Passage: O, that this too too solid flesh would melt
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
(Act I, Scene II, 29)
When we first meet Hamlet and see him on his own, the audience can clearly see that he is not in a good mental state. He is still grieving the recent death of his father as well as his mother's sudden remarriage and is also facing crippling depression. He has a very pessimistic outlook on life and is both angry at and mistrusting of those around him. Hamlet can see no escape or end to the pain he is feeling. The speech he makes in Act I Scene II clearly shows how unstable his mental state is at the opening of the play.
Hamlet opens his soliloquy by saying "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt thaw and resolve itself into a dew," which means that he is wishing that his physical body would literally melt and disappear so that he could die. Then he goes on to wish that God had not made suicide a mortal sin so that he could kill himself without going to Hell. This is incredibly troubling and it shows how desperate Hamlet feels. He is so miserable that he sees death as the only escape from his sorrow.
Hamlet continues this speech by describing his view of the world as "weary, flat, stale, and unprofitable". This bleak outlook on the world characterizes Hamlet and shows the effect his profound depression has on him. Hamlet is entirely incapable of seeing anything positive in the world. He calls the earth an "unweeded garden," which can be connected to the Garden of Eden. Before his father's death, he was happy and at peace. But since his father's death and his mother's remarriage, he feels as though he has fallen from grace just as Eve and Adam did.
Hamlet is clearly extremely depressed and very unstable at the opening of the play. This extreme grief and sadness is arguably why Hamlet is able to be lead to make the choices he makes. He is overcome by this sadness and begins to mistrust everyone including his own mother. Hamlet's mental instability is made clear from the beginning of the play.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Unjust Murder
p. 59, lines 38-48
"Ghost: I find thee apt;
And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed;
Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear.
'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
A serpent that did sting thy father's life
Now wears his crown.
Hamlet: O, my prophetic soul! My uncle!"
Hamlet knows his father is dead and has been for over a month. However, what he does not know originally is the true persona of King Hamlet's killer. Young Hamlet is led to believe the king of Norway murdered the King of the Danes. Only when the ghost of King Hamlet appears does the son know the true nature of what occurred.
Hamlet and his friends know that the ghost is his father's because it's wearing the King's armour and has a similar scraggly, gray beard. The ghost will speak with none other than Hamlet, and speak with Hamlet it does. It describes a scene of tranquility and ignorance; while "sleeping in my orchard" indicates that the King was in a time of repast when he was attacked. Suddenly, "a serpent that did sting thy father's life" murdered the King on the spot. Now, there's a troupe of snakes being deceivers, sly, and embodying everything that is evil on this earth and beyond. In the biblical story, a snake convinced Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit, thus plunging her on the path of darkness and expelling her and Adam from the Garden of Eden. Snakes are often portrayed as the evil henchmen for villains in movies and books. Comparing Uncle Claudius to a snake is very apt, as he killed his brother, married his brother's wife, and deceived his subjects by convincing them that he is not the killer. However, people that are killed unjustly often seek revenge as ghosts. King Claudius presumably did not think of this possibility, and now stands to lose quite a bit for the oversight.
Hearing this news, Hamlet is furious, of course, exclaiming "O, my prophetic soul!". The same man who told him that everyone dies and it's just part of life and it's completely okay that I married your mother less than a month after your father died is the one who murdered his father. Certainly the murderer would want to sweep such a crime under the carpet. The problem is, dealing with situations in such a manner often comes back to haunt you; in this case literally. This conversation marks a turning point in how Hamlet views his uncle and life in general, as now he seeks to avenge his father's death.
"Ghost: I find thee apt;
And duller shouldst thou be than the fat weed;
Wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear.
'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
A serpent that did sting thy father's life
Now wears his crown.
Hamlet: O, my prophetic soul! My uncle!"
Hamlet knows his father is dead and has been for over a month. However, what he does not know originally is the true persona of King Hamlet's killer. Young Hamlet is led to believe the king of Norway murdered the King of the Danes. Only when the ghost of King Hamlet appears does the son know the true nature of what occurred.
