Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy Hamlet features a complex web of characters whose motivations are often murky and difficult to decipher. However, the line uttered by Claudius in Act III Scene II tells us much about the character’s inner thoughts and fears.

The scene opens with Hamlet creating a play, The Mousetrap, in order to test Claudius’ guilt. After the play-within-a-play is finished, Claudius breaks into a cold sweat and, speaking to himself, utters the line:

“Where love is great, the littlest doubts are fear;”…[1]

The line, which offers a glimpse into Claudius’ inner thoughts, implies that despite his great love and devotion to Gertrude, he nevertheless fears his own fate. Claudius’ doubts and fears become further illuminated when we look at the other events in the same scene. Here, Claudius attempts to discern Hamlet’s true intentions and later in the scene he lays out his plan to send Hamlet away in fear that the prince has discovered the truth about the murder of King Hamlet[2].

Ultimately, the line uttered by Claudius in Act III Scene II serves as a window into the King’s inner turmoil and fears. It is clear that even in the face of his great love for Gertrude, he still fears his own fate, further corroborating the conclusion that Claudius fears his own fate.

[1] Shakespeare-online.com, “Hamlet: Act 3 Scene 2”, accessed May 19, 2023, http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet_3_2.html.

[2] Myshakespeare.com, “Act 3, Scene 2: Full Scene Modern English – Hamlet”, accessed May 19, 2023, https://myshakespeare.com/hamlet/act-3-scene-2-full-scene-modern-english.