William Shakespeare created some of the best known tragic plays around

the world, among which is Hamlet. Hamlet, the son of the King of Denmark,
reminds his readers pride leads to self-destruction and in most cases nothing
good coms out of it. Avenging King Hamlet’s death proves to be a challenge to
Hamlet, but as time goes on, murdering people who have done nothing to him
becomes an easy task for Hamlet to manage. Hamlet’s prideful attitude
eventually leads to a destructive ending, which could have been prevented
easily. William Shakespeare’s tone of voice, symbolism, and use of irony
shapes “Hamlet” into a story of revenge that ultimately leads to destruction.
Although Hamlet proves to be a tragedy, William Shakespeare creates a
light atmosphere with Hamlet’s ability to laugh in the worst situations. The tone
of voice aids the reader in understanding why Hamlet was thought to be crazy.
Hamlet uses sarcasm in many of his lines such as when he first appears in the
play when he says to King Claudius, “A little more than kin, and less than kind
(I, ii, 65).” Hamlet replies to King Claudius after he calls him “son”. Hamlet
also uses this wordplay while talking to Horatio and Marcellus saying, “I’ll
make a ghost of him that lets me! (I, iv, 85)” Hamlet wants to see the “ghosts”,
but Horatio and Marcellus urge him not to. Hamlet then comes back to say if
they will not allow him, he will make them a ghost themselves. Shakespeare
incorporates wordplay and sarcasm into Hamlet’s character, so he can portray a
character that has gone mad and to lighten up the mood.
Symbolism also plays an important role in Shakespeare’s writing. Ever
since Hamlet’s father passed away, Hamlet’s fixation with death and his
vengeance was evident. Hamlet would hold onto the skull of an old friend,
Yorick, and stopped all of his madness just for a little while. He knew Yorick as
a kid and recalled the relationship they had saying:
Let me see. Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite
jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath bore me on his back a thousand times, and
now has abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it. Here hung those
lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? Your
gambols, your songs, your flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table
on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning? Quite chopfallen? (V, i,
161-168)
Hamlet reminds himself of how well Yorick treated him, but now Yorick
lay on the ground being hit by a dirty shovel and thrown around. The skull
symbolizes that death takes every single person, no matter how rich or how poor
they are, and oblivion is inevitable. Each person will face death in their lifetime.
Deuteronomy 32:35 says “Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their
foot will slip; For the day of their calamity is near, And the impending things
are hastening upon them.” The Lord can and will repay all of the evil that is
done to someone so why waste the time one has on the earth looking for
vengeance? When Polonius dies, Ophelia becomes crazy as well. She hands out
flowers and also gives them meaning herself. When handing out flowers, she
says, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrances; pray you, love, remember.
And there is pansies; that’s for thoughts. (IV, v, 177-178)” Ophelia shows the
meaning of these flowers while handing them out, which symbolizes her desire
and need to be remembered. She longs for being noticed and thought of, as she
no longer has a father and her brother just returned from France.