You will select a question from the list below and respond to it for the Act I thread. You will also respond to another classmate's post. (You should have two posts total for Acts II & III).
1. The First Player's speech is often cut in performances of the play. Explain why it is important and why it should not be cut.
2. Hamlet's "O what a rogue and peasant slave am I" is the first of his soliloquies. What is he saying, and how does this set of words help to move him to action? What does he decide to do at the end of this speech?
3. What is the subject of Hamlet's second soliloquy, the famous "To be or not to be" speech?
Why is he so cruel to Ophelia immediately thereafter?
4. Why does Hamlet decline to take action against Claudius in III.iii? What does this reveal about Hamlet and the use of religion in the play?
5. What happens in III.iv (the closet scene)? Why is this death so important for the play, or what does the death of this figure represent?
6. Based on what you've seen in III.iv, do you think Gertrude knew about the murder?
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Cara Shaffer Responding to Question 5. "What happens in III.iv (the closet scene)? Why is this death so important for the play, or what does the death of this figure represent?"
ReplyDeleteIn Hamlet III.iv, Hamlet goes to meet with his mother Gertrude. He condemns her for her actions after the death of his father and says she is steeped in sin. The most important event in this scene is Hamlet’s murder of Polonius. He is hiding behind the arras and Hamlet, mistaking him for Claudius, stabs him. This death is the first of many deaths that the audience witnesses in the play. It is extremely important because it sets off a chain of events that lead to the eventual death of Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, and Ophelia. In other words, the death of Polonius leads to the death of every main character. It is Hamlet’s first action that marks his insanity. His rash action and lack of thought is a clue that he may in fact be insane, not just pretending insanity. Polonius was innocent. Hamlet’s murder of an innocent man turns him from a victim of Claudius’s crimes into a vengeful man guilty of murder. The death of Polonius is also the death of Hamlet’s innocence in the events of the play. He can no longer distance himself from the action of the play and ultimately dooms himself in doing this evil deed.
Elias Kassir Responding to a Question:
ReplyDelete5. What happens in III.iv (the closet scene)? Why is this death so important for the play, or what does the death of this figure represent?
In this scene, Hamlet meets with his mother in her room, and she critices his recent behavior. Then he criticizes her for her actions. Her actions in this case being that she married Claudius far far too soon after King Hamlet died and he becomes almost violent in his criticizing of her. She cries out for help and then Polonius does too while he is hding behind a curtain. Hamlet believes that it might be Claudius and stabs through the curtain, killing Polonius. Afterwards, the ghost comes and tells Hamlet to stop delaying killing Claudius and to stop being mean to his mother.
This death is important to the scene because it is the first murder that Hamlet commits. Up until this point, Hamlet was more talk than anything else. He talked about killing himself but decided not to, he talked about killing Claudius but delayed it for as long as possible. When he finally did have a chance to kill Claudius, he decided not to using religion as his excuse. By killing Polonius, the reader finally knows for sure that Hamlet would indeed kill (and kill with little thought) in order avenge his father.
Cara commenting on the post of Elias:
ReplyDeleteThe corruption of Denmark is clearly spreading throughout Elsinore in Act II/III. Though Hamlet professes to Gertrude that he is just pretending, as Elias stated, he murders Polonius later in the scene. This cold blooded murder shows that the eventual outcome of the play will be bloody and tragic. As Elias stated, Hamlet uses religion as an excuse for why not to kill Claudius. While it may be true that Hamlet indeed believes Claudius may go to heaven if murdered while praying, this does not truly fit with the dogma of the Catholic church which was followed in Denmark at the time. The quickly decaying shield of religion keeps Hamlet from committing a most heinous crime. As with all other elements of the play, from the sanity of Ophelia, to Claudius's guise of innocence, it eventually is corrupted and is obliterated. The murder of Polonius is the final symbol that this corruption has come to fruition. It begins a series of falling actions that are intrinsically linked and that lead to the climax of the play.
