#7 Diction

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, each character’s diction helps portray the character’s emotions and allows the reader to be ready to perceive each character’s unique identity. The diction of the queen differs from the diction of Hamlet, himself. For example, in act one, scene one, the very touchy subject of the death of Hamlet’s father is being discussed. Both the queen and Hamlet react separately; this difference in their reactions is seen in their different uses of diction. On the one hand, the Queen responds almost unaffectedly by stating that death is “common” and that “all that lives must die.” In opposition to the queen’s insensitive reaction, Hamlet retorts that “it [ his father’s death]is” a big deal. Their opposite reactions help the reader identity with their individual characters. For example, the Queen’s diction and her seemingly unconcerned responses actually reflect her nature to put things off and to lack proactivity. As the play progresses, this assumption becomes fact. Similarly, Hamlet’s uneasy character and tenseness of diction in the first few pages foreshadows his uneasy character that persists later on in the play. Moreover, as demonstrated by the examples from Hamlet, the diction used in poetry, separately by each character, gives the reader a frame of reference for identifying with the characters and their unique emotions.