...decides they should tell Hamlet, the dead King's son. Hamlet is also the nephew of the present King, Claudius, who not only assumed his dead brother's crown but also married his widow, Gertrude. Claudius seems an able King, easily handling the threat of the Norwegian Prince Fortinbras. But Hamlet is furious about Gertrude's marriage to Claudius. Hamlet meets the ghost, which claims to be the spirit of his father, murdered by Claudius. Hamlet quickly accepts the ghost's command to seek revenge. Yet Hamlet is uncertain if what the ghost said is true. He delays his revenge and begins to act half-mad, contemplate suicide, and becomes furious at all women. The Lord Chamberlain, Polonius, concludes that Hamlet's behavior comes from lovesickness for Ophelia, Polonius's daughter. Claudius and Gertrude summon two of Hamlet's old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to find out what's wrong with him. As Polonius develops a plot to spy on a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet develops a plot of his own: to have a recently arrived troupe of actors put on a play that resembles Claudius's alleged murder of Old Hamlet, and watch Claudius's reaction. Polonius and Claudius spy on the meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet, during which Hamlet flies into a rage against women and marriage. Claudius concludes Hamlet neither loves Ophelia nor is mad. Seeing Hamlet as a threat, he decides to send him away. At the play that night, Claudius runs from the room during the scene of the murder, proving...
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...Hamlet Notes Tragedy is the downfall of a man because of a weakness in his personality. This weakness leaves him unable to negotiate successfully the conflict that he experiences in the outside world. Consequently, when he encounters evil, he is unable to make the right decision. A tragic hero has a moment of insight in which he realises his error. However, this insight comes too late for him to address his sillinesses/error. The tragic hero always dies. The key to understanding this play is a close and insightful study of the soliloquies in the play. Act 1 Scene 1( pg 3-13) Horatio will be the fall for the mercurial Hamlet. Horatio is quiet and well balanced and becomes a notable witness. At the beginning of the play, Denmark is not only socially, morally and culturally questionable but politically unstable. Norway, lead by Fortenbras is leading a campaign to reclaim the lands lost to Norway as a consequence of the Danish King Hamlet. At the end of this scene, the appearance if the ghost. King Hamlet. He was poisoned by Claudius. He was married to Gertrude, Claudius was Gertrude's brother-in-law—-> affair Act 1 Scene 2(pg 13-31) Set against the splendour of the court, scene 2 juxtaposes the mysteries and frightening opening scene. The court of Denmark represents hypocrisy and excess. We are introduced immediately to Claudius. He is suave and worldly wise. His idiom, register and tone of speech will create a suspicion. He is of course the antithesis of Hamlet as...
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...The Theme of Hamlet - Revenge In Hamlet, Shakespeare created three revenge plots; all of the revenges involve a son seeking vengeance for the death of a father. Revenge has caused the downfall of many people. In my opinion, revenge is a very dangerous theory to live by. It will consuming ones nature and causes one to act recklessly through anger rather without any reason. Throughout Hamlet, revenge is a dominant theme. Prince Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet all seek to avenge the deaths of their fathers. But in doing so, three of them rely more on emotion than thought, and take a very big risk, the risk which eventually leads to the downfall and death. In Act 1 Scene 1, Shakespeare was written about Prince Fortinbras's attempts to reclaim the land his father lost to Old Hamlet and that is the first of three revenge plots in the play. King Fortinbras was killed by King Hamlet in a sword battle. This entitled King Hamlet to the land that was possessed by Fortinbras because it was written in a sealed compact. "…our valiant Hamlet-for so this side of our known world esteemed him-did slay this Fortinbras."(Hamlet, Act 1 Scene 1 Lines 85) Prince Fortinbras was enraged by his father’s murder and sought revenge against Denmark. He wanted to take back the land that had been lost to Denmark when his father was killed. "…Now sir, young Fortinbras…as it doth well appear unto our state-but to recover of us, by strong hand and terms compulsative, those foresaid lands so by his father lost…"(Hamlet...
