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Symbolism in


Throughout this Act II soliloquy, audiences become further aware of the tragic flaw in our hero. "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!" We see Hamlet openly attack himself and the tone of the language is forcefully resentful. As Hamlet further denounces himself, his self loathing becomes additionally emphasised and exaggerated by the language he uses. The pain felt by Hamlet as he himself uncovers his tragic flaw is again presented to the audience as he conjures images of emotionally driven actors, spurred forward by their passionate imaginations. The language evokes a sense of motive and drive within Hamlet, and then draws the audience back to his inability to act. As the language describes the awkward nature of Hamlet's powerlessness, it becomes quite uncoordinated, with the use of alliteration to again emphasise the point; "Muddy-mettled" and "damned defeat." Momentary rhyme within the soliloquy removes the audience from this sense of clumsiness, and gives back its strength and force. However, it is Hamlets description of the situation in which he now finds himself that realigns audiences that may have strayed from the side of our tragic hero. "I must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words." Here, the pain of the melancholy prince strikes us deep. A great prince, unable to take action, must rely on a troupe of traveling players to hurtle him toward avenging his fathers murder. At this point, the language that Shakespeare employs evokes an enormous sense of poetry and symbolism within the play, and forces audiences to consider not only the poetic and symbolic nature of the play itself, but also that of the characters within it.
             However, imagery, themes and motifs employed by the playwright must also be considered when studying poetry, symbolism and the poetic and symbolic nature of Hamlet. It is here, as many will agree, that a great deal of the plays strength is found. Shakespeare evokes many sensations for audiences through the images he adopts.


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