Rhetorical Devices In Hamlet

What would you do if a ghost approached you claiming to be your dead father? Would you believe them? Would you listen to what they had to say? For Hamlet, this is an easy question to answer with yes.. or so he thought. In Shakespeare's play Hamlet, the character of the ghost has a special order for Hamlet to carry out due to his life being cut short when his own brother killed him for the crown. This leaves Hamlet conflicted about what his mind tells him he has to do and what his conscience prohibits him to carry out. The character Hamlet is faced with a conflicting decision whether or not he should take an act of vengeance against his uncle for his crime to appease his father's ghost or remain inactive and keep the peace. Hamlet utilizes rhetorical devices such as metaphors, hyperboles, and rhetorical questions to appear “mad” in hopes of achieving revenge, his manipulation of the idea of facade results in the downfall of characters around him and ultimately leads to his tragic ending. In the

Hamlet has put on a “mask of madness.” Hamlet’s melancholia was never truly dealt with which leads the audience to believe that his madness may actually be in some ways real. Hamlet’s rhetoric was perfectly calculated so he appeared mad to those near him. Although this may have fooled the other characters, the audience was able to see past his facade because of his use of flowery language and puns aimed at Polonius. This is exemplified in the quote, “Excellent well. You are a fishmonger.” (act II scene II Line 171) Here Hamlet is calling Polonius a fishmonger. He is acting clueless like he is unsure of who Polonius is but in reality, he is taunting him. Fishmongers (sellers of fish) are identified as low-class and vulgar. This is an insult because Polonius is seen as nobility. This has everyone questioning even Hamlet deep down if he has genuinely gone mad.