Due Tuesday, March 20th - Hamlet - Act III, Scenes i & ii
Please read Hamlet, Act III, scenes i & ii and compose a blog response using at least 2-3 major quotations from the text in your response. Think about the themes, characterization, use of dramatic irony, etc. Be bold. Be brilliant.
After reading the third act of Hamlet, what I find very interesting about the main character’s motivation and behavior is his treatment of women. There are only two women in the play, Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, and Hamlet’s kinda-sorta girlfriend, Ophelia, both of whom, despite loving Hamlet, are constantly and viciously berated, insulted, and abused by him. In these first two scenes, Ophelia is the primary subject of Hamlet’s ire, but reading ahead, scene four is mostly Hamlet yelling at his mother about how bad a person she is. But the heat of Hamlet’s anger towards women, specifically Ophelia, seems out of proportion, especially when you compare it to his treatment of men. In the play Ophelia plays a similar role to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; youths who have known Hamlet for a long time and have developed a close relationship with him. Both have been conscripted by Hamlet’s elders (Claudius, Polonius, Gertrude) to spy on and manipulate Hamlet and Hamlet is aware of this, sniffing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern out as spies almost immediately and calling Ophelia’s father, Polonius, Jephthah, a biblical figure who sacrificed his own daughter, signifying that he knows that Polonius is using his daughter as a tool against Hamlet. However, while he treats Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with courtesy and writes them off as hapless fools, when confronting Ophelia, who plays the same role as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he rails on her, renouncing his love for her, calling her and all women liars and sinnful, and telling her to “get thee to a nunnery.” This behavior becomes even more rash when you consider that unlike Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who consciously and willingly act against Hamlet, Ophelia is unaware that she is being used by her father as a pawn, she’s innocent. Yet Hamlet takes every chance to belittle, unnerve and insult her. This may be because he knows Polonius and Claudius are watching and his abuse of Ophelia is part of his act to catch his elders off guard and confuse them. If that is the sole motive of his behavior then that points to a larger theme present in the play so far, the use of women as tools and points of control and the lack of control women themselves have in their treatment. By this point in the play Gertrude and Ophelia have had very little say in the way they are treated. Gertrude spends most of her time sitting at Claudius’s side, powerless, only capable of getting in a sentence or two edgewise in between Claudius’ of Polonius’ long soliloquies. She expresses genuine concern for her son’s well being but is powerless to do anything but go along with her husbands plans. Claudius himself, views Gertrude as as much of a prize for achieving his status as his throne is remarking in scene four “I am still possess’d of those effects for which I did the murder- My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.” Ophelia has seemingly even less say in her life. From the very beginning, she has done nothing but be the subject of the advice of the men in her life; her brother tells her what to do, her father tells her what to do, and now Hamlet tells her what to do (to become a nun). Gertrude loves Hamlet and Ophelia is confused and frightened yet their emotions are ignored by all of the men in their lives, swept away in their ambitions and plots, silenced. The women could also be being used as outlets for Hamlet’s angst and frustration as he can’t take them out on Claudius and he can get away with taking them out on women.
Continued: However, the treatment of women in this play also shows a deeper way that Hamlet’s mind is being affected by his father's death. Hamlet has a lot to say in this play, however he keeps all of his intense emotions and frustrations to himself, to muse on as he walks about Elsinore. He is open to noone, except Gertrude and Ophelia, who a constantly and publically rails on and ridicules. He does this with anyone else, not Claudius, Horatio, Rosencrantz or Guildenstern, and not even Polonius who even though he hates and openly insults, he does so in a way so that Polonius doesn't understand what Hamlet is saying to him. He is only ever open with his anger or criticism when it comes to the women in his life, and all women in general, as he decries all women as immoral and evil whenever he is berating Ophelia or Gertrude. This seemingly stems from his confusion and frustration surrounding his mothers quick marriage to his uncle after his father's death, a crime he refers to in the same breath as his father's murder. But what's interesting is that while he hates Claudius for killing his father, that doesn't make him hate all men like his mother's actions do. He hates Claudius sure, but his hate only ever really amounts to complaining about how unworthy his uncle is in comparison to his father, while he has entire soliloquies and as you will see later an entire scene in scene four where he rants in detail about how much women suck. This behavior and Hamlets grand generalization concerning women make more sense when you consider how he is kind of more at terms with his father's murder than with his mother’s “infidelity.” He hates Claudius, but he understands him, he understands why men murder each other, it expected for him, but his mother's behavior is a mystery to him, a mystery he solves for himself by rationalizing that all women are evil. This need to rationalize his mother's behavior falls in line with a desire of Hamlet to have control. Hamlet has very little control over his life, everything he wanted and expected to happen after his father’s death was let down and contradicted, he is unable to find any like minded people around him, he is unable to control himself and muster himself to action, and the behavior of the people around him is inconstant and nonsensical to him. For Hamlet, the universe is now strange and confusing to him, out of his control in almost every aspect, fortune (which he constantly refers to as a woman) is fickle and unknowable. He is only able to place reason and control as he sees it in a few places; in his control of his outward behavior, in his control of the play (which he micromanages), and in his rationalization of his mother's behavior as all women being evil. Or I could be wrong… I don’t know.
I was very satisfied that we finally got to the “to be or not to be: that is the question” part of this play. I have her that quote so many times in my life and now I can understand it’s context! Hamlet has another sort of monologue like he did in act 2, but this time it was more serious. He sort of talked about the meaning of life and whether living was worth it. I noticed the repetition of “to die: to sleep” and thought that was thoughtfully placed. I think a theme that can stem from this play is the idea of death- what it means, how it can happen, how it affects people, etc. This is clear from the beginning when Hamlet’s father is killed, but it comes up again here when Hamlet seems to be debating taking his own life. This scene is followed by his interaction with Ophelia which escalates a lot in only a couple of pages. I noted one of Hamlet’s last quotes in this scene “I have heard of your painting too, well enough. God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another”. I assumed that he was talking about the way women wear makeup, and that must have bothered him for a while since he sort of denounces it in a moment of anger. I wonder if this was a common thought in Shakespeare’s time/ if it was in fact was he thought as an individual? It is cool how this is still a common conception today, some men and women don’t like/ believe in wearing makeup yet don’t recognize it as a personal choice, and that it is not for the satisfaction of other people but it is for the person wearing it. That was just a small part in act 2, but I thought it was worth noting since it seemed kind of random, and could connect to today’s society. Cat
Hamlet and Ophelia’s conversation while Polonius is listening further makes the audience question Hamlet’s sanity. He clearly knows that they are being watched, but his severe reaction to Ophelia’s discussion of their love overshadows the thought-out soliloquy Hamlet performs. Polonius and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spying on Hamlet for King Claudius is sort of similar to Polonius sending Reynaldo to spy on Laertes, drawing another parallel to Hamlet and another young character. In addition, Ophelia lying to Hamlet about where her father is seems to be what sets him off. At this point, Hamlet seems to be driven mad not only by the lack of regard for his father’s death but also from being watched all the time by everyone around him. In every sense, he is alone and without anyone who will support him without pitying him or understanding this burden that the ghost has placed upon him. In some sense, Hamlet’s plan surrounding the play had the desired effect. It made the king uncomfortable, revealing to Hamlet that the ghost’s statements can be confirmed. However, it of course did not make him confess on the spot. Instead, Claudius now knows exactly how much of a problem Hamlet could pose for his reign.
I see a lot of parallels between the ways of parenting. The Queen decides to send people to spy on Hamlet rather than having a conversation in order to truly understand him. On this part she is similar to Polonius who sends a man to spy on his own son Laertes. Do you think Shakespeare showed us how kids were treated by their parents in general during his time period? I agree with Rory that Hamlet has had enough of people spying him, and that's what contributes to setting him off--- he is getting a bit insane. The soliloquy of Hamlet, "To be, or not to be..." (53), sounds so depressing as I was reading. On top of this father's death because of murder, the people around him are driving him nuts. Though his conversation with Ophelia is digging himself a grave by saying he has never loved her, in full knowledge that he's being watched, i feel like he acts that way due to depression and his anger towards her mother who wed his uncle in such a short time. This incident is emphasized throughout the play. He gets angry again with Rosengrantz and Guildenstern when they try to find his case of insane actions. I think at this point, Hamlet is just frustrated with everyone around him who are blind to the truth. His mind is still clear because he still remembers his ultimate goal.
