Dramatic Irony In Hamlet

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, dramatic irony is used to garner sympathy and antipathy from the audience, which further develops the characters, conflict, and theme of the story. This is seen when the ghost of Hamlet Sr. tells Hamlet Jr. that “the serpent that did sting [his] father’s life/Now wears his [father’s] crown.” (I.v.39-40). This creates dramatic irony because the audience knows that Claudius killed Hamlet Sr. while the majority of the characters still believe that Hamlet Sr. was bitten by a snake. This fosters sympathy for Hamlet Jr. as he loses his father to the malicious deeds of others. Additionally, this creates circumstances in which Hamlet Jr. is setup to become the hero of the story. Since Hamlet Jr. truly loves his father, he is