Currently in class we are studying poetic structure and how deeply it can affect literature. We have been looking at examples of prose and poetry to understand the contrast between them. Prose is an ordinary form of language, it’s more straightforward, and poetry’s language is more artistic. William Shakespeare has a unique way of writing, everything he writes has a meaning to it, and some may be hard to define.
For example, he often times writes Shakespearean sonnets with heroic couplets. Sonnets are fourteen lines long with the first twelve having a pattern and the last two being heroic couplets. The pattern is A B A B C D C D E F E F, and the heroic couplet is G G, meaning the last words of A and A rhyme, B and B rhyme and so on. But, when you get to the last two lines of G and G, they rhyme together, rather than rhyming with every other line. It seems as though he uses the last two lines of sonnet as heroic couplets to give a greater impact or to end the poem with a bang. William Shakespeare may also use this technique to show an evident ending to the writing or to emphasize it.
Hamlet frequently changes his poetic structure from prose to poetry depending whom he is talking with are what he is speaking of. When speaking to peasants or people under him, he usually speaks in prose but when speaking romantically, thoughtfully or in his soliloquy he is much more poetic. Prince Hamlet is short speaking and does not reveal much of his feelings to others. However, when he has his soliloquy it reaches into his emotions and his truest thoughts, which is why it may be more sensitive and poetic. Some readers ponder whether Hamlet has honestly gone mad, or if it’s all for show. The audience needs to see this side of Hamlet to try to comprehend and analyze his thought process, which even with the soliloquy may still be unclear.
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I liked your point that Hamlet's soliloquies enable the reader to receive a deeper, clearer understanding of Hamlet's actions and feelings. The conversations that he has with the other characters can be hard to decipher in terms of what he truly means in comparison. When he is speaking with others he has to keep a check on what he says to be sure that his plot for revenge remains undiscovered. It is also difficult due to the fact that he seems to absolutely adore making a pun out of every word possible, occasionally making it difficult to determine which meaning Hamlet meant. His soliloquies are so much more to the point because he is stating what is on his mind and need not worry about whether he is disclosing information about his plot to anyone but the reader.
In addition to showing an evident ending or emphasize a point, Shakespeare uses the heroic couplets to make a brief summary of everything previously said. For example, in act 1, scene 2, Hamlet says the heroic couplet "But I have that within which passeth show,/These but the trappings and the suits of woe." This quote is a heroic couplet for both of your reasons, but it also sums up Hamlet's previous statements that he is still mourning.
Hamlet's soliloquies do give some insight into his sanity, but I think that Shakespeare wanted to leave that aspect open to interpretation. This keeps the reader guessing all the time. Also, the readers thinks about the play even after it is over.
Shakespeare switches a lot between prose and poetry in Hamlet, so the AB thing sometimes blurs with the prose, I suppose. But it's doubless to be more artistic with the words, as you said. I might add, I wonder if many modern authors probably wouldn't go through the trouble to write such a novel as Shakespeare's today. It would more than likely take a long time to write another book/ play so lengthy, and the language is almost impossible to recreate, due to the cultural/time difference. Though some authors have based their books on Shakespearean stories (perhaps for a greater sense of importance), this story creation is timeless. Some of Shakespeare's literary techniques are only known to those who study them, but at the time, the general public would have understood the allusions and other poetic elements instantly.
I noticed that not only Hamlet talks in prose to those below him, but it seems to be common for all characters throughout the play. Although, in Act 2 scene 2, when Polonius is talking to Hamlet, I saw that they are both using prose. Are they of the same rank, or can prose be used when making simple small talk? Beside the point, i was impressed by your explanation of poetic structure. It is often a good idea to focus on the last two lines of a Shakespearean sonnets that are difficult to understand.
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