Hamlet: Rotten In The State Of Denmark

Throughout the tragedy of Hamlet, a type of rot has taken over Denmark. This rot started in the heart of the characters and their actions that reflected that decay. These actions are a mere reflection of their faith. Shakespeare writes Hamlet with religion in the forefront, directing our attention to it at the beginning of the play. In the first Act, the rot started to manifest when Marcellus, a guard, pointed it out to Horatio. He said:

MARCELLUS. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

HORATIO. Heaven will direct it.

MARCELLUS. Nay, let’s follow him. (Shakespeare 1.1.99-101)

Portrayed in their brief conversation, the Roman Catholic ideology is a recurring theme that heavily influences all of the characters at one point. Hamlet and others use their faith as a moral guide, yet end up trapped in their transgressions. The evil and immorality inflicted upon themselves are the main reasons why Denmark started to rot. Reading Hamlet through this religious lens, the rottenness in Denmark tells readers now how sinful human beings are, the consequences of sinning, and how the world is consumed by sin today.

To define some key aspects of the religion present in Hamlet, the Catholic faith believes that “sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience" and “a failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods” (Catholic Church). It is also believed that man was brought into the world with original sin from the fall of humanity in the story of Adam and Eve. This theology is important to address because it plays a critical role in the characters' actions and thoughts throughout the play.

First, the rottenness in Denmark tells readers now how human beings are innately sinful. Everyone in the play has consciously committed an offense against God. Abstaining and not acting upon these offenses is indeed possible, but the sin itself is appealing and hard to resist. For example, King Claudius and Polonius spied on Hamlet's conversation with Ophelia. Eavesdropping and using the information for revenge or personal gain is a sin because of the underlying selfish motive. The most common form of revenge in Hamlet is murder. Again, murder is appealing to many characters because of the superficial benefits. In the first act, the readers learn that Hamlet's father, late King Hamlet, was poisoned by his brother, Claudius. He inherited the empty throne through his act of murder and ultimately cared about his self-righteousness and power. While sin seems to garner rewards in Claudius’s case, it did the exact opposite. Galatians 6:7 states, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap”, meaning sin only inflicts pain and causes relationships to rot (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version). In the end, Claudius reaped his full harvest when he was murdered by Hamlet.

In addition to the characters' actions, Shakespeare addresses the consequences of sin through Hamlet and other’s words. As stated in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death...” and Hamlet is aware of this outcome (The Holy Bible: ESV). He exhibited this knowledge when he said, “Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed / His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!” (Shakespeare 2.1.134-135). Through Hamlet’s understanding of committing suicide and its punishment, he knows he would end up in Hell. Hamlet also understood that verse when he told his mother to turn from her sin and repent to avoid any retribution: “Confess yourself to heaven, / Repent what’s past, avoid what is to come,” (Shakespeare 3.4. 170-171). Claudius also sits in confession to pray and repent of what he’s done. Yet he believes he can't receive full salvation because he is still reaping the benefits of his sin. “My fault is past. But oh, what form of prayer / Can serve my turn, “Forgive me my foul murder?” (Shakespeare 3.3.55-56). Overall, the main characters display a clear understanding of the wages of sin. While trying to obtain its benefits, they also try to turn away from its adverse effects.

Lastly, the rottenness Shakespeare emphasizes also points to the same brokenness that consumes the world to this day. Hamlet describes the human nature of sin and falling into temptations of revenge and greed. It is common to see that same selfish and sinful behavior among people today. Similar to Polonius eavesdropping into Hamlet's conversations, it is common to hear rumors or gossip about another person. It is just as common to tell a white lie that presumably doesn't hurt anyone or talk badly about someone if they never find out. If we turn to Luke 8:17, it states that “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (The Holy Bible: ESV). This verse applies to everyone; most noticeably through the actions of King Claudius. King Claudius murdered Old King Hamlet in a way that he thought no one would ever find out. Through the account of Old King Hamlet’s ghost, Hamlet figured out Claudius killed him, and his sin was brought to light. This act of making the hidden known happened on a larger scale to Denmark’s kingdom. As the hidden sins began to unfold, it started to Denmark from the inside out.

To conclude, Denmark's decay can be traced back to the destructive words and actions of its people. Shakespeare does a great job at portraying how sinful the characters are, what the consequences of their actions were, and how it relates to our world today. Religion played an important role in Hamlet. The characters turned to their selfish motives and were brought down by the weight of their sins.