...In Act III, scene I of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the thematic imagery, along with the symbolic use of syntax and diction that Shakespeare uses helps convey Hamlet’s state of mind as troubled and as having a painful view to life which, overall, is subtly expressed with weakness as he talked about death. Death is a major theme in Hamlet and through Shakespeare’s astonishing words in his “To be, or not to be,” soliloquy; it is obvious that Hamlet is conveyed as a troubled character. He is unsure about death. “To be, or not to be, that is the question:” (line 1), proves that Hamlet is troubled because the use of a colon is a sign that he is not only answering his own question, but he is expressing opposing views about life thus leaving him with an unsure decision about suicide. He answered himself by saying: “Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune;” (Lines 2-3.) This imagery shows that Hamlet questions the honor of death, and since he is open to death he does not realize whether it would be honorable to go through the act of committing suicide or if it would be considered a sin. This makes him have a troubled state of mind because he has these two opposing views of death floating in the vastness of his thoughts. The first sentence of his soliloquy finishes with: “Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing, end them.” (Lines 4-5.) Hamlet still questions life and suicide, and the imagery of “a sea of troubles”...
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...William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. It is the very basis for the play and a string of words familiar to many different people all over the globe. In the infamous ‘To Be or Not to Be’ soliloquy, Hamlet makes a universal conviction about life and death, though in the end makes a conclusion that individuals who think too much can destroy themselves”by including, the diction, the syntax, and the imagery. The diction in this piece truly shapes and adds character to the meaning of the soliloquy. Words such as “undiscovered country” (Shakespeare 63), “fardels” (Shakespeare 63), “ills” (Shakespeare 63), “suffer” (Shakespeare 63), and “calamity” (Shakespeare 63) make the reader...
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...In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the image patterns such as an unweeded garden, rot, and deception conveyed by Hamlet demonstrate how his impelling sense of justice and inability to act on his decisions doom him to his fate. The image pattern of an unweeded garden exemplifies Hamlet’s melancholy view of Denmark's monarchy and his hesitation to uproot the metaphorical weeds. Hamlet’s use of rot imagery manifests his dissatisfaction with life and inability to vie for his throne. The pattern of deception imagery delineates how Hamlet’s impotence to avenge his father’s death furthers the deterioration of his life. Image patterns used by Hamlet demonstrate his nobility and that his desires are incongruous with his reality. As Hamlet depicts the flaw in Denmark’s monarchy through the use of unweeded garden imagery, his ethics and consequent disillusionment emerge. Prior to Claudius’ usurping of power through murder and incest, Hamlet’s nobility resides in him being the immediate heir to the throne. "’tis an unweeded garden, / That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature / Possess it merely" (Shakespeare, I.ii.6). Hamlet accurately portrays the flaw in Denmark’s monarchy: incest. As a weed destroys a garden by spreading rapidly and impeding the penetration of sunlight onto the beautiful plants, Claudius, the biggest “weed” of all, impedes the instillment of morality in his inferiors and encourages evil. Disgusted by Claudius’ duplicitous antics and Denmark’s subsequent political...
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...Death in Hamlet Ideas and beliefs surround the mystery of death, which fills the story of Hamlet. Ever since the first scene, we are thrown into a world in which the line between life and death has become very thin. As one of the first characters we are introduced to is the Ghost of the former King of Denmark, Hamlet’s father. In the first scene, a meeting with the dead is come about, although Horatio, Bernardo and Marcellus are afraid by the Ghost as he appears. They are blown with curiosity and want to know why he has reappeared in the living world, “Stay! Speak, speak! I charge thee, speak!” (1.1.65). This curiosity is passed on to the audience and brings them into a wondering with the death of the King that sets the tone for the rest of the play. Hamlet is one of the characters that is consumed with the idea of death after the death of his father. He is driven by the knowledge that he will someday also be perished, and this death is what forces Hamlet to set revenge. In perhaps his most famous speech, “To be or not to be,” Hamlet introduces the question on what the difference is between living and dying and what the point is. Hamlet is not disturbed by his father’s death, but how his mother has gotten over it so quickly, because he is afraid if someone could get over someone’s death like that, then life has no meaning what so ever. Death imagery really sticks the theme of death in the audiences mind throughout the play. The word”rank” shows up constantly in Hamlet’s...
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...In the passage given from the play “Hamlet”, the use of language, particularly diction and imagery are used to help the reader align the feelings of contempt that Hamlet and the Ghost have towards Claudius. “Serpent” is a word used in the phrases “Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me…” and “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown.” This is an example of diction because it is an implied metaphor comparing a serpent to a killer; the word serpent is also used in comparison of Adam and Eve. A serpent stung Adam and Eve while taking away the crown that they served by being the first of humanity. Shakespeare uses the words incestuous, adulterate beast and compares Queen Gertrude’s actions to witchcraft....
