Allusions In Hamlet

Words: 845
Pages: 4
Open Document
In the first soliloquy of the play, Shakespeare develops Hamlet’s character as a grudge-filled and depressed man through spiteful diction against his mother, Gertrude, and frequent allusions to past events to convey uneasy feelings over his mother’s recent marriage. Throughout the excerpt, the diction Hamlet uses about his mother puts off a strong feeling of animosity due to her newly founded relationship with his uncle Claudius (who has now become king following his father's death). Furthermore, Hamlets shifty emotions are also addressed through allusion to give a contextual illustration of why he seems frustrated in the soliloquy. Ultimately, both literary devices in the passage reveal Hamlet’s current state of misery in the play.
In the …show more content…
In essence, the reason Hamlet bears depression is because he is unhappy with the grudges he holds. Shakespeare first conveys these attributes towards the end of the soliloquy where Hamlet alone remembers his father “Why, she would hang on him As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on, and yet, within a month—Let me not think on ’t” (I.ii.141-145). Left by himself Hamlet makes references to the past when his mother and father were still together. He looks back on their relationship as a loving bond and shows how he had great appreciation for their marriage. However, towards the last part he lets out a bit of disgust due to his mother moving so quickly on towards a new man. He expresses this idea by his refusal to even contemplate, “Let me not think on’t” (I.ii.146). Hamlet is deeply offended by his mother's actions and can’t seem to find empathy to what his mother is going through emotionally. Shakespeare reiterates the same idea of discontent and grudge towards the final bits of the passage when he states, “O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer!—married with my uncle, my father’s brother, but no more like my father than I to Hercules.” (I.ii.146-149). Here, he alludes to an animal to compare how he views his mother in terms of loyalty. Essentially, he equates his mother to a …show more content…
The allusion that Shakespeare uses gives context to the play which makes Hamlet’s frustration much more understandable and passionate in the play. By giving a backstory Shakespeare also shows how Hamlet is a somewhat troubled man who can’t let go of the past and even feel any empathy for his own mother. Shakespeare's use of spiteful diction furthermore conveys a new characteristic of Hamlet, as irrational and somewhat
Show More

Related Documents: Allusions In Hamlet

Hamlet's Allusion Of Hecate And Nero

Allusions are an indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. Allusions do not need to be described in detail because they are just a momentary comment that the author expects the reader to possess knowledge about in order to grasp the significance. Hamlet contains many allusions that are vastly complicated to recognise for a contemporary teenager. Allusions about Hecate and Nero can be altered so the modern audience can comprehend…

Words 522 - Pages 3

Essay on HAMLET 1

madness and sucicide shown in ophelia after her dad dies shows hamlet contemplating suicide in face fo the fact that he has oto aveneg his fathers murder and in doing so condemns his own soul to hell "TO BE OR NOT TO BE SOLILOQUY" He tells himself that "Tis a consummation / Devoutly to be wished." (It is significant that he uses the word "devoutly," since this word has religious connotations.) Not only does he seem to be contemplating suicide, but, characteristically, he thinks about the matter…

Words 554 - Pages 3

Analysis Of Hamlet

of characterization and conflict6 within the play as whole. Hamlet, one of Shakespeare’s most well known and received stage plays is about the story of a young Danish Prince and his need to find the truth behind his father’s sudden death. Claudius- Hamlet’s uncle marries his mother- the queen, and takes the throne of Denmark for himself. As the play progresses it is found that it was in fact Claudius who murdered the old king Hamlet and thus creating dramatic conflict as the young prince tries…

Words 808 - Pages 4

Women In Hamlet

literary works written throughout time prove this stereotype wrong. The play “Hamlet” is one such example. “Hamlet” follows the journey of Prince Hamlet of Denmark as he seeks revenge on his uncle, Claudius, who is now king due to marrying his mother, Gertrude. The play concludes with almost everyone in the play dead, including Queen Gertrude, King Claudius, Ophelia (Hamlet’s love interest), and Hamlet himself. In “Hamlet,” Shakespeare creates the independent, intelligent characters Ophelia and Gertrude…

Words 1101 - Pages 5

Hamlet - Rouge and Peasant Slave Solo Analysis Essay

In one of Hamlet's most well known soliloquies, "Rouge and peasant slave", the character Hamlet first introduces his extreme internal conflict. The soliloquy takes place after the ghost of his father has presented him with the order of avenging his murder by killing his own uncle, the same uncle who inherited the throne and wedded his very own mother. However, Hamlet still remains uncertain about holding the ghost credible, so he devised a plan. He asks actors to perform a murderous play, which…

Words 955 - Pages 4

Ulysses And Prufrock Diction

Alfred Prufrock is unable to put himself forward even in a tea party with the women, which is the one place he feels safe. As a reader we not only know Prufrock is timid based on the structure of the poem, but also the important allusions Eliot employs. One of the many allusions Eliot compares Prufrock to is Lazarus from the bible. This parallelism strengthens Eliot’s argument that Prufrock is too fearful of what people will think of him. Lazarus died and “[came] back from the dead,/ [Came] back to…

Words 673 - Pages 3

Dichotomy In Hamlet

it was marrying into a powerful family, gaining lots of money, or knighthood often came at a cost. In Hamlet, the characters attempt to live by the code of honor that presides over their head and strive to achieve honor. However, the constitution was impossible to follow, and the characters often broke the code in attempts to follow it. In Hamlet, Shakespeare utilizes Greek mythological allusions and the Apollonian-Dionysian dichotomy to satirize…

Words 1737 - Pages 7

The Baptism of Christ Essay

of the Story Baptism does not save a person, but it is a symbol of obedience and a willingness to follow Christ's example. God’s love is unconditional for his Son and for his people, wanting to give them the opportunity to be baptized. Cultural Allusion: The Matrix In the beginning of the Matrix, Neo falls down the pipe into the water. The water he falls into represents the baptism because Neo is being brought…

Words 572 - Pages 3

Shakespeare Polonius Literary Devices

Literary Devices: Metaphors: Polonius compares Hamlet to a flame that doesn’t give off heat (Act 1, Scene 3, Line 118). This means that he thinks that Hamlet is putting on an act. He also says that Ophelia must not mistake his show for the real thing. Polonius says that Hamlet’s vows are not going to show as dye does on a garment (Act 1, Scene 3, Lines 127-128), meaning that Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet isn’t going to benefit her. Polonius compares Hamlet’s love to counterfeit coins, fake (Act…

Words 475 - Pages 2

The Love Song of J Essay

Matin Saparzadeh Professor Island English 2 12/8/12 The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is perhaps one of the poet’s earliest major works which was completed in 1910. What can be clearly seen in this poem is that writer used various literary devices such as simile, repetition, imagery and personification in order to put forth a doleful and sad theme to this piece. These literary devices were also effectively used to describe the character loneliness of…

Words 1187 - Pages 5