Hamlet and his friends know that the ghost is his father's because it's wearing the King's armour and has a similar scraggly, gray beard. The ghost will speak with none other than Hamlet, and speak with Hamlet it does. It describes a scene of tranquility and ignorance; while "sleeping in my orchard" indicates that the King was in a time of repast when he was attacked. Suddenly, "a serpent that did sting thy father's life" murdered the King on the spot. Now, there's a troupe of snakes being deceivers, sly, and embodying everything that is evil on this earth and beyond. In the biblical story, a snake convinced Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit, thus plunging her on the path of darkness and expelling her and Adam from the Garden of Eden. Snakes are often portrayed as the evil henchmen for villains in movies and books. Comparing Uncle Claudius to a snake is very apt, as he killed his brother, married his brother's wife, and deceived his subjects by convincing them that he is not the killer. However, people that are killed unjustly often seek revenge as ghosts. King Claudius presumably did not think of this possibility, and now stands to lose quite a bit for the oversight.
Hearing this news, Hamlet is furious, of course, exclaiming "O, my prophetic soul!". The same man who told him that everyone dies and it's just part of life and it's completely okay that I married your mother less than a month after your father died is the one who murdered his father. Certainly the murderer would want to sweep such a crime under the carpet. The problem is, dealing with situations in such a manner often comes back to haunt you; in this case literally. This conversation marks a turning point in how Hamlet views his uncle and life in general, as now he seeks to avenge his father's death.
Hamlet's Obsessive Change
O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else?
And shall I couple hell? Oh, fie! Hold, hold, my heart,
And you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee!
Ay, thou poor ghost, whiles memory holds a seat
In this distracted globe. Remember thee!
Yea, from the table of my memory
I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records,
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past
That youth and observation copied there,
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmixed with baser matter. Yes, by heaven!
O most pernicious woman!
O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain!
My tables!—Meet it is I set it down
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain.
At least I’m sure it may be so in Denmark. (writes)
So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word.
It is “Adieu, adieu. Remember me.”
I have sworn ’t.
Until this point in the play, not much has been revealed on Hamlet’s character. We can tell by his passive aggressive remarks to and about his uncle that he is quite upset about most things. By his willingness to go see the ghost we can also see that he has a bit of hopelessness. However, both of these things are attributes of himself at the moment we meet him, but not attributes of his character in general. This passage reveals Hamlet’s pliability when it comes to changing his current situation, and his near obsessiveness towards finding a solution.
For most, swearing your life on a task given by a ghost would not seem reasonable. There are many possible reasons to doubt that the ghost is giving good advice. For example, the ghost was exceptionally and suspiciously adamant that the soldiers never tell of his having appeared, constantly interrupting with “swear” in trying to convince them to stay quiet. Also, no one has ever had experience with ghosts before, and yet Hamlet blindly trusts this one? I think this shows that no matter how believable the ghost may appear, Hamlet doesn’t want to do nothing about his uncle being King. The ghost wasn’t exceptionally persuasive, and yet Hamlet takes all of his words to heart. He promises to devote all of his thoughts and focus on getting revenge for his father very suddenly and follows through with this. He quickly changed his lifestyle (from a student to a person whose mom thinks might have gone crazy) for this one cause, showing that Hamlet doesn’t put much value in his own wants or hopes, if he even had any.
This passage also shows that Hamlet has an obsessive personality. When he becomes angry, he does not hold back in his emotions or insults. When he decides to get revenge, he stops thinking about or caring for any other aspect of his life. He seems unable to focus on more than one goal and instead puts all of his energy and time into one. He almost becomes excited at when planning his revenge, imagining the last moments as he strikes back at his uncle and says “Adieu, adieu. Remember me.”
This passage is very revealing of Hamlet’s character. He is easily molded by other’s ideas and will quickly cling to a thought. He doesn’t seem very concerned about his own future, but instead worries only about seeking revenge and cleaning up his current state. He is not suspicious of the ghost, though it would be logical to be so. However, he does seem suspicious of most other characters. This passage begins to develop Hamlet more as a person from the moody character he was previously portrayed as.
