Foreshadowing In Hamlet

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In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, literary devices such as foreshadowing, metaphor, and paradox, develop the ongoing theme of revenge in act one scene five. The play is about a young boy named Hamlet, who is brought home to attend his father, King Hamlet’s funeral. One night, a ghost, who is the spirit of his passed father, reveals himself to Hamlet. The ghost scene is a major turning point in the play, where the truth about the death of his father is developed, and the rest of the play is put into motion.

During act one scene five, Hamlet encounters a spirit that is the ghost of his father, King Hamlet. The ghost reveals that Claudius, his brother, and Hamlet’s uncle, is responsible for poisoning and killing him. After discovering …show more content…
King Hamlet warned his son to make sure that he remained sane while trying to get even with Claudius. He wanted to make sure that Hamlet understood the danger of retaliation, by reminding him to “taint not thy mind”. However, Hamlet cannot control himself and immediately after his warning he starts to go insane, yelling, “O all you host of heaven! O earth! what else? And shall I couple hell? O, fie! Hold, hold, my heart” (1.5.99-100). Once the ghost reveals the truth about his death, Hamlet become hyperfocused on the command to avenge Claudius. Through the use of foreshadowing, Shakespeare continued the theme of revenge throughout the play, and revealed Hamlet’s madness while trying to punish …show more content…
After learning that Claudius is the one responsible for King Hamlet’s death, Hamlet understands that he cannot trust anyone- not even his own family. Hamlet realizes that there is more than one side to a person. While he was oblivious to this at the beginning, Hamlet’s discovery of the truth proves that his uncle “may smile, and smile, [but he is] a villain" (1.5.115). This paradox also further establishes Claudius’ character and provides more reasoning that he deserves revenge for what he has done. Through the use of paradox, Shakespeare developed Claudius’ character and revealed why Hamlet was no unjust for wanting to avenge
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