Claudius Guilt Fever Chart

Guilty

Claudius Guilt Fever Chart

"Oh, my offense is rank. It smells to heaven. It hath the primal eldest curse upon 't, a brother's murder. Pray I can not. Though inclinations be as sharp as will, my stronger guilt defeats my stronger intent, and, like a man to double business bound, I stand in pause where I shall first begin, and both neglect."

Act III, Scene III, Line 37

Claudius' confession to heaven literally shows all the guilt in the world. He confesses to not only the murder but also confesses to his guilt overruling his intentions in his life. This is take to show how he is acting from guilt instead of actually acting rationally when it comes to Hamlet.

"How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience! The harlot's cheek, beautied with plastering art, is not more ugly to the thing that helps it than is my deed to my most painted word. I heavy burden!"

Act III, Scene I, Line 54

Claudius confesses to feelings of guilt, and taking into consideration the spying he just did and Polonius' speech about God and Heaven, it is most likely regarding the murder of King Hamlet and a true confession of being the murderer.

75%

"Give me some light, away!"

Act III, Scene II, Line 254

Claudius had this reaction after watching the play murder Hamlet set up. This reaction showsa guilty side of Claudius due to him physically standing up and ordering the play to stop. However this is not the moth guilty side of Claudius since it is not explicitly said why he acted this way.

"...by letters congruing to tha effect, the present death of Hamlet. Do it, England, for like the hectic in my blood he rages, and thou must cure me.Till I know 'tis done, howe'er my haps, my joyswere ne'er begun."

Act IV, Scene III, Line 66

Claudius is sending Hamlet to be killed by England without Hamlet's knowedge. You don't send someone to be murdered if you love and care about them. This is a purly selfish act committed by Claudius in order to keep control within his own life and relieve the guilt Hamlet is pullingout of him.

"Follow him at foot. Tempt him with speed aboard. Delay it not. I'll have him hence tonight. Away! For everything is sealed and done that else leans on the affair. Pray you make haste.

Act IV, Scene III, Line 56

Claudius is sending Hamlet to England, a place Denmark has long standing tension with. He is sending Hamlet there to get rid of Hamlet's presence in his life and allow for him to be free of being found guilty if something got out.

"So you shall. And where the offense is, let the great axe fall. I pray you, go with me."

Act IV, Scene V, Line 178

Claudius is deflecting the fact that he committed the offense of murder the same as Hamlet, yet is only acknowledging Hamlet's act. This not only speaks of guilt due to Claudius swearing to Laertes the murderer will die, but also showcases Claudius' morals since he is willing to kill those around him in order to advance in his own life.

"And let the kettle to the trumpet speak, the trumpet to the cannoneer without, the cannons to the heavens, the heavens to earth, "now the king dunks to Hamlet." Come, begin..."

Act V, Scene II, Line 262

Again, this is a plateau moment for Claudius since he isn't actually portraying any guilt yet is drinking to the fact that Hamlet is going to die. The guilty conscious of Claudius is gone, but after everyting the readers have seen, there isno way to not see guilt in every move Claudius makes.

"Gertrude, do not drink.... It is the poisoned cup. It is too late."

Act V, Scene II, Line 286

Claudius just accidentally poisoned his love, Gertrude, and is feeling the emotional repercussions that come from it, which include guilt for the situation and also guilt forkilling his queen.

"I love your father, and we love ourself. And that, I hope, will teach you to imagine-"

Act IV, Scene VII, Line 34

This is classic guilt tripping, Claudius is making it seem like he had no role in the death of Pololnius even though he murdered King Hamlet to start Young Hamlet's spiral. By guilt tripping Laertes to believe he is innocent he is deflecting his emotions onto those around him.

"And for his death no wind of blame shall breathe, but even his mother shall uncharge the practice and call it accident."

Act IV, Scene VII, Line 64

At this moment Claudius begins to plateau in regards to how guilty he is acting. All of his actions have aspects of guilt, like the quote above, however they are not fully ridden with guilt. In this scene the guilt comes from the fact that Claudius is planning to kill his own stepson because he is scared he will be exposed for murdering King Hamlet.