In these scenes, we can see the tension really building up between the characters. Hamlet seems to be onto Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the King seems to be concerned that Hamlet knows that he murdered Hamlet’s father. Tension is also built up between Ophelia and Hamlet as she rejects him, and he responds bitterly. It seems that the story is approaching its climax. To Polonius, Ophelia, and others observing from the outside, Hamlet’s actions seem to be further confirming to them that he’s insane. But Claudius seems to be coming to the opposite conclusion. After overhearing Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, he nervously says “Love? His affections do not that way tend; Nor what he spake… was not like madness” (56). Then, after watching the actor pour poison in the King’s ear in the play, he was overcome with either guilt, fear, or concern, and stopped the play, proclaiming “Give me some light. Away!” (65). Now it seems like the ghost of Hamlet’s father is haunting Claudius, as well. This adds to the theme throughout the play of legacy. Hamlet fears that the legacy of his own father will not be preserved. Yet the legacy of Hamlet’s father is felt by Claudius at this point in the play, despite the fact that Claudius did not demonstrate respect for Hamlet’s father or his legacy after his death. The ghost of Hamlet’s father still haunts Claudius. Anna
In act III, Hamlets loathing of people has become more clear and he condemns the people around him even more, causing them to continue their belief in his insanity, and for him to question if their even is any importance to life itself. There is a strong focus on honesty, morals and burden in these scenes and a moment I found interesting was when Hamlet is expressing his moral dilemna as he is in a philosophical debate with himself over the meaning of life and living. In his soliloquay he questions, “ for who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressors wrong, the proud mans contumely… the insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit unworthy takes, when he himself might his quietus make with a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, to grunt and sweat under a weary life” (53). What I took from this was that Hamlet is struggling with knowing what to do with the information his father’s ghost has told him. He raises the questions of eventhough people have commited wrongs, does the burden neccesary fall upon them? Is there truly any meaning to where burden may fall, is it even worth living or avenging when there is no way to know if proper settlement and closure is possible? This philosophical moment debating the illogicality of burdens is almost immediately offset by his encounter with Ophelia where he demands her to go “to a nunnery” because “if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough what you makes of them” (55). It is somewhat ironic that moments before, he felt as though blame and burden is elusive, and then the next moment he is blaming all women for making men into “monsters”, all because he is angry with his mother for marrying his uncle, which seems to shift the blame onto her eventhough his uncle is the one who killed his father. This contrast further begs the question of Hamlets true mental stability and if he actually has gone mad from rage and burden. Also, there was some irony I found entertaining when Hamlet asks Polonius about his past in acting and Polonius reveals he had played Julius Caesar which is ironic because Julius Caeser was betrayed and killed by his close friend Brutus, much like how Hamlets father was betrayed and killed by his own brother and its unclear if Polonius was involved or not. I am interested to see where Hamlets inner turmoils lead his outer actions later on.
There were two passages that stood out, as they showed Hamlet in two opposite states of mind. The first one is his “To be or not to be” soliloquy, where he’s questioning the point of living, and the solution to the obstacles in his life and his current situation. He’s thinking an easy way out of his problem is to kill himself, and he compares it to sleep, saying “by a sleep to say we end//The heartache and the thousand natural shocks” (53). He also is tired of thinking too much, and of tormenting himself with his indecisiveness and anxieties, claiming that, “The native hue of resolution//Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought” (54). In this passage, Hamlet is in a weak place, tired of obstacles and of his own doubts. However, by the end of scene III, he seems more resolute and sure of himself, saying that now, “He’ll take the ghost’s word for a thousand pound” (65). He’s sure that now he could “drink hot blood//And do such bitter business as the bitter day//Would quake to look on” (68). Finally gaining the confidence of knowledge that his uncle did kill his father, he pleads that his heart “lose not thy nature” and “let him be cruel, not unnatural” (68), so that he can finally seek revenge. After one peice of evidence that he’s not actually losing his mind, Hamlet seems ready to muster up the courage and kill his uncle. Unlike the first passage, he has found a sense of purpose, and a reason to continue to live and sort through his emotional turmoil. Sosha
There was definitely a lot going on in the first two scenes of Act III. Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship undergoes a lot of conversation, his paranoia and anger increases, and a lot of tension builds between the characters. Like Anna said, the play is clearly close to the climax (and I couldn’t be more excited). First off, I was pretty disappointed by the exchange between Hamlet and Ophelia because I had been hoping for her to be the person he turned to, I was rooting for love. But her rejection and his bitter response left me genuinely concerned for Hamlet’s well-being despite not having felt that way in the first two acts. I thought she was the one person who would stick with him and they’d figure out the situation together but he was quickly left alone because his act of insanity had convinced even her. My pity for Hamlet was only solidified by the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy in which he questions the meaning of life and considers death at his own hand as an easy remedy to his suffering. It’s a feeling that, if one takes away the Shakespearean language and melodrama, a lot of people, including myself are familiar with. When one is in a position of mental exhaustion and entrapment within one’s own mind, one often sees “sleep to say we end” as an option. It’s hard to alienate yourself from everyone you know and be treated as a madman as a result, and while this example is specific to Hamlet, the desperation and torment led me to empathize with him. Second, the foil of Hamlet and Laertes became more apparent to me with Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spying on Hamlet for King Claudius mirroring Reynaldo spying Laertes. I’m getting a better grasp on Shakespeare’s techniques in connecting the two young men, which I owe most of to the explanations in class. Third, I loved how Claudius broke down during the play because a. it was pretty funny, and b. it led to Hamlet’s empowerment (which can be a debatably good or bad thing but definitely perfect for the play). Sosha pointed out the contrast between Hamlet’s breaking point and his passion for life that returned when he knew of Claudius’ betrayal, which is something that excited me because Shakespeare has a flare for the dramatic and ironic. I also immediately connected Hamlet’s plea for his heart to “lose not thy nature” and “let him be cruel, not unnatural” to Macbeth which made me happy because Macbeth is one of my favorite Shakespeare dramas. (Could we maybe discuss similarities between Hamlet and Macbeth during class? I know not everyone has read the second one but I think it could be an interesting conversation.) One thing I didn’t consider but Anna brought up was the expansion of King Hamlet’s ghost into the mind of Claudius and the whole issue regarding legacy. I would like to discuss that piece a little more in depth with the class. There really was a lot to cover in the two scenes but I finally feel like I’m tapping into the Shakespeare that I enjoy. And, apologies if this sounds like I’m beating a dead horse, but Oscar Wilde’s aesthetic movement of art for art’s sake makes me enjoy the craziness of this play even more because it forces me to not act like the cynical, judgmental teenager I am.
PS. I have no background on Hamlet whatsoever and if I sound like an idiot for my lack of cultural knowledge it's because I am so when it comes time to experience plot twists please bear with me :)
I thought that Hamlet telling Ophelia that he will “lug the guts into the neighbor room” showed an apparent disregard for any human decency and was devoid of remorse. Polonius is relatively innocent throughout the plot and should not be held responsible for the actions of Claudius. Even though Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius the least he could have done is owned up to his mistake rather that calling him and “intruding fool.” The way in which Hamlet kills Polonius makes me think that he may truly be insane and it seems that he might just resort to killing anyone that stands in his way in the future. I would not be surprised if he kills both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern after he discovers that they are spying on him. To me the ghost that Hamlet sees is more of a reflection of his own thoughts and intentions similar to a dream rather than an actual reincarnation of King Claudius. Maybe the ghost is simply just telling him what he wants to hear rather than telling him what King Claudius would want him to do. I found it surprising that Hamlet decided that to kill Claudius while he is praying would be “hire and salary, not revenge.” Hamlet’s indecisiveness is one of his greatest flaws. I think the true motivation behind him not wanting to kill Claudius was that he was apprehensive rather than him deciding it would not be sufficient revenge.