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...ENG 4U Ms. Straus May 23, 2015 Hamlet Quotation Test Quotation 1: “How all occasions do inform against me And spur my dull revenge! What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more. Sure he that made us with such large discourse, Looking before and after, gave us not That capability and godlike reason To fust in us unus’d.” (Hamlet: IV, iv, 3238) Literal Level: This quotation is from Act IV, Scene IV, when Hamlet observes Fortinbras leading the army through Denmark towards Poland. Hamlet learns that the Norwegians are going to war with the Polish over a small, worthless patch of land. In this soliloquy, Hamlet ponders how these men are willing to risk their lives for such a small cause, when he is still so hesitant to act on his revenge on Claudius for his father's murder. 1. This passage helps to develop Hamlet’s character and the plot of the play because it is in this scene that Hamlet realizes that he must act on his revenge plan or else he is just going to be a purposeless “beast”. Throughout the play, Hamlet struggles with whether or not to exact revenge on Claudius because he is not certain of all of the facts. When Hamlet sees how willing the soldiers are to fight over such a small piece of land, he realizes that without action Hamlet is not taking advantage of the gift of life that God has given him. Hamlet realizes that humans have “capability and godlike reason” and that ...
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...read Shakespeare’s Hamlet unanimously agree upon her morally frail and fickle nature. In the play’s opening scenes, Queen Gertrude is presented as a victim of her own moral missteps and lapse of judgment. Upon hearing of the death of her late husband, she appears indifferent and callous. She betrays both the late King Hamlet and her son through the incestuous act of marrying King Hamlet’s brother, Claudius. However, as the play progresses, a Gertrude’s pivotal encounter with Hamlet disintegrates the persona she has hidden behind for so long. By the conclusion of the play, Gertrude realizes the ramifications of the tangled web of lies she has wrought, shedding her mask of deception and betrayal to reveal her genuinely benevolent and kind nature. Further scrutiny of the three focal scenes involving Gertrude delve into the acknowledgement of her vices, and the actions she takes in order to abolish them. When Act 1, Scene 2 begins, the audience is aware of King Hamlet’s death and the stage is set for the introduction of the play’s primary characters, the freshly-minted King Claudius, the sartorial Queen Gertrude and her grieving son, Hamlet. In an ensuing discussion between the three, the queen sheds few tears over King Hamlet’s death, brushing off Hamlet’s lengthy lamentation of his father’s passing. “Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off/ And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark (Act 1, Scene 2)” she chides, urging him to wipe his tears and act like the regal prince...
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...In Act 3, Scene 4, Hamlet is asked by his mother, Gertrude, to reveal what was making him act like he was crazy. Hamlet believes that Gertrude is truly having a heart to heart with him and really desires to put Hamlet’s troubles to ease. However, what Hamlet does not know is that Gertrude allows Polonius to hide being the arras to overhear their conversation for King Claudius. As the audience, we are aware that Polonius is in the room with Gertrude and Hamlet, but Hamlet is unaware of his presence. By arguing to Gertrude over her marriage to his uncle Claudius, Hamlet’s emotions of hate towards Claudius were beginning to boil and it was as if Hamlet would commit to anything under impulse. At this point, Hamlet is in complete control over Gertrude, using physical force to pressure her to admit her guilt. While still listening from being the arras, Polonius, believing that the Queen could be in danger, calls out for help. Tragically, as an audience, we know that Hamlet will act on impulse by confusing Polonius for Claudius. Although Hamlet is unknown of the identity of the man hiding being the arras, he assumes it is Claudius and acts irrationally, killing Polonius. Even immediately after the incident, it is revealed that Hamlet was not sure that he had killed Claudius when he says “Is it the king?” (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 32). It is tragic that the dramatic irony of this scene made is predictable for the audience to determine Polonius’ fate. In this case, Polonius suffers for his...
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...times. The Tragedy of Hamlet is written as substantial, yet subtle in this dramatic play. Shakespeare creates this drama with twists and turns in each scene, which spikes some readers to sit on the edge of one’s seat. Shakespeare uses soliloquies, dramatic dialogues, and revenge tragedy to unfold a tremendous amount of details of Hamlet, thus causing a dramatic irony approach. Between the Franco Zeffirelli’s version and the Laurence Oliver’s version of this tragedy, characters are distinctively played. While Hamlet’s life is crumbling in front of him, those surrounded, specifically Ophelia, are also being affected. In this play, Ophelia...
