Diction

Diction can affect a poem, or play, in various ways. In Hamlet for example, certain lines can be read, and depending on how there read, an audience can perceive it differently. Many of Hamlet's lines can be read with anger, but those same lines can be read with sarcasm, depending on who the director and actor are, and how they want to portray Hamlet's attitude at that specific time. Certain words in a sentence can be harshened or softened to reveal a characters tone and diction can ultimately alter the way a poem or play is understood.