Through his act of insanity, Hamlet is showing Queen Gertrude and King Claudius that he knows the truth about his father. Through the play that Hamlet had the actors perform, he emphasizes the betrayal that the queen has specifically done. When the actress from the play said “any time I kissed my second husband in bed, I’d kill the first one all over again”, Hamlet stresses repeatedly of the treason that Gertrude did to his father. Using various actors to represent King Hamlet, Queen Gertrude, and Claudius, Hamlet indirectly criticizes the Kingdom’s choice to quickly get over King Hamlet’s death. Hamlet believes that the queen should “ know no peace either in this life or the next one”, for she became “a wife again after [she was] a widow”. Through satire, the actress acts as a foil for the queen leading to guilt. Without physical harm and direct conversation, Hamlet provokes the King and Queen and silently shames them for their action through this play. To others, the king and queen seem to be simply upset however only Hamlet, the king, and the queen understand the hidden implications that the play brought out. Kaby
In this act, I think you really get more good insight into Hamlet’s character. His famous soliloquy where he states, “To be or not to be, that is the question, Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles / And, by opposing, end them,” (53) it seems that as the speech goes on, he moves on from thinking about whether to kill himself to questioning the concept of suicide in general which reflects the theme of mortality. I think here, you get a sense of how deep Hamlet’s thoughts go and that he is very much aware of everyone’s motives. I also think that the way Hamlet addresses Ophelia saying, “Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me” (55) the audience can recognize that Hamlet is aware that he is being watched. Similar to what others have said, I think at this point the murder of his father and the fact that his mother immediately got together with his uncle afterwards has driven him completely insane. I also think that in the play, when an actor pours poison into the king’s ear, I think that this is Hamlet’s way of having the ghost of his father haunt Claudius even though the ghost is not physically present.
It was definitely disheartening to see Hamlet's outburst at Ophelia in scene 1. His crazy behavior funneled into a place of misogyny and extreme cynicalism on marriage and love. I was surprised when he confessed he no longer loved Ophelia and told her to go to a nunnery and not tempt mankind “Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest,but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me: I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in.” It angered me that he was taking out his problems on Ophelia even though it wasn’t coming from a place of hate but instead sadness and irrationality. In this scene I related Hamlet to an angry child who doesn't get what they want and takes it out on others. At first I felt bad for Hamlet but as he begins to go more crazy towards people he onced loved I am losing sympathy. I was pleasantly surprised in the second act when Claudius showed obvious signs of guilt towards Hamlets play. However I found Hamlets passive aggressive comments towards Ophelia over the top and obnoxious. I would love to discuss as a class his behavior towards Ophelia and if we should give him a pass or not, also toward his mother. When he gives the settle dig about her when he asks how she liked the play, I felt that his anger was more warrented than with Ophelia. Gertrude “The lady protests too much, methinks. Hamlet “O, but she'll keep her word.” Finally I found it almost comedic the extreme lengths Claudius and Hamlet are going to reveal each other's secrets, aiding to the theme of both literal and figurative ghosts in this play.
I really loved this play;( I was super excited to get to read the "To be or not to be" soliloquy in context for the first time. I also enjoy that we get to see into Hamlet's brain in such depth through his soliloquies and strong subtext, despite there being no narration for us to read like we would have in a novel. I was also excited to see how the play played out, I was curious to see if King Claudius would give an outward reaction, and I think it is safe to say he did:) During the play, as Kaby mentioned, I also liked seeing all of the subtle hints Hamlet applied that showed his anger and frustration towards his mother moving on so quickly from his father, and the king murdering his father. I also think it is interesting, as Steven noted, that Hamlet's indecision leads to him not killing the king. I agree that this could be out of fear, but I wonder if Hamlet is still potentially suicidal then would he possibly avenge his father and then kill himself? I am excited to see how the rest of the play turns out! I am curious as to whether Hamlet will follow through with these potential deaths.
In act three, Hamlet seems to be spiraling more and more out of control. It almost seems as though the sane and smart minded Hamlet from the previous act is gone. However I think he is still just acting to be crazy. In the past, I have heard the famous to be or not to be quote many times, but not till now have I fully understand it. Hamlet doesn’t talk directly about what he’s really talking about. He says “To be or not to be—that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer, The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles. And, by opposing, end them.” When Hamlet says this quote, it seems that he is contemplating suicide. The strong language in his soliloquy has implications of suicide and getting over his nerves to commit the act. However, after reading the play closely I do not think he was considering suicide, he never mentioned himself in his speech. I found this part really confusing to read, because though I did not think he was referring to suicide I couldn’t figure out exactly what he was talking about. When Hamlet talks to Ophelia, Claudius and Polonius watch him to see if he really is going insane because of his love for her. I was confused again when reading this part, because I feel like Claudius knows that Hamlet is not really crazy, but it was hard to tell. In the next scene, Hamlet seems like he is back to creating his mind games. When talking to Horatio, he slights Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He states “Give me that man, That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him, In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart, ,As I do thee.” This is further proof that Hamlet is not truly insane, because he is able to act crazy on a whim, but can revert to his calculated planning. When talking to Horatio he is his normal focused self, but when his mother comes in he becomes crazy again. However there is evidence that Hamlet has been affected by recent events, because he is very short and rude when talking to Ophelia. She, one of the only people who still stands by Hamlet, is kind to him in a hard time. Instead of being kind back, he snaps “It would cost you a groaning to take off my edge.” At the end of scene ii I started to wonder if Hamlet really was changing.
Hamlet knows that he is being spied on, but his mother and uncle spying on him do not know that he is aware. This causes the dramatic irony and it made me interested to see how everything played out. I want to see if the king and queen figure out that Hamlet is aware that they are spying on him, and and how Hamlet will act from now on knowing that he is being spied on. I wonder why Hamlet is acting so crazy, and want to know if he is actually crazy. Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, “To be, or not to be? That is the question—Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them?” shows the height of Hamlet’s inner struggle. He is struggling and is considering, as Julia said, the concept of suicide. This speech made me feel more compassion for Hamlet than I had previously felt. I think that this speech shows Hamlet’s characterization of being an extremely indecisive person.
I like the premise of the play, but I really wish Hamlet would have a little more foresight when deciding upon his actions. Casting a play depicting how Claudius murdered the old king does nothing but “fright with a false fire”- likely to the point where Claudius would be willing to do anything to be rid of Hamlet should his plan to send him “with speed to England” fail. (56) (65) As someone who is not a king and does not have his own forces, Hamlet’s only real asset would be the element of surprise- albeit the fact that even this advantage is somewhat dulled given Claudius’ relationship with Hamlet’s father- against an actual king. By forfeiting that, Hamlet’s only real chance at exacting revenge would lie the tendency of entire armies or squadrons of guards disappearing at the absolute worst time for their leaders in Shakespeare’s stories. My prediction is that is exactly what will happen and that Claudius’ entire army will somehow entirely vanish and leave him alone or only with a few people when he ultimately has to confront Hamlet. However, I wish this wouldn’t happen because it makes the play a lot less realistic.
“To be, or not to be” a line I have heard an endless amount of times, and might even be the most known and used quote in literature. It is often used, as Domenica mentioned, due to the fact it can be relatable to many people and situations. Hamlet says this quote as he is questioning the point of anything and is tired of not only his life, but also worn out by his indecisiveness. We see that this exhaustion has led him to want to kill himself. He believes it is the only solution to escape all the chaos and find peace, as he describes when humans die “we end/ the heartache and the thousand natural shocks”. Due to the fact he announced at the beginning that he was going to act crazy, it made me torn between believing whether he has lost his mind or whether it was all an act in the last act, but by act III the reader starts becoming genuinely worried for him.
Regardless of his self-doubt and existential crisis, as I also mentioned in my past blog post, his keen sense of understanding his situation and the reality of those around him, makes some sanity appear. When he hires a troop of actors to reenact his father’s death by using the story of Gonzago, to evoke a guilty reaction from Clodius, it proves that he is still able to cleverly scheme. However, Claudius was unphased by the the show, that exactly replicates the the things that the Ghost is telling Hamlet happened. This makes the reader question whether the Ghost is legit, or whether it is the creation of his own mind and desperation. I think that it is also super interesting to see Hamlet and Claudius interactions, as their relationship seems like a mutualistic relationship. Both are using each other, Claudius is trying to see Hamlet’s madness by spying on him, while Hamlet trying to “catch the conscience of the king”. His sanity is also exposed when he conveys his adoration of Horatio’s composure and calmness, two qualities that he does not obtain. When he says “Give me that man / That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him / In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart, / As I do thee” it is demonstrating his sane reasoning-based actions instead of his wild impulsive-based actions, something that keeps being balanced throughout the play. Now it shows that he is indeed not mad, but is confirmed when Claudius and Gertrude arrive to the play, and he all of a sudden begins to act deranged again. I am excited to find out what is going to actually end up happening in the play, as it seems the play has definitely reached its boiling point, as his insanity and bitterness is not only increasing but the tension between the protagonists are as well!
