In Hamlet what images relate to death?

-- Linda Bui (sparkles16_07@hortmail.com), January 20, 2005

Answers

Mostly, sleep, rest, dreaming, unconsciousness. Also related, though, are images of decay, and earth, dust and soil. Also, visually, there are the bones and skulls - the 'bare bones' of death - in V.i. Also, in Hamlet's soliloquy in I.ii, there is: 'that this too, too solid flesh could melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew'.

-- catherine england (catherine.england@arts.usyd.edu.au), January 24, 2005.