Hamlet: Decay, Gardening and Death Imagery - Scaffolded Quotes

Tis an unweeded garden/ that grows to seed; things rank and cross in nature/ posess it merely (CONTEXT)

Hamlet laments Gertrudes remarraige and Denmark’s corruption

Tis an unweeded garden/ that grows to seed; things rank and cross in nature/ posess it merely (DEVICE)

Extended metaphor

Tis an unweeded garden/ that grows to seed; things rank and cross in nature/ posess it merely (VERB)

Condemns

Tis an unweeded garden/ that grows to seed; things rank and cross in nature/ posess it merely (VALUES)

Disorder in nature reflects disorder in kingship

Tis an unweeded garden/ that grows to seed; things rank and cross in nature/ posess it merely (THEMES)

Corruption, appearance, mortality

The serpent that did sting thy fathers life/ now wears his crown (CONTEXT)

Ghost reveals Claudius murder

The serpent that did sting thy fathers life/ now wears his crown (DEVICE)

Biblical allusion (Eden)

The serpent that did sting thy fathers life/ now wears his crown (VERB)

Exposes

The serpent that did sting thy fathers life/ now wears his crown (VALUES)

Regicide as ultimate sin, corruption infects kingship

The serpent that did sting thy fathers life/ now wears his crown (THEMES)

corruption, mortality, duty

In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed / stwe’d in corruption, honeying and making love / over the nasty sty! (CONTEXT)

Hamlet confronts Gertrude in the closet scene

In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed / stwe’d in corruption, honeying and making love / over the nasty sty! (DEVICE)

Graphic imagery, animalistic metaphor

In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed / stwe’d in corruption, honeying and making love / over the nasty sty! (VERB)

shames

In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed / stwe’d in corruption, honeying and making love / over the nasty sty! (VALUES)

incest, sexual sin pollute family and state

In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed / stwe’d in corruption, honeying and making love / over the nasty sty! (THEMES)

corruption, appearence, mortality

So lust, though to a radiant angel link’d / will sate itself in a celectial bed / and pray upon garbage (CONTEXT)

hamlet reflects on sin and desire

So lust, though to a radiant angel link’d / will sate itself in a celectial bed / and pray upon garbage (DEVICE)

contrast imagery

So lust, though to a radiant angel link’d / will sate itself in a celectial bed / and pray upon garbage (VERB)

criticises

So lust, though to a radiant angel link’d / will sate itself in a celectial bed / and pray upon garbage (VALUE)

sexual sin undermines purity, female chastity at stake

So lust, though to a radiant angel link’d / will sate itself in a celectial bed / and pray upon garbage (THEMES)

mortality, corruption

Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust (CONTEXT)

Hamlet reflects in the graveyard on Alexander the Great

Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust (DEVICE)

Repitition

Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust (VERB)

Philosophises

Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust (VALUES)

Momento mori: even greatness decays into nothing

Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust (THEMES)

mortality, duty