Nathan van Arkel-Priest responding to question 4:
ReplyDeleteHamlets use of religion in act III, where he declines to kill Claudius when he is praying, fearing that his soul will go to heaven, indicates that while Hamlet most certainly believes in the presence of a god and heaven, he is perhaps not as devout as he appears to be. Hamlet wants Claudius to suffer as much as possible. Sending his soul to hell is therefore a product of his need for revenge, despite the teachings of the bible indicating that Christians must forgive those that have wronged them and that killing others is a sin. This duality can be explained by Hamlets apparent insanity. Hamlet accepts the presence of heaven and hell just as he accepts the presence of the world around him. Hamlet does not abide by the social norms that the physical world place upon him and, likewise, does not abide by the rules that the bible supposedly stress upon him. Hamlet takes for granted that these factors influence the world around him, but does not necessarily follow the rules that come along with them.
Nathan commenting on Cara's post:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cara's assessment that the killing of Polonious is a transformative act for Hamlet. While Hamlets actions previously may have been justified by the shock of loosing his father and the upset of his mother remarrying, the death of Polonious at Hamlets hand further drives him into madness, with the additional guilt weighing on him. In fact, while Hamlet may have been hesitant to kill at the beginning of the play, this action strips him of this hesitance. This is proven by him effectively murdering Rosencrantz and Guildenstern just after he kills Polonious. It can therefore be inferred that killing Polonious was a barrier that, when crossed, Hamlet no longer feels the needs to follow the rules that he had adhered to, however loosely. In Polonious, an innocent man, Hamlet becomes more like Claudius and is perhaps more self destructive, and therefore, more open to taking rash, sinful actions.
The scene begins as boost; Hamlet is once again talking, analyzing, and critiquing the circumstances at hand. He begins the scene as an innocent victim and leaves it a murderer. While believing Claudius behind the curtain, he stabs Polonius. He seemingly lack of guilt transforms Hamlet from the thinker to a man of action, no matter how rash. His mind begins to unravel and the madness which had once tormented Hamlet has begun to bleed into every main character’s life. The murder dooms Hamlet into action and every principle character into death, himself included. His lack of sanity is further transgressed as Hamlet’s behavior does not cease until his father’s ghost appears. The death of Polonius serves to dehumanize Hamlet and rip the emotional connection which had been brewing between Hamlet and the audience.
ReplyDeleteComment on Nathan's post
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Nathan’s attribution of Hamlet’s lack of action due to his belief of God and Heaven. Claudius’s eventual murder rules that out, instead he uses religion as an excuse. Hamlet cites scripture to prolong an act he feels obligated to commit, showing he does abide by certain social norms. Claudius’s survival is prolonged because Hamlet is a thinker; his mind had yet to be lost to the insanity of later scenes. Hamlet does not use as means of redemption, as Claudius does, but as an excuse for inaction, something his father’s ghost advocates against.
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ReplyDeleteJhonny
ReplyDeleteRespond to 6:
I think gertrude didn't know about the murder because she seems to think it's only hamlet being crazy, and appears to slowly understand what he is talking about.
Respond to Nathan:
I don't think that Hamlet actually cares about his personal faith, however he does want to make sure that claudius does go to hell. As for the crazy part, I think he's just misunderstood. In One hundred years of solitude, one of the characters is considered to be crazy, but in reality he has stumbled upon something so radical that no one believes him. I think that Hamlet doesn't care if he himself "goes to hell" as long as he has gotten his vengance.
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ReplyDeleteJulia Rodriguez Responding to Question 3
ReplyDeleteWhat is the subject of Hamlet's second soliloquy, the famous "To be or not to be" speech? Why is he so cruel to Ophelia immediately thereafter?
Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be” speech to himself is about whether to commit suicide to end his miserable life. The entire soliloquy is about the idea of the existence of suicide and him working up to courage to take part in such an act, but ultimately using reason and logic based on his religious belief, he talks himself out of it for the time being. “And makes us rather bear those ills we have. Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all...” He claims that everybody would commit suicide if they weren’t uncertain about the afterlife. In the middle of his though Ophelia enters to return the tokens of love Hamlet had given here. She is told to do this by her father Polonius as part as his plan to figure out the cause of Hamlet’s insanity, which he believes is because he is madly in love with Ophelia. Hamlet’s reaction to Ophelia is full of bitter resentment. He denies ever giving her anything and tells her that he once and never have loved her at all. He then goes on to criticize women for making men behave like monsters and for contributing to the world’s dishonesty by painting their faces to appear more beautiful than they are. Working himself into a rage, Hamlet denounces Ophelia, women, and humankind in general, saying that he wishes to end all marriages. I think his comments to Ophelia and against women in general were not exactly directed to Ophelia but rather him commenting on the wretchedness of humankind.
In act III scene iii Hamlet decides not to kill Claudius because he is praying. Hamlet states that the reason for this is because if Claudius dies while praying he will go to heaven and defeat the purpose of revenge. I don't believe that Hamlet used religion and an excuse not to kill Claudius. I truly think that Hamlet wants to cause the most devastating death for Claudius. I think that this says that Hamlet does believe in Christianity, however, he does not follow it. He sees it as a ritual, not as a moral guide. Proof that Hamlet wasn’t just using religion as an excuse to prolong the life of Claudius is the lack of remorse that Hamlet has after accidentally killing Polonius. If Hamlet were actually troubled by killing his father’s murderer, then he would most likely react a little more deeply to the fact that he murdered an innocent man.
ReplyDeleteEmily response to question #6
ReplyDelete6. Based on what you've seen in III.iv, do you think Gertrude knew about the murder?
Based on acts II and III I don’t think Gertrude knew about the murder of her husband. The way she reacts to Hamlets accusations and rumbles show how surprised she is and her obliviousness to the real cause of Hamlets father’s death. Although she didn’t know that her husband had been murdered instead of a natural death I do think that in these acts she becomes suspicious and starts to see that Hamlets craze isn’t simply because of how affected he is by his father’s death. I do suspect that she had had the thought cross her mind before but she chose to ignore it.
Justin Commenting on Cara’s Comment on Nathan’s Post (I don’t know if this is allowed, but I’m going for it!)
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Cara’s response (with some fear and remorse) because I think that if Hamlet was truly using religion to prolong the act of murder, why was he so hasty to kill “Claudius” behind the tapestry. Additionally, after the murder was committed, Hamlet did not have a serious enough reaction or even a thought about religion, proving that he really did want Claudius to spend an eternity in hell. If Hamlet was did not care about the damnation of Claudius and wanted to put off killing the king, the short time between him viewing Claudius praying and killing Polonius did not contain any thought and plot changing action like the ghost reappearing to force Hamlet to commit the act of murder.
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ReplyDeleteMelanie Baca responding to, “Why does Hamlet decline to take action against Claudius in III.iii? What does this reveal about Hamlet and the use of religion in the play?”
ReplyDeleteIn the scene, Hamlet finds Claudius in a completely vulnerable state, on his knees and praying. While this would seem to be an ideal time to take action, as Claudius would be caught off guard, Hamlet reasons that he cannot commit the murder then because Claudius’ soul would then be sent to heaven, rather than to hell, where he deserves to be.
This scene, while it could be taken as Hamlet honestly taking religion into consideration, could also be seen as Hamlet simply trying to get out of something he doesn’t want to do. While it could be said that Hamlet feels the need to justify not killing Claudius because he’s a wimp, it has to be taken into consideration that killing is not something one does without some doubts or worries. It is expected that Hamlet would be nervous. Once again, the characters of the play are addressing religion when it is convenient for themselves.
