Hamlet vs. Othello

Poison in both Hamlet, Prince of Demark, and Othello, the Moor of Venice, causes social dis-harmony and social chaos through poisonous emotions that lead to deceit and death.

In Hamlet, Price of Denmark, poison first appears in the form of jealousy. Claudius, King Hamlet’s brother, is filled with jealousy; he wants both the throne and the Queen. Claudius is fueled by his jealousy and sets out get what he wants. Claudius kills his own brother through the use of a liquid poison. From the King’s death comes chaos for the country. Once King Hamlet’s ghost appears, Horatio declares, “In what particular thought to work I know not, But in the gross and scope of mine opinion this bodes some strange eruption to our state” (Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, 1, i, 66-68). This jealousy turns to death and leads to disarray for those in the kingdom; Horatio foreshadows that disarray.

From Claudius’ jealousy came King Hamlet’s death, which leads Hamlet to deceit. Hamlet puts on a play and uses it to try to trick Claudius into showing guilt. Hamlet tells Horatio, “Give him a heedful note for I mine eyes will rivet to his face, and after we will both our judgments join in censure of his seeming (Hamlet, Price of Denmark, 3, ii, 86-89). Hamlet and Horatio watch the King closely to see if he appears guilty. Instead, King Claudius recognizes Hamlet’s deceit and further plots. The poison that comes with jealousy and deceit has begun to spread even more.

From the jealousy Claudius first felt and the anger from Hamlet’s attempted deception, Claudius comprises a plan to destroy Hamlet. The King informs Hamlet, “Hamlet, his deed, for thine especial safety-Which we do tender as we dearly grieve for that which thou has done-must send thee hence” (Hamlet...

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...ipped apart, such as Hamlet’s and Desdemona’s. There were relationships and friend ships that were damaged, for example, Hamlet and Ophelia, Othello and Desdemona, Iago and Emilia, and Othello and Cassio. King Henry, Iago, Cassio and Othello’s careers were brought to an untimely end. Lastly, the lives of many, such as, Polonius, Ophelia, the King and Queen, King Claudius, Laertes, Hamlet, Rodrigo, Cassio, Desdemona, Emilia, and Othello’s lives were taken.

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and Othello, the Moor of Venice, the emotional poison jealousy is infused throughout the characters. This poison is what lead to the deceit of many characters. These actions and destruction are what Shakespeare used to create social dis-harmony and social chaos in his plays. The dis-harmony and social chaos lead to inevitable anger and death for many of the characters.