How does Hardy encourage us to sympathize with Gertrude and Rhoda? Do you sympathize with one more than the other?
How does Hardy encourage us to sympathize with Gertrude and Rhoda? Do you sympathize with one more than the other? Thomas Hardy encourages you to sympathize with Rhoda, "A Lorn Milkmaid", from his description of her and the situation that she is in. At the beginning of the story Hardy introduces her as "a thin, fading woman of thirty". This makes you sympathize with her because her beauty and health are fading at an early age. Hardy describes how the radiance of the fire, "made her dark eyes, that had once been handsome, seem handsome anew." The woman that "milked somewhat apart from the rest" seems to be left out from the others like an outcast, a situation that no one likes to be in. We also find out a little later in the story that she lived somewhat apart from the rest too, "Their course lay apart from that of the others, to a lonely spot high above the water mead". The other milkmaids talk about Rhoda and her circumstance in her presence as if the "thin worn milkmaid" wasn't there. You get the sense that she is talked about badly behind her back, "She knew that she had been slily called a witch since her fall." Here you feel sympathy for her because she is not accepted by the other milkmaids and villagers. Even the others admit that it is hard for her, "'Tis hard for she," and the fact that she has a young son adds to the sympathy you feel for her, because she is
To What Extent do you feel that Gertrude is responsible for Hamlet's state of mind in the play so far?
Henry Bain To What Extent do you feel that Gertrude is responsible for Hamlet's state of mind in the play so far? One of the ambiguous themes in the play that is left widely to interpretation is the madness of Hamlet. Is he merely "mad in craft," or, has he actually degenerated into a nihilistic man, to whom "to be or not to be" is a central preoccupation? Hamlet is clearly angered by the marriage of his mother and his uncle so soon after his father's death. In Hamlet's first soliloquy he says: 'Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon gainst self slaughter' (1.2.131-2) Hamlet immediately tells us he wishes suicide was not a mortal sin. This, along with the rest of his soliloquy, shows the profound effect that the marriage of his mother and uncle has had upon him. He compares his mother to a "beast that wants discourse of reason," and outlines that Claudius is as much like his father, as Hamlet is to Hercules. Hamlet considered his father as without fault (Hyperion) and, not being two months dead, his father was replaced in his mother's affections and "incestuous sheets." Hamlet's indignation to the marriage is explicit and the lines in his soliloquy are teeming with emotion. Hamlet also feels bound to suffer in silence, although this will "break" his heart. At this point in the play Hamlet's feels depressed, alone and trapped within Denmark and
Explore the way Shakespeare presents the relationships between Hamlet and his Mother, Gertrude, making particular reference to Act III Scene. IV
Explore the way Shakespeare presents the relationships between Hamlet and his Mother, Gertrude, making particular reference to Act III Scene. IV In the Play, the relationship between Hamlet and his mother is presented in various different ways. One critical point in the play where their presentation can be fully analysed is Scene IV, of Act III. The 'closet scene' as it is known, is one of the dramatic climaxes of the play. It is the only time we see Hamlet alone with his mother. Apart from a brief exchange during 'the Mousetrap' this is the first conversation since Act 1 Scene II. The scene begins as a repeat of the 'nunnery' episode (Act III Scene I) with Polonius eavesdropping and Gertrude refusing to communicate with her son. Again, as before, with the exception of Ophelia, Hamlet is now talking to somebody with whom he was once very close, but has now been deliberately separated from. Hamlet enters the scene with great antagonism, as he has just returned from Claudius praying, Gertrude's Husband and Hamlet's stepfather, and of course his Uncle. Hamlet's intentions were to kill Claudius as he prayed, so his intentions when entering this scene are not much different than before. His wrath towards Claudius is still at its worst, so Hamlet is prepared to kill him at any chance, thus he kills Polonius instead. The place in which this scene is situated is very important to
Compare the experiences of Gertrude Lodge in "The Withered Arm" with those of Curley's wife in "Of Mice And men"
Compare the experiences of Gertrude Lodge in "The Withered Arm" with those of Curley's wife in "Of Mice And men" The novel "Of Mice And Men" is based in 1930's America, during the time of the great depression. It is set in a small town called Soledad, in southern California, where life is harsh, and migrant workers play a common part in society. On the ranch, women are thought of as nothing more than sexual objects, and being the only female, Curley's wife finds it particularly hard when searching for acceptance and respect from the men. Life is also extremely lonely on the ranch; as most of the men travel without a companion, and like Curley's wife, find it difficult when relating to others. The majority of their time is spent undertaking manual labour, and that of what they earn is spent gambling, drinking and visiting brothels for entertainment. We first learn of Curley's wife through gossip from a fellow labourer, Candy, who perceives her as a "tart" and implies she is indecent, by stating that she has "got the eye" for other men. Thomas Hardy's "The Withered Arm" is set during the years 1819-1825, in the small village of Holmstoke, Wessex. It too, is a working society, where the amount of money you earn is reflected in the standard of living you endure. Unlike "Of Mice And Men" the community is reasonably close, and has a rural setting, common to
After Claudius and Gertrude announce their marriage to the kingdom, Hamlet grieves deeply over his father's death.
