You will choose one question and respond to it. You will also comment on another classmate's post. (Two posts total for Act IV).
1. A foil is a character who is like the protagonist in some respects but who has contrasting qualities that "reflect" or illuminate the traits of the main character. Who are Hamlet's foils, and in what ways do their characters shed light on his?
2. Do Hamlet and Fortinbras meet in IV.iv? Why is this significant?
3. Why is Ophelia mad? Does anything she say make sense? What happens to her at the end of Act IV? What does her madness and death symbolize about the kingdom?
4. Look at the scene with Laertes and Claudius (IV.vii). What plans do they have for Hamlet? How does this scene establish Laertes as a foil for Hamlet?
5. Why is Hamlet less present in this act than in the previous three?
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Jake Simpson
ReplyDelete5. Why is Hamlet less present in this act than in the previous three?
It appears that Hamlet is less present in this act than in the others primarily because the purpose of Act IV is to show the reactions of the other characters to the actions Hamlet has committed. This is a common theme in many works of literature in that Shakespeare takes this act to show a different perspective of the story. This literary device is strong in that it allows the reader and/or viewer to see the point of view of the other characters in the story, allowing for deeper character development and more in depth and realistic story telling. In many ways, Shakespeare was very far ahead of his time by using a technique like this. The other acts were more about the effects of the supposed murder of Hamlet's father on him, but this act seems to show the effects of Hamlet's scheme unfolding on the others.
Word Count: 148
One of Hamlet's biggest foils would be Laertes. During Act IV, Laertes appears to lose his sanity at the loss of his father. He then vows to kill the one who wronged him. this is an almost exact reflection of Hamlet and his goals, but, unlike Hamlet, Laertes doesn't get ghost dad telling him to go and kill his uncle. And by swearing to avenge his father and kill his murderer, Laertes sets up how he and Hamlet will interact in the last act of the play
ReplyDeleteIn Act IV we see the importance of Laertes' character, who is a foil. When reading Act IV we can compare Laertes' and Hamlet's characters, reactions towards their father's assassination and desire for revenge. Laertes reacts the way Hamlet should. He shows is anger and grief from the start and lets others know he wants revenge. He is willing to do anything to find out who murder his father and kill them. Hamlet wants revenge as well but does it differently. He pretends to be insane and keeps postponing killing Claudius because of religious reasons. When comparing both characters we can see the Laertes has more courage and will power and that's why he becomes almost as important as Hamlet in Act IV.
ReplyDeleteWhy is Ophelia mad? Does anything she say make sense? What happens to her at the end of Act IV? What does her madness and death symbolize about the kingdom?
ReplyDeleteOphelia is much more distraught than angry she is mourning. Ophelia started off as a normal girl in the beginning of this show but after being convinced to spy on Hamlet and realizing how mad he was she herself seemed to jump off the funny ship especially after the death. At the end of Act IV Ophelia kills herself after some time singing wacky songs and making floral garlands. Ophelia’s madness is almost saying that even the most sweet of the kingdom can rot from any relations had in helping to keep the knowledge of the kings “death” a mystery.
I agree with Rosa I think that the importance level of Laertes has gone up after ready the latest Act of Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to point out that it is in realizing that Laertes is doing things the way Hamlet should have done things also helps prove even more so that Hamlet is legit crazy and not just acting like he took a trip to the funny farm.
Katharina Scherfler answering: Why is Ophelia mad? Does anything she say make sense? What happens to her at the end of Act IV? What does her madness and death symbolize about the kingdom?
ReplyDeleteOphelia, as a character, tries to please the men in her life, Hamlet, Polonius, and Laertes. Although it is difficult to determine exactly why Ophelia has gone mad, there are several contributing factors that may have some connection to her madness.Although, she is a minor charcter within the play. When these people are removed from her, or disapprove of her, she breaks. When Hamlet mistakenly kills Polonius later in Act III, Ophelia goes mad. Her madness could be a result of her love for Hamlet, who shunned her, the death of the father she loved, the fact that Hamlet murdered her father, and Laertes absence from court. As a result, she drowns herself at the end of Act V. Her death symbolizes the fall of the lies, because after her death there is a revelation of the Truth. As a result, Ophelia’s death is the moment that Hamlet and Laertes want their revenge against once another.
