Themes and Symbols Throughout

the Play

 

Flowers

 

"There's rosemary, that's for remembrance.
Pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies, 
that's for thoughts. […] 
There's fennel for you, and columbines. 
There's rue  for you; and here's some for me; we 
may call it  herb of grace o' Sundays. You must wear your 
rue with  a difference. There's a daisy. I would 
give you some violets, but they withered all 
when my father died. (4.5.199-201, 204-209)"

 

Fennel symbolized strength and praiseworthiness, columbine

symbolized folly, daisies symbolized innocence, and violets symbolized faithfulness and modesty.

Rosemary symbolizes remembrance, and rue symbolizes regret (also another meaning for the word).

 

                                                                        The Skull

      In one of the final scenes, Hamlet is in a graveyard. He comes across a skull and coincidentally it

belongs to Yorick, a jester. Hamlet has wrestled with the thought of death and accepting it as the

destiny of all humans. Hamlet picks up the skull, staring death in the face. This humbles Hamlet

and gives him comfort in death knowing it is the fate of all humans. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Dysfunction

 

      Family dysfunction also plays a role in the plot of "Hamlet." Hamlet's father is murdered by his own brother, Hamlet's mother then marries her husbands murderer. Hamlet is driven "mad" by the fact that his mother would marry the man who killed her husband, who is her brother in law, which could be considered as incest. Shakespeare uses family dysfunction to show how vital having close family ties is. 

 

 

Revenge

 

      One of the main themes of "Hamlet" is revenge. The whole play is driven by the need to get revenge on someone who has done you wrong. Hamlet desires revenge against his uncle who killed Hamlets father. Laertes, son of Polonius seeks revenge against Hamlet to avenge his fathers murder, which Hamlet caused. Shakespeare's point of making revenge a key component is to show that revenge does not only affect the person getting "what they deserve" but also everyone around them. Due to Hamlets obsession with revenge, he murdered Polonius, caused Ophelia to go crazy, causing more deaths than needed. Also, revenge is not the only way to get your point across, sometimes forgiveness is the best kind of revenge.