Writer's Techniques (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes
Writer's techniques
Shakespeare's mastery in Hamlet lies significantly in his sophisticated use of literary techniques. These devices work together to create the play's emotional depth, reveal character psychology, and develop its central themes of madness, revenge, mortality and corruption. Understanding these techniques is essential for analysing how Shakespeare crafts meaning and engages his audience.
Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a dramatic device where a character speaks their thoughts aloud whilst alone on stage. This technique allows the audience direct access to a character's innermost feelings and motivations, creating intimacy between character and audience.
In Hamlet, soliloquies are particularly important for revealing the protagonist's complex internal world. They expose his philosophical questioning and psychological turmoil in ways that dialogue with other characters cannot achieve.
Soliloquies differ from asides (brief comments to the audience) and monologues (longer speeches addressed to other characters). The soliloquy's power lies in its complete privacy, where the character speaks truthfully without any social mask.
Key example:
To be, or not to be: that is the question (Act 3, Scene 1)
This most famous of all soliloquies reveals Hamlet's contemplation of existence versus non-existence. He wrestles with thoughts of life and death, exposing his existential crisis and profound despair. The speech provides insight into his internal conflict and establishes the philosophical tone that shapes his subsequent actions throughout the play.
Exam tip: When analysing soliloquies, consider what they reveal that the character cannot or will not express to others. Think about how they develop our understanding of character psychology.
Metaphor
A metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things that does not use 'like' or 'as'. Shakespeare employs metaphors throughout Hamlet to convey complex emotions and abstract ideas through concrete imagery.
Key example:
Denmark's a prison (Act 2, Scene 2)
When Hamlet declares that Denmark is a prison, he's not speaking literally. This metaphor communicates his profound sense of entrapment within the Danish court. It reflects both his physical confinement and his psychological state – feeling trapped by circumstances, by his duty to revenge his father, and by the oppressive atmosphere created by Claudius's rule. The metaphor economically conveys his growing disillusionment with his surroundings.
Metaphors in Hamlet often connect to the play's major themes, particularly corruption, decay and moral disease. These recurring metaphorical patterns create a thematic network that reinforces the play's exploration of Denmark's political and moral sickness.
Irony
Irony, particularly dramatic irony, creates layers of meaning in Hamlet. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience possesses knowledge that characters on stage do not have, creating tension and deeper engagement with the action.
Key example: The audience knows that Hamlet is feigning madness, whilst other characters believe he has genuinely lost his sanity.
This dramatic irony operates throughout much of the play, creating sustained tension. The audience watches other characters misinterpret Hamlet's behaviour, anticipating how long he can maintain his facade and what consequences this deception will bring.
The irony heightens our engagement as we observe the gap between appearance and reality – a central theme in the play. This constant awareness of multiple levels of truth engages the audience intellectually whilst building dramatic tension.
Other forms of irony include verbal irony in Hamlet's witty wordplay and situational irony in plot developments, such as when the poisoned sword intended for Hamlet ultimately kills Laertes as well.
Allusion
An allusion is a reference to other literary works, historical events, mythology or cultural elements. Shakespeare uses allusions to add depth and resonance to characters and themes, drawing on his audience's cultural knowledge.
Key example:
So excellent a king, that was to this / Hyperion to a satyr (Act 1, Scene 2)
Hamlet compares his deceased father to Hyperion, a Titan associated with light and beauty in classical mythology, whilst likening his uncle Claudius to a satyr, a lustful, half-human creature. This mythological allusion powerfully expresses Hamlet's contrasting feelings – profound admiration for his father and contempt for Claudius. The reference reinforces the stark moral opposition between the two figures in Hamlet's mind.
Classical allusions pervade the play, connecting Renaissance England to ancient traditions and giving the story universal significance. Shakespeare's audience would have been familiar with these mythological references, enriching their understanding of character relationships and moral judgments.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is a technique that hints at future events, building anticipation and suspense. Shakespeare plants clues that prepare the audience for significant plot developments whilst maintaining dramatic tension.
Key example: The appearance of the ghost in Act 1
The ghost's early appearance signals that supernatural forces will influence the plot. It foreshadows the revelation of King Hamlet's murder and sets the stage for the unfolding revenge tragedy. This ominous opening establishes an atmosphere of uncertainty and dread that pervades the entire play.
Foreshadowing creates dramatic irony when the audience anticipates events that characters cannot foresee. This technique keeps viewers engaged, watching for the fulfilment of suggested outcomes whilst experiencing tension about how and when they will occur.
Symbolism
Symbolism involves using concrete objects or images to represent larger abstract ideas or themes. Shakespeare employs rich symbolic imagery in Hamlet to explore complex philosophical concepts.
