Part one of term paper
When at the beginning of Act I scene ii of Hamlet we find that Claudius, and not young Hamlet is king of Denmark, we are surprised. Part of this surprise comes from our anticipation that the son of the old king should be the natural heir to the throne. Shakespeare takes advantage of this expectation by naming his prince 'Hamlet'. So when, a ...

Part two of term paper
... note" that Hamlet "is most immediate" to his throne (I, ii, 115). This, coupled with the fact that Hamlet was at Wittenberg when his father died, are the two conditions that enabled Claudius to seize power. But taking control and remaining in control are two different things Claudius has some explaining to do, and this is precisely what occupies him for most of the second scene. It is practical concerns, Claudius argues, that have forced him to become king. There is of course the threat of ...