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Hamlet Figurative Language Essay

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In the Shakespeare’s classic, Hamlet, the young prince is in constant torment over the death of his father at his brother’s hand. Part of his torment comes from his mother’s decision to remarry his uncle. In act 3, scene 3, Hamlet, reaching a boiling point, finally decides to confront his mother about her marriage. Shakespeare uses a clothesline of figurative language to help draw in the audience and to add drama to scene as it plays out. After batting back and forth with words, Hamlet grabs his mother and pulls out picture’s of both his father and his uncle. He forces his mother to look at both pictures and states “Look here upon this picture, and on this, the counterfeit presentment of two brothers” (73). This is a connotation that helps …show more content…
This attitude and the sources of imagery that he uses really changes. This can be seen when Hamlet first talk about his uncle. He states “Here is your husband: like a mildew’d ear” (74). The imagery used here is completely degrading and negative. He compares Claudius to a mildew’d ear/ This a drastic change from his comparison to his father. Where his set his father up on a high pedestal, he completely knocks Claudius down to below human status.
Hamlet uses a metaphor to compare the two brothers. Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed, and on this moor. He is comparing his father to a mountain. A mountain is strong and durable, it stand high above and people have to go to great length to climb it. Whereas a moor is a swamp. It is full of treacherous and gross. It is full of insects and is low on the ground. Hamlet uses the metaphor or show his mother how she has downgraded from a spring man to nothing more than an insect.
Over all Hamlet uses many different images when comparing his father to his brother. He uses highly detailed images to help back his argument. He is able to draw the reader in and convince them that claudius if far less superior to King Hamlet and most of all he is able to wake his mother up and realise what she has married

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