Hamlet - looking at the history of the play, the genre, Shakespeare himself and the globe theatre in which so many of Shakespeare's plays were preformed.
Hamlet essay Hamlet. One of the, if not the, most famous of the plays written by William Shakespeare. In this, the first section, I will be looking at the history of the play, the genre, Shakespeare himself and the globe theatre in which so many of Shakespeare's plays were preformed. This play, like many other famous plays from this era, was written by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was born in a small English town named Stratford-upon-Avon, located in Warwickshire and although the exact date of Shakespeare's birth cannot be confirmed the consensus is that Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. He was baptized on April 26, 1564, at the Holy Trinity parish church in his hometown of Stratford. Shakespeare's parents, Mary Arden and John Shakespeare, had eight children. Shakespeare had two sisters named Joan, one born in 1558 and the other in 1569. No one knows first-born Joan's exact date of death, but it is assumed that she died in infancy. Second-born Joan survived her famous brother by more than 30 years. Shakespeare probably began his education at the age of six or seven at the Stratford grammar school, which is still standing only a short distance from his house on Henley Street and is in the care of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Although we have no record of Shakespeare attending the school, due to the official position held by John Shakespeare it seems likely
Analyse in detail Hamlet’s first soliloquy. Discuss how it reveals his confused state of mind.
Iain Lill Analyse in detail Hamlet's first soliloquy. Discuss how it reveals his confused state of mind. Hamlet's first soliloquy is concerning his mother's seeming lack of mourning for his father and her desire to wed Hamlet's uncle in such a short space of time after his death. The first lines reveal the feelings within himself. His "sullied flesh" describes himself as impure flesh, primarily because he is human, but also because he is of the same flesh as his mother in a physical sense. He wishes upon himself death, that his "flesh would melt,". The metaphor of melting as dew is an indication of his will of complete bodily destruction. There is no thought of a recovery to his normal state of mind here, Hamlet only wishes to be free of his body, with it's despair and bad emotions, and to be either elevated above it or even below it. The fact that he doesn't care whether he is up or down shows he is not thinking of the consequences of his actions, whatever they may be. On the more physical side these first lines show extremely strong suicidal tendencies, but the next lines show that, while suicide is uppermost in his mind, his religion prevents him from doing it. "Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd, His cannon 'gainst self-slaughter." he has been taught that to kill oneself is the highest form of sin against God, as written in his "cannon", or religious law. This
Hamlet Act 3 scene 4
Act 3 Scene 4, so called the closet scene, is the first time we see Hamlet and Gertrude together alone. In this scene Hamlet releases his anger and frustration at his mother for the sinful deed she has committed i.e. her marriage to her brother-in-law and the murderer. We can see that Gertrude is unaware of her husband's murder when she says `As kill a King?' and it is the first time she confronts her own behavior. There is a conflict between the two; Hamlet gives powerful replies `Mother you have my father much offended' `Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue' Hamlet takes control of the conversation from the very beginning of the scene although it is Gertrude who was meant to be rebuking him and doing much of the talking. Hamlet succeeds in shaming her until the point when she begs him to stop. Hamlet having the upper hand in the conversation, asks his mother to change her ways, which she agrees to and asks for his advice, showing that she has submitted herself to her son. Hamlet does not really show much respect for his mother while reproving her and forcing her to sit down but he does love her. Some critics believe that his love shows sexual connotation and that is a reason why he gets so upset at her remarriage. There is a point in this scene when Gertrude thinks her life is in danger of Hamlet and gets frightened, which shows us that she considers him to be mad
Role of women in hamlet
The Role of Women in Hamlet We live in a society where women have rights that were unheard of centuries ago. These rights include the right to driving freely, having jobs rather than staying at home, and being treated with the same respect as men in the workplace. But in Shakespeare's play Hamlet women have a role that is mainly passive in that the men in Hamlet hold a higher position than women and are treated in a manner that would be labelled as misogyny today in that women are only seen as objects rather than human. In Hamlet there are only two women who have a significant role in the play: Gertrude and Ophelia. Gertrude role in Hamlet is one that is a loving mother that does care for her son but also raises her selfish ambition above everyone else and tries to reconfigure her family around her new husband Claudius. Ophelia role in Hamlet consists of being one-dimensional and stagnant, that soon crumbles after the death of her father due to her frailty and innocence. During the first scene of book, Hamlet recalls scene between his mother and father and the love and affection they possessed before his father passed away. He then becomes disgusted over the fact his mother quickly married off a man instead of being with her son. The fact that this man was her deceased husband brother makes Hamlet disgust his mom even more. He feels his mother is weak in many aspects
