Figurative Language in Hamlet

As I mentioned last week in my blog, in literature, figurative language works to expand meanings and ideas beyond the literal sense; a writer may communicate images to highlight an aspect in the story and its relation to other characters or themes. In Hamlet, Shakespeare focuses on the sense of touch to communicate the pain and emotions of a grieving Laertes, "O heat, dry up my brains! tears seven times salt,/ Burn out the sense and virtue of mine eye!" Clearly, the intensity of the metaphorical heat communicates to the reader the intensity of the grief Laertes experiences over the fractured state of mind his sister Ophelia has gone through. This metaphor also serves as an exaggeration as the intensity of the grief appears to overwhelm his thoughts. In another example, Hamlet employs a metaphor to expand beyond the literal meaning,"His purse is empty already; all 's golden words are spent". Though very much resembling a common saying, this phrase serves as a metaphor that connects the idea of words and speech with value(i.e. monetary).