Hamlet...Act V!

 This act in particular is, I believe an example of this: “…to hold as t’were the mirror up / To nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, / And the very age and body of the time his form and pressure” (3.2.18-20).

In discussing Shakespeare with Ms. Bromfield, she said that a good director will “find the comedy in the Shakespearean tragedies and the drama in the comedies.” Throughout this entire play, we’ve witnessed Hamlet’s continued sarcasm and constant wordplay even though this humor can be morbid or incredibly disturbing…so too, morbid humor begins the final act of what has become the most well-known play of all time – needless to say, I think Ms. Bromfield has a point.

At the beginning of this act, there are two gravediggers, one of whom is a clown. Hmmm…interesting and ironic. Hamlet instructs the players in Act III that “those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them…[that] shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it” (3.2. 31-32, 35-36). Anyway, I digress.

There are two gravediggers arguing over how Ophelia died then proceeding to shift the conversation to arguing over “who builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter” (5.1.35-36). To which the so cleverly named “other” gravedigger replies, “The gallows maker, for that frame outlives a thousand tenants” (5.1.37). Ok, gross, but also, so true!

In all seriousness though, Shakespeare is clearly saying something with this banter about the significance of a profession dealing with death. What does this mean? Our book says on pg. 204 that “death is the great leveller.” Again, so true. Almost everyone dies at the end of this play, hence Shakespearean tragedy. What does Hamlet try to do this entire play? Try to kill Claudius (*ehem* death). What does Claudius do to protect himself? Try to kill Hamlet (*ehem* death again).

Shakespeare is clearly commenting on how our emotions affect our desires – those desires are tied to power in some way, shape, or form; therefore, the desire for power or control over another (as in Hamlet's and Claudius's cases), clouds the characteristic that distinguishes us from, well, animals: an analytical mind. No wonder we have been questioning the extent to which Hamlet is losing his mind! Because of the vengeful actions he is encouraged to take, his emotions and impulses overtake his mind.

Couldn’t that be connected to 2022? People acting on their emotions and sacrificing their analytical minds to other people or other devices who will think for them? I mean, Hamlet said it first: the play is a way “to hold a mirror up / to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image” (3.2.18-19). Again, I digress.

After this whole clown business, Laertes joins Hamlet and Horatio at Ophelia’s graveside – Laertes just hops right in the grave (again, somewhat comical in the reading of it) followed by Hamlet who tries to one-up Laertes contesting “forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my own” (5.1.236-238). Ok, if my brother heard that, a duel would probably soon follow.

Claudius and Gertrude express their sorrow for Ophelia’s death, Gertrude briefly comments on Hamlet’s madness, and the scene ends with Claudius’s pep talk to Laertes: “We’ll put the matter to the present push” (5.2.262).

Ok – moving to the final scene of the play! We finally get to see a moment with Horatio! Hamlet confides in Horatio that he found Claudius’s order for Hamlet’s "head to be struck off” (5.2.24). Ouch! While Hamlet continues word-vomiting about all that happened aboard the freaky pirate ship, we only hear Horatio’s small interjections either affirming Hamlet’s statements or posing a question.

Here is a question: Horatio is a confidante for Hamlet, right? Could he be viewed as a piece of Hamlet’s fragmented conscience? He is present at the beginning and end of the play, the same times when ounces of Hamlet’s sanity are present. In the beginning, he mourns his father’s death, and in the end, he apologizes to Laertes for Polonius’s murder. Just a thought.

I really want to get to this ending, so I’m going to skip Osric’s brief moment in the spotlight, but maybe we can discuss it further as a class?

So, this duel: Laertes vs. Hamlet. Fighting it out…like men…sounds like the slogan for our brother school last night.

Hamlet seems to adopt the Beatles's philosophy in preparing for this duel (que “Let It Be”). “If it be now ‘tis not to come; if it be not to / come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come – the / readiness is all.” Hamlet seems to have reached a state of contentment and all of a sudden, too. What all did they really do to him on that ship? Or, is it in killing Polonius and seeing Ophelia’s death that he recognizes the abundance of uncertainty in life and realizes that the way to approach it is not to try to control the future? Now, I am the one word-vomiting.

 What I am continuing to grapple with is Hamlet’s confession, and more shockingly, the continuation of the duel after his confession. “Who does it then? His madness.” (5.2.209). And Laertes responds: “I do receive your offered love like love” (5.2.223). This seems like a mutual agreement. Why do we still need to duel, you guys?

