1) Classwork - In groups of no more that four, take parts and read the Hamlet, Act III aloud. We already read much of it together, so you should be experimenting with voice movement and block (staging). On your feet! Read the text as many times as you can to master the lines and explore the mysteries.
2) Homework - Compose a comprehensive blog response using the study questions in your response. Answer at least one question from each scene, along with one of the review questions. In short, ANSWER FIVE OF THE QUESTIONS BELOW. Use direct quotations from the text. I look forward to your responses.
Study Questions for Act III
Scene 1 - According to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, how has Hamlet received their inquiries?
- Describe Polonius’ and Claudius’ plan.
- Identify and explain one of the metaphors Hamlet uses in his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy.
- According to Hamlet, why don’t men kill themselves?
- What does Hamlet mean when he says, “Those that are married already/all but one shall live”?
- Where does Claudius want to send Hamlet and why?
- Explain the irony in Claudius’ line: “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.”
- What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do during the “play?”
- If Claudius reveals no guilt, what conclusion will Hamlet make?
- How does Hamlet treat Ophelia before the “play” begins?
- What correction does Ophelia make when Hamlet speaks of his father’s death?
- What does Gertrude mean when she says: “The lady doth protest too much” and why would Hamlet think this is significant?
- What does Hamlet call the “play?”
- How does Claudius react to the play?
- What is Hamlet’s reaction to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s questions?
- Why does Hamlet say, “I will speak daggers to her, but use none.”
- What is Polonius’ plan now?
- Name the allusion in Claudius’ soliloquy.
- What does Claudius reveal about himself in his soliloquy?
- Why can’t Claudius ask for forgiveness?
- Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius?
- How does Hamlet treat his mother?
- Who does Hamlet think is behind the curtain?
- What does the ghost remind Hamlet about?
- Hamlet gives Gertrude some specific advice—what is it?
- Explain the pun in Hamlet’s last line, “This man shall set me packing.”
- Has Hamlet reached the point of no return? Why?
- King Claudius has resolved to do what (besides send Hamlet to England)? What does this reveal about his character?
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ReplyDeleteAccording to Hamlet, suicide isn't the go-to because immediate death may turn out worse than living with a history of troubles for years to come. Those troubles may not die with your body. You could very well be headed for a situation far more painful than anything you ever saw in your life. They're putting on The Murder of Gonzago because it's about a King whose brother Kills him and marries the Queen. If Claudius finds something familiar about the play, then he is indeed guilty of killing Hamlet's father, and can therefore be assassinated. He does find something familiar about the play, but he is "still possessed of those effects for which he did the murder."(3.3.57-58) He's still the king. He'd have to lose his throne and become separated from the Queen somehow. Hamlet is telling his mother to keep away from Claudius when his father says, "Son, when are you going to avenge my death?" He will get to that, one step at a time. Hamlet's definitely past the point of no return, past the final threshold, he'll get his uncle or he'll die trying. Once he's disposed of that man, he'll ask for Ophelia's hand, and...wait a minute, this is Hamlet, not Phantom of the Opera.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me, but I couldn't help myself.
Delete🎭
DeleteScene 1: What does Hamlet mean when he says, “Those that are married already/all but one shall live”?- When Hamlet says that “Those that are married already/all but one shall live”? He is referring to Claudius and how he will be the one that doesn’t live. He is angry at Ophelia saying, “I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God has given you one face and you make yourselves another. You jig and amble, and you lisp, you nickname God’s creatures and make your wantonness your ignorance.” Additionally, his father’s command to kill Claudius is always on his mind, leading him to condemn marriage and threaten Claudius at the same time.
ReplyDeleteScene 2: What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do during the “play?”- Hamlet asks Horatio to spy on Claudius during the play to gauge his reaction to the additions that Hamlet has made to the play, mirroring the murder of his father. He tells Horatio to that “One scene of it comes near the circumstance/Which I have told thee of my father's death:I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot, Even with the very comment of thy soul/Observe mine uncle:” Hamlet goes on to explain the reasoning for his request: if Claudius does not look alarmed or guilty, then the ghost was lying or simply a hallucination. The scene shows how much Hamlet cares about ad trusts Horatio, exemplifying the fact that Horatio is really the only person left that Hamlet can rely on.
Scene 3: Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius?- Hamlet does not kill Claudius, because at the end of scene 3, Claudius seems to be praying, even though he is actually saying that he cannot ask for forgiveness in earnest as that would mean giving up his crown. The belief is that if he is killed while praying he will go to heaven, and Hamlet wants him to go to hell instead. Hamlet resolves to kill Claudius instead when he is “drunk asleep, or in his rage,/Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed;/At gaming, swearing, or about some act/That has no relish of salvation in't.” The speech that Hamlet makes shows just how angry Hamlet is, and the vicious way with which he speaks about Claudius’ death hints further at the notion that he may not be “acting” crazy.
Scene 4: Who does Hamlet think is behind the curtain?- Hamlet thinks that it is Claudius behind the curtain, prompting him to yell “How now! a rat?”, draw his sword and stab the curtain. Claudius, however, is not the person behind the curtain. It is, of course, the ever nosy and meddlesome, Polonius who ends up dying at the end of Hamlet’s sword. After so much planning and plotting, Hamlet’s impulsive decision seems inconsistent and shows just how far gone he really is. The fact that Polonius is the father of the woman he supposedly loves only makes the situation worse and almost makes him no better than Claudius, who he despises for murdering Hamlet’s own father.
