Assumed Deceit; Accepted Dysfunction

In Hamlet, Shakespeare emphasizes the beginning of social stratification in England, which would soon give way to a rigid, yet tainted hierarchy of inheritance. Because a new ruling class was emerging, it was imminent that the sons of the wealthy citizens would inherit their fathers’ assets. Money was the single ingredient, poured onto the family unit that created higher rates of dysfunction. King Claudius and Queen Gertrude’s dishonest conduct was the foundation for the current dysfunction. Their relationship defines the setting for the play, sets the tone, and presents the context of the vengeful plot.  King Claudius’s aggressive speech through imperative diction, contrasted with Gertrude’s sympathy and support, through the use of metaphors and aphorisms, aids the actors in expressing their parts, enables the audience to suspend it’s disbelief, and bolsters the themes of self- identity and family by demarcating boundaries. Therefore, the “royal mischief” and 17^th century hierarchal society, referenced to by Claudius and Gertrude, give way to escalating dysfunction.