Melanie Baca responding to Elias’ post.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Elias on the significance of the murder of Polonius. Before, Hamlet was all bark and no bite. He told his father that he would avenge him, but continued to delay it. He contemplated taking his own life, but failed to do so. However, while confronting his mother and in a rage, he murdered Polonius (thinking it was Claudius) without thinking twice. This shows a turning point in Hamlet; before, he knew he had to get revenge, but continued to put off doing so. The death of Polonius just shows that Hamlet is extremely capable of committing murder when he hasn’t the time to consider the consequences.
Emily responding to Angie:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Angie’s idea that the murder of Polonius served to dehumanize Hamlet in the act. But I also disagree just a bit because the fact that he dared to kill him whether he believed it was Polonius or not shows how Hamlet crosses out of a comfort zone he had previously created that prevented him from committing murder thus contradicting the idea of this act dehumanizing Hamlet. By committing murder Hamlet lets loose of his fears in a moment of rage which has all the characteristics of being the weak human that he is. I say weak because before this moment of rage he hadn’t dared to murder Polonius excusing himself with his religious beliefs instead of manning up and truly avenging his father (not that I think his intentions are the right thing to do). Sure it dehumanizes him because it’s an animal instinct that drove him to commit murder, but not entirely.
Julia Rodriguez Commenting on Emily's Post
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily's opinion that Gertrude did not know about the murder of her husband based on her reaction to Hamlet's accusations. I believe she is suspicious of the death of her husband after Hamlet's accusations, but she would never act on these suspicions due to her dependence on men and instinct of self-preservation. As seen in her actions after Hamlet killed Polonius, she went straight to the protection Claudius, after realizing her son had gone mad. If she was to act on her suspicions she would have confronted Claudius.
Responding to Question:Why does Hamlet decline to take action against Claudius in III.iii? What does this reveal about Hamlet and the use of religion in the play?
ReplyDeleteHamlet did not take action against Claudius in scene III because he feared that Claudius' soul might have gone to heaven which would defeat the purpose of revenge. Hamlet wants Claudius to pay the ultimate consequence for killing his father and he wouldn't be satisfied if he killed Claudius and he went to heaven. Instead he wants Claudius to suffer for his sin in the afterlife.
In this scene, Hamlet is finally ready to put into action his desire to kill Claudius, which is shocking, but then hesitates and makes an excuse for not killing him. I believe that one of the reasons why he keeps postponing his action is because he's an intellectual, not a murderer, and he doesn't have the courage to kill another person.
He uses religion as the main excuse to not kill Claudius, but if he was truly a follower, he would follow the Bible's law of, "Thou shall not kill" and learn to be forgiving. The characters in Hamlet definitely just follow religion when it benefits them. They are very hypocritical.
Later on in scene IV, Laertes is in the same situation as Hamlet. They both now are seeking to avenge their fathers' deaths, but the men act completely different in the pursuit of revenge. Hamlet is reflective and has difficulty acting, but Laertes is active and has no use for thought. He has no interest in moral concerns, only in his desire to avenge Polonius.
Esmeralda commenting on Cara's post
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cara's opinion of the significance of Hamlet killing Polonius. I do believe that Hamlet murdering Polonius causes the readers to lose their sympathy towards him. In the beginning, you felt sorry for Hamlet loosing his father, and you even saw reason for his vengeance, but once he kills an innocent man, he turns into a villain like Claudius and can no longer be the hero. Hamlet’s rash, murderous action in stabbing Polonius also shows his inability to coordinate his thoughts and actions ,and like Cara said, is a clue that he may in fact be insane, not just pretending insanity.