Anyway, this play ends with death, and I don’t have to tell you that. So order of events: we lose Gertrude (that one got me), then Claudius (aka Scar), then Laertes (who apologizes before he dies so maybe no purgatory for him), then our boy Hamlet, and almost Horatio.

Hamlet asks Horatio to “tell my story” (5.2.28). His final lines are: “the rest is silence” (5.2.337). I thought this was really beautiful. All Hamlet has wanted is for the voices in his head (maybe this included the Ghost?) to be silenced and most importantly to “rest.” “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” (3.1.60-63). Remember this?

So, Shakespeare, why not end the play here? Why are we ending the play with affirming words from Fortinbras? Is this how you thought the play would end? Should Shakespeare have been a philosopher or a playwright? (Ok, yes, that was supposed to be my own comic relief…but seriously, what do you think?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamlet Act 4

 Wow, so much happened in Act 4! Let's look at some of the key moments throughout the act.

In the first scene, Gertrude betrays her promise to her son and informs Claudius that Hamlet has killed Polonius. This news prompts Claudius to fear for his own safety around Hamlet, stating, "It had been so with us had we been there" (4.1.13) and to create a plan to send Hamlet away from Denmark as punishment. Claudius also worries that he may take the blame for the death of Polonius, hurting the people's perception of him as king. Much of Act 4 revolves around this idea of Claudius attempting to hold on to his power as king. In the second scene, just after Hamlet has hidden Polonius's dead body, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern confront Hamlet about the murder of Polonius and where the body he hid the body. Hamlet offers confounding responses to his friends questions such as "The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. The king is a thing" (4.2.24-25), speaking to Hamlet's poor mental state as he succumbs to madness and lack of remorse over the murder, but he ultimately agrees to be escorted to Claudius.

In scene three, Claudius confronts Hamlet about the location of Polonius's body. Hamlet initially responds with a gruesome description of the worms eating at Polonius's corpse but eventually informs Claudius of the actual location of the body. Claudius then tells Hamlet that he is to be sent to England. Hamlet responds in enthusiastic agreement exclaiming, "But come, for England!" (4.3.45). I found this reaction really interesting. I was surprised with Hamlet's agreement and excitement at being sent away. Maybe this reaction demonstrates that he is truly mad, as he is fairly unaffected by such big news. What do y'all think Hamlet's reaction his news of being sent away conveys? Shakespeare uses dramatic irony at the end of this scene when Claudius writes a letter demanding Hamlet's execution in England. The potential danger Hamlet will be in in England made his reaction to his news of being sent away even more confusing to me.

In scene four, Hamlet's urgent desire to take revenge on Claudius is reinvigorated. When he hears news of the insignificant battle Fortinbras is waging for an unprofitable region of Poland, Hamlet is impressed by his rival prince's forceful will of action and yet again, threatens his immediate revenge on Claudius, stating, "Oh from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody or nothing worth" (4.4.64-65). Do you think this is just another empty threat of violence from Hamlet or do you think he will actually take action on his word when he returns to Denmark?

In scene 5, Gertrude attempts, unsuccessfully, to console Ophelia as she completely unravels after her father's death, singing songs about death, loss of purity and betrayal. Laertes angrily confronts Claudius about the death of his father, assuming Claudius was the killer but finding out it was really Hamlet. He is further enraged at his father's unjust death after witnessing the devastating mental and emotional state of his sister. Claudius convinces Laertes to take revenge on the true killer, Hamlet, stating, "Where th'offence is, let the great axe fall" (4.5.214). I thought this was a very manipulative move on Claudius's part. He is able to seek revenge on Hamlet but allow Laertes to be the one actually taking action. What did y'all think of Claudius using Laertes as a means for his revenge?

In scenes 6 and 7, sailors deliver letters from Hamlet announcing his return to Denmark. When Claudius and Laertes receive a threatening note from Hamlet, they create an elaborate two part plan to seek revenge on Hamlet, involving a poisoned sword in a duel and poisoned wine if the initial plan were to fail. Claudius sure does love poison! Do you think Claudius and Laertes's plan will work successfully? Why or why not? At the end of the scene, Gertrude deliver's the devastating news to Laertes and Claudius that "Your sister's drowned, Laertes" (4.7.164). Ophelia's drowning serves as the final result of her descent into madness and greatly devastates and angers Laertes, prompting him to storm out of the room. Laertes's abrupt, angry reaction worries Claudius. What do you think the significance of Ophelia's drowning is? How does her death surrounded by flowers influence the ongoing motif of flowers in relation to Ophelia throughout Hamlet?

