Show how Prince Hamlet was not entirely rotten but more of a product of a rotten society.
Introduction to drama module "The only thing rotten in Denmark is the Prince" Do you agree? Shell Woodward The aim of this essay is to show how Prince Hamlet was not entirely rotten but more of a product of a rotten society. I aim to show this by analysing his character and the dilemma he faces. By doing this I hope to reveal what was truly rotten in the State of Denmark. To help me understand the Prince's dilemma and his surroundings I will look at the plays social, political and historical context. By doing this I will gain an understanding of the issues surrounding the play such as religious ethics, society and, of course, revenge and its consequences. In particular I will be looking at the character of Claudius, as I believe that he is the true source of the rottenness in Denmark and how this character drags Hamlet into a society that tests the most moralistic of men. Renaissance drama reflects upon the many changes that occurred in Britain and Europe during the 16th century. As Hamlet was most likely written in 1601 it is an excellent example of how these changes affected that society. The Revenge Tragedy genre derives from the Renaissance's renewed interest in the Classical culture, which produced such literary geniuses as the Roman playwright, of Revenge Tragedy, Seneca. The conventions of this genre called for a brutal quest for vengeance, which drives the play
Hamlet Soliloquy
Hamlet's soliloquy, "O, what a rogue and peasant slave I am!" is principally an expression of his emotional turmoil concerning the chaotic events that are taking place around him. Throughout this soliloquy, Hamlet is evidently taking a ride on a roller coaster of mixed emotions, where he tends to sink deep into his persona, portraying his inner thoughts and feelings towards himself and his delay of action. In Hamlet's personal speech, his character reveals his obvious state of confusion and frenzy as he begins with passing judgment on himself to fretting about his procrastination of taking revenge, to finally motivating himself to the point where he comes to a resolution, thus depicting character to be the most vital dramatic importance in his soliloquy. Hamlet begins his soliloquy by criticizing himself, "O, what a rogue and peasant slave I am (II.2.449)!" He continues by talking about an actor who has to imagine and fake sorrow in order to let his tears flow over nothing. He then ironically compares himself to the actor's overwhelming passion and comprehends the fact that he does not seem to possess that same passion in reality regarding his father's death. This harasses his mind, and causes him to scold himself and think that he is a horrible person for his silent grief, hence giving his character low self-esteem. As the soliloquy continues, Hamlet's character
With specific reference to the two soliloquies, which we have studied in detail, show how Shakespeare reveals to the audience Hamlets character, state of mind and his problems.
Mitchell Routledge With specific reference to the two soliloquies, which we have studied in detail, show how Shakespeare reveals to the audience Hamlet's character, state of mind and his problems. A soliloquy is when an actor is talking by himself on the scene while revealing his thoughts to the audience. This gives you a good idea about what is going on in the characters head, in this case Hamlet's. We have annotated and studied two scenes of the play "Hamlet" in particular, Act 1 Scene 2 and Act 3 scene 1. The fist soliloquy appears right after Claudius and his mother, Gertrude got married. His father had not died long before, and Hamlet could not believe his mother was married and sleeping with his uncle less than two months after his father's death. He seems very confused and frustrated in this soliloquy. Whereas in the second soliloquy he seems much more relaxed and seems to have gotten some time to get all the pressure and thoughts off his mind. There is a lot of repetition in the first soliloquy which gives you the idea that he is confused and does not everything is clear to him. The structure in the first soliloquy is very different than the second one; the first one is very unorganized, which also shows confusion. The first soliloquy is very public and is in the great hall where everyone can hear him; I think this is because he wants everyone to hear what is on
Hamlet. Discuss Lord, we know what we are, we know not what we may be.~ Ophelia Act 4 Scene 5
English Coursework - Hamlet "Lord, we know what we are, we know not what we may be."~ Ophelia Act 4 Scene 5 "We think we know ourselves, but really we don't"~ Translate The Audience are never fully aware of who to trust or what is true or not throughout the whole play. The only person you can really rely on is Horatio, the most honest character in the play who is Hamlet's friend. The audience don't find out until later on in the play if the Ghost, old Hamlet, really is the dead king. In Elizabethan-Jacobean times, ghosts were people stuck in purgatory wandering the earth like a lost soul. A ghost could also have been the devil trying to trick someone into causing chaos. Another belief of the time was "The Divine Right of the King". This meant that the king or leader of a country was the closest possible connection to God. If a king of a country was killed this would therefore excommunicate the entire country. The audience also believes that Claudius is "incestuous" by marrying his sister-in-law. He gives hints like "our sometime sister, now our queen," he uses other words like "sift" and "use", enough to raise the audience's suspicion. Equally an audience is unsure who Hamlet is; is he mad? Denmark never fully knows what happens in the palace either; they don't know about the MURDER of their previous king; neither do they find out about Hamlet's murder of Polonius. The
A Study of Shakespeare's presentation of Ophelia and the effect on her, of her relationship with Laertes, Polonius and Hamlet.
