Imagery in Hamlet
Imagery is a very strong literary device that can be used to expose many different important aspects of the book, play or even a novel. It also helps the reader or the audience, in case of a play, to get an image of what is going on and to give them a better understanding and more insight. In Shakespeare's remarkable play, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare uses imagery to portray death through poison and guilt. Shakespeare uses many devices in his play to depict many different themes of the book, but he uses imagery to describe death through poison in the play. He uses two important parts from the beginning of the play to the middle, to show imagery; this imagery uses poison to describe death. One of the examples is from act one, scene five, when the king is talking to his son, Hamlet who is also the Prince of Denmark. The King is trying to explain to Hamlet that he did not die the way the country thinks he did, but in a different way. The King says, "A serpent stung me, so the whole ear of Denmark, / Is by a forged process of my death."(Act 1, Scene 5, Line 41-42) What the king is saying is that the serpent, being looked upon as a snake, is not the one who stung him, but is a person who is treacherous. He
He uses the repetition of poison and guilt, throughout the play, because repetition makes something of more value. It gives the reader an idea of how the poison went through his body. This imagery shines through when Hamlet's father's spirit is talking to Hamlet, early in the play. In other words, there's no way he can repent for his sin. He says that the poison has such a great affect and goes through the body like quicksand, but very smoothly. In this quote, Claudius is asking God for forgiveness. This quote is the most crucial out of all because the guilty one himself, confesses to the murder while asking for forgiveness. Act one, scene five, has yet another example of imagery. "The leperous distilment, whose effectHolds such an enmity with blood of manThat swift as quicksilver it courses throughThe natural; gates and alleys of the body,And with a sudden vigour of doth possetAnd curd like eager droppings into milk,The thin and wholesome blood. This takes place when the Ghost appears again, in front of Hamlet, and tells Hamlet the effect of the poison, which caused him to die. To move on, another example of this is when King Claudius, is praying to god. As you know, in Hamlet, there are many different characters that are guilty of something, from spying to murder, and Shakespeare showcases it through very effective imagery. He says, " The serpent that did sting thy father' life, now wears his crown. Claudius soon realizes that he has committed a terrible sin; this sin is undoubtedly the biggest sin committed in the play.
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