The phrase "something is rotten in the state of Denmark" is a famous line from Shakespeare's play, Hamlet. It's used to indicate a situation where there's a hidden problem or corruption, often with a sense of foreboding about the situation's potential consequences. Though the Spoiled System and examining the roots of ethical failure in food production is going to be the main crux of this write up and that is why I have quoted William Shakespeare. This very sentence by a character of the play simply exhibits the moral corruption in the Monarchial set up of Denmark. And in depth philosophy behind this quote is that frauds and cheatings take place in a society only after the public is morally corrupted and spiritually decayed. Let’s examine the background of this statement by Hamlet- the protagonist of the masterpiece by William Shakespeare. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet (/ˈhæmlɪt/), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play depicts Prince Hamlet and his attempts to exact revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet's mother. Hamlet is considered among the "most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language", with a story capable of "seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others." It is widely considered one of the greatest plays of all time. The following monologues by Marcellus-the guard at palace are indicative of rotten moral stanmadard of Denmark as state:

The line is spoken by Marcellus, a guard, in Act I, Scene IV of Hamlet. He says it after witnessing the ghost of Hamlet's father, the former king, appearing. The ghost's appearance is seen as a sign of deeper issues within the kingdom, specifically the moral decay and corruption under King Claudius's rule. Meaning and Significance:The phrase is a metaphor for a situation where something is fundamentally wrong, and often involves deceit or hidden wrongdoing. It highlights the theme of corruption and moral decay that pervades the play. The line foreshadows the chaos and downfall that will occur in Denmark as a result of Claudius's actions. It suggests that the problems in the state are not just surface-level but are deeply rooted in the political and ethical structure of the kingdom. The following monologue from the mouth of Hamlet is indicative of ironical attack on the man as a morally corrupted being.
“What a piece of work is a man, How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, In form and moving how express and admirable, In action how like an Angel, In apprehension how like a god, The beauty of the world, The paragon of animals. And yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no, nor Woman neither; though by your smiling you seem to say so.” - Act II, Scene 2.
Recent developments in the meat market of Kashmir do not only reflect the cheapest business standards, but the moral crisis prevailing in the society. It simply shows how corrupted morally we have become. And how the human predicament is growing very fast. So the claims being on clerical stages, social (media) and public rallies are proved wrong up to an optimum level. As a member of such society I feel ashamed to say that we have lost our credibility in the world where once we used to examples of honesty, truthfulness, sincerity and dedication. No corner of the unfortunate land we are living at is now free from corruption. Be it our work culture, business standard, Medicare, Food Culture or Family life, it is all rotten and not only the sold meat. So, we can say that there is no moral standard left over now to be relied upon.
The reference to Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the conspiracy against Hamlet Sr. is of utmost relevance and to clarify the current moral crisis in Kashmiri it is inevitable to correlate the developments in Kashmir with those in the play mentioned. The conspiracy hatched against Hamlet Sr. shows the corrupted system at ruling level as it is his brother Claudius who wants to seize the throne with such a nefarious design. And Gertrude’s falling into suggestion to marry Claudius simply indicates the moral corruption in women folk. How easily she yields to proposal by Claudius even though the death of her husband has not past a month or two. So, the quote: Frailty thy name is woman” is of a quite significance to show the moral corruption at family level.
Once upon a time Kashmir was famous all over the world for her hospitality and that is one of the logical backgrounds why Kashmir was called Paradise on Erath leaving aside the mesmerizing beauty of her landscape. A guest at home was considered a blessing from God’s side. And service to the guest a virtuous deed. The time has changed but for the worse. Neither there is hospitality in host nor the decency in guests. Both are looking at each other with a suspicious eye. Hamlet is the only Character in whole Denmark who raises a question about the sudden death of his father and is not satisfied with the logic given by corrupted Claudius. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the two corrupted souls who are ready to kill Hamlet-the prince while travelling in a Plane. So, Hamlet represents the youth of present day Kashmir who tries to raise the voice against corruption and nepotism and fraudulent system. And the whole system is hell bent killing / hanging him. There was a time when people of Kashmir preferred hard work, honesty and dedication over lethargic behaviour, cheating and fraud. But the days are gone. In every walk of life there is corruption and nepotism. We often see people crying over the corruption in govt sector, but nobody is concerned about the corruption in civil society. Because it serves the material purpose of people who have become over smart in gaining material benefits and superiority over others who are downtrodden and destitute. the weak section of the society is at the mercy of God. Jobless youth have been left to the mercy fragile administrative system and nobody seems to be concerned about it. The perception has got so down in its criteria that we have started to mark the person as genius who gets a job by hook or crook. The irony of the fact being that the family and relatives come to felicitate such persons with their head in the air. And later on feel remorseful when come to know about the fraud or cheating he had adopted at the time of getting an entry in the govt. sector. Not only is this, but the irony of the situation that we offer our daughters in marriage to only those who are either govt employees or having sufficient material resources. Consequently the mindset of youth has been shattered to such an extent that they have lost faith in moral values like truthfulness and righteousness.
