Rotten in the State of Denmark

Shakespeares crossroads takes place during the Middle Ages in Denmark, though the play is written in the mindset of those living in the duration of the English Renaissance. Elizabethans strongly believed in order restoration in society or else topsy-turvydom would ensue. In a manner of emphasizing the decay and corruption throughout the play, Shakespeare effectively utilizes figurative phraseology and character development in order to support the concept that There is something rotten in the give tongue to of Denmark. The use of metaphors within the play by Shakespeare accentuates the deterioration in Denmark.Hamlet refers to humanity as the ethoxyethane of dust (II, 2, 272). By making the comparison to dust, he proves that he believes humanity to have rotted, thus illustrating that the landed e put in is decaying as its people are by a sense of morality and order. Hamlet continues on posterior in the play to state that It leave behind but skin and film the ulcerous place/ m agical spell rank corruption, mining all within/Infects unseen (III, 4, 147-148). This further establishes that Denmark is declining as the corruption spreads and is unchecked. Through the figurative comparisons, Shakespeare is able to indicate the decay within Denmark.Double entendre usage throughout Hamlet confirms the degeneration of the kingdoms state. Hamlet makes reference to both the body and life in saying, When we have shuffled off this pestilent coil/Must give us pause (III, 1, 66). He means both removing his human physique and ending his everyday life, signifying the corruption in the kingdom as he wishes to find an easy course out of the troubled state that it is in. Later on, Hamlet mentions Polonius body is at supper and informs Claudius that We expound all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggotstwo dishes, but to one table (IV, 3, 21-24).Supper means both that Polonius is at supper and that he is the supper. In this way, as maggots symbolize de cay, it suggests that people fatten animals to feed upon at that placefore, they fatten themselves for maggots and are all equal in death, as everyone is food for worms as the body deteriorates. The underlying notion of decomposition through double entendre insinuates that there is corruption within Denmark. Character development is another method in which Shakespeare indicates corrosion in Denmark. In terms of Ophelia, Hamlet describes her as a late(prenominal) dog and states that the sun breeds maggots in a departed dog (II, 2, 178).By implying that Ophelia is a dead dog that breeds maggots, he indicates both that the sun rots a dead body and maggots feed within, as well as it is an aspersion to her character, since a dead dog is a bitch. Thus, Hamlet portrays the corruption in Ophelias character as he insinuates that she is a bitch by utilizing a term that symbolizes decomposition. Later on, Claudius states, We have done but greenly/In a underground to inter him poor Ophelia /Divided from herself and her fair judgment (IV, 5, 82-84).This suggests that Ophelias mental state is compromised due to the concealing of her fathers death, further reinstating that the kingdom is corrupted. The alteration of Ophelias character and deterioration of her mental state represents the dwindling of the state of Denmark. The entirety of Hamlet epitomizes Renaissance England society by stressing the notion that without order, chaos will ensue. Shakespeare signifies the mentality of Elizabethans throughout the play through his use of figurative language and character development in order to substantiate that there is, in fact, something rotten in the state of Denmark.