Hamlet 9 Essay, Research Paper

Within the play Hamlet there exists many puns and phrases, which have a

double meaning. Little ploys on words which tend to add a bit of

entertainment to the dialogue of the play. These forked tongue phrases are

used by Shakespeare to cast an insight to the characters in the play to give

them more depth and substance. However, most importantly these phrases cause

the reader or audience to think. They are able to show a double meaning that

not all people would pick up on, which is the purpose of the comments.

Little is known about Shakespeare’s life, other than he was a great

playwright whose works serve to meld literary casts for ages to come. This

was his occupation, he wrote and directed plays to be performed. This was his

sole form of income that we know of, it was his way of putting the bread on

the table. If people did not like what Shakespeare wrote, then he would not

earn any money. If the people didn’t like what they saw, he became the

starving artist. Shakespeare wrote these dialogues in such a manner as to

entertain both the Nobility, as well as the peasants.

The Shakespearean theater is a physical manifestation of how Shakespeare

catered to more than one social class in his theatrical productions. These

Shakespearean theaters have a unique construction, which had specific seats

for the wealthy, and likewise, a designated separate standing section for the

peasants. This definite separation of the classes is also evident in

Shakespeare’s writing, in as such that the nobility of the productions speak

in poetic iambic pentameter, where as the peasants speak in ordinary prose.

Perhaps Shakespeare incorporated these double meanings to the lines of his

characters with the intent that only a select amount of his audience were

meant to hear it in either its double meaning, or its true meaning.

However, even when the tragic hero Hamlet’s wordplay is intentional.

it is not always clear as to what purpose he uses it. To confuse or to

clarify? Or to control his own uncensored thoughts? The energy and turmoil of

his mind brings words thronging into speech, stretching, over-turning and

contorting their implications. Sometimes Hamlet has to struggle to use the

simplest words repeatedly, as he tries to force meaning to flow in a single

channel. To Ophelia, after he has encountered her in her loneliness, “reading

on a book,” he repeats five times “Get thee to a nunnery,” varying the phrase

very little, simply reiterating what was already said by changing “get” to

“go.” This well known quote, to this day cannot be deciphered in its

entirety, for nunnery is a place where nuns live, yet it is also a brothel.

Hamlet seems to knowingly cast a shade of confusion into the minds of the

audience or is it in fact clarity within confusion. That is, the audience is

able to better understand the thoughts and inner struggle of Hamlet via these

conflicting terms.

After Hamlet has visited his mother “all alone” in her closet and killed

Polonius, after she has begged him to “speak no more”, and after his father’s

ghost has reappeared, Hamlet repeats “Good night” five times, with still

fewer changes in the phrase than “Get thee to a nunnery” and those among

accompanying words only. So Hamlet seems to be struggling to contain his

thoughts even by use of these simple words, rather than enforcing a single

and simple message as a first reading of the text might suggest; and the

words come to bear deeper, more ironic or more blatant meanings. It is from

these phrases, which even manage to confuse the complex mind of Hamlet that

we begin to get a glimpse into the intentions of Hamlets mind, and seeing

just exactly the way he ticks.

Much of the dramatic action of this tragedy is within the head of

Hamlet, and wordplay represents the amazing, contradictory, unsettled,

mocking nature of that mind, as it is torn by disappointment and positive

love, as Hamlet seeks both acceptance and punishment, action and stillness,

and wishes for consummation and annihilation within a world he perceives to

be against him. He can be abruptly silent or vicious; he is capable of wild

laughter and tears, and also playing polite and sane. The narrative is a kind

of mystery and chase, so that, underneath the various guises of his wordplay,

we are made keenly aware of his inner dissatisfaction, and come to expect

some resolution at the end of the tragedy, some unambiguous “giving out”

which will report Hamlet and his cause aright to the unsatisfied among the

reader. Hamlet himself is aware of this expectation as the end approaches,

and this still further whets our anticipation for what is to become.

A commonly recurring theme throughout the play is that of honesty. It is

introduced in the beginning of the play and as the play continues, its use

becomes more and more common, as well as more and more ironic. This theme

within the play itself is ironic, for as Marcellus said “Something is rotten

in the state of Denmark” and this corruption we see so exhibited in the play

is far from honest. When Hamlet applies the word honest to the main

characters of the play, his use of becomes undeniably ironic, and much of the

dark humor of the play derives from Hamlet’s wordplay. Polonius marks that

though Hamlet’s insults seem to make no sense, “yet there is method in ‘t.”

In Act II, it is Polonius that is the first target of Hamlet’s irony of the

use of honest. Hamlet calls him first a “fishmonger” which it has many

meanings, including the implication that Ophelia is a whore and Polonius is

her pimp. And of course, Polonius has employed his daughter in his plot to

discover the depth of Hamlet’s “madness.” When Polonius says he is not a

fishmonger, Hamlet replies “Then I would you were so honest a man.” In other

words, he wishes Polonius was as honest as a simple fish seller, or even more

insulting, as honest as the pimp Hamlet insinuated he was.

