English: Argumentative Essay
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Corruption
November 2013
The Plague of Corruption
Corrupt minds in Hamlet are provided by the thirst of power, control and vengeance. Prince Hamlet portrays an “antic disposition” in order to gain the advantage inside the castle. Now people in the castle believe that Hamlet is crazy or “mad” and thinks nothing more of it. Really, Hamlet is just acting this way so that he can spy on other people in the castle. By doing this he finds out who is after him and the identity of the murderer of his father. Polonius is one of the people spying on Hamlet to find the “source of his madness” and says "That he's mad, 'tis true 'tis pity, and pity 'tis 'tis true". Hamlet’s uncle-father, Claudius also spies on Hamlet by asking Hamlet’s childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to keep an eye on him. Hamlet never stops his act and gets his job done.
During Hamlets search for revenge, he also sparks the beginning of Ophelia’s demise. This happens because to insure no one knows that Hamlet is acting as if he is crazy, he only tells his most trusted friend Horaito. Ophelia does not know he is only acting for the possible spies, and takes everything Hamlet says seriously. “Ophelia says I was the more deceived”. While all of these tragic happenings are occurring relationships are also being torn apart. Hamlets' relations with his mother Gertrude are severed. Hamlet believes his mother is disgusting for marrying his father's brother, two months after his fathers' death.
Rightfully so because traditionally then when people were married their families became considered blood related. So this action by his mother was thought to be incestuous and
Hamlet did not agree with it at all. The Ghost of Hamlet’s father was also a strong pointer to the corruption in Denmark. The Ghost points out that his own brother, Claudius was his murderer, and he says “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown”. Hamlets' relationship with Laertes was also destroyed. All of these relationships were destroyed do to the actions of the characters themselves.
In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, poison and disease both plague the state of Denmark. Relations between characters are corrupt, the people are disturbed and people are killed constantly. These events could have been avoided if it was not for the murder of the late King Hamlet. This is hinted by Marcellus at the end of Act 1, Scene 4 when he says “Something’s rotten in the state of Denmark”. (414 Words)
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