Hamlet Techniques
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Pun – the usually humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meanings or the meaning of another word similar in sound.
Example: Not so, my lord, I am too much in the sun (1.2.67)
A little less kin, than more kind
Theatrical Jargon – language peculiar to a particular group, procession e.g. theatre.
Example: Hamlet discusses with the players about acting, talks about what makes a good play, lets Shakespeare portray his own opinions.
Anaphora – the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses or paragraphs.
Irony – the expression of ones meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
Example: Claudius to Hamlet “think of us as a father”
Metaphor – a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
Rhyme – Have or end with a sound that corresponds to another.
Iambic pentameter – a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each fact containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable
Blank verse – unrhymed verse, especially the unrhymed Lambic Pentameter most frequently used in English drama.
Soliloquy – an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to themself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any hearers present (often used as a device in drama to discuss a characters innermost thoughts).
Bawdy humour – describes something gross, indecent or overly graphic in a humorous way.
Example: Excellent, well sir, you are a fishmonger.
Double entredre – a phrase, saying or sentence that can be interpreted in two different ways.
Rhetorical question – the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing.
Example: To be or not to be?
Symbolism – something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.
Example: the plays the thing, wherein ill catch the conscience of the king (2.2.606-607).
Repetition – the act or process or an instance of repeating of being repeated.
Example: horrible, horrible, most