I’m really starting to enjoy the play! I think that as you get more into it, it becomes easier to read. Shakespeare has a very distinct language which I, like many others, find difficult to digest at first. I think a big reason why people don’t like Shakespeare is because they don’t understand his language. Anyways, I think the main reason why I liked Scene 1 was because we got to see the famous “To be, or not to be? That is the question—” (58) soliloquy from Hamlet! Even though people might not know exactly where it comes from, I think that it’s one of the most recognizable lines in literature. Reading long passages in Hamlet like this is a little bit difficult, so I had to read it a few times to really understand what was going on, but I think that Hamlet makes some very good points. Is it really better to be alive and feel pain and suffering, or is it better to be dead (or to not have existed at all) and not feel anything? If someone were to choose death, then they run the risk of hell being real and eternal suffering and all of that. It’s a great philosophical questions and I think it would spark a great class discussion. At the beginning of Scene 2, I felt bad for Horatio because Hamlet put him down so much. The section where Hamlet says “Nay, do not think I flatter...Dost thou hear?” (49-56) was basically Hamlet saying “you’re too poor for me to get anything out of you”. I think that Hamlet snooping around has started to make him a little bit ruthless. His actions are beginning to be very selfish and he is only doing things that benefit him.
I will admit that at the beginning of this play I was not very excited about reading it. For me, Shakespeare has always been a bit of a difficult read. However I have only read Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummers Night Dream, so I haven't had too many encounters with him. But now, as the play goes on, I am beginning to enjoy and begin to really appreciate Shakespeare’s writing. I really like the character of Hamlet and how he has evolved throughout the play since his father first died. I think that he has both matured and became more of a man in the short time that the reader has known Hamlet. I think the part that shows his maturity is the famous quote “to be or not to be”. Like in the comments above, I was happy to finally see this quote in context. I have been hearing it for years and have even found myself saying it without really knowing its context. This quote comes from one of Hamlet’s soliloquies, a more serious one regarding the state of his life. He questions the point of living and the meaning of life, an ever fleeting idea that we all toil with. Throughout this speech Hamlet struggles with the idea to go on with life or to kill himself “to die or to sleep”. At the beginning of his thoughts Hamlet thinks that dying would be the only solution to his problems and contemplated the idea of suicide. However Hamlet's development as a character is seen when he decides that that is not the way he is going to solve his problems. It is one page 68 that he says “lose not thy nature...let him be cruel, not unnatural” when he becomes certain that his uncle killed his father. Hamlet knew this all along but just needed some reassurance in order to advance his plan of revenge. This short speech shows Hamlet's development and shows that he is not losing his mind but is in fact very aware of the state he is in. This Act lead to his realization that he is meant to avenge his father's death and become the man that he is destined to be. Colleen
I loved the progression of this play, and I think that this was without a doubt one of the better plays that I have read throughout my high school English classes. As for quotes, there is, of course, the very well-known quote: "To be, or not to be," (58) and the lines that follow. As stated by many students above, I had heard this quote used many times in various social contexts or as literary references in other classes, but it was great to have finally seen where it came from. Originally, I had thought this came from a comedic scene, when in reality, it had to do with Hamlet's woes. Also, when reading this play, I realized that there were also other soliloquies and speeches throughout "Hamlet," mostly spoken by Hamlet himself, that were very powerful and didn't necessarily make it to the limelight like the "To be, or not to be" speech was. I was also very surpirsed by Shakespeare's knowledge of human psychology (and his understanding of things like depression), as he incorporated small, subtle gestures, cues, and actions into his characters. Of course, plays tend to be dramatic, and I think this one was as well, but I think those tacit actions embellished the play beautifully. Hamlet also proclaims, "by a sleep to say we end...the heartache and the thousand natural shocks," (53) another very popular quote from this act. Overall, I was pleasantly suprised by the descriptions and characterization that encompassed each of the acts of Hamlet, and it has definitely opened me up to a different perspective on literature.
I was intrigued by Hamlet’s attitude towards Ophelia in this act. Although in the end of his soliloquy he greets “fair” Ophelia as a “nymph,” asking her to remember “all [his] sins” (65). By keeping her as a witness to his most intimate moments of musing on death, at first it seemed to me that Hamlet still valued Ophelia and loved her, trusting her with his most private thoughts. But Hamlet’s true attitude towards Ophelia seems diametrically opposed to how he actually treats her, both in their conversation in the halls and in his barbs towards her during the play. From his cruel quips to Ophelia about her “calumny,” to telling her that he “loved [her] once,” to me Hamlet seems to be onto Ophelia’s and Polonius’s scheme to get Ophelia to push away Hamlet and spy on him for Claudius and Polonius. In this act in general, I feel that Hamlet truly shows his best qualities as a thinker, duping Polonius and Claudius, while also displaying his rash and emotional nature in his cruel treatment of Ophelia.
Though the last act was all about the slow boil and the usage of dramatic irony to emphasize Hamlet's inner struggles, here in act 3 everything switches. While still acting as "out there" as he could, he also proved to his Uncle that he is on to him to the best of his ability by exploiting the play to his advantage. He accomplished this by ensuring that the actors did a very specific scene that involved the poisoning of a king through his ear. While this was certainly effective, one must also take in to account how he tried his best to bash his mother in the process. By showing a play in which the Queen stays loyal to the King, even in death, he makes it known to her how he feels (though this probably came as no surprise to her). One wonders what he meant by this, ultimately what his end game must've been. Sure, he got the proof he needed in order to kill his Uncle, but why did he feel the need to embarrass the two of them? Surely if he wanted to ensure his own success he would've wanted to make it appear as though he had no idea what was happening. If he truly wants to kill the King, wouldn't it be wise to make himself appear as inconspicuous and benign as possible? It seems like Hamlet isn't really thinking a lot of this through. Surely the King would be interested in raising his guard (and indeed he does so in the prior act by hiring spies to make sure Hamlet is really crazy with love) which even then Hamlet makes it perfectly clear to them that he's not crazy. I mean he does act like he is but he asks them if the King sent them so clearly there's a great degree of rationality still left in him somewhere. It's like he's really showing his hand to everybody, maybe he's calling out for help from the crowd. He needs a sense of validation before he can feel self righteous enough to really dig the knife into the King's heart and take the thrown for himself. As mentioned in class he doesn't go out of his way to even mention being king, but though this isn't his goal it does seem like he wants some power or control in his life. He's just so myopic though.
I believe that Hamlet’s erratic behavior in Scenes 1 and 2 of Act 3 further suggests that he is indeed falling into a state of total insanity. He enters the first scene contemplating whether living is worth the suffering that accompanies it. “To be, or not to be, that is the question” (53). He begs the question of whether it is better to suffer, “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” or succumb to death (53). His state of wistfulness leads Ophelia to assume that Hamlet desires her love, but when she advances him, he replies with utter disgust. “Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners” (55). Although Hamlet’s change in attitude toward her is a result of his distrust, the way in which he unconditionally depraves Ophelia and viciously strips her of her dignity indicates that he has no remorse for the consequences that may emanate from his actions. His sociopathic tendencies are evidence that, although Hamlet is attempting to display a facade of insanity, he is truly becoming deranged. At this point in the play, Hamlet has convinced himself that he is unable to trust anyone, and he enters a state of paranoia. In his perspective, almost all of those surrounding him are plotting against him, and he has no choice but to rely on himself to carry out his plan to (except for Horatio).
As was said by most of the class, finally reading the “to be or not to be” scene made me realise that I really had no clue what I was going to be reading when we started this book. The depth to that single soliloquy and the beauty and depth to the entire play as well as the amount of witty humour especially in the acting out of the play and the reactions of the Uncle and the rest of the characters to Hamlet's insanity are far more exciting and entertaining then I had anticipated for them to be. Hamlet questioning not only what the point of living is if there is no passion and when you die everyone forgets you but his actions as well as the actions of his mother and uncle and everyone else around him reveal the many stages of grief after death. The way this story has progressed through the mind of Hamlet with that in mind is something that is so subtle and interesting; the way the play moves towards chaos and madness just as Hamlet does as he deals with death in his own way seems to be a commentary on the nature of entropy. There is purpose behind every scene and every line and I alway thought that people were just exaggerating when they spoke about shakespeare but now that I’ve read it I understand. Another part that I found particularly beautiful and underrated was when Hamlet spoke of the passion that the actor could convey. There is some irony in his thought that he had no passion, that he was empty and void of all feeling, seeing as he is plotting the murder of his uncle to avenge his father. That seems to be a pretty major passion project.
