King Claudius and Laertes

After Hamlet kills Polonius, Laertes' father, Laertes goes to the Kingdom in attempts to gain the thrown. Instead, Claudius uses Laertes' pain against him, convincing him to carry out a duty he doesn't want the blame for while also pleasing his personal agenda. Similar to the death of Hamlet's father, Claudius questions Laertes' love for his father: "Laertes was your father dear to you? Or are you like a painting of sorrow, a face without a heart?" (Act 4, Scene 7). This appears directly as an insult to Laertes, as Claudius assumes that he pretends to love his father since he has done nothing to rectify his death. By questioning his love for his father, Claudius guilts Laertes into this action as a sense of pride and duty to his father: "To show yourself your father's son in deed more than in words?" (Act 4, Scene 7). Claudius wants Laertes to go after Hamlet for killing his father, and manipulates him to do so by guilting him and his self pride. By murdering Hamlet, Laertes will fulfill his duty to his father in action rather than words.