Preview

Diction In Hamlet

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
920 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Diction In Hamlet
“Give me my robe, put on my crown; I have immortal longings in me.”-William Shakespeare Hamlet is a revengeful tragedy by William Shakespeare written in London, England during the early sixteenth century of the medieval times. William Shakespeare has been known for the beauty of his plays because there is so much connotative meaning into the words that he professes to us within his use of diction. He has been known to write many tragedy plays where most of his protagonists die at the end of his stories. Many tend to be murdered due to the sweet smell of revenge running in many of their veins. One of his most famous tragedy books is Hamlet where the protagonist Hamlet, finds out that his father has just died, and his mother is now in an intimate …show more content…
If Hamlet had been written in slang, it would be undeniably easy for the reader to know exactly what we're Hamlets intention in drafting the revengeful play instead of having to guess at his use of concrete diction and the connotative meanings behind his intriguing language. In Hamlet, Act one scene one we stumble upon Bernardo saying,“And let us once again assail your ears, That are so fortified against our story, What we two nights have been”(Shakespeare3). We see that Shakespeare is talking in verse which consists of typically having a rhyme which makes it hard for readers to understand the situation. On the contrary, if Shakespeare would have written the play in prose in the Italian Era it would have said, “Boss let me tell you about this crazy thing that I’ve wanted to talk to you about.” This would change the audience perspective of how they read and pronounce the words drastically making it evidently easy. This would change the knowledge of readers, and the viewpoint of many Shakespeare's readers is making it a worldwide …show more content…
In Act one Scene two Hamlet says, “O, that this too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew”(Shakespeare15).This made William take us into the deeper thoughts and emotions of the characters by giving us deeper insights of what the characters motives are.This makes the language a bit complicated, which could be avoided if he used simpler ways to show the way the characters shows their deep thoughts and emotions by being direct with the characters.This will end an extreme amount of misunderstanding interpretations mislead by the readers themselves.
William Shakespeare is a well known English poet who has been known to be one of the greatest English writers of all time. The fascinating fact that William Shakespeare could have written Hamlet in the mid-nineteen-twenties during the Italian Mafia time in slang just astonishes me the way a simple little factor like changing the time, place, and language changes the whole atmosphere and the audience's perspective on the play. “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”-William

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Hamlet has just fought with Gertrude and Claudius, and has decided to stay home, as opposed to going to college. Claudius told Hamlet he was not allowed to go, and Hamlet decided to stay for his mother. The, “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt…” soliloquy reveals the first thoughts of death that Hamlet has within the play. Not much has happened, but the King and Queen are married, and the ghost has been seen. As the first soliloquy, this is the first insight into Hamlet’s state of mind that the audience has.…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shakespeare redeemed his well-known reputation by his iconic writing. He incorporated loads of imagery, character traits and literary devices that construct his amazing pieces. Hamlet, being one of his most famous playwrights besides the glamorous Romeo and Juliet, serves sarcasm and insanity right to the audience on a silver platter. The man himself, Hamlet, faces more conflict with his inner self than any other person in the novel. Shakespeare’s use of insanity and sarcasm highlights the plays humor and inner emotions leaving the reader with the ability to relate.…

    • 709 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tragic Flaws In Hamlet

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Hamlet by William Shakespeare focuses on the drive of a young prince, prince Hamlet, who is driven to act out revenge on King Claudius for his role in the death of King Hamlet, Hamlet’s father, and the many who get trapped between the familial battle and power struggle between Uncle and Nephew. Throughout this tragedy, it is the realizations and the hidden truths that trap many of the characters for their ineludible death. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet and Gertrude are perfectly capable of hearing and seeing, yet they are deaf and blind to the truth of their circumstances. Their lack of sense eventually leads to their own demise. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses the senses, especially hearing and sight, to reveal the tragic flaws of both of these characters.…

