Shakespeare and Semiotics: A Case Study of Song Lyrics from Hamlet’s “How should I your true love know”

Abstract

A literature is deep in meaning since it offers the author a choice to select words. The richness of a literature can be understood only when its hidden meaning is decoded. The interpretation of literature involves decoding complex structures. It is a tool to express emotions freely and emotions that can be understood well with metaphors. The present study is a semiotic analysis of the song “How should I your true love know” using logical semantics, which helps in interpreting the relations between the symbol and the meaning conveyed through it. The sample selected is from the play “Hamlet” which is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s tragedies where the characters exhibit deep emotions of betrayal and sorrow. The song selected acts as a signifier which signifies the mindset of the character who is in deep loss and turmoil. The song is short and is well received by young adults as it carries the emotion they can empathise with. Though the song is short it conveys the crux of the play and the tragedy the character faces in the end. This characteristic feature is common in Shakespeare plays as he uses connotations and metaphors to explain the feelings of his characters and the situation, they are in. Word construction and meaning matching are a common feature during the time of Shakespeare which is well executed in these plays. However, this might be a problem for people from this era to decode the meaning of Shakespeare’s language. Thus, the researchers chose to use logical semantics that can help in finding the meaning hidden in the song “How should I your true love know” from Hamlet. Qualitative research is used in this study to identify and decode the symbols using logical semantics. Purposive sampling is used in this research and the analysis helps in decoding the symbols told in the lyrics that depict the mindset of Ophelia.