Hamlet- the Garden Motif and Fate vs. Man
Hamlet- The Garden Motif and Fate vs. Man Of Hamlet’s many theories and subjects, perhaps one of the most prevailing ideas in William Shakespeare’s most riveting play is in fact the “garden” motif. Shakespeare illustrates throughout his writing the idea of the garden which presumably represents Hamlet’s own paradise, and the rotting destruction of the garden is meant to vividly depict the unavoidable hell Hamlet endures throughout the plot. By utilizing this imagery and symbolism, William Shakespeare thoroughly explores the question of mankind’s control of his own fate. To begin, when a writer refers to a garden, it most typically means to reference the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden is suggested throughout writings of all eras to be true paradise. Biblically, Adam and Eve used to reside in the Garden of Eden, and were told by the Lord that they could go wherever they liked and eat whatever they desired so long as they stayed away from the tree of knowledge. This tale ends in a snake, which is a symbol for the devil, convincing Eve to eat an apple from the tree, the apple representing sin. After eating the fruit, Eve suddenly knew what evil and sin were. After promptly convincing Adam to eat from the tree as well, God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden. After his father passed, Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius married his mother barely two months later. Hamlet’s first reference to losing his own paradise is when he says aloud in his first soliloquy of the play “…Tis’ an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature.” (Act 1, Scene 2, Lines 135-136.) The protagonist brings imagery of something gross, untamable, and suffocating taking over his world. We become aware that this weed, referring to his Uncle, has already ripped Hamlet from his once happy life. Hamlet also compares his father as a “Hyperion” to his Uncle who he proclaims a “Satyr.” (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 140.) A Hyperion is a great titan; while a satyr is a half-man half-goat