In this scene, Hamlet also uses this ironic meaning of honesty against

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern when he tells them “…I will not sort you with

the rest of my servants, for, to speak to you like an honest man, I am most

dreadfully attended.” He seems to mean that he cannot speak to them with

honesty, because they themselves are dishonest in their intents.

Honesty resonates as a theme in Hamlet because nothing is, as it seems

in Denmark. The King deceives the world and pretends a legitimacy he does not

have; Hamlet deceives the court by feigning madness; Polonius, Rosencrantz

and Guildenstern all try to deceive Hamlet into revealing why he is

distraught, and no one knows what is truth and what is a lie. The world has

not grown honest, as Rosencrantz claims, but dishonest, and no one who lives

in it can keep his honesty pure from the corrupting air. Hamlet seems to be

the character that uses the majority of such puns and phrases in the play.

These phrases, which have double meaning, could represent the inner turmoil,

which seems to be tearing Hamlet apart. By seeing a definite double meaning

to many phrases in the play, we are able to easily see that all is not as it

should be. Hamlet’s personality is thrown into chaos. He is in mourning the

death of his father, and then his mother marries his uncle. He is enraged at

her, and on top of all of this he sees the ghost of his father commanding him

to avenge his wrongful murder. Yet, amongst all this turmoil, I believe that

Hamlet was only playing the part of being crazy. He speaks in riddles and

plays on words in order to create a certain suspicion about his sanity. This

abnormal activity gives him the ability to sneak a few insults by without

having to directly confront his enemies. It seems to be quite a bit worse if

the person who was insulted isn’t exactly sure whether or not they were just

insulted. Hamlet is able to interject these insults without even the other

character noticing, which is the art of insult

it is this unpredictability of action, this sporadic bouts of insanity and

sanity, the inner turmoil brewing within Hamlet, which keeps the audience’s

interest. Nobody is really sure whether or not Hamlet was insane. Many have

theories and beliefs, but Shakespeare never came out and said he definitely

is or definitely is not sane, he only hints. There are valid arguments on

either side, for Hamlet Himself said “I am mad but north-northwest”; that is

he is only mad about one thing in particular.

The wordplay in Hamlet is a representation of the complexity of the

minds of the characters that Shakespeare created. It is a depiction of the

inner turmoil within a character struggling with sanity. However, more

importantly it is necessary to keep in mind that Shakespeare was a playwright

and that the play on words did one thing in particular, which is why

Shakespeare lived to write so many plays, Hamlet, because of its wording is

entertaining and that made all the difference.

Within the play Hamlet there exists many puns and phrases, which have a

double meaning. Little ploys on words which tend to add a bit of

entertainment to the dialogue of the play. These forked tongue phrases are

used by Shakespeare to cast an insight to the characters in the play to give

them more depth and substance. However, most importantly these phrases cause

the reader or audience to think. They are able to show a double meaning that

not all people would pick up on, which is the purpose of the comments.

Little is known about Shakespeare’s life, other than he was a great

playwright whose works serve to meld literary casts for ages to come. This

was his occupation, he wrote and directed plays to be performed. This was his

sole form of income that we know of, it was his way of putting the bread on

the table. If people did not like what Shakespeare wrote, then he would not

earn any money. If the people didn’t like what they saw, he became the

starving artist. Shakespeare wrote these dialogues in such a manner as to

entertain both the Nobility, as well as the peasants.

The Shakespearean theater is a physical manifestation of how Shakespeare

catered to more than one social class in his theatrical productions. These

Shakespearean theaters have a unique construction, which had specific seats

for the wealthy, and likewise, a designated separate standing section for the

peasants. This definite separation of the classes is also evident in

Shakespeare’s writing, in as such that the nobility of the productions speak

in poetic iambic pentameter, where as the peasants speak in ordinary prose.

Perhaps Shakespeare incorporated these double meanings to the lines of his

characters with the intent that only a select amount of his audience were

meant to hear it in either its double meaning, or its true meaning.

However, even when the tragic hero Hamlet’s wordplay is intentional.

it is not always clear as to what purpose he uses it. To confuse or to

clarify? Or to control his own uncensored thoughts? The energy and turmoil of

his mind brings words thronging into speech, stretching, over-turning and

contorting their implications. Sometimes Hamlet has to struggle to use the

simplest words repeatedly, as he tries to force meaning to flow in a single

channel. To Ophelia, after he has encountered her in her loneliness, “reading

on a book,” he repeats five times “Get thee to a nunnery,” varying the phrase

very little, simply reiterating what was already said by changing “get” to

“go.” This well known quote, to this day cannot be deciphered in its

entirety, for nunnery is a place where nuns live, yet it is also a brothel.

Hamlet seems to knowingly cast a shade of confusion into the minds of the

audience or is it in fact clarity within confusion. That is, the audience is

able to better understand the thoughts and inner struggle of Hamlet via these

conflicting terms.