Death occurs here

"The other motive why to a public count I might not go, is the great love the gender bear him... so that my arrows, too slightly timbered for so loud a wind, would have reverted to my bow again, and not where I had aimed them."

Act IV, Scene VII, Line 16

In this scene Claudius is not actually portraying guilt however, he is acting out of guilt by pushing everything he is guilty of ont Hamlet. The public loves Hamlet so much so that is why he can't be prosecuted but Claudius only usesthis to defend how it will hurt him if he goes after Hamlet.

50%

"For your intent in going back to school in Wittenburg, it is most retrograde it our desire. And we beseech you, bend you to remain here in the cheer and comfort of our eye..."

Act I, Scene II, Line 112

Claudius is blatantly ignoring Hamlet's requests to go back to school and is basically forcing him to stay in Denmark. This is so he can keep an eye on Hamlet and keep his ducks in order

"Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety-which we do tender as we dearly grieve for that which thou hast done- must send thee hence with fiery quickness."

Act IV, Scene III, Line 40

After Claudius' confession of guilt while praying he is going to act guiltfully due to his coping with Polonius' death. He is not completely guilty in this scene but he is sending Hamlet to England in order to protect himsef but it masking that it is for the safety of the country and Hamlet.

25%

"Her father and myself (lawful espials) will so bestow ourselves that, seeing unseen, we may of their encounter frankly judge, and gather by him, as he is behaved, if 't be the affliction of his love or no that thus he suffers of."

Act III, Scene I, Line 33

Claudius spying on Hamlet to figure out what is making him crazy is both caring and guilty. On one hand, he is genuinely concerned and trying to get to the bottom of everything for Hamlet's sake. On the other hand, he is also going to find out if Hamlet knows aything about whathe has done.

"Tis' a fault to heaven, a fault against the dead, a fault to nature, to reason most absurd, whose common theme is death of fathers..."

Act I, Scene II, Line 101

Claudius is projecting feelings onto Hamlet in this scene by saying his mourning actions are "faults to heaven." This does not explicitly show guilt, but in this moment he is creeping more towardsguilty conscious actions compared to caring motivations.

"... that you vouchsafe your rest here in our court some little time so by your companies to fraw him onto pleasures and to gather so much as from occasion you may glean, whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus that, opened, lies within out remedy."

Act II, Scene II, Line 13

While Claudius is actively scheming to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spy on Hamlet to see when he is doing, which is quite guilty, his final remark in this quote is insinuating that he is doing it to help Hamlet

Neutral

"And can you by no drift of conference get from him why he puts on this confusion, grating so harshly all his days of quiet with turbulent and dangerous lunacy?"

Act III, Scene I, Line 1

In this scene Claudius is looking for information about Hamlet's behavior from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern which shows how he is keeping tabs on Hamlet, both to keep him safe and also cover for his own emotions and actions.

"He tells me, my dear Gertrude, he hath found the head and source of all your son's distemper."

Act II, Scene II, Line 54

Claudius is working towards figuring out what is wrong with Hamlet, and in this scene seems genuinely concerned to the point her tells Gertrude.

25%

"How is it that the clouds still hang on you?"

Act I, Scene II, Line 66

Claudius is conversing with his family and the Hamlet shows almost a gloomy attitude. Claudus' response does insituating that he cares for Hamlet, asking the pertinent question of Hamlet's mood, yet the tone used is almost cynical and degrading.

"How fares our cousin Hamlet?"

Act III, Scene II, Line 85

Claudius has no tone revealing any guilt in this specific scene, the only reason Claudius is not at 100% caring is because of the previous scene where Claudius is confessing his guilt and his past of sying on Hamlet.

50%

75%

Caring

Progression of Acts throughout Hamlet

Driving question: Does King Claudius actually care about Hamlet or is he just acting out of guilt for killing King Hamlet?