Why does Polonius's death bother Claudius so much?

1. the long service Polonius gave him

2. it could have been him

3. the fear that Gertrude will be next

4. the fear of Laertes's anger

It is definitely not the first or third one because Claudius is completely selfish and conniving. Now, I am not to sure, because I read this play quite a while age, but I believe that it is either the the second of fourth.

Reasons for 2: Claudius is a selfish man, and would of course consider his own safety before anyone else's. Also, he could have been the one to walk into his wife's room, which would have meant that he would have died instead.

Rebuttal: Perhaps he didn't really see his life in danger in that instance.

Reasons for 4: Laertes would of course be infuriated because of his father's death and the fact that his sister had gone mad. The king could have been in fear for his own safety if and when he returned to the castle.

Rebuttal: Laertes does eventually side with Claudius and they formulate a plan for revenge against Hamlet, so I'm not exactly sure if he was weary before talking with him.

From these observations, I hope that you can come to your own conclusion.