Natalia responding to question #4
ReplyDeleteIt's intriguing, at first, that Hamlet, so upset by the death of his father and the hasty marriage of his mother and Claudius, restrained from killing Claudius when he had the perfect chance. As a reader, one would think that after seeing the late king’s ghost and hearing about the assassination, Hamlet would want to hurry and kill Claudius as soon as possible to get his revenge. However, he convinces himself that it is not correct, in terms of religion, to murder a man who is praying. According to Hamlet, if he killed Claudius at that moment, his soul would go to heaven, and this is not the fate he wanted for Claudius. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Hamlet was a coward in the sense that he might’ve used religion to put off the killing of a man, because he kills Polonius without hesitation (not even knowing it was Polonius he was killing). Instead, Hamlet actually realized that Claudius deserved the worst possible. He decides to wait until Claudius is caught in a sinful act to take action, that way he’d go to hell and get what he deserves. In fact, that might’ve been a reason why Hamlet carelessly stabbed Polonius hiding behind the tapestry during the scene with Gertrude, because eavesdropping and spying are wrong so therefore he could now justifiably kill who he thought was Claudius. This reveals that Hamlet is still concerned about staying faithful to Catholicism, and he doesn’t want to completely put off religion while avenging his father. He just decides to interpret religion to his liking so that his own sinful actions become justified.
4. Why does Hamlet decline to take action against Claudius in III.iii? What does this reveal about Hamlet and the use of religion in the play?
ReplyDeleteHamlet decides not to kill Claudius, even when he has the chance to, because Claudius was praying and Hamlet did not want him to go to heaven. According to Hamlet, if he had killed him while he was praying then his soul would go to heaven, but Hamlet wants the ultimate revenge on Claudius, an eternity of damnation. This shows how religious of a man Hamlet really is since instead of obeying the ten commandments and not killing Claudius at all, he uses religion as just another tool in his revenge plot. Hamlet wants Claudius to go to hell, and in praying and repenting for his sins Hamlet thinks this would be his ticket to salvation. This also reveals how seriously religion is taken in the play. The characters are obviously not very religious and instead are very corrupt and each exhibit different things which are wrong in society, perhaps Shakespeare commenting on how messed up our society is today.
Commenting on Julia's post
ReplyDeleteI like Julia's ideas about why Hamlet makes his long "to be or not to be" speech to comment on human society in general and its many wrongs. He goes a little bit Nihilist and contemplates suicide along with the meaning of life since everything in his seems to have gone wrong. He is very bitter about his situation and feels that there is no point to living, but he doesn't even take into account all the good things life has to offer. This is really Hamlet's emo moment and his soliloquy is essentially a long rant to let out all his frustration.
Response to #1 The First Player's speech is often cut in performances of the play. Explain why it is important and why it should not be cut.
ReplyDeleteThe First Player's speech should not be cut, and is very important, because this speech outlines Hamlet's plan of action. The speech on one level is Hamlet giving stage directions as to how an actor should act. As he is giving this advice, which is for actors to act with nuance and grace, Hamlet is revealing how he himself plans to feign madness. He will not act with the obvious straightforward manner, but will be subtle as an actor should.
This is clear when Hamlet says to, "use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, the whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness." He will not act out of passion, but rather in a calculated fashion. Hamlet specifies most actors are those "who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumbshows and noise." Here Hamlet is saying how many people would respond, but he will not. Rather than noise, he will use elegance.
There is no room for being heavy handed in Hamlet's plan. To do so would be to be a clown. Hamlet has no intention of being a clown. He is serious and will not be made a fool of. The irony here is that in fact Hamlet is the clown. His plan is designed to take suspicion off of himself, but rather it draws attention to him as a clown does.When this speech is removed from the play, it removes some of the spirit of Shakespeare's work, in particular his biting irony and humor. In addition, this additional characterization of Hamlet is lost.
Responding to question 5. Why does Hamlet decline to take action against Claudius in III.iii? What does this reveal about Hamlet and the use of religion in the play?
ReplyDeleteHamlet declines to take action against Claudius in Act III because he is yearning to cause as much pain and suffering to Claudius as can be. He has a doubt disturbing him that is whether his father went to heaven or hell. Knowing that his father was murdered before given the chance to confess gives the likelihood that maybe King Hamlet was sent to hell. Hamlet has a strong desire to make Claudius’s fate equal to the one he caused his father. Even the slightest chance that Claudius can go to heaven if he were to be murdered by Hamlet while praying is a chance Hamlet was not willing to take. Claudius was not worth of heaven his place belonged in hell that is what Hamlet believed. This demonstrates the key place of religion in the play; religion is used for the advantage of everyone, and for their own personal convenience. It is as if each one chooses which part or belief of religion bests suits their needs and purposes. Hamlet uses religion as a way to cause the most suffering for Claudius but if he were a true worshiper he would not kill at all regardless if that person harmed him. And regardless whether they will go to heaven or hell.
