Poison Motif Within Hamlet By William Shakespeare

Poison Motif throughout Hamlet The concept of poison is all around society: poisonous people, poisonous ideas, and poisonous environments; however, the poison in society cannot be avoided, it’s inevitable some would say. As Michael Uhl once put it â€Å"you’ve got to pick your poison†, and hope for the least of the evils, which unfortunately is not always the case. In Shakespeare s Hamlet, the motif of poison functions to be the symbol of corruption throughout the play that highlights the theme of death, madness, and the power of language. The use of poison within Hamlet showcases the theme of death through the falling of a myriad of characters in the play. At the beginning of the play, the ghost of King Hamlet illustrates to Hamlet the nature of his death â€Å"the porches of my ears did pour/ the leprous distilment† (Shakespeare 1.5 70-71). The murder of King Hamlet through the use of this â€Å"distilment† showcases the first instance of the motif of poison within the play. 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