Read the passage from Hamlet, Act I, Scene iii. Laertes: For he himself is subject to his birth; He may not, as unvalu’d persons do, Carve for himself, for on his choice depends The safety and the health of the whole state; And therefore must his choice be circumscrib’d Unto the voice and yielding of that body Whereof he is the head. Shakespeare most likely chose the word head instead of the word leader because it emphasizes Hamlet’s independence. adds gruesome images to Laertes speech. continues his comparison of government to a human body. creates a scary tone that contrasts with Ophelia’s innocence.