I agree with Julia's statement that Hamlet did not mean to be so harsh to Ophelia, specifically, but he was just overwhelmed with all of the wretchedness of mankind. The wrong doings of his uncle and mother (killing one's brother, incest, deceit...) had given him a messed up idea about the nature of humans. Just moments before Ophelia arrived to speak with Hamlet, he had been questioning the reason for the existence of men as well as contemplating suicide. Having been so deeply submerged in thought, of course he was bound to take out his frustration on the next person that showed up, and also the person who was closest to him- Ophelia. It's not that Hamlet was truly mad at her that he meant to frighten nor hurt her so.
ReplyDeleteCommenting on Natalia's post...
ReplyDeleteI think this is an interesting viewpoint. Hamlet's action here can be taken as more evidence of his ambivalence. Contributing it to his religious beliefs not only makes sense of his seemingly conflicting ideology, but makes him seem a more certain man. One of the irritating traits of Hamlet's character is his indecision. As he refers to God and his convictions, it would appear to make more sense that he has a plan that is in alinement with his convictions rather than fall back on a pattern of indecision. It leads the reader/audience to believe Hamlet is more of a determined man with a plan in mind than a weak one who follows whatever way his passion dictates.
Why does Hamlet decline to take action against Claudius in III.iii? What does this reveal about Hamlet and the use of religion in the play?
ReplyDeleteI think that Hamlet decline to take action against Claudius in Act III scene iii because he chicken out. It has something to do with religion because Hamlet wanted Claudius soul to go to hell and not to heaven. Since Claudius was praying his soul would have gone to heaven and to hamlet that is his reasoning for not killing Claudius. The question of religion in the play is ironic in the sense that if religion was really a huge part of society and was used to shape the actions of the characters then no one would even debate whether or not to kill anyone. If Hamlet would have killed Claudius while he was praying then he would not be able to seek full revenge on him for his father’s death. Claudius would have died with a clear soul which would have been unfair for King Hamlet since he wasn’t able to. I think that Hamlet uses religion as his excuse for not killing Claudius because he was scared to actually do so.
Responding to Question 6.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that Gertrude knew about the murder. When Hamlet starts to become open about his accusations that Claudius murdered his father, Gertrude is basically in shock. At first you can tell she doesn’t really seem to believe Hamlets accusations that her husband was murdered and had not died of natural causes, but then she starts to realize that Hamlet’s not just crazy. I feel that at first you might want to think that Hamlet’s just crazy because he is so upset over his father’s death, but Gertrude realizes that’s not the case. I feel that Gertrude was probably suspicious of how her husband died and perhaps may have considered that he had been murdered, but it was something that she pushed aside and tried not to think about it. Also, she wouldn’t want to accuse Claudius of such a thing.
4. Why does Hamlet decline to take action against Claudius in III.iii? What does this reveal about Hamlet and the use of religion in the play?
ReplyDeleteHamlet doesn't kill Claudius because he is praying, and fears that Claudius will go to heaven. He doesn't just want the king dead he wants the king to suffer in hell for his wrong doings. I think one reason Hamlet doesn't just kill him right away is from his royal university education, he must reason his actions before doing them and analysis them thoughtfully.
I don't think religion is necessarily Hamlet's cop-out, I think he was mainly going on the words of the ghost when it said that its biggest complaint was being "Cut off even in the blossoms of my sin,
Unhouseled, disappointed, unaneled,
No reckoning made, but sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head", and he didn't want to give Claudius that privilege which is father did not have. Hamlet himself says he is a coward many times in his soliloquies so i think its likely he uses elements of religion, and politics to reason in taking a slow time to kill the king. The 1st time Hamlet acts hastily results in the murder of Polonious.
