I will work him / To an exploit, now ripe in my device, / Under the which he shall not choose but fall; / And for his death no wind shall breathe, / But even his mother shall uncharge the practice / And call it accident.
Act IV, Scene 7 · Claudius
Context
Claudius promises Laertes that he has a plan ready to trap Hamlet in a fatal 'accident' that will leave even Gertrude unsuspecting of foul play.
Analysis
The horticultural metaphor 'now ripe in my device' treats the murder plot as a fruit that has matured naturally to the point of harvest, sanitizing premeditated killing as organic timing. Claudius then imagines controlling interpretation itself: 'no wind shall breathe' to spread rumors, and even Gertrude will 'uncharge the practice'—meaning she will acquit them of scheming and accept the false narrative. His confidence that he can script reality so thoroughly reveals a tyrannical control over both events and their meaning.
Essay Tip
Support a thesis that Claudius wields power not just through violence but through narrative control—he plots Hamlet's death as a performance that comes pre-packaged with its own false interpretation, showing how autocratic authority depends on monopolizing the story people are allowed to believe.