Unmanly Grief
“But to persever in obstinate condolement is a course of impious stubbornness. ‘Tis unmanly grief. It shows a will most incorrect to heaven, a heart unfortified, a mind impatient, an understanding simple and unschooled. For what we know must be and is as common as any the most vulgar thing to sense, why should we in our peevish opposition take it to heart?” -page 27
In this passage, King Claudius viciously berates Prince Hamlet for daring to continue mourning his father. A lot of this scene is spent discussing Hamlet’s grief and how ridiculous it is. It is claimed that he should put a stop to it in the interest of moving the Danish government forward, but there is another, deeper reason that Claudius is so intent on muffling Hamlet’s sadness--it is, as he himself puts it, unmanly.
“‘Tis unmanly grief,” Claudius tells Hamlet. Hamlet is supposed to be the prince of Denmark, a royal, and he cannot waste his time doing anything as feminine as crying. Besides “unmanly”, Hamlet is also referred to as “obstinate”, “unfortified”, “simple and unschooled”, “vulgar”, “peevish”, and “unprevailing”. These are all awful adjectives, ones that an uncle/stepfather should never use in reference to his nephew/stepson, but they can all also be used as derogatory terms for women. Stubborn. Stupid. At every turn, Hamlet is referred to as a horrible, disgusting thing--he is referred to as a woman.
Hamlet's First Soliloquy: Explicated
(page 29 Act 1 Scene 2 lines 134-164)
Hamlet:
"O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon 'gainst <self-slaughter!> O God, O God,
How ,weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't, ah fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come <to this>
But two months dead — nay, not so much, not two.
So excellent a king, that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother,
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth,
Must I remember? Why, she ,<would> hang on him
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on. And yet, within a month
(Let me not think on't; frailty, thy name is woman!)
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she followed my poor father's body,
Like Niobe, all tears — why she, <even she>
(O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourn'd longer!), married with mine uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good;
But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue."
To note first, this is Hamlet's first soliloquy. This is important because how a character speaks when he/she is alone shows true characterization. This soliloquy gives a reader insight to the character's mind and in this case let's one see how much Hamlet thinks and the level of activity in his mind. Once that is deduced, one must look at the subject of his thoughts and then the word choices.
Hamlet's soliloquy is about his mother's betrayal. He emphasizes how gross it is, even calling it "incestuous". He shows how personally he took it because he thought of his father as a good man and "so loving to [his] mother". A "Hyperion" type man does not deserve what his mother did according to Hamlet. He thinks its was way too soon: "within a month... a little month". Hamlet is very displeased with the way his mother conducted herself regarding his father and her husband's death. He feels resentment to both her and his new step-father calling him a "satyr" . However dramatic, Hamlet feels very passionately about this topic and is not afraid to say it.
Hamlet's word choices in this passage make all the difference. His mother does not just move on with speed, but instead a "wicked speed". He says that women are "frail" because his mother could not act appropriately. He purposefully chooses mythological words to highlight his points. He starts off his solo speech (or in this case thoughts, but are spoken words due to the literary play) with very negative, imagery words. "Solid flesh would melt" sets up a tone that is not pleasing. "Self-slaughter", "weary", "stale", "flat", and "unprofitable" he uses to describe the world he is in. An "unweeded garden" is not successful and since he compares the world to it, it is implied that neither is the world. His mother would "hang" on his father. This undignifying word shows Hamlet's interpretation of his mother. Lastly Hamlet says he "must hold [his] tongue", which perfectly shows the reader why this passage is a soliloquy versus a monologue.
Hamlet:
"O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon 'gainst <self-slaughter!> O God, O God,
How ,weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't, ah fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come <to this>
But two months dead — nay, not so much, not two.
So excellent a king, that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother,
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth,
Must I remember? Why, she ,<would> hang on him
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on. And yet, within a month
(Let me not think on't; frailty, thy name is woman!)
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she followed my poor father's body,
Like Niobe, all tears — why she, <even she>
(O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourn'd longer!), married with mine uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good;
But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue."
To note first, this is Hamlet's first soliloquy. This is important because how a character speaks when he/she is alone shows true characterization. This soliloquy gives a reader insight to the character's mind and in this case let's one see how much Hamlet thinks and the level of activity in his mind. Once that is deduced, one must look at the subject of his thoughts and then the word choices.
