The best example of manipulating the mind through the use of language could be seen by King Claudius manipulating Laertes to aid him in the plot to kill Hamlet. As King Claudius said: “Revenge should have no limits. But, good Laertes, / Do you want to do that? (Shakespeare 4.7 146-147), attempting to convince and poison Laertes' mind to murder Hamlet by acting as if he had no connection with Polonius' death. The metaphorical use of Laertes' poison of the spirit highlights the gift that King Claudius acquires of corrupting minds through the use of language. Furthermore, Ophelia's madness went back to the poisoning of her mind by the power of language. Unlike Laertes, who is manipulated by the power of language, Ophelia is deprived of the ability of language, to express her thoughts and ideas, which ultimately drives her mad. Ophelia's father has ruled her life and when he acquires the affection that Hamlet has for her, the father quickly banishes all possibility of communication, which Ophelia must quickly accept: "I will obey, my lord" (Shakespeare 1.4 145). As a woman in the Middle Ages, Ophelia had to be submissive towards her father, causing her to lose her opinions to the patriarchal society of Hamlet's setting. After the death of his father, Polonius,