Constantine P. Cavafy

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King Claudius Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHDGIGJKLMGGNO PKGQRRREGLSTUVGGWEOC LXYFZOA2KB2GLGGC2D2E 2F2GYG2H2GI2YGG2PJ2E FELGEGGECK2L2GM2M2N2 GEGO2P2GQ2R2

My mind now moves to distant placesA
I'm walking the streets of ElsinoreB
through its squares and I recallC
the very sad storyD
that unfortunate kingE
killed by his nephewF
because of some fanciful suspicionsG
In all the homes of the poorH
he was mourned secretlyD
they were afraid of FortinbrasG
A quiet gentle manI
a man who loved peaceG
his country had suffered muchJ
from the wars of his predecessorK
he behaved graciously toward everyoneL
humble and great alikeM
Never high handed he always sought adviceG
in the kingdom's affairsG
from serious experienced peopleN
Just why his nephew killed himO
was never actually explainedP
The prince suspected him of murderK
and the basis of his suspicion was thisG
walking one night along an ancient battlementQ
he thought he saw a ghostR
and he had a conversation with this ghostR
what he supposedly heard from the ghostR
were certain accusations against the kingE
It must have been a fit of fancyG
an optical illusionL
the prince was nervous in the extremeS
while he was studying at WittenbergT
many of his fellow students thought him a maniacU
A few days later he wentV
to his mother's room to discussG
certain family affairs And suddenlyG
while he was talking he lost his self controlW
started shouting screamingE
that the ghost was there in front of himO
But his mother saw nothing at allC
And that same day for no apparent reasonL
he killed an old gentleman of the courtX
Since the prince was due to sail for EnglandY
in a day or twoF
the king hustled him off post hasteZ
in order to save himO
But the people were so outragedA2
by the monstrous murderK
that rebels rose upB2
and tried to storm the palace gatesG
led by the dead man's sonL
the noble lord LaertesG
a brave young man also ambitiousG
in the confusion some of his friends called outC2
'Long live King Laertes 'D2
Later once the kingdom had calmed downE2
and the king was lying in his graveF2
he was killed by his nephew the princeG
who never went to EnglandY
but escaped from the ship on his way thereG2
a certain Horatio came forwardH2
and tried to exonerate the princeG
by telling some stories of his ownI2
He said that the voyage to EnglandY
had been a secret plot and ordersG
had been given to kill the prince thereG2
but this was never clearly ascertainedP
He also spoke of poisoned wineJ2
wine poisoned by the kingE
It's true that Laertes spoke of this tooF
But couldn't he have been lyingE
Couldn't he have been mistakenL
And when did he say all thisG
While dying of his wounds his mind reelingE
his talk seemingly deliriousG
As for the poisoned weaponsG
it was shown later that the poisoningE
hadn't been done by the king at allC
Laertes himself had done itK2
But Horatio whenever pressedL2
would produce even the ghost as a witnessG
the ghost said this and thatM2
the ghost did this and thatM2
Because of all this though letting Horatio talkN2
most people in their heartsG
pitied the poor kingE
who with all these ghosts and fairy talesG
was unjustly killed and disposed ofO2
Yet Fortinbras who profitedP2
by winning the throne so easilyG
gave full attention and weightQ2
to every word Horatio saidR2

Constantine P. Cavafy



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