Are there any examples of synecdoche in Hamlet?
During the ghost's conversation with Hamlet in Act I, Scene V, there are several uses of synedoche:a figure of speech by which a more comprehensive term is used for a less comprehensive or vice versa, as whole for part or part for whole, e.g. ‘There were six guns out on the moor’ where ‘guns’ stands for shooters; and ‘Oxford won the match’, where ‘Oxford’ stands for ‘the Oxford eleven’. In Lines 41-43, Act I, Scene V, the ghost first tells Hamlet that he was murdered and " So the whole ear of Denmark/ Is by a forged process of my death /Rankly abused. " In the quotation The "ear" stands for the country of Denmark. The ghost continues in Lines 87-90,"Let not the royal bed of Denmark be A couch for luxury and damned incest." Here the ghost is discussing the marriage of Gertrude and Claudius and uses the...
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term royal bed of Denmark" to represent the marriage. If you look at the rest of the play you will find other example of synedoche.
What examples of synecdoche are found in Hamlet and how effective are they?
An interesting question, that I will try to answer briefly. Synecdoche is closely related to metonymy - a term used for one thing being applied to another- synecdoche is really a subclass of metonymy. It is very closely connected to the metaphor and the plot of Hamlet is riddled with synecdoches:
'Old Hamlet's grizzled hand, Hamlet's 'inky cloak,' Ophelia's flowers, Yoricks skull and the envenomed point that kills Hamlet are all examples. Look at Claudius' speeches both in private and public, he uses synecdoche a lot - one example being the kingdom 'contracted in one row of woe.'
Hamlet and Claudius use synecdoche in different ways, which symbolises the differences between them. - hope this helps!