Some of William Shakespeare's most famous playwrights tell stories and air the dirty laundry of people associated with high social class and power. In Hamlet, Shakespeare provides many examples of social class and how it can be destroyed and disrupted when greed gets in the way. It also shows how the power that comes from social classes can manipulate and ruin individuals caught up in the dramas of these social standards. During the year 1599 there was no form of social media, not even the Internet or telephones. In today's age we have all this and more, I wonder how Shakespeare could have written Hamlet in the 21st century with the presence of social media in the form of social classes. In Hamlet as well as today people are in constant battle and competition with each other with the goal of reaching the highest they can achieve. In this article I will discuss the similarities between social media and social class in relation to Hamlet and the consequences that arise from both. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet during the Victorian age, this era saw the development of the intricate social classes strongly shown throughout the play. These social classes presented in Hamlet not only loomed over the heads of the characters, but were an important part of life during that time. Throughout the show we see many examples of how social status pressures can push people to go to extremes to gain power and recognition or to distance themselves from it. We first see this happen when Prince Hamlet of Denmark discovers the terrible truth regarding the death of his noble father, King Hamlet. It was revealed to Hamlet when his father visited him in supernatural form as a ghost to tell him that he had been murdered by a poison that had been put in his ear by his brother Claudius. “A snake stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark is because of a counterfeit trial of my death that Rankly abused. But know, noble youth, the serpent that stung your father's life now wears his crown” (Act 1. Scene 5 43-47). In this scene, Hamlet learns about his evil uncle who had unjustly stolen the throne from his father, King Hamlet. Shakespeare reveals to readers how a person who craves power will take any risk to achieve his selfish desire. Shakespeare's play Hamlet significantly represents current situations occurring today that have to do with social class and power. The media reveals to us through the news, the Internet and other forms of social media the crazy scandals that happen to people of power and the highest social classes. In Hamlet many scandals happen at once. An unexpected scandal was the quick and unexpected marriage of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude. The marriage of the king and queen almost brings Hamlet to the point where people believe he has truly lost his sanity. In Act 1, scene 2, Hamlet states: “She is married. Oh, wicked speed, to be affixed with such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not and cannot come to good: but be broken, my heart; because I have to hold my tongue. This shock leads to a depression that lasts for months, but Hamlet knew he had to continue to remain calm until he found the answers he was looking for. In Hamlet, you have the Royal Court consisting of Prince Hamlet, Queen Gertrude, and King Claudius. They are the highest form of power in Denmark and everyone else in the country falls behind in the ranking. Close to the royal family are Polonius and his sons)
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