Corruption And Attention Depicted In Shakespeare's Hamlet

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, there is much skepticism as to what exactly is "rotten in Denmark." Claudius, the "incestuous, adulterate beast," essentially adopts this title as he exists as the root of all evil within the play

No nation is entirely free from corruption. Nevertheless, if corruption is strong enough, it can hinder the good governance and decay the fabric of society. It is an obstacle to sustainable development, and leaves little room for justice to prevail. Throughout the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, a corrupting disease plagues Denmark and the people within it. The incestuous marriage between Gertrude and Claudius, in addition to murdering King Hamlet, is the main example of deceit, corruption and evil. Throughout the play we can

central to the play. I am going to look at only the first act of the

"This above all, to thine own self be true." Hamlet shows that integrity is the most important personal quality to have in a world in which people are often not what they seem." Discuss.

In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the playwright introduces the compelling, complex, and complicated character of the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet. In the events of the play, Hamlet swears revenge against his uncle for the foul murder of his father, the king. However, despite his intense catalyst, Hamlet reveals to be continuously torn between his motive of revenge and conflicted conscience, generating an inability to carry out his desired actions. While Hamlet possesses the passion and intellect to murder his uncle, Claudius, his actual inclination to act upon the murder directly opposes that of his powerfully emotional contemplations (S.T. Coleridge). Hamlet’s overzealous thoughts become unrealistic compared to his actual endeavors throughout the play.

There is a lot of corruption in Hamlet by Shakespeare, but how does it effect the main character Hamlet? To start, corruption in this play is made up by multiple elements such as greed, manipulation and immoral choices. All of these elements and corruption as a whole may or may not have affected hamlet. This is the theme that I will be exploring in the following series of paragraphs.

Early on in Hamlet, a guard slightly mentions that there is “something rotten in the state of Denmark” (Shakespeare, I.iv.90). The tranquility of Denmark is suddenly shattered by Claudius’s marriage to

When the fallen King Hamlet returns as the Ghost to warn Hamlet about the corruption in Elsinore,Hamlet learns the cause of his father’s death: he was murdered at the hand of Claudius by way of poison. The Ghost insists that Hamlet evens the score of his death by killing Claudius and therefore wiping out the foul disease that has taken hold. Contrary to the current state of affairs, under King Hamlet the kingdom of Denmark had been honored and respected and recognized as strong and good.During this time, Denmark could have been compared to a garden that has been looked after and cared for, unlike the “unweeded garden” it became under the sinful rule of Claudius (1.2.139). Marcellus’ comment refers to this and that Claudius is the impetus for the rot of the country. Claudius’ murderous plan, which gave him his new founded power, has begun the infection of the people around him. The Ghost tells Hamlet to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.5.31). The image of Claudius’ foul sin of murder is exhibited by the suggestions of physical contagion in the night air. Adjectives such as nasty, rank, blasted, and infected have “powerful connotations of physical evil” and all point to the situation that has befallen the castle (Altick 171).

A lot of moral corruption can be seen in today’s society. We see it in movies, on TV, in books, on social media, and many other things. Moral corruption means doing something, regardless of it being right or wrong, for your own benefit, like stealing, lying, committing adultery, etc. It is a very prominent theme throughout Hamlet. Almost all of the characters perform some kind of moral corruption, whether it be Claudius killing his brother or Hamlet conspiring to kill Claudius.

Hamlet faces challenges throughout the play that try his inner strengths and test his ability to handle the situation. He is torn between wanting to seek justice, and avenge his father’s death. Hamlet is also caught up in an intricate web of lies and deceit, he is considered mad by most characters when in all actuality it is just playing off of the actions of others to benefit himself. He puts on different acts trying to hide the truth, which makes him seem sincerely mad to the people around him. The truth of the matter is that Hamlet can’t decide whether or not his convictions are accurate. This dilemma ultimately leads to not only the deaths of the main characters, but the downfall of the kingdom.

John Steinbeck’s quote, “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts. . . perhaps the fear of a loss of power.” It was the continuous losses faced by Hamlet in his life filled with extreme tragedies that forced him to avenge his father’s death from Claudius. In the play, Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare; the protagonist, Hamlet throughout the play is perceived to be a crazy, mad teenager. However, Hamlet’s insanity was more than just an act to some. The life of Hamlet involves countless tragedies including the death of his father, his mother’s incestuous marriage, his own madness, and his own death at the end. An analysis of the roles of power in Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, reveals many challenges- one being power.

The play, Hamlet, is filled with great acts of corruption that result from the many diseased mentalities existing in the Kingdom of Denmark. In the early scenes of the play, after seeing the ghost of King Hamlet, Marcellus reflects on the condition of the country. The guard says, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," (Act I, iv, Line 100). Marcellus infers to the reader that the appearance or apparition of the ghost of King Hamlet means that there must be extreme corruption mounting in the country. If it were not for the diseased mental state of Claudius, King Hamlet would not have been murdered nor would he come to speak to the guards of the kingdom. After the death of his sister, Laeretes, the son of the king's late advisor, speaks to King Claudius about seeking justice for the deaths of Ophelia and his father, Polonius. After discussion, King Claudius and Laeretes decided to plot the murder of Prince Hamlet together.  "And we shall jointly labor with your soul to give it due content," (Act IV, vi, Lines 225-226). King

Hamlet is a play of revenge ending in total tragedy. In the play the brother named Claudius of the king poisons him while he sleeps in his garden. Hamlet the son of said king then learns of this atrocity and embarks on his scheme of revenge. By the end of the play he kills the right hand man of the king Polonius, the new king himself Claudius, and the son of Polonius Laertes. While in the finale of the play Claudius attempt to kill Hamlet ends in him accidentally killing his wife Gertrude the ex-wife of the late king and mother to Hamlet.

Corruption in Hamlet is shown through the many corrupt characters who perform a chain of events that show greed, manipulation, and revenge. First, Claudius is corrupt because he killed his brother King Hamlet because he was jealous of his throne and wife. The ghost then states, “And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed that roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf,” (Hamlet, I.v.33-34) to compare him too a fat weed that’ll corrupt the garden that is the State of Denmark. He also states, “My custom always of the afternoon, Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, And in the porches of my ears did pour the leperous distilment, whose effect Holds such an enmity with blood of man That swift as quicksilver it courses through The natural gates and alleys of the body And with a sudden vigor doth posset And curd, like eager droppings into milk, The thin and wholesome blood. So did it mine. And a most instant tetter barked about, Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust all my smooth body.” (Hamlet, I.v.60-74) Basically saying that Claudius corrupted his body when he killed him. Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, is also corrupted because she fell for Claudius after her husband died and refused to see her wrongdoings even though they her Hamlet. Ultimately the ghost ends up corrupting Hamlet by putting revenge into his head. “If thou didst ever thy dear father love—Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” (Hamlet, I.v.23.25) Ophelia easily gives away her love letters from Hamlet to Polonius when asked, as well as allow her father to listen in on their conversation. She is easily manipulated by her father without knowing. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern also are manipulated by blindly following Claudius’ instructions to spy on Hamlet when they are supposed to be his friends. “ “But we both obey, and here give up ourselves, in the full bent, To lay our service freely at your feet To be commanded.”

Central to the plot and the themes developed in Shakespeare's Hamlet, are the varying elements of corruption which occur during the play. This is echoed in Marcellus' famous comment of 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,' when Hamlet is beckoned away by the Ghost (1.4.90). As the play continues and the story enfolds, it becomes apparent that there truly is 'something rotten in the state of Denmark,' and rather that it is not just one 'something,' but many things.