The poison’s effect upon Denmark
As the final scenes of the play, act five is filled with the themes of decay and poison. Scene one literally projects the theme of decay when Hamlet is talking to the Gravedigger. On the other hand, scene two prominently portrays the theme of poison in the last duel.
Through imagery Shakespeare depicts the theme of decay in scene one “Why, sir, his hide is so tanned with his Trade that he will keep out water a great while, and your water is a sore decayer of your whoreson dead Body. Here’s a skull now. This skull has lain in the earth three-and-twenty years” (scene 1, lines 175-79). I believe decay is such a prominent idea in this act because of the connection to the violence and the loss of morals throughout this act. The theme of poison is very prominent as Gertrude, Claudius, Laertes, and Hamlet all die either from a poisoned rapier and/or a poisoned drink “So shall you hear Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, Of accidental judgments, casual slaughter Of deaths put on by cunning and (forced) cause” (scene 2, lines 422-425). Poison and decay play a very important role in Act 5 as through corruption and cunning, the entire royal family perishes through poison.
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