Question

Hamlet: What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form, in moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god!

–Hamlet,
William Shakespeare

What is the effect of Hamlet’s use of similes in this passage?

It creates a feeling of greatness by comparing humans to divine beings.
It creates a feeling of smallness by comparing something powerful to something weak.
It creates a feeling of peace by comparing angels to gods.
It creates a feeling of sadness by comparing something beautiful to something plain.

Answer 1

It creates a feeling of greatness by comparing humans to divine beings.

Hamlet’s similes (“how like an angel… how like a god”) elevate human qualities, emphasizing nobility, excellence, and grandeur.