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...Hamlet: The Drama Behind It All Most of Shakespeare pieces of writing are fictional. His other pieces are based on an old story Shakespeare had adapted. His writing has many twists and changes that engages the reader and allows them to read more. Shakespeare’s works of art are all written in the form of a play as opposed to a novel or short story. Shakespeare uses literary devices and a huge amount of imagination to come up with these fascinating stories. The story of Hamlet begins when King Hamlet died and was eventually buried. Prince Hamlet, his son, found a mysterious ghost inside the castle which drives him to take vengeance on his father’s death and seek revenge on Claudius for his father’s murderer. True this can be seen as a "tragedy" but Hamlet isn't just any tragedy—it's a classic and revengeful tragedy! One literary device that Shakespeare uses in this particular play is antithesis. Antithesis is contrary ideas expressed in a balanced sentence. He uses this literary device when he writes, “To be, or not to be, that is the question” (Barnet, Burto, & Cain, 2014). He is expressing opposite ideas of being or not being, living or dying. Another, antithesis example in Hamlet, is when Claudius asks Hamlet about the clouds. Hamlet replies, “Too much in the sun” (Barnet, Burto, & Cain, 2014). Hamlet contrasts imagery of clouds to rain and storms. Also the grief to imagery of sun to joy and happiness. As he does this sarcastically, he also puns the word “sun” with “son”...
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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...
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...Hamlet Final Essay What do you think makes Shakespeare’s Hamlet such a powerful and enduring play? Thesis William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1603) explores the intrinsic aspects of humanity creating a powerful and enduring play by subverting the audiences’ expectation of a revenge tragedy play. Shakespeare enables universal anthropological appreciation through the emphasis on the thematic concerns of: the mystery and transcendental nature of death, clouded grey areas in between the dichotomy of good and evil morals, and the twisted manipulative nature of human behaviour. Therefore, through critical study of the play, Shakespeare augments and connects to the audience’s perspective and interpretations. Body Topic sentence 1. Overarching idea i. Point ii. Quote iii. Technique iv. Elaboration Sample Sentence Linking sentence (concluding sentence) Body 1 – Death Death is the inescapable reality of human life as explored in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the fact that the living world is made of death and decay is visible anywhere there is life. 1. Hamlet’s bereavement over his father i. Bereavement is an inescapable reality in which all humans must endure. ii. “But I have more within which passes show – These but the trappings and the suits of woe” iii. Rhyming couplet iv. To reinforce Hamlet’s underlying argument to his grief over the finality of his father’s death. Bereavement is an inescapable reality, exemplified when Hamlet says...
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...anguish. He wishes that it would not be a sin to commit suicide. His use of vivid imagery shows that he is a man on the edge of losing his precarious grip on the reality of his situation in life. Hamlet’s grip on reality is starting to crumble. Before his father died, he loved Elsinore and Denmark. He is now extremely unsatisfied with Denmark and the state it is in He compares the Denmark to an unkempt piece of land, calling it, “weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable/ Seem to me all the uses of this world! / Fie on’...
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...death is a constant presence in Hamlet or not – one thing is for certain – death, or whatever it is supposed to represent permeates the play right from the opening scene, where the ghost of Hamlet’s father introduces the idea of death and its consequences. The ghost represents a disruption to the accepted social order – a theme also reflected in the volatile socio-political state of Denmark and Hamlet’s own indecision. This disorder has of course been triggered by the "unnatural death" of Denmark's figurehead, the King, and is soon followed by a whole range of murder, suicide, revenge and accidental deaths. Hamlet is above all a story of individuality – and the search for it. This is why Yorick’s skull is so pivotal to the whole story. Previously, Hamlet has been appalled and revolted by the moral corruption of the living. Seeing Yorick's skull (someone Hamlet clearly loved and respected ‘I knew him, Horatio’ ‘fellow of infinite jest’ ‘how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rises’) propels Hamlet's realisation that death eliminates the differences between people. His questioning of ‘Where be your gibes now? Your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment’ are a manifestation of his realisation. This, once hilarious, loving person is a conglomeration of bones. It is also difficult to not notice the sudden shift in age as important. When the play begins, Hamlet is a university student, and therefore presumable 18 to 25. By the time Hamlet makes it to the graveyard in...