A Study of Shakespeare's presentation of Ophelia and the effect on her, of her relationship with Laertes, Polonius and Hamlet. The character of Ophelia is extremely complex, and there are many issues to we have to face when studying her. The problem with analysing Ophelia is that she is seen in many different roles as daughter, sister, lover and courtier. Each one in itself adds another dimension to her character, yet there is an inextricable link between her various manifestations and the men in her life: Laertes, Polonius and Hamlet. These men have a diverse effect on the development and overall perception of Ophelia. Her aim to please the men who dictate her actions, directly and indirectly, leaves the audience feeling somewhat distanced from her character. Shakespeare's presentation of Ophelia makes one wonder whether she is indeed the sad, pathetic, naïve girl she makes out, or whether she is in fact masking her true, highly intelligent and sexually experienced self. Shakespeare himself had the potential to create a strong female characters, who were unafraid to behave in an unconventional manner, such as in Romeo and Juliet and MacBeth; however, the façade Ophelia presents throughout most of the play, is that of one conforming to the stereotypical expectations of an Elizabethan woman; that of purity, innocence, submission and dependence on men, emotionally and
Why does Hamlet delay in his revenge?
Why does Hamlet delay in his revenge? Hamlet is a play about revenge. It is a tragedy and the play explores the flaws in Hamlet's character that lead up to his death. Hamlet is set in the state of Denmark, Denmark is seen as a rotten state at the time, 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.' This makes the audience aware that evil and corruption rule in the state of Denmark and seeing as Hamlet is the hero of the play it is seen as his job to conquer this evil. Hamlet sees Denmark as a prison, 'Denmark's a prison.' Hamlet says this because he feels that the state of Denmark is a restricting place that fails to provide the intellectual needs of Hamlet, he also says this because Denmark is full of criminals. The play explores the corruption within the society, which spreads and eventually destroys itself. Hamlet starts of the play as innocent and moral; however, with the corruption of the people around him later on in the play Hamlet also becomes dishonest. Many people assume that the first line in Shakespeare's plays sets the scene for the rest of the play. The opening line of Hamlet is 'Who's there?' this tells the audience a lot about the play as it is a play about unanswered questions and people seeking these answers and there response. The first line also portrays the mistrust between the characters and within the state of Denmark. Act 1 really just sets the
How does Shakespeare create an effective opening to Hamlet?
How does Shakespeare create an effective opening to Hamlet? The key purpose with the opening of any piece of literature is to entice and enthral the reader and obviously Shakespeare having the fame and staggering success that he has had, must be well aware of this. If questions are left in the readers mind once reading the opening to this script or watching the play, they engage the audience as they want these questions answered and believe that as the play unfolds they will be. The attitudes and values of the characters that are introduced in the first act contribute greatly to the sense of suspense the audience feels. Shakespeare begins the play with the entry of two minor characters 'two Sentinels'. By doing this the audience only get a second hand taste of what the key themes are going to be later on in the play. There is no omniscient feel to this first act, only an air of mystery. The very first line spoken by Barnardo, 'Who's there?' even creates this sense of unknowing, and also implies that the Sentinels are on edge for some reason and perhaps even frightened. This question is then repeated by the second sentinel, Francisco, as Horatio and Marcellus answer. Again the ambiguity of the question, 'has this thing appear'd again tonight?' creates mystery and a feel of foreboding. A ghost then appears and it is absolutely clear that the sentinels are immensely
Examine how Shakespeare explores the role of women in Hamlet. What response from a modern audience might be to this aspect of the play?