Jenny Neal AP Literature and Composition Period 7 January 14, 2002 Essay #5 on a Soliloquy After Claudius and Gertrude announce their marriage to the kingdom, Hamlet grieves deeply over his father's death. He is most bothered by the fact that his mother is remarrying so quickly, even going so far as to privately contemplate suicide. The diction and imagery of the first soliloquy provide insight into Hamlet's feelings, showing his true character. This soliloquy sparks an interest in the reader and provides a glimpse into Hamlet's thoughts while informing the audience of the history of his family's tribulations. In the soliloquy that begins "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt....",(I:ii) Hamlet is alone with his thoughts, depressed to the point of talk of suicide. Hamlet tries desperately to make sense of the events that have recently taken place, but remains confused and pessimistic. He feels restricted by the physical world that he calls unbearable, wanting his "too too solid flesh"(I:ii) to "...melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew"(I:ii). He appears to be trying to get away, to become innocent once again. There was a time when he didn't have many responsibilities to deal with, and that's what he wants to go back to. However, he has obligations to fulfill. Since Hamlet has been raised and living as a noble person, not fulfilling his tasks is an
To what extent do you feel that the presentation of Gertrude and Ophelia now create much more sympathy than in Shakespeare's time.
To what extent do you feel that the presentation of Gertrude and Ophelia now create much more sympathy than in Shakespeare's time In Shakespeare's time a woman's status in society was very much based upon their fathers or husbands success. This subsidiary status was based on religious conceptions of hierarchy whereby according to the medieval church, 'Adam was created first, and Eve from his body; she was created specifically to give him comfort, and was to be subordinate to him, to obey him and to accept her lesser status.' Furthermore, it was also based on the renaissance stereotype of women, which was split between the Virgin Mary and the Whore of Babylon. The Virgin Mary being represented by Ophelia to show her innocence and purity, and the Whore of Babylon by Gertrude to show her impurity and experience. These misconceptions show that although Shakespeare uses Gertrude to portray his view of women he does not highlight the naivety of Ophelia's character and is instead clouded by the idea of imperfection within Gertrude's character. The concept of equality between the sexes was non-existent in Shakespeare's time. Renaissance and Medieval literature was often misogynistic so there was a general distrust of women, which is portrayed in 'Hamlet.' The husband was given the accepted role of head of the household, his duty being, to give his wife and children moral
Through the two main characters of Rhodaand Gertrude the writer allows the reader to know his opinion on gender equality at the time.
Through the two main characters of Rhoda and Gertrude the writer allows the reader to know his opinion on gender equality at the time. As well as criticising the way in which men treat women, he also states his feelings on how women treat other women and their selves. Rhoda is firstly represented as a mysterious, lonely and segregated person who has a history with the character, Farmer Lodge. This assumption can be taken from the way the fellow workers treat Rhoda and their conversations involving Farmer Lodge and his new bride. For example one milk maid says, "Tis hard for she" while looking at Rhoda who is described by the writer as, "a thin fading woman of thirty milked somewhat apart from the rest". This description is just, because the workers speak blatantly about Rhoda and her past, even though she is in hearing distance. It is like they are aware of her presence, but choose to discount it because Rhoda, in their eyes is worthless. This leads the reader to think what Rhoda has done in order to be isolated from the group and be treated with such an obvious mix of contempt and sympathy. The initial conversation in the workplace also highlights how differently men and women are treated and how differently their roles in life really are. The reader can see that Rhoda and Farmer lodge have some kind of history and they are aware of what people's reactions to Rhoda are,
If we were to assume that Shakespeare's depiction of Gertrude and Ophelia represents Shakespeare's view of women, what strengths and weaknesses would he ascribe to women?
