Example of Dramatic Irony from Acts I & II|CharactersInvolved|Sympathy? Antipathy?|Reason your sympathies lean as they do|Evidence – Lines and Explanation of Effect|
In Act I Scene.5, the Ghost reveals to Hamlet that he was poisoned to death by Claudius, Claudius then spread the rumour that he died by a snake bite which is believed to be true .Only Hamlet and the readers know the truth that Claudius murdered Hamlet's father. |King Hamlets Ghost, Hamlet and Claudius|We sympathize with Hamlet.|The reason they lean this way is because Claudius tells a lie so he won’t be punished. Us as humans are taught not to lie and that it is wrong, this is we our empathy for Claudius begins to grow.||
||We as readers begin to develop an antipathy for Claudius.|||
In Act I Scene 5, Hamlet makes his two friends Horatio and Marcellus to swear that they must not reveal what they have just seen and heard. Only the readers, Marcellus and Horatio know that he is only pretending to be mad but he actually is not.|Hamlet, Horatio and Mercellus|We once again sympathize with Hamlet.|We sympathize with Hamlet because||
||There is no antipathy is this example.|||
In Act II Scenc 1 Ophelia reports to her father Polonius the strange behaviour of Hamlet. Polonius immediately concludes that Hamlet is in love with Ophelia and that he has gone mad because she has obeyed his instruction in spurning The readers know that Hamlet is only pretending to be mad. |Ophelia, Hamlet and Polonius||||
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