An analysis of Shakespeare's Hamlet Plan: Introduction to Hamlet

 Allusion: The below lines show good use of allusion.

Oh, my offence is rank. It smells to heaven.

It hath the primal eldest curse upon ‘t,
A brother’s murder. (Act-III, Scene-III, Lines, 37-39)

These lines show a reference to the earliest murder in human history. It shows the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain, which has been used here as an allusion.

6. Chiasmus: The below example is one of the dialogues that has used this device to emphasize the connection between action and words.

Suit the action to the word, the word to the

action—with this special observance, that you o’ erstep not
the modesty of nature. (Act-III, Scene-II, Lines 16-18)

These lines mean the use of the phrase in reverse order in the same sentence such as “the action the word, the word to the action.”

7. Conflict: There are two types of conflicts in Hamlet. The first one is the physical conflict that is shown at two places; first, when Hamlet kills Polonius and second when Hamlet fights a duel with Laertes. The second is the mental conflict, which is seen throughout the play in Hamlet’s mind as well as his opponent, King Claudius.

8. Consonance: The play shows the use of consonance at various places. For example,

• 
  I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot,
  Even with the very comment of thy soul
  Observe mine uncle. (Act-III, Scene-II, Lines, 74-76)
  
• 
  You do surely bar the door upon your own liberty, if you deny your griefs to your friend. (Act-III, Scene-II, Lines 321-322)
  

In both examples, different consonant sounds such as /th/, /t/, and /r/ have been repeated in quick succession that they create melodious impacts.

9. Dramatic Irony: Dramatic Irony occurs at several places in the play. For example, when Claudius is shown praying, he is actually not feeling sorry for killing his brother. This is a dramatic irony that though he is confession doesn’t show any guilt or remorse.

10. Deus Ex Machina: The appearance of a ghost is a good use of deus ex machina in the play. In fact, when the ghost appears, Marcellus, one of the guards, is right in saying that “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

11. Foreshadowing: When Marcellus sees the ghost, he talks to Horatio and says that “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”. This line shows the use of foreshadowing that something terrible is going to happen. When Hamlet meets his father’s ghost, he learns that his uncle has killed him, and he utters, “O my prophet soul!” (Line 40) which is another use of foreshadowing. Here, Hamlet might have understood that either he or his uncle Claudius or both will kill each other.

12. Imagery: Imagery means to use visually descriptive statements. For example,

• 
  O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there. (Act-I, Scene-V, Line, 47)
  
• 
  That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain.
  At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark. (Act-I, Scene V, Lines, 108-109)
  
• 
  Mad as the sea and wind, when both contend
  Which is the mightier. (Act-IV, Scene-I, Line, 7-8)
  

These lines show the sensory images that Shakespeare has used sparingly in the entire play. There are countless examples of excellent use of imagery that the readers have to use five senses to understand the underlying meanings.

13. Metaphor: Hamlet shows good use of various metaphors throughout the play. For example,

• 
  “To die: to sleep; / No more; and by a sleep to say we end / The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to.” (Act-III, Scene-I, Lines, 60-64)
  
• 
  But that the dread of something after death,
  The undiscovered country from whose bourn
  No traveller returns, puzzles the will
  And makes us rather bear those ills we have
  Than fly to others that we know not of? (Act-III, Scene-I, Lines, 77-83)
  
• 
  The fair Ophelia! – Nymph, in thy orisons
  Be all my sins remembered. (Act, III, Scene-I, Lines, 89-90)
  

The first and the second metaphors compare sleep with death and the world hereafter with the country that is undiscovered. In the third example, Hamlet compares Ophelia with a Nymph, a Grecian divine creature.

14. Mood: The entire play shows different moods according to the situation. When the play opens, the viewers and readers experience horrible and fearful in the foggy atmosphere of Elsinore. As the play progresses, the horror and terror encompass the whole atmosphere until the players arrive and bring some atmosphere of entertainment. A movement of tension and conflict reaches its point when the gravedigger provides comic relief. However, the light atmosphere is short-lived as the events turn grim, increasing more tension followed by duel.

15. Protagonist: Hamlet is the main protagonist of the play as he directs Horatio by the end of the play. Hamlet makes sure Horatio stays alive and becomes an orator to tell the public and justify his cause. Hamlet, indeed, stands for good in the play as compared to Claudius, who stands for evil.

16. Pun: Hamlet is also full of puns. For example,

• 
  Not so, my lord, I am too much in the sun. (Act-I, Scene-II, Line, 67)
  
• 
  I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me. (Act-I, Scene-II, Line, 85).
  
• 
  You are the Queen, your husband’s brother’s wife. (Act-III, Scene-IV, Line, 15)
  

In both of these examples, Hamlet plays upon the word “sun” in the first line that means “son” and “ghost” in the second line that means that he would kill that person who stops him.

17. Paradox: The play also shows good use of paradoxes.

• 
  “Thrift, thrift, Horatio! the funeral baked meats
  Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.” (Act-I, Scene-II, Lines, 180-181).
  
• 
  A little more than kin and less than kind.” (Act-I, Scene-II, Line, 65).
  

These lines show paradoxes that mean to use contradictory ideas in the same statement. For example, in the first statement shows that the meat baked for the funeral was served in the marriage ceremony. The second statement indicates that Claudius is more than kin, but less kind toward him. Here, Hamlet means that Claudius is family; he is nothing like him or his father.

18. Rhetorical Questions: The play shows good use of rhetorical questions at several places. For example,

• 
  “What then? What rests?
  Try what repentance can. What can it not?” (Act-III, Scene-III, Lines, 54-66)
  
• 
  How now! A rat? (Act-III, Scene-IV, Line, 24)
  

These examples show the use of rhetorical questions and mostly by Hamlet. They also show Shakespeare’s expertise in using rhetorical devices and couple them with literary devices to serve his purpose of multiple interpretations.

19. Simile: The play also contains plenty of similes. For example,

• 
  In the same figure like the king that’s dead. (Act-I, Scene-I, Line, 41)
  
• 
  And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. (Act-I, Scene-II, Line, 69)
  
• 
  Wretched state! O bosom black as death! (Act-III, Scene-III, Line, 68)
  
• 
  Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe. (Act-III, Scene-III, Line, 69)
  

Here are four similes used in Hamlet. In the first one, the figure is compared to the king. In the second example, the eyes are compared to the friend. In the third example, the black is compared to death. In the fourth example, the heart is compared to an innocent child.

20. Soliloquy: The play shows some memorable soliloquies. For example,

• 
  O, that this too too solid flesh would melt (Act-I, Scene-II, Line, 129)
  
• 
  O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I (Act-II, Scene-II, Line, 532)
  
• 
  To be, or not to be (Act-III, Scene-I, Line, 56)
  
• 
  Oh my offence is rank, it smells to heaven (Act-III, Scene-III, Line, 36)
  

Hamlet has delivered the first three examples. Claudius speaks the fourth one. These soliloquies shed some light on the mentality or conflict of the character. They also set the mood of the play.

21. Verbal Irony: The play shows verbal irony as;

• 
  Not so, my lord. I am too much i’the sun. (Act-I, Scene-II, Line 66)
  
• 
  Second is situational irony in that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern try to meet Hamlet to tell him that they have come to meet him to know what he is mad but his replies are very ironic.
  
• 
  It is also ironic that play is being stated to entertain Hamlet, while Hamlet is using it to know Claudius’s crime.