Hamlet Journal - rewriting key passages from the play

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Dylane Jacobs

Period 3

Dialectical Journals

(The entries that include n have been inspired by words written in no fear Shakespeare. They may be similar to that of the ones on the website but they are my own thoughts with similar wording, because the entries I wrote were assisted by the ones on the internet. They were not copied, but they were used as a reference.)

I.ii.a,b,i

  1. In this scene the king talks about his brother’s death and the marriage to the queen. He also discusses the situation that is prevailing with Prince Fortinbras. The prince seeks revenge for his father’s death and for the lost land. He is trying to conquer lost land. He sends representatives to go undermine the attack. Then the king’s talks to Laertes and Polonius about Laertes request to leave to go to France to continue studying. The king grants his leave. Then the King addresses the situation with Hamlet. Hamlet is upset with the resent death of his father and the marriage of his mother to his uncle. Claudius tells Hamlet basically to get over himself. He also does not allow Hamlet to leave to go to England to study, he must stay with his family who needs him. The procession then leaves and Hamlet is left to wallow in his misery and ultimately considers suicide. Just then Horatio and Bernardo come in and tell of the ghost they have been seeing for the past few nights. Hamlet agrees to stand guard that night and talk to the ghost if it comes again.
  2. 1. Who are Laertes and Polonius in relation to Hamlet and the King?

-Polonius is councilor to King Claudius and Laertes is his son. Ophelia is Laertes sister and will come up later in the scene.

        2. Why won’t Claudius let Hamlet leave?

                - Claudius wont let Hamlet leave because he needs the image of having his “son there supporting him and his kingdom. It also makes Gertrude happy. They are also trying to make him stop mourning Hamlets death and celebrate his life.

        3. Why does Hamlet want to kill himself?

- He believes in killing himself he will reach a place where he will feel no pain or suffering. He wishes to be with his father, the only man he keeps loyalty to.

        4. How come the Queen does not mourn longer and instead marries?

        5. Why is Hamlet quick to believe these men?

  1. If I were an actor my main focus would be sadness. Hamlet is in a state of depression. He is still sad from his Fathers death, which was two month ago. That to me shows sadness that you can feel all throughout you, an ache that never goes away. In acting this I would have to portray a body emulating sadness. However, at the same time he is completely frustrated with his mother. He does not agree with how she acted so close to his father’s death. The marriage so close to the funeral is upsetting to him. Hamlet thinks that this marriage is incest and is disgusting. So in the delivery, there would have to be a depression mixed with a deep anger and resentment. Motivation could be drawn from a death I have experienced in my life, an earth shattering death that shook my entire world. My grandmother’s death hit me like Hamlet’s father’s death hit him. I would draw on that sadness I felt for her in this scene. However, I would also have to draw on a deep seeded anger that I have felt for someone. These elements added together will create a strong emotional soliloquy given by Hamlet.

I.iii. Ophelia and Polonius n, e, i

n. These vows are just traps for stupid birds. I know when a man is on fire, he’ll swear anything. But when a heart’s on fire, it gives out more light than heat, and the fire will be out even before he’s done making his promises. Don’t mistake that for true love. From now on, spend a little less time with him and talk to him less. Make yourself a precious commodity. Remember that Hamlet is young and has a lot more freedom to fool around than you do. In short, Ophelia, don’t believe his love vows, since they’re like flashy pimps who wear nice clothes to lead a woman into filthy acts. To put it plainly, don’t waste your time with Hamlet. Do as I say.

Now come along.

e. If you look this through a feminist lens it would anger you. Women during this time were seen as insignificant. Polonius says that Hamlet doesn’t love her he is just fooling around with her because he just wants her body. That’s all she is to him a body to exploit. And Ophelia follows along with what her father says. She doesn’t fight back. She can’t. Fathers are a girl’s authority. They do what they are told by them or else suffer the consequences.

i. If I was acting this I could come at it from two different ways. One way is the way they did it in the movie. Ophelia is completely upset but obeys what her father says ultimately because there is nothing she can do he is her father. She would cry and try to fight but eventually would fail. No matter how much she cares for Hamlet she must do what her father says. In acting this I would draw on the child in me. The child who fights and cries but eventually does what their parents tell them. The other way of acting this is to be a resilient child who listens like they are going to take the advice but they end up not following what you tell them. The inspiration for this child would come from when I tell my mom I will stay away form people but I never do. No matter what they tell me I have my own opinions and I use those to guide me.

I. ii. Hamlets Soliloquy a,f,n

a. In this soliloquy Hamlet is extremely upset with is mother and uncle. First off his mother married his uncle, which is considered incest. Not only that but he finds it extremely unnerving. His mother married his uncle two months after his father’s funeral, a man who she had sworn to love for the rest of her life. He is heart broken, not only for his fathers death but his mothers betrayal. Hamlet considers suicide he is so upset with the events that have unfolded for the past month. He just doesn’t know what to do.

f. In this scene he is asking god what is going on. “Or that god has not made a law against suicide.” He is talking about the god’s law, which he is held to, or he would commit suicide he is so unhappy. Also he is like “Oh God, God! How tired, state, and pointless life is to me.” He cant deal with the path god has set before him. Hamlet doesn’t want this and is completely upset about the course his mother has take and with is own life. “O God, do I have to remember that?” he doesn’t want to remember what god has set before him. He is upset with religion and his life in this soliloquy.

n. O that this stained and dirty flesh would melt and make it disappear. Or that god had not made a rule against suicide. O God, God! This life seems worthless. Stale, flat and it all seems so pointless now. It’s like a garden full of weeds. I can’t believe it has come to this. He’s been dead for two months, no not even two. He is an excellent king, like the sun god is a goat like satyr, so loving to my mother that he kept the wind from bowing on her face. God why must I remember? She just hung off of him like as though my father never existed. A month, after my father’s death (I don’t even want to think about it. Oh women. You are so weak), not even her shoes were broken in (the ones she followed his casket in). Even an animal would have mourned longer than she did for my father. Then she marries my uncle, my father’s brother, who is about as much my father as I am like Hercules. A month, she hasn’t even finished mourning my father and she moves on and gets remarried. She was so fast to marry him. It’s not good and it can’t bring any good. This breaks my heart.

I. ii. Claudius’ Soliloguy c, m, n

c. Why would you marry your brother’s wife. Are you kidding me that is so gross. Didn’t you know that is considered incest even in your society? Are you messed up in the head that you thought it was ok to marry her, especially right after the death of her husband? Are you really that obsessed with this kingdom? The only way you were going to be king was to marry your sister in law, and you did. EW. You are so horrible. Kicking your own nephew out of receiving the crown is a low blow even for you. Not only that, but to disgrace your brother like that is horrible. She was his wife, the woman he loved and you married her a month after his funeral. You disgust me!

Join now!

m. This is defiantly leading to his inevitable doom. He is married to his sister in law. Of course Hamlet is going to be upset and angry about the arrangement. This will lead to his investigation into your hasty marriage. Once he invests himself into that he will find out that you killed your own brother to become king. Are you that naïve that you thought no one would notice the coincidence of the death and marriage? How can you think that it would all go away? Sure you may have covered your tracks but nothing is ever completely ...

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