The motif response will be due on Thursday.
By Wednesday finish reading act two and finish writing about the 2.2 soliloquy. (See below.)
In the comment box below do the following.
Write your first name and last initial.
Write down your motif (or thread).
Write down a quotation that develops your motif. (Include act, scene, and line.)
Write an explanation of what the quotation means (in context) and how the quotation develops the motif.
Write down another quotation that develops your motif. (Include act, scene, and line.)
Write an explanation of what the quotation means (in context) and how the quotation develops the motif.
Write down a third quotation that develops your motif. (Include act, scene, and line.)
Write an explanation of what the quotation means (in context) and how the quotation develops the motif.
Then write explain the development of the motif in play so far. Use quotations and other details to support your explanation.
Kelly F.
ReplyDeleteWater and other fluids
“Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat Awake the god of day, and at his warning, Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, Th’extravagant and erring spirit hies To his confine” (I, i, 166)
This quotation comes about at the end of the first scene in the book. Horatio speaks it; when he is saying that he heard that the rooster awakens the god of day with it’s trumpet-like crowing, and makes all wandering ghosts wherever they are, hurry back to their hiding places. This is spoken after the ghost returns, and Horatio tries to speak to it. The ghost remains silent, however, and disappears again just as the cock crows at the first hint of dawn. Horatio suggests that they tell Prince Hamlet, the dead king’s son, about the apparition. He believes that though the ghost did not speak to him, if it is really the ghost of King Hamlet, it will not refuse to speak to his beloved son.
The motif of water and other fluids is apparent with the mention of the sea. Horatio creates a juxtaposition between sea and fire, which are two completely opposite concepts. This juxtaposition emphasizes that no matter where the ghosts are, the roosters’ call will make them return to their hiding places. The sea, which is filled of water, and fire, which is hot and can be put out by water, are so different; but whether the ghost is in one or the other, he will still return to hiding.
“O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter!” (I, ii, 151)
In the context of this quote, Hamlet is saying that he wishes his dirty flesh could melt away into a vapor , or that God had not made a law against suicide. In his first soliloquy, where this quote appears, Hamlet expresses the depths of his melancholy and his disgust at his mother’s hastily marrying Claudius after the death of his father. He declares his father to be many times Claudius’ superior as a man.
Hamlet is using the motif of fluids when he mentions flesh melting, thawings, and becoming dew. This motif is used in the imagery of the passage. He is making it more graphic, by describing with detail what would happen to his deceased body; which emphasizes his wish of death. He wishes that his physical self might cease to exist. Using the motif, Hamlet thinks for the first time about suicide (desiring his flesh to “melt,” and wishing that God had not made “self-slaughter” a sin).
Kelly F.
ReplyDeleteWater and other fluids CONTINUED
“With juice of cursed hebona in a vial, And in the porches of my ears did pour The leprous distilment, whose effect Holds such an enmity with blood of man That swift as quicksilver it courses through The natural gates and alleys of the body, And with a sudden vigor it doth posset And curd, like eager droppings into milk, The thin and wholesome blood.” (I, v, 69)
What the ghost of Hamlet’s father is telling Hamlet here is that his uncle snuck up to him while sleeping in the orchard like he always did, and poured a vial of poison into his ear. The poison was the kind that moves like quicksilver through the veins and curdles the blood. He broke out in a scaly rash that covered his smooth body with a crust. The ghost tells Hamlet that this is how he robbed him of the crown.
This quotation has a lot to do with the motif of water and other fluids. When the ghost refers to “hebona”, he is talking about a type of poison. Using the visual motif of fluids in this quotation, Shakespeare makes his point much more effective. The vivid details of the poison pouring through his ears, and into the bloodstream would not be nearly as powerful for the reader to understand what Hamlet’s father’s ghost went through. It creates more sympathy from the reader too, since we can almost feel for the pain he suffered, which was caused by these fluids.
The motif of water and other fluids has not been developed too much throughout the play. Although there are a few places where fluids are referenced, it doesn’t seem to be that big of an idea yet. In the places that do refer to different fluids, they are mostly used to form imagery and symbols for the reader. It is a visual motif, so when read, it helps the reader visualize what is happening and what is being said. Often, it will connect with a bigger idea in the passage. Such as when Hamlet says “O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter!” (I, ii, 151) This is a place where fluid is used to emphasize Hamlet’s feelings, which are connected to a much bigger picture of Hamlet’s wish for death.
Arly M.
ReplyDeleteSleep and Dreams
Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 190-196
“Hamlet: Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio!
My father—methinks I see my father.
Horatio: Where, my lord?
Hamlet: In my mind’s eye, Horatio.
Horatio: I saw him once. He was a goodly king.
Hamlet: He was a man. Take him for all in all,
I shall not look upon his like again.”
This scene follows Hamlet’s first soliloquy, in which Horatio, Marcellus, and Barnardo all enter. When Hamlet tells Horatio that he saw his father, Horatio immediately believes that Hamlet saw the ghost, thus he questions Hamlet the place he saw his father. Hamlet’s response is the contrary, he replies, “Methinks I see my father. In my mind’s eye.” In other words, Hamlet saw his father in his imagination, which can also refer to his dreams. This quote develops the motif because it depicts Shakespeare’s irony. In other words, Hamlet deems to have seen his father in his dreams, while at the same time, Horatio deems to have seen his ghost. Hamlet was plausibly asleep and Horatio saw him wide-awake. Although, both seem to contradict each other, keeping in mind that Horatio saw King Hamlet physically and Hamlet saw him imaginably.
Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 271-279
“Rosencrantz: Why, then, your ambition makes it one. ‘Tis too narrow for your mind.
Hamlet: O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.
Guildenstern: Which dreams, indeed, are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.
Hamlet: A dream itself is but a shadow.”
Rosencrantz indicates Hamlet as an ambitious individual with a small mind. In return, Hamlet believes he can live in a nutshell and still feel like the king of the world. In addition, he reflects the bad dreams as the cause of his problem. Guildenstern compares this ambition to dreams and considers dreams as a symbol of ambition. This ambition is also signified as a shadow of a dream. Hamlet as a result, considers a dream just a shadow. This quote develops into the motif because it is a scene, where dreams are carefully being debated. However, the bad dreams that Hamlet refers to may not signify literal dreams, though to the actual troubles he is facing in reality. Nevertheless, sleep and dreams are both being incorporated. Considering the fact that Hamlet is awake while discussing the significance of a dream, while he is not asleep.
Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 579-585
“O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! It is not monstrous that this player here, But in a fiction, in a dream of passion, could force his soul so to his own conceit that from her working all visage wanned, tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect, A broken voice, and his whole function suiting with forms to his conceit—and all for nothing! For Hecuba!”
This is the beginning of Hamlet’s second soliloquy, expressing his inner anger. He is absolutely furious at the actor’s deceptive sorrow. Hamlet is in a state of complete rage and he cannot believe the actor’s strong emotions for a person he is not even familiar with. He considers the entire act false. This quote develops the motif because it leads to the concept of dreams. Hamlet is shocked that this actor can cry with absolute emotion in a fake situation and “in a dream of passion,” or in an imaginable setting.
So far, the development of the motif of sleep and dreams in the play has not been fully introduced, though has been more or less indicated by the end of Act two. Sleep and dreams both contradict each other. Considering, dreams occur when an individual is asleep. Yet, dreams can also be metaphorical. This concept has been introduced in the conversation amongst Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. Nonetheless, there is still more to this motif that has not been referred to so far since a dream is “but a shadow.”
Corinne D. Madness and Normalcy
ReplyDeleteAct 1 Scene 4 lines 77-86 “What if it tempt you towards the flood, my lord? Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff that beetles o'er its base into the sea, and there assume some other horrible form which might deprive your sovereignty of reason and draw you into madness? Think of it. The very place puts toys of desperations, without more motive, into every brain that looks so many fathoms to the sea and hears it roar beneath.”
Here Horatio questions Hamlet's reasoning in agreeing to follow, what would appear to be, the ghost of the deceased King. Horatio is concerned that the ghost may not be what it seems, but rather a demon in disguise, holding its facade for only long enough to tempt Hamlet, before revealing its true identity. There are two different aspects of madness that are brought up in this quote. One is the fear that Hamlet will be made mad by the ghost. The specter’s questionable character makes Horatio and his companion fear the worst. However, there is also the idea of the madness that already exists in Hamlet. He is willing, almost eager, to follow his father's ghost beyond the sight of his friends. He never stops to reason, he only acts, which is a sort of madness in itself. He is so desperate to hear from the king, that he is perfectly willing to take daring risks. It is in this quote that the reader is first introduced to Hamlet's lack of rational, and one can begin to inference about it's possible negative affects on the plot.
Act 1 Scene 5 lines 187-202 “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. But come. Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, how strange or odd some'ere I bear myself (as I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on) That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, with arms encumbered thus, or this headshake, or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase, as 'well, well, we know,' or 'we could and if we would,' or 'if we list to speak,' or 'There be an if they might,' or such ambiguous giving-out, to note that you know aught of me.”
After the ghost has come and gone before Hamlet, Horatio arrives at his friend's side. It is then that Hamlet delivers this passage to his two companions. Hamlet tells his friends that after having this experience, he will act odd and crazy, but that he will be purposefully acting this way. He makes the two men swear that they will not share any of this information with anyone, nor will they give hints to others about what may be going on. For the viewers/ readers, Hamlet's words are very puzzling. Do we take this character at his word and believe that, even if he does appear to be crazed, he is actually completely in control of his actions? Or, do we judge him directly on his behavior? This is a tough question, and, at this point in the play, there is no correct answers. How does one know whether or not they can trust Hamlet? It seems almost counterintuitive to trust that a man who acts insane actually is sane just because he says so. Is Hamlet perhaps not so in control as he claims he is? And even if he is only feigning madness, isn't that, in itself, madness?
Corinne D. Madness and Normalcy Cont.
ReplyDeleteAct 2 Scene 2 lines 402-403 “I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handshaw.”
Once again, Hamlet attempts to tell his audience, and his companions, that he is sane. He tells his friends that he is only insane sometimes. In the audience's minds, now, they have to decide whether this is because he chooses to be insane at times, or because he truly loses control. Hamlet's openness about the subject makes it seem as though he is, or at least is pretending to be, a master of his actions. Having observed Hamlet throughout the play, though, one may have their doubts. When talking to Polonius previously in this scene his sentences were often nonsensical and incoherent. Shakespeare leaves it up to the viewer/ reader as to whether or not this was intentional insanity or not. This riff between madness and normalcy is made to seem very thin when it comes to Hamlet. He is obviously a fairly intelligent person, but as to his ability to keep his head on straight, we do not know. It does seem strange, though, that whenever he is confronted with the issue of his sanity, he is quick to say his actions are purposeful, and that his lunacy is a facade. How much can one really trust a mad man? No matter real or fake.
