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
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.
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
Iterative use of vivid and detailed imagery in a piece of literature is often a way of expressing a theme or concept in a literary work. This is the case in William Shakespeare"'"s Hamlet, a revenge tragedy that continually depicts the vibrant metaphors of manifesting corruption and festering disease in order to auger the impending calamities in the state of Denmark. Throughout Shakespeare"'"s play, there are successive images of deterioration, decay and death. These images are skilfully accomplished through the use of metaphors of rotting and dead gardens. Shakespeare wonderfully creates these metaphors that add great dimension to the play of Hamlet.
Texts reflect their context and paradigms but transcendental texts that explore aspects of humanity can resonate through time and remain relevant and accessible to audiences. William Shakespeare’s introspective play, Hamlet, explores the complexity of the human condition by reflecting ideologies such as justice, loyalty and morality. Although these deeply human ideas ensure the plays resonance, they are somewhat secondary to the depths of Hamlet’s human struggle. These thematic concerns reflect how flaws in the values of society descend into corruption. Through an exploration of the characterization, Shakespeare invites a re-evaluation of the values that shape human nature. The textual integrity of Hamlet makes it of distinctive
William Shakespeare found that imagery was a useful tool to give his works greater impact and hidden meaning. In Hamlet, Shakespeare used imagery to present ideas about the atmosphere, Hamlet's character, and the major theme of the play. He used imagery of decay to give the reader a feel of the changing atmosphere. He used imagery of disease to hint how some of the different characters perceived Hamlet as he put on his "antic disposition". And finally, he used imagery of poison to emphasize the main theme of the play; everybody receives rightful retribution in the end.
The corruption of society in George Orwell’s 1984 and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet results both in the loss of innocence and the destruction of sanity. Winston from 1984 stood his grounds throughout the book, but the society standards and rules created by Big Brother soon consume him. Similarly, the entire Kingdom of Denmark bombarded Hamlet with betrayal amongst his own family and loved ones such that drove him into madness. This madness spread through both books in revenge of what the corrupted society has done to the character’s lives.
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.
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.
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 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.
Poison, disease and decay are constantly reoccurring themes of imagery used within Hamlet. Shakespeare uses this technique to create an atmosphere that resounds throughout the course of the play. This therefore has an impact upon how the reader views the play as they are constantly under the influence of imagery. An example of this technique can be seen in Hamlet's first
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.
William Shakespeare’s dramatic presentation of disillusionment within Hamlet, to a great measure presents the notion that the quality of a leader is derived from one’s possession of integrity. Hamlet’s disillusionment which emerges from the discovery of Claudius’ regicide and the usurpation of his father’s divine position, produces a plethora of human dilemmas, such as the moral struggle between renaissance and medieval ideologies, the paralysing effect of uncertainty and the defining nature of mortality. Thus by exploring the universal complexity of human condition and its ability withhold integrity, Shakespeare connects to audiences of various historical contexts.
Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most popular dramas in world literature, as it examines the passionate, but toxic ambitions of King Claudius. He murders his own brother, King Hamlet, to overtake the throne, power, and wife. As a result of King Claudius’ fratricide, he inherits the “primal eldest curse” of Cain and Abel, and the dispersion of his venom ends the lives of several major characters. Including, of course, Prince Hamlet, who gets drawn into a deep depression over his father’s death, who later visits him as an apparition. This essay will analyze Shakespeare’s symbolic use of poison, embodied by King Claudius and the unintended consequences of his wicked acts.