Question

Explain both the literal and symbolic meaning and importance of pouring poison in a person’s ear in Hamlet.

Answer 1

In Act I Scene 5 lines 59-54, the ghost of King Hamlet tells his son that his uncle was the one that murdered him by pouring poison in his ear.

The literal meaning of this is that Claudius poison his brother and King Hamlet. The poison was introduced to his body through his ear. This is very interesting, especially because usually poison is given to a person in a drink, but Shakespeare was trying to say something beyond with this.

The symbolic meaning of this is connected with the fact that words (which we listen and enter our ears) can also be like poison and they can actually kill us. In fact, this is what happens to Prince Hamlet, the words uttered by the ghost of his father end up working like poison, they will force him to find revenge to the point in which he will find his own death.