Hamlet

Even though Shakespeare uses many forms of literary devices, dramatic irony

appears to be his device of choice in his play Hamlet. The most undeniable and

recognizable characters involved in such irony are Hamlet himself, Polonius (the father

of Laertes and Ophelia), as well as Hamlets best friends from school Guildenstern and

Rosencrantz. The great writer has a very dark and twisted mind when it comes to his

plays and characters. William Shakespeare may be one of the better writers of all time to

use dramatic irony.

The most noticeable and recognizable use of irony in the piece involves the main

character himself, Hamlet. For example, when Hamlet encounters with the spirit of his

dead father (Act 1, Sc 5), he is enlightened to a betrayal which has occurred. King

Claudius, Hamlets uncle, poisoned his brother (Hamlets father) while he was sleeping

and stole the throne and his brothers Queen from the pry of his cold dead hands. This is

dramatic irony simply because only Hamlet and the readers know of this betrayal

(including Claudius himself). This is important for it drives Hamlet into a state of

revenge, and sets the plot into action. Hamlet swears to avenge of his fathers murder, an

enraged vendetta set on killing his uncle and returning the throne into an uncorrupted

hierarchy.
 Polonius is the creator of his own death and dramatic irony. Laertes, his son, tells

his sister, Ophelia, to stay away from Hamlet. Polonius upon over hearing the words

remember well what I have said to you (Act 1, Sc 3, 88-89) becomes curious and asks

of what they spoke of. Once Ophelia tells her father of Hamlets letters, Polonius instructs

his daughter to repel any and all of Hamlets advances, and she does so (Act 2, Sc 1).

After Hamlet has seen his fathers ghost and comes up with a plan to put on a front, an

act of madness of which only he Marcellus and Haratio are conscious of, to put on an

antic disposition on- (Act 1, Sc 5, 190), Polonius believes Hamlets madness to be

caused because Ophelia had rejected his love that hath made him mad (Act 2, Sc 1,

121). The irony increases when Polonius and King Claudius arrange a meet between

Ophelia and Hamlet to see if it is in fact true that Hamlet is mad with love (Act 2, Sc 2).

Hamlet knowing that they are spying tells Ophelia that he does not love her (when in

reality he truly does). This causes much suspicion in Polonius mind so he begins to spy

on Hamlet. In Act 4, Scene 7, Polonius hides behind a curtain when Hamlet was speaking

to his mother of his plot to avenge his father, Hamlet heard a sound behind the curtain

and thought it to be Claudius. He then blurts, A rat! A Rat! and piercing his blade at

the hiding figure, he kills Polonius. This is important because if Polonius had not created

the idea that love hath drove the prince mad, he himself would not have fallen. Once

Polonius had fallen, this causes his fair daughter Ophelia to drown herself (Act 4, Sc 7)

due to her own progressed madness, all of which is extremely important to the play, for it

had thickened the plot to its utmost extreme.

 Lastly, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were sent to their own death, caused by the

hands of their best friend Hamlet. The two companions were sent by Claudius to

accompany his nephew on a course to England where Hamlet was supposed to be killed.

Claudius had given the two a package giving instructions to the King of England to kill

Hamlet immediately, but Hamlet knowing that this trip would end in his death, had gone

through the twos personal belongings below deck and found the package, and re wrote

the letter saying that it was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who were to be killed as soon

as they stepped foot on English ground. This is important and ironical because only the

readers know Hamlet suspects that he has been set up by Gertrude and Claudius to be

watched by Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, and it is only Hamlet and the readers that

know of this switch, and results in Hamlet returning to Denmark to finally execute his

plan of revenge, to kill his uncle Claudius.

The most notable irony in Hamlet is that of Claudius, his rise to power
is in fact that which brought him to his own end from the moment he put
the poison in his brothers ear.

everyone beleives Hamet to be mad, but he tells Ros and Guil that he is
only pretending - I am but mad north/northwest...
-Furthermore, he
admits to his mother that he is not mad - but mad in craft

- this leaves Claudius with false confidence and Hamlet is able to kill
Claudius with his own treachery - the poisoned sword and drink
He should mention this points and use the relative quotes.

Shakespeare is known for his dark and twisted plays, full of revenge and

bloodshed, all twisted around the idea of irony. His plays, Hamlet, and Romeo and Juliet,
are some of the most well known pieces on the globe due to the style of which

Shakespeare has written them. Furthermore, Shakespeare may in fact be, one of the best

writers to use dramatic irony.