How Does Hamlet Use Literary Devices

The English Play writer, William Shakespeare had written many well-known pieces of work including Hamlet. Hamlet is known to be one of his most popular works. Hamlet was written in the late 16th Century about the Prince of Denmark. The original title of the work was The Tragedy of Hamlet, now it is referred to as just Hamlet. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the mental state of his characters to prove that not all characters in books have to be one dimensional. Shakespeare’s writing shows that humans are complex, and can have different mental states. Characters throughout the story such as, Hamlet, Gertrude, and Ophelia show their not so stable mental state. First we will analyze Hamlet and talk about Ernest Jones’ Psycho-analytic study of Hamlet. Then we will talk about Ophelia and how the events that happened leading up to her death or suicide played a role into her mental state. Finally we will analyze Gertrude, the Queen’s role in Hamlet, and how she is a mentally weak woman and relies on the men in her life.

The rhetorical devices used in Hamlet’s soliloquy help advance the plot are repetition and direction.These devices impact the overall effect by adding a contemplative tone. An example of repetition in this speech would be when Hamlet repeats the line “to die, to sleep” (act 3.1. 61,65). another example of a rhetorical device would be when Hamlet says “no traveler returns puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to those that we know not of?” (act 3.1. 81-83). That is an example of direction in the play. These rhetorical devices help Hamlet develop the plot because they accentuate his point about whether he commit suicide or not.

Iterative use of vivid and detailed imagery in a piece of literature is often a way of expressing a theme or concept in a literary work. This is the case in William Shakespeare"'"s Hamlet, a revenge tragedy that continually depicts the vibrant metaphors of manifesting corruption and festering disease in order to auger the impending calamities in the state of Denmark. Throughout Shakespeare"'"s play, there are successive images of deterioration, decay and death. These images are skilfully accomplished through the use of metaphors of rotting and dead gardens. Shakespeare wonderfully creates these metaphors that add great dimension to the play of Hamlet.

For example, a minor part of his character is his level of education. Earlier in the play, the other characters talk about how Hamlet when to school in England, and while he is on his own his education is shown with the figurative language he uses. He uses similes like in line 149 where he compares his mother to Niobe, metaphors and analogies in lines 140, “Hyperion to a satyr,” and 153, “than I to Hercules.” Hamlet is a prince, so the audience should already infer that Hamlet is more educated than most, but the passage here confirms that Hamlet is well read enough to accurately use these allusions to mythology. By having Hamlet use this language and those figures, Shakespeare illustrates Hamlet’s level of education to the audience, but the language conveys more about Hamlet than his

Language Techniques in Hamlet by William Shakespeare Shakespeare used a variety of language techniques throughout Hamlet,

What is important to know is that Hamlet and Laertes, throughout the text do not have a friendly relationship and the admiration for Laertes by Hamlet is nothing but an irony and sarcasm. As an audience to the play, one know that Laertes has been brainwashed into believing that Hamlet is his enemy, even when that is not the case at all; the enemy of the Danes throughout the text is the King, Claudius. He is responsible for numerous deaths and agony in the country because he is responsible for killing fathers to Laertes and Hamlet. Despite this, Claudius still manages to create a wall between Hamlet and Laertes, even though the audience expects them to

During the early 1600s, a time of unrest and uncertainty spread through most of the world specifically in Europe as it began to see a gradual insurgency of leadership as new monarchs rose to great power as the existent ones faded. The legitimacy to how some new rulers gained their prestigious power came into question as tales of treason especially within families spread rapidly. William Shakespeare, having grown up near this time period was influenced by his surroundings and similar works such as histoires Tragiques, that inspired his work Hamlet. Although there are various views and opinions surrounding Hamlet as a whole, it is a great tragedy which centers itself on one’s own uncertainty and depicts seeking revenge as a major theme. These main topics are further discussed in the works or Kiernan Ryan and the British Library in “Hamlet and Revenge”, as well as “Hamlet in Purgatory” by Stephen Greenblatt. The main character, Hamlet however is both the protagonist and the tragic hero as the story unfolds. Hamlet is torn between his own conscience as expresses in his ongoing soliloquies and in doing what he believes is right opposed to seeking revenge, which leads him to being indecisive on his actions taken due to influence caused by those around him.