I am excited to see how the final scenes play out in Act 5!

Hamlet Act 3 Scenes 3-4

     Wow! A lot has happened in just these two scenes of Act 3 and the plot has progressed a lot. Let’s do a recap:

    In the beginning of scene 3, Claudius asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England and they agree to his orders. Then, Polonius says that he will eavesdrop on the conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude and hide in the bedroom. However, this plan failed miserably and maybe should have been thought out more. Something that turned out to be successful was Hamlet’s play, as Claudius begins to reflect on his wrongdoings and the murder of his brother. He acknowledges his sins and wants to be forgiven, however I am suspicious of his intentions. Does he truly feel guilty for his actions or is there a hidden motive? Claudius knows that confessing his sins will not be genuine because he will still reap the benefits of his crime, such as “my crown, my own ambition, and my queen”. Hamlet doesn’t believe that he should kill Claudius while he is praying because he would go to heaven, but rather while Claudius is committing an act of sin. I think Hamlet has an interesting point, but it also might be another reason for Hamlet to delay his father’s plan.

    Throughout scene 4, we see Hamlet’s increasing desire for revenge. With Hamlet’s mysterious and direct words, Gertrude begins to think that Hamlet might attempt to murder her. When Gertrude screams out for help, Polonius does the same. But then… Hamlet KILLS POLONIUS at once and shortly after calls him a “rash, intruding fool”!!! I pity Polonius a little bit, as I am sure that Hamlet intended to kill Claudius, but also his death could have been avoided. Moving on rather quickly from this sudden and shocking event, Hamlet shows the distinct differences between his father and Claudius to his mother. When he repeats “Have you eyes”, it shows his anger and rage towards his mother’s involvement with Claudius and seems like he is ranting about these issues to her. Hamlet talked very poorly about his mother’s sexuality, and this topic can be also traced back to his conversations with Ophelia, specifically when she rejected his love. Even though the Ghost told Hamlet to not inflict any harm onto Gertrude while seeking revenge, I think he definitely hurt her emotionally. 

    Here are some questions: Do you think that Gertrude knows about the murder Claudius committed? How does the play portray female characters? Why does Hamlet not care about the death of Polonius? Do you believe that Hamlet is becoming irrational?

Hamlet Act 3 Scenes 1-2

 Ok guys so after reading these two scenes, I became super excited to write this because there is just so much to cover. But I also got a little overwhelmed because there is literally so… much… to…cover… First, I’d like to talk about how Claudius seems to feel guilty about killing his brother, calling it an ugly burden on his conscience. Then, there is Hamlet’s soliloquy where he thinks more about committing suicide and delivers the famous line, “To be, or not to be” (3.1 56). It is abundantly clear that the only thing holding him back from ending it all is that he is afraid of life after death (and how his choices on Earth would change that afterlife).

    Now let’s move on to Ophelia and Hamlet’s talk. I seriously felt like this was coming from a soap opera or something because this was DRAMATIC. This scene really connects to what we talked about last class about deception because Hamlet is almost searching for reasons to distrust people, going as far as to say that women in general are not trustworthy because they deceive all men by wearing makeup. He is also destroying all of his relationships as if he doesn’t feel like he deserves to feel any sort of happiness. At the beginning of the talk, he honestly was not speaking too crazily, but as the conversation continued, he descended into insanity and slowly lost his capacity for rational thinking. Ophelia mourns the loss of the old Hamlet, and I honestly agree with her. I feel like I lost a little bit of respect for Hamlet while reading this scene. My opinion of him worsened after observing the way he treated Ophelia in Act 3 Scene 2. 

    Mrs. Meltesen was not lying when she said Shakespeare put all of the main events of the play in Act 3. I think it is really interesting how Horatio is pretty much the only person that Hamlet trusts. Horatio knows everything about Claudius, and I feel like Horatio is the only thing that is keeping Hamlet from going completely insane and committing suicide, which is a heavy burden to bear. Moving on, Claudius had such a dramatic reaction to the play, revealing that he feels guilty for killing Hamlet Sr. Even so, could he have been more obvious? If I were him, I definitely would have been way smarter about it… though I also probably would not have killed my sibling in the first place. Hamlet seemed a lot more in control of his emotions in this scene than in the previous one. He was acting completely normal when talking to Horatio and then started talking gibberish to the king and queen, suggesting that he is only acting crazy.

