... to the audience the foul nature of Claudius and his mother's immediate marriage. This use of timing by Shakespeare illuminates the corruption beneath the appearance of an innocently appearing Gertrude. Hamlet extends his disgust at the timing of his mother's marriage by comparing her to "a beast" and negating Gertrude's initial grief as "unrighteous tears." ... Shakespeare uses juxtaposition to contrast Hamlet's feelings of disgust and inadequacy with Gertrude's sudden happiness and love with marriage, which critic Newell describes as "a counterpointing between things divine and things e...

• Word Count: 782
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate