Claudius is the plotter and schemer par excellence. He plots and schemes to become king by murdering his brother. Then he manages to marry his brother's widow and to get elected king, thereby cheating young Hamlet out of his rightful inheritance of the crown. When Hamlet returns from Wittenberg, Claudius keeps him a virtual prisoner at Elsinore because he naturally suspects that his nephew might be thinking of plotting to overthrow him. Hamlet is young, melancholy, solitary, introspective. Claudius misinterprets Hamlet's moodiness as dangerous brooding. The King's fears for his safety motivate him to spy on Hamlet by every possible means. He uses Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern. and no doubt countless courtiers and members of the household staff to try to find out what Hamlet is thinking and planning. Hamlet decides to pretend to be crazy, mainly in order to keep the King from guessing what he knows and what he is planning. So it is Claudius who sets the plans in motion for the purpose of protecting his life and his position as King. It takes Hamlet a long time to grow up, so to speak, and to gather the resolution to take the action he is obliged to take, which is to kill his villainous uncle. Hamlet's procrastination causes tragedy for many besides himself. By the end of the play all the principals are dead except for Horatio.
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