So far, my motif has only arisen in relation to Hamlet. It would seem as if shakespeare is trying to center the play on whether or not we can trust Hamlet, and not so much the other actors. This took me by surprise at first, because I had assumed that it was Claudius and current king who would need to earn my trust. However, as the play carries on and more and more of Hamlet's character is revealed, I find that the audience is made more to second guess the main man, rather than the father-uncle. Contemplating further, it is very possible that Hamlet has been mad from the beginning, and that this whole tragedy will consist of Hamlet's reasoning and reputation falling into pieces. As he was alone, who's to say, besides the questionable Hamlet, that the ghost really did talk to him? Perhaps the whole conversation with his dead father was all just an illusion. Maybe Claudius isn't a murderer at all, and it was just Hamlet's mourning conscious that caused him to hear the ghost say such things. The irrational with which he begins to blatantly act in act 2 leads the reader to question his sanity even more. He often goes off into rants that make no sense, yet claims later on that his lunacy is just a mask. However, when he does tell people that he purposefully acts crazy, he tells them in great confidence, asking them or trusting them not to tell. It seems as though Hamlet best kept secret is the state of his mind
Katie M.
ReplyDeleteGhosts and Spirits
"Th' extravagant and erring spirit hies." (1:1:169)
This situation takes place at the beginning of the play. Horatio and Marcellus are awaiting the arrival of the so called ghost. Horatio does not necessarily believe, but then is thrown onto a different outlook, as the ghost makes its appearance. They sit there and await for its arrival. Before the so called ghost is seen by the human eye, the men feel its presence before it shows itself.This is when the issue of the ghost first starts.
"My father's spirit - in arms!" (1:2:277)
Horatio and Marcellus travel to go find Hamlet and give him the news about the ghost that looks like his father. Hamlet is put off guard, but also at the same time seems happy, or even relieved. This new factor adds to Hamlet's problems but makes it sort of easier on him while dealing with the death, now the idea of "seeing" his father again is floating around in his head.
"I am thy father's spirit." (1:5:14)
This point in time, the questions and problems are answered. Hamlet is now faced with the truth, which brings in a lot of other problems. This is a major turning point, since the scene brings in a lot of different emotions and new facts. The ghost reveals itself to Hamlet, and eagerly informs him that he is his father. He was murdered by Hamlet’s uncle, and he needs to take revenge on the new king. This statement made by the ghost of Hamlet’s father is very straight forward, and shows he is not trying to beat around the bush.
The development of the motif "Ghosts and Spirits", changes drastically within an act or two. In the beginning the ghost is more of a question than an answer. No one knows if it is real or just a figment of their imagination. Then the ghost appears and confuses a few minds. Those minds run to Hamlet and inform him of what they believe is the truth. That "truth" actually becomes the truth, and strikes Hamlet with a bunch of contradicting factors. He now realizes that the ghost is of his father and he was killed by Hamlet's uncle. The ghost goes from being unknown, to a question, to a figure, to the truth.
HannahEllis
ReplyDeleteCorruption and Honesty:
“She married. O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets! (1.2.161-162)
This quote shows that Hamlet thinks that the Queen was corrupt in marrying her deceased husband’s brother, especially because at the time this was considered incest and was deeply looked down upon. The Queen married her new husband so soon after her husband died Hamlet believes that it is corrupt and disgusting. Hamlet calls his mother wicked and explains her new marriage as one done with dexterity, or mental quickness. He believes that his mother got over the death of his father way too quickly. This quote enhances the motif of corruption and honesty because Hamlet shows the reader that he believes what his mother did was wrong and corrupt and she was being dishonest to the love of her deceased husband. The motif of corruption and honesty is brought even stronger into the forefront because as the reader you believe that it is dishonest and weird for them to be married, and Hamlet shows that he feels the same way as you.
“So the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forgéd process of my death Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown. (1.5.43-47)
The Ghost, King Hamlet, in this scene accuses his brother, the new king, of murdering him in his sleep. Not only is it corrupt to murder your own brother or to murder anyone, but to murder your brother for power is the epitome of corruption. The Ghost goes on to explain how the new King killed him, and even the way of the murder was corrupt, because it was done cowardly and while King Hamlet was sleeping. Shakespeare uses the word serpent which is usually connected to villainous and corrupt people. This quote adds another layer to the motif of corruption and honesty, because you now know that the man that is ruling Denmark is someone who is corrupt enough to kill his own brother to gain power. Not only is the Queen corrupt, but also the new King. From what the ghost of King Hamlet says it brings a whole new idea into the play of revenge and trickery and leads to the events of many more people becoming corrupt and dishonest.
“My lord, as I was sewing in my closest, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet unbraced, No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled, Undergartered, and down-gyvéd to his ankle, Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, And with a look so piteous in purport As if he had been loosed out of hell to speak of horrors—he comes before me. (2.1.87-94)
Ophelia seems to be one of the many people in this play that is being honest. Her father, Polonius banned her from seeing Hamlet, so when he snuck into her room she went immediately after and told her father of the occurrence. Ophelia believes she must obey what her father says, so she is completely honest with him. In a story based mainly on the chain effect of the corruption of people, she seems to have removed herself as to not be affected by it. This quote shows the other half of the corruption and honesty motif, because corruption is the main part. It helps the play keep followers, because if there wasn’t balanced or have an opposing action, the play would be too much to handle.
HannahEllis Corruption and Honesty Continued:
ReplyDeleteThis motif of corruption and honesty shows up very often in this play, and is one of the main things that showed up in this play. There is no middle ground in corruption and honest, what you are saying is either the truth or a lie with no in-between. Most of the characters in this play display corruption at one time or another, while not many display honesty. Through the first two acts of Hamlet are full of betrayal and corruption and very little honesty. The royalty is corrupt, the people they associate with are corrupt, and very little of the people around them are truth teller, Horatio and Ophelia being some of the few. Many of these people think that the way they are acting is just, but even still they are tricking someone else and displaying corruption. Corruption shows up a lot more then honesty in this play but they both are equally important.
Sydney I.
ReplyDeleteWomen and womanliness
(I.ii.150) Frailty, thy name is woman!
This is one of the first times Hamlet himself brings up something to do with women, and of course it’s his mother in talking about how angry he is with her. He doesn’t understand and can’t wrap his mind around the fact that she remarried so quickly. He believes that women should be faithful to their husbands for an extended amount of time so that they can properly grieve who they loved. He then goes on to say that, for her sake, he’ll hold back and not lash out at her for now. The motif is starting to develop in that it’s showing Hamlet’s way of thinking. Because of this one thing that happened with his mother, he now assumes that all women are immoral. This includes Ophelia, though not stated outright.
(I.iii.141-145) I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth… I shall obey, my Lord.
Polonius is expecting not to meet with or talk to Hamlet any longer, and expects her to obey, which she does. His double standard with Laertes is that he gives him advice to not party in drink, but expects him to do so, because that’s just what boys his age do. But when Ophelia is getting to cozy with one person, Polonius goes into daddy mode and instantly tries to cut it off, telling her that she has to save her virginity and not throw it away for something (that he sees as) frivolous and short lived. Polonius is developing a controlling aspect to him early on, especially over his daughter. He doesn’t care with his son, for the most part, but he makes sure to keep her within arm’s reach so that his precious little daughter can’t get hurt. It’s depicted as a typical father and daughter relationship, but it is blown out of proportion. When put up next to the contrast of how he deals with Laertes, the double standard is so apparent.
(I.v.193-195) Against thy mother aught… To prick and sting her.
The ghost is telling Hamlet that his mother already feels bad. Anything you can do to her is nothing compared to what she is doing to herself. He’s telling her not to make it worse. Personally, this relates to a “mother’s instinct”. The Ghost knows that Gertrude knows what she did to Hamlet is wrong, and she is feeling it as well. As a mother, she wants to console Hamlet, but that would take admitting she is wrong. Leaving her to her own mental torment is the worst thing Hamlet could do.
Michael J.
ReplyDeleteEye and I
Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 159-162 (I.ii.159-162)
"Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married."
Hamlet is talking his mother remarrying to Claudius, the King's brother, so early after his father's death. Not only does he approve of it because it is incest, but he's also put off by how quickly she remarried. Galled means to get irritated, which, of course, happens to your eyes after crying. Hamlet is saying that before even the tears in her eyes from her own husbands funeral could dry up, she remarried.
—
Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 18-26 (I.v.18-26)
"But that I am forbid
To tell the secrets of my prison house,
I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,
Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,
Thy knotted and combined locks to part
And each particular hair to stand on end,
Like quills upon the fearful"
This quote happens at the end of act 5, where Hamlet encounters his father's ghost. He follows his father's ghost, and his father tells him about his true death and how he roams the streets of Denmark at night, but burns in the flames of purgatory during the day. The reason why he is in purgatory is because he's repenting for the sins he committed when he was alive, which he doesn't say. He says that these sins were horrible, and enough to make Hamlet's eyes* bulge out of their sockets and make the hair on his head stand up out of horror.
—
Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 486-489 (II.ii.486-489)
"Roasted in wrath and fire,
And thus oersized with coagulate gore,
With eyes like carbuncles, the hellish Pyrrhus
Old grandsire Priam seeks."
This is part of a speech that Hamlet delivered from part of a play that he saw and loved. Right now a troupe is in the castle and is here to entertain Hamlet and his friends. This play is about Troy and the Trojan Horse. Everything is a huge disaster, right now he's describing a man named Pyrrhus who has murdered men, women, and children. Carbuncles are red jewels.
—
I noticed that Shakespeare uses eyes to convey emotion. For example, when the ghost describes eyes bulging out of Hamlet's head, that's obviously a metaphor for being surprised. Not to mention, he conveys her mother's sadness through her eyes that are irritated from crying. He also uses it as an exaggerated metaphorical time span for quickly she betrayed her dead husband and married his brother. He used the eye to characterize the mother as being unfaithful. Shakespeare also uses the Pyrrhus' eye color to characterize him. He describes his eyes as carbuncles—glistening, blood-red jewels. It's quite obvious the man is evil.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKacie Q.
ReplyDeletePlaying and Acting
1) (1. 2. 79-86)“Seems,” madam? Nay, it is. I know not “seems.”/ 'Tis not alone in my inky cloak, good mother,/ Nor customary suits of solemn black,/ Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,/ No, nor the fruitful river of the eye,/ Nor the dejected havior of the visage,/ Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,/ that can denote me truly.
