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Corruption and Revenge in Shakespeare's "Hamlet

Explore themes of corruption and revenge in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" through the characters of Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia. Delve into the elements of corruption on private and public levels in Denmark, analyzing key scenes and the use of imagery. Examine the Ghost's call for vengeance and the themes of a revenge tragedy genre in the play. Reflect on the underlying causes of the corruption in Denmark.

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Corruption and Revenge in Shakespeare's "Hamlet

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  1. CORRUPTION & REVENGE

  2. Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia

  3. What is Polonius afraid of regarding Laertes?

  4. What is Polonius afraid of regardingOphelia?

  5. Who or what might corrupt Polonius’s children?

  6. Corruption in Denmark • Where do we see elements of corruption on a private and public level in Denmark? • Hamlet’s first soliloquy • Fie on’t, ah fie, ‘tis an unweeded garden That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. (1.2.135-138)

  7. The Ghost (1.4-5) Where do we see elements of corruption in these two scenes? Ghost: “I am . . . Doom’d for a certain time to walk the night . . . Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature / Are burnt and purg’d away” (1.5.9-13)

  8. Rotten/Corrupt/Garden Imagery • Marcellus: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (1.4.90)

  9. The Murder • POISON used by Claudius • The murder is both a REGICIDE and a FRATRICIDE.

  10. Close Reading • The Ghost’s use of vivid, angry diction and repetition underscores the urgent need to “clean up” the mess in Denmark, to remove the corruption (a PUBLIC revenge?) • Ghost: “foul” used 3x, “unnatural” used 2x, “strange” used once (p. 30)

  11. Revenge Tragedy • Three roles: VICTIM, VILLAIN, AVENGER • Crime has already been committed prior to the start of the play • No recourse to a higher authority • Avenger must overcome obstacles • Avenger must seek an appropriate revenge • Concludes with a successful carrying out of mission • Most popular genre of Shakespeare’s time (and perhaps, today?) • Derives from Greeks/Romans (Aeschylus, Seneca) • The Spanish Tragedy, The Revenger’s Tragedy…

  12. WRAP UP • Would Hamlet’s revenge be a PUBLIC or a PRIVATE one? • What motivates his father’s demand—or Hamlet’s desire— for revenge?

  13. EXIT PASS • What, in your opinion, is the exact cause of the “rotten-ness” in Denmark? Cite one or two words as textual support.

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