"Hamlet" by William Shakespeare

"Hamlet", one of William Shakespeare's earliest tragedies, is often thought of as his most personal playwright. It is a tale of murder, revenge, deceit, and spying all stemming from the murder of the king of Denmark, King Hamlet. As Michael Neil summarizes, it is a narrative of "a king killed by his brother, who then marries the dead kings widow, of the young price who must pretend to be mad in order to save his …

…as well. All the examples of Claudius' dishonest and evil deeds, including the murder of his brother, the corruption of his nephew, and the seduction of his sister-in-law "all serve to demonstrate the pervasive effects of Claudius' poison" (Rackin, 60). In conclusion, the many themes throughout the play are intertwined with the images of poison. It not until the last scene of the play, where Claudius is killed, that Denmark is finally cleansed of its corruption.