Theme in Hamlet: Kingliness

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, we observe the theme "Kingliness," which concerns the question: what makes someone a good king?  With the death of Hamlet's father, the new King becomes his brother, Claudius, whose faithfulness comes into question when he marries Gertrude, Hamlet's mother.  Claudius is someone who enjoys flattery and power, and throughout his statements associated with Kingliness throughout the play, we can see how he manipulates others into believing that the fault lies with them and not the King.

Claudius:
Act I, scene ii, lines 6-7
"That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves"
--  Right after his brother dies, Claudius makes this grand speech trying to align himself with the Danes by representing everyone.  Although Claudius seems to be sorrowful, he immediately begins to assert his new title in these lines.  Here, he uses the "royal we," which refers to a single person holding a high office.  "Ourselves" here means "myself."  This quote is basically saying that while it's appropriate to mourn the late King, he must still think of himself, and therefore he has married Gertrude, his brother's wife.  He explains this very briefly, almost as if doesn't want people to recognize that something fishy is going on, before proceeding with matters of the state.

Horatio:
Act I, scene ii, line 186
'A was a goodly king
-- Horatio skipped school to attend the King's death because he wanted to express his admiration for the late king.  I believe this is representative of what people outside of the monarchy thought of the king.  Horatio is trying to repay his respects to the King as well as his classmate, Hamlet, who is overcome with emotion from the death of his father.  Horatio is a very good friend to Hamlet, and that consistency and loyalty to him remains throughout the play.

Rosencrantz:
Act III, scene iii, lines 11-23
--  Claudius is expressing his dislike for Hamlet and the danger he represents to him, to he wants Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take him to England.  Rosencrantz, in these lines, is creating a link between the King and his people.  He is trying to express that when a King dies, it has the ability to take down his followers with him.  A King has influence in the country's lives, and with his death comes unrest.  The citizens aren't really sure what to expect from the new leadership.

Claudius:
Act IV, scene iii, lines 4-5
And where 'tis so, th' offender's scourge is weighed, but never the offense
--  Claudius recognizes the power that Hamlet has over him, so he has to carefully figure out how to remove Hamlet from the picture without causing civil unrest.  The people love Hamlet, and as this quote states, the citizens will pay more attention to the punishment Hamlet receives, rather than the crime he has committed.  Claudius knows that he must act calm and "kingly," in his orders so he does not upset the people even more, because they find him to be deceitful.