In this passage, Hamlet is peaking to a mother who has just asked him the question, “Why seems it so particular with thee?” meaning, why is Hamlet making such a big deal out of his father's death, considering that death is a reality and happens all the time. This quote develops my motif because in it Hamlet explains that his grief is not merely an act. He is genuinely upset, despite the fact that the rest of his family doesn't seem to be. The fact that he brings up the “customary suits of solemn black” also reminds me of costumes that actors make. I feel that Hamlet brings his attire up in the first place to explain that he is not merely playing a part of a grieving person, but that his attire reflects his own feelings.
2) (1. 5. 114-115) My tables—meet it is I set it down/ That one may smile and be a villain.
In this quote, Hamlet is talking about his mother and his uncle, both of whom seem happy despite the fact that one of their family members has just recently died. The fact that he brings up the smiling reminds me of a mask that an actor might wear in order to play a particular role. This quote made it clear that Hamlet's family may not be all they appear to be. They seem to be far less honest and much more able to act and manipulate others than it seems at first.
3) (2.2.633-634) The play's the thing/ Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King.
DeleteIn this quote, Hamlet is summing up his soliloquy in a handy dandy little couplet. He explains that he's going to use the actors to do a play that is similar to the murder of Hamlet's father he's going to observe his uncle and see whether or not he seems affected by the play. This entire soliloquy is very interesting because it brings up multiple aspects of my motif. First there's the literal play that's going on. Then there's the less obvious acting of Claudius. Hamlet wonders whether or not whether his Uncle will be able to disguise his true emotions while watching the play.
My motif, playing and acting, has a very interesting development throughout the course of the play. At first, it was much more difficult to actually find passages that supported my motif. I often had to find subtle references to the playing and acting motif, and the explanations were much less literal. They included the characters' ability to either hide their emotion or not. He brought up both his mother and his uncle, who seem to be acting to be indifferent towards King Hamlet's death, and himself, who is not at all playing a part, but is truly grieving. For the most part, these quotes were more focused on developing the characters in Hamlet, but didn't really advance the plot very much. As I read further, though, my motif appeared in much more conspicuous ways. There was, for example, the arrival of the Players, who would be putting on a play for Hamlet. A good portion of the second scene of the second act was devoted to these actor. These events seemed to be much more vital to the actual story of Hamlet. The play within the play seemed as if it would be advancing the plot, because it would allow Hamlet to finally discover whether or not Claudius had actually killed Hamlet's father. At first, I didn't believe that my motif was going to be a vital part of Hamlet, but the further I read the more I realized that playing and acting would be crucial to the plot. Hamlet's soliloquy at the end of the second act had a lot to do with my motif. One of the things that struck me the most was of his own references to disguises: “Plucks off my beard and blows it in the face.” His reference to the beard made me realize that Hamlet was playing a part, presumably of a mad man, and he was fully aware of the fact. It made me think of a costume that hid who the person really was. I'm curious to see how my motif will develop when the play is actually being performed.
Olivia P.
ReplyDeleteMan and Manliness
“But to persevere in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness. 'Tis unmanly grief.” Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 96-98
In the beginning of this scene, Hamlet is still moping around with such a grief over his father’s murder. It has come to Claudius’ attention, when he finally decides to tell Hamlet to stop being a baby. Being inconsiderate of the major changes going on in Hamlet’s life, he still decides to give Hamlet his two cents. It is then that he goes into detail, that his father lost a father before him, and so on and that each son has had to mourn his father, but for a certain period, basically telling Hamlet to suck it up, and to stop being a baby. I believe this quote develops the motif “manliness” because it is Claudius telling Hamlet how to act. Also, informing Hamlet how other men act, and men before him acted. It sets a path for Claudius’ expectance from Hamlet, and the path to choose in getting over the grief of his father’s death.
“He was a man. Take him for all in all. I shall not look upon his like again.” Act Scene 2 Lines 195-196
This line comes about in the conversation between Horatio and Hamlet when discussing why Horatio has left Wittenberg. Although most audiences know Horatio returned to see the marriage, Horatio does not come out and say it, until Hamlet questions it. Hamlet claims to have seen his father in his conscience and it is then that he re-discusses his father’s personality with Horatio, stating, “He was a great human being. He was perfect in everything. I’ll never see the likes of him again.” This quote develops the motif of manliness, because Hamlet views his father as an ideal man, and always refers back to him as a sun god. Instead of listening to what Claudius has to say as far as being “unmanly,” Hamlet refers back to his father, seeing how he acted.
“Ay, sir. To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.” Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 194-195
Hamlet and Polonius are in discussion, where Polonius is secretly questioning Hamlet’s mental state, and Hamlet is cunningly screwing with Polonius. Hamlet pretends he doesn't know Polonius and questions if he is a “fish monger?” Polonius denies Hamlet’s statement, and in return Hamlet says, “Yes, sir. Only one man in ten thousand is good in this world.” This quote shapes the manliness motif, because of what Hamlet’s retorts are truly implying. Although he is certainly playing around with words, and messing with Polonius’ mind, he is also adding in truth to his every statements. He is implying that he wishes Polonius was a good man, but secretly meaning he wishes Polonius didn't keep Ophelia from him. Hamlet is also slyly implying Polonius isn't an ideal man, that the people of Denmark are told to live by.
Hope W.
ReplyDeleteAfterlife & Death
1. {1.1.150} “For which, they say, you spirits oft walk in death, speak of it.” This quote the guards Horatio and Barnardo see the ghost of the late king for the very first time. The pair is trying to convince the ghost to speak to them; they want an explanation for why he has come to haunt the castle. Horatio is attempting to get the ghost into speaking by saying that many have seen him and are frightened by seeing someone whom they know is dead once again walk the halls. This quotation contributes to the development of the motif by starting off the audiences thinking about death, and the fact that Hamlet’s father (the king) had recently died. This is one of the very first mentioning of death and how death has and will affect the main character Hamlet. Later in this scene the pair mention telling Hamlet that they have seen the ghost of his father, this aforementioned meeting will be a key element in the plot of the entire book.
2. {1.2.188-189} “The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.” Shakespeare uses this line to poke fun at the hastiness of Claudius and Gertrude’s marriage so close after the funeral of the previous king. He does this be saying that the leftover food from the funeral was used to feed those who attended the marriage. Shakespeare takes this time to show the way that Hamlet likes to play with words making puns. This quotation adds humor to the very depressed topic of death and the afterlife, and lightening the mood of the scene overall. This quote aids in the development of the thread because it shows how the death of King Hamlet affected those around him, which is important given that this quote is found in dialogue between Hamlet, who was very close with the king and the two guards who also had a great appreciation for the king. It ties into my first quote by having the death be King Hamlet’s death, showing that his ghost and spiritual presence is acknowledged (or at least there is a nod to it here) and honored.
3. {1.5.46-47} “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.” The Ghost of Hamlet’s father the king has just revealed to both Hamlet and the audience that the person who murdered him is indeed Claudius, or the new king of Denmark. This great reveal changes how people will feel and perceive Claudius in the future. This quote develops the plot going deeper into King Hamlet’s tragic death adding a real purpose to the presence of the Ghost and to anything that Hamlet will do for the rest of the play. In terms of developing my thread this quotation plays a huge role, tying any loose ends or questions that the audience may have about how the King died and why it is so important for the play. It furthers the importance of death in the play and how it is and will be used to further the plot and push the storyline along.
The motif life and death has taken great strides since the start of the play, in the beginning death started out as something that was important but the audience could not say exactly why or what it did for the plot. As the first scenes came to a close one could get a better grasp on the importance of the inclusion of death “Murder? Murder most foul, as in best it is,” when the audiences make the realization that the king was not in fact bitten by a snake but killed, murdered in the worst sense of the word. Throughout the ghost scene (Act 1 Scene 5) death is very present and its purpose becomes as clear as crystal when the ghost explains to Hamlet that he must take revenge on Claudius. Death is the power behind the plot, and its use as a rhetorical strategy makes the play what it is and furthers the plot with nearly every mention of it.
Bethany G.
ReplyDeleteLife and Death
I. i. 48
Quotation:
“Or if thou hast uphoarded in thy life Exported treasure in the womb of earth, For which, they say, (you) spirits oft walk in death, speak of it.”
Explanation:
In the passage, Horatio is trying to speak to the ghost. This particular quote is saying that spirits walk the grounds to protect something – treasures – that they had buried below the surface of the earth, before. Horatio is saying, this is what spirits are meant to do, when they pass. This quote could also be a hidden metaphor, or double-meaning. It could mean that before a person dies, they have a secret that they must keep hidden, so they wander the earth protecting it. In this case, it would be King Hamlet knowing who killed him, and he will remain on earth, until someone figures it out. This quote ties in the motif of death, because it talks about spirits wandering the earth. Horatio says that spirits are meant to stay on earth to protect something valuable; that is their role as ghosts.
I. ii. 73
Quotation:
“…Seek for thy noble father in the dust. Thou know’st ‘tis common; all that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity.”
Explanation:
This quote is spoken by the Queen, Hamlet’s mother. She is explaining to Hamlet, in the first line, that he should stop mourning over his father, because what happened was expected; everyone will die, no matter who that person is. She uses the word “noble”, because she of course still respects her deceased husband, but she understands that what is done is done, and she couldn’t help it. She says death is a common event that happens in life. The last part of the quote is explaining that people live in the world (nature), and they pass into heaven (eternity). The quotation is pretty self-explanatory, when the motif of life and death is involved. What lives, dies, and that is inevitable.
I. ii. 104
Quotation:
“Why should we in our peevish opposition Take it to heart? Fie, ‘tis a fault to heaven, A fault against the dead, a fault to nature, to reason most absurd, whose common theme Is death of fathers, and who still hath cried, From the first corse till he that died today, ‘This must be so.’”
Explanation:
The king, in this passage is sort of repeating what the queen had mentioned earlier. Having a father die is a common thing, and mourning over him for so long, and taking it to heart is a “fault” against those who have died. It doesn’t do them honor to grieve for people who aren’t around anymore, is what the king is trying to get across to Hamlet. Although, being nice and giving advice could be his way of trying to manipulate Hamlet into believing and trusting him. This quote ties in the theme of life and death because the King explains that the death of a father is certain to happen anyway, so we mustn’t mourn over the past.
Motif:
Life and death has occurred in various moments throughout the play; especially when the characters interact with the ghost of King Hamlet, and when they talk about the death of him. Authority figures keep telling Hamlet to “get over” his father’s death and move on. The passing was inevitable, and he should continue with his life, by acknowledging his death, but mostly he needs to celebrate his father’s life, and move on. The motif also comes up in subtle lines of the way Hamlet is currently living his life. He’s barely living, because he’s so depressed by the death of his father. As the play continues, life and death should become more prominent, as we find continue deeper in the story and we gather more evidence.
