Rottenness in Shakespeare's Hamlet

Denmark is a land wreaked by unnatural turmoil. From the opening scene we can infer that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark”. Throughout the play Shakespeare gives us insight into the inner rottenness of

Denmark. In Claudius we see a deceptive, scheming politician and

murderer. From his associate Polonius we see the unholy acts of sanctioned

spying. Hamlet undermines the true Christian principles for which a

“divine” King would have stood. Gertrude herself lends to the pervading

atmosphere of distrust and uncertainty in Denmark. With only a month

having passed between the point of the King’s burial and her remarriage

to Claudius, Hamlet explores the callous indifference of a mother

towards the feelings of a son, and perhaps more importantly, a mother who

engages in a “damn’d” and “incestuous” relationship with the brother of

her husband. Whether Hamlet is justified in casting harsh judgement on

Gertrude for her sexual liaisons remains unclear, especially given

Hamlet’s frequent misogynistic ramblings. In these ways the play Hamlet

shows us the areas of darkness in the society of Denmark, and

Shakespeare’s characterisation provides us a link to the inner

“rottenness” of the human condition. In doing so, the audience comes

away deeply affected by a classic tragedy.

Act I opens with a challenge (“Who’s there?”), immediately giving reason

to wonder if something is out of order. Francisco further reinforces

this initial impression: “’Tis bitter cold/ And I am sick at heart.”

Quickly, we are aware of his fear and question the state of the

country – a question made more pressing by the knowledge that the guards

are out in the middle of the night during the Sabbath, a day of rest.

As Horatio relates t...

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...sent Hamlet’s Oedipal complex

and his misogynistic hatred of women reduce the significance of

Gertrude’s admission: “Thou turns’t my eyes into my very soul/ And

there I see such black and grained spots…” Whatever the case, Gertrude,

to Hamlet, represents much of what is wrong with Denmark.

Thus, Hamlet is a play that reeks of darkness. A tragedy where its noble

hero suffers the ultimate pain – to watch his mother die – we can see in

the characters indications of moral bankruptcy, both perceived and real.

Some characters, such as Ophelia, are by nature of their innocence direct

contrasts to the pervasive sense of rottenness in the state of Denmark.

Perhaps in the end it is Hamlet’s relative moral steadiness that remains

an outpost of righteousness. In conclusion, in Hamlet we can see

many sources of rottenness that guide our interpretation of the play.