The Dramatic Irony in Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Irony is, in general, one of the most significant dramatic devices that
is frequently used in dramatic works to achieve the dramatic effect.
Generally, irony is created when the audience are familiar with more
information about a certain situation than one or more than one
character within the dramatic work. In Act I, scene ii, Hamlet is in
Claudius's court mooning over the death of his father; however, from
scene i the audience knows that the ghost of Hamlet's father has
been seen on the castle ramparts. Therefore, much of Hamlet's
idealizing and grieving is misplaced; the situation is more dynamic
than he thinks it is. The dramatic irony is that Hamlet's feelings would
be intensified--and he already thinks that they are intense--is more
appropriate than he at that point knows. Later on, when he says:
"O my prophetic soul," he does know.
By act II, the audience knows that Claudius killed Hamlet, Sr. The
ghost has told him so, sending Hamlet into a frenzy. However,
Claudius and the others, apart from Horatio, a special case, do not.
Therefore, when Hamlet puts his antic disposition on and Polonius,
Claudius, Opehlia, et. al. believe that he is mad; their
misunderstanding is an instance of dramatic irony: the audience
knows he is not mad in the way they believe him to be.
However, there's an additional edge of dramatic irony here because
in one sense Hamlet is mad, even as he thinks he is merely
pretending to be so. In other words he believes he is pretending to be
that which he is not, but in fact he is pretending to be that which he is.
Later on, he tells the traveling player that people don't leap and
cavort about, yet so he has done at the end of Act I--and--depending
on how the actor playing the part comports himself--at the end of Act
II as well.
In ActI Sc.5, the Ghost reveals to Hamlet that he was poisoned to
death by Claudius who spread the rumour that he died of snake bite
which is believed to be true by everyone in Denmark. Dramatic irony
results because only Hamlet and the readers know the truth that
Claudius murdered Hamlet's father. After this revelation, the audience
sympathize with Hamlet and begin to hate Claudius.
At the end of ActI Sc.5, Hamlet makes his two friends
Horatio and Marcellus to swear that they must not reveal what they
have just seen and heard. Also the audience sympathize with Hamlet
who has decided to "put an antic disposition on" (to pretend
madness) to deceive the others and not reveal his true feelings and
his future plan of action in revenging his father's death. Dramatic
irony results because only the readers and his friends Marcellus and
Horatio know that he is only pretending to be mad.
In Act II Sc.1 Ophelia reports to her father Polonius the
strange behaviour of Hamlet. Polonius immediately concludes that
Hamlet is 'madly in love' with Ophelia: "This is the very ecstasy of
love" and that he has gone mad because she has obeyed his
instruction in spurning Hamlet's love: "That hath made him mad."
Only the readers know that Hamlet is only pretending to be mad.