Question

[Hamlet:] It will but skin and film the ulcerous place, Whiles rank corruption, mining all within, Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven; Repent what’s past; avoid what is to come; And do not spread the compost on the weeds To make them ranker. —Hamlet, William Shakespeare How does the motif of disease and decay in this passage relate to a larger theme in the play? It highlights the idea that the strongest bond is the one between father and son. It reminds the audience that the government of Denmark is rotten and corrupt. It suggests that people can never truly understand one another. It emphasizes the fact that King Hamlet died after a long illness.

Answer 1

Answer:

The motif of disease and decay intends to remind the audience that the government of Denmark is rotten and corrupt.

Explanation:

In Hamlet, we witness prince Hamlet of Denmark grieving his father's death while the throne is occupied by his uncle, an incompetent and weak ruler, who is turning the kingdom into a decadent and weak land, on the verge of being invaded by a foreign force. Speaking of disease and decay of the body, the excerpt brings a metaphor for the situation of Hamlet's homeland.