In Hamlet, what imagery does Shakespeare use and why?

Imagery is a type of language that appeals to the audience's five senses. Throughout various scenes in the play Hamlet, Shakespeare utilizes imagery to create an atmosphere, emphasize themes, and build suspense. In Act One, Scene 2, Shakespeare utilizes imagery throughout Hamlet's first soliloquy. Hamlet expresses his displeasure with life by comparing it to an unweeded garden. He says,

"'Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess...

Imagery is a type of language that appeals to the audience's five senses. Throughout various scenes in the play Hamlet, Shakespeare utilizes imagery to create an atmosphere, emphasize themes, and build suspense. In Act One, Scene 2, Shakespeare utilizes imagery throughout Hamlet's first soliloquy. Hamlet expresses his displeasure with life by comparing it to an unweeded garden. He says,

"'Tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely. That it should come to this..." (Shakespeare, 1.2.135-138).

The audience visualizes a garden that is in disarray and smells foul, which represents Hamlet's despair.

In Act One, Scene 4, Hamlet is following his father's ghost and comments on his current state of mind. Shakespeare employs imagery to describe Hamlet's excitement to meet with the Ghost by writing,

"My fate cries out and makes each petty artery in this body as hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve" (1.4.86-89).

The audience can feel and sense Hamlet becoming anxious as he follows his father's ghost.

In Act One, Scene 5, Shakespeare again employs imagery to recreate King Hamlet's murder. King Hamlet's ghost gives a vivid visual representation of how Claudius murdered him while he was sleeping in an orchard. The audience visualizes Claudius carrying out the murder and can sense how the poison flowed through King Hamlet's blood. The Ghost tells Hamlet,

"Sleeping within my orchard, my custom always of the afternoon, upon my secure hour thy uncle stole with juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, and in the porches of my ears did pour the leperous distilment, whose effect holds such an enmity with blood of man that swift as quicksilver it courses through the natural gates and alleys of the body and with a sudden vigor doth posset and curd, like eager droppings into milk, the thin and wholesome blood. So did it mine. And a most instant tetter barked about, most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust all my smooth body" (Shakespeare, 1.5.59-74).

While Claudius is attempting to pray, Shakespeare utilizes imagery throughout Claudius' soliloquy, which allows the audience an opportunity to share Claudius' feelings of remorse. Claudius says,

"Oh, my offence is rank. It smells to heaven...I stand in pause where I shall first begin, and both neglect. What if this cursèd hand were thicker than itself with brother’s blood? Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy but to confront the visage of offence? And what’s in prayer but this twofold force, to be forestallèd ere we come to fall or pardoned being down? Then I’ll look up. my fault is past" (Shakespeare, 3.3.38-52).

The audience senses the foul odor and visualizes bloody hands which represent Claudius' offense. The audience gains insight into how Claudius views his actions through Shakespeare's use of imagery.