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''Claudius makes a good king. He is a careful ruler and a loving husband, providing stability for both his country and wife.'' ''Murderer of the rightful king, Claudius is the play's hateful, lying villain.'' What justification is there in the text to support these to views? What is your opinion of the way Shakespeare presents Claudius? From reading these statements it is clear that they both show contrasting views on the presentation of King Claudius. The first view sees Claudius in a very good light, saying he is a diligent ruler and an affectionate husband, where as the second view describes Claudius as an unpleasant, deceitful villain. Even though there is a contrast in views, there is evidence in the text for both of them. When Shakespeare was writing Hamlet, he based Claudius on the Jutish chieftain Feng who appears in Chronicon Lethrense and in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum. According to Saxo, Feng...

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