The Ghost
The ghost of Hamlet's father that appears throughout the play symbolizes memory and the past. While some performances of the play represent the ghost as a real supernatural figure, others interpret it more as a projection of Hamlet's tortured psyche. Regardless of whether the ghost actually appears in physical form, however, its presence introduces the central conflict of the play: Hamlet must reckon with the knowledge of his father's murder while being haunted by the memory of the late king. Furthermore, the ghost is most often associated with memory due to its instruction to Hamlet: "Remember me" (1.1). It is the ghost that catalyzes the events of the play, suggesting that the past will always shed influence on what comes after it.
Ophelia's Flowers
In Act 4, Ophelia appears with a bouquet of flowers that she hands out to other characters on the stage. Following her rejection by Hamlet and her father's tragic death, Ophelia slowly descents into a manic state, which many have equated with madness. When her body is found in the water toward the end of the play, she is said to have been wreathed in garlands of flowers. Ophelia herself explains the symbolism of the flowers as she disperses them, noting that some are for mourning, others are for celebration, and still others are attached to romantic or erotic love. While the individual flowers are symbolic by themselves, Ophelia's appearance in Act 4 with a disparate collection of symbolic garlands reflects her own troubled state: buffeted about by the male characters in the play, Ophelia loses her grip on reality and is ultimately crushed by the expectations others have placed on her.
Yorick's Skull
Perhaps the most famous symbol in all of English drama, Yorick's skull that Hamlet unearths in the graveyard symbolizes the inevitability and equalizing nature of death. Yorick was a court jester that Hamlet knew well as a child. When his skull is exhumed by the gravedigger in Act 5, Hamlet picks it up and contemplates the nature of morality, in which everyone on earth – regardless of social status, wealth, or personality – inevitably ends up as nothing but bones in the ground.
Confused Identities
Confusion over characters' identities is a recurring motif in the play, beginning with the very first line when Bernardo asks, "Who's there?" to his fellow guard (1.1) The exchange sets the play firmly in an anxious and confused mood, amplified only by the presence of the ghost that occurs later in the scene. Similarly, the death of Polonius occurs because Hamlet mistakes him for Claudius hiding in Gertrude's bed chamber. Finally, Hamlet's childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, pretend to serve as Hamlet's confidants but are instead employed by Claudius and end up dying for their betrayal. All of these instances of identity confusion help underscore the play's overarching sense of paranoia and Hamlet's personal struggle with uncertainty.
Plays and Performance
Because the play follows an anxious and troubled protagonist, an important motif that develops is that of drama itself. Hamlet, unsure of who he can trust once he discovers that his father was murdered by his uncle, becomes preoccupied with the way men portray themselves and deceive others. As such, he offers meta-theatrical commentary throughout the play, questioning how actors can feign emotion and even using a play-within-the-play to enact his revenge on Claudius.