After reading the third act of Hamlet, what I find very interesting about the main character’s motivation and behavior is his treatment of women. There are only two women in the play, Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, and Hamlet’s kinda-sorta girlfriend, Ophelia, both of whom, despite loving Hamlet, are constantly and viciously berated, insulted, and abused by him. In these first two scenes, Ophelia is the primary subject of Hamlet’s ire, but reading ahead, scene four is mostly Hamlet yelling at his mother about how bad a person she is. But the heat of Hamlet’s anger towards women, specifically Ophelia, seems out of proportion, especially when you compare it to his treatment of men. In the play Ophelia plays a similar role to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; youths who have known Hamlet for a long time and have developed a close relationship with him. Both have been conscripted by Hamlet’s elders (Claudius, Polonius, Gertrude) to spy on and manipulate Hamlet and Hamlet is aware of this, sniffing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern out as spies almost immediately and calling Ophelia’s father, Polonius, Jephthah, a biblical figure who sacrificed his own daughter, signifying that he knows that Polonius is using his daughter as a tool against Hamlet. However, while he treats Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with courtesy and writes them off as hapless fools, when confronting Ophelia, who plays the same role as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he rails on her, renouncing his love for her, calling her and all women liars and sinnful, and telling her to “get thee to a nunnery.” This behavior becomes even more rash when you consider that unlike Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who consciously and willingly act against Hamlet, Ophelia is unaware that she is being used by her father as a pawn, she’s innocent. Yet Hamlet takes every chance to belittle, unnerve and insult her. This may be because he knows Polonius and Claudius are watching and his abuse of Ophelia is part of his act to catch his elders off guard and confuse them. If that is the sole motive of his behavior then that points to a larger theme present in the play so far, the use of women as tools and points of control and the lack of control women themselves have in their treatment. By this point in the play Gertrude and Ophelia have had very little say in the way they are treated. Gertrude spends most of her time sitting at Claudius’s side, powerless, only capable of getting in a sentence or two edgewise in between Claudius’ of Polonius’ long soliloquies. She expresses genuine concern for her son’s well being but is powerless to do anything but go along with her husbands plans. Claudius himself, views Gertrude as as much of a prize for achieving his status as his throne is remarking in scene four “I am still possess’d of those effects for which I did the murder- My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.” Ophelia has seemingly even less say in her life. From the very beginning, she has done nothing but be the subject of the advice of the men in her life; her brother tells her what to do, her father tells her what to do, and now Hamlet tells her what to do (to become a nun). Gertrude loves Hamlet and Ophelia is confused and frightened yet their emotions are ignored by all of the men in their lives, swept away in their ambitions and plots, silenced. The women could also be being used as outlets for Hamlet’s angst and frustration as he can’t take them out on Claudius and he can get away with taking them out on women.
ReplyDeleteContinued: However, the treatment of women in this play also shows a deeper way that Hamlet’s mind is being affected by his father's death. Hamlet has a lot to say in this play, however he keeps all of his intense emotions and frustrations to himself, to muse on as he walks about Elsinore. He is open to noone, except Gertrude and Ophelia, who a constantly and publically rails on and ridicules. He does this with anyone else, not Claudius, Horatio, Rosencrantz or Guildenstern, and not even Polonius who even though he hates and openly insults, he does so in a way so that Polonius doesn't understand what Hamlet is saying to him. He is only ever open with his anger or criticism when it comes to the women in his life, and all women in general, as he decries all women as immoral and evil whenever he is berating Ophelia or Gertrude. This seemingly stems from his confusion and frustration surrounding his mothers quick marriage to his uncle after his father's death, a crime he refers to in the same breath as his father's murder. But what's interesting is that while he hates Claudius for killing his father, that doesn't make him hate all men like his mother's actions do. He hates Claudius sure, but his hate only ever really amounts to complaining about how unworthy his uncle is in comparison to his father, while he has entire soliloquies and as you will see later an entire scene in scene four where he rants in detail about how much women suck. This behavior and Hamlets grand generalization concerning women make more sense when you consider how he is kind of more at terms with his father's murder than with his mother’s “infidelity.” He hates Claudius, but he understands him, he understands why men murder each other, it expected for him, but his mother's behavior is a mystery to him, a mystery he solves for himself by rationalizing that all women are evil. This need to rationalize his mother's behavior falls in line with a desire of Hamlet to have control. Hamlet has very little control over his life, everything he wanted and expected to happen after his father’s death was let down and contradicted, he is unable to find any like minded people around him, he is unable to control himself and muster himself to action, and the behavior of the people around him is inconstant and nonsensical to him. For Hamlet, the universe is now strange and confusing to him, out of his control in almost every aspect, fortune (which he constantly refers to as a woman) is fickle and unknowable. He is only able to place reason and control as he sees it in a few places; in his control of his outward behavior, in his control of the play (which he micromanages), and in his rationalization of his mother's behavior as all women being evil. Or I could be wrong… I don’t know.
DeleteI was very satisfied that we finally got to the “to be or not to be: that is the question” part of this play. I have her that quote so many times in my life and now I can understand it’s context! Hamlet has another sort of monologue like he did in act 2, but this time it was more serious. He sort of talked about the meaning of life and whether living was worth it. I noticed the repetition of “to die: to sleep” and thought that was thoughtfully placed. I think a theme that can stem from this play is the idea of death- what it means, how it can happen, how it affects people, etc. This is clear from the beginning when Hamlet’s father is killed, but it comes up again here when Hamlet seems to be debating taking his own life. This scene is followed by his interaction with Ophelia which escalates a lot in only a couple of pages. I noted one of Hamlet’s last quotes in this scene “I have heard of your painting too, well enough. God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another”. I assumed that he was talking about the way women wear makeup, and that must have bothered him for a while since he sort of denounces it in a moment of anger. I wonder if this was a common thought in Shakespeare’s time/ if it was in fact was he thought as an individual? It is cool how this is still a common conception today, some men and women don’t like/ believe in wearing makeup yet don’t recognize it as a personal choice, and that it is not for the satisfaction of other people but it is for the person wearing it. That was just a small part in act 2, but I thought it was worth noting since it seemed kind of random, and could connect to today’s society.
ReplyDeleteCat
Hamlet and Ophelia’s conversation while Polonius is listening further makes the audience question Hamlet’s sanity. He clearly knows that they are being watched, but his severe reaction to Ophelia’s discussion of their love overshadows the thought-out soliloquy Hamlet performs. Polonius and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spying on Hamlet for King Claudius is sort of similar to Polonius sending Reynaldo to spy on Laertes, drawing another parallel to Hamlet and another young character. In addition, Ophelia lying to Hamlet about where her father is seems to be what sets him off. At this point, Hamlet seems to be driven mad not only by the lack of regard for his father’s death but also from being watched all the time by everyone around him. In every sense, he is alone and without anyone who will support him without pitying him or understanding this burden that the ghost has placed upon him. In some sense, Hamlet’s plan surrounding the play had the desired effect. It made the king uncomfortable, revealing to Hamlet that the ghost’s statements can be confirmed. However, it of course did not make him confess on the spot. Instead, Claudius now knows exactly how much of a problem Hamlet could pose for his reign.
ReplyDeleteI see a lot of parallels between the ways of parenting. The Queen decides to send people to spy on Hamlet rather than having a conversation in order to truly understand him. On this part she is similar to Polonius who sends a man to spy on his own son Laertes. Do you think Shakespeare showed us how kids were treated by their parents in general during his time period? I agree with Rory that Hamlet has had enough of people spying him, and that's what contributes to setting him off--- he is getting a bit insane. The soliloquy of Hamlet, "To be, or not to be..." (53), sounds so depressing as I was reading. On top of this father's death because of murder, the people around him are driving him nuts. Though his conversation with Ophelia is digging himself a grave by saying he has never loved her, in full knowledge that he's being watched, i feel like he acts that way due to depression and his anger towards her mother who wed his uncle in such a short time. This incident is emphasized throughout the play. He gets angry again with Rosengrantz and Guildenstern when they try to find his case of insane actions. I think at this point, Hamlet is just frustrated with everyone around him who are blind to the truth. His mind is still clear because he still remembers his ultimate goal.
