Compare and contrast the ways in which language expresses the feelings of anger and frustration felt, by Hamlet and Claudius.

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Compare and contrast the ways in which language expresses the feelings of anger and frustration felt, by Hamlet and Claudius.

        Shakespeare uses very strong and powerful language in both of the speeches to express to the audience the strong feelings of anger and guilt felt by Hamlet and Claudius at this point in the play.

        The speeches are both commenced with a sorrowful expression, ‘O’, I think this demonstrates their pain and grief about what they both feel is their fault. I think Claudius feels he perhaps shouldn’t have murdered his brother, but is still trapped in indecisiveness and his thoughts conflict each other, through guilt about being a murderer, and where he would be and what he would not have if he hadn’t taken action to try and lift his place in society. Hamlet feels he should have already taken action to avenge his father’s murder, so feels guilty about his inert efforts and decisions.

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        The ‘o’s are then followed by degradation, Hamlet says ‘What a rogue and peasant slave am I’, and Claudius says ‘My offence is rank it smells to heaven’. The way in which these lines are similar that they are both degradations, but they are in different in their nature. Hamlet degrades himself by calling himself the lowest most worthless criminal, whilst Claudius degrades the crime he has committed and says it’s the worst crime he could have committed.

        Their feelings of anger and frustration are demonstrated with the use of powerful adjectives in his self condemnations, such as ‘monstrous’, ...

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