Review: Has Hamlet reached the point of no return? Why?- I think in some respects Hamlet has reached the point of no return, as he has basically done to Ophelia and Laertes what Claudius did to him. Though Polonius was meddlesome and nosy he did not deserve to be killed. One can argue that Hamlet did not know that it was Polonius behind the curtain, he still made the impulsive decision that resulted in Polonius’ death. What makes it worse is that Hamlet doesn’t seem to be remorseful about the situation, and instead, immediately begins to rage at his mother, calling her a hypocrite even as he leaves the scene of the murder that he just committed.
Scene 1: In this scene, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern returned to King Claudius with ill news on how they were not able to accomplish their mission of understanding as to why Hamlet has been acting strange lately. However King Claudius is stubborn and refuses to let the matter go and decides that Hamlet will enter a room in which he will meet, “Ophelia. Her father and myself, lawful espials (spies),” (p.52). Claudius, Polonius, and Gertrude believe that the reason for Hamlet’s actions is because he is in love with Ophelia. To confirm this theory Claudius proposes that Ophelia will pretend to meet up with Hamlet and try to get him to talk about his feelings and why he is acting strange whilst Claudius and Polonius are spying on the two.
ReplyDeleteScene 2: During the play, the players performed it exactly the way that Hamlet wanted them to. Lucianus, nephew to the King, will pour poison into the sleeping King Gonzago’s ear and, “the murderer gets the love of Gonzago’s wife,” (64). After seeing this part of the play, Hamlet waits for Claudius’s reaction and it could not be more perfect for Hamlet. The king suddenly rises and screams, “Give me some light. Away!” as the play comes to a halting stop. Hamlet now knows that King Claudius did indeed murder his father through poison because of the sudden reaction to stop watching.
Scene 3: The reason why Hamlet decides to not kill his Uncle even after confirming that his Uncle did indeed murder his father is because King Claudius is asking for forgiveness from heaven. Hamlet believes that if he does murder his uncle while he is asking for forgiveness and atoning for his sins, “and so he goes to heaven; and so am I revenged. That would be scann’d: a villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven.” (71). He does not want his Uncle to be murdered and then sent to heaven so he decides to wait for the murder and instead do it “when he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed,” (71) because he is then sinning.
Scene 4: While in a very heated conversation with his mother, Hamlet hears the cries of Polonius behind the arras and believing it is Claudius stabs at the curtain and kills the figure behind it. His mother stunned wonders as to why Hamlet would kill poor Polonius and is further confused when Hamlet accused his, “good mother,” of killing, “a king and marry with his brother,” (73). He later uncovers the curtains and finds Polonius instead of Claudius but he is still satisfied with the outcome.
Review: I believe that Hamlet has reached the point of no return. In the beginning of the Act 3, he still had some bit of soul left inside of him not sure as to whether he should commit suicide, or continue his father’s mission. Even though this point may seem to the audience that he is already lost contemplating suicide, I believe quite the opposite. It is him contemplating suicide that makes him human and realizing that there is still yet another option besides suicide or killing his uncle, and that is just forgetting everything. Yet he chooses to stay on the path his father has set for him and it is after making this decision that he is truly beginning to reach the point of no return. He let vengeance and revenge consume his actions as well as emotions. In fact, at the end of the play, not only does he murder Polonius and doesn’t care for it, but he also starts to see visions of his father’s ghost. His mother his in shock as her son seems to be speaking to nothing, “Ham: Do you see nothing there? Queen: Nothing at all; yet all that is I see.” (76). Hamlet has truly gone mad and lost himself in his lust for revenge and does not realize it himself yet.
Scene 1: Where does Claudius want to send Hamlet and why?
ReplyDeleteClaudius wants to send Hamlet to England. Upon hearing Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy, he understands that his madness is not coming from his love for Ophelia. He thinks Hamlet is still holding in a great deal of sadness, and fears what will happen when he reaches a breaking point. He thinks that a change in setting may help Hamlet recover from his grief. Polonius suggests that he should spy on Hamlet again and the KIng agrees saying, “madness in great ones must be carefully watched.”
Scene 2: What correction does Ophelia make when Hamlet speaks of his father’s death?
Hamlet made another comment about the short amount of time it has taken everyone to recover from the death of the King. He embellishes a little in saying, “my father died within’s two hours” (60). Ophelia corrects him and tells him that it has been over two months. Hamlet responds sarcastically by saying “So long?” (60). Ophelia’s remarks show her insensitivity to Hamlet’s situation.
Scene 3: Why can’t Claudius ask for forgiveness?
Claudius cannot ask for forgiveness because he does not feel remorse for what he has done. He is quite happy with being King and married to Queen Gertrude, but he does fear what will happen in his afterlife. He knows he will not be forgiven the “foul murder” because he still possesses the “crown,” “ambition,” and “queen”, and is not willing to give those things up.
Scene 4: Who does Hamlet think is behind the curtain?
Hamlet thinks that the king is behind the curtain and kills him. It is actually polonius, which means Hamlet has killed an innocent man. This is ironic because Hamlet is so furious that the King killed an innocent man, Hamlet’s father, while he just did the same exact thing. Even after killing Polonius, Hamlet proceeds to yell at his mother.
Review: Has Hamlet reached the point of no return? Why?
I do think Hamlet has reached the point of no return. He has let rage and anger take over all of his action and is blind of any other emotions. He kills Polonius and then appears to feel absolutely no remorse. His Feeling of grief is understandable, yet when that begins to become so powerful that he does not even realize he has put Ophelia and Laertes in a very similar situation to his own, it will become dangerous.
But he will get his uncle, eventually.
DeleteHe'll say, "Ophelia, your father was hiding behind a curtain when I was talking to my mother. I thought he was the King, and instinctively killed him. Will you marry me anyway?"
Delete"It's okay," Ophelia will reply, "Accidents happen."
"Wait a minute," she'll continue, "I thought you said, 'No more marriages!'"
