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-interesting that Gertrude’s final words are to Hamlet, almost as if she’s trying to repair the damage that the poison has caused

-double meaning: admitting to her son that not only is she physically poisoned but that her soul was tainted and corrupted by it long before she ever drank

-ironic that of all things the poison is the way she tries to redeem her soul and her conscience

Breaking Down of Order

Death of Old Hamlet

-Old Hamlet’s death is breaking of order in the kingdom

-someone the people regarded as equivalent to God died unexpectedly

Karma or Justice being served

Gertrude and Hamlet

-Breach of trust and distance in their mother and son relationship, leading hamlet to feel even more abandoned and alone.

-never speaks out for him as a concerned mother would, when for example Polonius and Claudius plan to spy on Hamlet’s meeting with Ophelia, or when Claudius decides to send Hamlet to England.

-downgrades her relationship to her son to a gamble and a game

-allows for the dual between Hamlet and Laertes at the end of the play

-Claudius diseasing Gertrude’s mind can be really seen through her selfish behavior and lack of understanding towards her son and his feelings

-poison in this sense can represent her ignorance.

doesn’t think about the consequences or impact, her decisions will have on Hamlet

Death of Old Hamlet

“So that my arrows, too slightly timber’d for so loud a wind, would have reverted to my bow again, but not where I had aim’d them”

(4, 7, 21-24)

-kissing of the crown represents how Claudius’ mind was poisoned by the deep desire for power

-taking off the crown before killing Old Hamlet symbolizes the dishonoring of his brother

-makes the deed even more poisonous in nature- removes all materialistic barriers

Poison used to represent physical destruction or moral/ internal corruption

Laertes (Destabilization)

Laertes (Karma)

Claudius (Karma)

“The foul practice/ Hath turned itself on me” (5, 2, 323-324)

Poison

-Claudius only aimed to kill his brother, but his villainous deed slowly spread like a plague throughout the entire kingdom

-The worst effects are taken by Laertes’ family, they all suffer as a result of him

-Polonius’ death, Ophelia’s madness or the death of Laertes himself.

-The “foul practice” is Laertes’ murderous act of killing Hamlet with the poisonous sword

-He recognizes he let the plague seep into his mind and influence his actions.

-realizes his act was an effect of the poison

in the end it was his own sword that was ultimately the cause of his own death as well

-Claudius embodying a snake can also draw us to the allusion that Shakespeare might be trying to make with Adam and Eve.

-Similar to the snake in the Garden of Eden, Claudius causes havoc, seems to have no morals

can be seen as evil itself, infecting the minds of innocent people.

-this almost feels as a confession or plea of forgiveness not to Claudius but to God and Old Hamlet

-drinks the poison to try to cleanse her conscience because this is the first time that she openly refuses Claudius and his will.

-This can be seen through Gertrude’s final words :

- ties into the theme of reality vs. deception-poison attacks someone from the inside leaving no scar or physical evidence

-Relates to Claudius, who seems like a good and healthy king from the outside

-inside, he is as rotten and corrupted as the poison he uses to kill King Hamlet

-Claudius’ mind is so poisoned by the lust or strong desire to be king, kill his own brother

“I will my lord, I pay you pardon me,” (5.2.295)

Claudius (Karma)

Gertrude and Old Hamlet

poison doesn’t stop there; it spreads like a plague across the whole kingdom, exactly like poison slowly spreads throughout your body

Denmark can be seen as a body, initially infected by the actions of Claudius, and then slowly diseased through out

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (1.5.90)

-“poisoner” refers to Claudius, his method of poisoning Gertrude is by means of gifts and shows of affection

-started to slowly poison Gertrude’s mind, at first the effects of his poison weren’t felt by her, but eventually it started spreading throughout her and in the end she finally accepted his “love”, or poison.

“He is justly served/ It is a poison temper’d by himself” (5, 2, 332-333)

“The point envenomed too! Then venom, to thy work” (5, 2, 327)

-Poison also represents justice and how it is ultimately served

-Seen with death of Claudius who initiated this infectious poison and breaking of disorder within the kingdom

-it is a sort of restoration of order that Claudius has been killed, and none other by his own venomous handiwork or “poison”.

“The Poisoner woos the Queen with gifts: she seems loath and unwilling awhile, but in the end accepts his love” (3.2. stage directions)

“poisoner” refers to Claudius, his method of poisoning Gertrude is by means of gifts and shows of affection

started to slowly poison Gertrude’s mind, at first the effects of his poison weren’t felt by her, but eventually it started spreading throughout her and in the end she finally accepted his “love”, or poison.

Claudius (Karma)

-Leads to disintegration of her relationship with Old Hamlet, because once she was taken over by Claudius’ ‘love’ she breaks off her ties to old king and is quick to remarry after his death

-Doesn’t really mourn his passing or leave time for sorrow and reflection

-Audience gets the feel that she doesn’t care or isn’t that affected by the tragedy-->  moved on

-Hamlet is determined to see justice served to Claudius, and kills him with his own weapon.

-Claudius can be seen as a snake in the kingdom, very cunning and manipulative towards the other people

-He sneaked up behind people, and secretly bit or poisoned everyone without them even realizing it.

Poison

Ayesha Rizwan and Ratika Ratnam

Destabilization of Relationships

-Thus in the end of the play when Gertrude dies by drinking the poisoned cup, its only her physical body that feels the effect, because her mind and soul have already been plagued

-But at this point you see a transition, almost as if Gertrude is finally realizing the poison that took over her

“Anon comes in a fellow, takes off his crown, kisses it, and pours poison in the King's ears, and exit.

(3, 2, stage directions)

“Oh my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink! I am poisn’d!”(5.2.315-316)

Laertes (Destabiliaztion)

-Enraged because of news of his father’s death, and sister’s madness.

-All he desires is to avenge his father’s death, and so takes the castle by storm.

-he is plagued by the idea of revenge and he doesn’t really give it any rational thought.

-Claudius instigates Laertes to kill Hamlet. The infection continues to disease the kingdom

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