Literary Devices (Grade 12 NSC Matric English HL): Flashcards

Character speaks thoughts aloud, typically alone on stage

Act 3, Scene 1

Comparison between unlike things without 'like' or 'as'

'Denmark's a prison' - reflects entrapment & oppression

Audience knows something the characters don't know

Hamlet feigns madness, others believe he's truly mad

Reference to other literary works, history, or culture

Inevitability of death & futility of life

Juxtaposing contrasting ideas in parallel structures

Imagery evoking decay & corruption in Denmark's moral state