...In the passage given from the play “Hamlet”, the use of language, particularly diction and imagery are used to help the reader align the feelings of contempt that Hamlet and the Ghost have towards Claudius. “Serpent” is a word used in the phrases “Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me…” and “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown.” This is an example of diction because it is an implied metaphor comparing a serpent to a killer; the word serpent is also used in comparison of Adam and Eve. A serpent stung Adam and Eve while taking away the crown that they served by being the first of humanity. Shakespeare uses the words incestuous, adulterate beast and compares Queen Gertrude’s actions to witchcraft....
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...The Characterization of Hamlet William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an emotional play, filled with such dark attributes as revenge and evil. In Act I Scene II, Hamlet, the protagonist of the play, makes his first appearance and also, right after an exchange with his mother Gertrude and his uncle Claudius, delivers his first soliloquy which reveals his inner thoughts to the audience. This is where the tension begins to build up; Hamlet expresses his anger and frustration he feels towards his father’s death and the hasty marriage between his mother and his uncle. This introduces Hamlet’s outlook on and attitude towards this series of events, thus establishing a foundation for the course of his future actions. Through the content of the soliloquy, as well as through the use of diction and figurative language, Shakespeare brings out the characterization of Hamlet, establishes the very essence of the play and foreshadows its course by exposing the genuine yet dark thoughts of the protagonist to the audience. As it is Hamlet’s first soliloquy, and thus the audience’s first contact with his feelings, Hamlet exposes little other than his attitude towards this affair; nothing is really revealed about his intentions. It is made clear that Hamlet desires to die, but dares not commit suicide because God forbids it. The audience is then introduced to Hamlet’s reverence for his father and his distaste for his uncle, then his increasing mistrust of women, and finally his vexation at the incestuous...
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...Struggle with Life and Death In Act III, scene I of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the thematic imagery, along with the symbolic use of syntax and diction that Shakespeare uses helps convey Hamlet’s state of mind as troubled and as having a painful view to life which, overall, is subtly expressed with weakness as he talked about death. Death is a major theme in Hamlet and through Shakespeare’s astonishing words in his “To be, or not to be,” soliloquy; it is obvious that Hamlet is conveyed as a troubled character. He is unsure about death. “To be, or not to be, that is the question:” (line 1), proves that Hamlet is troubled because the use of a colon is a sign that he is not only answering his own question, but he is expressing opposing views about life thus leaving him with an unsure decision about suicide. He answered himself by saying: “Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune;” (Lines 2-3.) This imagery shows that Hamlet questions the honor of death, and since he is open to death he does not realize whether it would be honorable to go through the act of committing suicide or if it would be considered a sin. This makes him have a troubled state of mind because he has these two opposing views of death floating in the vastness of his thoughts. The first sentence of his soliloquy finishes with: “Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing, end them.” (Lines 4-5.) Hamlet still questions life and suicide, and the imagery...
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...A Glossary of Literary Devices Allegory A symbolic narrative in which the surface details imply a secondary meaning. Allegory often takes the form of a story in which the characters represent moral qualities. The most famous example in English is John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, in which the name of the central character, Pilgrim, epitomizes the book's allegorical nature. Kay Boyle's story "Astronomer's Wife" and Christina Rossetti's poem "Up-Hill" both contain allegorical elements. Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginning of words. Example: "Fetched fresh, as I suppose, off some sweet wood." Hopkins, "In the Valley of the Elwy." Antagonist A character or force against which another character struggles. Creon is Antigone's antagonist in Sophocles' play Antigone; Teiresias is the antagonist of Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. Assonance The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or prose, as in "I rose and told him of my woe." Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" contains assonantal "I's" in the following lines: "How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick, / Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself." Character An imaginary person that inhabits a literary work. Literary characters may be major or minor, static (unchanging) or dynamic (capable of change). In Shakespeare's Othello, Desdemona is a major character, but one who is static, like the minor character Bianca. Othello...
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...To Be, or Not To Be Shakespeare’s tragedy, The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, paints the life of a hesitant, rightfully crazy prince. In sorrow, Hamlet gives a soliloquy regarding life and its finish. Through the philosophical debate of Hamlet’s soliloquy, Shakespeare characterizes Hamlet’s internal struggle as an indecisive journey, filled with weariness of living. In the first half of the passage, Hamlet finds himself indecisive, unable to decide what he wants more: life or death. The soliloquy opens with Hamlet asking a simple question, “to be, or not to be” (Shakespeare 3.2.64). Society generally prefers life over death, and thus becomes the idea becomes rhetorical when in question. The question appears rhetorical to all but Hamlet,...
