PLOT #8: TONE/MOOD

The tone and mood are essential in any literary work because they can easily shape any readers interpretation.  For example, in Hamlet, when Claudius, Hamlet, and Gertrude are speaking in front of the court, there are many different instances in which several lines can be interpreted to be delivered with a different tone.  First, when Gertrude says "all that lives must die" (line 72), the line can be interpreted to be delivered as a sincere and motherly tone or with a condescending tone.  Moreover, another example, of the plethora, would be the line in which Claudius says "Why, 'tis a loving and fair reply" ( line 121).  This line can be interpreted to to be said in many different tones, from sarcastic to satisfied, to conciliatory to barbed. In short, the tone and mood of any work, especially Shakespeare, have the ability to create a whole different read for the reader, based on interpretation and delivery.