Hey Laertes! Avenging the Death of a Father is My Thing

Laertes:
"How came he dead? I'll not be juggled with.
To hell, allegiance! Vows, to the blackest devil!
Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit!
I dare damnation.  To this point I stand
That both the worlds I give to negligence,
Let come what comes, only I'll be revenged
Most throughly for my father" (4.5, 148-154)

Throughout the entirety of the play, Hamlet's sole goal has been to avenge the death of his father. Over the course of Act IV, both Polonius and Ophelia are found to be dead, but unfortunately for Hamlet neither death will avenge the death of his father.  In fact, the only thing that comes out of these deaths is another son who must avenge the death of his own father.  That someone is Laertes. The passage above reenforces the concept of filial duty that is so prominent throughout the play while simultaneously presenting a truly ironic scenario.

The concept of filial duty is reenforced on several occasions as the plot of Hamlet progresses.  In the passage above, Laertes is forced to face his own filial duty after the death of his father.  He seems to take this task very seriously as shown through a series of proclamations - "to hell, allegiance" (149), "vows, to the blackest devil" (149), "conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit" (150), and "I dare damnation" (151).  The first statement is important in identifying how serious Laertes is taking this situation.  He is willing to throw away all allegiances in order to complete the sole task of avenging the death of Polonius, his father.  The second statement shows that he is willing to do whatever it takes no matter how horrible or immoral.  The use of the word "blackest" is indicative of the extreme lengths he is willing to go to avenge the death.  Throwing away "conscience and grace" (150) reveals that he is willing to perform acts that he would otherwise deem stupid or irrational.  Laertes is even willing to risk eternal punishment in hell if it means his father's death will be avenged.  He is not messing around with the whole filial duty deal.

The scenario the passage above presents is riddled with dramatic and situational irony. Laertes starts off with "how came he dead?" (148) in the context of his father's death.  Well that's awkward for him considering the audience knows that it is Hamlet who killed Polonius. Yikes!  He then goes on his rant about how he will stop at nothing to avenge his father's death.  All the while, all I could think about was the fact that Hamlet killed Polonius because he thought Polonius was Claudius.He concludes the rant with "I'll be revenged most throughly for my father" (154).  Had Polonius been Claudius, Hamlet would have been successful in avenging the death of his father and Laertes would have no reason to avenge the death of his.  Through one son's lack of success in trying to avenge the death of his own father, another son is forced to perform his filial duty.

The events leading up to Laertes vowing to avenge the death of his father were unfortunate.  Hamlet is a little bit crazy and a whole lot of hot headed.  As a result he is not very good at performing his filial duty.  Unfortunately for Hamlet, Laertes is probably better at the whole avenging-the-death-of-a-father-thing, so he should probably get his act together fast.

You're Not My (Step)father

Act 3, Scene 4, lines 30-40


Polonius (behind the arras):  O, I am slain!

Queen:  O me, what hast thou done?

Hamlet: Nay, I know not.  Is it the King?

Queen:  O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!

Hamlet:  A bloody deed- almost as bad, good mother,
As kill a king and marry with his brother.

Queen:  As kill a king?

Hamlet:  Ay lady, it was my word.
(He pulls Polonius' body from behind the arras.)
Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell.
I took thee for thy better.  Take thy fortune.
Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.


Hamlet thought Claudius was behind the curtain, not Polonius, and so acted accordingly.  While he did not intentionally kill Polonius at first, Hamlet believes the pros outweigh the cons, that it is alright that Polonius is now out of the way.  Although Hamlet's actions frighten the Queen, she is more concerned with deciphering Hamlet's motives and fearing for her own life. 

Polonius represented a point of view in the court that Hamlet did not like- that even more devious than his stepfather's.  Polonius was also quite full of himself, vain, and unknowingly long-winded, all of which contributed to Hamlet's, and the Queen as well for that matter, nonchalant response to killing the wrong person.  Even with his last breath, Polonius overstates the obvious, declaring "O, I am slain!" (line 30) instead of simply falling dead.  He felt the need to narrate his death while going into the light, which falls into his character quite perfectly. 

Hamlet did not trust the queen to keep good company, seeing as her track record is none too great, marrying her deceased husband's brother and all.  Although the Queen has done many a terrible deed at the absolute worst time, Hamlet cannot get himself to kill her because he believes she is innocent enough, even while he accuses her of killing his father.  He insinuates that Polonius's blind murder is on the same level "as kill a king and marry with his brother" (line 35), which means she is not completely off the hook.  Hamlet still beams some of the blame of his father's injustice onto his mother, but not enough blame to justify her murder.  After all, she was King Hamlet's close companion for a while before she turned to the dark side.

