How Are Aspects of Disorder Developed in 'Hamlet'?

Aspects of disorder are developed in act1 through the state of Denmark and the character backgrounds. Firstly, the audience is told that the recently widowed Queen has remarried quickly, to Claudius, Hamlets uncle; this would cause confusion, shown when the King says “mirth in funeral and dirge in marriage.” This shows confusion high up in society and could mean the whole state is confused. When Horatio, the wise scholar says “this bodes some strange eruption of our state” the audience would know that something isn’t right, because he is respected by all the other characters. Disorder is shown in the first characters we meet, Barnardo and Francisco, the guards. Francisco says “sick at heart” showing that the guards aren’t feeling like everything is right. This isn’t good because if the guards aren’t looking after the royalty then anything could happen. When Hamlet describes the worlds as “an unweeded garden…rank and gross in nature.” It shows how Hamlet is feeling positive about the world and he also agrees with Horatio, just on a bigger scale, as Hamlet talks about the world but Horatio talks about the “state”. We are also shown signs that characters are paranoid or have something to hide through the use and repetition of the word “seems” throughout Act1. Reasons for this are supported by Helen Gardener in “The Historical Approach to Hamlet.” When she writes “Hamlet is moving in a world where there are no certainties.” This causes the word “seems” to show that characters aren’t sure who to trust.

Act2 focuses on Hamlets disorder, the antic disposition he is putting on. Hamlet describes Denmark as a “prison”, he then goes on to say “Denmark being one o’th’worst.” This shows Hamlet feels that he is stuck and cannot get away, as the world is “a prison”. In Hamlets soliloquy in scene 2, he cannot decided on one emotion, in this process he goes through many, however none of these are positive until he realises he can get his revenge. Some of the emotions are; self