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...there were numerous strong beliefs about purgatory and the spirits of the afterlife. The Elizabethan belief was that evil spirits can assume any form they please so Bernardo and Marcellus are quite shaken by this appearance of the ghost. Another line which presents the mysterious and apprehensive presence is in Act 1 Scene 5 when the Ghost states "A serpent stung me". This statement is ambiguous which coincides with the ghosts character and further immerses his intentions, at first, to Hamlet which has a really damaging effect on him. The use of religious imagery is evident here as the snake imagery can be linked to the Adam and Eve story. This therefore can be linked to Claudius as he succumbs to the temptation of comitting sin and that is extensively thought upon by Hamlet as he questions the incestuous relationship between his mother and Claudius and his rather grotesque outlook on sex. Hamlet's antic disposition and his emotional stance are affected by the ghost. This is shown by Hamlet saying "O my...
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...In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, word play is often used, especially by the title character. One example of this is towards the beginning of the play, during one of Hamlet’s first soliloquies: O, that this too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God! How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this! But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two, (1.2.129-138) This excerpt is Hamlet expressing his disgust for what his mother and uncle have done, and also him saying how much he just wishes that he would not exist anymore. Hamlet’s father has died...
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...Hamlet is a revenge tragedy written by William Shakespeare in which Hamlet is depicted as Shakespeare's tragic hero due to his flaw of indecision and inability to take action along with deep self-doubt, these are significant factors which ultimately lead to his downfall. The characters and the plays events significantly impact Hamlet constantly pushing him towards vengeance. Hamlet’s uncertainty between action and inaction are a direct result of the character’s sense of obligation and convenience. Hamlets toying with madness and indecision resolve in tragedy. Hamlet and his behaviours that are neither actions or inactions symbolise the fundamental flaw in his character, indecision. The beginning of Hamlet’s journey for revenge is displayed through the use of death imagery in Act 1, Scene 5, when the Ghost tells Hamlet, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”. Hamlet’s instructions to avenge his father's death represents an essential moment in the plot as the play then begins to focus around revenge and justice. Hamlet’s most honest and fatal character weakness is exposed. That weakness being his major inability to take decisive action. This inaction is shown in Hamlet’s first conversation with the Ghost, Hamlet shows his persistence to pursue revenge for his father’s death “Haste me to know’t, that I with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge.” (1.5.29) This supports the concept of a determined Hamlet corrupted with desperate human...
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...Kenneth Branagh’s Role The Branagh version of Shakespeare’s play Hamlet bring s a much more enlightening experience to the feelings and actions of the characters. Branagh incorporates an authentic aristocratic setting where even the background visuals bring out the characters themselves. The imagery is able to capture symbolic parts of Shakespeare’s play, and emphasizes their relation to the story. Kenneth Branagh portrays Hamlet’s role in a deeply moving performance, almost makes the character his own. His strong emotions and patterned rhythm match the Shakespearian tragedy with little effort. In this manner, Branagh proves to be a competent director and actor in featuring Hamlet as not just a classic, but as a tragic real world conflict in history. With the introduction, Branagh brings the play straight into an ominous atmosphere. The Blenheim Palace, where the movie was directed, was able to create a scene of dark impending dangers. The hours of night rather than daylight and a season of cold winter characterized the theme of death. Already the audience could observe Hamlet’s misery beginning to take place over his father’s end. The director succeeds to contrast the gloomy mood with the happy aristocrats living peacefully in the royal palace. Often, there were scenes of high-class men dressed in full uniform and women in jewels and evening dress gathering in the court in laughter or comfort. The sight is disconcerting to the viewer and helps reason why Hamlet’s reaction...
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...Hamlet Notes Tragedy is the downfall of a man because of a weakness in his personality. This weakness leaves him unable to negotiate successfully the conflict that he experiences in the outside world. Consequently, when he encounters evil, he is unable to make the right decision. A tragic hero has a moment of insight in which he realises his error. However, this insight comes too late for him to address his sillinesses/error. The tragic hero always dies. The key to understanding this play is a close and insightful study of the soliloquies in the play. Act 1 Scene 1( pg 3-13) Horatio will be the fall for the mercurial Hamlet. Horatio is quiet and well balanced and becomes a notable witness. At the beginning of the play, Denmark is not only socially, morally and culturally questionable but politically unstable. Norway, lead by Fortenbras is leading a campaign to reclaim the lands lost to Norway as a consequence of the Danish King Hamlet. At the end of this scene, the appearance if the ghost. King Hamlet. He was poisoned by Claudius. He was married to Gertrude, Claudius was Gertrude's brother-in-law—-> affair Act 1 Scene 2(pg 13-31) Set against the splendour of the court, scene 2 juxtaposes the mysteries and frightening opening scene. The court of Denmark represents hypocrisy and excess. We are introduced immediately to Claudius. He is suave and worldly wise. His idiom, register and tone of speech will create a suspicion. He is of course the antithesis of Hamlet as...
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