The ghost of Hamlet's father revealing the truth about his death is a testament to this: "Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, And in the porches of my ears did pour "i(Act 1:5 60-63) The ghost has come back seeking revenge on Claudius. ...
Hamlet's Disease The somber images of poison and disease taint the pages of Hamlet, and shadow the corruption pervading the recent and future events of the castle. The poison with which Claudius kills King Hamlet spreads in a sense throughout the country, until "something is rotten in Denmark", as ...
Sleeping within my orchard, My custom always of the afternoon, Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, And in the porches of my ears did pour The leperous distillment, whose effect Holds such an enmity with blood of man That swift as quicksilver it courses through The natural gates and alleys of the body And with a sudden vigor it doth posset And curd, like eager droppings into milk, The thin and wholesome blood (1.5.34-39, 59-70).[9] It is possible that "poison in the ear" is an image of temptation. ...
The character of Claudius is perhaps the most complex in the play and therefore is open to wide interpretation. Shakespeare ultimately presents Claudius as a "smiling damned villain" who rarely is what he appears to be. The most potent example of this occurs in act 1 scene 2 when Claudius first speaks. He issues a speech and begins by saying: " Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death " This gives the impression that Claudius is saddened by his brother's death, yet it is later revealed that it was he who murdered him. This is linked to the recurring theme of appearance and...
