Use of Literary Devices in Hamlet Essay

In Hamlet, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, literary devices including recurring motifs, minor characters, and figurative language are combined to create the play. The recurring motif of revenge is a way for Shakespeare to demonstrate the destructive possibilities of revenge. Hamlets desire for revenge clouds his mind, and flushes out any and all logic. Hamlets obsession with revenge eventually causes the deaths of all other characters in the play. Shakespeare also uses different minor characters to represent basic human traits, such as Ophelia. Ophelia is the naive and child-like daughter of Polonius and lover of Hamlet. She represents innocence, as well as the loss of innocence in the play. Shakespeare also uses figurative language to compare his characters to other biblical and classical literature. Characters in the play describe biblical references to justify there accusations and confusions amongst each other. Shakespeare also uses similes and metaphors to better describe the characters feelings and actions. These literary devices work together in making the play much more dynamic and interesting.

A recurring motif in the play Hamlet is revenge. Shakespeare attempts to describe revenge as an obsession of the mind that blocks out all rational thought. Hamlets obsession with avenging his fathers death, ostracizes him from the rest of the world and drives his mad. He pushes away Ophelia, resents his mother, and constantly breaks into monologue. The motif of revenge is also a way for Shakespeare to comment on the repercussions revenge can cause. Hamlets attempt at avenging his father, results in the death of all the other characters including Hamlet himself. Hamlet kills Polonius, causing the death of Ophelia, which makes Laertes kill Hamlet, but not before Hamlet kills Claudius for killing King Hamlet and Gertrude. Shakespeare also uses revenge to show how anger can take over all other emotions. For example, when Leartes seeks revenge for Ophelias death, he fights Hamlet over her grave cite. The anger he has towards Hamlet becomes so much greater then the love and respect he had for Ophelia, which can be seen when he fights Hamlet over her dead carcass. Shakespeare uses the recurring motif of revenge to describe the dangerous it can cause amongst the characters.

A minor character in the play is Ophelia. Shakespeare describes Ophelia as a well-behaved, innocent girl who has always been overruled by men. Ophelias character represents how the passive the women in that time might have been. For example, even though her love for Hamlet is strong, she obeys her father and brother when they tell her not to see Hamlet again. Ophelias innocence can be explained by the absences of her mother. Shes constantly sheltered by her brother and father without ever really seeing another womens point of view, which may explain her confusion with the opposite sex. She did not have the balance of a father and mothers guidance, so is unprepared for the bombardments by Hamlet. Just as Ophelia represents innocence, she also represents the loss of innocence. She losses her innocence, by having to face the issues raised by Hamlet, such as sex and the loss of her father. She is unable to cope with the unfolding of one traumatic event after another and eventually goes insane then dies mysteriously. Shakespeare defines Ophelia as innocent and unfit to face any real issues in life.

Figurative language is another literary device Shakespeare uses in the play. Shakespeare uses figurative language to compare his characters to historical and classical figures such as Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great. When in the graveyard, Hamlet considers the fact that everyone will end up in the same place, including Alexander the Great. Why may not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander till he find it 180 stopping a bunghole? (Act V sc. I lines178-179) Shakespeare also uses metaphors and similes to enrich the dialogue and situations of the play Which now, like fruit unripe, sticks on the tree, But fall, unshaken, when they mellow be. ( Act III sc. ii lines 213-215) Shakespeare describes how strong our intentions are at first, but as time goes on they weaken, just like an apple that sticks to a tree when it is unripe but falls to the ground once it ripens. Through out the play there are also many biblical allusions, possibly Hamlets way of looking to religion for answers and more specifically justifications. For example, Oh, my offence is rank. It smells to heaven. It hath the primal eldest curse upon 't, A brother's murder (Act III sc iii, lines 40-42) Hamlet justifies his hate towards Claudius by comparing him to Cain. Or when Hamlet compares Polonius to Jephthah, who unintentionally sacrificed his daughter Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst thou! (Act II sc. ii lines 427-428) Figurative language brings out the dialogue and makes each sentence just as interesting as the plot.

Shakespeare combines all of these literary devices to create the intricate plot, as well as characters and dialogue. The motif of revenge shows how basic human emotions can have dire consequences, when Hamlet act out on those emotions. Hamlets desire for revenge against Claudius unintentionally causes the deaths of all other characters in the play. Shakespeare describes the power of revenge and consequences of it, by following the development of Hamlets psyche. The minor character Ophelia portrays innocence in all its forms, pure and good, but dependant and vulnerable as well. Ophelia is a tragic character that had no hope of survival when she lost all those she was dependant on. Ophelia represents the inevitable downfall of an innocent and nave character. Figurative language plays a crucial role in the distinct writings of Shakespeare. Shakespeare uses biblical references as some kind of basis for morality, amongst the characters. And also classical references that compare the characters to historical and mythical figures to justify there vitality. The combination of characters, motifs, and figurative language are what make Shakespeares plays sopensive.