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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help
Does Shakespeare really show us that Claudius is a good king?
He has the love of his doting court, but that is hardly high
praise. I've always considered Claudius to be a less-than-
stellar monarch for two reasons: the ease with which Laertes
incites the people to rise up against Claudius (and the
threat of Hamlet doing the same); and Fortinbras' ability
to march on Elsinore without Claudius ever figuring out
what is going on. It strikes me as odd that Claudius would
allow Fortinbras' army free passage across his kingdom to
allegedly fight the Poles a short while after Fortinbras has
expressed a desire to avenge his father's death at the hands
of Hamlet Sr. Fortinbras' duplicity was hardly to be
unexpected, don't you think?Posted by Scott Schiefelbein on April 02, 1997 at 09:19:14
In Reply to "Foiled again" posted by Hamlet on April 01, 1997 at 09:01:58
Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help