After Hamlet has visited his mother “all alone” in her closet and killed

Polonius, after she has begged him to “speak no more”, and after his father’s

ghost has reappeared, Hamlet repeats “Good night” five times, with still

fewer changes in the phrase than “Get thee to a nunnery” and those among

accompanying words only. So Hamlet seems to be struggling to contain his

thoughts even by use of these simple words, rather than enforcing a single

and simple message as a first reading of the text might suggest; and the

words come to bear deeper, more ironic or more blatant meanings. It is from

these phrases, which even manage to confuse the complex mind of Hamlet that

we begin to get a glimpse into the intentions of Hamlets mind, and seeing

just exactly the way he ticks.

Much of the dramatic action of this tragedy is within the head of

Hamlet, and wordplay represents the amazing, contradictory, unsettled,

mocking nature of that mind, as it is torn by disappointment and positive

love, as Hamlet seeks both acceptance and punishment, action and stillness,

and wishes for consummation and annihilation within a world he perceives to

be against him. He can be abruptly silent or vicious; he is capable of wild

laughter and tears, and also playing polite and sane. The narrative is a kind

of mystery and chase, so that, underneath the various guises of his wordplay,

we are made keenly aware of his inner dissatisfaction, and come to expect

some resolution at the end of the tragedy, some unambiguous “giving out”

which will report Hamlet and his cause aright to the unsatisfied among the

reader. Hamlet himself is aware of this expectation as the end approaches,

and this still further whets our anticipation for what is to become.

A commonly recurring theme throughout the play is that of honesty. It is

introduced in the beginning of the play and as the play continues, its use

becomes more and more common, as well as more and more ironic. This theme

within the play itself is ironic, for as Marcellus said “Something is rotten

in the state of Denmark” and this corruption we see so exhibited in the play

is far from honest. When Hamlet applies the word honest to the main

characters of the play, his use of becomes undeniably ironic, and much of the

dark humor of the play derives from Hamlet’s wordplay. Polonius marks that

though Hamlet’s insults seem to make no sense, “yet there is method in ‘t.”

In Act II, it is Polonius that is the first target of Hamlet’s irony of the

use of honest. Hamlet calls him first a “fishmonger” which it has many

meanings, including the implication that Ophelia is a whore and Polonius is

her pimp. And of course, Polonius has employed his daughter in his plot to

discover the depth of Hamlet’s “madness.” When Polonius says he is not a

fishmonger, Hamlet replies “Then I would you were so honest a man.” In other

words, he wishes Polonius was as honest as a simple fish seller, or even more

insulting, as honest as the pimp Hamlet insinuated he was.

In this scene, Hamlet also uses this ironic meaning of honesty against

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern when he tells them “…I will not sort you with

the rest of my servants, for, to speak to you like an honest man, I am most

dreadfully attended.” He seems to mean that he cannot speak to them with

honesty, because they themselves are dishonest in their intents.

Honesty resonates as a theme in Hamlet because nothing is, as it seems

in Denmark. The King deceives the world and pretends a legitimacy he does not

have; Hamlet deceives the court by feigning madness; Polonius, Rosencrantz

and Guildenstern all try to deceive Hamlet into revealing why he is

distraught, and no one knows what is truth and what is a lie. The world has

not grown honest, as Rosencrantz claims, but dishonest, and no one who lives

in it can keep his honesty pure from the corrupting air. Hamlet seems to be

the character that uses the majority of such puns and phrases in the play.

These phrases, which have double meaning, could represent the inner turmoil,

which seems to be tearing Hamlet apart. By seeing a definite double meaning

to many phrases in the play, we are able to easily see that all is not as it

should be. Hamlet’s personality is thrown into chaos. He is in mourning the

death of his father, and then his mother marries his uncle. He is enraged at

her, and on top of all of this he sees the ghost of his father commanding him

to avenge his wrongful murder. Yet, amongst all this turmoil, I believe that

Hamlet was only playing the part of being crazy. He speaks in riddles and

plays on words in order to create a certain suspicion about his sanity. This

abnormal activity gives him the ability to sneak a few insults by without

having to directly confront his enemies. It seems to be quite a bit worse if

the person who was insulted isn’t exactly sure whether or not they were just

insulted. Hamlet is able to interject these insults without even the other

character noticing, which is the art of insult

it is this unpredictability of action, this sporadic bouts of insanity and

sanity, the inner turmoil brewing within Hamlet, which keeps the audience’s

interest. Nobody is really sure whether or not Hamlet was insane. Many have

theories and beliefs, but Shakespeare never came out and said he definitely

is or definitely is not sane, he only hints. There are valid arguments on

either side, for Hamlet Himself said “I am mad but north-northwest”; that is

he is only mad about one thing in particular.

The wordplay in Hamlet is a representation of the complexity of the

minds of the characters that Shakespeare created. It is a depiction of the

inner turmoil within a character struggling with sanity. However, more

importantly it is necessary to keep in mind that Shakespeare was a playwright

and that the play on words did one thing in particular, which is why

Shakespeare lived to write so many plays, Hamlet, because of its wording is

entertaining and that made all the difference.