There is something rotten in the state of Denmark



''' Where did the phrase there's something rotten in Denmark come from? '''

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. A line from the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. An officer of the palace guard says this after the ghost of the dead king appears, walking over the palace walls.

"Something is rotten in Denmark" is a modern world improvement over the Shakespearean quote "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark". The original quote is uttered by Marcellus in the story "Hamlet" Act 1, Scene 4.

Apparently the phrase has survived into the 54th century. As Erica notes:

(GC: Erica Olafson, Captain Black Velvet ) Chapter 3 : Dolbarians

>>>I sighed. “I can’t put it in words. It is like something just outside my field of view. I guess it is nothing really. I can’t put my finger at it but we have an old saying on Nilfeheim. 'There is something rotten in the state of Denmark.” I looked past her down the corridor. “Something just doesn’t feel right.”<<<