Delete"That's right," Hamlet will reply, "Then let's not get married! Well, at this rate, if I'm going to avenge my father, then I can't afford any more mishaps."
Hopefully, none of their kids will be this clumsy.
DeleteScene 1: According to Hamlet, why don’t men kill themselves? The purpose of Hamlet’s soliloquy was to contemplate death. To die, or not to die, “that is the question” (64). Throughout his speech, he uses similes and metaphors to contrast between life and death. The living must face “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (i.66) and death is the only action one can take to fight against these troubles. However, as he continues to ponder about suicide, he reaches the conclusion that “concious does make cowards of us all” (i.91). Not only is it a sin to take one’s own life, but the fear of death is what drives most people away. However, we know it’s more about the mission Hamlet is on. He must avenge his father, but when the time comes, he refuses to kill him which reflects his soliloquy.
ReplyDeleteScene 2: What does Hamlet call the “play?” “A murder done in Vienna” (ii.262), the planned killing of Gonzago. Hamlet calls this play “The Mouse-Trap” (ii.261). It’s purpose? To catch the mouse, in this case his father. Hamlet uses this play as a confirmation of the ghost’s words. He’s cautious on whether or not to trust the spectre. Therefore, he creates this play to catch a response from his majesty, which would confirm the murder of his father.
Scene 3: Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius? Hamlet refuses to kill Claudius for two reasons. Because Claudius is praying, Claudius will go to heaven even though his father went to hell. “To take him in the purging of his soul, When he is fit and season'd for his passage? No!” (iii.90). Hamlet refuses to take his life when he’s free of sin.
In addition, I believe there is some fear that causes Hamlet to avoid murder. In his “to be or not to be” soliloquy, he concludes that “conscious does make cowards of us all” (i.91). This might demonstrate his hesitance for murder.
Scene 4: Who does Hamlet think is behind the curtain? Hamlet thinks Claudius is behind the curtain. “How now! a rat?” (iv.28) exclaims Hamlet. This is a direct reference to the play, “The Mouse-Trap.” He calls the man behind the curtain a rat, because he’s caught Claudius. However, this is not the king but Polonius. Before Hamlet realizes, he’s already slain him. This puts him in an awkward situation. He must either confess to Ophelia or lie about the death of her father.
Review: Has Hamlet reached the point of no return? Why? I believe Hamlet reached the point of no return. He had good reason to question the claims of the ghost. He had a play staged to confirm his suspicions. However, as the play continues, Hamlet walks further and further towards insanity to the point of no return. In the last scene, Hamlet’s lust for revenge consumes him and he unintentionally slays Polonius. Even after the murder, Hamlet calls, “A bloody deed! almost as bad, good mother, As kill a king, and marry with his brother.” He does not acknowledge the fact that he’s slain the father of Laertes and Ophelia and continues to berate his mother. Near the end, he begins to see his father’s ghost. His mother seeing “nothing at all.” Hamlet has truly gone mad.
-Chris Gu
1. According to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, how has Hamlet received their inquiries?
ReplyDeleteHamlet was not dismissive of them but he still avoided questions he didn’t want to answer about how he is feeling. He didn’t act crazy with them or treat them badly so they were left with a good impression of him as they tried to find out why he was acting crazy.
“Nor do we find him forward to be sounded. But with a crafty madness keeps aloof When we would bring him on to some confession Of his true state.” -Guildenstern
2. What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do during the “play?”
Hamlet asks Horatio to watch his father during the play so he can see if he reacts to a certain scene. The scene is reenacting the death of Hamlet's father that his father described so if the ghost wasn’t lying the king would react to the scene in some way. He tells Horatio that he trusts him very much and that he should come talk to him immediately after the play.
“One scene of it comes near the circumstance Which I have told thee of my father’s death. I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot, Even with the very comment of thy soul Observe mine uncle. If his occulted guilt Do not itself unkennel in one speech, It is a damnèd ghost that we have seen, And my imaginations are as foul” - Hamlet
3. Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius?
Hamlet doesn’t kill Claudius because he comes across him while he is praying so he doesn’t want to kill him while he is asking for forgiveness. He thinks Claudius will go to heaven if he is killed while praying and Hamlet wants him to pay for killing King Hamlet.
“To take him in the purging of his soul When he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No.”- Hamlet
4. Who does Hamlet think is behind the curtain?
Hamlet thinks Claudius is hiding behind the curtain listening in on the conversation and calling hor help when Gertrude calls out. He stabs the curtain thinking it is the king but ends up killing Polonius. He knows Claudius isn’t praying when he is behind the curtain so he is fine with killing him now and believes he wouldn’t go to heaven now.
“I don’t know. Is it the king?”- Hamlet
5. Has Hamlet reached the point of no return? Why?
Hamlet has now killed someone on his quest to get revenge on the king so he can’t turn back anymore. He now has to prove that he was justified and this just causes more problems for him. If he had killed claudius he would have been freed of the burden of getting revenge but now he is forced to continue on this path. Now he is at the mercy of his mother not telling anyone he killed Polonius and that he knows how king hamlet died.
1. Polonius' and Claudius'plan is to plant Ophelia and have her talk to Hamlet alone while Polonius and Claudius hide and eavesdrop on the conversation. "Sweet Gertrude, leave us too;For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,That he, as ’twere by accident, may here Affront Ophelia. Her father and myself,lawful espials,
ReplyDeleteWill so bestow ourselves that, seeing unseen,We may of their encounter frankly judge, And gather by him, as he is behaved, If ’t be the affliction of his love or no That thus he suffers for."
