Death, Sickness, and Decay in Hamlet
Decay is defined as "a gradual decline; deterioration," disease as "any departure from health." Both have many forms: physical, psychological, social, etc. Multiple examples of illness and deterioration can be found in the tragedy Hamlet. In this drama, Shakespeare uses imagery of decay and disease and the emotional and moral decay of his characters to enhance the atmosphere of the play.
The drama Hamlet abounds with images of decay and disease. Celestial bodies are described in this manner; in Act I Horatio says that the moon "Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse," and in Act III, Hamlet says that the moon is "thoughtsick" at his mother's sin. Abstract ideas such as wealth
…show more content…
Most of all, Hamlet's description in Act IV of Polonius' corpse eaten by worms is a disgusting passage:
Not where he eats, but where 'a is eaten. A certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar are but variable service -- two dishes, but one
table. That's the end.
References to sickness and rottenness are made throughout the play, but decay is perceivable in other ways as well.
The characters in Hamlet decay emotionally throughout the play. For example, at the beginning of the drama Queen Gertrude is happy, but her conversation with Hamlet in Act III, his apparent insanity, and his vague hints about her sin torment her until in Act IV she moans miserably,
To my sick soul (as sin's true nature is)
Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss;
So full of artless jealousy is guilt
It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.
Poor Gertrude has made the pathetic journey from blissful ignorance to wretched half-enlightenment, and her peace of mind is totally destroyed. Likewise, Ophelia is totally changed within the course of the play.
The gravedigger scene in act 5 scene 1 shows the most about how Hamlet feels about death. Hamlet refers to the skulls he finds belonging to other people and their past lives.
Hamlet is as much a story of emotional conflict, paranoia, and self-doubt as it is one of revenge and tragedy. The protagonist, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, is instructed by his slain father’s ghost to enact vengeance upon his uncle Claudius, whose treacherous murder of Hamlet’s father gave way to his rise to power. Overcome by anguish and obligation to avenge his father’s death, Hamlet ultimately commits a number of killings throughout the story. However, we are not to view the character Hamlet as a sick individual, but rather one who has been victimized by his own circumstances.
The imagery of decay used at slightly different parts of the play shows Shakespeare's mastery of imagery to change the atmosphere, and therefore, to give the story more impact.
Did you ever notice there are many characters in Hamlet that have mental disorders? Hamlet has a few characters that could possibly be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. At the beginning of the story, Hamlets dad is possibly murdered and Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, takes over the king spot. Hamlet's father's ghost arrives in the castle, it causes suspicions with the whole remarrying right after the death. He becomes very confused on how and why his father passed away. Due to the confusion and questions Hamlet wants answered, he could have developed a mental health disorder in the process of trying to figure things out.
In Hamlet, William Shakespeare presents the main character Hamlet as a man who is fixated on death. Shakespeare uses this obsession to explore both Hamlet's desire for revenge and his need for assurance. In the process, Shakespeare directs Hamlet to reflect on basic principles such as justice and truth by offering many examples of Hamlet's compulsive behavior; as thoughts of death are never far from his mind. It is apparent that Hamlet is haunted by his father's death. When Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, their conversation raises all kinds of unthinkable questions, for example murder by a brother, unfaithful mother, that triggers Hamlet's obsession. He feels compelled to determine the reliability
His diminishing outlook on women is, in fact, not the only attribute that affects Hamlet throughout the play. There are various conclusions in academic journals regarding Hamlet's mental state, all of them agreeing or refuting the theory that Hamlet is mad throughout the play. Despite having sufficient evidence, the analyzation of this play is subjective and no definitive conclusion has been made. Nonetheless, one opinion remains to be the most popular: Hamlet is not mad, yet encounters various feelings regarding mental and emotional health.
Each character seems to deteriorate into a simply physical being with no with no living soul left. This is best stated in the words of Irving Howe. He wrote, "The grotesques rot because they are unused, their energies deprived of outlet, and their instincts curdled in isolation" (Howe). This rotting effect is evident in several other characters; however, it can be most strongly noticed within Elizabeth Willard.
