The Class Divide In Shakespeare's Hamlet

Imagine putting on lenses, in which one can uncover underlying issues; one understands the topic but does not fully comprehend it. While most people in the world understand that there are economic separations between the rich and the poor, the concept that the separation is not just economically but is in fact a range of dimensions such as education, family structure, etc often becomes lost in translation. The Marxist lens discusses this issue; it uncovers that the class divide between the rich and the poor has been around since the beginning of civilization. In fact, Shakespeare, a famous playwright, experienced such class divide which can be read in his tragedy Hamlet. In Hamlet, the class divide is prominent with the oppressive actions Claudius and the readiness of the bourgeoisie to please the royals, showcasing the Marxist theory.
Royalty …show more content…
Moreover, they are also seen making fools out of the lower class and using them for their own benefit. Such a character is Claudius who, based on the time Shakespeare lived when he had written this tragedy, have the most power compared to any other character as he is a man in the royal family who is currently in the throne. For example, Claudius is very oppressive and disregarding towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Claudius disregards and uses the two to spy on Hamlet as they are friends. In fact when he first meets them as he does not recognize the two and get their names wrong stating despite the fact that he invited them stating "Thanks, Rosencrantz and gentle Guildenstern" which the Queen corrects "Thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz". This showcases the Marxist view of Hamlet as Claudius is using these two characters and is oppressive towards them for his sake as he wants to continue being king to keep his social standing, alike to the Marxist theory which states people act in order to advance or keep their social