Katharina Scherfler answering Jake’s post
I agree with Jake, that Shakespeare shows different points of view. I think that Shakespeare wants to illustrate the importance of the family relationship of Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia, as well as the theme of revenge. It sets up Act V and Hamlet is sent to England to be killed. As a result, Hamlet is less present in order to set up the rage of each character, which leads to the final battle(the death of everyone).
1.A foil is a character who is like the protagonist in some respects but who has contrasting qualities that "reflect" or illuminate the traits of the main character. Who are Hamlet's foils, and in what ways do their characters shed light on his?
ReplyDeleteHamlet is the main protagonist in this play. At the beginning his personal characteristics couldn’t really be compared to anyone else because he was the young, crazy and depressed one. Every character in the play was acting differently though, it was like having a play within a play and it still is because we still are not completely sure if Hamlet is actually insane or just pretending. In Act four we further see more of other characters and they way they are. Laertes is extremely upset because his father, Polonius, has been killed. Hamlet continues to act crazy and Gertrude betrays her son by telling Claudius about the murder. Claudius tells Laertes about the murder and then confessed to him that it was Hamlet killed his father after he himself was accused.
Laertes gets filled with rage when he finds out it was Hamlet who killed his father. Hamlet’s foil could be considered to be Laertes foil because he now is going through the same situation as Hamlet. They are both filled with rage because of the murder of their fathers. However the actions of Laertes, although very similar to Hamlets’, contrast to Hamlets in the way that it makes him seem almost completely for sure insane. Laertes wants to kill Hamlet but when Claudius told him to act with patience he does it and he acts more reasonable. This makes Hamlet seem completely insane because he listened to his father’s ghost and is just waiting for the right moment to act without consulting it to anyone because the ghost did not tell him to wait any specific time. What is similar about the both is that they both wait to take revenge.
In response to Coltons comment I agree with him that Ophelia is simply mourning. She was a very sweet girl and Hamlet’s love and then after Hamlet starts going crazy she is forced to “jump into the crazy ship” like you said, to spy and try and see what was going on with him. Very good observation on the fact that this could symbolize that even the sweetest things in the kingdom can go rotten because she ends up dying. This could also foreshadow the death of the others in the kingdom because if the nicest, kindest girl dies then what is to remain of the rest. What can be expected is that they all have to watch out because there are not set on a path for a good finish.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katharina. Ophelia goes mad because she has lost the men in her life that she loved: her father and Hamlet. She dependent on her father and every man in her life. Hamlet rejected her and her brother was away. While she does act mad her dialogue/songs make sense. She talks insanely but sane when she talks about love and death. She talks about her father's secret funeral and also says "We know what we are but know not what we may be..."
ReplyDeleteIn addition Ophelia's death foreshadows the faith of the kingdom: the death of Hamlet, Claudius, Laertes and Gertrude.
3. Why is Ophelia mad? Does anything she say make sense? What happens to her at the end of Act IV? What does her madness and death symbolize about the kingdom?
ReplyDeleteOphelia was mad, because her father died. She had been mourning. She is struggling a lot more since the person she loved abandoned her. Her brother also leaves and she is left alone with no one to comfort her. In the scene that we just did, it shows how Ophelia was going insane. She started singing weird songs and making floral garlands. Ophelia makes no since when she talks no one understands what she is trying to say. At the end of the act she drowns herself that just shows how out of it she was. It symbolizes the stage in which Denmark is in.
Jake Simpson in response to Vanessa's post:
ReplyDeleteI agree that Ophelia was maddened by her father's passing and that her brother's leaving is a large factor in her insanity, however, I believe that it is Hamlet at the heart of her insanity because he was the one that she loved, and he killed her father, and her brother swore vengeance on Hamlet as well. All of the negative associations made with Hamlet in the short period of time threw her for a loop and drove her crazy.
