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Literary Devices Used in Hamlet Act 1
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Literary-Devices-Used-in-Hamlet-Act-1
Characters
Hamlet
Traits
Loyal to father, clever (show ofmadness), somewhat rash, curious,obsessive
Motivation
To avenge his father's murder (by Claudius)
Actions
Hamlet, as of Act II has put on a show ofmadness in order to confuse the people aroundhim and discover a way to avenge his father
Claudius
Traits
Clever (almost got away withmurder), jealous, impulsive
Motivation
Power, wealth, and lust
Actions
Claudius has killed his own brother and marriedhis brother's wife in order to become King. By ActII he is still working at retaining this power
Polonius
Traits
Very rash, nosey, untrusting, eager
Motivation
Selfpreservation, honor, power
Actions
Polonius goes to great extents to protect his honorby forbidding his daughter to see Hamlet andspying on his son
Ophelia
Traits
Innocent (orunexperiencedaccording to her father),obedient, puppet
Motivation
To be a good daughter and please her father
Actions
Ophelia has cut off communication withHamlet after her dad commanded her to doso
Literary Devices
Act I
"A little ere the mightiestJulius fell"
Horatio (I i 126)
Allusion
Horatio discusses the appearance of the ghost andrealizes that all is not well in Denmark while makingreferences to Julius who was betrayed andmurdered
"With mirth in funeraland with dirge inmarriage"
Claudius (I ii12)
Oxymoron
The new king expresses how this is a time ofsadness with his brother's death and a time ofhappiness with his marriage to the Queen.
"So excellent a king, thatwas, to this/ Hyperion to asatyr"
Hamlet (I ii 141142)
Allusion and Hyperbole
Hamlet expresses his anger towards hismother for marrying so soon after his father'sdeath and compares his uncle (satyr) to hisfather (Hyperion)
"My father's spirit in arms! All is not well./I doubt some foul play."
Hamlet (I ii 272 273)
Foreshadow
Hamlet learns about his father's ghost andsuspects that something is wrong and even thatfoul play may be involved.
"And with a sudden vigour doth posset/ And curd,like eager droppings into milk,/ The thin andwholesome blood. So did it mine"
Ghost (I v 73 75)
Imagery
The ghost describes vividly of how hewas poisoned and the effects of thispoison
Act II
"Your bait of falsehood takesthis carp of truth"
Polonius (II i68)
Oxymoron
Polonius tells Reynaldo that by lyinghe shall discover the truth whenspying on Laertes
"And with a look so piteous in purport/ As if hehad been loosed out of hell"
Ophelia (II i 90 91)
Hyperbole/ simile
Ophelia tells her father aboutHamlet's strange behaviour
"[Pointing to his head and shoulder.]
Take thisfrom this, if this be otherwise."
Polonius (II ii 167168)
Situational Irony
Polonius is so convinced that Hamlet's madness is causedbeing shunned by Ophelia that he gives the King permissionto kill him if he is wrong. We the audience know the theory tobe wrong.
"Denmark's a prison"
Hamlet (II ii 258)
Metaphor
Hamlet tells his university friends that they havebeen sent to a prison (due to his owncircumstances, Hamlet feels this way)
"Wherein I'll catch theconscience of the King."
Personification
Hamlet means to get the King to confess to hiscrimes by putting on a play that mirrors hishorrible deeds.
