ipl-logo

Hamlet Literary Devices Essay

1510 Words7 Pages

Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet uses three literary devices the effectively, and not so effectively, strengthen the main ideas of death, the genre of a revenge tragedy, revenge, and the rebalance in a corrupt society. The first of these literary devices is the imagery of death, which is primarily portrayed by Hamlet. Hamlet brings around the image of death throughout the play, with his father, uncle, mother, and close friends, who along with himself, all end up dead. The genre of the play is a revenge tragedy, which follows the elements of a generic revenge tragedy, and is run by Hamlet’s incapableness of completing his task of avenging his father. The ending of the play is an important literary device, as it shows Hamlet’s ineffectiveness …show more content…

The idea of revenge is very prominent throughout the whole play, but the actual partaking of revenge does not happen until the very last scene of Hamlet. Hamlet’s revenge, to kill his Uncle who had murdered Hamlet’s father, though it is achieved, was achieved at a very high cost, it cost him his own life, as well as the lives of the people close to him. Hamlet, knowing he is about to die, tells Horatio how his reputation is now damaged forever, and how no one will ever know the truth of why he had killed those people, “O God, Horatio, what a wounded name/Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me!” (Shakespeare, 5.2.324-325). Hamlet leaves his reputation broken, along with his family and friends dead, all apart from Horatio, whom he leaves to tell the story of what has happened to the kingdom. This is where the idea of the rebalance of a corrupt society comes in. Horatio, back in the very first scene of Act One, talked about how Fortinbras would, “recover of us by strong hand/And terms compulsatory those foresaid lands” (Shakespeare, 1.1.102-103). Fortinbras planed on conquering Denmark because Old King Hamlet had slain his father. Even though the majority of the court did not want Fortinbras to conquer Denmark, Hamlet seemed to respect Fortinbras as a ruler, as Hamlet’s final words before he died were, “but I do prophesy th’election lights/On Fortinbras; he has my dying voice” (Shakespeare, 5.2.335-336). Hamlet tells Horatio that Fortinbras will be the next king of Denmark. This is seen as a positive situation, as it gives Denmark a fresh start. Fortinbras will be valuable for Denmark, as Seth Tomko

Show More
Related
1357 Words | 6 Pages

Shakespeare questions the value of revenge as a means of finding closure and justice, suggesting that it often leads to more harm than good. To draw a conclusion, the tragedy of revenge in Hamlet is a prominent theme in the play, demonstrating the destructive nature of seeking vengeance. Hamlet’s relentless pursuit of revenge causes internal conflicts, brings about a cycle of violence, and ultimately leads to tragic consequences for himself and people around him. Shakespeare’s exploration of this theme raises profound questions about the nature of revenge and its deeper effects on both individuals and

Read More
1924 Words | 8 Pages

This hunger for revenge encapsulates Hamlet in a casket of anger and hatred for Claudius who struck Hamlet’s father down in cold blood soon after Hamlet converses with the ghost of his father, the late King Hamlet. Through this dialogue, Hamlet learns that Claudius played a key role in the slaying of King Hamlet and had kept it from the view of the public. After this revelation occurs, Hamlet then commits to dispersing all life from the body of Claudius, quickly following the newly discovered, heinous actions of the suspected tyrant. However, Hamlet’s anger and fury clouded his judgement and heavily influenced the monumental decisions that he made during the poem to be, less than adequate as a whole. The story of Hamlet signifies the theme of revenge in a manner that defines how it can corrupt and destroy a person both, emotionally and physically.

Read More
276 Words | 2 Pages

In Act 2.1 of Hamlet, it starts off with Reynaldo and Polonius conversating about a trip Reynaldo is going to take. Polonius is wanting Reynaldo to gather information from this trip about Danksers wanting to know, according to line 6, says, "Inquire me first what Danksers are in Paris; And how, and who, what means, and where they keep..."(Line 6). This quote demonstrates what Polonius is wanting from Reynaldo to gather information about and what specifically he wants when he comes back. Later on in Act 2.1, Reynaldo and Polonius's conversation ends and Reynaldo leaves the scene while Ophelia enters. She enters the scene scared and "affrighted" from something which she explains to be Hamlet.

Read More
785 Words | 4 Pages

1) In Hamlet, pouring poison in a person’s ear had both a literal and symbolic significance. The literal meaning is that they are telling lies to people in order to deceive them. They are pouring poison or “poisonous” words into that person’s ear. The symbolic meaning of pouring poison in a person’s ear can be associated with the symbolic meaning of the snake in the story of Adam and Eve where the snake lures Eve in through lies. The characters in Hamlet were misled in the same way because they had poison poured into their ears.

