Similarities Between Hamlet And Claudius

Hamlet and Claudius have similarities beyond the sharing of blood and differences that sever the family bond. Hamlet’s suicidal tendencies and confliction of murder bubble up in his monologue while Claudius is battling a half guilty conscious and the urge to pray. These thoughts of bring rise to similar emotions, however Hamlet and Claudius come to different resolutions at the end of each of their monologues. They both dissect the source of their resolve and in turn raise the question what is the greatest source of motivation for each of them.

By observing the monologues with a superficial glance, one is lead to an arguably superficial motivation for each character. Hamlet seeks the sweet release of death and questions that if he were to “end the heart-ache” due to his father’s passing, that it would be worth the payment of his soul in Hell. The motivation of the contemplation for suicide then is perceived as heart-ache, and the tone of it underlies the monologue, such as when Hamlet mentions “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” implying a poor drawing of fate due to his father’s murder (3.1.58). The other option debated in the monologue, to murder Claudius rather than himself, does not arise until much later in it, it being first referenced in

The connections that are made in Hamlet between Hamlet and Claudius and the similar sources of motivation emphasizes the differences between the two characters. While the motivation is similar for both, the cause and result of it diverges when it is viewed at beyond its core meaning. Hamlet’s sources of motivation end up causing him to have the resolve to go kill Claudius, while Claudius’s motivation causes him to attempt to save himself by praying. The two characters’ thoughts work off each other throughout the play, even if the characters themselves are not aware of what the other is