Symbols (Grade 12 NSC Matric English HL): Revision Notes
Symbols
Symbols in literature are objects, characters, figures, and colours that represent abstract ideas or concepts beyond their literal meaning. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses several key symbols to deepen the play's themes and provide insight into character psychology and the human condition.
Yorick's skull
Physical objects are rarely used in Hamlet to represent deeper thematic ideas, but Yorick's skull stands out as a crucial exception. This symbol appears when Hamlet discovers it in the graveyard during Act 5, Scene 1.
The rarity of physical symbolic objects in Hamlet makes Yorick's skull particularly significant as a concrete representation of the play's abstract themes of mortality and decay.
When Hamlet encounters the skull of the king's former jester, he reflects deeply on death's inevitability and the disintegration of the human body. The skull becomes a powerful meditation tool as Hamlet contemplates mortality. He speaks directly to the skull, saying "get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must come" (5.1.178-179), emphasising that no amount of beauty or cosmetics can prevent the eventual decay that comes to all humans.
The skull also triggers personal memories and loss in Hamlet. He traces the skull's mouth and reflects, "Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft" (5.1.174-175), showing his fascination with how death transforms the physical body. This moment reveals Hamlet's preoccupation with the physical consequences of death, a theme that runs throughout the entire play.
Textual Analysis: The Skull's Universal Message
Hamlet's reflexion: "Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft" (5.1.174-175)
This quote demonstrates how the skull transforms from a personal memory trigger into a universal symbol of mortality, showing Hamlet's journey from individual grief to philosophical contemplation about the human condition.
The symbol reinforces the play's exploration of mortality, reminding both Hamlet and the audience that all humans - from kings to jesters - face the same inevitable fate. Even great figures like Alexander the Great, Hamlet notes, will eventually become nothing more than dust that might be used to stop a hole in a beer barrel.
Ophelia's flowers
When Ophelia descends into madness in Act 5, Scene 5, she distributes flowers to various characters, with each flower carrying specific symbolic meanings that reflect her mental state and comment on the recipients' situations.
The flowers Ophelia gives away include:
- Rosemary and pansies for herself, representing remembrance and thoughts respectively
- Fennel and columbines for Gertrude, symbolising her adultery
- Rue for both Claudius and herself, representing bitterness and repentance
- Daisy for Claudius, symbolising innocence and love, though ironically given since Hamlet's innocence has been destroyed
- Violets, which she mentions would have brought but says have all withered when her father died, potentially representing faithfulness or the corruption of Denmark's virtue
The cultural connotations attached to each flower would have been well understood by Shakespeare's audience, making her seemingly mad ramblings actually quite pointed social commentary. Through her flowers, she delivers accurate and cutting observations about each character, suggesting that her madness may not be as complete as it appears.
Ophelia's flower distribution serves multiple symbolic purposes. Through her flowers, she delivers sharp social commentary that cuts through the pretences of the Danish court. The flowers also represent the loss of innocence that permeates the play. Just as the flowers she gives away symbolise a world that should have been - where there was faithfulness, love, and virtue - but now lies corrupted, Ophelia herself represents innocence destroyed by the adult world's corruption and violence.
Her funeral later becomes another powerful flower symbol, as she should have been celebrated with flowers at her wedding rather than mourned with them at her burial, highlighting the tragedy of her lost potential.
Hamlet's clothing
Hamlet's black clothing serves as a visual symbol of his grief over his father's death and his rejection of the court's quick acceptance of Claudius as king. While others at court have moved on from mourning, Hamlet's continued wearing of dark clothes represents his ongoing sorrow and his refusal to accept the new order.
The symbolic use of clothing extends beyond simple grief representation. Hamlet uses his wardrobe to communicate his internal state and send messages about his mental condition. His clothing becomes a form of non-verbal communication that sets him apart from the rest of the palace, who have accepted Claudius and moved forwards.
Clothing as a form of communication was particularly significant in Elizabethan society, where dress codes and colours carried specific social and emotional meanings that audiences would immediately recognise.
In Act 2, Scene 1, Hamlet deliberately appears to Ophelia in a state of partial undress and disarray. Ophelia describes how he appeared dishevelled, with his clothes in disorder, which she interprets as evidence of his madness. This scene occurs just after Hamlet has revealed his plan to Horatio to act as if he has lost his mind to disguise his true intentions.
Hamlet's clothing choices serve a dual symbolic function: they represent both his genuine grief and mourning for his father, and his calculated choice to appear unstable or mad to others. This ambiguity reflects one of the play's central questions - whether Hamlet is truly losing his grip on reality or merely performing madness as part of his revenge strategy.
The costume of mourning that Hamlet maintains throughout most of the play also serves as a constant visual reminder to the court of the former king's death and, by extension, a challenge to Claudius's legitimacy and the court's acceptance of the new regime.
Key Points to Remember:
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Yorick's skull symbolises death's inevitability and the physical decay that awaits all humans, regardless of their status in life
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Ophelia's flowers carry specific symbolic meanings that provide sharp commentary on each character's moral state and the corruption of Danish society
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Hamlet's black clothing represents both genuine grief for his father and his deliberate choice to remain separate from the court's acceptance of the new order
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These symbols work together to reinforce the play's major themes of death, corruption, appearance versus reality, and the loss of innocence
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Understanding these symbols helps reveal the deeper meanings behind character actions and the play's exploration of universal human experiences