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...I've learned a lot this semester about my writing. More than that of last semester indefinitely. Between the Annotated Bibliography, argumentative essay, and this multi genre assignment there has been an immense amount of growth in style and process of my literary works. My style has grown in the sense of me knowing immediately how im going to word some sentences or the way i'm going to go about designing essays to get my point across as best I can. My diction and verb usage has also chaged since I started this class, the way I word sentences with these newly found tools has made my writing all the more interesting. In my essay, or to be more specific, my essay design I like to subdivide subjects within the prompt in one sentence. Once thats...
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...He thinks that his mother moved on with her husband’s death far too quickly. He thinks that anybody would have mourned over a death longer than his mother did. His father was only dead, “A little month, or ere those shoes were old/With which she followed my poor father’s body” (1.2.151-152). Hamlet compares his mother to Niobe. Niobe was a ruler of the city of Thebes. When she angered the gods, she lost all of her children. Her continued crying is what turned her to stone. Hamlet says that his mother was, “Like Niobe, all tears” (1.2.152-153). Hamlet believes that his mother was insincere when showing sorrow over her husband’s death. He believes that any tears that Gertrude shed at his father’s death were empty and had no feeling behind them. Hamlet believes that the only reason Gertrude married Claudius was to fulfill her own lust and her desire to stay on the throne as queen. Hamlet believes that once his father died, his mother was blinded by her newfound “love” of Claudius and lost the memory of her dead husband by marrying his brother. Hamlet’s mother’s lack of attention to him after the death of his father is what further spurred his slow decline in mental...
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...Formative Dropbox: Literature Essay Rewrite (2.5%) Unit 2 – 15% Activity 1 – Imagery and Symbolism Discussion: Symbols and Images - Formative Dropbox: Poetic Verbal-Visual Collage (5%) Activity 2 – Diction Dropbox: Event Poem/Reflection - Formative Activity 3 – Form Discussion: Forms - Formative Activity 4 – Sound and Sense Dropbox: Poetry Analysis – Formative (5%) Activity 5 – Theme and Understanding Discussion: Battle of the Critics - Formative Activity 6 – ISP Reflective Journal Dropbox: Reflective Journal - Formative Activity 7 – Culminating Activity Dropbox: Best Poem in the World (5%) Discussion: Best Poem - Formative Unit 3 – 25% Activity 1 – Culminating Assignment Essay Module Discussion: Integrated Quotations - Formative Discussion: Elaboration of Evidence - Formative Activity 2 – Worldviews and Interpretations Dropbox: “The Return” Response (Parts A, B, and C) - Formative Activity 3 – Text Attack Discussion: The 5 ‘W’’s - Formative Activity 4 – Dramatic Irony Dropbox: Incidents of Dramatic Irony – 2.5% Activity 5 – Target the Audience Discussion: Cultural/Political Passage - Formative Activity 6 – Allusions in Hamlet Dropbox: Allusion Chart – Formative Discussion: Posting Allusion Chart - Formative Activity 7 – Hamlet Act IV & Preparing to Write the Literary Essay Dropbox: Cause...
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...which are still considered to be the finest literature ever penned down by somebody. Your literary zealotry and fanaticism with the English language has forever changed and influenced it. But, Elizabethan English has been phased out and replaced by “modern” English, which is the lingua franca of the global world in the 21st century. You may have already gotten a sniff of that while reading my letter and my diction must have baffled you. Before this letter finds you turning in your grave, I’ll try to cover as much ground as I can about the changes in English and your influence on it. Languages are dynamic and evolving. The English language has been in constant transition throughout its history, but the most significant transformation can be accredited to Queen Elizabeth’s voracious appetite for colonizing nations, which sowed the seeds of English in the farthest reaches of the world, including America, India, Asia, Africa and Australia. This pushed English to the top of the ladder, emerging as the lingua franca of the global world. But, The English language and its diction, spellings and grammar have drastically changed since the 17th century. Words have changed meanings over time and these language evolutions have made English the way that it is today....
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...She ends her allusion to Shakespeare’s Hamlet with a description of Ophelia’s death: “dressed in elegant clothes that weigh her down, she drowns in a stream filled with flowers.” The river and elegant clothes serve as a metaphor for the stifling societal expectations of young women that sap them of their personality, drowning their old, adventurous selves. Furthermore, the juxtaposition of a flower-filled stream and elegant clothes with death shows the irony of society’s demands — hundreds of advertisements by multimillion dollar companies cater to teenage girls, each advocating for a separate type of individuality or creativity like wildflowers in an endless stream of suggestion, but they coalesce to prevent the growth of natural individuality and creativity. Furthermore, Pipher argues...