Karyn's response to Cara’s Post:
ReplyDeleteWith the death of Polonius Hamlet is now a part of the wrong doing going on in the play. Before this he was basically a background character because he was really not a big part of the actions going on in the play. Hamlet was mourning his father’s death and was upset about how his mother was not mourning his father and how she was able to just move on. Even with all his built up anger he was not able to do anything about it. Until he killed Polonius, which triggered a series of events that in the end leads to many deaths and the start of Hamlet becoming more of an active character in the play.
I would have to agree to Julia’s post on question 3 about the “to be or not to be” soliloquy. It was of Hamlet trying to decide whether to commit suicide or not. She stated that he would have liked doing it because it would have been the end to his suffering. He came to realize that even though he was suffering he could bare it because it was something familiar to him. It is then that religion comes into play because he believes in the afterlife and is unsure of what the afterlife could hold for him. Having that uncertainty made the problems he had in life more bearable because he thought that maybe in the future after him committing suicide he would have to confront more painful suffering. That was the main motive that prevented him from taking his life away, not knowing what was to come.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Melanie’s Post
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Melanie that the use of religion in that specific scene could be Hamlet just trying to find an excuse to get out of something he doesn’t want to do. I feel that Hamlet was too scared to kill Claudius at that moment but I don’t feel that he doesn’t want to go through with it. Murder is not something you can just do and not have any doubt. Therefore it is probable that Hamlet was just nervous and that moment just wasn’t the right moment for him to kill Claudius. And as Melanie stated the characters only seem to bring up religion when it is convenient for them.
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ReplyDeleteCommenting on Natalia comment to Julia
ReplyDeleteI somewhat agree with what your saying that his anger towards Ophelia was partly because of his depression, and his view on the situation of his mother marrying the king and being deceitful to his father, but Ophelia helped prove that point that all women are weak, by being deceitful. He knew she was lying because, he knew that Polonios and Claudius were listening and he asked 'Where's your father?' which Ophelia lies, 'At home, my lord". Which makes him more angry towards her and he starts to say that women are two faced and evil.
4. Why does Hamlet decline to take action against Claudius in III.iii? What does this reveal about Hamlet and the use of religion in the play?
ReplyDeleteWhen Hamlet finds Claudius praying moments before he actually considers to finally kill him, he hesistats once again. Rather than following his plan he postponds it indefinitely and we are left with the image of a spineless man. One valid idea could be for the reason that possible Hamlet would rather not end Claudius's life during a moment of spirituality. He could possible feel that if he were to kill him while he is praying than Claudius would not end up in hell, but rather in heaven. Now this could just be a wild card that Hamlet could be using in order to disguise his foul play in revenge. Hamlet has been known to plead religion during the most intense moments when he is faced with the status of Claudius's life. Yet everytime he still fails to put his words into action. Religion plays a major part in Hamlet's life because he only decides to quote the Cathiolic ways when it is convinent for him.
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ReplyDeleteBased on what I saw of Gertrude in the second and third scenes, it seems that she did not know anything about the late King Hamlet being murdered. When Hamlet tells her what he thinks about how his uncle murdered his father she is in shock and cannot believe that Claudias would do such a thing to the king, much less his own brother. It seems that the reader is supposed to think that Hamlet is driven to madness over his fathers death, which is what his mother thought at first but quickly comes to realize that he is in fact not crazy. She slowly seems to realize that her now dead husband may have in fact been murdered and doesn't know quite what to do.
ReplyDeleteKatie responding to Karyn:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Karyn. I think that Hamlet chickened out when he had the chance to avenge his father and had the opportunity to kill King Claudius. I also think that the fact that Claudius was praying played a major role in the reason as to why Hamlet didn't take the opportunity and kill him. The one thing I feel Karyn forgot to mention was the fact that Claudius wasn't infact praying he was doing quite the opposite. He was admitting to his sin and saying how he had been cut off from the divine power of God. So really Hamlet could have killed him and avenged his father, but then there wouldn't have been a play.
