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Analyzing The Death Of Polonius In Shakespeare's Hamlet '

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Throughout William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the protagonist, Hamlet, seeks to kill Claudius out of revenge for his father's death. However the death of Polonius is often overlooked and is widely accepted as a mistake made by Hamlet. Polonius is the Lord Chamber under Claudius and helps Claudius manipulate his way to the throne. He is also a controlling father to Laertes and Ophelia. As Claudius becomes more concerned and suspicious about Hamlet, Polonius stays faithful to Claudius by deviously spying on Hamlet. The murder of Polonius is a direct result of his manipulative character. Eric Sterling’s literary criticism entitled “Shakespeare's Hamlet,” focuses on Polonius death and how he wasn’t mistakenly killed by Hamlet. From the series of events that took place directly before Polonius’s death in Act 3 Scene 3, it would have been …show more content…

Furthermore, Sterling points out how it is illogical for hamlet to assume that Claudius is the one behind the curtain as right before Hamlet goes to talk to Gertrude “he passes the kneeling Claudius and mistakenly believes that the king is praying” (Sterling par. 2). This indicates that it would not make sense that Claudius would arrive in Gertrude's Room and hide before Hamlets arrival. In addition Polonius's disapproval of Hamlet for his daughter Ophelia, who Hamlet is in love with, would be another motive for Hamlet to commit this crime. Despite the numerous motives Hamlet has to kill Polonius his ultimate revenge, as instructed by the ghost, is to kill Claudius and “thus, to sanction his murder of Polonius, the prince must pretend that he mistakes the courtier for Claudius” (Sterling par.

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