Corruption In Hamlet

Shakespeare’s Hamlet focuses on the disorder of Denmark. King Claudius murders King Hamlet by poisoning him through his ear. After committing such an audacious act, he engages in an incestuous marriage with King Hamlet’s wife, Queen Gertrude. Hamlet remains depressed about this incestuous marriage, and he does not accept King Claudius as his father. Hamlet considers Claudius to be “a little more than kin, and less than/kind” (1.2.64-65). Later, Hamlet and Horatio both witness a ghost of King Hamlet, which demonstrates that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (1.4.90). In the midst of this disorder, Polonius decides to side with King Claudius. Polonius sides with the dishonest Claudius, and he becomes involved inside the corruption.

Polonius tells Reynaldo to gain “some distant knowledge of” (2.1.13) Laertes. The phrase “distant knowledge” emphasizes that Polonius wants Reynaldo to spy on Laertes. He wants Reynaldo to “breathe [Laertes’s] faults so quaintly” (2.1.71) in order to “observe [Laertes’s] inclination in [himself]” (2.1.71). Shakespeare is characterizing Polonius as a self-centered counselor. Shakespeare employs the personification of breathing faults to demonstrate the severity of Polonius’s dishonesty. Polonius considers the action of spying to be as significant as breathing. Shakespeare uses the word “breathe” because breathing is an essential action in the human body. This indicates that Polonius considers the unscrupulous action of spying to be exceedingly significant. At first, Polonius advises his own son to “give thy thoughts no tongue/nor any unproportioned thought his act” (1.3.59-60). The word “unproportioned” implies that Polonius wants his son to be cautious of his actions. Yet, Polonius does not abide by his own words, and he commits a corrupt deed by spying on Laertes in order to protect his own

When Ophelia came to Polonius to inform him about Hamlet’s antic disposition, Polonius declared that it “is the very ecstasy of love” (2.1.101). The word “ecstasy” indicates Polonius’s disloyalty towards Hamlet. Polonius does not give Hamlet the respect of a Prince; rather he accuses Hamlet of being mad in love. Polonius only “believe[s]…that [Hamlet] is young” (1.3.124). Polonius’s critical diction emphasizes his disbelief in Hamlet. The word “young” demonstrates that Polonius considers Hamlet to be incompetent, highlighting his corruption towards the crown of Denmark. After Polonius thought that he found out the cause of Hamlet’s unusual behavior, he decided that “this must be known” (2.1.118), and he went to Claudius. Polonius’s reaction to Hamlet’s behavior indicates that he is corrupt. Polonius went to the disloyal king Claudius to tell him about Hamlet’s antic disposition, meaning that Polonius is siding with the corrupt king. Polonius refused to side with the Prince of Denmark; instead, he sided with the fraudulent Claudius. Moreover, he advises Claudius that he will send Ophelia, and they should “mark the encounter” (2.2.164). The word “mark” emphasizes that Polonius wants to spy on Hamlet. This means that Polonius is betraying the Prince of Denmark, reinforcing his disloyalty to the