    • 791 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet possesses an indecisive, morose, and wrathful outlook on people and life, causing him to take brash actions. William Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet” was written in 1601 and published in 1603. Set in Denmark during the Middle Ages, the play revolves around the tragic hero, Hamlet, whom is forced to cope with his father’s death. During the scene 5 of Act I, it is revealed by the ghost of King Hamlet that he was murdered by his own brother, Claudius. Thus, Hamlet is impelled to satisfy his father’s request and avenge his father’s death by killing Claudius. Moreover, Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, briskly marries King Claudius, thus prompting Hamlet to having a distrust of women. The play centers on making moral choices, corruption, and the nature…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hamlet Rhetorical Analysis

    • 1632 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In spite of the fact that the plot evokes the implication that it occurred between the close of 16th century and the start of the 17th century, Shakespeare’s Hamlet surpasses the constraints of time and muses upon both the primitive and contemporary man. In the late 16th century in England, people of all classes on the social echelon, with the exception of royals, were able to publicly eyewitness theatre. Audiences craved new plays to assuage their appetites. One of numerous dramatists that capitalized this abundance of opportunity was Shakespeare. Opposed to the modern time, audiences spectated the play to hear it rather than see it. The articulation of the lines and significance of how the story was recited was crucial…

    • 1632 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the power of words helps drive the central action of the plot. First of all, it becomes clear that the words themselves have the power to shape and create a sense of reality. Without a steady stream of words, both internal and external, much of the tragic action in each play would likely be stunted. In Hamlet, words are weapons and can be like poison in the ear or like daggers. Hamlet’s deep connection with language and words causes him to base his perceptions of reality on his interpretation and understanding of words. Being a contemplative man, this is both one of Hamlet’s greatest gifts as well as Hamlet’s flaw.…

    • 114 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From an audience-response perspective, Shakespeare intentionally leaves parts of the play vague. Ophelia’s unclear cause for death, Claudius’ supposed guilt, and Hamlet’s true desire for revenge and just some of the cases where Shakespeare leaves the specifics vague as to allow the audience to formulate their own interpretations. There are small hints regarding the truth behind Shakespeare’s intentions, such as when Gertrude claims that Ophelia’s death was an accident, while providing small details that make the audience ponder whether or not Gertrude witnessed Ophelia’s death and if her death was an accident as Gertrude claims. This leaves the audience questioning the validity of Gertrude’s claims and what really happened to Ophelia. Claudius proclaims his guilt for his brother’s murder; however he is hesitant to recant what he has done for fear of losing his possessions and power. Does Claudius actually feel guilty about murdering his brother since he had not repented for his murder? Hamlet seemingly has a desire to get vengeance for his father, yet he doesn’t act in the name of this revenge quest. It makes the audience question if Hamlet’s true goal is actually vengeance. If it is, why doesn’t he act on it? These questions Shakespeare intentionally leaves open for the audience to make their own interpretations. Through this unique writing style Shakespeare uses, he is allowing for the audience to formulate different, unique ideas regarding the…

    • 266 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Allusions In Hamlet

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hamlet written by Shakespeare during the years of 1599 – 1601. Throughout this play there are many allusions that are portrayed towards the Elizabethan audience that only people from their time period would understand. When I first read over these lines I thought nothing of it and did not understand these words thrown at me, which required me to do research. If a line in a play requires research for an audience t understand it then those lines need to me modernized, which is why I have come up with my own translations. First in Act 1 scene 1 line 14 the text refers to someone named Julius which some people may not know it Julius Caesar the Emperor of Rome. Thus referring to when he was assassinated. Second, during Act 3 scene 2 line 14 when…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Characters in Hamlet

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The play Hamlet is without a doubt an odd story to read based on what society today has become accustomed to. A brother killing another brother, and then marrying his wife. It is not a typical story in the modern world today. There is a vast variety of different themes that can be traced throughout the play, however the most popular is madness and sanity. Madness and sanity shape the play into what it is, without madness and sanity the play would have no life. Certain actions would not occur, certain events would not occur, and certain statements would not occur. Hamlet is a perfect example in the thought of is he acting insane or is he truly insane?…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Juxtaposition In Hamlet

