There are many recurring themes in Hamlet. Two of these themes are death and decay, and insanity. Death and decay is a major theme in the story because most of the main characters die by the end. The play starts with a death and ends with four, with four more in between. Insanity is a major theme because every problem that occurred in the story seemed to be blamed on insanity, whether true or not. The main character in the story is the foremost culprit of insanity. These themes provide an interesting plot for the story of Hamlet.
             Within Hamlet, Shakespeare makes a number of references to death and decay. In the first act we see references made by Hamlet, Horatio and the apparition. After the death of his father, Hamlet begins contemplating suicide: "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew (I, II, 130)" and "seems to me all the uses of this world... Things rank and gross in nature posses it merely (I, II, 136)." To be thinking of flesh melting shows that Hamlet is not in his right mind. Horatio claims, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (I, IV, 90)." This is a metaphor for the treachery that is going on in the King's castle. The King tells us of his death, "Most lazar-like with vile and loathsome crust all my smooth body (I, V, 72)." Shakespeare includes this imagery for us to realize the horridness of his death (if not, he is definitely obsessed with decay).
             Decay starts weighing heavily on Hamlet's mind. While talking to Polonius he says, "For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion (II, II, 182)." Although Polonius appears not to notice this, we can see the constant references to death being made by Hamlet. Another example of decay and disease is his use of horror in, "Roasted in wrath and fire thus o'ersized with coagulate gore (II, II, 431)". Another quotation with reference to disease is this ironic statement made to Ophelia b...