Hamlet

A detailed Summary of Hamlet

"The world of Shakespeare is the world transformed into images and metaphors; an object becomes a word which turns it into an idea or an emotion. There are also double meanings, puns and wordplay, at times ironic, often obscene, always witty, even in the greatest tragedies." (Delville) as said by Delville. Shakespeare's words are not just read but felt and seen. In Hamlet imagery was not spared when written. One of the most predominant imagery is of a garden. Denmark, the setting of the play, was cleverly paralleled with a garden. All components of the garden had a part of Denmark. From the plants to the weather, everything was contrasted.

Shakespeare skillfully uses a garden to show the development of Denmark. To represent the people of Denmark, plants are used to symbolize them. From its weeds to its flowers all components are parallel with Denmark. From when the garden is in full bloom and when the garden is dissipating, Denmark makes the same progress. Imagery of sick and distasteful plants, in place of the traditional beautiful flowers in a garden, "'Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely." (I. ii. 135-137). Essentially, all of life, and all that was good and

Ophelia: There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. / That's for thoughts. / Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies.

The weather in the play foreshadows what is to come. It takes on human characteristics determining the next event in Denmark. Francisco asks for a pardon from his post 'Tis bitter cold, / And I am sick at heart." (I. i. 9-10). The line foreshadows the cold sweeping over Denmark and the sicknesses. Hamlet observes "The air bites shrewdly; it is very cold." (I. iv. 1). It foretells that the ghost will appear before Hamlet for the fist time. It will also be the first time that Hamlet will have a discussion with his self-conscious mind otherwise known as the ghost. "But as we often see against some storm / A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still," (II. Ii. 508-509) said by Hamlet refers to the calm before the storm. The deceiving calm of Hamlet, devising his revenge on Claudius, brews until a huge eruption which is seen in act 5 scene 2, Hamlet scolds Ophelia with the words "If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague / for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as / snow, thou shalt not escape calumny." (III. i. 146-148). Hamlet uses snow to describe the pure wife he wants to marry in which Ophelia doesn't fit the mold of perfection. The snow that falls from heaven, a pure creation form God, is untainted. Hamlet doesn't feel Ophelia contains these qualities. In reality, it's not Ophelia who is impure, but his mother Gertrude. Instead of confronting his mother with his anger, he takes it out on Ophelia, who is innocent. Advice given by Hamlet went as follows to the players "for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, / whirlwind of you r passion, you must acquire and / beget a temperance that may give it smoothness." (III. ii. 6-8). He tells the players not to give too much action and emotions with the words they speak. He wants the audience, especially Claudius, not just to watch but to listen. Without the gaudy use of acting, they pick up the thought, which goes hand in hand with the words. "To withdraw / with you: why do you go about to recover the wind / of me, as if you would drive me into a toil?" (III. ii. 375-377) are Hamlet's thoughts on Guildenstern's actions. Hamlet feels as though he was being blown into a trap set by his friend Guildenstern. Hamlet confronted his friend because he knew of his conniving actions. Feeling guilty of his actions, Claudius scolds himself "Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens / To wash it white as snow?" (III. ii. 49-50). The rain and the snow are pure elements that come form the heavens to purify Claudius of his sins that he has committed. The sins Claudius has committed are so big that he doesn't think there is any way he can be forgiven by God. The Queen asks Hamlet "That roars so loud and thunders in the index?" (III. iv. 62), to understand why he killed Polonius. The roaring thunder represents the violence that was so random in killing Polonius. It was so sudden that the Queen can not find reasoning for it. The Queen's inquiries in Hamlet's behavior "Mad as the sea and wind when both contend / Which is the mightier." (IV. i. 7-8). When the sea and the wind battle is there a victor, or does it only create huge wave

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2200
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English