Corruption In Hamlet Research Paper

Hamlet, a tragedy by William Shakespeare is about how corruption destroyed Denmark. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary the word corruption is dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers), the act of corrupting someone or something, and something that has been changed from its original form. In the tragedy, Hamlet, Prince Hamlet is trying to avenging his father's death. Nothing is going right for Hamlet these days. His father is dead and everyone else in his life has moved on. His Uncle Claudius tries to convince Hamlet that it’s life and he needs to move on. It’s only been a couple of weeks and even his own mother has found a new husband. The Queen ended up marrying Prince

Rosencrantz reports, “He does confess he feels himself distracted. But from what cause he will by no means speak.” (3.1.5-6) Guildenstern reports, “Nor do we find him forward to be sounded. But with a crafty madness keeps aloof. When we would bring him on to some confession. Of his true state.” (3.1.7-10) In the end, Hamlet could tell that his friends were up to something, and Claudius didn’t get any useful information. Claudius uses his corrupt power to abuse Polonius’s family by using Ophelia as a trap to figure out why Hamlet is acting out. Polonius asks Ophelia to stand in a room, “Ophelia, walk you here. (to CLAUDIUS) Gracious, so please you, We will bestow ourselves. (to OPHELIA) Read on this book.” (3.1.43-47) While she is standing in the room reading her book, Hamlet does not know that King Claudius and Polonius are hiding, watching them. Hamlet is mad at Ophelia for returning the letters, so he tells her that he doesn’t love her any more “Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness. This was sometime a paradox, but now the time gives it proof. I did love you once.” (3.1.112-117) Ophelia just wants Hamlet to be normal again and things to go back the way they were. “Heavenly powers, restore him!” (3.1.148). At the end, Hamlet storms out of

When he returns to Denmark, Laertes and Hamlet have a fencing match. If Hamlet wins the first and second rounds, Claudius will drink to Hamlet’s health, while sneakily poisoning Hamlet’s drink, “Set me the stoups of wine upon that table. If Hamlet give the first or second hit. Or quit in answer of the third exchange, Let all the battlements their ordnance fire! The king shall drink to Hamlet’s better breath, And in the cup an union shall he throw.” (5.2.273-279) Hamlet wins the first two rounds, and King Claudius tries to give Hamlet a drink but Hamlet declines and wants to play one more round. Instead of Hamlet drinking the poison, Queen Gertrude ends up drinking the poison. King Claudius tells her not to drink it, “Gertrude, do not drink.” (5.2.296) But she disobeys her husband’s orders, drinks the poison, and dies. Instading of killing Hamlet, King Claudius kills his own wife. In the last round of the fencing match, Laertes stabs Hamlet, avenging the deaths of his father and sister. Then Hamlet stabs Laertes back with the sword that has been poisoned. “I am justly kill’d with my own treachery,”(5.2.312) said Laertes. Instead of Laertes killing Hamlet, the two end up killing each other. Laertes perishes first, and Hamlet asks what has happened to his mother, but King Claudius lies, saying she has only fainted. Hamlet knows that he is lying and thrusts his sword