Role Of Spying In Hamlet

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Hamlet
Throughout Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” there was many episodes of spying. It made the play quite interesting because majority if the characters were doing this. As you read the play, you can find scenarios where Michael Foucault panopticon theory ties in. The Panopticon theory is “seeing the unseen” , can be best described using the circle diagram. A circle where a person is in the middle and can see what everyone is doing around them, while nobody can see they are doing. This was a measure of social control knowing that your watch can keep you in control.
In the beginning, King Claudius and Polonious were the first to the spying. King Claudius and polonious is plotting and sets up an area where they can spy on Hamlet and Ophelia. Polonious wants to see if hamlet really loves his daughter, Ophelia. “I hear him coming: let’s withdraw, my lord” (3.1.55). Here, polonious and King Claudius is staking out the area where they set Ophelia to meet hamlet until he comes. The panopticon theory does tie into this scene, but two people would be in the center of the circle, King Claudius and Polonious. …show more content…

Hamlet has players of his play reenact the death of his father to see if King Claudius really killed King Hamlet. “There is a play to-night before the king; One scene of it comes near the circumstance which I have told thee of my father's death: …..Observe mine uncle: if his occulted guilt Do not itself unkennel in one speech, It is a damned ghost that we have seen” (3.2.64-73). Hamlet is going through what is going to happen with heracio, he explains how he will know if king hamlet killed his father. Hamlet would be in the center of this circle because he was in charge of the set up, but he told other what was happening. So a couple of people knew what hamlet was doing, so it did not fully tie in with the panopticon

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