Hamlet shows little remorse because he sees Polonius on the same level as Claudius, insipid and conniving.  Even though Hamlet did not intentionally kill Polonius, Hamlet sees the death as a positive bump in the road to avenging his father.  This murder is more self-serving than vengeful, however.  Polonius was urging Ophelia to stay clear of Hamlet, which is the opposite of Hamlet's desires for the girl.  Now with Polonius out of the way, there is one less person standing between Hamlet and whatever he wants with Ophelia.  Polonius's death does wonders for Hamlet's livelihood and the storyline.

Layers of Manipulation

“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.

Hamlet the Little Organ

page 159
lines 393-402

Hamlet:

"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 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 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. "

This passage is important for understanding Hamlet. Context, meaning, and insight make this passage note worthy. Without the context the reader would have no idea why Hamlet is saying what he is saying. The meaning is exactly that; it shows what he means. And the insight shows who Hamlet is and what he feels.

This passage's context makes it more memorable. It is place in the long scene 2 of act 3, far after Hamlet talks to Ophelia. It is after the play when Hamlet calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern out. He seems to gain more words as he goes on, presumably getting angrier at them. Rosancrantz and Guildenstern were sent to spy on Hamlet by two people he now despises: the King and Queen. He knows of this and finally decides to confront the spies.

Hamlet's meaning in this passage becomes clear with diction and interpretation. The whole part is him comparing the betrayal in musical instrument lingo. "You would play upon me" starts the dual meaning with saying the spies are using, or playing, him in a manner that is deceiving and that of an instrument. "You would seem to know my stops" references where to stop playing an instrument for good sound and following Hamlet around to all the places he stops. "You would pluck out the heart of mystery" is not only plucking an instrument, but also plucking at his heart and making him sad with the mystery of their new friendship. "You would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass" is them seeing how he feels when he is at his best and worst; a compass is a range of sound for an instrument (Hamlet has a range of feelings). "And there is much music, excellent voice, in this little organ, yet cannot make it speak" is about all the things Hamlet has to say, such as who killed his father and he's seeing a Ghost, and "yet" he says none of it. Finally, Hamlet ends with "do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?", which is him challenging them because pipes are easy to play and humans should not be. He says "call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play me" and this means that whatever the two spy friends call him, all they can do is annoy him, but not fool him.

This characterization of Hamlet shows how he deals with problems. He faces them head on. He confronted his two childhood friends pointedly. He mocks them too; " why, look you now, how unworthy a thing, you make of me!", he exclaims, which sounds sarcastic in a how-dare-you-you're-wrong kind of way. Then he uses the instrument and music comparison the whole confrontation and that shows his intelligent creativity. He says point blank they cannot fool him and he has a lot to say. He knows he is smart when he let's them know he is aware of their betrayal. Finally, there is a sense of feeling hurt in this passage that shows Hamlet's soft side. "From my lowest note to the top of my compass" shows vulnerability in his feelings and moods.

A Mysterious Madness

Queen:
This is the very coinage of your brain.
This bodiless creation of ecstasy
Is very cunning in.
Hamlet:
(Ecstasy?)
My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time
And makes as healthful music. It is not madness
That I have uttered. Bring me to the test,
And I the matter will reword, which madness
Would gambol from. Mother, for love of grace,
Lay not that flattering unction to your soul
That not your trespass but my madness speaks.
It will but skin and film the ulcerous place,
Whilst rank corruption, mining all within,
Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven,
Repent what's past, avoid what is to come,
And do not spread the compost on the weeds
To make them ranker. Forgive me this my virtue,
For, in the fatness of these pursy times,
Virtue itself of vice must pardon beg,
Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.

    In Hamlet, the reader (or viewer) of the play must determine for herself the state of Hamlet's sanity, or lack thereof. Hamlet's behavior often points towards some form of mental illness: he frequently discusses with himself the possibility of committing suicide, displays obsessive behavior, and seems to continually exist in a sort of nightmarish daydream. This is complicated, however, by Hamlet's motives and a desire to be seen as mad in certain situations. Here, Hamlet insists that his mental health is fine, and that his mother is only calling him mad to soothe her own guilt over marrying Claudius.
    Hamlet's tirade begins with a questioning of his mother's assertion of his "ecstasy," or madness. He then compares his health with hers, stating "my pulse as yours doth temperately keep time," and he goes on to claim that it even has the cadence of music. He dares her to test him and his sanity, and claims that he will "reword" the matter and expose the truth about Gertrude's claims of Hamlet's insanity. Hamlet's rewording is not a simple change in diction, however. Instead, he turns the blame on his mother.
    Hamlet suggests that his mother's accusation of madness is primarily caused by her guilt over joining Claudius in marriage so soon after King Hamlet's death. She is using her claims of Hamlet's madness as an unction, or an ointment, to cover the wound in her soul, according to Hamlet. Furthermore, he asserts that this coping mechanism of Gertrude's will prove ineffective, and that her guilt will fester underneath the "film" of her accusations. He advises that she "repent what's past" and appeal to God for forgiveness, as what she does now worsens the situation at hand, or makes weeds ranker. In the end, Hamlet defends himself through claiming that unpredictability and unsavoriness of his circumstances justify unusual or immoral actions. Using this and his mother's guilt as excuses, Hamlet dismisses any notion of his madness.