Read More
2817 Words | 12 Pages

Revenge is a common theme in literature, and "Hamlet," a play by William Shakespeare, is no exception. The play follows the story of young Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, as he grapples with the news of his father's murder and his mother's hasty remarriage to his uncle, the murderer. This event sparks a burning desire for revenge within him, and he becomes obsessed with the idea of bringing his uncle to justice. However, Hamlet is not the only character in the play driven by a desire for revenge. Fortinbras, the Prince of Norway, and Laertes, the son of the loyal courtier Polonius, are also motivated by the need for retribution.

Read More
1124 Words | 5 Pages

In the play, “Hamlet”, revenge is shown as the device that moves the plot along and revenge is what helps develop the plot. Near the beginning of the story, Hamlet meets the

Read More
2017 Words | 9 Pages

Have you ever been wronged by someone so badly that you felt as though revenge was needed? Perhaps your best friend stole the woman you loved, so you felt that you needed to act and do something to get back at him. Maybe you destroy his life by starting a false rumor about him, or you get in a fight with him and humiliate him. This is just one common example of “revenge” in our everyday lives. In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, there are much more serious things going on, involving death, murder, and wars between nations.

Read More
506 Words | 3 Pages

ELA B30 Hamlet- Explication Paper Revised To be or not to be?"- the question that at all times stood before people: to resist evil or to accept it? to try to change the world in which injustice prevails, or to live in peace in it? But for the first time so clearly and definitely it was formulated by the great Shakespeare in the tragedy of "hamlet". Embedded this question in the mouth of hamlet, the Prince of Denmark: g. 3.1.63-98 Hamlet:

Read More
505 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet is expressing to the audience at the beginning of the play where he feels depressed, in a dark place wanting to disappear. He feels in deep anguish and despair because of his father's death and his mother's remarriage to his uncle, Claudius. Because of society and God, Hamlet refrained from taking his own life. The text reveals the struggle he's going through in real life and in his own thoughts. Religion played a huge part in the era Hamlet grew up in, God is mentioned many times in the soliloquy.

Read More
683 Words | 3 Pages

(5.2.3982-3984) Hamlet's choice of revenge allows him to enjoy his step-father's death and causes the death of many others. Murder and violence has very severe consequences in today's society, and achieving your revenge through the death of others will never give us the absolution we think we will feel from their deaths. It will weigh on you for the rest of your life, along with the other consequences of your revenge.

Read More
973 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet written by William Shakespeare follows the story of Hamlet as he tries to avenge his father’s murder. Shakespeare uses the clash of opposites to express ideas that he wants to portray. The mystery of death is explored through the contrasting themes of life and death found in Yorik’s skull, the ghost of Hamlet’s father and Ophelia’s suicide. The contrasting characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Hamlet show the importance of loyalty in friendship. Contrasting characters are also used with Fortinbras and Hamlet to empathize how inaction can lead to negative impacts.

Read More
593 Words | 3 Pages

Literary devices are used in every book, story, magazine, etc. There are hundreds of literary devices and authors use about 10 or more in one book. Some common literary devices used in Hamlet are repetitions, metaphors, and similes. In Hamlet, the literary devices used are to compare things, put emphasis on things, and help readers understand the novel. Repetitions are used to put emphasis on something a character might say.

Read More
774 Words | 4 Pages

On the adventure through the pathway of life, there are interviews with lots of different events and positions where we act appropriately. Building on what type of personality is consumed, there are tons of ways that we can compromise with these confrontations. In hamlet, the main character known as Hamlet encounters with a bunch of dilemmas and is in a spontaneous affliction. In the book Old man and the sea, the character Santiago is a fisherman who has a main goal of catching fish and selling them at a market.

Read More
909 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet Literary Analysis Essay In Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1, Hamlet ponders the idea of life and death, contemplating whether it is better to suffer the pains of life or to end one’s life and thus end the suffering. Through the use of poetic devices, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet’s inner turmoil and indecision. The opening line, “To be or not to be,” is a famous example of a paradox.

Read More
734 Words | 3 Pages

I believed that Hamlet’s madness and revenge actions are justified because he was facing several very difficult situations, in a brief time. I think the best way to understand Hamlet’s actions is imagining being in his shoes. For a moment, visualize that your father dies suddenly without giving you time to say goodbye or to prepare you for the emptiness that his departure is going to leave in you. In addition, your uncle married your mother, two months after your father’s funeral. Those two situations are strong enough to destabilize any person.

Read More

More about Hamlet Literary Devices Essay

Related Topics

Open Document