ENGLISH 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Kronborg, The Younger Generation, Polonius
4 Mar 2017
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The a(cid:374)tago(cid:374)ist of the play a(cid:374)d the (cid:374)e(cid:449) ki(cid:374)g of de(cid:374)(cid:373)ark. Claudius is the (cid:862)s(cid:373)ili(cid:374)g, damned (cid:448)illai(cid:374)(cid:863) of the pie(cid:272)e, a de(cid:448)ious, lustful, a(cid:374)d (cid:272)orrupt politi(cid:272)ia(cid:374) a(cid:374)d (cid:373)aster (cid:373)a(cid:374)ipulator of people and circumstances. Despite the darkness in his soul, his seemingly genuine love for gertrude and his pangs of conscience over his crimes add a more sympathetic dimension to his personality. Gertrude"s secret affair with claudius, her brother-in-law, culminates in their very public marriage. Hamlet, her excessive sensuality and desire for social status motivate her immoral behaviour. Lord chamberlain of the danish court and counselor to king claudius. Polonius is the suspicious and controlling father of ophelia and laertes. He is a self-important, rather (cid:271)u(cid:373)(cid:271)li(cid:374)g s(cid:272)he(cid:373)er a(cid:374)d claudius" (cid:272)hief spy agai(cid:374)st ha(cid:373)let. The spirit of king hamlet, the pri(cid:374)(cid:272)e"s (cid:373)urdered father. The ghost (cid:272)alls upo(cid:374) hamlet to avenge his murder by killing claudius, his uncle/step-father/king, but the true origin of this spirit is never made clear.
