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Rotten In Hamlet

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In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, we are given the theme of “something rotten” throughout the first acts of the play. The meaning of “something rotten” signifies the betrayal and murder that occurs in Denmark. The old king Hamlet was sneakily poisoned in the ear by his own brother. His brother soon than marries the queen. Hamlet is outraged at this and he cannot fathom how his mother has gotten over his father’s death so quickly. The “rottenness” represent the sense of betrayal that is around in Denmark at this time.

In Act 1 scene 4 Shakespeare uses the quote "Something's rotten in Denmark. We must take note of people, who will also recall that Marcellus, not Hamlet, is the one who claims this quote. There's a reason he states, …show more content…

One side of Hamlet’s study of the struggle of getting true knowledge is inconsistencies in language. Words are used to repeat ideas, but they can also be used to change the truth, influence people, and serve as tools in dishonest journeys to power. Claudius, a sharp politician, is a great example of a man who distorts words to benefit himself. The nasty uses of words are illustrated by images of ears and hearing, from Claudius’s murder of the king by putting poison into his ear to Hamlet’s profession to Horatio that, “I have words to speak in thine ear will make thee dumb” (IV.vi.21). The poison poured in the king’s ear by Claudius is used by the ghost to stand for the effect of Claudius’s lies on the health and well-being of Denmark. Revealing that the story that he was killed by a snake is a lie, he says that, “the whole ear of Denmark” is “Rankly abused. . ..” (I.v.36–38). This is just one of the many examples of Claudius’s many lies throughout the first two scenes.

Throughout the first two scenes in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, we are given the theme of “something rotten” throughout the first acts of the play. After looking into the concept of The meaning of “something rotten” we realize that it means the corruptness that is going on in the kingdom of Denmark. We have determined that it signifies the betrayal and murder of The old king Hamlet.

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