Dramatic Irony In Hamlet
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, dramatic irony is used to garner sympathy and antipathy from the audience, which further develops the characters, conflict, and theme of the story. This is seen when the ghost of Hamlet Sr. tells Hamlet Jr. that “the serpent that did sting [his] father’s life/Now wears his [father’s] crown.” (I.v.39-40). This creates dramatic irony because the audience knows that Claudius killed Hamlet Sr. while the majority of the characters still believe that Hamlet Sr. was bitten by a snake. This fosters sympathy for Hamlet Jr. as he loses his father to the malicious deeds of others. Additionally, this creates circumstances in which Hamlet Jr. is setup to become the hero of the story. Since Hamlet Jr. truly loves his father, he is
compelled to take revenge on Claudius after hearing the truth. Meanwhile, this scene fosters antipathy for Claudius as it shows that he is heartless and greedy, killing his own brother in the pursuit of power. Furthermore, this scene emphasizes Claudius’ portrayal as a villain, thus fating him to be Hamlet Jr.’s enemy in the story. The reveal of the truth marks a major turning point in the play as all events following this incident are triggered by it since they are part of Hamlet Jr.’s quest for revenge. Examples include Hamlet Jr. acting mad to allow his investigation to continue and Hamlet Jr. putting on a play in which a king is assassinated to gauge Claudius’ reaction. Without the information revealed in this incident, none of the events which followed would have occurred as there would have been no reason for Hamlet Jr. to seek revenge. The clear setup with Claudius and Hamlet Jr. as enemies emphasizes the themes of death and revenge in the play. This incident makes it clear that death is the catalyst of the story and through Hamlet Jr.’s quest for revenge, more lives are lost. Since Hamlet Jr. is Hamlet Sr.’s son and the rightful heir to the throne, his vengeance is justified, and his sins are not perceived as petty murder. Through this incident, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet as the hero and Claudius as the villain, which leads to the major conflicts in the play while strengthening major themes.
compelled to take revenge on Claudius after hearing the truth. Meanwhile, this scene fosters antipathy for Claudius as it shows that he is heartless and greedy, killing his own brother in the pursuit of power. Furthermore, this scene emphasizes Claudius’ portrayal as a villain, thus fating him to be Hamlet Jr.’s enemy in the story. The reveal of the truth marks a major turning point in the play as all events following this incident are triggered by it since they are part of Hamlet Jr.’s quest for revenge. Examples include Hamlet Jr. acting mad to allow his investigation to continue and Hamlet Jr. putting on a play in which a king is assassinated to gauge Claudius’ reaction. Without the information revealed in this incident, none of the events which followed would have occurred as there would have been no reason for Hamlet Jr. to seek revenge. The clear setup with Claudius and Hamlet Jr. as enemies emphasizes the themes of death and revenge in the play. This incident makes it clear that death is the catalyst of the story and through Hamlet Jr.’s quest for revenge, more lives are lost. Since Hamlet Jr. is Hamlet Sr.’s son and the rightful heir to the throne, his vengeance is justified, and his sins are not perceived as petty murder. Through this incident, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet as the hero and Claudius as the villain, which leads to the major conflicts in the play while strengthening major themes.