AS English Literature: Hamlet- A study of the play Jaffar Al-Rikabi 12-2 "Hamlet sees Gertrude give way to Claudius and Ophelia give way to Polonius" (Leverenz) Examine how Shakespeare explores the role of women in Hamlet. What response from a modern audience might be to this aspect of the play? "Frailty, thy name is woman" Hamlet famously exclaims in the first act of William Shakespeare's longest drama, and one of the most probing plays ever to be performed on stage. It was written around the year 1600 in the final years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, an era of real uncertainty and confusion; while the prospect of Elizabeth's death and the question of who would succeed her brought grave anxiety to the nation as a whole, the rise of the Renaissance movement gave rise to many challenges and unanswered questions to the old ideals and beliefs that were for such a long time embedded in every Englishman's soul and mind. Women during that time had no role in society; traditionally, they occupied different 'spheres' to men and so were expected to be completely obedient to their husbands, to do all the house duties and to raise their children up on the very same image of society at the time. In 'Hamlet', through the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia, Shakespeare reflects on this truth: both are disrespected, insulted, abused and manipulated by the leading male characters,
How does Zeffirelli portray the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia?
How does Zeffirelli portray the characters of Gertrude and Ophelia? Franco Zeffirelli's 1990 production of Hamlet has Glenn Close and Helena Bonham Carter cast as Queen Gertrude and Ophelia respectively. He has the luxury over a stage production of being able to add scenery, mood and vibrant close up of character to his film. These added advantages allow us to examine the players in a closer, more intimate way and so we can look at the figures of Queen Gertrude and Ophelia with different perspective. Right from the start the audience most definitely depicts Gertrude as the queen and the primary female of the cast, however there is no malice or grim intention portrayed. We open the film feeling sorry for her at her husband's funeral yet the speed of her re-marriage makes us question her morality and quality. The audience is made to question her character by her physical nature both with Claudius and Hamlet, particularly with Hamlet. Their relationship is portrayed as intensely Freudian, from the very beginning with Gertrude constantly touching Hamlet. Zeffirelli dresses Gertrude in a gown with a simple pale design yet trimmed with gold and subtle jewellery and her hair is worn like a regal crown, always perfect and obviously made by attendants. Herein we see her position but unlike other plays her queenly status is not overbearing. Zeffirelli quite obviously dressing
Consider different interpretations of some of Hamlet's soliloquies and/or other key speeches and explain your view on the way in which Hamlet is portrayed during the speeches you have selected.
Sophie Anderton, 22/01/04 Hamlet Coursework Some critics see Hamlet's soliloquies as self-absorbed and self-indulgent; others see him as evidence of a great intellect at work. Consider different interpretations of some of Hamlet's soliloquies and/or other key speeches and explain your view on the way in which Hamlet is portrayed during the speeches you have selected. William Shakespeare employs the use of soliloquies in the play Hamlet to portray his clear and logical thinking underneath the show of emotion to the audience to gain a more understandable outline of Hamlet's character and actions. The soliloquies isolate Hamlet's thoughts and inform the audience of his observations of what is happening and how Hamlet interprets the events surrounding him. The audience are able to see things from his perspective and are able to empathise with him. Hamlet is a tragedy of revenge, dishonesty and conflict. Hamlet the prince of Denmark is disgusted with his mother's, Gertrude, impulsive marriage to his uncle, Claudius, so soon after the death of his father. Hamlet soon learns how his father's sudden death came about due to an encounter with his father's ghost, and he finds his father was poisoned by Claudius and is determined to seek vengeance on him. During the play, Hamlet is faced with a series of dilemmas, of how to act in response to the death of his father, his mother's
