Similarities Between Hamlet And Pontypool

The play Hamlet and the film Pontypool both share the common theme that through the use of words one can become insane. This theme is supported by the use of diction found in both works, the most notable phraseology is repetition. Throughout the play Hamlet, repetition is often seen in two characters; the play’s main protagonist Hamlet, and a side character Polonius. During the play, Hamlet encounters his deceased father’s ghost who relays to Hamlet that he was murdered. After hearing this he devises a plan to act mentally unstable, however, there are some moments in the play that question the idea of if Hamlet is truly acting. It is highly plausible that after receiving the news that his father was murdered Hamlet genuinely went insane due to the grief, this corresponds with the theme of words deteriorating a …show more content…
The overarching premise in Pontypool is that words possess the ability to make an individual lose their mind and become a dangerous lunatic. Though both works share the common theme they show them in vastly different ways. Pontypool takes a literal and physical approach through the use of the diseases spread by communication, therefore words can literally make a person go insane. Hamlet uses a more metaphorical method in presenting the thesis. The title character hears the news of his father’s death and devises a plan to go insane, and arguably does jeopardize his mental health in the process. It is never explicitly stated that Hamlet went insane after hearing the heartbreaking news of his father’s passing, it is instead interpreted by the reader that the cause of Hamlet’s insanity is due to the information he was told. Hamlet and Pontypool both showcase the theme of how words can cause mental insanity, though both use different methods in explaining the subject