ReplyDeleteIn these scenes, we can see the tension really building up between the characters. Hamlet seems to be onto Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the King seems to be concerned that Hamlet knows that he murdered Hamlet’s father. Tension is also built up between Ophelia and Hamlet as she rejects him, and he responds bitterly. It seems that the story is approaching its climax. To Polonius, Ophelia, and others observing from the outside, Hamlet’s actions seem to be further confirming to them that he’s insane. But Claudius seems to be coming to the opposite conclusion. After overhearing Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, he nervously says “Love? His affections do not that way tend; Nor what he spake… was not like madness” (56). Then, after watching the actor pour poison in the King’s ear in the play, he was overcome with either guilt, fear, or concern, and stopped the play, proclaiming “Give me some light. Away!” (65). Now it seems like the ghost of Hamlet’s father is haunting Claudius, as well. This adds to the theme throughout the play of legacy. Hamlet fears that the legacy of his own father will not be preserved. Yet the legacy of Hamlet’s father is felt by Claudius at this point in the play, despite the fact that Claudius did not demonstrate respect for Hamlet’s father or his legacy after his death. The ghost of Hamlet’s father still haunts Claudius.
ReplyDeleteAnna
In act III, Hamlets loathing of people has become more clear and he condemns the people around him even more, causing them to continue their belief in his insanity, and for him to question if their even is any importance to life itself. There is a strong focus on honesty, morals and burden in these scenes and a moment I found interesting was when Hamlet is expressing his moral dilemna as he is in a philosophical debate with himself over the meaning of life and living. In his soliloquay he questions, “ for who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressors wrong, the proud mans contumely… the insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit unworthy takes, when he himself might his quietus make with a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, to grunt and sweat under a weary life” (53). What I took from this was that Hamlet is struggling with knowing what to do with the information his father’s ghost has told him. He raises the questions of eventhough people have commited wrongs, does the burden neccesary fall upon them? Is there truly any meaning to where burden may fall, is it even worth living or avenging when there is no way to know if proper settlement and closure is possible? This philosophical moment debating the illogicality of burdens is almost immediately offset by his encounter with Ophelia where he demands her to go “to a nunnery” because “if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough what you makes of them” (55). It is somewhat ironic that moments before, he felt as though blame and burden is elusive, and then the next moment he is blaming all women for making men into “monsters”, all because he is angry with his mother for marrying his uncle, which seems to shift the blame onto her eventhough his uncle is the one who killed his father. This contrast further begs the question of Hamlets true mental stability and if he actually has gone mad from rage and burden. Also, there was some irony I found entertaining when Hamlet asks Polonius about his past in acting and Polonius reveals he had played Julius Caesar which is ironic because Julius Caeser was betrayed and killed by his close friend Brutus, much like how Hamlets father was betrayed and killed by his own brother and its unclear if Polonius was involved or not. I am interested to see where Hamlets inner turmoils lead his outer actions later on.
ReplyDeleteThere were two passages that stood out, as they showed Hamlet in two opposite states of mind. The first one is his “To be or not to be” soliloquy, where he’s questioning the point of living, and the solution to the obstacles in his life and his current situation. He’s thinking an easy way out of his problem is to kill himself, and he compares it to sleep, saying “by a sleep to say we end//The heartache and the thousand natural shocks” (53). He also is tired of thinking too much, and of tormenting himself with his indecisiveness and anxieties, claiming that, “The native hue of resolution//Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought” (54). In this passage, Hamlet is in a weak place, tired of obstacles and of his own doubts. However, by the end of scene III, he seems more resolute and sure of himself, saying that now, “He’ll take the ghost’s word for a thousand pound” (65). He’s sure that now he could “drink hot blood//And do such bitter business as the bitter day//Would quake to look on” (68). Finally gaining the confidence of knowledge that his uncle did kill his father, he pleads that his heart “lose not thy nature” and “let him be cruel, not unnatural” (68), so that he can finally seek revenge. After one peice of evidence that he’s not actually losing his mind, Hamlet seems ready to muster up the courage and kill his uncle. Unlike the first passage, he has found a sense of purpose, and a reason to continue to live and sort through his emotional turmoil. Sosha
ReplyDeleteThere was definitely a lot going on in the first two scenes of Act III. Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship undergoes a lot of conversation, his paranoia and anger increases, and a lot of tension builds between the characters. Like Anna said, the play is clearly close to the climax (and I couldn’t be more excited). First off, I was pretty disappointed by the exchange between Hamlet and Ophelia because I had been hoping for her to be the person he turned to, I was rooting for love. But her rejection and his bitter response left me genuinely concerned for Hamlet’s well-being despite not having felt that way in the first two acts. I thought she was the one person who would stick with him and they’d figure out the situation together but he was quickly left alone because his act of insanity had convinced even her. My pity for Hamlet was only solidified by the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy in which he questions the meaning of life and considers death at his own hand as an easy remedy to his suffering. It’s a feeling that, if one takes away the Shakespearean language and melodrama, a lot of people, including myself are familiar with. When one is in a position of mental exhaustion and entrapment within one’s own mind, one often sees “sleep to say we end” as an option. It’s hard to alienate yourself from everyone you know and be treated as a madman as a result, and while this example is specific to Hamlet, the desperation and torment led me to empathize with him. Second, the foil of Hamlet and Laertes became more apparent to me with Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spying on Hamlet for King Claudius mirroring Reynaldo spying Laertes. I’m getting a better grasp on Shakespeare’s techniques in connecting the two young men, which I owe most of to the explanations in class. Third, I loved how Claudius broke down during the play because a. it was pretty funny, and b. it led to Hamlet’s empowerment (which can be a debatably good or bad thing but definitely perfect for the play). Sosha pointed out the contrast between Hamlet’s breaking point and his passion for life that returned when he knew of Claudius’ betrayal, which is something that excited me because Shakespeare has a flare for the dramatic and ironic. I also immediately connected Hamlet’s plea for his heart to “lose not thy nature” and “let him be cruel, not unnatural” to Macbeth which made me happy because Macbeth is one of my favorite Shakespeare dramas. (Could we maybe discuss similarities between Hamlet and Macbeth during class? I know not everyone has read the second one but I think it could be an interesting conversation.) One thing I didn’t consider but Anna brought up was the expansion of King Hamlet’s ghost into the mind of Claudius and the whole issue regarding legacy. I would like to discuss that piece a little more in depth with the class. There really was a lot to cover in the two scenes but I finally feel like I’m tapping into the Shakespeare that I enjoy. And, apologies if this sounds like I’m beating a dead horse, but Oscar Wilde’s aesthetic movement of art for art’s sake makes me enjoy the craziness of this play even more because it forces me to not act like the cynical, judgmental teenager I am.
ReplyDeletePS. I have no background on Hamlet whatsoever and if I sound like an idiot for my lack of cultural knowledge it's because I am so when it comes time to experience plot twists please bear with me :)
DeleteI thought that Hamlet telling Ophelia that he will “lug the guts into the neighbor room” showed an apparent disregard for any human decency and was devoid of remorse. Polonius is relatively innocent throughout the plot and should not be held responsible for the actions of Claudius. Even though Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius the least he could have done is owned up to his mistake rather that calling him and “intruding fool.” The way in which Hamlet kills Polonius makes me think that he may truly be insane and it seems that he might just resort to killing anyone that stands in his way in the future. I would not be surprised if he kills both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern after he discovers that they are spying on him. To me the ghost that Hamlet sees is more of a reflection of his own thoughts and intentions similar to a dream rather than an actual reincarnation of King Claudius. Maybe the ghost is simply just telling him what he wants to hear rather than telling him what King Claudius would want him to do. I found it surprising that Hamlet decided that to kill Claudius while he is praying would be “hire and salary, not revenge.” Hamlet’s indecisiveness is one of his greatest flaws. I think the true motivation behind him not wanting to kill Claudius was that he was apprehensive rather than him deciding it would not be sufficient revenge.
ReplyDeleteThrough his act of insanity, Hamlet is showing Queen Gertrude and King Claudius that he knows the truth about his father. Through the play that Hamlet had the actors perform, he emphasizes the betrayal that the queen has specifically done. When the actress from the play said “any time I kissed my second husband in bed, I’d kill the first one all over again”, Hamlet stresses repeatedly of the treason that Gertrude did to his father. Using various actors to represent King Hamlet, Queen Gertrude, and Claudius, Hamlet indirectly criticizes the Kingdom’s choice to quickly get over King Hamlet’s death. Hamlet believes that the queen should “ know no peace either in this life or the next one”, for she became “a wife again after [she was] a widow”. Through satire, the actress acts as a foil for the queen leading to guilt. Without physical harm and direct conversation, Hamlet provokes the King and Queen and silently shames them for their action through this play. To others, the king and queen seem to be simply upset however only Hamlet, the king, and the queen understand the hidden implications that the play brought out.
