Interpreting Diction And Imagery In Shakespeare's Hamlet

Manic means to be affected by violent madness. When one is affected by mania it becomes the dictator of his or her actions. In the timeless story of Hamlet the main character, the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet, is constantly facing inner conflict. After his deceased father tells him of a deplorable crime he starts to become manic and wants to acquire revenge. The crime told by the Ghost, Hamlet’s father, creates contempt in Hamlet for both Claudius, the current king, and the Queen, Hamlet’s mother. The use of meaningful diction and imagery in the Ghost’s speech to Hamlet helps the reader gain an enhanced understanding of how Hamlet and the Ghost feel towards the Queen and Claudius; this use of language helps align the reader with Hamlet and the Ghost in their contempt for Claudius and the Queen.

Hamlet meets the Ghost of

his dead father and this is the key moment that starts all the conflict present in the novel Hamlet. The content of their conversation is what results in Hamlet’s hatred towards Claudius. Shakespeare has the Ghost use strong negative diction when describing Claudius’ heinous crime. The Ghost states, “Rankly abus’d’ but know, thou noble youth…” and he shares with Hamlet about his “forged process of death”. The use of the word “rankly” helps to portray that his death was a malicious sin done by another. When describing who had carried out the deed the Ghost explains it was a “incestuous, adulterate beast” who is a “serpent” wearing his crown. The use of the words “incestuous”, “adulterate” and “serpent” serve the purpose of giving Claudius a negative name. This harsh description fits Claudius because he is sleeping with Hamlet’s mother, and Claudius is the Ghost’s brother. Hamlet makes the connection and responds with “O my prophetic soul! My uncle?” Hamlet using the word “prophetic” helps to describe his moment of insight. He had been picking up clues intuitively about his uncle but this new development of information help him to realize the actual truth. The truth the Ghost tells to Hamlet encourages his hatred and contempt toward the King. Claudius is incestuous and adulterate because of his inappropriate relationship with the Queen, Hamlet’s mother. The Ghost wants no vengeance towards the Queen, he believes that she has made a mistake and will pay later on. Hamlet has contempt towards the Queen because she sleeps with the “serpent” or Claudius. He understands the relationship is an inappropriate one. The Ghost states “The will of my most seeming virtuous queen. O Hamlet, what a falling-off was there” the Ghost does not have anger towards the Queen but more disappointment. The Ghost uses the word “virtuous” to describe how he thought his Queen was, and that she seemed not to be because she started sleeping with the enemy.
In the passage the use of imagery helps to give Hamlet realization of Claudius and his mother’s actions.

The Ghost explains how he was killed to Hamlet, and how his death was a forged process or murder. He states, “A serpent stung me, so the whole ear of Denmark”, this was how the murder was done. The Ghost also states, “That swift as quicksilver it courses through/The natural gates and alleys of the body”. Both these quotes provide the image of the serpent pouring poison into the ear of the Ghost while he was still alive. The Ghost then adds, “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/Now wears his crown.” This is the moment that Hamlet makes the discovery that the killer was the current king, Claudius, his uncle. The Ghost and Hamlet start to discuss the Queen and how she was not virtuous after the Ghost’s death. The Ghost states, “Will sate itself in a celestial bed/And prey on garbage” this is providing imagery that the Queen will gratify her appetite to the point of disgust in a heavenly form or angelic bed, and prey on garbage. This is how the Ghost chooses to describe the incestuous relationship between Claudius and the Queen to

Hamlet.
Diction and imagery used in Hamlet help to align the reader with Hamlet and the Ghost in their contempt for Claudius and the Queen. The diction helps to provoke feelings in both Hamlet and the Ghost, such as the forceful, deleterious words said by the Ghost provoking negative feelings in Hamlet. The imagery provides a clear picture of the sins that were committed, and gives the reader a way to understand Hamlet and the Ghost’s contempt or hatred toward the Queen and Claudius. Shakespeare uses these types of language to convey messages and to help align the readers with the characters’ feelings of contempt toward other charact