    • 1723 Words
    • 7 Pages

    William Shakespeare, regarded as one of the greatest English playwrights of all time, crafted Hamlet, a masterpiece that unravels a corrupt royal family. As the play opens with the death of the Denmark king, the audience is thrown into a world of power and betrayal. Prince Hamlet’s discovery of his father’s murder sets the stage for a creative and engaging story delving into the intricacies of revenge. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the motif of revenge to convey the complexities of human nature rooted in internal conflicts, demonstrating the dangers of revenge. Hamlet’s journey for revenge leads him down an emotionally and internally difficult path swamped in moral dilemmas as he faces the consequences of revenge and the inevitability…

    • 1723 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Hamlet was composed in the early 17th century Elizabethan Era, reflecting this society’s preoccupation with retribution and vengeance. It explores key concerns and concepts of everlasting relevance to audiences of all ages. The tragic hero Hamlet is intensely human and his struggles are familiar to all audiences. He educates the audience via vicarious learning, sharing his experiences as he explores fundamental issues of morality and mortality through his intense interactions with the lead female characters. Key concerns that are the driving forces in Hamlet include: deception and revenge. These overarching concerns help the audience to understand the prevarications and motivations of Hamlet, along with the multifaceted relationships between Hamlet, Ophelia, Gertrude and Claudius.…

    • 726 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Essay

    • 948 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, through his protagonist, he explores ideas relating to conflict. Using detailed textual evidence, how has your personal response to Hamlet been shaped through the composers use of dramatic techniques?…

    • 948 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gilgamesh Theme

    • 1801 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In each work, death creates change in the storyline and for the main characters. With this change, however, comes newfound strength for the main character. In Hamlet, prince Hamlet is changed forever after the death of his father and the visit with his father's ghost. He mourns the loss of his father as his mother remarries and Hamlet finds the ordeal to be troubling and devastating. Hamlet the Elder warns his son that he was murdered by Claudius and Queen Gertrude. Although stunned at first, young Hamlet faces his mother, angry and betrayed, and fights the new king and even his mother with new found determination. He finds strength in his father's words and is motivated to seek revenge. Hamlet's anger can be seen in this quote, taken from Act I, Scene II, "O God, God, how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable, seem to me all the uses of this world! (298)." Here Hamlet is remembering the loss of his father and is overwhelmed with grief. Later in the play, Hamlet is filled with rage and speaks alone with his mother. When the Queen fears for her life, she calls out for help, alerting the hidden Polonius. In a fit of anger, Hamlet kills Polonius. When his mother comments on the bloody slaying of Polonius, Hamlet replies sarcastically saying, "A bloody deed- almost as bad as kill a king and marry with his brother" (298). It…

    • 1801 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Analytical Essay

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare is a tragic story about a prince named Hamlet attempting to get revenge for his father's murder. As Hamlet only to slowly destroy his life in the process. As Hamlet attempts to get revenge, he ultimately ends up destroying himself and the people around him. But before his death, Hamlet slowly decides what he wants to do with his life. Hamlet goes from thinking the world holds nothing for him but not wanting to kill himself because he fears god in the first Soliloquy, to living to avenge his father if needed in the second Soliloquy, to fearing death in the third Soliloquy. Hamlet slowly decides what he wants to do with his life, through his first three Soliloquies in the play…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tone Analysis Of Hamlet

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In Hamlet by William Shakespeare there are many tone shifts in the first act. In Act 1 Horatio tells Marcellus and Barnardo why they are in constant preparation and says “In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, The graves stood tenantless…” (I.i.124-127) This shows a tone of caution and fear, many is worried about an invasion. In the second scene the Queen and King questions Hamlet about why is he still grieving and he says “That can denote me truly. These indeed ‘seem,’ For they are actions that a man might play” (I.ii.86-87) This shows an annoyed tone where the King and Queen want Hamlet to get over his father's death. In the fourth scene Horatio is with Hamlet trying to find the ghost and it enters…

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays