Essay on Language and Imagery in The Tragedy of Hamlet

Hamlet: Language and Imagery Horatio tells Hamlet that he speaks ‘wild and whirling words’, but with Shakespeare, this can never truly be the case. Even phrases that appear so have always a complex meter behind them and, in Hamlet especially, it seems that every word is chosen individually to serve a particular purpose. Despite being almost four hundred years old, Shakespeare is considered the landmark in English literature as the dawning of the modern age of drama. Previously, drama such as the medieval morality plays was used to demonstrate moral stances, but Shakespeare focused on investigating the individual in society. The rise of eponymous drama illustrates the sudden power of the person in literature. This†¦show more content†¦However, despite these various ‘great’ aspects of his work, Shakespeare’s plays show an originality in the use of the English language to produce images, metaphors and ideas, unseen in previous work and it could be said, yet to be transcende d by another playwright. In Hamlet, there is a variety of imagery used up to Act 2:2 to describe, insult or enhance themes that run throughout the play. One of the clearest these is that of the body politic of Denmark and the consequent imagery of Denmark as a body itself. The implication of this image is that a problem in one area of the body, however minor, will affect other areas, with some areas more important than others. The whole Kingdom then mourns and is ‘contracted in one brow of woe’ when Old Hamlet dies, and ‘the whole ear of Denmark’ is conversely ‘abus’d’ by a false account of the former King’s murder (the image is used both by Claudius and the Ghost of Old Hamlet about the same occurrence). Laertes also comments on the importance of Hamlet’s position: his choice of bride is more important than that of others as it will have implications for ‘that body/ whereof he is the head.’ Another image used throughout the play is that of acting and playing. The play within the play is used as a means to condemn Claudius as the perpetrator of Old Hamlet’s murder. However, even before that, there are references to acting, seeming and appearances. The firstShow MoreRelatedDescriptive Language In Hamlet726 Words   |  3 PagesThe use of descriptive language is important for the writer to entertain, persuade and teleport the reader into their work. Descriptive use and imagery allow the reader to experience the setting, sound, taste, and mood as if they can live through it. Which takes us to Shakespeares play Hamlet. 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