Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark - What is It?

Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark
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Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark” is a phrase from the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. From the play, Prince Hamlet is on the embattlement of the castle together with Horatio and Marcellus. The ghost of King Hamlet comes their way and it signals Hamlet to follow it. Hamlet follows the ghost but directs Horatio and Marcellus not to follow him. However, Marcellus faults this directive and demonstrates his displeasure with the statement “Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark”.
In this play, the phrase could refer to various evils that are practiced in the state of Denmark. First, King Hamlet is killed by Claudius who is Prince Hamlet’s uncle. He further marries the king’s wife barely two months following the king’s death. This marriage is suspicious and shows that Gertrude, Prince Hamlet’s mother, has a hand in her husband’s death. In such a case as this, where a brother kills his brother and a wife betrays her husband, is an indication of a rotten society.
Secondly, from the battlement of the castle, Prince Hamlet and Horatio hear sounds of men dancing from the castle as King Claudius drains his Rhenish. This disgusts Hamlet. According to Hamlet, excessive drinking has done more harm to the nation. These acts of dissipation and debauchery have weakened the state of Denmark with the king doing nothing to prevent them.
Thirdly, Denmark has been corrupted. Unlike King Hamlet, Claudius is a corrupt villain. Comparing Claudius to his father, prince hamlet calls...