Between the Lines

The purpose of descriptive language in literature is to connect the reader to the story or poem. Literary devices such as imagery, alliteration and analogies are an important aid for the author. These devices allow the reader to connect with the story on a deeper level, and they allow for enhanced visualization. Shakespeare uses words like lewdness, incestuous and loathsome to set the mood of the scene. In the play Hamlet Shakespeare uses profound diction and marvelous imagery to show the mind-set of Hamlet and the Ghost towards Claudius and the Queen.

The play is introduced with the understanding that Hamlet is still grieving for his father exceedingly. He has immense animosity towards King Claudius, and feels as if he is alone. His mother married Claudius, and his beloved father is de...