2. Hamlet had asked Horatio to observe Claudius during the play of his Hamlet's father's death in order to see if his face shows guilt of commiting the murder. If Claudius does show guilt on his face the Hamlet will know that the ghost was right. "There is a play tonight before the king. One scene of it comes near the circumstance
Which I have told thee of my father’s death. I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot,Even with the very comment of thy soul Observe mine uncle. If his occulted guilt Do not itself unkennel in one speech, It is a damnèd ghost that we have seen, And my imaginations are as foul As Vulcan’s stithy. Give him heedful note.
For I mine eyes will rivet to his face, And after we will both our judgments join In censure of his seeming."
3. Hamlet doesn't kill Claudius because Claudius is confessing his sins which is the perfect way to heaven but Claudius didn't give Hamlet's father the opportunity to confess his sins. He killed Hamlet's father when he was enjoying his life. Hamlet decided to wait until Claudius is enjoying his life by sleeping, or having sex, or gambling. "A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. Oh, this is hire and salary, not revenge. He took my father grossly, full of bread, With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May. And how his audit stands who knows save heaven? But in our circumstance and course of thought 'Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged To take him in the purging of his soul When he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No. Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, Or in th' incestuous pleasure of his bed, At game a-swearing, or about some act That has no relish of salvation in ’t— Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven."
4. Hamlet thought that King Claudius was behind the curtain spying on him and his mother since Hamlet has been spied on by his two friends and by Ophelia. "Nay, I know not. Is it the king?"
5. Claudius has decided to send Hamlet on a diplomatic buisness to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstren because he doesn't like Hamlet's behavior and he believes its not safe for Hamlet's insanity to get out of control. This shows that Claudius is not a sympathetic uncle towards Hamlet. He is selfish and doesn't care for the grief of Hamlet or is not worried about his behavior. He just spied on Hamlet to make sure that he is not suspicious of his own uncle killing his brother. He has no time for Hamlet. "I like him not, nor stands it safe with us To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you. I your commission will forthwith dispatch, And he to England shall along with you. The terms of our estate may not endure Hazard so dangerous as doth hourly grow
Out of his lunacies."
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteScene 1 Question 3:
ReplyDeleteHamlet uses metaphors in his to be or not to be soliloquy. One of them is a comparison between death and sleep. A couple of times Hamlet in his soliloquy says “to die, to sleep” -A direct comparison of the two things. It is used through the similarities of both to show that Hamlet is considering suicide at this particular point in the play.
Scene 2 Question 1:
Hamlet asks Horatio to spy on the King during the play. He does this because he wants to know if the king's reaction is conducive to the fact that he may have murdered Hamlet’s father. This is an interesting point because it harkens back to something earlier on in the play. Earlier on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are asked by the king to spy on Hamlet, so it’s like the other way around now with Hamlet asking someone to spy on the king.
Scene 3 Question 5:
Hamlet does not kill Claudius at that moment because it occurs to Hamlet that if he kills the king now when he was still praying, then the king will die, and his soul will go to heaven. Hamlet does not see this as adequate revenge so what does Hamlet do? He waits!...
Scene 4 Question 2
Hamlet thinks his uncle King Claudius is behind the curtain, but when he goes to stab and kill the person he presently discovers that Polonius was the one behind the curtain.
Review Question 1
I argue that Hamlet has reached the point of no return. I argue this because all the issues he has faced thus far have just been simmering, but now, Hamlet has actually killed someone mistakenly. At this point, Hamlet has done what King Claudius has done, so this episode gives Hamlet no real leeway anymore for what he can do. Without that same leeway, there is now no telling what Hamlet will do, but one thing is for certain; Hamlet has reached the point of no return.
Scene I: Describe Polonius and Claudius’ plan.
ReplyDeleteWow. Poor Ophelia is being used once again. Honestly, if a reader was to have sympathy for a single character, it would be Ophelia. First, her father tells her to break up with her boyfriend, Hamlet. Now her father is making her talk to Hamlet after he is upset at the breakup and treats her awfully. Polonius and Claudius want to hide in a closet while Ophelia is, well, forced to talk to Hamlet to try to discover if love is the reason why he is acting so strange. As described by the King, “[Polonius] and myself, lawful espials, // Will so bestow ourselves that, seeing unseen, // We may of their encounter frankly judge, // And gather by him, as he is behaved, // If’t be the affliction of his love or no // That thus he suffers for.” (III, I, 52). They are basically spying on Hamlet, hopefully without his knowing.
Scene II: What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do during the “play”?
Hamlet asks Horatio to watch the King carefully during the play, particularly during the “One scene of it comes near the circumstance // Which I have told thee of my father’s death: // I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot, // Even with the very comment of thy soul // Observe mine uncle” (III, II, 59). Basically, during the scene where the person acting the uncle pours poison into the King’s ear as he sleeps, Hamlet wants Horatio to watch the King for any reaction to watching it. This reaction from the King will dictate Hamlet’s next step- whether he should kill his uncle or not.
Scene III: What is Polonius’ plan now?
When “... [Hamlet is] going to his mother’s closet: // Behind the arras [Polonius will] convey [himself], // To hear the process;” (III, III, 69). Basically, Polonius is going to hide in a closet in Queen Gertrude’s room as she talks to Hamlet and listen to the conversation between the two. Polonius is going to try to deduce all of the facts that he listens in the conversation and try to find out what is behind Hamlet’s strange actions. Also, he convinces the king that he has to go to listen because “nature makes [Queen Gertrude] partial” (III, III, 69). Basically, Polonius doesn’t trust that Gertrude will give them a full and honest report on what has happened since her basic nature as a mother would be to help and protect her son. Therefore, he has to go as an unbiased observer who will report everything that happens.
Scene IV: Who does Hamlet think is behind the curtain?