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...In Shakespear´s "Hamlet", the character of Prince Hamlet pretends to be insane. For a person in his situation, having almost everyone thinking that you are crazy can be an advantage. The king, his father, had died, and just a few weeks after his tragic loss, a ghost appears to Hamlet. This ghost has the appearance of his father. The spirit tells Hamlet that he did not die peacefully, but instead his brother, Claudius, murdered him by pouring venom into his ear. Claudius usurped the throne and also married his brother´s wife, Gertrude. Hamlet swears to his father´s spirit that he is going to avenge his death, and he would commit this by acting insanity. There are actions in the play that would be almost impossible to achieve if Hamlet did not act like a mentally unstable person. The clues that we can find in this tragedy helps proving that Hamlet´s sanity is the motive behind his simulated madness. The first reason Hamlet has to make everyone think he had gone mad is to accomplish the freedom he gains because of this. Societies have taboos and social norms that people must follow to be accepted. However, there are some exceptions, like the mentally unstable or the insane, so Hamlet realizes that being crazy would...
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...Scene One Summary: Claudius, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern talk about Hamlet and his lunacy. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell the King and Queen that they have tried to find out the reason for Hamlet’s madness, but he avoids their questions. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell the King and Queen about the actors that have arrived at the court and will be giving a performance. After Rosencrantz and Guildenstern leave, Claudius tells Gertrude that he has arranged for Hamlet to run into Ophelia, and Polonius and the King will hide and spy on their conversation to see if Hamlet is truly going crazy because he is in love. Gertrude tells Ophelia that she hopes that Hamlet’s madness is due to his love for her. Polonius tells Ophelia to read from a prayer book while waiting for Hamlet, which makes Claudius feels guilty as he remembers his own sin that he disguises with kind words. Then, Hamlet arrives speaking his famous to be or not to be speech. He is contemplating suicide, but he decides against it because he is worried that the environment after death will be even worse than the one he is living in right now. Ophelia then tells Hamlet that she has some of his mementos that she needs to return, which Hamlet denies ever giving her. Hamlet then goes into a dialogue with Ophelia that focuses on women and marriage. He is telling Ophelia to go to a nunnery because he does not believe in women or marriage anymore. Hamlet says that women use their beauty and power to fool their...
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...Otu Ms.Cincinelli ENG4U1 July 19, 2016 Hamlet Quotations Choice 1 Mad as the sea and wind when both contend Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit, Behind the arras hearing something stir, Whips out his rapier, cries, “A rat, a rat!” And in this brainish apprehension kills The unseen good old man. This quotation is said by Gertrude, the Queen, also known as Hamlets mother, in Act 4, Scene 1, 8-12. This passage serves to develop the character of Hamlet, and show how much he has grown mad in comparison to his visitation to Ophelia, which is when they begun to believe he has actually lost his mind. This passage also serves to develop conflict because Hamlet has just killed Laertes’s father, and Claudius’s good friend. This can develop conflict between the men because just as Hamlet wanted to seek revenge for the murder of his father, Laertes will also desire to do the same, as we see in Act 4, Scene 5, 104-110. This passage also serves to develop theme of death because this makes two deaths. Two deaths that have driven the characters to insanity. As we see in the text Hamlet first decides to put on an act, as he said he may find it fit to in Act 1, Scene 5, 171-173. Although, as we can see, the events that begin to take place in his life gives way for his acting to become reality, and the death of his father being one of the few reasons. As for Ophelia, she became crazy very soon after the death of her father, whom Hamlet killed. A key literary device used to achieve...
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...The role of Hamlet in Hamlet December 23,2011 Mr. Santin English 12-U Ethan D’Mello In many pieces of literature, it is the characters actions and words that have the greatest effect on the story line. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, there are many characters that are key to furthering the plot of the story, while keeping the reader engaged and interested in the book. These dramatic forces add suspense, irony, and mood which together makes for a good read. The characters who further these dramatic forces are Hamlet, Claudius, and Laertes. The character that furthers the dramatic forces the most is Hamlet. By examining the theme of love, their views on life and death, plus the act of scheming between Claudius, Hamlet, and Laertes, it will be evident that Hamlet furthers the dramatic force the most. Hamlet is a better character to reveal the theme of love when compared to Claudius. Hamlet encounters his father’s ghost and is told that his father’s brother Claudius had murdered him in his sleep. “O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain, My tables,- meet it is I set it down That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain, …So, uncle, there you are; now to my word; It is ‘adieu, adieu! Remember me.’ I have sworn’t” (Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 106-111). As a dutiful and loving son, Hamlet decides to avenge his father’s death. By doing so, he is accepting the task of going against all of Denmark and is planning to prove that his father was killed by the present...
