Imagery in 'Hamlet'

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and discusses Shakespeare's use of imagery in his play 'Hamlet'. According to the paper, imagery has always played an important role in the work of Shakespeare and as much as the appearance of various motifs and interplay of images interest us, not many of us are familiar with what imagery really is.

From the Paper:

"Hamlet indeed offers very vivid, brilliant and vibrant imagery- mostly through Hamlet's own words and thoughts. It must be made clear that other characters including Claudius have made use of imagery but their imagery is neither as strong nor as free flowing as that of Hamlet's. According to Spurgeon, Hamlet's imagery mainly emerges from the use of symbols and metaphors derived from such bleak things as sickness and blemishes. The dominating image is thus that of tumor or ulcer.
When referring to his mother's incestuous crime, Hamlet calls it a blister on 'fair forehead of an innocent love'. Every word and line that he utters in that emotionally charged scene (Act 3, Scene 4) with his mother Gertrude is full of colorful images. For example instead of saying that heavens must be disgusted with her, Hamlet says: "Heaven's face doth glow....Is thought-sick at the act." And drawing her attention to his uncle, Hamlet says: "....Here is your husband, like a mildew'd ear Blasting his wholesome brother." Look at the rich adjectives that add meaning to the otherwise ordinary emotions of anger and shame. Hamlet then goes on to say that the appearance of his father's ghost should not be blamed on his madness but it is also a result of Gertrude's guilt. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• W. H. Clemen. The Development of Shakespeare's Imagery. Methuen. London. 1951.
• Caroline F. E. Spurgeon. Shakespeare's Imagery and What It Tells Us. Cambridge University Press Cambridge, England. 1935.
• Wheatley, G. H. (1991), Enhancing Mathematics Learning Through Imagery. Arithmetic Teacher,39 (1), 34-36
• Shakespeare's Macbeth: Fear and the "Dagger of the mind" Retrieved online OCT 5th 2006: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=368
• Edward Dowden (1877) Shakespeare: A Critical Study of his Mind and Art. New Delhi, Atlantic, 2003

More papers on Imagery in 'Hamlet':

• Analytical Essay # 120526 : "Language and Imagery in "Hamlet"
• Analytical Essay # 6448 : "Why Doesn't Hamlet Just Kill Claudius?"
• Essay # 3892 : "Shakespeare's Hamlet"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: