The Motifs of ''Hamlet'' make a rather long list, since Shakespeare repeated many concepts in the play, in creative ways.  Even more might be found, but I've drawn the line at those concepts which appear most prominent, which is a judgment call.

The Motifs of ''Hamlet'' make a rather long list, since Shakespeare repeated many concepts in the play, in creative ways.  Even more might be found, but I've drawn the line at those concepts which appear most significant, which is a judgment call.  The motifs are often interrelated, for example, horses and dogs are in the category of animals, certainly.  I call something a motif only when it appears to merit attention on its own, even if it could be placed in a more general category.  A presentation of the Motifs in categories, in outline format, may be a project for the future.

{| cellpadding="5"  cellspacing="5"

{| cellpadding="5"  cellspacing="5"

| [[adhesion]] || [[age]] || [[ambition]] || [[animals]]/[[beasts]] || [[birds]]

| adhesion || age || ambition || animals/beasts || birds

|-

|-

| [[colors]] || [[confinement]] || [[dogs]] || [[dreams]] || [[edge]]

| colors || confinement || dogs || dreams  || edge

|-

|-

| [[fire]] || [[flaws]] || [[friend/enemy]] || [[gardening]] || [[good & evil]]

| fire || flaws || friend/enemy || gardening || good & evil

|-

|-

| [[health]]/[[disease]] || [[honesty]] || [[horses]] || [[humors]] || [[knowledge & reason]]

| health/disease || honesty/truth || horses || humors || knowledge & reason

|-

|-

| [[magic]] || [[manner]]/[[manners]] || [[mice & rats]] || [[mirror]] || [[money]]

| magic || manner/manners || mice & rats || mirror || money

|-

|-

| [[mouth]] || [[omen]] || [[poison]] || [[proof]] || [[secrecy]]

| mouth || omen || poison || proof || secrecy

|-

|-

| [[serpent]] || [[spy]] || [[star]] || [[stranger]] || [[take]]

| serpent || spy || star || stranger || take/seize

|-

|-

| [[talk]] || [[time]] || [[touch]] || [[trap]] || [[war]]

| talk || time || touch || trap || war

|}

|}