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Stozake Shange's Use Of Language

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Ntozake Shange claims that he “firmly believes that language and how we use language determines how we act, and how we act then determines our lives and other people's lives”. Therefore the way we use language can mold one’s decisions and those decisions molds one’s life and even those surrounding us. Shange’s beliefs coincide with with William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. The play tells the story of a young man, Hamlet, who was intended to be king after his father’s death. Yet he becomes mad after the ghost of his father appears and asks him to avenge his death. His mother, Gertrude marries his Uncle and father’s murderer, Claudius. He is also thought to be crazy because he is in love with Ophelia but cannot have a relationship with her. He is unable to make solid decisions and constantly questions life and over thinks about death. …show more content…

Throughout the play, William Shakespeare applies iambic meter and prose in the dialogue to expose how words can manipulate and destroy others. His use of language and wordplay exhibits the impact words can have on others and even on oneself. In contrast, The play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard is an extended play on the minor characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from Hamlet. They are in a play within in a play and destined to die, just as in the original play. However, throughout this play, they struggle to realize where they are and who they are. Stoppard utilizes short answers and repetitive questions to portray the existentialist belief that humans have an inability to communicate with each other therefore their words cannot cause damage. Both authors apply a variety of puns, similes and metaphors and although share different ideas, they both demonstrate how wordplay can create some meaning in a world of

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