Elias Kassir commenting on Eric Hensley's Post
ReplyDeleteWell it's difficult to say whether or not I agree with you because I am a little confused as to what statement you're trying to get across. You state that Hamlet is clearly a religious man after sparing Claudius, and then in that same sentence you say that he only uses religion as a tool. You later state that religion is taken very seriously in the play, but characters in the play are not very religious. It isn't very clear as to what your position is.
As for what I think, I don't know if it's so much that Hamlet uses religion as a tool, but more that because of his religious beliefs he alters his actions. What I mean by this is that it isn't so much that Hamlet is trying to be a good Christian, because he knows what his religious beliefs are, he just has no intention of following them. However, he does still believe that if you kill someone while they're praying, than their soul will go to heaven, and that's why he wouldn't kill Claudius. It's not so much that he's twisting religion, he's just intentionally sinning.
1. The First Player's speech is often cut in performances of the play. Explain why it is important and why it should not be cut.
ReplyDeleteI think it was Katherine Hepburn that once made a comment about how changing a line or full on removing a line from a play completely changed the play and should never ever be done. After thinking about what she said and thinking about my own experiences in theatre, I totally agreed. For example, in "The Cricible" my director cut out nearly half of the script. When I went to see another school's production of the play, I found that my director had cut the the script so much, that she had completely removed the McCarthy-ist undertone of the play.
Back to Hamlet:
In this very short monologue, the Player King basically talks about he and the Player Queen have been married for thirty years. Now I would understand why the monologue would be cut shorter but I fully believe that it shouldn't. In this monologue, Hamlet, while writing it, made sure that he was emphasizing how long his parents had been married and and how madly in love they had been. The purpose of this monologue was to give the audience a glimpse into Hamlet's perception of his parents' marriage. To Hamlet his parents had been happily married for 30 years and it seemed as though they had been together forever. This monologue probably even served to allow the character of King Hamlet to be seen more in the play. The Player Queen quickly follows after and tells the player king how much she loves him as well and how she wishes that they could have 30 more years of marriage. With these two monologues, it seems as though Hamlet is attempting to get some sort of reaction from his mother or maybe even trying to increase her guilt. Hamlet was probably using these lines to allow his mother to remember the good days she had had with King Hamlet and to maybe remove her allegiance from Claudius.
Response to Karyn:
ReplyDeleteHi Karyn, I have to disagree with your post. Earlier, in your post you said that Hamlet chickened out and was unable to kill his uncle. Full well knowing how important avenging his father was, Hamlet was not too afraid to kill his uncle. Rather he just knew that killing him while he was praying would be completely useless and would not accomplish any revenge.
Kathryn Holmstrom responding to "Based on what you've seen in III.iv, do you think Gertrude knew about the murder?":
ReplyDeleteNo, I do not think she knew about the murder. I do, however, believe she knew she was wrong in marrying her brother-in-law, especially so soon after the death of King Hamlet. She must have known how this would affect her son, who (and she MUST have known) was still in a definite stage of mourning his father's death. During the argument her and Prince Hamlet share in her bedroom (just before the murder of Polonius), she, at first, stands her ground and dares to stand up to her son. When he doesn't put up with it, treats her with cruelty and practically wrestles her to the floor, she begins to cry and implore that he stop his accusations. This is a sure sign of her suspicion of foul play, and the blissful ignorance she chose to live with.
Replying to Genesis' post:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, and have never thought about that scene in quite that way before. I always seem to forget that Hamlet is an intellectual, probably because he acts so damn crazy the whole time. An additional complication that could have contributed to the delayed murder of King Claudius was probably Hamlet's lack of trust in those around him. I feel that he doesn't believe in the morals of any human being now, and perhaps no one would be able to understand his revenge, and he might be locked up or beheaded or something else nasty.