Hamlet's soliloquy is about his mother's betrayal. He emphasizes how gross it is, even calling it "incestuous". He shows how personally he took it because he thought of his father as a good man and "so loving to [his] mother". A "Hyperion" type man does not deserve what his mother did according to Hamlet. He thinks its was way too soon: "within a month... a little month". Hamlet is very displeased with the way his mother conducted herself regarding his father and her husband's death. He feels resentment to both her and his new step-father calling him a "satyr" . However dramatic, Hamlet feels very passionately about this topic and is not afraid to say it.
Hamlet's word choices in this passage make all the difference. His mother does not just move on with speed, but instead a "wicked speed". He says that women are "frail" because his mother could not act appropriately. He purposefully chooses mythological words to highlight his points. He starts off his solo speech (or in this case thoughts, but are spoken words due to the literary play) with very negative, imagery words. "Solid flesh would melt" sets up a tone that is not pleasing. "Self-slaughter", "weary", "stale", "flat", and "unprofitable" he uses to describe the world he is in. An "unweeded garden" is not successful and since he compares the world to it, it is implied that neither is the world. His mother would "hang" on his father. This undignifying word shows Hamlet's interpretation of his mother. Lastly Hamlet says he "must hold [his] tongue", which perfectly shows the reader why this passage is a soliloquy versus a monologue.
The Accoutrements of Grief
HAMLET:
"Seems," madam? Nay, it is. I know not "seems."
'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor the dejected havior of the visage,
Together with all forms, moods,shapes of grief,
That can denote me truly. These indeed "seem,"
For they are actions that a man might play;
But I have that within which passes show,
These but the trappings and the suits of woe."
(1.2.79-89)
Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, marries his mother, Gertrude, less than two months after Hamlet's father dies. Hamlet takes the death much harder than his mother does, as one can assume due to her quick and somewhat disconcerting marriage to Claudius. Since Old King Hamlet's death, Hamlet has been wearing black, the color of mourning in most western cultures, and moping around with self-pity. Here, he responds to his mother questioning him on why he still wears such dismal clothing and why his mourning seems so distinct and personal. In his answer, he shows his poor emotional state as well as his regard for his mother's actions.
Hamlet begins his response by criticizing his mother's words. Claiming "I know not 'seems,'" he implies that his actions are obviously justified (1.2.79). This is particularly biting, as he is essentially insulting his mother's obliviousness to his emotional state and her lack of sharing that same sense of mourning. He says that his mourning is in fact deeply personal, and that there's nothing unusual about it.
To justify his outward appearance, Hamlet affirms it is his emotions that dictate how he presents himself. It is not his "suits of solemn black," his "fruitful river in the eye," tears or watery eyes, that is, nor his "suspiration," or sighing that define his grief (1.2.81-83). Rather, it is his mental or emotional state. He harbors the grief inside him that show his visible expressions as "the trappings and the suits of woe" (1.2.89). In other words, all that Hamlet displays to the world is just a husk of what he actually feels.
This passage characterizes not only Hamlet's profound feeling of emotion, but also how he regards his mother after her quick marriage to Claudius. His portrayal of his external image as insignificant compared to what he really feels shows his sensitivity to his emotions. It seems he is rather insensitive to those of others (or at least his mother's), however, when he provides a sharp and ill-intended response to his mother's concerns. In this passage, Hamlet provides some of the first clues to his emotional state and personality.
"Seems," madam? Nay, it is. I know not "seems."
'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor the dejected havior of the visage,
Together with all forms, moods,shapes of grief,
That can denote me truly. These indeed "seem,"
For they are actions that a man might play;
But I have that within which passes show,
These but the trappings and the suits of woe."
(1.2.79-89)
Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, marries his mother, Gertrude, less than two months after Hamlet's father dies. Hamlet takes the death much harder than his mother does, as one can assume due to her quick and somewhat disconcerting marriage to Claudius. Since Old King Hamlet's death, Hamlet has been wearing black, the color of mourning in most western cultures, and moping around with self-pity. Here, he responds to his mother questioning him on why he still wears such dismal clothing and why his mourning seems so distinct and personal. In his answer, he shows his poor emotional state as well as his regard for his mother's actions.
