The Oxford Dictionary defines wordplay as “the witty exploitation of the meanings and ambiguities of words.” Wordplay is a literary technique in which the words themselves become the subject matter. There are hundreds of different types of wordplay, but one of the best known types would be a spoonerism. A spoonerism is when corresponding consonants, vowels, or syllables are swapped, as in a mad bunny for bad money. Among spoonerisms, other popular types of wordplay include: puns, malapropisms, oxymorons, mondegreens, and lipograms. People love to play around with language, and one of those people in particular is William Shakespeare. The whiz of words, the real pro of rhythm, and the shark of sound. The Bard used wordplay for humor, offense,…show more content… In other words, if Polonius is going to keep Ophelia from seeing Hamlet in fear that she’ll become pregnant, he should keep her away from the sun, as well, because even the sun can cause pregnancies. Five lines later, Hamlet is at it again. In response to Polonius’ question “Do you know me, my lord?” Hamlet says “Excellent well; you are a fishmonger.” This is his first of a streak of sour quips that Hamlet directs at the incoherent Polonius. The rudiment of the quips is seemingly Hamlet’s instinct that Polonius forced Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet. In Hamlet’s perspective, Polonius acts like a sycophant by sacrificing his own daughter’s contentment in order to please the King. Thusly “fishmonger” is usually explained as code for “pimp.” Again in Scene 2, we have one of the most famous lines, and probably the most associated line with Hamlet. “Words, words, words” (2.2.192) Hamlet says to Polonius in response to his question “What do you read my lord?” Naturally, Polonius wants to know the meaning of the words that Hamlet is reading, but Hamlet dubs them as meaningless. A third of the way through scene 2 Hamlet says “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” (2.2.249-250). Hamlet appears to be pondering about the slipperiness of certitude, which is…show more content… He makes Ophelia start to go off the deep end with his remarks on how being gorgeous can consume a woman. Hamlet asks Ophelia, “Did you think I mean country matters?” (3.2.116) This is the first of many unpleasant sexual references made to Ophelia just before the the showing of The Murder of Gonzago. “You are keen, my lord, you are keen” says Ophelia. In response to that, Hamlet says “It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge” (3.2.273). While she meant that he has sharp wit, he went and turned it into a sexual innuendo. Hamlet sets up scene four by poking fun at his mother. When she says “Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended” she speaks of Claudius, but in response, “Mother, you have my father much offended” (3.4.13) he speaks of Hamlet Sr. He goes on to pester Gertrude by making a paradox out of fact,“You are the queen, your husband's brother’s wife” (3.4.20). In being the prick that he is, Hamlet sarcastically apologizes to his mother for being able to try to benefit her, “Forgive me this my virtue”
