“Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me! You would play upon me, you would seem to know my stops, you would pluck out the heart of my mystery, you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass; and there is much music, excellent voice, in this little organ, yet cannot you make it speak. ‘Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me.” -page 159
In this passage, Hamlet’s supposed madness takes on a different tone. Before, it has been nonsensical, sometimes with an air of whimsy and sometimes to cause damage to the people (mainly the women) in his life. In the beginning of this exchange (with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz), it seems that his words carry more whimsy, but this passage is different. It shows how perceptive Hamlet is to anyone who tries to manipulate him, as well as just how manipulative he himself is.
The opening sentence alone carries a very specific, chilling sort of tone. It screams of a thinly feigned innocence: “Why, I would never do a thing like that!”, et al. Besides that, it pins the blame for what is to come on Guildenstern specifically; there is no room for him to defend himself. The analogy is strong, proving that Hamlet intended from the start to trap his old friend with an instrument he cannot play. He has provided a strong rebuttal to a statement that hasn’t even been made, but Hamlet knows that it was thought by both Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, and he has created an inescapable argument against it.
“Inescapable”, though, may be an understatement. The action itself is an extremely manipulative move on Hamlet’s part. While Guildenstern is merely doing his job, as assigned to him by the king, Hamlet lays the guilt on thick. “How unworthy a thing you make of me!” he says, strongly rebuking his friend for even daring to “play” him when he cannot play an ordinary pipe. Then, there is the last statement: “Though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me.” This sounds like a threat. “Cannot” suggests an impossible task, or else a very difficult task that possesses consequences for completing it. At the end of this already terrifying rebuttal, Hamlet leaves Guildenstern wondering just what will happen if he continues to manipulate him--just, of course, as he is being manipulated.
I like how you write about the way Hamlet is also manipulative of those around him. You offer clear evidence to support your claims and even discuss the connotations of specific words that make Hamlet's speech all the more concerning. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting passage about Hamlet. I think it's interesting how you pointed out how easily manipulated and manipulative Hamlet is, it isn't something I necessarily noticed but not it is very obvious. You have a good organization in this post and you did a great analysis of the passage and connected it to the over play very well. Good job!
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