Joshua D.
ReplyDeleteFortune/ Fate
1.1 lines 124 to 138 “A mote it is to trouble the mind’s eye. In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Julius fell, The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead Did squeak and gibber in the roman streets; As stars with trains of fire and dew of blood, disasters in the sun; and the moist star, Upon whose influence Neptune’s empire stands, was sick almost to doomsday with eclipses. And even like preceding of feared events, As harbingers preceding still fates and prolonged to the omen coming on, Have heaven and earth together demonstrated unto our climatures and countrymen”
In this quotation Horatio is comparing the events that are transpiring in Denmark following King Hamlet’s death to those after the death of Rome’s great leader Julius Cesar. He says that in Rome at that time the dead rose from their graves and left tombs empty. According to Horatio the appearance of ghosts in the realm of the living foretells of turmoil in the near future, and that the coming of king hamlet’s ghost should be viewed as a warning to all the people of Denmark. The motif of fortune and fate are introduced in this passage for the first time, Horatio introduces the idea of king hamlets ghost as the harboring of coming events that will bloody the land ( hamlets revenge). By comparing the conditions in Rome after Julius Cesar’s death, which leads to civil war, to those in Denmark following king hamlets death Horatio himself is foretelling a time of trouble and corruption in Denmark.
1.5 lines 12 and 31
“So art to revenge, when thought shalt hear.”
The ghost of king hamlet in this quotation is foretelling hamlets reaction to his father’s murder and telling hamlet what his fate shall be from that moment on. This quotation develops the motif of fortune and fate in two distinct ways. The first is on the surface the statement itself is a prophecy of hamlets reaction to the information King Hamlets ghost is about to reveal to him , King hamlet says that Hamlet will revenge him after hearing of his murder. Going deeper the quotation reveals Hamlets overall fate for the remainder of the play, which is to seek revenge upon his father’s murder. The idea of a person’s individual fate is developed more in this passage where previously fate had been focused on the nation of Denmark as a whole here it focuses on hamlets own fate.
“O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor can’t it come to good.”( 1.2 161)
In this quotation hamlet is foretelling that the union of his uncle and mother will lead to great problems in the near future. Hamlet believes that the speed and incestuous nature of the marriage between his uncle and mother is an omen. If the king and queen, who are supposed to be superior to their subjects, are lecherous what hope do Denmark’s citizens have. This quote reiterates the idea that Denmark’s fortune has turned dark after King Hamlet’s death.
The threads of fortune and fate are very well developed in the first act. The prophecy that there are dark times coming in Denmark is told multiple times by multiple characters based on diverse reasoning. Hamlets personal fate is also reveled in act one, his father’s ghost reveals that Hamlet is destined to avenge King Hamlet’s murder. This combination of the personal fate and grand prophecy in act one develop the motif of fortune and fate very thoroughly. In juxtaposition to the through development of the motif in act one, fortune and fate are barely mentioned in act 2. Overall the motif of fate and fortune has been developed fairly thoroughly thanks mostly to the thoroughness of act one.
Alan D
ReplyDeleteCorruption and Honesty
"For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor, held it a fashion and a toy in blood, A violet in the youth of primy nature, forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting, the perfume and suppliance of a minute, no more." 1.3.6-11
This quote is Laertes talking to Ophelia and telling her not to be with Hamlet because he was a man and he was going to just use her to have sex and then he would leave her. This is Corruption because even though Laertes was telling Ophelia to be chaste he was leaving to go to France where he would obviously be doing that sort of things. Also he thought that this was ok because he was a man and she was a women so he could do what he wanted and she couldn't.
"But to my mind, though I am native here and to the manner born, it is a custom more honored in the breach than the observance. " 1.4.16-18
This quote is Hamlet talking to Horatio at night waiting for the ghost to appear. He talks about how while he is waiting for the ghost there is a party for the kings inauguration. This was an old Dutch custom and Hamlet says "custom more honored in the breach that the observance." which is to say that when people don't follow the custom it is better for the country's reputation and the King's reputation. This shows that the highest place in the government structure is corrupt because he will throw a party that will dishonor the people around him but doesn't care because he has a good time. It also shows how that people are trying to congratulate the king and there is so much corruption that it seems into the good from the bad.
"I will tell why; shall my anticipation prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the King and Queen molt no feather."2.2.316-318
Hamlet says this quote to Guilgenstern because he knows that both him and Rosencartz were sent to spy on Hamlet by the Queen and King. This shows that the queen and king could not be honest and just come forward and ask him what is wrong. This also shows that the King and Queen are both corrupt because they would not worry about coming forward and asking Hamlet about what is wrong if they were not up to something and they were worried about Hamlet knowing anything. Hamlet was able to discern the truth from his friends and be honest to them instead of being corrupt and using that knowledge to aid himself and get his friends into trouble.
The motif has developed from the corruption of Denmark and the King to the King and Queen are trying to deceive Hamlet and make him tell them that he knows about the murder and Hamlet is trying to make a plan to bring out the corruptness in the Majesties. It shows how the new King is corrupt and lies to get into power and how the people of Denmark like the King are corrupt. You can see the corruptness in the people of Denmark because of the party they threw for the new king and how Laertes told Ophelia not to see someone and he was hypocrite in the subject. As it transitions you begin to see Hamlet start to deceive those around him so that he can formulate a plan to find the king guilty and kill him and the Majesties trying to figure out what Hamlet was thinking because his actions are worrying them and the way they are trying to find out the information uses a lot of deception.
Kirsten S.
ReplyDeleteGhosts and Spirits
“I am thy father's spirit,/Doomed for a certain term to walk the night/And for the day confined to fast in fires/Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature/Are burnt and purged away.” 1.4.14-18
This quote is spoken by King Hamlet, or better known as the ghost. Hamlet has just followed the ghost to talk to him, although it was against Horatio and Marcellus' wishes. He is making himself known to Hamlet, clarifying his identity. He also talks of how he spends his time as a ghost, so to speak. During the night he haunts his past life, and the day, paying for all the mistakes he made while alive. This quotation develops my motif, because it gives the ghost that the guards have seen an identity. It sets the stage for what is to come.
“There needs no ghost, my lord, come from the grave/To tell us this.” 1.5.139-140
This quote is spoken by Horatio in response to Hamlet relaying the news that his ghost of a father told him of the evil in Denmark. Horatio then questions why a ghost needs to tell them this, when they seemingly already knew. This quotation helps develop my motif because the ghost is telling Hamlet all of these things, about how Claudius murdered him, and how supposedly that is the villain in Denmark. Although it leads me to wonder whether the ghost of King Hamlet is the real villain.
“The spirt I have seen/May be a devil, and the devil hath power/T' assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps,/Out of my weakness and my melancholy,/As he is very potent with such spirits,/Abuses me to damn me.” 2.2.627-632
Hamlet says this during his second soliloquy, and I believe he is questioning the integrity of his father's ghost. Is he telling him these things for the better good, or for evil? Is that even his father, or just a devil in disguise? This unweary feeling over whether or not to trust the ghost will most likely be important throughout the play. I'm not aware of the ending of Hamlet, although maybe I should know what will happen, though I can only assume the ghost is not who he says he is, and is in fact the center of whatever madness Hamlet has within him.
Cara O.
ReplyDeleteSleep and Dreams
Hamlet: “The King doth wake tonight and takes his rouse, keeps wassail, and the swagg’ring uprising reels; And, as he drains his draughts of Rhenish down, the kettledrum and trumpet thus bray out the triumph of his pledge.” 1.4.9-13
King Claudius is celebrating his new position of power by staying up all night and drinking. Hamlet believes that even though this is tradition, there would be more honor in not drinking. The drinking would not occur if there was not a lack of sleep. One begins to believe that Hamlet values sleep more than partying or drinking. Claudius causes a lot of chaos, so perhaps sleep is something that prevents chaos from occurring.
Ghost: “Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother’s hand of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched, cut off, even in the blossoms of my sin, unhouseled, disappointed, unaneled, no reck’ning made, but sent to my account with all my imperfections on my head.” 1.5.81-86
King Hamlet’s ghost is explaining his murder to Hamlet. He recalls that Claudius snuck up on him sleeping in his orchard in the afternoon and pouring poison into his ears. Here, sleep is seen as the opposite of before. It is a state of vulnerability and weakness, and therefore a bad thing. In Hamlet, a lot of the action takes place during times when people are asleep. The ghost appears twice during the night, and one of the main murders happens during sleep. According to this quote, sleep is not a safe state to be in, because that is where the strange events in Hamlet take place.
Guildenstern: “Which dreams, indeed, are ambitious for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.
Hamlet: A dream itself is but a shadow.” 2.2.276-279
Hamlet, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern are conversing about ambitions. Hamlet struggles with ambitions. He wishes to get revenge on Claudius for killing King Hamlet, but he cannot bring himself to do it. Guildenstern states that dreams are derived from ambition, and ambition is the shadow of a dream. Hamlet then states that dreams are shadows themselves. Through transition, Hamlet might be referring to his ambitions as shadows because they are difficult to grasp. Earlier in the book, ambitions and dreams are synonymous. Most of the time, the character’s dreams are really their desires.
Ivy G.
ReplyDeleteFlora and Fauna
(Page 19) Act 1. Sc. 1 Line 165 “The cock, that is the trumpet to the morn, doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat awake the god of day…”
In this quote, Horatio says that a bird signals dawn. This crowing of the bird also signals the departure of the ghost and therefore that the ghost can only come about at night. This initial juxtaposition is later used in the play in Act 1. Sc. 5 that the ghost is “doomed for a certain term to walk the night and for the day confined to fast in fires”. The ghost is often compared to animals that share his pain (like in Act 1. Sc. 5 the ghost relates himself to a porcupine) or uses animals to create an image, in this case the symbolism between birds crowing in the morning and immortal spirits or ghosts leaving.
(Page 59) Act 1. Sc. 3 Line 42 “’Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, a serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark is by a forged process of my death rankly abused.”
In this quote the ghost uses this visual motif of both flora and fauna to describe his murder. He claims that while he was sleeping in his orchard (creating a peaceful image) he was stung by a serpent (the serpent or snake being Claudius). This quote develops the fauna motif by presenting Claudius as a sneaky, deceitful and unfaithfully-murderous serpent. It develops the flora motif by using “orchard” to describe a scene in which King Hamlet was innocently sleeping and remains innocent throughout the play.
(Page 61) Act 1. Sc. 5 Line 94 “Leave her to heaven and to those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once. The glowworm shows the matin to be near…”
In this quote, the ghost speaks to Hamlet and advises him to leave his mother alone. The ghost uses thorns to symbolize Gertrude’s actions that will “prick and sting her”. The ghost informs Hamlet that he doesn’t need to take revenge on his mother since her guilt will take care of that. Gertrude’s guilt seems to be evident throughout the play because Gertrude believes that Hamlet is “mad” because of his father’s death and her “o’erhasty” marriage.
There are an incredible amount of quotes that develop flora and fauna throughout this play. I’m impressed with how often Shakespeare uses this thread to create metaphors, and images that engage the reader. It seems as if certain characters have their own flora or fauna. For example, Claudius is a liar and a murderer and snakes and worms (and fishmongers or carps) are known to be slithery and slimy, therefore he is often associated with those types of creatures. Everyone seems to miss King Hamlet since he was such a wonderful king; therefore he uses vocabulary that is peaceful such as “orchards” and other forms of flora that are appealing. This motif helps the reader to understand what Shakespeare wants us to feel about a certain person or thing, since it gives us a general opinion that most people share. In other words, no one wants “thorns to prick and sting” you so when thorns are used to describe something you already know it’s not exactly going to be a compliment.
Christina S.
ReplyDeleteWords and Speaking
1.1.23
Barnardo: Say, what, is Horatio there?
Horatio: A piece of him.
In this passage, Barnardo is waiting for Horatio to show up. He hears footsteps and asks if it’s Horatio. Horatio responds by essentially saying that he’s only partially there, or that his mind is elsewhere. He could have easily responded more simply, but the words he chose were much more ominous. He knows that the country is on the brink of war, and standing at the guard tower on a dark night is foreboding in itself. Horatio went to visit the guards so he could see the ghost of the former king, which is much spookier. Horatio’s response sort of foreshadows the theme of madness that appears later in the play. A detached mind and having pieces missing seems to indicate mental instability. Such a simple line adds to the intensity of the story.
1.2.66
Claudius: But now, my cousin Hamlet and my son –
Hamlet: A little more than kin and less than kind.
Claudius: How is it that the clouds still hang on you?
Hamlet: Not so, my lord; I am too much in the sun.
Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle-turned-stepfather, asks Hamlet to think of him as a father and refers to him as his son. Hamlet mutters that their relationship is very strange and he doesn’t care to be any closer with Claudius than he already is. Claudius didn’t hear Hamlet’s line and asks why he’s been acting so depressed lately. Hamlet responds by saying that that isn’t true and that he’s in the sun. Hamlet makes a pun using the words son and sun. This pun is mocking Claudius’ request. Hamlet is not happy, and he definitely doesn’t want to be Claudius’ son. His quick and snappy wordplay often gives the reader a lot of insight. Hamlet is seen as a bright but dismal character who’s full of angst and self-blame. His puns portray that indirectly and very well.
2.2.208
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words.
In this section of the play, Polonius is trying to figure out how Hamlet’s mind is working, and Hamlet’s having none of it. He responded sarcastically to a few of Polonius’ lines before. Polonius is trying anything to keep the conversation going, so he asks what book Hamlet’s reading. Hamlet kind of shrugs him off by saying, “Words, words, words.” By saying this, Hamlet is working towards accomplishing two of his goals. He’s angry with Polonius for ordering Ophelia not to see him anymore. Instead of dealing with this directly, Hamlet uses sarcasm and tries Polonius’ patience. By not answering any of his questions, the reader can see how Hamlet’s getting enjoyment out of his clever wordplay and the frustration it’s causing Polonius. Also, Hamlet wants others to think that he’s going crazy, and as Polonius points out, he speaks the way a madman does.
Words and speaking have been very prominent in the play thus far. It’s a very broad topic, so it’s safe to assume that this motif will carry throughout the rest of the story. When dealing with words, it’s easier to turn to puns and wordplay and what they reveal about certain characters. Hamlet’s puns portray him as quick-witted and full of angst. The reactions of Claudius and Polonius (or lack thereof) show that they’re not as clever and that they don’t share the same views of the world as Hamlet does. The speaking aspect seems to deal more with how truthful characters are when they speak. Polonius questions Hamlet’s trustworthiness on several occasions, and says that his love for Ophelia is nothing but a trap. As far as motifs go, words and speaking is probably the most diverse and it continues to develop and intertwine with different motifs along the way.
Zach S.
ReplyDeletePlaying and Acting
"Not so, my lord; I am too much in the sun." 2.2.69
This is evidence of Hamlet's wish to fully mourn while the world around him wants to be happy. He's playing happier than he really is, evidence mainly shown the he is "too much in the sun," meaning that what others view as excessively grim (likely in comparison to the joy of his mother's marriage), he sees as too happy. His playing lessens the extremity of the stark difference between points of view.
"Excellent well. You are a fish monger." 2.2.190
This is a prime example of Hamlet acting mad. Not knowing the man that most likely has been in his life since birth, not to mention the father of the woman he loves. He has made reference to it being a folly so he is playing his insanity, and doing a good job at it too.
"I'll have the players play something like the murder of my father before mine uncle." 2.2.624-625
This is a more concrete example of the playing and acting motif, but the reasoning behind it is much deeper than that. Hamlet uses acting to play out his plans to unmask his devious uncle. He applies the art of theater and psychology together to accomplish a goal.
The motif of playing and acting develops through the story as well as the protagonist. It begins as a way to hide the strength of raw emotions. Turning into a way to enhance and carry out his plans to reveal his uncle as a treacherous snake and thereby avenge his father. There are other examples sprinkled throughout the story that increase the story and the way this thread is woven throughout the cloth of "Hamlet."
Diana D.
ReplyDeleteWomen and Womanliness
“Affection, puh! You speak like a green girl unsifted in such perilous circumstances. Do you believe his “tenders,” as you call them? …Marry, I will teach you. Think yourself a baby that you have ta’en these tenders for true pay, which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly, or (nor to crack the wind of the poor phrase, running it thus) you’ll tender me a fool.” 1.3.110-118
In this quote Polonius tells Ophelia that she should listen to his advice about how to deal with Hamlet’s “tenders”. He claims that Ophelia is naïve regarding Hamlet’s intentions then goes on to say that she should listen to his advice. Polonius tells her to value herself more because if anything went wrong she would “tender [him] a fool.” “Tender me a fool” can be interrupted to mean three things; making a fool of yourself, making the other person look like a fool, and giving someone a grandchild. Beneath the normal fatherly advice any worried man would give their seemingly naïve daughter, we see that Polonius is just as concerned about Ophelia ruining his own reputation. Here we are presented with this idea of women tarnishing the reputation of men simply by ruining their own reputations. This plays on the theme of women being merely weaker extensions of a man. The idea is strengthened by the fact that Ophelia does not really fight back against her father’s claims. Another idea present is the idea that women must be virtuous or they are completely useless, while men can explore many more experience.
“But howsoever thou pursues this act, taint no thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven and t those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her.” 1.5.91-95
In this quotation the ghost tells Hamlet to not include his mother in his revenge plot. The ghost says that Gertrude must be left to God and her guilt. This goes back to an earlier idea of good and righteous men protecting their women. The use of the words “thorns” and “prick” also deviate from the flower motif that was used to describe Ophelia. This hints towards the fact that Ophelia and Gertrude represent the two different views of women.
“And then prescripts gave her, that she should lock herself from his resort, admit no messengers, receive n tokens; which done, she took the fruits of my advice, and he, repelled (a short tale to make), fell into a sadness, then into a fast, thence to a watch, thence into a weakness, thence to a lightness, and by this declension, into the madness wherein now he raves.” 2.2.51-160
In this quotation Polonius claims that Hamlet’s reason for his state of madness is the fact Ophelia has been forbidden to contact him. Polonius then goes to describe the classic stages of love induced madness. This idea of men needing women to stay sane can be viewed in a positive way though it can also be viewed as saying that women are one of men’s most essential tools. This also alludes to the idea of women being the counterparts of men.
The main focus of the theme women and womanliness is messing around with the many different ways of portraying women in culture. Throughout the play so far we only see two women; the apparently-naïve Ophelia and the “incestuous” Gertrude, both of whom are expected to be virtuous by the men around them. Any deviation from this standard woman causes men to become rather upset; we see Hamlet criticize his mother’s “incestuous” behavior and Polonius criticize his daughter’s interactions with Hamlet. Women are also represented as the weaker counterparts to men, more specifically their love interest. Gertrude and Polonius have similar behaviors and ideas, though the Ophelia acts more like Hamlet wants to be acting; without his heart on his sleeve. We have not seen much of the two women themselves in the first two acts nor have we heard their private thoughts like we have been able to for Hamlet. Strange enough, neither of the women demonstrate the immaculate behavior of openly displaying their feelings for all to see and being overly emotional.
Madness and Normalcy
ReplyDelete“In what particular thought to work I know not,
But in the gross and scope of mine opinion
This bodes some strange eruption to our state” (1.1.78-80).
Horatio and fellows on watch search for the specter that stalks the walls at night. When it finally appears and they attempt to speak to it, it becomes offended and leaves. Mercutio, Bernardo and Marcellus are struck by the oddity that the ghost resembles their dead king and clothed in the same battle uniform that the King wore while fighting Norway. Horatio sees the overbearing warnings that surround the kingdom. The cautious nature of the guards are highlighted by the man that is coming to relieve the watch is the first to ask who is coming or going when he detects the current watchman. If it was the other way around, that would seem to be a much more normal procedure. Horatio comments, noting that the appearance of the ghost and his garb signify a time of chaos that will come upon the kingdom.
“…Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason and draw you into madness? Think of it. The very place puts toys of desperation, without more motive, into every brain that’s looks to many fathoms to the sea and hears it roar beneath” (1.4.81-86).
In one of Horatio’s more well-known lines, he warns Hamlet of the dangers of wandering to far from the mortal world. As Hamlet chases after he fathers ghost, Horatio is cautious of the madness that come of interacting with things beyond their world. It’s apparent to some people that after Hamlets conversation with his father’s ghost that he had indeed gone mad or was at least pretending. His warning was not without justification then. Horatio comments madness and how it is a place of desperation and compares it to the vast and untamed sea that rushes over and engulfs people, dragging them to their depths. This excellent visual image is just what Shakespeare wanted to inspire his audience gathered to hear the riveting descriptions of insanity.
“Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, how strange or odd some’er I bear myself As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on” (1.5.189-192).
Hamlet is forcing his friends to swear that no matter how insane or mad he acts for a while they are sworn to secrecy. With Hamlet having just seen his Father’s ghost and learning of his early demise, swears vengeance and remembrance of his lost parent. This, of course, drives him to madness or at least acted madness, as stated in the above quotation.
