Claudius and Creon: the Political Animals

In his Politics, Aristotle believes that “man is by nature a political animal” (9). He goes on to elaborate that the political animal articulates language in order to manipulate the people around him (11). Claudius from William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet of Prince of Denmark and Creon from Jean Anouilh’s Antigone are the best representation of such political animals. These villains use words to persuade people, to control situations, and to maintain power. Only in analyzing their eloquence can we fully appreciate the way they achieve their purpose.

Both Claudius and Creon are proficient in convincing their rebels to follow their way of reasoning. In Claudius’ case, a good example would be that he uses Laertes to kill Hamlet. When Laertes returns from France to avenge his father’s death, Claudius traps the young fury into his plan. First, Claudius puts himself into the victims position by acknowledging to Laertes that Hamlet not only killed Polonius but also the King as well. This troubles Laertes’ conscience of natural social order: “So crimeful and so capital in nature” (4.7.8). The next step, through revealing to Laertes the difficulty of punishing his beloved Queen’s son and prince of the nation, Claudius skilfully shifts the burden to Laertes. When Laertes welcomes revenge, Claudius changes his words to “we” and brings up his plan. He praises Laertes for his fencing skills which can take Hamlet down, and suddenly turn to challenge him: “Laertes, was your father dear to you? / Or are you like the painting of a sorrow, / A face without a heart” (4.7.122-124)? From that moment, Laertes is completely captured by Claudius.

Likewise, Creon demonstrates his convincing skills by continuously confronting Antigone. In fact, the heart of Anouilh’s play is a debate, and Creon’s opponent is an idealistic heroine who chooses death without a sign of concession and compromise. Creon launches out into a series of attempts to defend himself and detected her purpose. To add to his reasoning, Creon changes his tone emotionally and thoughtfully: “Don’t think that I am not just as offended as you are by the thought of that meat rotting in the sun….I admit that I am doing is childish. But if the featherheaded rabble I govern are to understand what’s what, that stench has got to fill the town for a month” (48)! Creon fails the conversation at the end, but as Creon promised: “I did everything I could to save her, Haemon. I used every argument. I swear I did….She wanted to die” (61). The reason he fails is not his persuading skills but Antigone’s inhuman nature.

Aside from their interpersonal skills, Claudius and Creon are also skilled in using eloquence to control situation through smoothing out the critical circumstance and turn the scales in favour of their kingship. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, when Claudius holds court, he clarifies his authority and his marriage very skilfully to the council:

“Though yet of Hamlet our brother’s death

The memory be green, and that it is befitted

…

That we with wisest sorry think on him,

Together with remembrance of ourselves.

Therefore our sometime sister, now our Queen,

Th’imperial jointress of this waklike state,

Have we, as’ twere with a defeated joy. (1. 2. 1-10)

Claudius explains to the court that the country needs to get back on track from the old King’s death, because the nation is threatened by foreign invasion, and his marriage will not only strengthen the inter-family ties but also the national stability. In only a few lines, Claudius turns all the adverse effects into favourable conditions, and makes his new title of king and incestuous marriage legal.  

Similarly, Creon is also conversant with altering situation. When he reveals to Antigone that the “whole business is nothing but politics” (Anouilh 48), Antigone becomes furious and shouts at him: “Animals, eh, Creon! What a king you could be if only men were animals!” (51). Facing her contempt and loudness, Creon calms her down earnestly. As he pleaded: “I want to make one last appeal. I want to be sure that you know what you are doing as well as I know what I am doing. Do you know what you are dying for? Do you know the sordid story…” (52). Creon discloses the whole story about how Antigone’s two scoundrel brothers plotted to murder their father, and how he was forced to choose one to bury and the other to rot randomly based on political strategy. That is the only moment in the play that Creon’s near success veers in his lengthy persuasions.

It comes as no surprise that both Kings maintain their power through their political intelligence. They consolidate their power in various ways because they have different situations. Shakespeare’s Claudius is born to be a political genius and he becomes King by murdering his brother. Even “he begins his new life by striving to wipe out all memory of the deed, he goes not speak of it even to himself” (Johns 89), he has to choose to pretend appear genial toward Hamlet because he knows his enemy Hamlet is a dangerous and intelligent avenger. In order to urge Hamlet to stay within his control, he ingratiates Hamlet with paternal tone: “And we beseech you bend you to remain / Here in the cheer and comfort of our eyd, / Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son” (1.2.110-121). But when he sends Hamlet to England for death, he delivers his order to England full of king’s dignity and tyranny: 

And England, if my love thou hold’st at aught

As my great power thereof may give three sense

Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red

After the Danish sword, and thy free awe

…

The present death of Hamlet. Do it. England. (4.3.68-74)

Claudius shifts his attitude by pressing his power to England’s King as a sovereign Monarch, and commands him to follow his instruction concisely and decisively.

On the other hand, Anouilh’s Creon maintains his power laboriously and aesthetically. Creon is originally an artist and acquires power posteriorly. As a result, he does his job like a “conscientious workman” (11) and possesses his speech quite diversely with Claudius. Through the play, Creon keeps on reiterating his political strategy and social order, such as: Thebes need a king who can devote himself to “introducing a little order into this absurd kingdom” (43). Once he illustrates the importance of his authority, he become a natural at the work. As he paints: “Somebody had to agree to captain the ship….the mast was splitting, the wind was howling, the sails were beginning to rip….You shout an order, and if one man refuses to obey, you shoot straight into the mob” (50). Creon visualizes his supremacy in an artistic way and it is effective to the headstrong adolescent girl Antigone.

Two thousand years ago, Aristotle has clearly defined man’s “political animal” characteristics in Politics. Claudius and Creon have proved that the eloquence of “man alone of the animals possesses” (11) can be used to manipulate people, control situations, and maintain power. The gift of their political intelligence enables these two villains to rise to the top of their societies and become undefeatable by their protagonists. The interesting thing is that their eloquence allows them to be extraordinary attractive characters in the literary history for decades.

Work Cited

Anouilh, Jean.  Antigoni.  Fakenham:  Fakenham Press Limited,  1981.  Print.

Aristotle .  Politics.  Cambridge:  Harvard University Press,  1959.  Print.

Jones, Howard M.  The King In Hamlet.  Austin:  University of Texas Bulletin,  1918.  Print.

Shakespeare, William.  Hamlet.  New York:  Simon & Schuster Paperbacks,  1992.  Print.