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Example Of Corruption In Hamlet

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In every state there is corruption. Anything that seems pure is most likely to be corrupt in reality, infected with the disease of sin. It is with this regard that Shakespeare presents the plot of his infamous play Hamlet, in which many characters recognize the ubiquitous corruption of their surroundings. In Hamlet, Shakespeare ties his characters together around the concept of a poisoned kingdom through imagery and diction to reveal the inherent corruption in man. Shakespeare communicates to his audience the true setting of the play and its poisoned kingdom through evocative imagery. By detailing images of a diseased state, Shakespeare ensures that the audience is able to easily grasp the idea of the corruption that is poisoning …show more content…

One example of the many double entendres includes the term “state”. In his speech in Act I, King Claudius claims that Fortinbras of Norway sees Denmark’s state as “disjoint and out of frame” (I.ii.20). “State” can refer either to the overall kingdom and government of Denmark, or to the country’s general health, and either definition is appropriate for this context. This is an accurate description of the kingdom, which is not in good health due to King Hamlet’s sudden death and Queen Gertrude’s hasty …show more content…

An audience from the twenty-first century can not only understand the poisoned kingdom of Denmark, but also the poisoned nature of mankind. Hamlet describes society’s corruption as coming from a hell that “breathes out / Contagion to this world” (III.ii.329-330), which is still applicable today despite the great distance of time from Shakespearean times to today. In today’s world, we still experience murder, revenge, incest, and guilt, just as the characters in Hamlet do. And not only does Shakespeare’s insight to the nature of mankind impact our world today, but also his very words that tell the story of innate corruption. The pure poetry and genius of Shakespeare’s literature is still appreciated to this day, yielding even greater significance to the message within each work. All in all, Shakespeare uses his characters, imagery, and diction to convey his insights of the intrinsic, corrupted nature of man. The concept of a poisoned kingdom ties Shakespeare’s message together and paints a continuous picture of sickness for his audience to

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