How Does Shakespeare Use Language In Hamlet

In literature, the way language is selected and crafted inevitably influences our emotional journey. Shakespeare is regarded as having mastery in his language from the sonnets to the plays, particularly in Hamlet. This play tells the story of Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, seeking the truth about his father’s death, then plotting revenge on his father’s murderer, Claudius, his uncle and now King. Shakespeare’s language in Hamlet powerfully explores the idea that reality is not as simple as we perceive on the surface and that there are layers of reality within everyone’s character. This causes our emotions to fluctuate throughout the course of the play, as more and more layers of complexity are revealed.

Firstly, Shakespeare crafts his language
He unites us in his struggle to make a judgement as to whether the ghost is actually his father or the devil. On top of the uncertainty about the intentions of the ghost, the modern audience also struggles to discern if the ghost is real or merely a product of Hamlet’s “insanity” since the beliefs in devils, ghosts, and witches, which were very common in the Elizabethan era, are not so now. Even by the end of the play, the “reality” of the ghost is not revealed, not to Hamlet, the Elizabethan audience, or to us. Hence, the emotion of uncertainty, caused by the unprovable validity of the ghost, allows the audience to perceive their reality of the ghost and by extension, the play as a whole. Thus, each person may perceive the play slightly differently, which may heighten the audience's awareness of the ambiguity between perception and reality. In fact, the modern and Elizabethan audience would definitely have different interpretations of the same play, for example, the modern may question Hamlet’s sanity far more than the Elizabethans who would probably see the ghost as a demon. Thus, through Shakespeare’s carefully selected language voiced through Hamlet’s contemplation, our emotions are influenced to become more