Name: Jessica
Instructor: Miss. Sully
Date: 4.17
Class: EN401-1
Analysis of rot and decay in Hamlet
William Shakespeare 's Hamlet has been considered the greatest tragedy in literature and drama.In Hamlet, William Shakespeare expresses both psychological and physical corruptions in this book making people have deep introspection.As we read about Hamlet, the background and atmosphere which the author Shakespeare create was rot and decay of the whole country. “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”(Shakespeare 1.1 - 4) . This was spoken by Marcellus shortly after Hamlet leaves to follow a ghost. Marcellus and Horatio both feel that Hamlet should not be left alone with the ghost. Hamlet’ s mother and his uncle Claudius got married
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To die,to sleep; No more; And by a sleep to say we end the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to, it 's a consummation devoutly to be wished. (Act3 Scene 1 Line 64-71) The speech in Hamlet not only reveals the death but also spreading rot and decay. Hamlet is quite struggling about to live or to die. At the beginning of the play, he is grieved at his father’s death and his mother’s hasty marriage with his uncle. He decided not to die at last. It is very easy to see that Hamlet was crazy at that time. He talked about he wanted to relieve after death but there was still nightmare after death.After he finished his speech, he decided to live since he needs to finish his revenge. The whole speech we could feel death and painful. Compare to live and death, live is much more better than death for Hamlet. Shakespeare expressed his idea through Hamlet about the ultimate decision of his life. it 's such a literal image of what the whole play is about. Hamlet 's basic problem is whether he should live or kill himself. Hamlet is the prince of Denmark but he can not control himself; he crazily holding a knife and expresses his opinion that he was struggling weather to live or to die. A prince’s mission is to protect his people and manage his country but Hamlet acts as lunatic talking about death. However, Hamlet’s action represents his country which corrupting from inside to outside. “Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee. I am dead, Horatio. Wretched queen, adieu! You that look pale and tremble at this chance” (Act 5 Scene2 354-366). The ending is a chaotic state. Hamlet killed Laertes with a poisonous sword and he died also because of the poisonous sword. Claudius and Gertrude died because of the poisonous wine. So does Hamlet. The royal family’s