Hamlet III

Laertes has returned to Denmark and now seeks vengeance for the death of his father, Polonius. King Claudius is particularly in support of Laertes, claiming the revenge would be just.

This justification would condemn King Claudius himself, due to his own murder of Hamlet's father. This irony is extremely apparent and serves to illustrate Claudius's hypocrisy and craftiness, bending the situation and rules as he sees fit. He has no qualms about manipulating other people and is quite well-versed in doing so. This does certainly fit his character of being a cunning man capable of murdering his own brother and to go to lengths to defend his ill-gotten power. However, he is not so cold and calculating as to remain in his calm state of mind when Hamlet put on the play intended to contrive some sort of guilt from King Claudius. In all respects otherwise, had not the supernatural intervened in the form of apparitions, King Claudius would've gotten away with it too (had it not been for some meddling 30-year olds).