Deceit is often used in politics and everyday life to acquire power and success. The theme of deceit is often repeated in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hamlet’s hesitation in killing Claudius, and Hamlet’s eventual death are a direct result of deceit in the court. Hamlet tries to deceive everyone into thinking that he is crazy. He believes that with this “antic disposition” he can kill Claudius without any consequences, and avenge his father’s death. When Cladius and Polonius hear of Hamlet’s madness, they decide to find out the reason behind it. They spy on Hamlet to figure out why he is acting this way. Through this Cladius learns that Hamlet is dangerous, and a threat to him. Hamlet’s trickery also leads to the death of Ophelia and her father Polonius. As well as triggering Laertes to seek revenge on Hamlet for causing the death of his family. After several attempts to kill Hamlet fail, Claudius teams up with Laertes and tries to murder Hamlet once and for all. Each of these plans directly or indirectly cause Hamlet’s death.
After Hamlet talks to the ghost of his father, he finds out that Claudius killed him to gain the throne of Denmark. Hamlet has to get revenge by killing Claudius. To do this, he must act insane to draw away suspicion from himself. Hamlet says to Hortaio “How strange or odd some’er I bear myslef as I perchanse hereafter shall think meet to put an antic dispostion on,”(I;v;170-172), this indicates that from this moment Hamlet will act insane. He believes this way he will be able to kill the king and get away with it. Polonius becomes aware of Hamlet’s madness and wants to uncover the reason behind it. He says “Mad let us grant him then, and now remains, that we find out the cause of this defect, for this effect defective comes by cause.”(II;ii;100-103). Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet and Ophelia as they talk. After hearing their conversation Claudius says “And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose will be some danger; which for to prevent, I have in quick determination thus set it down: he shall with speed to England”(III;i;163-166). This means that Claudius is starting to believe Hamlet is dangerous and wants to send him to England. From this point Claudius is very suspicious of Hamlet, he suspects that Hamlet is plotting against him, he says, “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.
Bitter Imagery in Hamlet
Bitter Imagery in Hamlet
In Hamlet, imagery of disease, poison and decay, are used by Shakespeare for a purpose. The descriptions of disease, poison, and decay help us understand the bitter relationships that exist in the play and Hamlet’s own cynicism. We see Hamlet’s pessimism in his soliloquy when he contemplates suicide. The resentful relationship that exists between Claudius and Hamlet is heightened with the use of imagery when Claudius asks about Polonius. Imagery enhances Claudius’ abhorrence of Hamlet. Shakespeare uses imagery in this play to deepen our understanding of the emotions experienced.
The imagery of decay is used to help comprehend the depression Hamlet feels in his first soliloquy about suicide. “O that this too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,” (I;ii, 129-130) Hamlet is basically communicating that he wishes not to exist in this world anymore. He wants to die and be apart of the ground. An image of Hamlet’s flesh, rotting, combining with the soil is produced. At this moment we can grasp Hamlet’s true emotions. We feel his pain and his yearn for death. Hamlet continues to say “How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable/ Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on’t, ah, fie, ‘tis an unweeded garden/ That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature /Possess it merely.”(I;ii, 133-137) Here, Hamlet says his reason for wanting to commit suicide is that he hates the world he lives in. He feels that the world around him is useless and in disarray. We can understand the true motivation for his suicide. Shakespeare lets us peer into Hamlet’s soul by creating these vivid images.
Claudius’ relationship with Hamlet is drea…
… middle of paper …
…hance Hamlet’s pessimism of life. Imagery is also used significantly in portraying the sour emotions that exist between Hamlet and Claudius. When Claudius questions Hamlet of the whereabouts of Polonius we see the foul relationship with the help of imagery. As Claudius acknowledges Hamlet’s behaviour and insanity, he reveals the anger he feels towards Hamlet. In Hamlet’s soliloquy, with reference to suicide, imagery shows us his dark feelings. In Hamlet we truly see what a great deal of depth imagery provides us with. Imagery of disease, poison and decay gives us a chance at really understanding the true emotions that the characters experience in their mind and soul. With the imagery created by Shakespeare, we as readers, can actually comprehend the feelings that are experienced by the characters in Hamlet, that are not always obvious but important.