Corruption In Hamlet

Shakespeare communicates multiple themes in his well known play, Hamlet. The audience gains insight to the characters’ emotion, conflicts, and thoughts throughout the plot of the play as Shakespeare continues to incorporate specifically the themes of revenge and corruption. The theme of revenge accompanied by the theme of corruption are most consistently signified throughout Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. Shakespeare expresses these two major themes through the actions and thoughts of the characters, particularly Hamlet, Laertes, Fortinbras, Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonius. In the beginning of Hamlet, King Claudius sends messengers to Fortinbras’s uncle (the King of Norway) to urge him “to suppress his [aggressive] nephew’s purpose” which

Hamilton, many other critics have compared the methods of revenge Laertes, Fortinbras, and Hamlet all take. Specifically, Rasmussen focuses on the similarities between Fortinbras’s and Hamlet’s revenges in his critique of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. One similarity that is clear is that both characters’ fathers were killed and their uncles took place of the throne in their respected kingdoms. Another similarity the critic mentions is that both Fortinbras and Hamlet take spontaneous actions to take revenge. Fortinbras “channels his warlike energy… against Denmark”, while Hamlet “filled with the energy of vengeance stabs not the king, but Polonius” (Rasmussen 463). While Hamlet and Fortinbras both take spontaneous actions, Fortinbras is determined and open throughout the play about planning to attack Claudius while Hamlet is silent and tentative about killing his uncle. An example where Hamlet delays taking action is in Act 3 Scene 3. In this scene Claudius is praying while Hamlet stands outside of the door looking at him and thinks of killing the king in that moment, however Hamet does not kill him because “that would be scann’d: a villain kills [his] father, and for that, [he], his sole son do this same villain send to heaven” (Shakespeare III.iii.71). Hamlet believes that killing Claudius while he prays would send his soul to Heaven, and Hamlet instead wants to guarantee that his uncle continues to suffer in Hell when he dies. While Hamlet and Fortinbras are most

Like revenge, the audience is introduced to corruption at the beginning of the play. The theme of corruption originates with the characters Claudius and Gertrude in the first Act. Claudius’ thirst for power leads him to murder his brother and take the throne. The unnatural coronation of Claudius is proved to be an example of corruption when the ghost says, “the fat weed That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf.” where the Ghost compares Claudius to a “fat weed” that will ruin the garden of Denmark (Shakespeare I.v.33). As a result, Claudius’ influences target Gertrude’s virtues, and make her oblivious of her sinful marriage with her brother-in-law. Gertrude’s selfish marriage corrupts her morality and seems to be unaware of how her actions negatively affect Hamlet. Corruption surrounds “both Claudius’ crime and guilt and Gertrude’s sin” (Muir 214). Greed becomes the inception of corruption, and creates the cascading effect of the plot in Hamlet. Blind loyalty and manipulation are the tools that are used to further corrupt one’s morality. The audience sees this with Polonius and Ophelia when Ophelia easily gives away Hamlet’s love letters at Polonius’s request which shows her lack of appreciation towards Hamlet’s trust and love be being easily manipulated. In addition, Polonius’ corruption taints Ophelia’s innocence when she agrees to let her father eavesdrop in on her conversation