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Essay On Body Imagery In Hamlet

422 Words2 Pages

In Hamlets' desperate attempt to choose between life and death, he uses body imagery to describe the battle of life, a simplistic metaphor to compare death to sleep, and simple diction against more complex diction to convey his feelings of death all to come to the conclusion that life may be more bearable then what comes in the afterlife. Hamlet validates the uselessness in fighting life by using the body imagery of "tak[ing] arms against a sea of troubles." This use of body imagery suggests that fighting in life will get you no where. The use of weapons such as a sword, cannon, or bomb would be a pointless attempt in facing a raging sea. The use of the word 'arms' instead of weapons compares the scenario back to human defense against life. The imagery Hamlet uses proves the dark reality that fighting in life won't make it any more endurable. With the use of the metaphor of comparing death to sleep, Hamlet is able to bring light to the possibility of death. He suggests that death is to sleep, to sleep is to dream. With this is the suggestion of peace and tranquility. The idea of not having to go through the hardships of life is delightful in Hamlets' eyes. Ultimately, Hamlets' experiences with his own dreams …show more content…

Precise diction such as "pangs of despised love," "law's delay", and " to grunt and sweat under a weary life" all elucidate that life for Hamlet is not going as planned. He is in love with a girl he can't have, he isn't the king, and life wears a man down. When Hamlet uses simple diction such as " But that the dread of something after death", it illuminates his exhaustion of life and that he is afraid of what comes after death. The change from precise to simple diction reveals Hamlets' true feelings on death and ultimately leads him to his conclusion in the contemplation of

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