the disease imagery in Hamlet serves to constantly remind the reader of the initial problem in the play: King Hamlet's poisoning by his brother. After hearing his father graphically describethe murder, it is constantly on Hamlet's mind. For this reason, many of the images that Hamletcreates in the play are connected with disease and poison. The literal poisoning becomessymbolic of the rest of the events of the play. Remember that poisoning through the ear can betaken literally or figuratively (through speech and lies). Look at Polonius's conversation withOphelia about Hamlet, Claudius' lies to Laertes and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. There areexamples of decay imagery throughout the play. This is all shown in "Something is rotten in thestate of Denmark." These images of decay, disease, rankness, rot, and ulcers constantly popup in the play. The idea of an ulcer that is constantly infecing and eating the body is alsoprevelant. Check out I.iv.23-38, II.ii.181, II.ii.250, II.ii.504. "The dram of eale doth all thenoble substance of a doubt to his own scandal" "That for some vicious mole of nature in them.Rosencranz's "The cess of majesty..." Iv.iii "A certain convocation of politic worms..."III.iv.144-9 "It will but skin a film the ulcerous place..." The images of disease all refer to therottenness of court or the sin of Claudius & Gertrude. Finally check out W.H. Clemen's "TheDevelopment of Shakespeare's Imagery." It is a great resource. Hope that helped!C. Watts ed., Hamlet, Harvester New Critical Introductions to Shakespeare (New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1988). S. Wofford ed., Hamlet (Boston, Mass.: Bedford Books, 1994) with accompanying essays.I took a Shakespeare class in high school (about two years ago). Out professor told us that the flowers signified the loss of Ophelia's sanity caused by the rejection of her lover, Hamlet, and the murdering of her father, Polonius(sp?), by which Hamlet is guilty. A...
