In the second soliloquy of Shakespeares Hamlet, Hamlet is lamenting about the fact that he has not done anything

about his fathers murder and in the end makes a plan to prove his uncle, King Claudiuss guilt. Shakespeare makes use of use of diction, imagery, and organization to convey Hamlets frustration with himself to the audience. Shakespeare uses a definite organization for this soliloquy to show the change in Hamlets thinking. In the first half of this excerpt, up until line 35, Hamlet expressing his frustration towards himself for not having enough passion regarding his fathers murder. He compares himself with an actor who according to Hamlet could force his soul so to his own conceit (4) yet if he had the motive and cue for passion that I have would drown the stage with tears (12-13). Here he means to say that an actor can make himself feel a certain emotion but that if the actor would have Hamlets cause for passion that he would be able to truly move people because of the nature of the cause of the passion. Yet Hamlet doubts himself to be able to draw up the proper emotion and calls himself a coward who lack gall(29) to do so. Hamlet ends this lamentation with cursing the very reason for his crisis, his uncle Claudius. It is after this episode of cursing like a very drab(39) that Hamlet realizes that he has done nothing but complain and that now he must act to catch the conscience of the King(59) or prove Claudiuss guilt. He decides to play something like the murther of *his+ father (49) to do so. There is a distinct difference in these two halves of Hamlets soliloquy. The first is emotional and filled with doubt and frustration; Hamlet gets nothing done in this part. The second half is more rational and is where Hamlets plan unfolds. Shakespeare uses diction to express Hamlets frustration, mostly through rhetorical questions. In lines 8-11 Hamlet asks what for does an actor act for and why do people weep for the actor. He answers his own question with all for nothing. This is where Hamlet is comparing himself to the actor for in the next few lines he asks what an actor would do if he had the motive and cue for passion that I have? He then goes on to answer again that the actor would make mad the guilty and amaze indeed. Hamlets frustration is evident especially when he asks Am I a coward?(23). This shows an internal struggle that Hamlet has with facing the fact that his uncle murdered his father, yet this is resolved in the latter part of the soliloquy when Hamlet decides to make a move to prove his uncles guilt. In lines 32-34 Hamlet expresses his anger at Claudius through a long stream of curses, these are written with a coma following each word in order to emphasize the harshness emitted from Hamlet. Shakespeare makes use of imagery in most of this piece in the form of allusions and through the use of sensory details to demonstrate Hamlets grief, frustration and confusion. Hamlet makes an allusion when he refers to Hecuba, a person in Greek mythology. He uses her as an example of what an actor directs his passion towards. With forms to his conceit? For Hecuba! Hamlet is lamenting that an actor can produce passion and seemingly true emotion for a figure for which the actor has no connection with yet that Hamlet cannot produce a similar passion for his father. Hamlet also uses word and phrases that express and help visualize the feeling of grief such as tears in his eyes, a broken voice, weep, and drown the stage with tears. Later in the passage Hamlet refers to sinners watching a play as guilty creatures. This gives them almost an animalistic quality and shows how Hamlet looks down upon Claudius who will be one of the guilty creatures watching the play Hamlet will put on.

Hamlet struggles with himself to overcome his grief, frustration, and doubt and goes on to hatch a plan that will prove his Uncles guilt. This transition in Hamlets thought process is shown by the use of careful organization, diction, and imagery.