How Does Shakespeare Present The Social Hierarchy In Hamlet

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Shakespeare’s Hamlet presents not only the tragic story of murder and corruption, but also a story about the state of the social hierarchy in early modern England. The corruption that is prevalent throughout the aristocracy supports the concepts of a class structure that is often over dramatized and abused, in Shakespeare's plays. Overall, the class structure presented in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a reflection of society in the 14th century which Hamlet discovers, throughout the play, the irrelevance of the social hierarchy that he has lived under in which everything he can and cannot do is dictated by his position, and may be seen as essentially meaningless. Shakespeare shows this with Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia, the grave digger, and Laertes.

Societal expectations are presented when Ophelia is warned about her relationship with Hamlet, and the uncertainty surrounding her death. An example of the social structure that is prevalent in the play are the interactions that occur …show more content…

When Laertes wishes to return to school he must get more than his father’s permission. In order to travel, Laertes must go before Claudius and have him approve of the trip. Laertes asks “Your leave and favor to return to France, From whence through willingly I came to Denmark To show my duty in your coronation, Yet now I must confess, that duty done, My thoughts and wishes bend again toward France And bow them to your gracious leave and pardon.” (pg51). If Laertes wishes to return to France, even though it is to be productive, he must obtain permission from the king. Claudius ensures that Polonius, Laertes father, agrees to the terms of the trip as nothing more than a formality. Ultimately, Claudius is the deciding factor for the trip. As the social structure dictates, the king is the source that determines what may and may not

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