lanselos_du_lac

It makes sense -- Claudius could understand only half of Lancelot's prideful reputation by Laertes's insistence that he was aloof from shyness. The other half was avoiding those who already disliked them, which Claudius himself found infuriating. As if there were no need to concern himself with the likes of Claudius, as if his opinion held no weight, as if Claudius had no reason to be invested. He can imagine the people of Camelot seeing a man who never seems to stoop to their level, and calling him arrogant.

So perhaps there are things Claudius can't learn simply asking other people what they make of Lancelot. "Sagramore has a natural charm," Claudius says, in answer to his question. "He works at it, of course. People seldom understand how much work it takes to be liked, particularly if they never try at it. But he's still a natural at some things I'm not. There are cues he can read without trying, which means he can a bit more daring, if only a bit. That friendship you have, very boyish and bullying, is something I never had myself as a youth." Claudius does bully his friends now, to be fair. But they're friends who help him navigate the missteps of a missed cue, when his teasing goes too far or he becomes too focused and prodding. They don't collectively decide to shun him until he understands what he's done wrong. "I follow exacting rules at times. Spend a great deal time thinking about the done thing. In your case, perhaps I could have spoken plainly and resolved matters, before it came to giving you the cut direct. But that's not the done thing, you know. Not in Elsinore, where resolving a single spat takes campaigns of intricate subterfuge, people hiding behind arrases. It's rather foolish. And I'm also sorry, as it happens. Cutting asides aren't really honest confrontation."