In the excerpt taken from Hamlet, Shakespeare uses a hostile tone to depict the relationship between Hamlet and the people he is speaking to. The author uses figurative syntax, descriptive detail, and vexed diction to show the sanity of Hamlet based on the relationships with those he interacts with. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are trying to uncover Hamlet’s mental state thinking that Hamlet has no idea but Hamlet is always one step ahead of those in the house.

The direct quotation is used to compare the slight differences that Olivier’s version of Hamlet (1948) had. It is used to illustrate the points that were different.

“Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift. As meditation or the thoughts of love,May sweep to my revenge” (Shakespeare 1603). Hamlet in this Act is talking to his father’s ghost. This is the very first time that Hamlet decides that his father's death can not go unpunished. He vows that his Uncle Claudius or step father will pay for poisoning and killing his father and marrying his mother so quickly. However, being part of the royal family makes him prone to negative and stressful situations and thus his engagement with words to level in which he is almost crippled is absolutely tragic, even if it is not because of anything he had overtly done (Smith, 2016). His exchanges with Ophelia are just one example of his use of language to lead

The rhetorical power from this satire stems from the juxtaposition of the nobility of man, exemplified through the quotation from Hamlet and the horrific situation taking place in the image, an ISIS soldier casually pausing for a photo-op as he prepares to execute an unarmed man. Using this comparison to evoke all three of the appeals in the reader, the combination is an acidic attack that strips the dignity (not that there was any to begin with) from ISIS and further ridicules the organization. The first way this technique is implemented is in the physical construction of the piece. The text is written in a precise, formal font, fitting of such an elegant quote, while the picture on the other hand is drawn in a haphazardly, messy manner,

"Her whole character is that of simple unselfish affection" (Bradley). In comparing the characters in the play Hamlet, Ophelia’s purity and delicate beauty make her comparable to a flower. Ophelia signifies the nature and righteousness of the Elizabethan Era, with her willow trees and flowers visible, and epitome of a goddess. Throughout most of the play, Shakespeare uses Ophelia to enable other characters in reaching their goals. Elizabethan society created impossible expectations for women, considered to be the weaker sex, exploited, and in need of protection. With no exception to this expectation, Ophelia is mistreated, scorned and ultimately shamed by the men in her life. Ophelia is the most innocent victim of Hamlet’s revenge in Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”.

Poison, disease and decay are constantly reoccurring themes of imagery used within “Hamlet”. Shakespeare uses this technique to create an atmosphere that resounds throughout the course of the play. This therefore has an impact upon how the reader views the play as they are constantly under the influence of imagery. An example of this technique can be seen in Hamlet's first

The struggle is suggested through the existential questions that Hamlet asks, suggesting a battle with his conscience. The symbol of the world is a motif throughout the play, being described as “flat”, “weary”, “distracted”, “out of frame”, “out of joint”, “out of time”, “rotten” and “rank”. Hamlet displays his struggle and disillusionment for the world by using metonymy and juxtaposition throughout his soliloquy. “Sea of troubles” and “thousand natural shocks” are alluded to in his speech in order to express his disillusionment, communicating a counterpointing between the divine or earthly and the profane. This idea is continues in “O that this too too sullied …” (Act 1 Scene 2), His speech is saturated with suggestions of rot and corruption, as seen in the basic usage of words like "rank" (138) and "gross" (138), and in the metaphor associating the world with "an unweeded garden" (137). Shakespeare uses juxtaposition and contrast to enhance these feelings of disgust, contempt and inadequacy.

For example, in the rest of the soliloquy he uses metaphors to say perhaps he should, “take arms against” a “sea of trouble” instead of killing himself (3.1.65). Perhaps the reason for lack of imagery to describe a terrible thing such as suicide is his insanity and indecisiveness. Though he plays with the idea of suicide, he is also fearful of it and cannot fully describe it with his normal enthusiastic imagery. In the soliloquy where he envisions himself murdering Claudius, Hamlet’s insanity is the most apparent. This time he again uses simile to describe how his father was “as flush as May” in his sins when Cladius killed the King (3.3.82). He also goes on to envision the murder and how he will kill Claudius, when he is sleeping, or gambling or in the “incestuous pleasure of his bed” (3.3.91). Hamlet is obsessing over murdering Claudius, but at the same time procrastinating the murder because he wants it to be at the perfect time, such as when Claudius is most sinful. This procrastination is slowly driving him insane as shown in this soliloquy. In his soliloquies Hamlet frequently associates metaphors and similes and it is important to realize the progression of Hamlet’s instability as well as his surprising actions and complex thoughts presented through these soliloquies.