What significance does Yorick’s skull hold in the Hamlet? One of William Shakespeare's most well-known tragedies is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, typically abbreviated as Hamlet. The play is set in Denmark and depicts Prince Hamlet's vengeance against his uncle, Claudius, who murdered his father in order to usurp the throne of Denmark and marry Hamlet's mother. The use of literary devices as a means of setting tone, or establishing meaning through various symbols is often seen in many of Shakespeare’s plays, but particularly in Hamlet. Most of these symbols are timeless; representing the predictability and monotony of human nature. Of all present [themes] in Hamlet, Yorick’s skull has symbolic significance in reference to themes Shakespeare adopted in Hamlet. Beyond its skeletal form, Yorick’s skull holds an interpretation …show more content…
The fleet of life is perpetually tormented and led to the same ultimate ending: death. It doesn’t matter if a person is wise, or a fool, because ultimately, everyone ends up dying. As Hamlet holds Yorick’s skull in his hand, it portrays the futility of life of the once court jester Yorick, who now only remains as an artifact of himself. As Hamlet comes to terms with the fact that everything leads to death, Yorick's skulls become a source of vanity for him as he reflects about Yorick's once vibrant life, now spent alone in a cemetery. Hamlet adopts his view that human life is pointless and that, in the end, everyone suffers the same fate. Hamlet understands in his reflections that death eliminates disparities between humans. The hierarchical structure of society is illusory and, like the bones of those who have passed away, eventually collapses into dust. He once astounded the court with his brilliance, but now he lies in a lonely graveyard with others who fall short of his intellect. Is it worth it to put more effort into one's life if it simply results in