Hamlet Imagery

The image of weeds is an important and reoccurring one throughout Hamlet by William Shakespeare. They appear in many of the scenes, used as a symbol for the evil in human nature that grows and multiplies inside oneself until it dominates and controls an individual. Throughout the play, Shakespeare thinks of human life like a garden where people are like plants constantly growing, developing, and changing while weeds are like the evil streaks, or repressions that end up destroying human beings just as weeds eventually destroy plant life. Weeds can be linked to the theme of revenge growing and multiplying inside humans and finally overtaking and consuming them. Weeds can also be a symbol of corruption in Denmark, growing and spreading as Claudius continues to rule the country Hamlet's father once nobly led.

Images of weeds are present from the very beginning of the play when the Ghost uses the image to lead Hamlet towards revenge. He says, "And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed that roots itself in ease on Lethe Wharf" ( ). The ghost is telling Hamlet that if he doesn't take revenge on Claudius for his unfair and cheated death then he will be "duller" then the disgusting weed that grows on the banks of the river of forgetfulness. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet says of the world, " Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature possess it merely" (). This description emphasizes the idea that the world itself is decaying due to the "weeds" or evil and sinful acts of humans that will one day take over and engulf all things that were once good and beautiful.

Another image that serves the same purpose as weeds do is that of a cankerworm destroying the young buds of flowers and preventing them from blossoming. The cankerworm appears during Laertes' advice to Ophelia when he says, " The canker galls the infants of the spring too oft before their buttons be disclosed, and, in the morn and liquid dew of youth, contagious blastments are most imminent" (). Here he is advising Ophelia not to forgo her virginity to Hamlet. The cankerworm serves as another symbol which quickens the process of corruption and decay as weeds do making flowers and plants die young and early before they have had the chance to truly live. Of course all plants, just like all humans, eventually die but the interference of weeds and in this case cankerworms alters the natural cycle of life and ironically foreshadows the deaths of the young characters of Ophelia, Hamlet, and Laertes who all perished because of conflicts stemming from the initial corrupt act of Claudius poisoning his own brother for power and personal gain.

During Claudius' attempt to pray, he says, "O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven" (). In this context, rank means having a strong and offensive odor while the plays other use of the word is "growing excessively"