How Does Shakespeare's Use Of Flowers In Hamlet

William Shakespeare uses a multitude of major well-hidden symbols in his famous play, Hamlet. One of the first symbols to be uncovered early in the play is Hamlets father returning as an apparition. His father’s ghost reveals the plot of the play to the reader by telling Hamlet that Claudius, his uncle murdered him in cold blood and Hamlet must avenge him ultimately symbolizing death. Another a major yet well-hidden symbol within the play is the flowers that Ophelia hands out to her brother Laertes, the royal King Claudius and Queen Gertrude. Each type of flower handed out hint major clues about the characters that received flowers, which make them an extremely important symbol. The skull of Yorick is also a major symbol that hides vital

Rhetoric scattered throughout the play is crucial to fleshing out the characters as multi-faceted people with ideals that may seem contradictory. In her first appearance in the play, Ophelia is depicted to be a symbol of purity and innocence. She is a clean slate, and the reader has no previous knowledge of her or the depth and nature of her relationship with Hamlet. Tying into this innocent depiction are her multiple allusions to flowers in the play, with the first being “the primrose path of dalliance treads,” which paints a mental landscape in the readers’ minds that associates her with flowers (1.3.54). The primary concern of Polonius and Laertes seems to be that Ophelia remains virginal and pure, and this is depicted by their constant reminders to her to stay away from Hamlet. It is this supposed innocence, however, that is undermined when examined closely. There is an

Dearest friends, family and the people of Denmark. We gather here today to mourn the loss of the noble prince, loyal son and true friend, Prince Hamlet. But we are not here only to mourn, but to reminisce the times we have spent with him, both the good and the bad and to remember him as the person he was. Prince Hamlet did not live a very fortunate, on the contrary his final weeks were filled with a tragedy none of us should have to bear, but he lived his life to the full and I am sure that he has, in some way touched the lives of all of us here today.

Because flowers go in cycles of life and death, we can look to them as archetypes. The cycle is really closely related to the circle which is a very prominent archetype in the world today and the past. The other thing I think of when I hear the word flowers is gardens. When I looked for the garden archetype I found that gardens symbolize love and fertility (YourDictionary 2). Flowers and gardens also have many symbols associated with them depending on who you ask.

The use of descriptive language is important for the writer to entertain, persuade and teleport the reader into their work. Descriptive use and imagery allow the reader to experience the setting, sound, taste, and mood as if they can live through it. Which takes us to Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Not only does he use exceptional details and imagery throughout the play between the characters, but the way he uses word allows us to put ourselves into the play as if we can feel what they feel. It also allows us to experience and go through the play as if we are in it also. So in this paper, I would like to focus on a few major moments where I believe Shakespeare descriptive language is the strongest.

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

In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, doubt is one of the most important themes. In fact, the whole play is based on the story of a ghost who claims to be Hamlet’s father, and nobody can be sure if what he says is the truth. In this essay, I am going to focus on the theme of doubt throughout the play. I will first speak about the opening scene, and then I will talk about the ghost, which is a supernatural element used by Shakespeare to create doubt in the play. I will also analyse the passage in which Hamlet declares his love to Ophelia. Finally, I will briefly discuss Hamlet’s sanity.

Throughout many of William Shakespeare’s plays, the use of nature is a way to represent the chaos and disorder in people’s lives. The natural aspects added into the plays creates more drama and adds an element readers can relate to. Shakespeare uses the motif of weeds and flowers within Hamlet to reveal each character’s true self and feelings.

These flowers serve as a constant reminder of this fertility-- not just to the reader, but also to the handmaids, whose main purpose is to reproduce. They are everywhere in the setting: a “watercolor picture of blue irises” (14) in Offred’s room; a “fanlight of colored glass: flowers red and blue” (15) at the end of the hallway just outside that room; the bathroom, “papered in small blue flowers, forget-me-nots, with curtains to match” (74); on the dining room table, “white cloth, silver, flowers” (78); the “magic flower,” the “withered daffodil” (115) Offred steals from Serena’s Parlor; the “starry canopy of silver flowers” (233) adorning the Commander’s bed. The flowers serve as hidden, almost subconscious reminders of the handmaids’ sole purpose of fertility; they are usually mentioned offhandedly, as miniscule, unimportant, yet ever-present details. However, they are sometimes more directly noted and compared to ideas of fertility, as in the case of Serena Joy’s

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.

Unfortunately though, references like this are few and far between in Hamlet. One scene that I found fascinating was in act four, scene five. This is the scene where, apparently mad, Ophelia begins to distribute various flowers. These flowers,

“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

All throughout literature and poetry the use of flowers as well as references to gardens have been common for thousands of years. These flowers are so intricately used within the writings that they tend to develop their own form of communication or language. This language that the flowers have begun to establish can be referred to as floriography which can simply be defined as communication through a variety of flowers. William Shakespeare's Hamlet, is a perfect example of the immense amount of flowers that have been used by characters to indirectly communicate their thoughts. In Hamlet, Shakespeare grasped the idea of floriography, and used it to his advantage by creating a strong motif that is centered around flowers as well as  the garden. This motif can be followed throughout the play, as it is used to develop a large amount of characterization. For Shakespeare, many ideas or thoughts couldn’t be directly said character to character, instead they were indirectly addressed through the flowers and garden. This  characterization and unique communication that is established through the garden and flowers is a very crucial aspect of the characters within the play. Shakespeare uses the garden and flower motif throughout Hamlet to contribute to the characterization of Hamlet and Ophelia.

One loses many opportunities every time they hesitate to act. Whether it be unintentional or not, it all depends on the subject in question. In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark, the character Hamlet shows qualities that are evident in his soliloquies. Since the beginning, Hamlet is unable to control his emotions towards Gertrude and Ophelia. He tends to overthink, generating doubt around life and death. Though impossible and inconvenient at times, Hamlet strives for an idealistic approach, such as justification for killing Claudius. Hamlet’s complex personality and unpredictable nature delay the commitment he makes to avenge his father.

She had lost her mother, and has only a father and a brother, affectionate by worldly, to take care of her. To the persons in the play, she brings the thought of flowers. Laertes names her 'Rose of May', as he prays at her burial and the Queen murmurs 'Sweets to the sweet', as she scatters flowers on the grave.