4. Look at the scene with Laertes and Claudius (IV.vii). What plans do they have for Hamlet? How does this scene establish Laertes as a foil for Hamlet?
ReplyDeleteIn act IV scene VII, after discussing the death of Polonius, both Laertes and Claudius talk about having a secret funeral for Polonius in order to protect Hamlet. However, even though they both agree on this, they also later on agree on Laertes needing to take revenge against Hamlet for killing his father. Which Claudius obviously encourages because he wants to get rid of Hamlet as soon as possible now that his erratic behavior has become an even greater threat for him. They even eventually come up with a plan for Laertes to have a fencing duel with Hamlet, which will give Laertes a greater chance of killing Hamlet because he would use a sharpened sword with poison instead.
This scene eventually establishes Laertes as a foil for hamlet because their motive to get revenge is the same thing. Which is that both Laertes and Hamlet wish to get revenge against the person who killed their father. They're both even being persuaded to do so by someone in the sense that Hamlet is being influenced by the ghost of his father while Laertes is rapidly influenced by Claudius. Also, both Laertes and Hamlet eventually go on to lose the only female that was in their lives. Laertes loses his sister Ophelia after she went all emo and drowned herself, and to Hamlet he lost his mother the day she married his uncle.
I agree with what Colton said about Ophelia not really being angry, but that instead she was in a state of mourning. Mostly because at this point of the play she is torn between what she wants and what her family wants. Her father and brother believe that Hamlet only wants to use her, that he would take her virginity and throw it away because she could never be the wife of someone in the royal family. But at the same time her heart is convinced that, even though Hamlet is rejecting her love now, he did at one point love her, though he swears he never did. Which I believe is what eventually led her to drown herself.
ReplyDeleteA foil is a character who is like the protagonist in some respects but who has contrasting qualities that "reflect" or illuminate the traits of the main character. Who are Hamlet's foils, and in what ways do their characters shed light on his?
ReplyDeleteThere are different foils to Hamlet’s character. One of the first shown is Fortinbras. Fortinbras is the son of a king who has passed away and is now under rule of his uncle. Even though Hamlet passes through the same situation, his weakness is shown as Fortinbras takes action to execute his plan unlike Hamlet who continues hiding behind moral dilemmas or religion. Also by not taking action as Fortinbras did, Hamlet is sentenced to death after not being able to proceed with his plan to avenge his father’s death faster and only creating more in order to complete his plan.
Laertes is also another foil. The same contrast between Fortinbras and Hamlet is shown with Laertes. Both of them are able to take action in order to avenge their father’s deaths but Hamlet isn’t. In the end all three of them are in the same complicated situation but Hamlet’s hesitant motivation is still an opposition Laertes and Fortinbras’ strong will to fulfill their purpose.
Also Claudius and Ophelia serve as foils. Claudius shows a similar reaction to death as Hamlet. He disregards religion or his moral believes to carry out his longing for power unlike Hamlet who keeps putting things off by thinking about what his actions might do. In the end Hamlet ends up acting like Claudius since he still commits murder and thus going against his believes and Claudius becomes the opposite, he is shown to have a conscience since he is seen at church thinking about the horrible actions he has taken. Ophelia also serves as a foil to Hamlet since she goes through the same pain of losing a father. I think that her mental state is real unlike Hamlet’s since it led her to kill herself and Hamlet’s character is still able to live with his insanity.
I can’t say I completely agree that Ophelia is just mourning. Ophelia had gone through Hamlet’s insanity and then Polonius’ death and Laertes wasn’t there for support so I think it was too much for her to handle. I think she actually serves as a foil to show that Hamlet isn’t really insane. Even though they both have moments of lucidity, since Ophelia songs made sense and Hamlet didn’t kill Claudius when he was praying, Ophelia’s insanity led her to kill herself while Hamlet is still able to deal with his madness up until the end when he ends up dead as well.
ReplyDeleteWhy is Ophelia mad? Does anything she say make sense? What happens to her at the end of Act IV? What does her madness and death symbolize about the kingdom?
