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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark Motifs

Motifs and symbols tracked across analyzed chapters, with links back to chapter summaries and chapter analysis pages.

madness

11 occurrencespersistent

Blood

5 occurrencespersistent

revenge

5 occurrencespersistent

crown

3 occurrencespersistent

ghost

3 occurrencespersistent

poison

3 occurrencespersistent

sword

3 occurrencespersistent

appearance vs reality

2 occurrencespersistent

betrayal

2 occurrencespersistent

death

2 occurrencesemerging

deception

2 occurrencespersistent

disease

2 occurrencesemerging

flowers

2 occurrencespersistent

Ghost of King Hamlet

2 occurrencesemerging

play within a play

2 occurrencesemerging

spying

2 occurrencesemerging

water

2 occurrencesemerging

air/wind metaphor

1 occurrencessingle-hit

army of Norway

1 occurrencessingle-hit

arras

1 occurrencessingle-hit

arras (tapestry)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

authority

1 occurrencessingle-hit

bloodlust

1 occurrencessingle-hit

body

1 occurrencessingle-hit

body/decay

1 occurrencessingle-hit

burial

1 occurrencessingle-hit

cannon/fire

1 occurrencessingle-hit

castle room (authority)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

chalice

1 occurrencessingle-hit

chapel

1 occurrencessingle-hit

cherub vision

1 occurrencessingle-hit

clouds (camel/weasel/whale)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

cock crowing

1 occurrencessingle-hit

cold

1 occurrencessingle-hit

cold air

1 occurrencessingle-hit

cold darkness

1 occurrencessingle-hit

cold wind

1 occurrencessingle-hit

court intrigue

1 occurrencessingle-hit

court politics

1 occurrencessingle-hit

crown/kingship

1 occurrencessingle-hit

cryptic speech

1 occurrencessingle-hit

dagger

1 occurrencessingle-hit

death contemplation

1 occurrencessingle-hit

divine providence

1 occurrencessingle-hit

double blessing

1 occurrencessingle-hit

ducat payment

1 occurrencessingle-hit

duel

1 occurrencessingle-hit

egg-shell

1 occurrencessingle-hit

England

1 occurrencessingle-hit

espionage

1 occurrencessingle-hit

exile

1 occurrencessingle-hit

eyes

1 occurrencessingle-hit

fair Ophelia

1 occurrencessingle-hit

faithfulness

1 occurrencessingle-hit

family betrayal

1 occurrencessingle-hit

fate vs free will

1 occurrencessingle-hit

feasting and consumption

1 occurrencessingle-hit

fire

1 occurrencessingle-hit

foil/sword

1 occurrencessingle-hit

foils as betting chips

1 occurrencessingle-hit

fox (hide)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

gallows

1 occurrencessingle-hit

gender power

1 occurrencessingle-hit

ghost appearances

1 occurrencessingle-hit

ghost’s beaver coat

1 occurrencessingle-hit

ghost/supernatural

1 occurrencessingle-hit

ghostly visitation

1 occurrencessingle-hit

ghostly whispers

1 occurrencessingle-hit

ghosts

1 occurrencessingle-hit

glass/mirror

1 occurrencessingle-hit

Glow‑worm

1 occurrencessingle-hit

grave

1 occurrencessingle-hit

hall of the castle

1 occurrencessingle-hit

honor

1 occurrencessingle-hit

honor vs ambition

1 occurrencessingle-hit

indecision

1 occurrencessingle-hit

inheritance

1 occurrencessingle-hit

king

1 occurrencessingle-hit

king's portrait

1 occurrencessingle-hit

kingly imagery

1 occurrencessingle-hit

legal paradox

1 occurrencessingle-hit

letter from Hamlet

1 occurrencessingle-hit

lettered counsel

1 occurrencessingle-hit

letters

1 occurrencessingle-hit

letters (communication)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

letters as instruments of power

1 occurrencessingle-hit

letters as messengers

1 occurrencessingle-hit

madness/feigned insanity

1 occurrencessingle-hit

marble jaws of the tomb

1 occurrencessingle-hit

marriage vows

1 occurrencessingle-hit

memory

1 occurrencessingle-hit

messenger exchange

1 occurrencessingle-hit

mirror

1 occurrencessingle-hit

mirror to nature

1 occurrencessingle-hit

mirrors

1 occurrencessingle-hit

miscommunication

1 occurrencessingle-hit

moon

1 occurrencessingle-hit

moral corruption

1 occurrencessingle-hit

mortality

1 occurrencessingle-hit

mourning

1 occurrencessingle-hit

music

1 occurrencessingle-hit

nature imagery

1 occurrencessingle-hit

Nemean lion’s nerve metaphor

1 occurrencessingle-hit

night

1 occurrencessingle-hit

noise

1 occurrencessingle-hit

nunnery

1 occurrencessingle-hit

ore/mineral metaphor

1 occurrencessingle-hit

pirate ship (danger)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

plague

1 occurrencessingle-hit

plain of Denmark

1 occurrencessingle-hit

poisoned blade

1 occurrencessingle-hit

poisoned cup

1 occurrencessingle-hit

poisoned ear

1 occurrencessingle-hit

political alliance

1 occurrencessingle-hit

political intrigue

1 occurrencessingle-hit

political tension

1 occurrencessingle-hit

rapier

1 occurrencessingle-hit

rosemary (remembrance)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

rotting state

1 occurrencessingle-hit

royal authority

1 occurrencessingle-hit

rue (regret)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

satyr vs Hyperion contrast

1 occurrencessingle-hit

scar (cicatrice) symbolism

1 occurrencessingle-hit

scarred Denmark

1 occurrencessingle-hit

sea and wind metaphor

1 occurrencessingle-hit

sea/piracy

1 occurrencessingle-hit

Serpent

1 occurrencessingle-hit

service and duty

1 occurrencessingle-hit

skull

1 occurrencessingle-hit

skull (Yorick)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

solid flesh melting

1 occurrencessingle-hit

song

1 occurrencessingle-hit

song/chant

1 occurrencessingle-hit

sound/voice

1 occurrencessingle-hit

spade

1 occurrencessingle-hit

sponge

1 occurrencessingle-hit

sponges as metaphor for authority

1 occurrencessingle-hit

spring

1 occurrencessingle-hit

storm

1 occurrencessingle-hit

stormy sky imagery

1 occurrencessingle-hit

straw

1 occurrencessingle-hit

straw as trivial cause

1 occurrencessingle-hit

sun

1 occurrencessingle-hit

surveillance

1 occurrencessingle-hit

swords

1 occurrencessingle-hit

tender

1 occurrencessingle-hit

the arras (curtain)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

the crown

1 occurrencessingle-hit

the grave

1 occurrencessingle-hit

the letters

1 occurrencessingle-hit

the mouse‑trap

1 occurrencessingle-hit

the players

1 occurrencessingle-hit

the sea of troubles

1 occurrencessingle-hit

the skull (allusion)

1 occurrencessingle-hit

theatre

1 occurrencessingle-hit

travel and urgency

1 occurrencessingle-hit

trumpet blasts

1 occurrencessingle-hit

trumpet/ordnance

1 occurrencessingle-hit

unweeded garden

1 occurrencessingle-hit

violet

1 occurrencessingle-hit

war vs peace

1 occurrencessingle-hit

warning

1 occurrencessingle-hit

watch

1 occurrencessingle-hit

watchtower

1 occurrencessingle-hit

willow by the brook

1 occurrencessingle-hit

wind

1 occurrencessingle-hit

worm

1 occurrencessingle-hit

worms as decay

1 occurrencessingle-hit
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - Motifs Index | Summarsky