The theme of greed and corruption affects a range of people in one of Shakespeare’s most infamous tragedies, Hamlet. The only unaffected characters are those who are actively defending themselves from the influence of their corrupted acquaintances. The most true resistance, shown by Horatio who stands by Hamlet’s side through and through. Hamlet’s reluctance to kill Claudius is his unwillingness and resistance to be corrupted by his greed to seek revenge. In Hamlet, the power of greed is very strong, it is what motivates the corrupted actions of Claudius, which were essentially a catalyst for the entire play, and the corruption of many others throughout the play. Greed comes into play most obviously through Claudius, who, for…show more content… One by one, characters fall into the clutches of corruption. The most notable loss was Polonius, a perceptive, clever person who always had a plan, fell when he became involved with the king in his attempt to control and uncover Hamlet’s corruption. He felt the need to constantly be involved in the lives of others, especially when it involved gaining greater control over his daughter Ophelia. His greed for control over Ophelia paired with his disapproval of Hamlet’s love for Ophelia lead to their isolation, resulting in the insanity and death of Ophelia. He soon meets his demise while caught in the act of attempting to listen in on the conversation between Gertrude and Hamlet, but is killed by Hamlet when mistaken for the king. Polonius became corrupted the moment he manipulated his position to gain power and control, in turn betraying his children. Obviously betraying Ophelia, and also influencing the corruption of Laertes, who shared similar beliefs with his father, and was later encouraged by the king, to deceive and kill Hamlet without hesitation. The tragedy of Hamlet is not about Hamlet, or the tragic flaw of any character alone, it is a tragedy of people in general. It is a human flaw which makes it nearly impossible to resist greed and corruption when it means instant benefits and gratification. When the growth of corruption is not resisted and prevented, it reaps
