Question

Claudius: ’Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet,

To give these mourning duties to your father:
But, you must know, your father lost a father;
That father lost, lost his; and the survivor bound
In filial obligation for some term
To do obsequious sorrow; but to presever
In obstinate condolement is a course
Of impious stubbornness, ’tis unmanly grief
–Hamlet,
William Shakespeare
How does Shakespeare characterize Claudius in this passage?
Claudius is warm and fatherly.
Claudius is distraught and mournful.
Claudius is detached and critical.
Claudius is lighthearted and joyful.

Answer 1

Claudius is detached and critical.

Answer 2

Answer: Claudius is detached and critical.

Step-by-step explanation:

This is an excerpt from Hamlet, a famous Shakespeare's play about a man (Hamlet) who seeks revenge on his uncle, Claudius, for murdering his father. Claudius is a new king and has also married Hamlet's mother upon his brother's death.

Claudius wants Hamlet to think of him as his new father. Moreover, he is trying to balance the grief over his brother's death and the happiness over his new marriage. Neither is possible, however. In this particular excerpt, Claudius criticizes Hamlet for mourning for so long. He argues that every person must lose a father at certain point, but it is stubborn to mourn for too long. His point is that, if everyone dies eventually, why should we be sad? This makes Claudius detached and critical, as he shows no sympathy for what Hamlet is going through.