat to the kingdom, a thought also expressed by Horace and Bernard as they stand vigil in the opening of the play (1.1.80-125). Claudio doesn't seem to be particularly interested in the matter. He sends two couriers to Fortinbras' ailing uncle asking him to stop Fortinbras and his attack on Denmark. Meanwhile, it seems that Claudio is not rethinking the matter. It's strange that he doesn't more securely guard the kingdom that meant so much to him that he killed his brother to get it. He of all people should know what a... middle of paper...blisher, 1999.Chute, Marchette. "The Story Told in Hamlet." Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardò. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from Shakespeare's Stories. N. p.: EP Dutton, 1956. Homer. “The Odyssey”. The Norton anthology of world masterpieces. Expanded edition in one volume. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. 101-336.Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Norton anthology of world masterpieces. Expanded edition in one volume. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. 1634-726.Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No lines nn.Ovid. "Metamorphosis". The Norton anthology of world masterpieces. Expanded edition in one volume. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997. 684-99.