Examples Of Greed In Hamlet

All the characters in Hamlet have unique characteristics and descriptions to each of them. One of the characteristic descriptions that mainly stick out towards the reader is a lot of Greed. Hamlet’s Dad or Uncle shows the most during the story, for example when he kills his own brother, or Hamlet’s father, in order to get all the fame, glory, and riches that he had. His Dad or Uncles greed in this story is very strong to the reader and while acting it out in the play, his greediness can’t ever be met with all of the guilt and frustration going on in his mind from the murder and also with knowing that Hamlet is onto him.

Greed can play in at anytime in this story and the in the main parts with Hamlet’s Uncle it shows how he has a desire

“Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural” (ghost). Afterwards when Hamlet’s Duncle kills his father for the throne he looks into his brothers dying eyes and sees all his pain a suffrage which cause his struggles throughout the story. The avidity for position in the court of Denmark motivates nearly every major character in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Perhaps this is what prompts Marcellus to utter those famous words, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" (1.4.90). Certainly, the regicide of King Hamlet is motivated by Claudius's desire for power and position. Then, too, he obviously has lusted after Queen Gertrude, for he marries his brother's wife after killing him. Worried that the king's son may seek to disrupt his reign as king, Claudius plots to rid Denmark of Prince Hamlet by manipulating his former schoolmates, the courtiers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do away with him. When this effort fails, Claudius then convinces Laertes to kill Hamlet in a duel so that he may continue his reign as king. However, his cupidity and evil designs turn upon himself and Claudius dies at the hands of Hamlet. Long-winded and self-serving, Polonius seeks greater power in

After his daughter Ophelia reports Hamlet's strange behavior toward her, Polonius reports to Queen Gertrude "Your noble son is mad"(2.2.92). In his sycophantic way, he hides behind an arras in order to spy for Claudius while Hamlet speaks to his mother. In this position, however, he effects his own death because he cries out after Gertrude screams believing that Hamlet has attacked her. Like Claudius, his evil intent to sabotage Hamlet backfires and he is stabbed by Hamlet through the curtain, perhaps because Hamlet believes it is Claudius behind the arras. Former classmates of Hamlet, the two courtiers agree to provide covert intelligence to King Claudius. Opportunists who wish to gain favor in the royal court, they