1. Stylistic features Shakespeare is a master of English language, and he uses English so freely. Shakespeare's plays depict hundreds of characters, from kings, queens and princes to thieves, clowns and grave diggers. Each character's language has its own characteristics. Basically, all the words are suitable for the identity of the role, and everyone speaks differently on different occasions. Shakespeare sometimes uses elegant and formal language, because the speaker comes from the upper class and is in a formal situation. Sometimes jokes from the lower class even use slang, and sometimes even break taboos to adapt to the entertainment tastes of ordinary audiences. So it is easy to understand why Hamlet's language is so different from that of the grave digger. We can find many similar examples in the script, such as Portia and Shylock, Henry IV and Falstaff. This particularly fat knight must have impressed readers and audiences with his humor and practical jokes.
2. Rhetoric Some critics have come to the following conclusion on the basis of statistics: almost all rhetorical devices have been skillfully used in Shakespeare's works, which greatly increase the aesthetic feeling of the works and make their descriptions vivid and thought-provoking. Here we will discuss several rhetorical devices that critics don't write much, but writers use frequently. According to rough statistics, about 3000 puns are used in Shakespeare's sonnets and plays. Shakespeare has a soft spot for puns, which are used in almost every play. In English rhetoric and writing, Wang Yulong defines it as an intelligent language that skillfully uses words according to their homophones or similar pronunciations but different meanings. Shakespeare often creates humorous comedies according to the different meanings of words. King: But now, my cousin Hamlet and my sun. Hamlet: (Narrator) A little more than relatives, a little less than kindness. King: Why are the dark clouds still hanging over you? Hamlet: that's not true, your majesty. I have too many, I am the sun. King: Make good use of your time, Laertes, and give full play to your talents! But come, my nephew Hamlet, my child-Hamlet: (Narrator) Extraordinary relatives, indifferent passers-by. King: Why are the dark clouds still hanging over you? Hamlet: no, your majesty, I have been in the sun for too long. Roddis, the new king, Hamlet's uncle, now his stepfather, asked Hamlet why he was so unhappy. Hamlet said sarcastically, "I have been in the sun for too long." Here, Sun's voice is similar to "son", which means that I have been drenched by the royal family for too long and I have had enough of being your son. In this dialogue, Shakespeare skillfully called Hamlet's son Keraudy and played a word game. Hamlet narrative: extraordinary relatives, irrelevant passers-by Create a kind of wisdom with "pro" and "species". Another example: Call me tomorrow, and you will find a grave keeper for me. Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene I Mocky: If you want to see me tomorrow, come and see me in the grave. Here Shakespeare used two meanings of "grave" to create a humorous effect, which can be used as a noun to mean "solemnity" and as a metaphor to mean "seriousness". If you read or appreciate Shakespeare's plays very carefully, such examples abound.