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...ACT 1 : Scene 1 Enters HORATIO HORATIO: What is this ghost that the guards claim to see during the night? They say it looks like the dead king- rest his soul. Let me see if it appears tonight. GHOST enters. HORATIO: It looks so much like the old king. It’s terrifying. Look at its armor. The king was wearing exactly this armor when he fought the king of Norway. And it frowns just like the king did when he attacked the poles, travelling on an ice-sled. HORATIO(speaking to the GHOST): What are you, that you walk out so late at night, looking like the dead king of Denmark when he dressed for battle? By God, I order you to speak. GHOST disappears. HORATIO: What paranormal occurring are these? The sighting of a dead king’s ghost is a bad omen for the country. I must tell prince Hamlet about it. HORATIO exits. Scene 2: Enters CLAUDIUS, POLONIUS. CLAUDIUS: I still have fresh memories of my brother the elder Hamlet’s death, but life still goes on—I think it’s wise to mourn him while also thinking about my own well being. Therefore, I’ve married my former sister-in-law, the queen, with mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. I know that in marrying Gertrude I’m only doing what everybody have wisely advised all along. POLONIUS: I am happy for you sir. But your nephew-son Hamlet is still mourning his father’s death. He has still not shunted his black robes. CLAUDIUS: Call him. I want to talk to him right now. Enters HAMLET HAMLET: You wish to see me, sir? CLAUDIUS: Hamlet, you...
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...Hamlet Journal (1) Act 1, Scene 5, line 32 Ghost: I find thee apt, And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed That roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf, Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear. 'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forgèd process of my death Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown. (2) Paraphrase: a. The ghost is glad that Hamlet is so excited about revenging the father’s death. The ghost explained how his death was meant to look and that his death was a lie. Then the ghost informed Hamlet who was responsible for his death. Hamlet’s uncle is the one who murdered his father. (3) My comments b. I think that this is the start of the book; before this the book was just getting you use to the characters. When the ghost appears to Hamlet he is eager to get revenge for his father’s death. But when the ghost tells Hamlet that his uncle is the one who kills him; I feel like when this is revealed it took the story to a new level. First your father just died, your mom married your uncle and now all of a sudden a ghost appears to tell you that his death was a lie. On top of it being a lie, the person who did it was your uncle. I think this is going to make Hamlet lose control over him. He will either go into a deep depression or he is going to be so angry and not be able to control himself...
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...Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “There is always some madness in love, but there is also always some reason in madness. Love and revenge lead to strong motif of madness in William Shakespeare “Hamlet”. Hamlet like most sons, loved, his father dearly. Hamlet tries to seek revenge for his father’s death so he decides to act mad. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern try not to see what’s wrong with hamlet he says, “I am but mad north – North West when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw” (scene 2 act 2 page 57). He explains that he is mad, but he still knows what he is doing. There is no need to worry about him. Over and over again each character explains how they think Hamlet is mad, even his mother, and the queen. She says, “Alas,...
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...Compare the techniques used by Shakespeare to develop the theme of guilt in key scenes in both Macbeth and Hamlet. Guilt is defined as the remorseful awareness of having done something wrong. It was not unusual for Shakespeare to feature a lot of conflicted emotion in his plays, a favourite emotion for Shakespeare to right was guilt and therefore features heavily in his plays; Hamelt and Macbeth included. The use of guilt is often used to make the audience feel sympathy for the character or to change their perspective on the character as a whole; it is also used to drive the plot of the play and to create an atmosphere within the play. Macbeth showcases a lot of guilt to change the tone and atmosphere of the scene and to show how guilt affects religion and beliefs. For example in Act 2 Scene, after Macbeth has killed King Duncan, the audience finds him struggling with the guilt he feels. Shakespeare shows Macbeths guilt through his inability to say ‘Amen’ which would have previously come easily from him. But after killing Duncan Macbeth believes God has turned his back on him because he committed the biggest sin- Regicide- and have gone against the divine right of kings and so would no longer be under the protection of God. Furthermore, in his mini-soliloquy in Act 3 Scene 1 Macbeths says the murder of King Duncan “put rancours in the vessel of my peace”. This shows he is being tormented with a constant reminder of his crime and sins and this can be perceived as guilt coming...
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