Hamlet begins his response by criticizing his mother's words. Claiming "I know not 'seems,'" he implies that his actions are obviously justified (1.2.79). This is particularly biting, as he is essentially insulting his mother's obliviousness to his emotional state and her lack of sharing that same sense of mourning. He says that his mourning is in fact deeply personal, and that there's nothing unusual about it.
To justify his outward appearance, Hamlet affirms it is his emotions that dictate how he presents himself. It is not his "suits of solemn black," his "fruitful river in the eye," tears or watery eyes, that is, nor his "suspiration," or sighing that define his grief (1.2.81-83). Rather, it is his mental or emotional state. He harbors the grief inside him that show his visible expressions as "the trappings and the suits of woe" (1.2.89). In other words, all that Hamlet displays to the world is just a husk of what he actually feels.
This passage characterizes not only Hamlet's profound feeling of emotion, but also how he regards his mother after her quick marriage to Claudius. His portrayal of his external image as insignificant compared to what he really feels shows his sensitivity to his emotions. It seems he is rather insensitive to those of others (or at least his mother's), however, when he provides a sharp and ill-intended response to his mother's concerns. In this passage, Hamlet provides some of the first clues to his emotional state and personality.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Laertes and Ophelia
LAERTES:
"Then, if he says he loves you,
It fits your wisdom so far to believe it
As he in his particular act and place
May give his saying deed, which is no further
Than the main voice in Denmark goes withal.
Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain
If with too credent ear you list his songs
Or lose your heart or your chaste treasure open
To his unmastered importunity.
Fear it, Ophelia; fear it, my dear sister,
And keep you in the rear of your affection.
Put of the shot and danger of desire.
The chariest maid is prodigal enough
If she unmask her beauty to the moon." (Act 1. Scene 3. 27-41)
Young Ophelia is madly in love with Hamlet, a young man that her brother, Laertes, and her father, Polonius, do not approve of. Ophelia seems to see only the good and beautiful in Hamlet while her father and brother see only the dangers and poor fortunes they believe her heart will succumb to. They fear that Ophelia will become a passing love affair for Hamlet while she becomes completely immersed in their relationship and his fading affection for her.
Laertes believes his sister to be oblivious to the dangers of a relationship with Hamlet, saying that "it fits [her] wisdom] to believe him if he told her that he loved her. He doesn't seem to have faith in Ophelia's judgment and inexperienced heart. As he continues, he alludes to Hamlet's lack of consistency in relationships by stating that his words and actions are "no further than the main voice in Denmark," insinuating that his words and actions do not have depth and cannot be followed or believed wholly. Laertes also tells his sister to "weigh what loss your honor may sustain," implying that her potential relationship with Hamlet will fail and harm her honor and reputation immensely. It seems as if he is more concerned with Ophelia's reputation being tarnished than her heart being broken. Laertes does not want his sister's name and their family name itself to suffer, and neither does his father.
Within the next couple of lines, Laertes touches upon the purity and innocence of his sister and the possibility of her losing this to Hamlet. His words, "lose your heart or your chaste treasure open," refer to Ophelia giving Hamlet her heart and virginity without even a second thought. Laertes does not want his sister to be taken advantage of and scrapped aside by Hamlet for a quick fling, he knows that his sister is better than this and deserves more from a man and his "mastered importunity," implying that he is an inexperienced and selfish lover. Laertes repeated to his sister to "fear" Hamlet's love for her and urges her to "keep [herself] in the rear of [her] affection," meaning to pay attention to her own needs and desires before Hamlet's. Laertes wants Ophelia to always protect herself. He also urges her to remember the "danger of desire" when she's with Hamlet so that she does not become involved with him and regret it afterwards once Hamlet breaks her heart.
Laertes closes this statement with a final, summarizing phrase: "The chariest maid is prodigal enough
If she unmask her beauty to the moon." With these words, he is trying to make one final attempt at convincing Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet. He informs her that only she is responsible for what happens between them because she has the ability to convey her beauty as she chooses to. Laertes is nearly begging at this point for Ophelia to refrain from her relationship with Hamlet but does not seem hopeful that she will listen.
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