Claudius's personal history is one of survival. His father is murdered by Livia. Around him, friends and family are killed by those maneuvering for power. The strong die. The honorable die. So, too, the cruel and wicked die.

Claudius survives by behaving as though he is a threat to no one. Indeed, when the palace guards declare him emperor, Claudius refuses to become emperor, but the guards force him. In a land in which the populace has no political power, a group of thugs — the guards — determine who will rule. In order to survive and save his wife and child, Claudius yields to the guards and becomes emperor.

The themes of I, Claudius are grim.

Positive themes such as love and friendship are debased by the lust for power and the lusts of the flesh. Selfishness, cruelty, and treachery are the novel's dominant themes...