Over all, Shakespeare focuses on insanity more than normalcy with the play. The madness and abnormality of the play highlight the normalcy that must have been there at one time. Without the suggested and apparent insanity and overwhelms Hamlet and his friends and family, there would have been no idea of what was normal. Shakespeare alludes to normalcy to embolden the madness. With normalcy, there would be no madness. This focus is more on Hamlet of course, but the play is about him and his dive into the unknown.
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ReplyDeleteJordan W.
ReplyDeleteAppearance and truth
"'Seems,' Madame? Nay, it is. I know not 'seems.'
'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Not the dejected havior of the visage,
Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,
They can denote me truly. These indeed 'seem'
For they are actions that a man might play;
But I have that within which passes show,
These but the trappings and the suits of woe." (1.2.79-89)
Shakespeare tells the reader exactly what Hamlet is wearing, why, and and how his clothing choices is supposed to affect his mother. In this section, Hamlet tells his mom that he is wearing black clothes and has his eyes drawn with a solemn look not because he seems to be upset, but because he is upset. His mother asks him why he would dress this way, and as a woman who just lost her husband, the reader would expect her to be a bit more torn up about it, whereas she doesn't understand the grief that Hamlet is feeling. Shakespeare uses the outward appearance of Hamlet to convey the truth of what he really feels about his father's death.
"Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast,
With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts
O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power
So to seduce!- Won to his shameful lust
The will of my most seeming- virtuous queen." (1.5.49-53)
The ghost of what is so far said to be Hamlet's father has told Hamlet that his uncle/father is not as he seems. He mentions that he is incestuous and full of witchcraft. He has a certain power, or charisma that draws people near, one of which happened to be queen Gertrude. She was pulled in by Cladius' charm and lust, but later in the ghost's passage he metions that maybe she isn't as innocent as she looks either. Mainly, though, the ghost of the deceased king deals with Cladius' backstabbing, while he says that God will take care of Gertrude.
Early on there is some obvious differences between what Hamlet feels to be true of his uncle and what the people of Denmark feel, but this is the first actual insight on why he is so bad. Before it was just Hamlet basically wallowing in self-pity (rightfully so, I believe) and hating his uncle because he was now married to Hamlet's mother, but this gives Hamlet a real line to follow. Hamlet saw what he wanted to see in his uncle before, but now he has been given (what he believes to be) truth behind the reality of King Cladius.
Cont...
Delete"Ay, marry, is't,
But, to my mind, though I am native here
And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honored in the breach than the observance.
This heavy-headed revel east and west
Makes us traduced and taxed of other nations.
They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase
Soil our addition. And, indeed, it takes
From our achievements, though performed at height,
The pith and marrow of our attribute.
So oft it chances inm particular men
That for some vicious mole of nature in them,
As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty,
Since nature cannot choose his origin),
By the o'ergrowthof some complextion
(Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason,
Or by some habit that too much o'er-leavens
The form of plausive manners, that these men,
Carrying, I say, the stamo of one defect,
Being nature's livery, or fortune's star,
Their virtues else- be they as pure as grace,
As infinite as man may undergo
Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault: the dram of eale
Doth all the noble substance of a doubt
To his own scandal. (1.4.15-41)
Horatio had asked Hamlet just before Hamlet said these lines if it was a custom for all of Denmark to party and drink as they all were doing that night. Hamlet says, that yes, it is, but he does not believe that it is a good idea since all the other countries take that to mean that Denmark is a joke. Hamlet recognizes that some people don't like this custom, but they are seen as drunks despite their views since they are part of Denmark. Whether the residents of Denmark like it or not, they have to put up with the custom because it is just the cards they are given.
Outside looking in, the people of Denmark look to merely be fools looking for a party and a good time, but Hamlet believes that the truth is so much deeper than that. He wishes that the views or beliefs of a few did not have to put on those who do not also carry the same views. Hamlet just sees this as a flaw in the world, where appearances can look one way, but the truth is very different when looked into.
Emily M
ReplyDeleteResponses to authority
2.2.114-116
Polonius: “I have a daughter (have while she is mine) Who in her duty to obedience, mark, Hath given me this”
In this quote Polonius is saying he has a daughter who is obedient. He says this because his daughter Ophelia gave him a note Hamlet had written to her. The response Ophelia has to her father’s authority is that she is obedient, even if it is an invasion of her privacy to let her father obtain this letter, she listens to him. I find it strange though, that Polonius would be so blunt, and mention his daughter obedience in such a straightforward way. Could Shakespeare be foreshadowing an opposite response to Polonius’ authority from Ophelia later in the play? Or does he just want to prove that his daughter is somewhat a victim of hamlet’s madness, and that she is all good, being obedient, and all. This quotation develops the motif of responses to authority in that a response was directly stated, and it isn’t the first time a character in the play is being obedient.
1.3.145
Ophelia: “I shall obey my lord”
This quote from the play ends act 1 scene 3 with Ophelia telling her father she will obey his order not to communicate to Hamlet anymore. In context this is exactly what Polonius would like to hear, and what he expected to hear from his daughter. Ophelia’s response shows her respect for her father, and that she believes that he knows what is best for her, but does she know what‘s best for herself too? This motif has come up a lot between Ophelia and her dad, and I feel that the responses will soon shift into what Polonius does not want them to be. Of course Ophelia will tell her dad what he wants to hear, but does that mean she will take his advice? It makes me wonder what will happen. This quotation generates a more outward effect of the motif in this play. Again it is very straightforward, and with it being so straightforward it creates a curiosity for the audience to have. Did Shakespeare purposely make Ophelia’s responses to authority so straightforward, so that it is obvious to the audience she won’t obey them, but it makes Polonius look like a fool for believing her?
1.2.124
ReplyDeleteHamlet: “I shall do my best to obey you, madam.”
This quotation Hamlet is saying is responding to his mother., who does not want him to leave to go to school, and he is listening to her authority, and obeying her request. It struck me as odd to see such a response from Hamlet who is so angry at his mother’s new and quick marriage to his uncle. At first, before reading further, I thought he just wanted to listen to his mother, because he wants to respect her, but after reading more, the fact that Hamlet would say he "shall obey" seems strange. I feel as if though Shakespeare was trying to make Hamlet seem like a gentleman, and not disobey his own mother. Perhaps Hamlet does have some respect left for his mother, yet not enough to keep him from complaining. Overall this quote helps to develop the motif of responses to authority in that it is really the first time we get to see how the characters in this play will respond to authority, and although they might not agree with what they are obeying they do it anyways, and again, it seems as if Shakespeare does this purposely to create a curiosity, if the responders to authority will actually obey as they say they will.
This motif has already developed quite a bit in just the first two acts, it is easy to catch, which I believe was Shakespeare’s strategy and plan. Also so far in the play all of the responses have been the same, seeing as they are obedient responses to authority. This motif seems to develop and shine through more and more as the play progresses. In act 1 scene 3 there are two responses to authority, in plain sight. One being; when Ophelia says “I shall obey my lord” to her father. Another being; “I shall the effect of this good lesson keep” which is Ophelia’s response to her brothers advice, she will keep it, and us it effectively, and she again is obeying authority. Overall I expect to see the obedience continue to be stated, and do expect for it to unravel, not with words but with actions.
Yazmeen S.
ReplyDeleteMen & Manliness
“In obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness. ‘Tis unmanly grief.” Act 1 Scene 2 Lines 97-98
This quotation is taken from a speech that Ki
ng Claudius is giving to Hamlet about mourning the death of his father. Claudius is telling Hamlet that by being stubborn and refusing comfort over his loss he is grieving in an unmanly way. He also states that it is “sweet and commendable” of Hamlet to grieve as he does but he needs to realize that everyone loses their fathers at some point in their lives. This particular quotation develops my motif of men and manliness by explaining what is expected of a man when mourning. Claudius tells Hamlet how he should be acting to make him more of a man but also tells him that how he is dealing with his emotions is unmanly.
“But not expressed in fancy rich, not gaudy, for the apparel oft proclaims the man” Act 1 Scene 3 Lines 77-78
This quotation is said by Polonius to Laertes and Ophelia during a family talk between the three of them. They are discussing character and how a man’s outfit can say a lot about who they are and how they act. The way a man is dressed may give away many things about them such as rank and station. The motif of men and manliness is developed in this quotation because it states how one can determine who a man is. By just their clothing you can learn many things about a man. Also men have to pay attention to how they are dressed to make sure they have the right appearance for who they are and their station in society.
“for they say an old man is twice a child.” Act 2 Scene 2 Line 409
In context this quotation means that everyone starts out a baby when they are first born and then they are a baby again in their old age. It is a full circle that comes back to man being a child twice in one lifetime. This relates to men and manliness because all men go through the same basic stages in life; from infant to child through adulthood and back to a child again once they are to a certain age. Everyone goes through these changes so by saying that a man is a child twice is a way of characterizing men. This cycle acts as a guideline for the life of a man.
So far in the play the motif off men and manliness has been developed in many different ways none of which are very in depth. It is often brought up in a way that helps to characterize men in general. These quotes describe how most men will end up, how their appearances will affect how they are seen, and how they should deal with certain issues. The portrayal of man is very important throughout the play because Hamlet has to try and prove his manliness and avenge his father’s death. Hamlet is constantly trying to prove to himself and others that he is manly and can handle himself. His appearance often changes as he becomes “mad” which causes him to be seen differently by the audience. He is also being judged by Claudius about his grieving. He is forced to try and prove himself and his manliness throughout the entire play so far.
O’Seiken Appearance and Reality
ReplyDelete1.2.79 “ ‘Seems,’ madam? Nay, it is. I know not ‘seems.’ ‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, That can denote me truly.”
Here the mother is telling Ham to accept the passing of his father as a natural process and that it’s useless to fret over it. Ham responds by hinting he holds something inside that is more than what the mother can surmise from looking at him on the outside. He says people can act sad when it’s appropriate (though Gertrude didn’t) but you still don’t know what they might be up to. This is our first taste of Ham’s fondness for keeping secrets. Clearly someone who talks about dishonesty a lot is not so honest himself. The reader will now be looking at Ham (and maybe Polonius) with untrusting eyes. This is more reason to pay special attention to soliloquies, where he will be candid.
1.3.40 “The chariest maid is prodigal enough If she unmask her beauty to the moon.”
