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What Is Hamlet Act 3 Literary Devices

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What Is Hamlet Act 3 Literary Devices
The sentence structure and diction revealed another side of Hamlet in act 3. In previous acts, Hamlet’s sentences were short and choppy. However, in act 3, his sentences were much longer, and included many semicolons, commas, and colons in each one. For example, “To be, or not to be: that is the question:/Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer/The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?” (A3S1) In this one sentence, there are three commas, two colons, and one question. In this whole soliloquy, there are a total of five sentences. Hamlet’s elongated sentences shows how frustrated, difficult, and serious the topic he is dissecting is, which in this example is life and death. …show more content…
Another example of Hamlet’s long sentences, “O’ there be/ players that I have seen play, and heard others/ praise, and that highly, not to speak it profanely…” This entire sentence is 8 lines and ten commas. Like the topic of life and death, Hamlet has many thoughts to speak regarding theatre and the actors. These topics are separate from his personal life and are more profound and abstract, which explains the lengthy sentences. In acts 1 and 2, I think Hamlet was so traumatized by his father’s death that he was only thinking about himself and his revenge. In act 3, Hamlet began to see humanity and life in a bigger picture as he juggled with his life dilemmas. Also, in act 1 and 2, personal pronouns, which were prevalent in Hamlet’s speech, focused the readers’ attention on Hamlet’s personal feelings, thoughts, and responses. However, in act 3, the absence of these pronouns revealed how Hamlet was more observant and receptive of his surroundings compared to the other characters in the
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