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Pen or Sword

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Submitted By aalbarracin66
Words 513
Pages 3
Ashley Albarracin
Professor Wess
5th, March 2013
The Pen or the Sword? “The Pen is mightier than the Sword.” is an expression that is often heard today. It expresses that you can solve problems better and more effectively through communication with words than by violence. Words get a lot more done in a professional aspect. And Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, happens to agree judging by what he tells her. Through explication it comes to light that Laertes knows just how powerful words can truly be. Laertes and Ophelia met to discuss her current romantic situation with Hamlet. He tries to warn her that Hamlet might not be the man for her. It is just after his warning that he utters a line, “He may not, as unvalued people do, carve for himself, for on his choice depends the safety and health of this whole state…” (Shakespeare: Lines 19-21, Act 1: Scene 3). Laertes has alluded to powers of a true king with one line, but more specifically with the triple entendre of “carve”. “He may not, as unvalued people do…” already shows Laertes’ thoughts about Hamlet. He is royalty, and thus is considered a valuable person. “…Carve for himself…” has multiple meanings. Carve, as a verb, can mean to cleave or hollow out. To carve another person, though brutal, is a mean of killing them. Something which a king can do with an utterance. “Carve for himself” also alludes to Hamlet’s royalty. Carve’s other meaning is to cut or slice. When kings’ eat, it is ordered that someone carves their meat for them. Once again, the power of words is shown. Further analysis of this line will lead to the question of if the Pen is truly mightier than the Sword. Shakespeare succeeds in contradicting himself in his writing of Hamlet. Shakespeare creates the character of Hamlet with a problem to commitment. The whole play is based off of action, and knowing when to talk and when to attack which is something Hamlet cannot do. At the same time, Shakespeare is also promoting the power of words with examples like Laertes’ quote and the order to the King of England for Hamlet’s death in later acts. Shakespeare also is a master of wording. Laertes’ quote about Hamlet contained a triple entendre with the word “Carve”. He went from one end of the spectrum with the death aspect to another with as simple a task as eating. Shakespeare flowered up the words “royalty” and “king” with terms like “unvalued people” and for king “For on his choice depends the safety and health of this whole state.”
In conclusion we can safely assume that words play the more powerful role. With words you can effortlessly kill and even reduce the amount of work it takes to eat food. You hold the fate of an entire state by just a title. Words create lovely sentences and are a great example of a healthy mind. Sure Hamlet spoke more than he acted, it was just unknown to him how much power are behind his every word.

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