Act 1 Scene 5 opens with the ghost exposing to Hamlet, the protagonist that he is his father and asks him to avenge his most foul, strange and unnatural murder. He reveals to Hamlet that Claudius, his brother seduced his queen, an act of incest to him and then killed him by pouring the poison Habenon in his ear, while he lay sleeping in his orchard.
The orchard, which is a microcosm of the Garden of Eden, is symbolic of the story of Adam and Eve, where, the malicious snake, (Claudius) manages to influence Eve, (Gertrude) and kills Adam (Old Hamlet), which builds up tension in the atmosphere.
In this Scene, Shakespeare uses literary devices to build up tension. Themes such as appearance in reality, death, corruption, religion and power etc. play a huge role in this play.
In Old Hamlets speech, Shakespeare presents the importance of life, of crown, of queen to Old Hamlet. The use of syntax conveys that Old Hamlet finds his life and crown more significant to him than his queen. Natural imagery is explored when describing Old Hamlets blossom of [his] sins. This can be interpreted that his sins are not imperative, compared to the damnd incest, which goes against the bibles. Additionally plosive sound is portrayed, as damnd incest as a hissing, snake-like, harsh sound to it.
The life of Old Hamlet in the present is described as horrible, oh horrible, most horrible. This is significant of the incest, the murder, considering that he is the king and the king was always believed to be chosen by god himself or possibly the fact that he is in purgatory as he left unhouseled, disappointed [and] unaneled.
Appearance of reality is explored as a theme when Gertrudes incestuous sin is being discussed. Natural imagery is used again when Shakespeare, through Old Hamlets character decides to leave [Gertrude] to heaven and to those thorns that [lodged] in her bosom to prick and sting her. This conveys Shakespeares misogynistic view on women and that every beautiful has its thorns.
The relationship between the protagonist and the character Old Hamlet can be described as close, as in Old Hamlets particular speech, it is illustrated that he worries about his son and does not want him to taint [his] mind.
The technique of repetition can be seen when the character Old Hamlet, bids the protagonist, Hamlet a long goodbye. The repetition of adieu emphasises his reluctant-ness in leaving his son. An alternative reading of this quote is representative of how Old Hamlet never got to say goodbye to his son, before dying, henceforth saying it repetitively.
Shakespeare presents Hamlet as a desperate, shocked and agitated character in his speech in this scene. The use of constant punctuation indicates his vulnerability of being panic stricken. The audiences thoughts and doubts are being demonstrated through Hamlet as he asks questions, however left unanswered as Old Hamlet leaves, thus leaving the audience wondering. The protagonist doubts the ghost of his father initially and breaks out into a soliloquy, uncertain of the ghost and cries out o all you host of heaven! O earth! What else? And shall I couple hell? He is indecisive and wondering if he should trust something that might be a devil in disguise. Rhetorical question is used in the soliloquy of the protagonist. The fact that he used thee, which is an affectionate term in the quote Remember thee indicates the affection he has for his father and by saying it as a rhetorical question suggests that the protagonist is in disbelief that the ghost said that and thinks to himself how he can not remember him, if the ghost is his father.
The motif of misogyny is an important inhibiting factor that runs throughout the play. He takes his disgust and anger out on Ophelia later on in the play and urges her to go to a nunnery suggests that he is a misogynist as he uses his mother as a model for all women.
A break in the Iamic Pentamenter is illustrated in the quote o most pernicious woman!. The protagonist is disgusted with the act of incest that he cursed the smiling damnd villain, possibly Claudius and wrote it down in [his] tables. Appearance in reality is again explored in the quote that Shakespeare portrayed through the protagonist that one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; conveys that he believes that things are always not what they seem. Additionally, the quote at least Im sure it may be so in Denmark indicates how corrupted Denmark is.
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