Remorse and Selfishness

Oh, my offence is rank. It smells to heaven.

It hath the primal eldest curse upon ’t,

A brother’s murder. Pray can I not.

Though inclination be as sharp as will,

My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent,

And, like a man to double business bound,

I stand in pause where I shall first begin,

And both neglect. What if this cursèd hand

Were thicker than itself with brother’s blood?

Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens

To wash it white as snow? Whereto serves mercy

But to confront the visage of offence?

And what’s in prayer but this twofold force,

To be forestallèd ere we come to fall

Or pardoned being down? Then I’ll look up.

My fault is past. But oh, what form of prayer

Can serve my turn, “Forgive me my foul murder”?

That cannot be, since I am still possessed

Of those effects for which I did the murder:

My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.

May one be pardoned and retain th' offense?

... What then? What rests?

Try what repentance can. What can it not?

Yet what can it when one can not repent?

O wretched state! O bosom black as death!

O limèd soul that, struggling to be free,

Art more engaged! Help, angels. Make assay.

Bow, stubborn knees, and, heart with strings of steel,

Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe.

All may be well.

(page 165)

Until Claudius’s soliloquy, the King’s feelings on his murdering of his brother have not been revealed. We have only learned how seemingly unremorseful he felt by so suddenly marrying his sister-in-law and scolding Hamlet for mourning for so long. It looked as though Claudius had so far not given a second thought to his murder. Then, he sees the play and realises someone knows what he has done. Reminding him of his maliciousness, he begins to think over his actions. In his attempt at prayer, he shows that he does have some regrets, and he also maintains his selfish nature.

As far as Claudius regrets his actions, he seems to mostly fear the consequences that will occur in the afterlife. The passage begins with “It smells to heaven”, using the word smell to make it seem pungent and unblockable, showing he is aware of how terrible the murder was. However, though he feels worried about the afterlife, his guilt is stopping him from prayer. He finds himself wishing prayer would solve all of his misdeeds, yet he also is hesitant because of his selfish nature.

Even though Claudius is worried about the afterlife, he is more worried about his title and position gained from the murder. When lamenting what he could lose, he claims all of them as his “My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.” Though part of him wishes to pray to be forgiven, he worries that being forgiven would cause him to lose all of what he has gained from the murder. Also, the only reason he would pray is to protect himself in the afterlife, showing selfish reasoning. He only showed remorse after it was discovered that someone knew how the murder occurred.

For the first time in the play Claudius has shown more emotion toward his brother’s death, as well as flaws in his way of reaction. He regrets that his actions were so terrible, but he remains so materialistic and power-hungry that he fears forgiveness would cause him to lose his gains. As well as confessing to the murder in this passage, Claudius shows weaknesses not previously seen.

To Be, Or Not To Be

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? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect (Act III, Scene I)

    "To be, or not to be" is one of the most famous lines ever written in English literature. This speech is very interesting for a number of reasons. One of the first questions that comes to mind is, does Hamlet know he is being watched? We have seen him talk about suicide and feeling depressed before, but this is distinctly different. This time, Hamlet does not specifically refer to himself or his own demise. He almost poses it like a philosophical question, as if he was struggling with the morality of suicide.
     Hamlet claims that fear of the afterlife is what keeps people from killing themselves. In his mind, no one would willingly "suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" if not for the fear of the unknown. He compares death to sleep and afterlife to dreams, saying "in that sleep of death what dreams may come" worrying about punishment from God. Hamlet says that death would "end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to," referring to the pain natural life comes with. However, he also discusses the way that people don't know what will happen in the afterlife, and are therefore afraid to shake "off this mortal coil".
     In this passage, Hamlet discusses suicide very objectively, never including himself specifically in the discussion. He doesn't talk about his own pain or suffering, he only discusses it as a type of philosophical debate about why someone might want to kill themselves or what the ramifications would be. The fact that he is discussing this does strongly suggest that he is considering suicide and trying to decide if it is a good idea, but he never explicitly relates the discussion to himself or his own life. The fact that he does not explicitly relate this discussion of suicide to himself suggests that he is unable to deal with his emotions directly.