In Shakespeare's "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark," we can trace Hamlet's mental process through his soliloquies. Hamlet's first soliloquy reveals him to be thoroughly disgusted with
he Soliloquies of Hamlet Authors use various literary elements to give insight into the mental composition of their characters. In Shakespeare's "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark," we can trace Hamlet's mental process through his soliloquies. Hamlet's first soliloquy reveals him to be thoroughly disgusted with Gertrude, Claudius, and the world in general. "How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, seem to me all the uses of this world" (1284), he said. He is saddened by the death of his father, who he admired as a king and husband to his mother. His grief over his father's death is compounded by his mother's hasty marriage to Claudius. Hamlet protests, "a beast, that wants discourse of reason, would have mourn'd longer" (1285). The worst part is that he cannot tell them how he feels. In his second soliloquy, Hamlet becomes curious and suspicious after hearing of the ghost. "My father's spirit in arms! All is not well; I doubt some foul play" (1287), he said. Hamlet feels that the presence of the ghost indicates that his father died due to dubious circumstance. After talking with his father's ghost, in the 3rd Soliloquy Hamlet is angered by the news that Claudius had murdered his father. Hamlet assures that he will think of nothing but revenge. "I'll wipe away all trivial fond records...and thy commandment all alone shall live within the
How does Shakespeare set the scene in Act l Scene l of "Hamlet"?
How does Shakespeare set the scene in Act l Scene l of "Hamlet"? In this essay I will examine and evaluate the ways in which Shakespeare sets the scene of Hamlet, in Act l Scene l. I will be exploring the different techniques used to successfully create a specific atmosphere and explain the significance of certain words and phrases used by the characters. In looking closely at the action and dialogue I hope to develop an understanding of the major themes and ideas of the drama. Shakespeare establishes an atmosphere of suspense and foreboding in Act l Scene I. The scene takes place in front of the castle at Elsinore. The sentries are nervous and even Bernado's opening words, "Who's there?" show a feeling of anxiety, which is present throughout the scene. This feeling is further conveyed by Francisco. He shows his unease at being on guard in his words to Bernardo, "I am sick at heart." There seems to be a sense of urgency and panic which leads the audience to wonder what the foundation of their fear is. This is an effective technique as it intrigues the viewers. By opening the play with such a tense mood the audience is instantly drawn into the mystery of the plot, Shakespeare creates an ambience of excitement. This is enhanced when Horatio asks: "What, has this thing appear'd again tonight?" The ambiguity of the "thing" in question helps to maintain and develop the
In this section of the coursework, I will look at two shots from the Brannagh version of Hamlet. Whilst looking at them I will analyse them in detail and explain why certain aspects have been shown and portrayed in certain ways.
Hamlet Coursework - Media In this section of the coursework, I will look at two shots from the Brannagh version of Hamlet. Whilst looking at them I will analyse them in detail and explain why certain aspects have been shown and portrayed in certain ways. My first picture is taken from the Mousetrap scene where they are performing a play. The first thing that strikes me when looking at this is the layout of the shot. The characters all seem to be divided but at the same time together. What I mean by this is that there are different levels which I have marked above the bannister, and the gold (Gold represents royalty/wealth) entwining line down the centre are the main divides. Hamlet and Ohphelia are on the lower level, showing their love. I think this by the way they are both staring into each other's eyes. Hamlet and his mother are divided, but Hamlet is also on the same side of Gertrude which leads us to believe Hamlet does like her really. Also we can see that Hamlet's mother appears to be spying on the pair. The way she is not leaning over the bannister but peeking over it seems to show she is spying. We, the audience, know that spying is a very important factor to this storyline. This is also exaggerated by the split down the middle, like a wall. What this suggests to me, is that if the pair split up, Hamlet would still have his
Without soliloquies we have little understanding of Hamlet's state of mind. Do you agree?
