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Gatsby and Hamlet Distinctions

The references to poison at work in Denmark are significant to Hamlet. Prince Hamlet is of the younger generation but must "set it right" in a world of corruption among the older generation (Shakespeare I.v.38). His father, the former King, was killed by his uncle Claudius, the new King. His mother quickly married her dead husband's brother. Polonius is corrupt to win the favor of Claudius. In this way, a poisonous atmosphere pervades Denmark and the Court. Everything is wrong in Denmark. A usurper of the throne is poisoning the entire kingdom, as Claudius works his wiles to maintain power and the throne. Hamlet recognizes this and also shows that Denmark is a distinct place because poisonous things occur there as business as usual. As Hamlet says of Claudius, "O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! / My tables,--meet it is I set it down, / That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; / At least I'm sure it may be so in Denmark" (Shakespeare I.v.113-116). In this way, Hamlet is aware of the poison that runs through Denmark, from the top down. Ironically, the ending of the play will end in a slaughter due to poison killing Laertes, Claudius, Gertrude, and Hamlet. There could be no more overt statement that the Denmark of Claudius was literally run through with poison.

Many events mature Hamlet during the course of the play, but some of them shock him into manhood. One of these is the sight of the apparition of his father, who explains to him he was murdered by his brother Claudius, the new king of Denmark. Another is Hamlet's shock that his mother, Queen Gertrude, married Claudius within a short time after the death of his father. The third event that helps shock Hamlet into manhood is the betrayal of his friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Hamlet is truly shocked and his course of fate is set in motion by the revelation that his father was killed by his uncle. His fa

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Gatsby and Hamlet Distinctions. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 14:25, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/2001100.html