Before coming to the conclusion , I would like to refer to the recent incident that took place in North Kashmir’s Kupwara District where the Food Safety and Security Department had raided some business centers that used to serve the cooked meat stuff to the public and had found almost 12-15 Quintals of rotten meat in stores of those fraudster who had not the sense that the rotten meat might take the precious lives of the innocent people who don’t have any awareness about such techniques that detect the condition of food. The incident fuelled an anger and wrath among the common masses and everybody was shocked to know about the incident. I am quite sure that the family members and relatives of such fraudsters might be in quite rage about the actions taken against them and they would have least consideration about how big a fraud and cheating they were playing with the public. Although the timely action by the concerned agency is appreciable and commendable, but the question that rises in my mind like everybody in Kashmir whether these culprits will be punished or not. Whether they will be held responsible or not.
As it has been our experience that criminals get more encouraged when the fragile laws and unprofessional police officers let these fraudulent persons roam freely. Not only this, but the tragedy reaches its peak when such persons become special to police and sometimes the mediators between police and the public. This is the moment when common people lose their faith in law and order.
Health is said to be the most precious gift of the nature and to keep a good health is considered as sign of wisdom. Because, it is only the good health that guarantees a sound mind and it is the sound mind only that can help us deciding between good and bad / right and wrong and fair and unfair? And in today’s time we see the mean people are making money out of the health of public and haven’t the least consideration about its consequences and without being mindful of the fact that the deeds either good or bad return to oneself and with the related consequences. Bio-pirated vegetables, duplicate medicines and junk foods have become so common that we have forgotten all about the health perspective. Our children are accustomed to junk foods which results in the loss of appetite and subsequently they refuse to take normal food. The tragedy being that we see majority of people in hospitals and minority at work places and the places of worship.
Doctor Faustus is the masterpiece by Christopher Marlow – the renaissance dramatist of England. In this place the author has highlighted the seven deadly sins ie; Pride ,covetousness, , wrath, gluttony, sloth , infirmity and Lechery. Here's a breakdown of each sin as it appears in the play: Pride:Faustus's excessive pride is a driving force behind his pact with Lucifer. He believes he is superior to others and seeks ultimate knowledge and power, which leads him to reject traditional religious paths. Covetousness:Faustus's desire for worldly riches and power is evident in his dealings with the devil. He craves more and more, never being satisfied with what he has. Wrath: Faustus demonstrates wrath in his vengeful actions, such as when he puts antlers on Benvolio's head after being mocked. Envy: Faustus envies the power and status of others, including the Emperor, the Pope, and even God. He desires what others possess and seeks to surpass them, according to Elizabethan Literary Studies. Gluttony: Faustus's indulgence in earthly pleasures, such as banquets and entertainment, can be seen as gluttony. Sloth: Faustus's procrastination and unwillingness to repent are examples of sloth. He delays seeking salvation and spends his time on frivolous pursuits, notes .Lechery: Faustus's lustful desires are evident in his interactions with Helen of Troy and his overall pursuit of sensual pleasures. These sins, presented through the spectacle, ultimately contribute to Faustus's downfall, highlighting the consequences of succumbing to temptation and rejecting spiritual salvation.
Conclusion: Let’s see where we stand. Either in Hamlet’s Denmark or the Dr Faustus’ world of deadly sins. Are we free from the conspiracy hatched by Claudius and sins committed by Dr Faustus? Although the criminal Claudius and Prodigal Dr Faustus repent for the sins directly or indirectly. But, we as an individual or as a nation seem to be totally ignorant of our faults. And continue to commit more and more without any consideration to the fact that we are accountable before Almighty Allah and we shall be asked on dooms day that every regretting soul was given a chance in the world to repent for his sins/ faults. And our excuses , as we make here, will not be counted there. It is the time to reflect on our role and character and shun , at once, the wrong way to attain salvation. We must not blame the authorities for such incidents being unchecked, but we must blame our selves for being passive and indifferent towards these happenings. Rather we must facilitate the govt agencies to curb the rising tendency of crimes in our society so that it is not further rotten like Denmark .Otherwise , there will be only rotten meat to rot us physically, morally and spiritually.

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