Sunday 13 April 2014

In Act II Scene 2 of Hamlet in the passage beginning "is it not monstrous..." which is not included in the passage: litotes, alliteration,...

As the other answer to this question points out, the only figure of speech not included in Hamlet's soliloquy is chiasmus (which refers to a figure of speech in which words or grammatical constructions are repeated in reverse order). However, it might also help to look at how some of the figures of speech that are present in the soliloquy function. 


Litotesis an ironic understatement that uses a negative to assert a positive. When...

As the other answer to this question points out, the only figure of speech not included in Hamlet's soliloquy is chiasmus (which refers to a figure of speech in which words or grammatical constructions are repeated in reverse order). However, it might also help to look at how some of the figures of speech that are present in the soliloquy function. 


Litotes is an ironic understatement that uses a negative to assert a positive. When Hamlet says, "it cannot be / But I am pigeon-liver'd and lack gall," he essentially asserting that it can't be true that he is cowardly (meaning that he must be at least a little brave). This construction is important because it makes Hamlet's refutation of his own hesitance to avenge his father's murder uncertain. He says he's not cowardly, but is Hamlet speaking the truth, or is he trying to convince himself?


Alliteration is the repetition of sounds at the beginnings of words directly next to each other or in close proximity to one another. When Hamlet says "Bloody, bawdy villain!" the repetition of the "b" sound emphasizes both the words "bloody" and "bawdy," underlining Hamlet's contempt and even giving the text a musical sound.


Metaphor voices an idea by describing something in a way that isn't strictly factual, but gives us an idea of the thing that is compared. It's a pretty common figure of speech because it's a great way to express an idea or describe something creatively. When Hamlet says "what an ass am I!" he's indirectly comparing himself to a donkey. This comparison highlights Hamlet's feeling of foolishness, showing us that his lack of decisive action has left him feeling like a bumbling buffoon ill-equipped for the task of revenge. 


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