The Ghost's Departure
In Act 1, the ghost disappears as soon as it hears the crow of a rooster. Horatio describes the ghost's departure by saying, "And then it started like a guilty thing /
Upon a fearful summons" (1.1). Here, Horatio uses a simile to compare the ghost to someone who has been caught in the middle of a guilty act, suggesting that the ghost fled out of fear and worry.
The World's Garden
In Act 1, Hamlet compares the world to a garden: "Fie on ’t, ah fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden / That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature / Possess it merely (1.2). Here, Hamlet uses the metaphor of a weed-ridden garden to showcase his distaste for the world and the corruption he sees developing around him.
The Snake
In Act 1, the ghost of Hamlet's father explains how he died, telling Hamlet that, "The serpent that did sting thy father’s life / Now wears his crown" (1.5). Here, the ghost implies that Claudius murdered King Hamlet and usurped his crown. He uses the metaphor of the serpent to underscore Claudius's deceitful nature, as serpents are most often associated with the figure of Satan.
To Be or Not to Be
In Act 3, in what is perhaps the most famous passage in the history of English literature, Hamlet contemplates suicide, asking, "Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?" (3.1). Here, Hamlet uses two metaphors to compare one's life to being attacked in combat and then to a forceful body of water. He wonders whether it is preferable to simply endure one's hardships or to take action and attempt to fight back. This speech emphasizes Hamlet's constant state of uncertainty and thus his inaction throughout the play.
Beloved Hamlet
In Act 4, Claudius contemplates how to handle Hamlet's punishment for killing Polonius. He notes that he cannot rely on public opinion, because Hamlet is so beloved by the people of Denmark that they "Would, like the spring that turneth wood to stone, / Convert his gyves to graces" (4.7). Here, Claudius uses a simile, comparing Hamlet's reputation to a mystical spring that can transform wood into stone. He asserts that, despite Hamlet having killed Polonius, the people would absolve him of his guilt.
