Manipulating Laertes

King Claudius manipulates Laertes to fulfill his desire to kill Hamlet by using rhetorical questions and clever language. Claudius instills questions in Laertes’ mind which provoke Laertes to prove his devotion to his father. Since father/son love is a common theme in the play, Claudius employs that Laertes must prove his love for his father by fulfilling the revengeful task of killing Hamlet. Claudius accuses: “Laertes, was your father dear to you? Or are you like the painting of sorrow, a face without a heart.” Claudius infers that instead of Laertes grieving about the death of Polonius, the time should be spent for killing Hamlet to prove his love for his father. Claudius, thus, manipulates an innocent Laertes to fulfill his revengeful tactic to kill Hamlet