DeleteHamlet originally thought his stepfather, King Claudius, was hiding behind the curtain. It was presumably this thought that drove him to kill poor Polonius. Driven by rage and anger pointed at the current king, Hamlet is on the brink of literal, no longer acting, madness. As clearly seen by the rest of his conversation with Queen Gertrude, Hamlet is genuinely going crazy. So in the hope of just murdering the King to get things done and over with he blindly stabbed the figure behind the curtains thinking, “Is it the King?” (III, IV, 73). His disappointment can be seen after he uncovers the figure when he states “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell. // I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune.” (III, IV, 73). Hamlet almost acts like thank God Polonius is gone, but also shows some frustration that it was not the King he killed.
Review: Has Hamlet reached the point of no return? Why?
I think Hamlet has reached the point of no return. He has thorough done many, many actions that are completely out of his character and has practically everyone around him questioning what he is doing. If he tries to go back now, everyone will forever see him as a lunatic. Also, as a sidepoint, not like it’s important or anything, but he stabbed Polonius to death. He killed an innocent man with the blind hope of it being a king! So if he turns back now, he has murdered someone for no literal reason. Finally, he now has the slight support from his mother since he has shared his secret plan with her at the end of the act. Even just this little act of support has been more than he has received in this entire book so far, which is a motivation for him to continue with this plan.
Scene 1: Identify and explain one of the metaphors Hamlet uses in his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy.
ReplyDeleteThe overarching metaphor that Hamlet uses in to be or not to be is the metaphor that compares death to sleep. The whole soliloquy is about whether or not he is going to kill himself. He says “To die, to sleep;/ To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;/ For in that sleep of death what dreams may come.” By comparing death to something that we do every day and is a necessity, it makes the act of suicide seem a lot less intense. He is trying to say that it would be beneficial, like sleep is, to kill himself.
Scene 2: What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do during the “play?”
Hamlet asks Horatio to do a specific task for him during the play, which is to watch his uncle the entire time to see his reaction. He says to Horatio “Observe mine uncle: if his occulted guilt/ Do not itself unkennel in one speech,/ It is a damned ghost that we have seen,/ And my imaginations are as foul.” If he does not react to the play then Hamlet knows that the ghost was not right and it may have just been his imagination but he says if he does react then he will continue with the Ghost’s plan. Hamlet doesn’t just watch his uncle himself because it's almost like he knows he needs another opinion on the matter to be 100 percent sure his uncle killed his father.
Scene 3: Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius?
Hamlet does not kill his uncle, Claudius, in the moment because of his current actions. Claudius is on his knees praying and asking for forgiveness. Hamlet says that he couldn’t kill him now because if he did he would be sending this “villain” to “heaven.” This in the end, would not be the revenge he wanted because Hamlet wants the same thing to happen to him as what happened to his father and the ghost said that he was not in heaven. He, unlike Claudius, did not get a chance to ask for forgiveness because he was killed in his sleep.
Scene 4: Who does Hamlet think is behind the curtain?
Hamlet believes that Claudius is the one behind the curtain. Right after he kills Polonius, the Queen asks what he has done and Hamlet responds with I do not know “is it the King.” He meant to kill the king and it was the first time we know that he really is serious about killing he had backed away every time before.
Review: Has Hamlet reached the point of no return? Why?
Hamlet has reached the point of no return because he killed Polonius. Since he has already killed the King’s right hand man he will now know that there is a plot to kill him. If he does not move quick he will either be in trouble or arrested.
Scene 1
ReplyDeleteQuestion 4 - Hamlet thinks men don't kill themselves because they don't know what happens after death. They are not sure if there will be more burdens after death.
Scene 2
Question 1 - Hamlet asks Horatio to watch his uncles face while he watches the play. This is because if Claudius reacts in a strange manner Hamlet will know that Claudius is guilty of killing his father. “There is a play tonight before the King. one scene of it comes near the circumstance which I have told thee of my fathers death. I prithee, when thou seest the act afoot, Even with the very comment of thy soul. Observe my uncle. If his occulted guilt do not itself unkennel in one speech it is a damned ghost we have seen and my imaginations are as foul as vulcan's stithy”(59).
Scene 3
Question 5 - Hamlet does not attempt to kill Claudius because he believes that Claudius is praying and he feels that if he was to kill him after praying it would send claudius straight to heaven because he would be at his most pure moment. Hamlet wants to wait to kill Claudius so he can send him to hell. “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying. And now ill do’t. And so he goes to heaven”(70).
Scene 4
Question 3 - The Ghost reminds Hamlet that he must complete his goal of getting revenge on King Claudius for killing his father.
Review
Question 1 - I do kind of think he has reached a point of no return. I think it would be very difficult for Hamlet to return back to normal life after killing someone, but especially a person he did not originally intend to kill. - CJ
Scene 1: 7) When Claudius said his line: “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.”, he means that when those important start to show signs of insanity, we have to watch them carefully. But in all irony, Claudius is actually referring to himself. The fact that he was responsible of the murder of his brother, the late king, and knowing that Hamlet knows the truth about his father’s death makes him more cautious about his position as king and other people knowing of the full situation. He’s so worried for himself to the point where he is alone in a room and tries to repent for his sins, saying “Then I’ll look up. My fault is past. But oh, what form of prayer
ReplyDeleteCan serve my turn, “Forgive me my foul murder”...” (3.3.51-53) I find it interesting on how karma is played out in the play and how the rest of the characters react to it as a few are starting to catch on to what’s really happeneing.
