How Does Shakespeare Present Corruption In Hamlet

Here, disease imagery is used to convey the disease of corruption that appears to have infected those from Elsinore. This is the true King Claudius - without the superficial grandeur. From this example of multi-faceted personality, it can be seen how Shakespeare uses the pretence of his characters as the basis of their complex personalities. If this is compared to the introspective nature of Hamlet's behavior, the difference between the two main instigators of corruption is quite marked.

   The legendary drama, Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare is a play illustrating the theme of virtue vs. villainy. The 17th century tragedy is plagued with treachery and deceit as it opens with the news of a foul murder in the kingdom of Denmark. Prince Hamlet, by word of his late father's ghost, is informed that his uncle Claudius is to blame for his father's sudden demise. Prince Hamlet's mission is to uncover the secrets surrounding the murder and to avenge his father's death. Thus, the insidious web of disease and corruption is formed. The relationship between disease leading to the greater corruption of Denmark plays a significant role in the lives of the principle players.

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The internal conflicts prevalent in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet are the reason why the play is viewed as a classic. Conflicts are imperative in tragic plays as conflicts are the stimulus for catastrophe in the end. The characters in Hamlet face inward conflicts that are equally important as their outward conflicts. Three characters who especially exhibit this are Hamlet, Claudius, and Ophelia. The conflicts that these characters face play a major role in their downfalls and, ultimately, their deaths. Through Claudius’ struggle to conceal the murder of King Hamlet, Ophelia’s guilt for Hamlet’s madness, and Hamlet’s inaction due to fear, Shakespeare conveys that each character faces a dilemma, in which there are no simple solutions.

Proceeding from this air of incoherency and verbal disruption is a palpable sense of paranoia, one which, while well-founded from the omniscient perspective of the reader, finds itself in dire opposition to any reason present in the early stages of Hamlet. In like fashion, the young prince soon begins to cordon himself off from those around him. For instance, when presented with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, both of whom have been friends of Hamlet since childhood, our protagonist exhibits a trait much out of line with his character thus far: a persecution complex. When the two old friends present themselves to him, the prince proceeds to hound them on the matter of their visit, saying, “Beggar that I am, I am (even) poor in thanks ; / but

Throughout William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, themes of rottenness and corruption are shown as the state of Denmark deteriorates when King Hamlet is murdered by his brother, Claudius. Hamlet Jr. knows of Claudius’ rotten deed, and spends a majority of the play conspiring to kill Claudius. In one of Hamlet’s many soliloquies, he states, “Tis an unweeded garden / That grows to seed”(i.ii.139). The “unweeded garden” begins with Claudius, and eventually corrupts Denmark as a country. Hamlet attempts to weed the growing garden of corruption to restore Denmark’s glory, but ultimately becomes a weed himself due to the nefarious acts he commits.

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been widely regarded as one of the greatest tragedies ever written. One prominent theme exemplified in this particular play is the theme of rottenness or decay. Shakespeare uniquely uses disease, rotting, and decay in order to reveal the manifestation and consequence of moral corruption. Physical corruption mirrors the moral corruption within the characters in the play. The moral corruption in Denmark is showcased for the readers throughout the play by images of physical corruption and disease. Shakespeare argues in Hamlet that sin or moral corruption is like a disease that leads one to one’s own “death” or demise. Nobody is immune from it.

Born 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom, William Shakespeare became one of the uttermost iconic poets, playwrights, and pre-eminent dramatists of his era, and also of all time, bringing great attention to the dramatic arts industry. His works consisted of umpteen comedies and tragedies written in a conventional style with intricate metaphors and rhetorical phrases. Furthermore, several of his characters and plots resemble genuine humans with their wide span of emotions and conflicts among one another. One of his more popular tragedies includes Hamlet. In his 14th to 15th century play, Hamlet, written in 1599 to 1601, the characters in and around the royal palace of Elsinore, Denmark, face ample conflicts, followed by different physical and mental methods of reacting and dealing with their inner and outer consciences. Early on in the play, Marcellus, an officer who first sees a ghost of Hamlet Sr. in the royal palace after his recent death, states “Something rotten in the state of Denmark,” (I, iv, 99) foreshadowing the expanding corruption within Elsinore, starting with selfish greed, evolving into manipulation of people, and resulting in unprincipled revenge.

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.

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.

The misuse of power in Hamlet exemplifies the corruption in the upper class due to their suppressive nature towards the plorient class. The upper class or bourgeoisie such as the monarchy in Hamlet believe their stance in the social ladder subjects them to all the power. In various cases throughout history the bourgeoisie ruled at the same level as God. For instance, Claudius showcases the abuse of power the bourgeoisie exudes onto the proletariats when he confesses to murdering his brother to obtain “[his] crown… and [his] queen”, which also displays his lack of morals for gaining access power (III.iii.58). He killed his own brother in order to achieve political, social, and economic power, which further presents his corrupt desire for authority. Also, the event reflects the Marxist lens because of the proposal that economic gain is the motive for all political and social acts. This desire for total control results in a corrupt upper class and government because their only concern is themselves. During Shakespeare's time writing Hamlet Claudius’s turpitude acts can be correlated to his era when “the corruptions of a declining feudalism were beginning” (Fribleman 142). Shakespeare’s experience with a corrupt higher class whose only regard is acquiring power lives through the unethical character of Claudius. By having the upper class reach a substantial amount of power they gain even more political influence over the proletarians because of their dominance in economic and social systems.

William Shakespeare's Hamlet According to American novelist, John Irving, in his work The World According to Garp, is a life-redeeming work in which everybody dies. “Death is the pervading theme of the play.” (Sheys 2016) The play has many examples and imagery of corruption, disease, and decay.

In many of Shakespeare’s tragedies, the playwright draws a connection between the moral health of the kingdom and the corruption of the ruler himself. In Hamlet, he explores the extent to which corruption influences characters. By utilising animal and nature imagery, Shakespeare exemplifies how sexual and political vices corrupt characters and ultimately lead to their demise.

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

"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.