If we were to assume that Shakespeare's depiction of Gertrude and Ophelia represents Shakespeare's view of women, what strengths and weaknesses would he ascribe to women? Hamlet being one of Shakespeare's most famous plays has only two women characters, Ophelia and Gertrude. Gertrude, who was Hamlet's mother, and Ophelia who was Hamlet's love, played a very significant role in Hamlet, because they helped shape the characters. In the time period that Shakespeare lived in, women were not allowed onto the stage and they had very little to no rights. If it was assumed that Shakespeare's depiction of Gertrude and Ophelia represent his view on women then a reflection would be seen of the idea that women were as powerless as they were in Elizabethan times, however both Ophelia and Gertrude both have redeeming qualities as well numerous weaknesses. Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius and the sister to Laertes, is the most one-dimensional character in Hamlet. Ophelia is beautiful and gentle and is in love with Hamlet; however, due to her father and brother lecturing her on the impossibility of their love Ophelia withdraws from Hamlet. This is Ophelia's first flaw, even though it was expected of women in Shakespearean times to obey the males in their lives. When Polonius orders her to stop seeing Hamlet, Ophelia replies with "I shall obey my lord" (Act I scene iii, 142) there is no fuss
In The Withered Arm how does Thomas Hardy present the characters of Rhoda and Gertrude through their relationships with the wider community, each other and farmer Lodge?
In 'The Withered Arm' how does Thomas Hardy present the characters of Rhoda and Gertrude through their relationships with the wider community, each other and farmer Lodge? Thomas Hardy's short story, 'The Withered Arm' focuses on the characters of two very different women, Rhoda Brook and Gertrude Lodge. Tragically bought together by fate, the story details the lack of control the two characters are able to exercise over their lives, and how circumstances conspire against them through no fault of their own. Hardy was very concerned about the social inequalities that were an integral part of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and these inequalities often feature thematically in his work through the characters of the two women, 'The Withered Arm' can be interpreted as addressing the harsh treatment often experienced by women at the hands of men and society. This essay will examine how Hardy presents the characters of Rhoda and Gertrude through their relationships with the wider community, each other and their respective relationships with farmer Lodge. The reader's first introduction to Rhoda immediately establishes her as an outsider. In an environment that is characterised by its warmth and close personal interactions, with the milkers ready to capitalise on the 'opportunity for a little conversation', Rhoda is deliberately isolated, sitting away from her
Some critics have seen Gertrude as innocent, others as central to the evil in Hamlet - Using act 3 scene 4 as your starting point, how do you evaluate these views?
Ben Campbell Word count 1597 Some critics have seen Gertrude as innocent, others as central to the evil in Hamlet. Using act 3 scene 4 as your starting point, how do you evaluate these views? It is tempting to condemn Gertrude as evil, but it is probably more sensible to consider her as weak and inconstant. But when have tragedy plays ever been sensible? Like many of Shakespeare's women it is argued that their characters are somewhat "sketched in" rather than drawn in with detail like for example, Hamlet's. The way Shakespeare has "sketched in" Gertrude's character leads an awful lot down to the way she is played on the stage. When reading the play Gertrude's character is enigmatic. This leads a lot down to personal interpretation upon reading the play. We also have to take the culture of that period in time into consideration when examining Gertrude's character. Act 3 scene 4 emphasises this showing us two separate arguments for the portrayal of Gertrude's character. An interpretation that I would like to explore is Gertrude as an evil character in the play. There are several significant points that illuminate the evil side to her character. A lot of people consider Gertrude as frail and weak, highlighted by Hamlet's heartfelt line. "Frailty, thy name is woman" but there are several tell tale signs to draw her character towards the centrally evil figure in Hamlet.