Scene 2: 6) In this scene, we start to see odd tension that’s been built in the play of a play and how it describes the atmosphere between Hamlet and his uncle and mother. Halfway near the play, Claudius, his uncle, and Gertrude, his mother, takes offense to what they are seeing in the play, which in actuality Hamlet wanted, and as both of them interrupt the play and Claudius ask what the title of the play, Hamlet said “The Mousetrap. Marry, how? Tropically. This play is the image of a murder done in Vienna. Gonzago is the duke’s name, his wife Baptista. You shall see anon. 'Tis a knavish piece of work, but what o' that? Your majesty and we that have free souls, it touches us not. Let the galled jade wince, our withers are unwrung.” (3.2.222-228) The title of this play contributes to atmosphere that he and his mother and uncle are in since the death of Hamlet’s father. The play was set up as a trap for the king and queen to see their wrongdoings and they are starting to realize that Hamlet is understanding the full truth and fell had fell for it. By the reactions of the king and queen, Hamlet has successfully caught them off-guard and knows that their actions are true to what his father’s spirit had told him.
Scene 3: 5) The reason why Hamlet doesn’t kill his uncle Claudius is due to the fact that before Hamlet was about to point the dagger into Claudius, his uncle is praying and supposedly repenting for the wrongdoings he has made up until this point. Hamlet explains further by saying that “to take him in the purging of his soul
when he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No. Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent.”(3.3.86-89) and then said “When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in th' incestuous pleasure of his bed, at game a-swearing, or about some act that has no relish of salvation in ’t” will not get him into heaven and only then can he kill Claudius for something that was as sinful as murdering his father (3.3.90-93). Although his reasoning heavily comes from the beliefs of his religion, it’s interesting how he’s able to equate the measure of a sin with the sin of committing murder on someone. Murder is a severe sin that has many punishments that are heavily involved with legal actions, but a sin as sleeping with someone or drunkness is something that wouldn’t be considered so severe of a sin unless circumstances otherwise.
Scene 4: 3) The ghost reminds Hamlet to stay focused on his father’s wishes without intervening his feelings into it. The ghost also tells Hamlet “ Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose. But look, amazement on thy mother sits. O, step between her and her fighting soul. Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works. Speak to her, Hamlet.”(3.4.113-116) From this, we see how the late king still cares for his queen and he feels a lot of empathy for his wife for dying an unjust death. Even though there are many movie adaptations on how the queen is more cheerful with being married to her brother in law, from the text it seems that she still thinks about her dead husband and does care about him despite being okay with her brother in law. Also in this scene, we see how Hamlet is taking most of his anger towards his mother and that’s the last thing his father wants him to do because he needs to take out his anger onto his uncle. Because Hamlet is so hurt, I get why he’s upset with both parties but at the same time, he should be taking care of his mother and empathize with her for the lost of her husband.
ReplyDeleteReview: 1) At this in the play, Hamlet is driven by his own ambitions and willpower to kill his uncle due to the motivation that was mostly from his father’s spirit. Much of whom Hamlet expresses his feelings towards those he can’t trust. It’s to the point where he assumes that those behind his mother’s curtains is his uncle when it really was Polonius who was gonna report back to Claudius about Hamlet’s insanity. When he kills Polonius, I think at that point there is no point of return for him, even when his father’s spirit warns him and tells him again what the purpose of him living is now: to bring justice to his father’s death.
Scene 1
ReplyDeleteClaudius wants to send Hamlet to England hoping that a change in surroundings will do him well. He’s hoping that by the time he comes back he won’t be as addled with insanity. This may also have been a move by him to get hamlet as far away from him, and everyone as possible because he may suspect hamlet known something. After all he set up the play that was so accurate to real life.
Scene 2
“I will speak daggers to her, but use none.” this refers to Hamlet’s mother. He plans to use his words to make her feel bad for abandoning the previous king, but he won’t actively barate her. His father told Hamlet not to harm his mother, so he will use words to harm her instead. He does a good job of this and causes a lot of grief. Hamlet gets too worked up however, and ends up killing polonius
Scene 3
Claudius wants to repent for his own sake, but is unwilling to give up what he’s gained from his crimes. Because of this his praying is inadequate. “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below”. Funnily enough, hamlet won’t kill the king given the opportunity because hamlet doesn’t want the king to go to heaven. In reality this would’ve been the perfect time, but as many of shakespear’s plays go, the dramatic irony shines through and we’re sad that hamlet doesn’t kill him.
Scene 4
Hamlet treats his mother pretty badly. He’s using everything in his arsenal to make her feel horrible about herself and to turn her eyes onto her own soul. He gets so heated he ends up killing polonius
Review
I think Hamlet has for sure passed the point of no return. After Killing polonius surely he can’t return to being a normal, whiney prince living in solitude. I also have my doubts as to whether or not the queen will keep her vow of silence. Things in the story are really starting to heat up and I’m not sure how things will play out from here on out.
Scene 1
ReplyDelete4. According to Hamlet men don’t kill themselves because no one knows what will happen after death. He thinks everyone would take their lives if they knew what would happen after they died, but they don’t because no one knows. Hamlet says, “Who would fardels bear, to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that dread of something after death, the undiscover’d country whose bourn no traveler returns, puzzles the will”(53).
Scene 2
Hamlet asks Horatio during the play to watch his uncle Claudius. Hamlet is putting on a play that shows someone murder their brother in a garden, and take his wife. This is what Hamlet is told happened to his father. He is using the play to figure out if what the ghost told him is true. He wants to see if his uncle is guilty. He asks Horatio “I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot, even with the very comment of thy soul observe my uncle”(59). He needs Horatio to tell him if his uncle is guilty so Hamlet can kill Claudius.
Scene 3
5. Hamlet doesn’t kill Claudius because he is repenting of his sins by praying. Claudius is asking God for forgiveness. Hamlet's father was never given this chance. Claudius would be allowed in heaven because he prayed, but Hamlets father is suffering in hell. Hamlet does not think now would be a good time to kill Claudius, so he will wait. He doesn’t want Claudius to be sent to heaven. Hamlet says “A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven”(71).