Without soliloquies we have little understanding of Hamlet's state of mind. Do you agree? The term 'soliloquy,' when defined in literary terms, is described as 'a dramatic convention which allows a character in a play to speak directly to the audience about his motives, feelings and decisions as if he were thinking aloud. Part of the convention is that a soliloquy provides accurate access to the character's innermost thoughts: we learn more about the character than could ever be gathered from the actions of the play.' Therefore, by definition, we have a considerably weaker understanding of a text without soliloquies. Soliloquies played a major part in many Elizabethan plays as they served as a useful narration device for the audience and gave them a clear insight into the character's feelings, motivation and reasons behind their actions at a specific point in a play. They also give the audience an idea of what the character may be doing later in the play as their future actions are also outlined in their soliloquies. It can also be noted that soliloquies take the format of the character's line of thought, which furthers our understanding of the character's mindset. Shakespeare was acutely aware of the theatre's dependence on the audience and his success, specifically with regard to Hamlet, was and is due to the fact that he never forgets the audience and seeks to involve
'Hamlet is primarily a personal rather than a political tragedy' - To what extent do you agree with this statement?
'Hamlet is primarily a personal rather than a political tragedy.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? There is no doubt that Hamlet is both a political and personal tragedy but there is room for argument as to which sort of play it primarily is. It is a play based on universal emotions and a play that anybody can relate to. The title of the play in the first printed editions was 'The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark', which implies that the play was a historical and political tragedy, rather than a personal one. However, Hamlet was written in an era of intrusive violent censorship when plays touching political and religious subjects were banned, suggesting the play should not be considered a political one. In addition, Coleridge summed up Hamlet as 'a psychological study of a man who could not bring about a balance between his inward thoughts and the external world'. This suggests that the play is predominantly a personal tragedy as it shows that Hamlet is like any other human with emotions and cannot help his sentiments interfering with the political surroundings that he is part of. One of the reasons that Hamlet lives on and is still significant today is because his experiences stir the awareness of similar experiences in ourselves and he is shown to respond to situations in ways which are familiar to our own deepest nature. In short, all readers
Hamlet is a pathetic character whose inability to act brings about a well deserved downfall. However, others may argue that Hamlet is a noble hero with whom we must sympathise. Which of these viewpoints do you agree with? Discuss both in detail, suggestin
Hamlet is a pathetic character whose inability to act brings about a well deserved downfall. However, others may argue that Hamlet is a noble hero with whom we must sympathise. Which of these viewpoints do you agree with? Discuss both in detail, suggesting what you think about the character of Hamlet. When attempting to define the nature of one of the characters in a play, it is important to focus our attention on particular scenes. These being parts where other characters are speaking about, in this case, Hamlet, or when Hamlet is in conversation with other characters. This would mean act one scene two till the end of act one is our focal point with regard to answering this question. The objective of this argument is to explore the character of Hamlet in order to decide whether Hamlet is either a "pathetic" or "noble" character. Hamlet is portrayed as a cynic and as a bitter human in his first line, which in turn gives him the image of being pathetic. He carries a sarcastic tone "Not so my lord" which enforces the idea that he is unable to process the drastic changes in his life. This can be seen from when he says "A little more than kin, and less than kind" as his tone reflects his feeling toward his uncle taking on the role as his Father, and his Mother's hasty acceptance to this. The fact that Shakespeare makes it so clear that Hamlet is in this mindset, brings forward