ReplyDeleteKaby
In this act, I think you really get more good insight into Hamlet’s character. His famous soliloquy where he states, “To be or not to be, that is the question, Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles / And, by opposing, end them,” (53) it seems that as the speech goes on, he moves on from thinking about whether to kill himself to questioning the concept of suicide in general which reflects the theme of mortality. I think here, you get a sense of how deep Hamlet’s thoughts go and that he is very much aware of everyone’s motives. I also think that the way Hamlet addresses Ophelia saying, “Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me” (55) the audience can recognize that Hamlet is aware that he is being watched. Similar to what others have said, I think at this point the murder of his father and the fact that his mother immediately got together with his uncle afterwards has driven him completely insane. I also think that in the play, when an actor pours poison into the king’s ear, I think that this is Hamlet’s way of having the ghost of his father haunt Claudius even though the ghost is not physically present.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely disheartening to see Hamlet's outburst at Ophelia in scene 1. His crazy behavior funneled into a place of misogyny and extreme cynicalism on marriage and love. I was surprised when he confessed he no longer loved Ophelia and told her to go to a nunnery and not tempt mankind “Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest,but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me: I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in.” It angered me that he was taking out his problems on Ophelia even though it wasn’t coming from a place of hate but instead sadness and irrationality. In this scene I related Hamlet to an angry child who doesn't get what they want and takes it out on others. At first I felt bad for Hamlet but as he begins to go more crazy towards people he onced loved I am losing sympathy. I was pleasantly surprised in the second act when Claudius showed obvious signs of guilt towards Hamlets play. However I found Hamlets passive aggressive comments towards Ophelia over the top and obnoxious. I would love to discuss as a class his behavior towards Ophelia and if we should give him a pass or not, also toward his mother. When he gives the settle dig about her when he asks how she liked the play, I felt that his anger was more warrented than with Ophelia. Gertrude “The lady protests too much, methinks. Hamlet “O, but she'll keep her word.” Finally I found it almost comedic the extreme lengths Claudius and Hamlet are going to reveal each other's secrets, aiding to the theme of both literal and figurative ghosts in this play.
ReplyDeleteI really loved this play;( I was super excited to get to read the "To be or not to be" soliloquy in context for the first time. I also enjoy that we get to see into Hamlet's brain in such depth through his soliloquies and strong subtext, despite there being no narration for us to read like we would have in a novel. I was also excited to see how the play played out, I was curious to see if King Claudius would give an outward reaction, and I think it is safe to say he did:) During the play, as Kaby mentioned, I also liked seeing all of the subtle hints Hamlet applied that showed his anger and frustration towards his mother moving on so quickly from his father, and the king murdering his father. I also think it is interesting, as Steven noted, that Hamlet's indecision leads to him not killing the king. I agree that this could be out of fear, but I wonder if Hamlet is still potentially suicidal then would he possibly avenge his father and then kill himself? I am excited to see how the rest of the play turns out! I am curious as to whether Hamlet will follow through with these potential deaths.
ReplyDeleteIn act three, Hamlet seems to be spiraling more and more out of control. It almost seems as though the sane and smart minded Hamlet from the previous act is gone. However I think he is still just acting to be crazy. In the past, I have heard the famous to be or not to be quote many times, but not till now have I fully understand it. Hamlet doesn’t talk directly about what he’s really talking about. He says “To be or not to be—that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer, The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles. And, by opposing, end them.” When Hamlet says this quote, it seems that he is contemplating suicide. The strong language in his soliloquy has implications of suicide and getting over his nerves to commit the act. However, after reading the play closely I do not think he was considering suicide, he never mentioned himself in his speech. I found this part really confusing to read, because though I did not think he was referring to suicide I couldn’t figure out exactly what he was talking about. When Hamlet talks to Ophelia, Claudius and Polonius watch him to see if he really is going insane because of his love for her. I was confused again when reading this part, because I feel like Claudius knows that Hamlet is not really crazy, but it was hard to tell. In the next scene, Hamlet seems like he is back to creating his mind games. When talking to Horatio, he slights Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He states “Give me that man, That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him, In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart, ,As I do thee.” This is further proof that Hamlet is not truly insane, because he is able to act crazy on a whim, but can revert to his calculated planning. When talking to Horatio he is his normal focused self, but when his mother comes in he becomes crazy again. However there is evidence that Hamlet has been affected by recent events, because he is very short and rude when talking to Ophelia. She, one of the only people who still stands by Hamlet, is kind to him in a hard time. Instead of being kind back, he snaps “It would cost you a groaning to take off my edge.” At the end of scene ii I started to wonder if Hamlet really was changing.
ReplyDeleteHamlet knows that he is being spied on, but his mother and uncle spying on him do not know that he is aware. This causes the dramatic irony and it made me interested to see how everything played out. I want to see if the king and queen figure out that Hamlet is aware that they are spying on him, and and how Hamlet will act from now on knowing that he is being spied on. I wonder why Hamlet is acting so crazy, and want to know if he is actually crazy. Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, “To be, or not to be? That is the question—Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them?” shows the height of Hamlet’s inner struggle. He is struggling and is considering, as Julia said, the concept of suicide. This speech made me feel more compassion for Hamlet than I had previously felt. I think that this speech shows Hamlet’s characterization of being an extremely indecisive person.
ReplyDeleteI like the premise of the play, but I really wish Hamlet would have a little more foresight when deciding upon his actions. Casting a play depicting how Claudius murdered the old king does nothing but “fright with a false fire”- likely to the point where Claudius would be willing to do anything to be rid of Hamlet should his plan to send him “with speed to England” fail. (56) (65) As someone who is not a king and does not have his own forces, Hamlet’s only real asset would be the element of surprise- albeit the fact that even this advantage is somewhat dulled given Claudius’ relationship with Hamlet’s father- against an actual king. By forfeiting that, Hamlet’s only real chance at exacting revenge would lie the tendency of entire armies or squadrons of guards disappearing at the absolute worst time for their leaders in Shakespeare’s stories. My prediction is that is exactly what will happen and that Claudius’ entire army will somehow entirely vanish and leave him alone or only with a few people when he ultimately has to confront Hamlet. However, I wish this wouldn’t happen because it makes the play a lot less realistic.
ReplyDelete“To be, or not to be” a line I have heard an endless amount of times, and might even be the most known and used quote in literature. It is often used, as Domenica mentioned, due to the fact it can be relatable to many people and situations. Hamlet says this quote as he is questioning the point of anything and is tired of not only his life, but also worn out by his indecisiveness. We see that this exhaustion has led him to want to kill himself. He believes it is the only solution to escape all the chaos and find peace, as he describes when humans die “we end/ the heartache and the thousand natural shocks”. Due to the fact he announced at the beginning that he was going to act crazy, it made me torn between believing whether he has lost his mind or whether it was all an act in the last act, but by act III the reader starts becoming genuinely worried for him.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of his self-doubt and existential crisis, as I also mentioned in my past blog post, his keen sense of understanding his situation and the reality of those around him, makes some sanity appear. When he hires a troop of actors to reenact his father’s death by using the story of Gonzago, to evoke a guilty reaction from Clodius, it proves that he is still able to cleverly scheme. However, Claudius was unphased by the the show, that exactly replicates the the things that the Ghost is telling Hamlet happened. This makes the reader question whether the Ghost is legit, or whether it is the creation of his own mind and desperation. I think that it is also super interesting to see Hamlet and Claudius interactions, as their relationship seems like a mutualistic relationship. Both are using each other, Claudius is trying to see Hamlet’s madness by spying on him, while Hamlet trying to “catch the conscience of the king”. His sanity is also exposed when he conveys his adoration of Horatio’s composure and calmness, two qualities that he does not obtain. When he says “Give me that man / That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him / In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart, / As I do thee” it is demonstrating his sane reasoning-based actions instead of his wild impulsive-based actions, something that keeps being balanced throughout the play. Now it shows that he is indeed not mad, but is confirmed when Claudius and Gertrude arrive to the play, and he all of a sudden begins to act deranged again. I am excited to find out what is going to actually end up happening in the play, as it seems the play has definitely reached its boiling point, as his insanity and bitterness is not only increasing but the tension between the protagonists are as well!