Scene 4
Hamlet believes that King Claudius is behind the curtain. After Hamlet stabs Polonius through the curtain he says, “Nay I know not. Is it the King?(73). Hamlet thinks he fulfilled his mission of revenge by stabbing the curtain but he actually killed Polonius.
Review
I believe Hamlet has reached the point of no return after he killed Polonius. He now has fully committed to bringing his father's wish true by avenging him by killing Claudius. Now that he has killed Polonius he can’t go back, Claudius will know something is wrong and Hamlet knows what happened to his father.
Christine R
Scene 1 Q2.: Claudius and Polonius plan to spy on Hamlet. After Ophelia gives word that Hamlet has become mad, Polonius and Claudius organize a plan to discover what the root of his insanity is. So they get in contact with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlets old friends to find out whats wrong, "Go, some of you, And bring these gentlemen where Hamlet is."
ReplyDeleteScene 2 Q7.: Claudius is completely ashamed watching the play. He begins to get nervous and eventually freaks out. He gets up and orders the play to stop,"Give me some light, away!
Scene 3 Q5: Hamlet doesn't kill Claudius even though he has his opportunity. This is because he met him in a confession booth when he was praying. He doesn't kill him here because he thinks since he is asking for forgiveness he will go to heaven and be saved. So he decides to wait until he doesn't expect it. He also wants him to suffer a while longer and not relieve him yet, "hire and salary, not revenge!"
scene 4 Q2: Hamlet is under the impression that Claudius is behind the curtain. So he ends up grabbing the person and stabbing him multiple times. After he falls to the ground he sees that it was in fact not Claudius and instead it was polonius. He is baffled after accidentally killing polonius,, “Nay, I know not.
Review Q1: I think that Hamlet has reached the point of no return after this last act. First, he has essentially shown Claudius that he knows about the death of his father, which could lead to extreme punishment. Second he has just killed Polonius, which has got him in more trouble with Claudius as well as Laerties, Ophelia and most of the kingdom. At this point he will stop at nothing to get revenge,"A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven." - Troy Kennedy
1. Describe Polonius’ and Claudius’ plan:For we have closely sent for Hamlet hither,That he, as 'twere by accident, may here affront Ophelia: Polonius and Claudius' plan was to have Ophelia give Hamlet back the love letters he wrote for her, and to see if the thing driving him mad was his love for her. They found out that wasn't the thing driving him crazy and Claudius seems to catch on that Hamlet knows he killed the king
ReplyDelete2. If Claudius reveals no guilt, what conclusion will Hamlet make?:One scene of it comes near the circumstance Which I have told thee of my father's death: I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot,even with the very comment of thy soul observe mine uncle: if his occulted guilt Do not itself
unkennel in one speech,it is a damned ghost that we have seen,and my imaginations are as foul as Vulcan's stithy. If Claudius doesn't flinch when the players recreate the murder of Hamlet's father he will know that his uncle is innocent and didn't actually kill him.
3. Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius:Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;
and now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven; and so am I revenged. That would be scann'd: A villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. He doesn't want to kill his father while he is praying because he didn't give his father a chance to repent for his sins and he wants to doom Claudius to the same fate as his father
4.Who does Hamlet think is behind the curtain? "How now! a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead". Hamlet thinks there is another spy behind the curtain trying to listen to his conversation with his mother. -Aidan Foley
DeleteBen Ashworth
ReplyDeleteScene 1
4. Hamlet says people dont kill themselves because it is a sin and they will get sent to a bad place in the after world. He says that everyone would kill themselves if they knew what happens after death, but they dont so they live to not risk living in hell for eternity.
Scene I
ReplyDelete4. According to Hamlet, why don’t men kill themselves?
In Hamlets speech “to be or not to be”, he contemplates suicide. He reasons that by killing himself he would finally get a break from the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”. He feels overwhelmed by his father's death, his mother’s marriage to his uncle, his friends spying on him, his girlfriend dumping him, and the task given to him by his father. If he killed himself, he would end these troubles. However, he realizes that “to sleep, perchance to dream. In the “sleep” of death, he may dream an afterlife, where he may end up being tortured or forced to wander for all eternity. His father's ghost has given him some proof of an afterlife that is frightening, although Hamlet is not yet sure whether he trusts the ghost. Therefore he does not know what awaits him after death, and not knowing what awaits him scares him more than the life that he is leading. It is the not knowing and the imagining of life after death that keeps men from killing themselves.
Scene II
7. The king is apprehensive about the play. He asks Hamlet if there is “offense in’t”. Hamlet, knowing that there is in fact offense, tells the King that there would be no offense so long as his conscience is clear. The king knows that his conscience is about as clear as a frost covered windshield in the middle of a Massachusetts winter. The king seems disturbed when the brother of the play king murders the play king in the exact same way that the now king murdered the past king who was Hamlet's father. He stands and orders the play to be done, and leaves looking frightened. The king is not worried that he’ll be arrested for his murder or that he’ll be find out by anyone other than Hamlet, but his own conscience makes him guilty. The audience knows that Claudius is good at lying because two months after he killed his brother nobody suspects anything, so his extreme reaction seems odd, as he is making himself very obvious. It’s possible that he wants to get caught because he feels so guilty and is unable to do anything about it.
-Solace Lockheardt
Scene III
Delete5. When Hamlet has his opportunity to kill King Claudius, Claudius is in the middle of praying for forgiveness. Although he has ample opportunity to stab his uncle in the head he pauses. He claims that this is because his uncle would be allowed into heaven because he is praying, which would not be true justice for his father, who wound up in a horrible afterlife. However, his father did not specify that he wanted King Claudius to suffer in the afterlife, and actually just wanted him off the throne. Hamlet's hesitation could be read as Hamlet still being unwilling to commit murder. His anger has been mostly toward his mother and the situation he’s been placed in, and although he does not want to fail his father, he might not actually be at a point where he’s able to kill someone. Had Hamlet decided to kill his uncle, he would have actually been sent to Hell, because he wasn’t actually praying for forgiveness. It seems as though Hamlet is continuing to overthink and make excuses to not act.
