Diction- Blog #7

     Diction conveys emotions, intent, and point of view by the author. Evidently, diction is the key of exploration into Shakespeare's world. The playwright uses different types of diction to develop a character's thought process, intent, and desire. In his "To be or not to be" soliloquy, Hamlet weighs the value of life and fortune and suicide as an escape, further revealing his indecisiveness. He relates death to sleeping and by metonymy, claims that self-destruction is just a pleasant and extended rest. However, he stops at the realization that to sleep implies dreaming, and "in that sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause." In other words, Hamlet, fearing to find himself in Hell should he commit suicide, discovers that his fear of the after-life prevents people with fortune to commit suicide.
     Therefore, diction is not only an essential foundation for a coherent Shakespearean plot , but also for the actors, who need to speak seeminly without effort in order for audience to become engaged rather than regard Shakespearan literature as archaic monotonous. To do so,  enunciation rather than pronunciation of Shakespeare is vital for the audience, as variation in tone will facilitate meaning and give depth to stark words rather than existing as a mere distraction. As evidenced above, analysis of diction, often minimized, leads to a crucial understanding of Hamlet's soliloquy, his character, and the entire play. Hence by firm belief that  diction is the actor on the stage of emotion, storytelling, and experience, namely drama.