Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” (Hamlet. 1.4, l.90) In every society a distinctive hierarchy or organization of power exists. In the Shakespearean world, life is kept constant through the maintenance of the Great Chain of Being or moral order. Any disruption in this chain is believed to cause chaos in society. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Denmark is thrown into chaos by the reckless actions of several characters that fail to follow the moral order. Hamlet is instructed by the ghost of his beloved father to restore order to Denmark and seek revenge on Claudius, the present king of Denmark and murderer of his father. By identifying the various levels of disorder in Denmark an evaluation of the effectiveness of Hamlet’s “antic disposition” as a plan to restore order will be made.Throughout the play there are various factors that contribute to the disorder in Denmark. Chaos is even evident in the relationships and friendships Hamlet is involved with during the course of the play. In Act 1.Scene 3, Polonius ends the relationship between Hamlet and his daughter Ophelia. His reasoning is that Hamlet is merely flirting with Ophelia for the sake of his own amusement and he will not maintain anything more than a temporary attachment. However, the audience’s knowledge of Hamlet’s character convinces them that Polonius entirely misjudges the nature of the prince’s sentiments towards Ophelia. His love for her is innocent and pure, yet their relationship is cut off and forbidden to continue. In contrast, the relationship between Claudius and Gertrude is corrupt and unnatural and yet no one breaks them up or even questions their marriage. Another problem occurring in Denmark at the time is the amount of back stabbing between friends. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are to have met Hamlet at school and become quite close. ...
