Ambitious: He craved the throne, and went to great
lengths to obtain--and keep--his position as king once he gets it. No one would murder
and connive quite so much unless they were ruthlessly
ambitious.
Manipulative: Claudius is able to manipulate
other people to do what he wants them to. Take for example Polonius, who does his
bidding all of the time. Also take Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; they used to be
trusted friends of Hamlet's, but under Claudius' manipulation turn into spies and
potential murderers. Then, Laertes is cunningly manipulated into challening and
intending to kill Hamlet.
Selfish: Claudius takes what he
wants, with no concern for others. He murders his brother and woos the queen, all to
obtain the kingdom. Whether this hurts people in the process is of little concern to
him.
Conflicted: One telling scene in the play shows
Claudius on his knees, praying, tormented by his sins. So despite his crimes and
cunning nature, he still has a conscience that afflicts him
occasionally.
Clever: Even though Claudius is able to take
the throne and manipulate people, he is very smart in how he does it. He is aware of
his position and popular opinion, and works around it very well. Instead of having
Hamlet killed for Polonius' murder, he sends Hamlet away on a ship, ordering his death
away from the kingdom where people might rebel. He carefully arranges for Hamlet's
death to look like it had no connection thi himself. He is smart, clever, and uses that
gift to his benefit.
I hope that helped; good
luck!
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