    After reading these two scenes, what do you think Shakespeare thinks about the sins/morality of humankind? Do y’all believe Hamlet actually loved Ophelia? What did you guys think about what Hamlet said to Ophelia in 3.1 and his rude comments in 3.2? Is Hamlet truly mad now or is there still a sane part left of him? What is Gertrude going to say in the next scene, and what would Hamlet’s reaction be?

Hamlet Act II

So, this first scene of Act II kinda threw me for a loop. I was a bit confused why Polonius needed to spy on his son, especially after he had sent him to Paris just a bit ago. I thought it was a little funny the way he went about it- he made the messenger tell lies about his son to another person, and gauge their reaction to his lies to sense the real situation. This seems like a pretty round about way to me, and I was thinking "Isn't the person he talks to just going to go and say that to someone else?" But then Polonius tells the messenger, "Observe his inclination in yourself", so pretty much do some sleuthing but don't make assumptions based on it- make sure you catch him in the act!! Seems like Polonius has literally no trust in anyone around him, but I guess that's a topic for another day. So after Polonius sends the messenger on their way, Ophelia comes running in, all "affrighted" (2.1.72). She tells her dad about Hamlets strange actions, how he ran into her room lookin all disheveled and unkempt. I was confused hearing this from Ophelia- how does she really feel towards Hamlet??? Does she just want to keep telling her dad everything?? But also, what is Hamlet doing? We see him in Scene II start to act a little mad for show, so was this a little precursor to that, or is he really "Mad for thy love?" (2.1.81) (that seems a bit dramatic to me, but whatever). Ok so to recap: Hamlet is starting to go off the rails (or maybe not), and Polonius is spying on his son. 

Ok now Scene 2. This was a longggg one!! I was reading and it just kept going and going. Hamlet was a popular guy today, he had like 7 different people looking for him. Ok but for real- this scene starts with his uncle-dad and mother-aunt (these title made me laugh a little not going to lie) spying on him by summoning his old friends to get some info from Hamlet. It seems like the theme of this act is spying?? I say this because after Hamlet's friends leave, Polonius and Claudius make up a scheme to set up Ophelia and Hamlet on a little walk, and they'll follow behind them. So Hamlet figures out his friends intentions before they can get real info back to his parents (is that the correct title I have no idea). He even talks about how nothing makes him happy in life anymore, no women or men. He seems pretty depressed to me but that's besides the point. Ok I also liked how Hamlet was kind of making fun of Polonius in this scene??? He kept teasing him about how long his beard was and mocking as though he didn't know who Ophelia was. Maybe this means Hamlet is creating the image that he has truly gone off the rails. His school friends then tell him that the acting group is nearing, and then they arrive. He welcomes them to the city, and tells them of how he has fooled his uncle, mother, and Polonius of his madness. He then starts reciting a speech from a play, and urges one of the actors to continue it. Once done, he has Polonius escort them to rooms after saying the next night they will have a play, and he will insert his own speech into the play. 

After they leave Hamlet, he has come internal conflict. He admires the actors for their ability to express their stories and emotion, and curses himself for his lack of action. He calls out for revenge after curing Polonius, and devises (yet another!!) plan to spy upon Claudius and find the validity of the Ghost's assertions. 

How do you think his and Ophelia's relationship will develop after this? What do you think their walk will be like? How do you think Hamlets speech will go in the following night? How will he act, and what do you think he'll talk about? How do you think the acting troupe will play into the story in the long run? 

Hamlet Act 1 Scenes 3-5

    So in this scene we get 3 new characters: Ophelia (Hamlet's lover), Laertes (Ophelia's older brother) and Polonius (the dad ). Laertes really annoys me. He is so bossy and belittling to Ophelia when he gives advice to her about her relationship with Hamlet. His elaborate and showy diction makes him out to be pretentious and obnoxious. He says things in the most extravagant way possible. When explaining how Hamlet is a Prince and will have to marry based off of what will benefit the crown, Laertes states in line 15, "and now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch" (1.3.15). I know that is just a line out of a whole sentence, but the fact that one line of his is that complicated and crazy looking proves how pompous he is and sounds. Ophelia, on the other hand, is so witty and funny. I have to admit that I laughed a little when she advises Laertes to follow his own relationship advice when she says "whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine / himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, / and recks not his own rede" (1.3.49-51). I think Ophelia is pretty awesome. I wonder how her relationship with Hamlet will fare as Hamlet continues to spiral.

