“Something is rotten in the State of Denmark” is a good line. A damn good line. One of those lines that just sums up the entire goddamn play – with the added bonus of having it metered out juuuust a little too long (having 11 syllables instead of 10) to show just how out of balance things are.
And it’s not said by Hamlet. It’s not said by anyone who tends to underline how fucked up things are; not even by a major character. It’s this one guard who shows up a few times and then is never seen again after act 1.
This is the only other guy in the castle besides Horatio who has any idea what’s going on with Hamlet; who Hamlet trusts enough to swear to secrecy, and has the brains (and gall) to voice – very simply – the state of his world.
I love this line because of the context. The full exchange is this:
HORATIO
He waxes desperate with imagination.
MARCELLUS
Let’s follow; ‘tis not fit thus to obey him.
HORATIO
Have after. To what issue will this come?
MARCELLUS
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
HORATIO
Heaven will direct it.
MARCELLUS
Nay, let’s follow him.
Horatio tries to assuage Marcellus’ unease saying that things will be okay; it’ll work out – God will work it out. And Marcellus says ‘no, we should follow him’. Marcellus knows something’s fucked. Something is so rotten that heaven will not or cannot direct it.
And then he disappears.
While none of the guards show up again; it’s interesting that Marcellus is among them seeing as he was so particularly singled out. It’s 100% possible that Shakespeare just didn’t want to deal with the guards anymore and wrote them out; I like the idea that Marcellus very purposefully skips town.
If Laertes (and Fortinbras) are foils to Hamlet, I propose that Marcellus is a foil to Horatio. Horatio loyally sticks by Hamlet through thick and thin but takes very little direct action in the play. Marcellus leaves almost immediately and intervenes only once when he tries to stop Hamlet from following the ghost.
Then Hamlet makes both of them swear to keep quiet. This is the turning point; the last we see of Marcellus. Horatio makes the choice to stand by Hamlet no matter what. Marcellus makes the choice to get the Hell outta Dodge. Their positions change. Something is very rotten in the state of Denmark and now Horatio is the one who follows Hamlet and Marcellus decides to let Heaven direct it and runs away.
And (presumably) they both survive. They are one degree removed from the clusterfuck at Elsinore – being neither royals nor noble – and in remaining passive survive the play. But Horatio is one who knows the story. Horatio lost a lot, but he has the truth and promises to share it.
With how screwed up things are, I wouldn’t call Marcellus a villain; but I think it’s an interesting statement to have two people swear a vow (when it could easily just be one) and then have one of them never show up again.
Marcellus could have changed the story. But he doesn’t. Shakespeare could have kept Marcellus in the play. But he didn’t.
Shakespeare is praised for his universality and his ability to write people. This is especially true of Hamlet. I’d like to think the parallel between Horatio and Marcellus means just as much as any other moral complexity in the play.
Something is rotten. Marcellus sees it is much bigger than him. So he leaves.
Something is rotten. Horatio sees it is bigger him. So he stays.
Something is rotten. What do you do?
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