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...petulance and melancholic despair to illustrate the consequences of a lack of self-awareness and the painful process of enlightenment which follows. In addition, the breaking of the filial bond provides this necessary hardship for Lear which elicits both a feeling of pity for his state of affairs and retribution for the vanity which previously consumed him. However, these feelings eventually morph into a sense of resolution as Lear gains understanding of his past mistakes and displays an unwavering resolve as a result. Consequently, the stylistic devices in this climax serve to demonstrate both the hopelessness of Lear and the comfort which comes through a conformed conscious as the reader witnesses Lear’s complete metamorphosis. The use of diction conveys a feeling of agony delineated through intense imagery as Lear sustains severe torment, demonstrating a resolute resolve in response. Furthering the spiritual battle of the “tempest,” the...
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...|[pic] |Syllabus | | |College of Humanities | | |ENG/125 Version 3 | | |Literature in Society | Copyright © 2010, 2008, 2006 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course introduces themes in literature and provides guided study and practice in reflecting on themes which describe the human experience across cultural and societal boundaries. The course includes readings from literature in different genres and cultures. Students study the literature in thematic units and are asked to make connections to their own lives and cultures. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies...
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...History of English Literature Overview Anglo-Saxon Literature (500-1100) The Angles and Saxon conquered what is now called England in the 5th and 6th centuries. Christian missionaries taught the English to write. Northumbria soon produced Caedmon and Bede. Heroic poetry of a Christian kind is the chief legacy of Old English literature, notably Beowulf and the Elegies. A considerable prose literature grew up after King Alfred. Middle English Literature (1100-1500) Literature in England in this period was not just in English and Latin but in French as well and developed in directions set largely in France. Epic and Elegy gave way to romance and Lyric. English writing revived fully in English after 1360 and flowered in the reign of Richard II (1372-99). It gained a literary standard in London English after 1425 and developed modern forms of verse, prose and of Drama. The conquest of England in 1066 by William of Normandy displaced English as medium of literature. The language of new rulers was French. Saxons dealing with the King had to learn French and French was the language of court and the law for three centuries. Four genres of Middle English are: i. 1. Fabliau 2. Lyric 3. Dream Allegory 4. Ballad Geoffrey Chaucer Chaucer is the best story teller and the narrative poet. Chaucer tells his stories in a most effective way. He has the knack of transforming an old tale into a new one in such a manner that its appeal increases manifold and its human...
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...How The Count Found Solace “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine: I will repay, saith the Lord”. (Holy Bible, Romans 12:19) Alexandre Dumas uses his novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, to not only comment on French politics of the time, but to provoke thought about the role of God, especially his judgement and justice. Dumas demonstrates that while society’s justice is easily corrupted by men, the power and responsibility of true justice lies within a higher being Men must trust and honor the judgment of God, and consequently refraining from taking revenge on their fellow men. Alexandre Dumas’ life, which was filled with economic and political turmoil, greatly influenced his literary works, especially The Count of Monte Cristo. Dumas was born into a powerful and respected military family in 1802, in Soisson, France. His father was the first black French general, and served faithfully and dutifully under Napoleon Bonaparte. However, Dumas’ father died in 1806, leaving the young Dumas and his mother impoverished. Beginning in 1823, Dumas worked as a secretary for the Duke of Orleans in Paris. It was also at this time that, Dumas became obsessed with theater and started mixing with artistic and literary crowds. Much of his spare time was spent reading or watching plays, of which he focused on the works of William Shakespeare, who greatly influenced the aspiring writer. In 1829, Dumas wrote the play Henri...
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...The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark ASCII text placed in the public domain by Moby Lexical Tools, 1992. SGML markup by Jon Bosak, 1992-1994. XML version by Jon Bosak, 1996-1999. Simplified XML version by Max Froumentin, 2001. The XML markup in this version is Copyright © 1999 Jon Bosak. This work may freely be distributed on condition that it not be modified or altered in any way. Table of Contents Act 1 .................................... p. 5 Scene 1 .................................... p. 5 Scene 2 .................................... p. 11 Scene 3 .................................... p. 20 Scene 4 .................................... p. 24 Scene 5 .................................... p. 28 Act 2 .................................... p. 36 Scene 1 .................................... p. 36 Scene 2 .................................... p. 40 Act 3 .................................... p. 61 Scene 1 .................................... p. 61 Scene 2 .................................... p. 67 Scene 3 .................................... p. 81 Scene 4 .................................... p. 84 Act 4 .................................... p. 92 Scene 1 .................................... p. 92 Scene 2 .................................... p. 93 Scene 3 .................................... p. 95 Scene 4 .................................... p. 97 Scene 5 .................................... p. 100 Scene 6 .................................... p. 108 Scene 7 ......................
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