    

    Now for scene 4. I found this scene pretty boring. There is a lot of talk about men being drawn from a content, peaceful state of mind to a crazy one. Hamlet condemns these men and I wonder if this could be ironic later and he ends up being one of the crazy men. There is a huge disagreement between Hamlet and Horatio and Marcellus when it comes to Hamlet going away with the Ghost. Horatio and Marcellus are very unwilling to let Hamlet go away with the Ghost but Hamlet seems completely drawn into the Ghost. He even threatens to kill his own friends if they don't let him go talk to the Ghost!!!!! I'm pretty sure this is the beginning of Hamlet's mental spiral. I believe the most notable line in this scene is from Marcellus when he chillingly says, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark'' (1.4.90). THAT IS SO CREEPY!!!! There is definitely some foreshadowing there and sounds like we are going to have some good drama in the rest of the book!!!!!

    Scene 5... O.M.G! I have to be real for a second, I was not surprised at all when it was revealed that Claudius killed King Hamlet. What did surprise me was the way that he died. POISON IN THE EAR????? That's so random! What about putting the poison in the food or something more normal? I am also 100% sure Hamlet is about to have a complete mental meltdown after his soliloquy where he states that he is about to get revenge and how he just completely pushes away his friends. He just goes ahead and makes Horatio and Marcellus swear to secrecy AND goes ahead and tells them to act oblivious if they see him acting strange. Also, if Hamlet stating that he will "put an antic disposition on '' isn't a sure sign of him about to go crazy, I don't know what is (1.5.172). 

    Hamlet's current situation with being dead set on seeking revenge for his father is making me think a lot about solipsism. I predict that all he can think about in the upcoming scenes is going to be revenge and it will drive him insane and impact everyone around him. It makes me think of Chillingsworth and how his obsession with finding Pearl's dad and how it just withered his life away. Maybe the same thing will end up happening with Hamlet?????

Here are some questions:

How do you feel about the Ghost? - Can we trust the Ghost? What do you think about Ophelia? How do you think her and Hamlet's relationship will fare? What do you think lies in Hamlet's future later in the book? - Do you think he is going to spiral?

"Hamlet" Act 1, Scenes 1-2

Mysterious death! The ghost of the dead king! Potential war! A marriage that feels incestuous but technically is not! Let’s just say that there is a lot to unpack here. Within just the first two scenes of Hamlet, Shakespeare sets up his play with events that can only result in chaos, leaving me to wonder what could possibly happen in the upcoming pages.

Let’s begin with Scene 1. On a spooky night outside of the Elsinore Castle in Denmark, a sentinel named Bernardo takes over as watchman, relieving Francisco from his post. He is joined by Marcellus, another watchman, to stand guard on the gun platform. The pair urges Horatio to come watch as well to see the ghost which they claim to have seen for the past two nights. Although Horatio believes that the apparition “‘tis but our fantasy” (1.1.23.), ‘tis not. The ghost of King Hamlet emerges from the fog, frightening the trio and proving Horatio’s claims to be incorrect. As Horatio says, the ghost seems to be an ominous warning that “bodes some strange eruption to our state” (1.1.69). From personal experience (a limited selection of scary movies), I have only seen ghosts appear when something has disturbed/awoken them for their creepy dwellings or when something about their death has led them to haunt their surroundings. To me, this indicates that something about the king’s death was shady, and my feelings on this are further reinforced by his brother’s swift marriage to his wife.

Jump to scene 2. I’m sorry… but WHAT?! MARRIED to his dead brother’s WIFE (might I add only 2 months following his death.) Personally, this gives me what I would call the ick. I find it exceedingly weird that instead of mourning the death of his brother, Claudius focuses on pursuing his widow. I also find it odd that Hamlet is not given the throne upon his father’s death, but it is instead conveniently bestowed upon Claudius who quickly married Hamlet’s mother. Suspicious, wouldn’t you say? I have no trust in Claudius at this point in the play because of his strange actions following his brother’s death as well as his anger towards Hamlet for still mourning his father, calling it “unmanly grief” (1.2.94). How. Rude.

Hopefully you are just as suspicious as I am following scenes 1 and 2 of Hamlet!

Some questions to noodle on: What do you think of Claudius’ marriage to Gertrude? How do you think Hamlet will feel when he goes to see his father’s ghost? What role do you think Horatio will play in the upcoming scenes?