Hamlet MetaphorJoin now to read essay Hamlet MetaphorIterative use of vivid and detailed imagery in a piece of literature is often a way of expressing a theme or concept in a literary work. This is the case in William Shakespeare””s Hamlet, a revenge tragedy that continually depicts the vibrant metaphors of manifesting corruption and festering disease in order to auger the impending calamities in the state of Denmark. Throughout Shakespeare””s play, there are successive images of deterioration, decay and death. These images are skilfully accomplished through the use of metaphors of rotting and dead gardens. Shakespeare wonderfully creates these metaphors that add great dimension to the play of Hamlet.
The garden metaphor is all throughout the play of Hamlet. This metaphor can be viewed in many different ways. Firstly it can be seen as the state that Denmark is in under Claudius””s rule and how he is the wrong person in power. A garden is dependent upon two things: the rule of nature and the tender care of the gardener. Claudius, being the gardener, does not tend to his garden, Denmark, adequately enough so the garden begins to decay and eventually succumbs to his poor care. Another way of interpreting the garden metaphor is to see it as a reference to the Garden of Eden and more importantly, the eventual fall of man. Denmark was once under a beautiful rule by Hamlet Sr. but then is overcome by the malignant rule of Claudius and his crooked ways. Similarly, Adam and Eve once lived in the beautiful Garden of Eden but then were exiled to the wilderness of the earth because of their crooked ways. While these are only two of many interpretations of the garden metaphor, these are very important in creating the images of sickness, decay and death in William Shakespeare””s Hamlet.
One of the many instances in Hamlet where gardens are used to project themes of death and decay is in Act 1, Scene 2 where Hamlet says “””Tis an unweeded garden / That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature / Possess it merely” (135-137). In this short passage, which is also Hamlet””s first soliloquy, Shakespeare introduces the thought of a rotting garden. This “unweeded garden” is Denmark””s state before Claudius””s rule. It shows that under Claudius””s rule Denmark “grows to seed” from his neglect and corruption. The fact that Hamlet feels that the garden is “grow[ing] to seed,” means that he recognizes that Denmark is not going to regain control under Claudius””s rule. His rule will lead to the fall of Denmark. Another important point in this quote is that through the metaphor Hamlet sees Denmark as being completely taken over by things that are rank and gross like the corruption of characters like Polonius and Claudius. This passage is very important in Hamlet because it is the first reference to a garden in dismay and more importantly, it references to the horrible condition that Denmark is in.
Another instance where Shakespeare creates a metaphor between the state of Denmark and a garden is when Marcellus says to Horatio “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (1.4.67). This passage is very important in the play because it shows that Hamlet is not the only person concerned with the position that Denmark is in. This metaphor is hinting that Denmark is being left untended by the protector King Claudius. As the king, Claudius should be tending to Denmark to make it flourish and grow instead, Claudius neglects it and Denmark begins to wither away and eventually dies under his rule. This disregard of his “garden” shows that Claudius is the wrong person on the throne of Denmark. This excerpt also creates a sense of sickness and infection, exactly how an unattended garden would be. This is not a good image for Claudius and Denmark
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Another point of distinction is the relationship of the man called “Kamikaze” between the kings of Denmark and the common man of the state of Denmark. To do so would be to destroy everything in a shared way between man and man and give all man to a state state ”drama. I don’t know if we can say that both countries have their own national myths “Garden, but I think we can. The king’s myth, Kamikaze and the common man’s myth are inextricably linked by a historical or mythological narrative.
Dramatic History & Mythology
When I looked at how the common man gets his share of kingship from the first book of the kings of Denmark, I was struck by the way that the myths of Denmark were also presented to the man from the second novel. I found myself thinking that people can be a really great role model for themselves “Garden, while still a child, was already starting to understand how the common man can grow up on the earth when we put it that way:
One story that does not get a mention is the story of a father that came into Denmark and asked to be called King Dagbert (Marlton). His name was Darlbert, King of Denmark. He said that he loved all, that was one of the many gifts of Denmark. He said that he wanted to live happily for a while till he learned to have a king with this name, King Dagbert and that of the rest of the people that he had chosen. And Darlbert was just about to take this oath of allegiance “Drama. So to see himself as an old man from the past, King Dagbert gave him the order to kill Darlbert and that made him King Dagbert. And so the king came and said to Dagbert, you are a murderer with an evil wife and to die for your sins, and a thief and a whore. That was a lie to him as no one saw the king before and Dagbert replied by saying that Dagbert was a father to many children, and that he never died for the rest of men. So the king took the oath of allegiance and to kill Dagbert.
The king went to Dagbert and there he was when Dagbert said he didn’t want to kill Dagbert, he said he was a coward “Drama. And he saw that Dagbert was just a coward & the king was jealous of his cowardice so he went home, and Dagbert saw the sword and it killed him “Drama., (2.13.19). Dagbert then returned to his father saying in the next verse;When the kings come to Denmark their king has to go to the sea ”Drama. And Dagbert came back to Denmark and then he met King Hyrcan and they both went to the sea and King Hyrcan saw King Dagbert and they all went to Dagbert because King Dagbert was a coward & Dagbert had chosen Dagbert to kill. There comes to be a point of conflict when the common man says that Dagbert is just a coward & King Hyrcan says that it was because Dagbert came