Compare and Contrast Hamlets two soliloquies
in Act 1
Hamlets two soliloquies take place before and after his meeting with his dead fathers ghost. This is important as the meeting with his father has great influence upon Hamlets mood and emotion. This is shown in the two soliloquies through language and structure as well as some of the themes involved in the play showing through.
In Hamlets first soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 2 the language used is very different in nature to that used in scene 5 only slightly later in the play. In the opening lines of hamlets first soliloquy Shakespeare uses very morbid language "too solid flesh would melt" which sets the trend for the rest of his soliloquy. In contrast the opening lines of his second soliloquy show a very different mood of Hamlet "O all you host of heaven! O earth!" these opening lines show us a much more enlightened and triumphant Hamlet.
The imagery used in the first soliloquy is, as the language morbid and dismal. Such lines as the "unweeded garden" and the "rank and gross" foul nature of life give us an image of the world in Hamlets eyes. Also the use of similes such as "Like Niobe" and lines using imagery such as "a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer" show us how he is feeling towards his mother by giving an image of how Hamlet sees her. Shakespeare also uses Greek mythology "Hyperion to a satyr" to produce images of the inferior nature of Claudius to old King Hamlet. The imagery used in the second soliloquy is of similar nature to that in the first soliloquy. When Hamlet talks of Claudius as "smiling damned villain!" this imagery gives an evil menacing picture of him.
in Act 1
Hamlets two soliloquies take place before and after his meeting with his dead fathers ghost. This is important as the meeting with his father has great influence upon Hamlets mood and emotion. This is shown in the two soliloquies through language and structure as well as some of the themes involved in the play showing through.
In Hamlets first soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 2 the language used is very different in nature to that used in scene 5 only slightly later in the play. In the opening lines of hamlets first soliloquy Shakespeare uses very morbid language "too solid flesh would melt" which sets the trend for the rest of his soliloquy. In contrast the opening lines of his second soliloquy show a very different mood of Hamlet "O all you host of heaven! O earth!" these opening lines show us a much more enlightened and triumphant Hamlet.
The imagery used in the first soliloquy is, as the language morbid and dismal. Such lines as the "unweeded garden" and the "rank and gross" foul nature of life give us an image of the world in Hamlets eyes. Also the use of similes such as "Like Niobe" and lines using imagery such as "a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer" show us how he is feeling towards his mother by giving an image of how Hamlet sees her. Shakespeare also uses Greek mythology "Hyperion to a satyr" to produce images of the inferior nature of Claudius to old King Hamlet. The imagery used in the second soliloquy is of similar nature to that in the first soliloquy. When Hamlet talks of Claudius as "smiling damned villain!" this imagery gives an evil menacing picture of him.