I wonder if Laertes will come back. This is where he’s giving advice to Ophelia and…the words say it all. He’s recycling the stone-age proverb about book covers. But this is different than in Ham’s case because women were an abstruse subject back then and this is telling us something about them. The chariest maid in the proverb didn’t know she had it in her to do whatever she was going to do under the moon light but she did it anyways. To tie it back to Ham, he must act like a chary(?) maid in order to get behind Claudius’s back. …Yeah, that’s probably not it. More like it’s dangerous to unmask yourself too early so Ham will perpetually be under some layer of mystery kind of thing. I think this is also subtly telling the audience not to underestimate Ophelia’s experience in such areas of profession.
1.3.126 “These blazes, daughter, Giving more light than heat, extinct in both Even in their promise as it is a-making, You must not take for fire.”
Polonius is echoing Laertes but using fancy metaphors. The main point is to not let your passions override your reason nor cloud your eyes to see illusions. In the high of the moment the momentum may get you so far but you may regret it later. Ham is chasing after, say, the words of the ghost, but they may just be words that he wanted to hear, and not reality. To put it another way, Ophelia is longing for this fire and in her desperate wanting she puts a fire there notwithstanding Ham’s intentions. The fire is as bright as she imagines it. But if are concerned with reality, we will need more clues.
Yea, I didn’t get to Act II quotes but so far we get that acting is a big player in this motif. Exempli gratia- we don’t know if Ham is acting mad or whatever, we still don’t know if truly the King committed the alleged murder, and so on. In other words, be wary of deception. The point is to prepare yourself to be able to adapt to whatever truth reveals itself and not take anything at face value.
Anna G.
ReplyDeleteAction/Inaction
Act I, Scene ii, Lines 161-164
“She married. O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good. But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.”
Hamlet criticizes his mother and speaks badly of her after she had just married his uncle. He feels remorse for his father and disgust for his mother. But he is not acting on it or saying anything to anyone. He keeps to himself and opts not to do anything about the way he is feeling. Everyone has different ways of expressing certain emotions, and Hamlet’s process is to not be active. Mentally, Hamlet responds to the death and marriage in a subtle way, but will not speak or act directly of it. Actions are decisions and risks that he is not willing to take.
Act II, Scene ii, Lines 99-103
“He took me by the wrist and held me hard. Then goes he to the length of all his arm, and with his other hand thus o’er his brow, he falls to such perusal of my face as he would draw it.”
Ophelia tells her brother and father that Hamlet came to her room and was acting like he was absolutely mental. She was afraid and did not know why Hamlet was acting the way he was. The way Ophelia describes what he had done in her room could be Hamlet’s way of acting out remorse, rage, and confusion. It was so wild because it is the first outbreak Hamlet seemed to have. The way Hamlet operates in this scene was entirely his decision and can be blamed on a number of reasons; such as the death of his father, his mother remarrying so quickly and the thought of the ghost.
Act II, Scene ii, Lines 623-627
“I’ll have these players play something like the murder of my father before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks; I’ll tent him to the quick. If he do blench, I know my course.”
Although Hamlet in this second soliloquy is cursing and demeaning himself, he comes up with a plan to avenge his father. The whole act and soliloquy is based on Hamlet not doing anything and being too cowardly. The end of the act is when he devises a plan and begins a thought of confidence. He says he is going to observe the players looks and pay close attention to the way they act while performing the scene, which shows that Hamlet is physically trying to get revenge on his uncle or whoever murdered his father.
The motif action/inaction is broad and used throughout the play so far. It is the whole idea of how do people act in certain situations. People all physically act differently depending on the event or situation they are in. It is only up to the person if they decide to act or not act. Taking action could be risky, like in the end scene of Act II. But in the beginning of the play Hamlet does not do anything, which doesn’t allow him to progress and move forward. He is trapped in one place and the process of healing or avenging is slow and almost unmoving. Hamlet blames himself for not being courageous enough to go out and search and kill his father’s murderers. If he actually does something with his plan he could be at peace with himself. This motif will be seen again and again during the length of the play. Actions are important to Hamlet, and the people that Hamlet effect.
L. Hughes “I and eye”
ReplyDeleteIn Hamlet, there are many motifs that Shakespeare uses in order to make his story more effective and interesting to the audience. One of the most important motifs that he uses to express the major conflict in the drama is “I and eye”, or self and seeing. One of the passages that greatly illustrates this particular motif is in Act 1, Scene 2, lines 76-87. Hamlet is distraught about his father’s demise, and is upset that everyone is celebrating the marriage of his mother and Uncle Claudius rather then mourning the death of their king. He walks around the castle in dark clothes and has a very gloomy presence. His mother tells him that he has to move on with his life, treat the new king well and stop moping around about his father’s death, because everyone dies eventually. She then asks him why he is so upset about this death when death happens all the time. His response to his mother greatly incorporates the motif “I and eye” into it. He says:
“Seems,” madam? Nay, it is. I know not “seems.”
'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,
Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,
That can denote me truly. These indeed “seem,”
For they are actions that a man might play.
But I have that within which passeth show,
These but the trappings and the suits of woe.
Hamlet is saying in this passage that the dark way he dresses, the gloomy way that he acts or anything else about his depressed mood can in no way completely show the grief that he is really going through. He says that all of those things may be an indication of his grief, but they could never really show the extent of it. This portrays my motif because Hamlet is saying that even though everyone else sees that he is in mourning, they can’t really understand the weight of his sadness because they are not feeling it.
The next quotation that depicts the motif of “I and eye” is Act 1, Scene 5, lines 170-177. In this scene, Hamlet has just seen his deceased father’s ghost and was told by him that his uncle Claudius was responsible for his death by pouring poison into his ear. He tells Hamlet that he wants him to take revenge on his uncle but to leave his mother alone and leave her to deal with her own guilt. Hamlet is extremely confused in this passage when the ghost leaves. He is talking to Horatio and Marcellus and tells them this:
Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,
How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself
(As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on),
That you, at such times seeing me, never shall—
With arms encumbered thus, or this headshake,
Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase,
As “Well, well, we know,” or “We could an if we would,”
This passage is Hamlet warning Horatio and Marcellus that he will be acting insane in order to hide what is actually going on in his head, and if people ask them if they know why Hamlet is acting in such a way, they have to promise that they will not say anything. This excerpt in Hamlet depicts my motif because he is showing everyone around him that he has gone crazy, and it seems as though he is crazy, but in his mind he is sane and just thinking about what his father’s ghost has said to him. However, it is believed by some people that Hamlet actually was mad and is trying to convince himself as well as Horatio and Marcellus that he isn’t, which again contributes to the “I” aspect in my motif. The conflict in his mind is whether he is sane acting insane or if he was crazy pretending to fake insanity.
My third selection from the first two acts of Hamlet that illustrates the motif of self and seeing is in Act 2, Scene 1, lines 77-84. In this passage, Ophelia has come from her room in terror and tells her father of Hamlet coming into her room. She expresses her fright and belief that Hamlet has gone mad. She says:
ReplyDeleteMy lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced;
No hat upon his head; his stockings fouled,
Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosèd out of hell
To speak of horrors—he comes before me.
Ophelia tells her father in this quotation that Hamlet came into her room with his shirt all messed up, his socks around his ankles and is lacking a hat on his head. He is pale and looks as if he has just come back from the dead. This perfectly shows the motif “I and Eye” because Ophelia is telling her father what she saw of Hamlet, and he appeared to be crazy. The way he looks gives off the impression that he is crazy, but the audience has already been informed that he is only giving off the impression that he has gone insane.
The development of my motif, “I and eye” is prominent. Without this motif, the drama would not be nearly as complex as it is today. You learn that everything is not what it seems when Shakespeare allows you to delve into the possibly mad mind of tragic hero Hamlet, as well as allow the audience to experience the life that Hamlet has to deal with. You get both perspectives of it and are able to view the complexity of the situation that Hamlet has been placed in.
Nicole B.
ReplyDeleteFlora and Fauna
"This bird of dawning singeth all night long;
And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad,
The nights are wholesome...
So hallowed and so gracious is that time."
(1.1.175-177)
When the cock crows, the ghost flees. Is it because this is a signal of the daylight, a time when ghosts are commonly believed to not be present, or is it because there is something pure about a bird, or an animal, that a creature of death cannot meet? Shakespeare seems to be implying that animals, specifically birds here, are pure and innocent and can protect us from unearthly creatures. This is true in the real world. A puppy is an innocent and young life that still has the natural instincts to protect and defend. They love loyally and undeniably and wipe anyway any negative feelings in your body.
"So hallowed and so gracious is that time." (1.1.177) Shakespeare has, with this brief monologue, said that a bird can protect the whole world in the night by acting upon their ability to defend. Action versus inaction; taking the moment to use your abilities or not. I see a parallel within this monologue; the bird chooses once a year to manipulate its talents to protect the night, and Hamlet is later by the ghost of his father to utilize his talents, just this once in this manner, to save the crown.
"For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor,
Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,
A violet in the youth of primy nature.
Forward, not permanent, sweet not lasting,
The perfume and suppliance of a minute."
(1.3.6-10)
Laertes is giving Ophelia advice: Do not take to heart what Hamlet says to you about love. At his naive age, there is no way that he will stay with you or that he meant it. Shakespeare uses such a beautiful metaphor to describe Hamlet's love: describing a violet as "sweet not lasting". LHamlet's love is like a flower, it blooms and grows, appearing so beautiful, but in reality the minute that the flower starts to bloom it starts dying. A flower, and the affections of love, are beautiful but quick-living. They are delicate and vulnerable towards approach.
It is interesting that Shakespeare chooses to describe Hamlet's love as a fleeting flower when only a few pages later he chooses to describe Ophelia as a flower. Something delicate, easily destroyed. But it must be protected! "The canker galls the infants of the spring/Too oft before their buttons be disclosed." (1.3.43-44) Sounds similar to Hamlet's love for Ophelia.In both cases, a flower is described as delicate and vulnerable to be destroyed. However, Ophelia must be protected, and Hamlet's love must be shunned to do so.
"The serpent that did sting your father's life
Now wears his crown,"
(1.5.46-47)
In this part of the play, Shakespeare uses a very clever play on words to compare Claudius to a serpent. The Ghost basically says that the rumor is that a serpent killed me. This is true-the serpent was Claudius, who has now slithered his way into the throne and my wife's heart.
This is can be thought of as a very scary metaphor; that evil thoughts and actions are always hiding behind purity and goodness. Birds are thought of as pure protectors, Ophelia is flower and so is her relationship with Hamlet, but an evil serpent can end a relationship with one sudden action. One sudden action can change everything. It is sad, for the serpent idea is so large that it masks over the flower and bird thoughts. Any one bad action or thought can cover up several good actions or thoughts. It was definitely Shakespeare's mission to draw a very distinct gap between the death-bringing serpent and the delicate love- flower/life protecting bird.
