In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the playwright tells the fictional story of a tragic hero who is called upon by his father’s ghost to avenge his death. By using a variety of literary and rhetorical devices and displaying a pessimistic attitude towards his situation, Hamlet is able to effectively convey his thoughts and emotions to his audience.
Hamlet’s use of antithesis, metaphors, and negative language throughout his soliloquy, allows him to send the message to his audience that he is deeply troubled by his thoughts. Using antithesis allows Hamlet to portray the difficulty he is facing going back and forth between life and death. He starts of his speech by asking the famous question “To be, or not to be,” to live or to die (Shakespeare 97). …show more content…
Hamlet purposefully uses the language and devices the way he does to communicate his thoughts and feelings to his audience so he can effectively elaborate the complexity of his dilemma. When he discusses his theory of death, he comes to the realization that in the “sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause” (Shakespeare 97). He is basically saying that when people contemplate death, is not the act of leaving the earth that makes them hesitant to act upon their emotions, but the transition to the afterlife. It is the unknown mysteries of the afterlife that make people afraid. He also uses this idea to connect to his audience. He uses the common fear of the unknown that all humans share in order to relate to his audience and make them understand his point of view. Hamlet refers to the afterlife as “the undiscovere’d country, from whose bourn no traveler returns” and “makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of” (Shakespeare 97). In this statement, Hamlet reveals the universal truth as to why people stick around to bear the pain and suffering that they go through when they could just end it all. It is because they fear the unknown. They fear that the grass may not be greener on the other side. People would rather suffer what they know and are used to in life than …show more content…
His feelings and thoughts are clearly portrayed through his use of antithesis, metaphors, and careful word choice. Hamlets method of delivering this speech allows him to unlock the truth about the fear of the unknown and coward that results from over
Hamlet’s use of antithesis, metaphors, and negative language throughout his soliloquy, allows him to send the message to his audience that he is deeply troubled by his thoughts. Using antithesis allows Hamlet to portray the difficulty he is facing going back and forth between life and death. He starts of his speech by asking the famous question “To be, or not to be,” to live or to die (Shakespeare 97). …show more content…
Hamlet purposefully uses the language and devices the way he does to communicate his thoughts and feelings to his audience so he can effectively elaborate the complexity of his dilemma. When he discusses his theory of death, he comes to the realization that in the “sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause” (Shakespeare 97). He is basically saying that when people contemplate death, is not the act of leaving the earth that makes them hesitant to act upon their emotions, but the transition to the afterlife. It is the unknown mysteries of the afterlife that make people afraid. He also uses this idea to connect to his audience. He uses the common fear of the unknown that all humans share in order to relate to his audience and make them understand his point of view. Hamlet refers to the afterlife as “the undiscovere’d country, from whose bourn no traveler returns” and “makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of” (Shakespeare 97). In this statement, Hamlet reveals the universal truth as to why people stick around to bear the pain and suffering that they go through when they could just end it all. It is because they fear the unknown. They fear that the grass may not be greener on the other side. People would rather suffer what they know and are used to in life than …show more content…
His feelings and thoughts are clearly portrayed through his use of antithesis, metaphors, and careful word choice. Hamlets method of delivering this speech allows him to unlock the truth about the fear of the unknown and coward that results from over