Scene IIII
Hamlet is more angry at his mother than anyone else in the play. In this scene he says to her face the things he has said to himself throughout the play. After stabbing polonius through the curtain, he accuses his mother of being a worse person than he is. He calls her incestuous, he accuses her of betraying god and religion, and the concept of true love. This point in the play Hamlet seems to switch from acting mad solely for the purpose of confusing the people around him to truly becoming mad. He went from being completely unwilling to murder to not caring about murdering Polonius. This shift in character seems to be due to his anger at his mother.
Review
Hamlet has reached the point of no return. In the beginning of the play Hamlet does not want to murder. He would rather come up with elaborate plots and overthink everything. He could also stop playing his mad character in the presence of his friends. However, at this point the line between Hamlet's mad character and hamlet blurs significantly. He willingly murders and does not care about polonius’s death, and seems overwhelmed by his anger toward his mother. He’s not coming back from this point. He went from overthinking to just straight up not thinking.
Ben Ashworth
ReplyDeleteScene 2
2. If Claudius shows no emotion then Hamlet will conclude that Claudius did not kill his father and the spirit that visited him was the devil trying to get him to commit murder.
Ben Ashworth
ReplyDeleteScene 3
4. Claudius cant ask for forgiveness because he states that what he did was unforgivable. He has already done his crime and benefited from the rewards. He just admits to his crimes but cant ask for forgiveness.
I. Claudius wants to send Hamlet to England because he sees hamlet as a threat because he realizes that he is more than just lovesick for Ophelia. During the play Hamlet makes it very obvious that he knows about how he killed his father to take the throne, and now Claudius is thinking of ways to get rid of Hamlet before he tells more people. "Hamlet, this deed, for thine especial safety,-- / ... must send thee hence / With fiery quickness"
ReplyDeleteII. Hamlet calls the play "The mousetrap". Based on the "true" story in Vienna. This is not true, and he is basing the play on the murder of his father Hamlet by his brother, King Claudius. It is called the mousetrap because hamlet is using the play as a mousetrap so that he can see the reaction of his uncle and if his suspicion is true. "The Mousetrap. Marry, how? Tropically. This play is the image of a murder done in Vienna. Gonzago is the duke’s name, his wife Baptista."
III. Hamlet doesn't kill Claudius because when Claudius walks in he is in the middle of praying, and Hamlet believes that if he kills him while he is in the church praying he will go to Heaven instead of Hell, where Hamlet wants him to go. When Claudius says "My words fly up, my thoughts remain below./ Words without thoughts never to heaven go," He is saying that he knows he is not forgiven and that is why he is praying so that he will go to Heaven.
IV. Hamlet thinks that Claudius is spying on him behind the curtain because he knows that the king and queen have been sneaking around behind his back, but what he doesn't realize is that it is Polonius behind the curtain and so he has stabbed his girlfriends father. "Nay, I know not. Is it the king?"
Review:
Yes Hamlet is at the point of no return, he has killed his Uncle's right hand man, and there is no going back, there is going to have to be an explanation to what happened to Polonius, and Hamlet is going to have to reveal the secret about who killed his father.
-Bryant Kroeger
DeleteBen Ashworth
ReplyDeleteScene 4
2. Hamlet thinks Claudius is behind the curtain so he stabs it but it was polonoius and now he has committed murder. After he still yells at his mother which is hypocritical.
Scene I: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern could not figure out the real reason why Hamlet was acting so weird and reported back to King Claudius with the bad news. King Claudius however did not want to give up and was stubborn about Hamlet’s antics. Claudius wants Hamlet to meet with Ophelia and share his feelings with her to find out why he’s acting strange as they spy on them. The conversation only leads to anger from Hamlet towards Ophelia and he says : “Believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery.”
ReplyDeleteScene II: If Claudius shows guilt during Hamlet’s play he can conclude that he killed the former King, his father. If Claudius doesn’t show any signs of guilt Hamlet will be able to tell that he didn’t kill his father and he really is innocent. During the play Claudius does show signs of guilt proving he killed Hamlet’s father and later he hears him confess about the entire thing.
SceneIII: Hamlet doesn’t kill his uncle when he finds out that he did in fact kill his father because Claudius is confessing what he did to god. Hamlet believes that he will be able to go straight to heaven and get away with his actions if he kills him while he confesses. Hamlet doesn’t want this because his father is suffering in hell because he wasn’t given the opportunity to ask for forgiveness for all of the things he did wrong during his life. “O, my offence is rank it smells to heaven; It hath the primal eldest curse upon't, A brother's murder.”
Scene IV: During an argument between Hamlet and his mother a first unknown man comes from behind the curtain. Hamlet believes this man is Claudius and starts stabbing the man through the curtain and continues to argue with his mother. By the end of the argument Hamlet uncovers the curtain and finds Polonius there instead of Claudius revealing that he has just killed someone by accident. Hamlet doesn’t seem to be shaken by his actions at all and actually seems satisfied with what he has done.
Review: I do believe Hamlet has reached a point of no return. He has clearly gone mad and has let his anger take over his whole life. We can see this based on his tone towards certain characters like his mother and Ophilia, as well as his actions throughout the play towards his uncle and friends. He soon ends up killing Polonius in an attempt to kill the current king and he is unfazed by his actions which proves he has reached a point of insanity that has no return.