Literary Structure In Hamlet

Legendary or Ordinary?

(An Analysis of the Structure used in Hamlet, by Shakespeare)

Why do we love stories and plays? What is it about them that draws us to consider some to be great and others crap? The answer to any question that you may have about a story, play, or movie can be found in the structure of the mentioned art. Structure can make or break story. If the structure of a story is not done correctly, it can become confusing, and anyone who reads or watches the story will simply leave exasperated and muddled. Through literary analysis and use of different literary elements it is easy to ensure the success of a story, but that still leads us to question what makes the difference between successful stories and legendary stories. This

His name is recognized around the world as William Shakespeare. In his life Shakespeare wrote over thirty plays and over one hundred fifty sonnets. It is obvious that he must be fairly good to be such a success that all of his plays and sonnets are still studied around the world in both high schools and universities. What makes these stories resonate so deeply within us hundreds of years later is the structure in which they were produced. Shakespeare truly was a structural genius, and the play Hamlet is one of his most complex structural story lines. By analyzing this play, it is made evident the structure that helps discern a legendary literary work from a good literary work. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses many different structure techniques to create the complex story line of the play, such as having plays

In his plays Shakespeare uses language to distinguish the difference between the characters. All of the nobles in this play speak in iambic pentameter, giving them much more regal speech. The common characters, on the other hand, speak in prose. This makes them seem more normal and the common folk of the audience are able to relate to them, while the nobles in the audience are able to laugh at them and their immaturity. There is also a lot of symbolism in the play. Hamlet’s change of clothing symbolizes his mood. He dresses all in black in the beginning of the play to show his mourning, but after a talk with his mother, he changes clothes to make her happier. When Ophelia hands out flowers, Shakespeare creates another interesting allegory. The audience understands that every flower has a different meaning to it. As she hands them out, they are able to decipher what she thinks about all the different characters; for example, Ophelia gives Gertrude the rue, which symbolizes regret. With this simple giving of a flower, Shakespeare is able to explain that Ophelia believes that Gertrude regrets her marriage to Claudius, which Gertrude then reveals during a talk with Hamlet. Shakespeare cleverly uses the characters to foreshadow the rest of the play. This use of language is one of the many ways that Shakespeare consistently proves that he is one of the best playwrights, best artists