Download Tragic events are something everyone faces. Such events not only

Tragic events are something everyone faces. Such events not only affect the victim but
also others around them. In the event of a tragedy, there is always someone who is responsible.
In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, tragedies constantly occur, which all originate at one key event.
Claudius can be seen as the one who is responsible for the tragedy of the play. Claudius’ murder
of King Hamlet, frantic actions to cover his tracks, and manipulation of Laertes all made great
contributions to the tragedy of the play.
Claudius’ murder of King Hamlet caused Prince Hamlet to act out of character, which in
turn caused the tragic deaths of Polonius and Ophelia. During Hamlet and Gertrude’s
conversation, Polonius got stabbed while he eavesdropped from behind a hanging wall carpet.
“Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell;/ I took thee for thy better;/ take thy fortune; Thou
find'st to be too busy is some danger.” (3.4, 31 - 33). During the conversation between Hamlet
and Gertrude, Polonius lets his presence in the room be known. Hamlet, who thought it was
Claudius behind the rug, stabbed through the rug in attempts to fulfill his oath to avenge his
father. Although this death may seem to be Hamlet’s fault, it can also be blamed on Claudius.
The event of Polonius’ murder occurred out of Hamlet’s attempt of revenge against Claudius.
After Hamlet stabs the rug, he asks his mother if it is the king who is behind the rug. This reveals
that his original intentions were to stab and kill the king, but it backfired due to Polonius’ being
there. Polonius’ tragic death could have been avoided if Claudius had not killed his brother,
King Hamlet, which would have meant Hamlet would have not needed to take revenge. The loss
of Polonius, affects Ophelia in two ways. At first she becomes deranged and acted very much out
of character; “Well, God 'ild you! They say the owl was a baker's/ daughter. Lord, we know what
we are, but know/ not what we may be. God be at your table!” (4.5, 40 - 42). Then later on in the
play, she commits suicide out of desperation to free herself of her depression; “One woe doth
tread upon another's heel,/ So fast they follow; your sister's drown'd, Laertes.” (4.7, 164 - 165).
Ophelia’s deranged behaviour is caused by the heartbreak she is feeling towards her father’s
death. Due to this behaviour, she does not even make much sense when she talks. This unstable
behaviour later causes her to commit suicide and drown herself. This dreadful death of Ophelia,
can also be blamed on Claudius. Ophelia’s drastic actions of suicide, are caused by the loss of
her father which, as determined previously, is the ultimately the fault of Claudius and his selfish
decision to kill King Hamlet. One can see that root cause to both the tragic deaths of Ophelia and
Polonius was Claudius, and his selfish decision to kill King Hamlet, which in turn, holds
Claudius responsible for the great tragedy of Hamlet.
The frantic choices that Claudius made throughout the play to cover up his tracks make
him more liable for the tragedy of Hamlet. Claudius finds the need to check up on Hamlet and
his behaviour even more than two months after his father, King Hamlet, was murdered;
At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him:
Be you and I behind an arras then;
Mark the encounter: if he love her not
And be not from his reason fall'n thereon,
Let me be no assistant for a state,
But keep a farm and carters. (2.2, 162-167).
Due to Claudius’ actions at the beginning of the play, where he murders King Hamlet, Claudius’
conscience is heavy. He finds the need to cover up all he had done with excuses to remain
unconvinced as well as checks up on Hamlet to make sure he does not expose Claudius for the
murder. Claudius could have easily avoided this trouble from the beginning of the play if he
thought about his actions and how it would affect him and others around him. His failure to do
this caused many deaths and made him responsible for the tragedy of the play. After realizing the
threat Hamlet possesses, having to do with the knowledge of King Hamlet’s death, Claudius tried
to send Hamlet to England to get him executed; “After the Danish sword; and thy free awe/ Pays
homage to us, thou mayst not coldly set/ Our sovereign process, which imports at full,/ By letters
congruing to that effect,/ The present death of Hamlet.” (4.3, 62 - 65). When Claudius realized it
could have been him that was stabbed and killed instead of Polonius, Claudius gets scared. This
caused him to send Hamlet to England in an attempt for Hamlet to be executed there. This
absence of Hamlet also contributes to Ophelia’s death, because Hamlet’s departure added on to
depression she faced, which further lead her to commit suicide. However this backfires and
Hamlet returns. Claudius could have saved himself this wasted effort to protect himself from
being exposed by Hamlet, as well as Ophelia, if he had only thought of the consequences which
he would bring upon himself in the first place before he committed the murder of his brother. It
is clear that, Claudius’ failed attempts to cover his tracks were out of desperation. Yet these
failed attempts contributed to the tragedy of the play, which makes him responsible.
Claudius’ manipulation of Laertes, planted a genuine hate towards Hamlet in Laertes,
which further contributes to the great tragedy in Hamlet. Claudius tries to set a trap for Hamlet,
by pouring poison in a cup for Hamlet to drink during the sword fight however, Gertrude
accidently and unknowingly drinks it. “No, no, the drink, the drink, - O my dear Hamlet, -/ The
drink, the drink! I am poison'd.” (5.2, 299-300). As Gertrude died, she said ‘I have been
poisoned’ which revealed to everyone the evil plotting of Claudius and Laertes. Even though
Gertrude’s death was unintentional, Claudius was responsible for the presence of the poison. The
poisoning of Gertrude ultimately comes back to the murder of King Hamlet. If Claudius had not
committed the murder of King Hamlet, he would not have had to try to Hamlet which would
have prevented the accidental death of Gertrude. However this makes him responsible for the
death of Gertrude, which contributed to the great tragedy of the play. Claudius organizes a sword
fight between Hamlet and Laertes, in which they plot to kill Hamlet. However this plot to kill
Hamlet turns out to be the biggest tragedy in the play where not only Hamlet is killed;
Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee.
I am dead, Horatio. Wretched queen, adieu!
You that look pale and tremble at this chance,
That are but mutes or audience to this act,
Had I but time--as this fell sergeant, death,
Is strict in his arrest--O, I could tell you-But let it be. Horatio, I am dead;
Thou livest; report me and my cause aright
To the unsatisfied. (5.2, 322-329),
but Laertes; “Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric;/I am justly kill'd with mine own
treachery.” (5.2, 296-297), and Claudius; “Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane,/
Drink off this potion: is thy union here?/ Follow my mother.” (5.2, 315-317) also are killed.
Claudius’ plan to kill Hamlet backfires when Hamlet and Laertes get into a scuffle where Hamlet
gets cut with the poisoned sword then cuts Laertes with the poisoned sword when swords get
mixed up. After getting cut, Laertes reveals the existence of poison on the sword, which causes
Hamlet to stab Claudius as well as make him drink the poison, which In turn kills all three men.
This tragic event could have been avoided through Claudius’ actions, in two ways. Either, he
could have been smart and not have committed the murder of his brother, the late King Hamlet,
or seeing that Claudius’ committed murder of the late king becomes known to everyone by the
end of the play, he could have bravely came out and confessed to his tragic mistake and taken his
consequence like a man, rather than die for being a coward. It is evident that, Claudius’
manipulations of Laertes had caused a detrimental effect on the characters, which demonstrated
Claudius’ contribution to the tragedy of Hamlet.
In the Shakespearian play of Hamlet, Claudius can be seen as the one to blame for the
tragedy. Claudius’ murder of King Hamlet, his frantic actions to cover his tracks, and his
manipulation of Laertes all were actions from Claudius which directly contributed to the tragedy.
Even though a tragedy may seem to only affect one person, it later affects many other indirectly.
Whether the event of a tragedy is big or small, there is always a loss in such an event, and there
is always one who can be held responsible.