In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, revenge is a common theme throughout the play. Almost every major male character in the play, whether Prince Hamlet, Laertes, King Hamlet's ghost, or King Fortinbras of Norway, acts with the purpose of avenging a death. The obvious exception to this trend in the play is Claudius, king of Denmark and brother of King Hamlet. Instead of possessing a noble or vengeful purpose throughout the play, Claudius is instead motivated by more evil qualities such as his greed and deceitful nature. But despite his established role as Prince Hamlet's antagonist, Claudius's degree of true evil is even more in question. Claudius displays traits that stray from the traditional idea of ​​a heartless, animal-like villain working for evil, even representing evil qualities of the most disgusting types that ultimately overwhelm his human soul. This complexity in Claudius' character helps Shakespeare transcend the traditional villain. Unlike traditional villains, the facts suggest that Claudius has a conscience, although he doesn't follow it. Although his negative qualities ultimately outweigh the good ones he attempts to magnify to the public, the King displays some qualities such as his ability to care, love, and express his guilt that are somewhat hidden from the Danish people. He seems to think highly of Polonius' opinion and is also kind to Ophelia. His love for Queen Gertrude is one of the most intriguing aspects of the play because it could be seen as his tragic flaw. He explains to Laertes why he does not seek justice against Hamlet after killing Polonius, saying, "The queen, his mother, lives almost for her looks... my virtue or my plague... I could not for her" ( 4.7, 13-18). This reluctance to break free… middle of paper… works to create a sort of new kind of villain. Although Claudio is a lustful, greedy, corrupt, manipulative, and deceiving assassin who will stop at nothing to achieve his powerful ambitions, he also has a lighter, caring, and loving side that he shows to the audience. Although unbeknownst to the public, his omissions of guilt would have been seen as positive were it not for his immediate renunciation of obtaining a pardon in favor of maintaining his power, his queen, and his fortunes. It's things like this that make Claudio such a complex character. He recognizes that there are right and wrong things to do, but he often refuses to do right things because doing wrong is more beneficial to him. He is a selfish villain who does not praise the use of evil but rather the results. By describing Claudius in this way, Shakespeare manages to transcend the traditional view of a villain.