Реферат: Hamlet Brutal Truth Essay Research Paper Disillusionment

“[offer up] Anything but to th’ purpose.”

Act 2, Scene 2, Line 300

In a gesture of extreme significance, in a quote complementary to

Polonius’ aforementioned one, Hamlet demands:

“Be even and direct with me whether you

were sent for or no.”

Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 310-11

Being the bumbling fools they are, Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern

disclose their intentions and purposes to Hamlet, revealing the King and

Queen’s instructions. Thus does truth prevail in this passage. For this

reason, the whole passage is devoid of the “artful” poetic devices that

are used in the better portion of the play.

The recurring motif of corruption also appears in the passage. Due to

the wicked internal proceedings in the state of Denmark (e.g. murder,

incest), Shakespeare implies that the whole state is “soiled”, which in

turn has a direct negative consequence in the grand universal scheme of

things. Imagery of warped and distasteful plants, in place of the

traditional “aesthetically correct” beautiful flowers in a garden,

serves to further reinforce the degeneration theme:

“‘Tis an unweeded garden that grows

to seed. Things rank and gross in nature

possess it merely.”

Act 1, Scene 2

Essentially, all of life, and all that was good and beautiful in life

(e.g. the garden) is sullied.

Hamlet, the disillusioned idealist, continues with the motif when he

disheartenedly declares:

“the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory^?”

-Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 321-2