Motif Development:
DeleteFlora/Fauna is such a subtle motif for Shakespeare is known for his metaphors, many related to flora/fauna, and it is easy to overlook the metaphors and not label them as actually adding to the plot and development of the thoughts and beliefs running through this show.
It seems that the most important part of the flora/fauna motif is that it relies heavily on appearances and action. Some animals appear good, some bad. Some flowers are a good thing, some should be avoided or treated tentatively. It all depends on the perception of the animal/ flower and the context. It depends on who is talking; Hamlet would, most likely, defend his love, and, who knows, perhaps we will see Claudius describe serpents as clever!
Flowers and animals are not to be passed over, they are strong symbols of life: Shakespeare has so far used them to describe the feelings of love, evil, depression,a and so on.
“Like Niobe, all tears- why she, (even she) (O God , a beast that wants discourse of reason have mourned have mourned longer!), married with my uncle…”
ReplyDeleteNoibe, in Greek mythology, was so grief stricken at the loss of her children that she couldn’t stop crying. In this case the tears represent the emotion of sadness. Hamlet is comparing his mother and Niobe to show how they are similar (they lost people who were important in their lives) but at the same time showing the different emotions they displayed. The emotion displayed by Gertrude angers Hamlet, and he says that it’s sad that a beast can mourn longer than Gertrude a human being. By using tears to draw differences between human and a beast or a not real thing to point that there is something really wrong with Gertrude.
“O that is too, to sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew…”
In context, I think sullied was meant to be there. Sullied here would mean contamination and throughout, Hamlet is obsessed with corruption and saying that “..would thaw, resolve into dew…” he is saying that he wants the contamination to melt, and be dew. Dew as we know it is clear and clean droplets and I think using the dew Hamlet is saying he wants to see things be clear of impurities, further into this part, Hamlet starts talking about the marriage of his mother and uncle. This tells the reader, that this is what Hamlet sees as the big impurity “sullied”. Shakespeare plays around with words to create metaphors and comparisons.
“…That front her working all his visage wann’d Tears in his eyes, distraction in aspect…”
Hamlet is using tears as an imagery tool to tell the reader what he is seeing. Through the imagery, he is giving the reader an idea of how deep the actors are digging into their character’s personalities. At the same time the tears also draw the difference between Hamlet’s act and the actor’s act. Showing how believable the actors are about their parts while Hamlet is not that deep into acting; fooling the people around him that he is deeply affected, emotionally by the loss of his father.
Throughout the play Shakespeare uses fluids, especially tears to draw comparisons between what the characters are feeling and what they should be feeling or show the state of things and what they should be.
James King
ReplyDeleteMotif: Response to Authority
Act 1 Scene 1
“Marcellus: ‘Speak to it, Horatio.’ Horatio: ‘What art thou that usurp’st this time of night, together with that fair and warlike form in which the majesty of buried Denmark did sometimes march? By heaven, I charge thee, speak.’ Marcellus: ‘it is offended.’ Barnardo: ‘See, it stalks away.’”
This quotation shows how the ghost who was the King even in death was expecting a higher standard of reverence and it was Marcellus who identified that perhaps because they did not respect the ghost and treat him properly he did not speak. The guard then thought that they need some one who the ghost King would respect enough to commune with, his own son.
Act 1 Scene 2
“Queen: ‘Let not they mother lose her prayers, Hamlet. I pray thee, stay with us. Go not to Wittenberg.’ Hamlet: ‘I shall do my best to obey you, madam’.”
The manner in which Hamlet says this is key. Hamlet deliberately directed his attempted obedience to his mother and not his Uncle Claudius and now king and stepfather. This shows that he was not accepting the situation and shows his intent to show his defiance.
Act 2 Scene 2
“Rosencrantz: ‘ Both your Majesties might, by the sovereign power you have of us, put your dread pleasures more into command. Than to entreaty.’ Guildenstern: ‘But we both obey, and here give up ourselves in the full bent to lay our service freely at your feet, to be commanded.’”
This is just one of the many quotations where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern display their major kiss ass response to authority. They agree with everyone higher then them and because of this they don’t seem to have their own thoughts and opinions. This raises the question are they even human if they are incapable of independent thought.
Kevin R.
ReplyDeleteAction and Inaction
1.5 35-37
“Haste me to know’t, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge.”
This marks the beginning of Hamlet’s fight between action and inaction throughout the play. Hamlet promises to revenge the murder of his father by killing the guilty, spoiled hands behind it with out actually knowing who the hands belong. He soon realizes that they belong to his uncle Claudius, therefore for some (a man of action) simplifying the problem and others indecisive in their morals like Hamlet; complicating things. Hamlet always feels obligated to take action because of the promise he made to the king in this quote but finds himself unable to actually act, why? The more we learn about Hamlet character the more clear it becomes; he is a philosopher always asking questions that simply just can’t be answered. Most men would take this appearing to be their father at it’s word and go kill Claudius but not Hamlet. He asks why the ghost came to him? Was it truly a ghost or just a pigment of his imagination? What does happen to the departed? It’s questions like these sprouted from his student like behavior that hold him back from acting.
1.3 71-73
“Beware of entrance to a quarrel, but, being in, Bear’t that th’ opposed may beware of thee.”
In this scene Polonius gives a great deal of advice to Laertes before his departure to France. It is the type of advice you would typically assume a father to give to his son. Basically he continues you tell his son to act but not to act in his words of advice. This quote is just one of the predominant example of Polonius telling Laertes to do but don’t do. In the quote he is telling Laertes to fight when you’ve already gotten yourself into a fight but to never pick a fight. Throughout Hamlet we see examples that oppose both sides of the argument should on be man live by action or inaction? This quote and passage obviously sheds little light on the answer but instead gives a neutral stance. Since I am not yet finished with the book I am unable to fully decide what Shakespeare believes to be more true action or inaction, but by including this passage he is able to show the audience the path of staying in purgatory depending on what is to come of Laertes.
2.2 596-599
“And can say nothing – no, not for a king upon whose property and most dear life a damned defeat was made. Am I a coward? Who calls me ‘villain’?”
In this soliloquy from Hamlet we see him question himself like in this quote. He starts to question himself about his inability to take action. In the quote he is saying he can’t take revenge for the death of his father because he won’t kill Claudius. Hamlet ponders as to if this makes him cowardly. By associating being a coward or villain with inaction Shakespeare seems to be telling readers that a path involving inaction is one that should be avoided.
Cara O.
ReplyDeleteSleep and Dreams
Act 3, Scene 1, 68-77
Act 3, Scene 2, 248-250
Act 3, Scene 3, 94-95
Act 4, Scene 4, 35-37
Act 5, Scene 2, 396-397
Act 3, Scene 1, 68-77
“To die, to sleep- no more – and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to – ‘tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep- to sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there’s the rub for in that sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause. There’s the respect that makes calamity of so long life.”
Sleep here is compared closely to death. Hamlet is in a deep state of sorrow that is border-line suicidal. In this soliloquy, he questions why people do not kill themselves more often when life is difficult. By comparing death to sleep, he concludes that people are hesitant because what happens after death is completely unknown. This afterlife is the dream of death. No one alive knows what it is like, and unfamiliarity can cause feelings of insecurity and fear. Sleep is related to vulnerability in Hamlet. King Hamlet was murdered while sleeping, and when one is asleep, they do not have control over any situation happening around them. This is similar to death, which in a way is close to a state of vulnerability because of the unknown afterlife.
Act 3, Scene 2, 248-250
“ ‘Tis deeply sworn. Sweet, leave me here awhile. My spirits grow dull, and fain I would beguile the tedious day with sleep.”
Here, Hamlet’s play is being performed, and the Player King is speaking to the Player Queen. Sleep is characterized in a more familiar way here. It is a good thing that helps one recover from stress, and replenishes ones energy when they are tired. This may have something to do with King Hamlet and his incident with Claudius. King Hamlet saw sleep as pleasant and slept every day in his orchard. It was a way to escape the problems that he faced during the day. Hamlet made this connection in his previous soliloquy. Sleep is one way to escape life’s issues, and so isn’t death.
Act 3, Scene 3, 94-95
“When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed.”
Hamlet is spying on Claudius who is attempting to pray. Hamlet wishes to murder Claudius right then and there, but figures it is best to wait and do it when Claudius is doing something immoral. Sleep is once again characterized as a state of weakness and vulnerability, this time brought on by alcohol. When someone passes out because they’ve consumed too much alcohol, it is almost impossible to wake them up. They are at the mercy of those around them and their environment. Here, sleep is not a positive thing, but something that Hamlet sees as wrong. One could compare drunken sleeping to murder. A person escapes the daily struggle at the hands of another force, alcohol. It is notable that this “murder” is related to Claudius, who murdered Hamlet’s father.
Act 4, Scene 4, 35-37
ReplyDelete“What is a man in his chief good and market of his time be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more.”
Hamlet, in this soliloquy, is once again beating himself up for not killing Claudius. His hesitation is due to the fact that he is spending a lot of time puzzling over his situation, and this is causing him to fear it. He questions why humans must think, but decides thought is mandatory because it is what separates man from beast. Hamlet presents sleep as an ordinary occurrence that any organism is capable of. Sleep is not something that takes talent or effort. Hamlet acknowledges that his situation is difficult because he thinks, but also realizes that thought is a wonderful gift that makes humans special. Sleep is not necessarily a good thing according to this soliloquy. It is something of little significance. This perspective on sleep is what the majority of people see it as, until they consider Hamlet’s point of view (sleep = death). Therefore, sleep is not necessarily what it seems to be at face value. This intertwines with another motif, appearance vs. reality.
Act 5, Scene 2, 396-397
“Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Hamlet has just died and Horatio is taking a moment to say goodbye and honor his friend. Sleep is immediately connected to death here. Hamlet has finally escaped all his troubles and worries by dying, or in other words, sleeping permanently. Horatio says “good night” as if Hamlet is only going to bed for the night. Death is always associated with the words “rest in peace”, because death is really only a species of sleep. This connection is emphasized numerous times throughout the play, and is important to the play’s meaning.
In Hamlet, sleep and dreams are often related to death and whatever comes after it. The purpose of this motif was to create this strong connection between sleep and death. This was done by presenting them both as states of vulnerability, ways to escape troubles, or seeing them as analogies. Murder, suicide, and death play an enormous role in Hamlet, mostly because it is a tragedy. The fact that Hamlet suggests death may only be a type of sleep makes the reader ponder whether Hamlet is correct, or if Shakespeare was attempting to answer the question of death. Sleep and death are times of weakness and vulnerability, and ways to escape the struggles of life, and these are connections that are strengthened and emphasized by Shakespeare in Hamlet.