Burning desires fortified by the flames of speech: an exploration of Claudius and Hamlet

Shakespeare's Hamlet is a tragic tale of murder, sorrow, and revenge. From the beginning of the play the different intentions of the characters are evident. Claudius and Hamlet both have very different yet extreme goals. Claudius is a power driven, conniving, and generally mean character while Hamlet is a character obsessed with avenging his father. Shakespeare uncovers their various desires through their distinct speech patterns. Through diction, punctuation, syntax, and repetition, their individual intentions are revealed and reinforced. The speech patterns certainly contribute to the success of the plot and the play, raising the emotional stakes. This makes it more exciting for actors and audience members alike.