The transition of the royal family from King Hamlet to King Claudius seemed seamless, but tension within the royal family created some complications. Almost all of Denmark gave their loyalty to the new king without any suspicion of the previous ruler's death. Although Danish citizens are unaware of the fratricide, this fickle allegiance exemplifies Denmark's social and moral decay. Most Danish subjects act out of their own selfish interests and have no convictions. Shakespeare uses Polonius, King Hamlet's former faithful servant, as a microcosm of Denmark's oblivious and hypocritical society as a whole. Polonius, lord chamberlain of Claudius' court and father of Laertes and Ophelia, has good intentions, but tends to be a bit conniving and devious. He often reaches the wrong conclusions and his speeches are comically pompous and long-winded. He is completely incapable of understanding what Hamlet is doing. Trying to stay on Claudius's good side, Polonius satisfies the new king's demands and even jeopardizes the reputation and lives of his own children. Due to his interference in Prince Hamlet's affairs, Polonius ends up dying on his own. Although Polonius had shown great servitude to King Hamlet, Gertrude, and Prince Hamlet, he now serves the very man who killed his former master. Presenting himself to Claudius, this wavering subject gives the new sovereign the utmost respect: “I assure my good lord, I hold my duty as I hold my soul, both towards God and towards my gracious king” (2.2.46-48) . Yes, Polonius does not know that Claudius killed his brother. However, Polonius never wondered how King Hamlet died so suddenly and why his brother married his widow. Without hesitation, this once... middle of paper...nius dies trying to fulfill the king's demands; reasonably, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern suffer a similar fate. It's a rather ignominious end for the king's followers. After Polonius' death, Ophelia loses her mind. Because Hamlet broke her heart, she unknowingly kills herself. Outraged, Laertes ends up dying avenging his father's death. However, Laertes realizes that he has not understood the circumstances of Hamlet's situation and asks for forgiveness. Because of his selfishness, Polonius not only brought death upon himself, but also upon his family. A hypocritical and two-faced servant, Polonius portrays many of the ignorant citizens of Denmark at the time. They quickly accepted Claudius as the new king and abandoned the noble king Hamlet. Prince Hamlet, one of the few characters to know the truth, dies for a noble cause while Polonius dies for an ignoble cause.