In contrast, Claudius’s public speech style is to use long speeches, much of which is stained with contradictions, which demonstrates his guilt. Claudius states, “though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death the memory be green, and that it us befitted to bare our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom to be contracted in one brow of woe.” (726) Here Claudius is promoting mourning of the entire kingdom for the recent death of his brother. However, shortly after, he contradicts himself. He scolds Hamlet for mourning his father, even though he told the entire kingdom that they should be mourning. Claudius thinks it is inappropriate for Hamlet to continue to mourn for his father, as death is a common part of life. Claudius says, “To do obsequious sorrow: but to persever in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness; ‘tis unmanly grief.” (728) Another contradiction in Claudius’s speech is when he says, “ With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight and dole.” (726) Claudius is clearly implicating himself because he is saying that there is amusement in death and sadness in marriage, which foreshadows that he was responsible for his brother’s death and his marriage is not sincere. Furthermore, admist his long speeches, his ignorance causes him to show his guilt. Claudius tells Hamlet, " you are the most immediate to our throne” (729). This again shows that Claudius is responsible for his brother’s death because he is saying that Hamlet should be the King of Denmark. Thereby, Claudius implicates himself due to his long contradictory speeches and ignorance.
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