ReplyDeleteThe reason why Ophelia went crazy is the simple fact that her father died, and everyone she loved or had any type of a deep relationship with her (i.e. her father and brother) distant themselves form her leaving her to deal with the death of her father alone. Being alone could have an affect on one’s persona as we see in act IV she indeed goes mad. In my lonely humble opinion I do indeed think that Ophelia does make sense, she sing what she feels is not hard to have an idea of what she is saying. Therefore I concluded that the reason why she sings and goes mad is to emphasize to twisted era of Denmark. How Denmark was in a state of a small depression, for example when Hamlet (the king) died, Gertrude marring Claudius, Polonius dying, and Ophelia dying all of this struck someone in the storyline greatly. With this in mind is easy to understand what she is trying to say. Basically she is trying to say what really happened to her father. In the end of act IV we found out she die. She drowned; being mad (crazy) she could not possible recognizes she was in danger as a result she passed away prematurely. Her madness symbolized the clearance in Hamlet which she was the only one who knows what really is going on. Every other character is trying to play each other to dominate their situation and manipulate in order to succeed their goals. As for her death is the start of the killing spree which Denmark under takes.
Priscila Cevallos' post:
ReplyDeleteHamlet’s most obvious foil in the play is Laertes. Their similarities rest in their roles as avengers to their fathers’ deaths. However, Hamlet and Laertes’ differences in regarding the murders reveal their profoundly differing characteristics. Hamlet and Laertes both became outrageously angry upon the news of their fathers’ murders. Hamlet blamed his uncle, King Claudius, for conspicuous reasons, however it is interesting to note that Laertes immediately unraveled his rage on King Claudius without really knowing whom to blame for the murder. Unlike Hamlet, who covertly planned to catch King Claudius living his lie, Laertes made a scene in front of the entire castle, threatening the King, and demanding to know why his father wasn’t given a proper burial. Another important difference is that Laertes was unconcerned with being damned to Hell. He stated that he would be willing to cut Hamlet’s throat in a church. Hamlet, on the other hand, refrained from killing Claudius at a church because he was worried that by doing so, he would send Claudius to heaven.
Priscila Cevallos' comment.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jake’s comment on Vanesa’s post. I believe that all the men in Ophelia’s life, but most importantly Hamlet, drove to her demise. She was being bombarded on all sides by accusations and demands from people. Her father and brother, whom she respected and loved sincerely, asked her to be wary of Hamlet and to not give herself to him too readily. By doing so, Ophelia thought she drove the single man whom she loved most away. On top of this, Polonious’ murder by Hamlet brought her to the edge even more. All these events eventually amalgamated to a ringing cacophony in Ophelia's head that only suicide could clear.
In the response to Vanessa’s post:
ReplyDeleteIn an extent I agree with what Vanessa had said about Ophelia, that she indeed goes mad. I would like to say it is true that no one understood her, but as an audience one could concluded an idea of what she is trying to say. Especially being able to read the acts as a whole the reader can take some ideas on how she feels and ultimately what she is saying. Over all a good post I like it because is short and easy to read. ^-^
Why is Ophelia mad? Does anything she says make sense? What happens to her at the end of Act IV? What does her madness and death symbolize about the kingdom?
ReplyDeleteOphelia is mad because he father, Polonius, gets killed by her true love Hamlet. Ophelia starts off being a normal girl. Then Hamlet starts going crazy and decides that he never loved her and dumps her. That is upsetting to her in the 1st place. Then her father gets killed, which her father was her life. The fact that Hamlet was the one who killed her father is also very important because it makes her go even madder. When she 1st started going crazy she started to sing songs that did not make sense to anyone, which is the 1st clue that she was starting to go crazy. At the end of act IV she kills herself. There are many reasons why she would have killed herself, and I think they are the same reason which drove her mad in the 1st place, her father’s death. The death of Ophelia drives Hamlet and Laertes to seek revenge. It also shows how the kingdom is about to fall apart and how everyone is eventually going to go mad.
