The ghostly night , has been associated with the preparation of War with Norway. It emphasizes on the awaiting tragedy , and strengthens the confusion in the reader. Once again , we see there is use of gruesome imagery , lines and phrases such as , “The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead..” and , “Stars with trains of fire and dews of blood.” The language over here is very direct , and expressive. Words such as “blood” and “dead” horrify the reader , introduce the basic theme of the play , which is revenge.
Shakespeare also believed in using supernatural elements in his play , “No fairy takes ; nor witch hath power to charm.” Marcellus says this when the young men talk about the , “Savior’s birth.” Normally , in Greek plays , the chorus was used. In Elizabethan plays , the prologue was used , but in this play , Hamlet uses the opening scene to express his views and ideas.
The next scene which once again dramatizes the play , is act 3 , scene 2. In this scene , we see Hamlet’s state of mind. Shakespeare’s language tends to intensify the turmoil that he is going through , and the audience seam to appreciate this. Basically , in this scene Hamlet instructs the actors , and his instructions reveal his fondness of drama . He makes important points on an actor’s performance , we see this in line such as , “Let your own discretion be your tutor.” Here we see , a number of contrasts ,such as Horatio’s balanced temperament contrasted to Hamlet’s violent and unexpected mood swings.
In this particular scene , we are exposed to a more sentimental , and emotional side of Hamlet. We see , that he believes clowns are the saddest people. His thoughtful views on friendship , show us his admiration for Horatio . Here it is seen , that friendship is one of the themes in the novel as well. Once again , Shakespeare shows his deep insight into the human mind in the line , “Give me that man that is not passion’s slave , and I will wear him.” Hamlet’s abrupt dismissal of Rozencrantz and Guildenstern shows the dramatic contrast to his whole hearted praise for Horatio.
It tells us that a person who is balanced , and does not over dramatize is always appreciated.
Hamlet deliberately procrastinates , and this shows us that even though he is brave and courageous , he does not really wish to kill his uncle. Hosting the play is just one of the ways of procrastinating , Hamlet was hoping that the King would not show guilt , and the ghost would be proved wrong. Having a play , in the play adds to the dramatic significance of the novel , making Hamlet’s desperation more credible and comprehendible. In Shakespeare’s plays , one would find a lot of repetition or lists. It helps to make the dialogue more strong , effective and emphasizes on the state of mind of the character. For instance , in the play , ‘The Murder of Gonzago’ , we come across the line , “Whether love lead fortune , or else fortune lead love.” It has a highly philosophical tone , and the repetition of the same words , and the letter ‘L’ makes the line more memorable. In this scene , we also come across a number of similes , one which is from Ophelia to Hamlet , “You are as good as a chorus , my lord.” At the end of the play , when Hamlet is successful in bringing out guilt onto Claudis’s face , there is a line with the same word repeated three times to show his guilt , fear , and nervousness. “Lights ,lights , lights!”
Shakespeare’s settings always tell the reader of what is coming up next .
“Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn , and the hell itself breathes out.”
In this particular line , we see that the atmosphere tells the audience that something unpleasant is awaiting the main character. A metaphor has been used , for hell is given the human quality of beathing. Another very dramatic technique of Shakespeare is using cross reference . “I will speak daggers to her” , in Macbeth a similar image is created in the reader’s mind.
Hamlet’s soliloquies enables the audience to see Hamlet’s feelings about himself , and other characters in the play. It basically aims at seeing the main characters inner feelings , and his confused state of mind is usually seen only through his soliloquy. We also meet a new phase of Hamlet as he exposes a new sentimental and emotional side , that is new to us. The scene ends with a short soliloquy of Hamlet , and the line , “Now could I drink hot blood.” This particular line talks of the revenge that Hamlet wants to avenge. Animals are part of the Elizabethan natural order in the universe and are parallel of the characters. It is very relevant to the audience , as it relates to the scene , emphasizing on the evil side of it.
Another very dramatic scene is Act 5 , scene 2. The very beginning of the scene , talks of old memories a t sea , and he finds actual proof that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are really not his true friends. It stated that Hamlet should be executed immediately on his arrival in England , and the idea of making them taste a bit of their own medicine , teaches the audience that Hamlet was ready to take revenge. Hamlet , once again justifies his idea of taking revenge in these lines , giving four reasons.
“He hath killed my king , and whored my mother,
Popped in between th’election and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life.”
In this particular scene , we see that Hamlet has grown stone hearted , and even after his 2 schoolfellows have died , he has no feelings of remorse or sorrow whatsoever. In his conversation with Horatio , it is seen he is a different person , and is now confident of avenging his father’s murder. The language over here has a consistent cold tone , and it is not very difficult to understand. In certain lives we see that forceful words have been used , such as , “Grinding of the axe” and , “My head should be struck off.”
The mention of weapons , tells the reader that something unpleasant is awaiting the characters in the play. Shakespeare , creates an atmosphere with the trumpets and drums , making the particular moment in the scene memorable. In this scene , we meet a new person , Osric. We learn a lot about this character , through what Hamlet thinks of him . We see , that Hamlet does not particularly like him , and in his sarcastic and casual tone , we see that he considers him to be a person of no great substance or morals.
Claudius hosts a fencing match , between Laertes and Hamlet , and we see that Hamlet accepts it , and is ready to undertake anything that fate has in store for him . Even though , Laertes accepts Hamlet’s apology , we see that he really doesn’t forgive him , and still looks forward to murdering him. The audience sense victory , the King orders for vine and music in case Hamlet wins . Claudius’s slow and conniving moves , of slipping a poisoned pearl into the cup , tell the audience what is really in his mind. It excites them , and baffles them at the same time.
Another theme in the novel , is a mother-son relationship. We see this time and again , when Gertrude tries her level best to encourage her son , and wipes the sweat of his face in intervals . We see that Gertrude may have also been guilty , of re marrying and may be her son’s words may have convinced her to take her own life. It is here when Hamlet realizes what is really going on and he coaxes the king to drink the rest of the poison. Claudius’s melodramatic line , “It is too late” , shows his selfish nature , telling us that he did not really value his wife’s life. Once again over here we see repetition and lists , in Hamlet’s lines to the King , “Here , thou incestuous , murderous , damned Dane.” We see that even Laertes in successful in killing Hamlet , and so is Hamlet. The unexpected death of all the characters makes the end very emotional , and frightening. Hamlet’s last words to Horation tell us of his dedication to him ,”Now crack a noble heart. Goodnight sweet prince.” This line has a double meaning and does not clearly tell the audience of what Hamlet is actually trying to say.
I truly enjoyed reading the play , and it was not only exciting , but very moralistic as well. The saying , “Procrastination is the thief of time” , is proved right for Hamlet is so reluctant to kill his uncle , and in the end , he has to give up on his own life as well. It dealt with many themes , and it is easy for everyone to relate to it. The change in Hamlet’s character at different intervals remind anyone of his/her very own state of mind . The play has given revenge a very positive side , and it once again shows the confused and rebellious side of any human.
