ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Claudius, the usurping king of Denmark, uncle-stepfather of Hamlet, and second husband to Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Detailed explanation-2: -It tells him that Hamlet’s father did not die naturally, but was murdered by his brother Claudius. As the king slept, Claudius put poison into his ear, causing the king a painful death. The ghost tells Hamlet to take revenge on Claudius for murdering his father.

Detailed explanation-3: -Gertrude is Hamlet’s mother and the queen. She married Claudius shortly after her husband died. Old Hamlet is the previous King of Denmark and Hamlet’s father.

Detailed explanation-4: -Claudius is the brother of Old Hamlet and Hamlet’s uncle. After his brother’s death, he married Gertrude and became the King of Denmark and criticises Hamlet for being too upset over the death of his father. Claudius confesses that he murdered his own brother in order to get the crown and marry his wife.

Detailed explanation-5: -Claudius is the antagonist (the enemy of the main character) in the play Hamlet. Claudius is a morally weak villain who values power and material things more than he values others. He differs from other men in the play because he is cunning, lacks morals, and is manipulative.