Comment to Vanessa’s Post:
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that the only reason that drove Ophelia mad was the death of her father. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Hamlet was the one who killed her father mistakenly. Even if it was just a mistake I think it affect Ophelia a lot because she was trying to get over Hamlet all of a sudden going crazy and taking back all the love he once had for her. I think her father meant the world to her but at one point so did Hamlet. In a sense when her father died she lost two out of three of the most important men in her life and she did not know what to do with herself.
The reason for Ophelia's madness is never really stated in Hamlet. So some causes for her madness could include being instructed by her father and brother to stop seeing Hamlet, with whom she had been romantically involved. After breaking up with him, she watches him apparently go mad, and is scarred emotionally by one of his angry outbursts. Shortly after, her father Polonius is murdered by Hamlet, leaving her with no family in the area, as her brother Laertes is at school in France. The combination of these stressful and painful situations most likely leads Ophelia into madness. At the end of Act 4, she drowns herself after having appeared mad to others by singing songs that did not make sense to any of them. What her madness and death symbolizes about the kingdom is the fact that in the beginning, when the rightful King Hamlet was in charge, all was well as it was in the beginning of the play with Ophelia. But since Claudius has taken over and there has been so much corruption, the kingdom is slowly dying and it will ultimately end up in shambles. Her death also foreshadows the death that is to come later in the play.
ReplyDeleteCarMAR:
ReplyDeleteDuring the whole play “Hamlet” we can all see that there is only one main point of view, Hamlets. We can see his life and all of the troubles that he has to face such as the loss of his father. Though one cannot help but wonder what the other characters that he interacts with think of him. In this Shakespeare begins something that is truly ahead of his time because he gives the points of views other then that of the main one. This can give the readers a chance to see the play from a whole different perspective and be able to analyze it further and possibly deduce future outcomes.
I agree with Lylyana's post. It very accurately describes how Laertes is a "foil" to Hamlet's character. They both share very similar characteristics in that they both have lost a father and a woman that was dear to them. Hamlet lost his love, Ophelia, and his mother to the corrupt Claudius. Laertes lost his father due to Hamlet's outburst and his beloved sister Ophelia. They are both in very similar situations because they are seeking revenge. The only difference is that they are going after different people.
ReplyDeleteThe two characters which act as foils to Hamlet’s character in the fourth act are Laertes and his sister, Ophelia. All three characters share one very unique characteristic, this being that all of their fathers were murdered. However, the actions that Ophelia and Laertes undertake, and their reactions to their father’s murder reveal very unique aspects of Hamlet’s character.
ReplyDeleteLaertes, for example, finds himself furious over his father’s death, much like Hamlet. He finds himself wishing for revenge, and wanting nothing more than to bring his father’s murderer to justice, much like Hamlet. However, from here, their characters diverge. Laertes is outright with his hatred, taking action quickly, and demanding answers from Claudius, contrasting Hamlet’s deceptions and subtle maneuverings. Laertes was entirely prepared to strike against anyone who he considered responsible for the death of his father, and was not scared to admit this. Hamlet, on the other hand, has spent the greater part of the play acting mad and finding reasons to avoid his duty to kill Claudius in his father’s name. This reveals several aspects concerning Hamlet’s character. First and foremost, it shows Hamlet’s almost inaction throughout the play. Polonius has only just died, but Laertes is already prepared for battle. Hamlet, on the other hand, has known of his father’s murder for the majority of the play and has done next to nothing. What this reveals is that it is entirely possible that Hamlet does not have any real motivation to avenge his father, as he finds excuse after excuse for his inaction. In addition, this makes his character appear as quite weak and feeble, as he cannot bring himself to kill the man responsible for his father’s death. This could further the idea that the play is a social commentary on people’s use of religion, as many of Hamlet’s excuses pertain to religion, an effect which is furthered by Hamlet’s portrayal as weak in comparison to Laertes.
