Final answer:
Option C). Act 4 of Hamlet showcases themes of poison, corruption, disease, and death through the events following Polonius's murder, Ophelia's madness and death, and plots against Hamlet's life. These symbols reflect the decay of Denmark and allude to the religious tensions of Elizabethan England, contributing to the play's thematic depth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Act 4 of Hamlet contains a plethora of examples of poison, corruption, disease, and death. These occurrences are essential to highlighting the themes of the play. The murder of Polonius sets the stage for the play's events, which symbolically spread like poison across the royal court and eventually drive Ophelia insane and to her death, as well as Laertes's desire for vengeance. Claudius's manipulation of Laertes, the plot to use a poisoned weapon to kill Hamlet, and the plots that lead to the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are examples of the developing corruption. Furthermore, the kingdom is shown as being ill and deteriorating, which reinforces the notion of disease. The main themes of betrayal, retaliation, and the moral decay of the state are strengthened by these components.
More closely examined, the literary analysis theory suggests that the ghost of Old Hamlet—which some see as a demon or a hallucination—may reflect the tyranny of Catholics in Protestant England and the broader religious tension of the age. According to this reading, which is consistent with the new historicism literary criticism approach, the ghost and the themes of insanity and internal conflict are representations of Elizabethan England's contemporary socioeconomic difficulties and religious beliefs.