Comparison of Hamlet and Claudius

Relationships are very important today and they where very important in the past. Each relationship is different, some are good and some are bad. Good relationships can last a long time and sometimes forever but bad relationships can end very quickly. In some cases, relationships determine the direction life will take and they can change everything. Although love and relationships can sometimes be wonderful and happy, they can sometimes lead to things such as madness, suicide and depression. This is the case in Hamlet. A comparison of the love relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet and Gertrude and Claudius, will illustrate that betrayal, selfishness and lack of love cause the downfall of
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Lack of love also plays a major role. Throughout the play,
Gertrude and Claudius seem to be very much in love, they are constantly kissing and hugging but when their relationship is observed more closely, it is obvious that this is not the case. The marriage between Getrude and Claudius takes place just two months after the death of Gertrudes past husband. Although at times Claudius seems to love Gertrude, in the final act of the play he proves that he does not and never did love her. When Gertrude picks up the poisoned goblet of wine, Claudius knows that she will die if he does not do something but his only words to prevent her from drinking the poison are, "Gertrude, do not drink."(V, ii, 272). If he would have said, "Gertrude, it is poison, do not drink" she would not have died , but he did not love her enough to ruin his reputation to save her life. Much like Claudius, Hamlet seems to love Gertrude at the beginning of the play but later on Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius,
Ophelia's father, and feels no remorse for doing so. Soon after Polonius's death Ophelia goes mad. hamlet does not care at all, he does not even seem to notice. If Hamlet loved Ophelia he would have tried to help her get through the hard time she was having, but he did not. A relationship can only be good and last for a long time if both the parties are in love. Hamlet and Claudius did not truly love Gertrude and Ophelia and that is the tragic reason for the end of
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