Ophelia, on the other hand, goes insane as a result of her father’s death. This can be compared to Hamlet’s possible insanity after his conversations with the ghost. However, Ophelia’s insanity is shown to truly reflect the depth of her despair concerning Polonius’s death. She skips around and dances, completely out of character from before. She sings songs about sex, and seems to have generally lost her mind. Hamlet can be seen in much the same manner, running around and skipping, and exhibiting odd behavior. However, he is shown in certain moments to have a surprising amount of lucidity, such as his refusal to kill Claudius when given the perfect opportunity, as that would send Claudius to heaven. Ophelia, however, is never shown with any kind of lucidity, and remains this crazy for the remainder of the Act. The action which separates then the most, however, is Ophelia’s suicide. Hamlet, even in his despair, was never able to bring himself to kill himself. Ophelia has absolutely no trouble doing so however, and does so very soon after her father’s death. This creates a very interesting effect. Primarily, this displays that Hamlet’s madness is very likely a lie, and he is simply trying to distract those around him. In addition, as Ophelia seems to be the only character, barring Horatio, with any true sense of morality, this could also comment on Hamlet only showing any kind of religious feelings when he finds it convenient, such as when he refuses to kill his uncle.
I agree with what Jake posted in regards to Shakespeare’s intentions concerning the fourth act, as Hamlet is not present. It allows for immense character development, by showing the reader/audience a completely different perspective from what they have been seeing in the play. Through this method, not only is Hamlet’s character better developed, but so are the motivations and beliefs of the other characters, making them more realistic and better understood. I believe that the most interesting aspect of his absence during this act is all of the character development that several of his foils go through. Without Hamlet in this act, Laertes and Ophelia are granted the spotlight, and thus the reader can more easily compare the siblings with Hamlet’s behavior. In addition, Claudius is better cemented as the villain, as he plots for the death of his nephew, with poison no less.
ReplyDelete5. Why is Hamlet less present in this act than in the previous three?
ReplyDeleteWell the obvious answer is that for the majority of the act Hamlet is suppose to be in England. Personally I think that this was an attempt by Shakespeare to allow the viewer to get into the other characters and view the play through Laertes and Claudius' eyes thus giving a more well rounded story and having more sympathy for everyone who dies in the very end. This also allows for us to be unaware of Hamlets' reactions to everything which gives us a bit of a void in the time of his life. We have no idea what he was doing to plan anything or if he does anything outrageous to upset the kingdom anymore than he already has.
I disagree with Brian...
ReplyDeleteI think that Laertes was very similar to Hamlet and not a foil because they where so close in qualities. They both went crazy at the death of their father and vowed to kill the one who killed their father. I think that Laertes is just a lesser version of Hamlet thus not allowing him to be a foil in Hamlet. Although they are enemies in the end I believe that their differences only come because of their similarities. In other words they strive for the same goal but have to defeat one another to get it.
5. Why is Hamlet less present in this act than in the previous three?
ReplyDeleteHamlet is less present in this act because he isn't really the main character of this act. Of course, the act focuses on him, but he isn't present because the main purpose of Act IV is to show the other characters reacting to him. There is only so much that can be accomplished in the style of the previous three acts, which revealed Hamlet's character. Now, in Act IV, Hamlet yields the spotlight to the other players, and Shakespeare is able to bring the inner workings of their characters to light.
If it were not for Act IV, I don't think the audience would be as stricken by all the deaths in the final act of the play. In order for "Hamlet" to be a tragedy, the other victims have to matter just as much as Hamlet himself.
I disagree with Cameron's disagreement with Brian...
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's the point of a foil. What you've said here, about Laertes and Hamlet striving for the same goal but defeating each other to get it, is broadly consistent with Brian's saying Laertes is a foil. They're supposed to be pretty similar, but have some contradictory qualities. But then again, saying 'qualities' here may be getting too specific. Hamlet and Laertes have this contradictory 'aspect', I suppose, of being squared against each other even though they're so similar.
I don't think we would be as aware of Hamlet's character or role in the play if it weren't for him having to strive against Laertes. I mean something about the sound of one hand clapping here; like you have to have two hands to clap. If it were just one little Hamlet-hand, there would be no clap! D:
And Shakespeare wantz to clap....
