Hamlet: Language and Imagery Horatio tells Hamlet that he speaks "wild and whirling words", but with Shakespeare this can never truly be so. Even sentences that appear like this always have a complex meter behind them and, especially in Hamlet, it seems that each word is individually chosen to serve a particular purpose. Despite being almost four hundred years old, Shakespeare is considered the landmark of English literature as the dawn of the modern era of drama. Previously, drama such as medieval morality plays were used to demonstrate moral positions, but Shakespeare focused on the investigation of the individual in society. The rise of the play of the same name illustrates the sudden power of the person in literature. This breakdown of Shakespeare's "greatness": many of his contemporaries and followers attempted to recreate his style, often decaying into unbridled violence and atrocities (as in the case of John Webster). You could say that his plots demonstrate moral stances (perhaps Othello could promote trust or loyalty by illustrating the consequences of jealousy and infidelity) but then Romeo and Juliet destroy the lovers who are attempting to reunite broken families, so it's hard to that issue is addressed. be accurate. However, Shakespearean originality lies in the plots and variety even in particular works: Twelfth Night is generally considered a comedy, but Malvolio's persecution decays beyond the comical with the play's closing worryingly unresolved with his promise that he will take revenge . "over all of you." The characterization of his figures was also unique for his time: Shakespeare seems to have had a great vision of the probable human reactions to the extreme situations in which he placed his characters, with... in the center of the card... The voice of the ghost who he feels, to show his indifferent attitude towards his friends. Polonius' language is used to further his character: his authority at court (almost equal to that of Claudius) contrasts with his rambling language to exacerbate his stupidity and almost guarantee his subsequent destruction. Therefore, Shakespeare's use of language not only creates tension, suspense, interest, diversity, and mood, but his imagery exaggerates the feelings already created by the rest of his text. Thus, although his plot, variety, characterization, or any other mechanism used to create his tales might be said to earn him the title "great", in the first two acts of Hamlet it is his language and imagery that makes Shakespeare a truly original playwright. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Global Shakespeare Theater Series. 1996