In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the theme of corruption and decay is evident throughout Act I. Throughout Act I we can trace a progression of corruption mostly through one character, King Claudius which leads to a downward spiral of the entire kingdom of Denmark due to his poor leadership. In the character's speeches, the theme of decay becomes apparent and through these speeches the characters reveal moral, social and political corruption in their society.
In Act I, there proves to be moral corruption in Denmark as King Claudius, marries his deceased brother's widow, Hamlet's mother. As in society today, it is not morally correct to do such a thing and in Shakespearean time such moral values existed as well. Hamlet is very upset with Claudius's actions of marrying his mother and he speaks towards this with repulsion. "O most wicked speed! To post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets!" (I. ii. l. 156-157) Hamlet speaks about the incest which is taking place between Claudius and his mother and how inappropriate their marriage is especially seeing that Claudius is the King of Denmark and holds superiority over everyone else, and thus should set a positive example for Denmark. His marriage to his brother's widow proves his inability to set a positive example as a leader and proves to be a man who lacks moral competence.
The recurring motif of moral corruption also appears in this next passage. Due to the wicked internal proceedings in the state of Denmark, Hamlet implies that the whole state is "soiled", which in turn has a direct negative consequence in the grand universal scheme of things. Imagery of warped and distasteful plants, in place of the traditional "aesthetically correct" beautiful flowers in a garden, serves to further reinforce the degeneration theme: "'Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely." (I. ii. l. 135-136) Essentially, all of life, and all that was good and beautiful in life (e.
