There and back again
Shakespeare uses symbols to describe the setting as well as give insight into what is going on behind the scenes. Upon first sighting, Horatio dismisses the ghost as "fantasy." The King's ghost symbolizes betrayal and injustice, which Hamlet must rectify in order to put his father at peace. The King's ghost symbolizes a form of Catholic purgatory and a Protestant daemon (1). Horatio's companion Bernardo exclaims, "Though art a scholar speak to it, Horatio." In the time of Shakespeare, it was customary for the educated to speak with the dead as well as make the dead reply. This symbolism gives the audience a greater understanding of the setting of time in which Shakespeare creates. The death of the King contains another symbol important when mentioning the setting. Normally when a king dies, his first-born son inherits the kingdom; Hamlet did not inherit his father's kingdom. One reason why Shakespeare did not mention the details is that the Nobles, of whom the play was writ for, of the Shakespearean period, knew the current political processes. The pre-Shakespearean period dictated if the King were to die the surviving first born would inherit the kingdom; the current practice in Denmark was to have the noble council vo
Shakespeare's "Hamlet" conveys hidden meanings of character nature through the carefully selected language which he chooses. Shakespeare combines drama and careful word selection to relate or mimic each other. Hamlet acts as the voice of Shakespeare; seen in their strikingly similar characteristics. For instance, each of them express energetic eagerness as well as a high intelligence, and both are tortured by emotions. Hamlet directs a play within a play giving the audience an added experience and a contrast of control. In this instance, both Shakespeare and Hamlet control the audience, as would a puppeteer. Part of Hamlet's character visage is derived from Shakespeare. In particular, Shakespeare is extremely capable of expressing his emotions on paper; yet, Hamlet is inadequate at expressing emotions verbally. For example, Hamlets' words contradict his feelings towards Ophelia his lover. Hamlet's love for Ophelia has been identified; however, he uses his words as he would a weapon to purposely push her away. In understanding how far from the truth Hamlet's words are, his thwarted efforts to disband Ophelia pass for madness. Davidson notes an interesting point, when Hamlet yells to Ophelia "Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?" Davidson says that Hamlet is portraying the role of an antagonist to obfuscate his true feelings (4). In the above quote, Hamlet uses his words to convey hate for his love; contrary to how he truly feels. Shakespeare uses phrases and words to misguide the audience's perceptions. Hamlet is the per
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Approximate Word count = 1060
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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