In the play, Hamlet, Shakespeare leaves you wondering about death. Through the characters in the play, he reveals his own thoughts about death. Does Shakespeare portray a deep understanding of death in this play? The never-ending cycle of death and revenge is evident throughout the entire play.
The men in this play not putting their trust in Gertrude or Ophelia causes some of the strife and tragedy that occurs in the play. Certainly,
In The Tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the theme of disease and decay is emphasized through the characters interaction with each other, in the imagery, and through the comparison of the state of Denmark to Hamlet’s state of mind. In the opening scene, Francisco introduces the idea of disease and decay through interaction with Bernardo in their conversation about the death of King Hamlet. Disease and decay is seen through the actions of the characters from Hamlet and Ophelia gradually going mad to Claudius and Laertes plotting to kill Hamlet. Hamlet’s state of mind and the state of Denmark are seen to be related because Hamlet and Denmark seem to be in a state of decay from the opening scene of the play.
In Hamlet, imagery of disease, poison and decay, are used by Shakespeare for a purpose. The descriptions of disease, poison, and decay help us understand the bitter relationships that exist in the play and Hamlet’s own cynicism. We see Hamlet’s pessimism in his soliloquy when he contemplates suicide. The resentful relationship that exists between Claudius and Hamlet is heightened with the use of imagery when Claudius asks about Polonius. Imagery enhances Claudius’ abhorrence of Hamlet. Shakespeare uses imagery in this play to deepen our understanding of the emotions experienced.
In Shakespeare's time, Denmark was a horrible, rotting, poisoned land due to its hidden deceit. In "Hamlet," Shakespeare makes many references to this as a means of clarifying relationships in the story. Writers often use imagery to provide detail and development, which help us understand ideas within and the atmosphere of the play. Hamlet, Horatio, and the ghost are the characters who allude to Denmark's state of decay. Shakespeare's frequent references to death and disease are not only evidence of the harsh and dirty living conditions of the time; they are a recurrent theme in all of his works.
Humanity’s ontological quest to discover the extent of its realit. William Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet, 1603, is one such attempt which stands out amongst all others through its encompassment of universal themes such as moral corruption, our inevitable mortality and our ability and desire for deception and the ambiguous nature of reality. Through his mastery of literary and dramatic elements, involving his manipulation of language, construction and content, Hamlet’s journey to avenge his father acts as a vessel for Shakespeare to explore the human condition, providing an opportunity for many diverse interpretations. As a result, Shakespeare’s Hamlet is able to transcend the effects of time and therefore maintain its textual integrity for contemporary audiences
Hardships and sufferings are common in an average person’s life, but enduring a certain amount can push a person past their limits. At times, one's actions can lead to other people's limits being broken resulting in unexpected consequences. Hamlet by William Shakespeare involves two characters named Ophelia and Gertrude who both suffer from Hamlet's verbal and physical abuse; of the two, Ophelia suffers to a greater extent because of her decision to commit suicide. The cruel insults Hamlet addresses Ophelia with hurts her deeply due to them being false, whereas the harsh words Hamlet uses to describe Gertrude with are mostly true. Ophelia gets traumatized from both Hamlet’s sayings and actions, causing her to suffer an incredible amount. Queen Gertrude, who is the mother of Hamlet, is humiliated with abusive language by her son, which causes a particularly large amount of emotional distress on her since these words are coming from her very own child. First, the two suffer major harm from Hamlet due to his insults that cause them to feel worthless and violated. Gertrude becomes extremely offended by everything Hamlet says to her. Ophelia is greatly saddened, but at the same time she is worried about Hamlet. The death of Ophelia’s father causes the devastated daughter to fall into a state of depression, ultimately ending with the young woman taking her own life. On the other hand, the mother of Hamlet does not suffer from her son's torment as much as Ophelia because her death is the result of an accident, not the outcome of tremendous emotional suffering which Ophelia’s death resulted from. Additionally, Ophelia and Gertrude go through emotional suffering due to Hamlet’s verbal insult.
Perusing the description which the ghost of Hamlet’s father gives of his poisoning by Claudius (I,v) one cannot help being struck by the vividness with which the process of poisoning, the malicious spreading of the disease, is portrayed: