Symbolism and Theme

Symbolism is a literary device in which a setting, event, or object is included in a story to represent a meaning beyond its literal meaning. Often, these meanings are related to the theme, which offers the main idea or belief of the story. In Yeats' poem "The Second Coming", the sphinx serves as the frequently mentioned symbol of the apocalyptic world of humanity. Depicted as a grandiose figure, the sphinx is more than merely a mythical, ancient statue; the sphinx is "born" along with the apocalyptic world after WWI and hence the poem suggests that the sphinx serves as the portrayal of a new, destructive, and terrifying figure part of Spiritus Mundi. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, a theme that frequently shows up throughout its scenes is the double layer of character, deceit. Most of the characters in Shakespeare's play develop an appearance or conceal a secret or trait from others, and then they reveal their ambitions, motives, or true character in soliloquies or in other forms. For instance, in the first Act, the Ghost of Hamlet's father reveals to Hamlet and the audience that "The serpent that did sting thy father's life/Now wears his crown", suggesting that the serpent Claudius deceived the royal family and the King's people in the death of the previous King of Denmark. Moreover, the quick marriage of Gertrude to Claudius after the recent death of Hamlet's father indicates that she does not hold loyalty and love for Hamlet's father for long, contrary to the belief of the Ghost and Hamlet, who see her quick marriage as an act of betrayal and deception.