Why is Ophelia mad? Does anything she say make sense? What happens to her at the end of Act IV? What does her madness and death symbolize about the kingdom?
ReplyDeleteIt’s hard to decipher why Ophelia has gone mad. It could be one of two reasons. Either she has gone mad because of Hamlet rejecting her love for him, or the more likely reason, the sudden death of her father. Ophelia plays a small role in the play. She is there to serve the men in the play and do what they say. By the time she has gone mad, nothing she says makes any sense. The only thing the audience can get from her nonsense talking is her sexual desires of men. At the end of Act IV Ophelia commits suicide by seemingly drowning herself in the river. Her madness and death symbolize that even the most pure person can snap and go mad any minute. In comparison to the kingdom, it represents the state at which Denmark is in now, and how the death of Hamlet’s father caused the country of Denmark to go “mad.”
commenting on Vanesas post:
ReplyDeleteI think the rejection by Hamlet is one of the reasons why she went apes*@T CRAZY, but I also think that the bigger reason on why she went mad was the death of her father. Or to be more exact, the murder of her father by Hamlet. If her father were still alive, then she would have someone to talk to about her problems (such as her rejection by Hamlet) and someone that she could vent to. Without even her dad or her brother (who is in school), she goes insane since she cannot talk to anyone about her problems.
Question #5: Why is Hamlet less present in this act than in the previous three?
ReplyDeleteok, obviously (because the question states it) Hamlet is much less present in act IV. I'm going to try and justify that now.
Today in class Mr. Owens said something profound. "Shakespeare was still an entertainer. some of the things he wrote was to entertain an audience." So when i first saw this question i thought of it as a literary analysis, like something an author would write. but then i thought, maybe i should stop looking at it as if shakespeare was any old author, and look at it as if he is what he is, a playwright. often in theatrical works, it is necessary to take time away from the protagonist so you can set up the scene.
Now i kinda want to touch on something that has to do with the acting that went on in victorian england. Now-a-days, acting is representational. the actor IS the character. Back then, acting was presentational, the actor TELLS the character. it's the difference between telling a story and being in a story.
also, for what i'm about to say to make sense, you must take into consideration the cliche phrase about acting. "acting is reacting". if we take this to be true that would mean that every crazy thing that Hamlet does between act I and act III need to be reacted to.
well think about all the characters there are in Hamlet. there are quite a few. and they all need reaction time. i'd say that takes up about an act, dont you?
so, in essence, i think shakespeare didnt put Hamlet into most of act IV because he needed to show how the other characters were reacting to what crazy shiz Hamlet was doing.
I disagree with Cameron, who disagrees with brian. so i guess by the transitive property, i agree with brian.
ReplyDeleteI believe that laertes is perhaps the one of the biggest foils to hamlet. They are bonded in the fact that they had their father's ripped from this world too soon, but separated in the fact that laertes supports the kind, who killed Hamlet's father, and the fact that hamlet was the one who killed polonius.
actually, now i'm gonna switch it up. (WHAT! TWIST!) i think that laertes is not a foil to hamlet, quite the contrary, Hamlet is a foil to Laertes!
i don't think this is shown until act V.
so for now, laertes is a foil to hamlet.
5. Why is Hamlet less present in this act than in the previous three?
ReplyDeleteBecause this act was all about setting up act 5.
sure, Hamlet could have been a 4 act play with slightly longer acts 3 and 4 as to transition. But then the story would have lost a lot of its drama. We would not be able to sympathize with Laertes for losing his Father and then his Sister, We would not be able to see the depth of the evilness of Claudius, and the story would not have been as interesting as it is.
I disagree with Alex.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that her father's death has anything to do with her insanity. If you look at the play, her father was always causing pain for her, by ordering her to reject Hamlet and other stuff.
Thus, had Hamlet not told her that he never loved her, I believe that she would not have lost her mind upon her father's death.
Crap! I forgot to ask questions:
ReplyDeletefor my first post:
"which makes me wonder, how might the play have gone if Laertes had not used poison?"
and for post two:
"Which makes me wonder as well.... how might the play have gone if Ophelia had not gone insane?"