Key example:
Alas, poor Yorick! (Act 5, Scene 1) – Yorick's skull
The skull of the court jester Yorick becomes a powerful symbol of mortality and the futility of earthly existence. When Hamlet holds the skull, he reflects on death's inevitability and the physical decay that awaits all humans, regardless of their status in life. The skull makes death tangible and immediate, forcing confrontation with mortality's reality.
This symbol connects to the play's meditation on death and what lies beyond. The skull represents the levelling power of death – even the witty, beloved jester becomes mere bones. This physical object crystallises abstract philosophical themes about human mortality.
Wordplay and puns
Shakespeare's use of wordplay and puns showcases his linguistic creativity whilst adding complexity to dialogue. These verbal techniques often reveal character wit, create double meanings, and expose tensions beneath surface politeness.
Key example:
A little more than kin, and less than kind (Act 1, Scene 2)
Hamlet's clever pun plays on the words 'kin' (family) and 'kind' (nature/kindness). He subtly criticizes Claudius's relationship to him – Claudius is now 'more than kin' as stepfather and uncle, but 'less than kind' in the sense of being unnatural and unkind. This wordplay reveals Hamlet's intelligence and his barely concealed disdain for Claudius whilst maintaining surface politeness.
Puns often carry hostile undertones in Hamlet, functioning as verbal weapons. What appears as witty banter frequently conceals deeper resentment and criticism, reflecting the play's broader theme of deceptive appearances.
Antithesis
Antithesis involves placing contrasting ideas in parallel grammatical structures. Shakespeare uses this device to highlight conflicting emotions, opposing forces and internal contradictions.
Key example:
To be, or not to be (Act 3, Scene 1)
The stark contrast between 'to be' (existence) and 'not to be' (non-existence) perfectly encapsulates Hamlet's internal struggle. This antithesis underscores the fundamental dichotomy of life and death that pervades the entire play. The balanced structure gives equal weight to both possibilities, reflecting Hamlet's agonized indecision.
Antithesis structures appear frequently in Hamlet's speech, mirroring his divided mind. The technique reflects his intellectual tendency to see issues from multiple perspectives and his psychological difficulty in committing to decisive action.
Imagery
Imagery refers to vivid and descriptive language that creates mental pictures and appeals to the senses. Shakespeare's rich imagery in Hamlet enhances emotional impact and develops key themes.
Key example:
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (Act 1, Scene 4)
This striking image of rot and decay evokes both physical decomposition and moral corruption. It reflects the political and ethical decay spreading through Denmark following King Hamlet's murder. The imagery of disease, poison and corruption recurs throughout the play, creating an atmosphere of pervasive wrongness.
Disease and decay imagery connects to themes of moral corruption and hidden guilt. Shakespeare builds patterns of imagery that work cumulatively – references to poison, infection, ulcers, and rotting create a sustained metaphorical network exploring Denmark's sickness.
Repetition
Repetition emphasizes important themes, emotions and concepts by repeating key words or phrases. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses repetition to stress psychological states and philosophical preoccupations.
Key example:
Words, words, words (Act 2, Scene 2)
Hamlet's triple repetition of 'words' expresses his frustration with empty rhetoric and the deceitful language surrounding him at court. It highlights his disillusionment with superficial communication and his sense that words have become divorced from meaning and truth. The repetition itself performs the emptiness it describes.
Repetition often signals moments of intense emotion or philosophical significance in the play. When characters repeat words or phrases, it typically indicates heightened psychological states, obsessive thinking, or thematic emphasis that demands audience attention.
How techniques work together
Shakespeare rarely uses these techniques in isolation. Multiple devices often operate simultaneously within single speeches or scenes. For example, the 'To be or not to be' soliloquy combines soliloquy with antithesis, metaphor and imagery. This layering creates the play's extraordinary depth and richness.
Understanding individual techniques helps you identify them, but strong analysis examines how they combine to create dramatic and thematic effects. In your essays, discuss the interaction between techniques rather than simply listing them separately. Show how Shakespeare's layering of devices creates complex meanings that no single technique could achieve alone.
Key Points to Remember:
- Soliloquies provide direct access to Hamlet's psychological complexity and philosophical questioning
- Metaphors like 'Denmark's a prison' economically convey complex emotional and thematic meanings
- Dramatic irony surrounding Hamlet's feigned madness creates sustained tension throughout the play
- Symbolism such as Yorick's skull makes abstract themes concrete and immediate
- Shakespeare layers multiple techniques within individual speeches to create depth and complexity
- Each device serves both dramatic purpose (engaging the audience) and thematic purpose (exploring ideas about revenge, madness, mortality and corruption)