The play, Hamlet by William Shakespeare, describes a story of a man named Hamlet who recently returned from school only to discover that his uncle is responsible for his father’s death and his mother’s incestuous marriage. The King’s death devastates Hamlet and drives him into depression. King Hamlet’s Ghost visits Hamlet and prompts him to avenge the murder. Throughout the story, Hamlet contemplates avenging Claudius for his father’s murder. In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses symbolism, irony, and character foils to characterize Hamlet as contemplative and fearful. Using this characterization, Shakespeare illustrates the central conflict of the play. Shakespeare uses the symbol of the Ghost to represent Hamlet’s allegiance to his father, the source of his internal conflict. For example, when the Ghost appears in the castle he says to Hamlet, “…But know, thou noble youth, / The serpent that did sting thy father’s life / Now…show more content… Shakespeare’s use of symbolism, character foils, and irony contributes to the development of Hamlet’s internal struggle between action and procrastination when it comes to avenging his father. The symbol of the Ghost represents Hamlet’s allegiance to his father and influences Hamlet to commit murder. Additionally, throughout the play, Shakespeare uses the characterizations of Laertes and Fortinbras to contrast their impulsive actions with Hamlet’s lack of hasty decisions. Lastly, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to exemplify how Hamlet’s decision with Claudius’s prayer attempts and his madness characterize him as introspective. Through Hamlet’s internal conflict, Shakespeare comments on how Hamlet’s need to revenge Claudius for his murderous sin is a sin in itself. Shakespeare applies this idea to today’s society and comments on how everyone is hell-bound and will inevitably commit sins, no matter how noble the