I’m really starting to enjoy the play! I think that as you get more into it, it becomes easier to read. Shakespeare has a very distinct language which I, like many others, find difficult to digest at first. I think a big reason why people don’t like Shakespeare is because they don’t understand his language. Anyways, I think the main reason why I liked Scene 1 was because we got to see the famous “To be, or not to be? That is the question—” (58) soliloquy from Hamlet! Even though people might not know exactly where it comes from, I think that it’s one of the most recognizable lines in literature. Reading long passages in Hamlet like this is a little bit difficult, so I had to read it a few times to really understand what was going on, but I think that Hamlet makes some very good points. Is it really better to be alive and feel pain and suffering, or is it better to be dead (or to not have existed at all) and not feel anything? If someone were to choose death, then they run the risk of hell being real and eternal suffering and all of that. It’s a great philosophical questions and I think it would spark a great class discussion.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of Scene 2, I felt bad for Horatio because Hamlet put him down so much. The section where Hamlet says “Nay, do not think I flatter...Dost thou hear?” (49-56) was basically Hamlet saying “you’re too poor for me to get anything out of you”. I think that Hamlet snooping around has started to make him a little bit ruthless. His actions are beginning to be very selfish and he is only doing things that benefit him.
I will admit that at the beginning of this play I was not very excited about reading it. For me, Shakespeare has always been a bit of a difficult read. However I have only read Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummers Night Dream, so I haven't had too many encounters with him. But now, as the play goes on, I am beginning to enjoy and begin to really appreciate Shakespeare’s writing. I really like the character of Hamlet and how he has evolved throughout the play since his father first died. I think that he has both matured and became more of a man in the short time that the reader has known Hamlet. I think the part that shows his maturity is the famous quote “to be or not to be”. Like in the comments above, I was happy to finally see this quote in context. I have been hearing it for years and have even found myself saying it without really knowing its context. This quote comes from one of Hamlet’s soliloquies, a more serious one regarding the state of his life. He questions the point of living and the meaning of life, an ever fleeting idea that we all toil with. Throughout this speech Hamlet struggles with the idea to go on with life or to kill himself “to die or to sleep”. At the beginning of his thoughts Hamlet thinks that dying would be the only solution to his problems and contemplated the idea of suicide. However Hamlet's development as a character is seen when he decides that that is not the way he is going to solve his problems. It is one page 68 that he says “lose not thy nature...let him be cruel, not unnatural” when he becomes certain that his uncle killed his father. Hamlet knew this all along but just needed some reassurance in order to advance his plan of revenge. This short speech shows Hamlet's development and shows that he is not losing his mind but is in fact very aware of the state he is in. This Act lead to his realization that he is meant to avenge his father's death and become the man that he is destined to be.
ReplyDeleteColleen
I loved the progression of this play, and I think that this was without a doubt one of the better plays that I have read throughout my high school English classes. As for quotes, there is, of course, the very well-known quote: "To be, or not to be," (58) and the lines that follow. As stated by many students above, I had heard this quote used many times in various social contexts or as literary references in other classes, but it was great to have finally seen where it came from. Originally, I had thought this came from a comedic scene, when in reality, it had to do with Hamlet's woes. Also, when reading this play, I realized that there were also other soliloquies and speeches throughout "Hamlet," mostly spoken by Hamlet himself, that were very powerful and didn't necessarily make it to the limelight like the "To be, or not to be" speech was. I was also very surpirsed by Shakespeare's knowledge of human psychology (and his understanding of things like depression), as he incorporated small, subtle gestures, cues, and actions into his characters. Of course, plays tend to be dramatic, and I think this one was as well, but I think those tacit actions embellished the play beautifully. Hamlet also proclaims, "by a sleep to say we end...the heartache and the thousand natural shocks," (53) another very popular quote from this act. Overall, I was pleasantly suprised by the descriptions and characterization that encompassed each of the acts of Hamlet, and it has definitely opened me up to a different perspective on literature.
ReplyDeleteI was intrigued by Hamlet’s attitude towards Ophelia in this act. Although in the end of his soliloquy he greets “fair” Ophelia as a “nymph,” asking her to remember “all [his] sins” (65). By keeping her as a witness to his most intimate moments of musing on death, at first it seemed to me that Hamlet still valued Ophelia and loved her, trusting her with his most private thoughts. But Hamlet’s true attitude towards Ophelia seems diametrically opposed to how he actually treats her, both in their conversation in the halls and in his barbs towards her during the play. From his cruel quips to Ophelia about her “calumny,” to telling her that he “loved [her] once,” to me Hamlet seems to be onto Ophelia’s and Polonius’s scheme to get Ophelia to push away Hamlet and spy on him for Claudius and Polonius. In this act in general, I feel that Hamlet truly shows his best qualities as a thinker, duping Polonius and Claudius, while also displaying his rash and emotional nature in his cruel treatment of Ophelia.
ReplyDeleteThough the last act was all about the slow boil and the usage of dramatic irony to emphasize Hamlet's inner struggles, here in act 3 everything switches. While still acting as "out there" as he could, he also proved to his Uncle that he is on to him to the best of his ability by exploiting the play to his advantage. He accomplished this by ensuring that the actors did a very specific scene that involved the poisoning of a king through his ear. While this was certainly effective, one must also take in to account how he tried his best to bash his mother in the process. By showing a play in which the Queen stays loyal to the King, even in death, he makes it known to her how he feels (though this probably came as no surprise to her). One wonders what he meant by this, ultimately what his end game must've been. Sure, he got the proof he needed in order to kill his Uncle, but why did he feel the need to embarrass the two of them?
ReplyDeleteSurely if he wanted to ensure his own success he would've wanted to make it appear as though he had no idea what was happening. If he truly wants to kill the King, wouldn't it be wise to make himself appear as inconspicuous and benign as possible? It seems like Hamlet isn't really thinking a lot of this through. Surely the King would be interested in raising his guard (and indeed he does so in the prior act by hiring spies to make sure Hamlet is really crazy with love) which even then Hamlet makes it perfectly clear to them that he's not crazy. I mean he does act like he is but he asks them if the King sent them so clearly there's a great degree of rationality still left in him somewhere. It's like he's really showing his hand to everybody, maybe he's calling out for help from the crowd. He needs a sense of validation before he can feel self righteous enough to really dig the knife into the King's heart and take the thrown for himself. As mentioned in class he doesn't go out of his way to even mention being king, but though this isn't his goal it does seem like he wants some power or control in his life. He's just so myopic though.
I believe that Hamlet’s erratic behavior in Scenes 1 and 2 of Act 3 further suggests that he is indeed falling into a state of total insanity. He enters the first scene contemplating whether living is worth the suffering that accompanies it. “To be, or not to be, that is the question” (53). He begs the question of whether it is better to suffer, “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” or succumb to death (53). His state of wistfulness leads Ophelia to assume that Hamlet desires her love, but when she advances him, he replies with utter disgust. “Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners” (55). Although Hamlet’s change in attitude toward her is a result of his distrust, the way in which he unconditionally depraves Ophelia and viciously strips her of her dignity indicates that he has no remorse for the consequences that may emanate from his actions. His sociopathic tendencies are evidence that, although Hamlet is attempting to display a facade of insanity, he is truly becoming deranged. At this point in the play, Hamlet has convinced himself that he is unable to trust anyone, and he enters a state of paranoia. In his perspective, almost all of those surrounding him are plotting against him, and he has no choice but to rely on himself to carry out his plan to (except for Horatio).
ReplyDeleteAs was said by most of the class, finally reading the “to be or not to be” scene made me realise that I really had no clue what I was going to be reading when we started this book. The depth to that single soliloquy and the beauty and depth to the entire play as well as the amount of witty humour especially in the acting out of the play and the reactions of the Uncle and the rest of the characters to Hamlet's insanity are far more exciting and entertaining then I had anticipated for them to be. Hamlet questioning not only what the point of living is if there is no passion and when you die everyone forgets you but his actions as well as the actions of his mother and uncle and everyone else around him reveal the many stages of grief after death. The way this story has progressed through the mind of Hamlet with that in mind is something that is so subtle and interesting; the way the play moves towards chaos and madness just as Hamlet does as he deals with death in his own way seems to be a commentary on the nature of entropy. There is purpose behind every scene and every line and I alway thought that people were just exaggerating when they spoke about shakespeare but now that I’ve read it I understand. Another part that I found particularly beautiful and underrated was when Hamlet spoke of the passion that the actor could convey. There is some irony in his thought that he had no passion, that he was empty and void of all feeling, seeing as he is plotting the murder of his uncle to avenge his father. That seems to be a pretty major passion project.
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