Directions: Attend to one or more of the following questions using 2-3 direct quotations/passages from the text. If the question is merely asking you about a plot point, please go further and think about the how and why attached to the question. Further, make psychological and metaphorical connections to the ideas we expressed in class. When you come into class, we will read each other's responses, respond on the blog and discuss as a class. I look forward to your thoughts and insights.
Study Questions for Exploration
Summarize the ghost's description of the murder.
What does Hamlet write in his journal ("my Tables") after his conversation with the ghost?
To what does Hamlet (and the the ghost) make the others swear?
What does Hamlet tell the others he may do if he thinks it meet?
How do Hamlet's last sentences serve to diminish the sense of resolve with which he seems to approach the obligations he has assumed in the rest of the act?
▶"Angels and ministers of grace defend us! Be thou a spirit of health or of goblin d*mn'd, Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from h*ll, Be thy intents wicked or charitable, thou comest in such a questionable shape that I will speak to thee. I'll call thee Hamlet, King, father, royal Dane. O, answer me! Let me not burst in ignorance, but tell why thy canonized bones, hearsed in death, have burst their cerements, why the sepulchre, wherein we saw thee quietly inurn'd, hath oped up his ponderous and marble jaws, to cast thee up again. What may this mean, that thou, dead corse, again, in complete steel, revisits thus the glimpses of the moon, making night hideous, and we fools of nature so horridly to shake our disposition with thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? Say, why is this? Wherefore? What should we do?"(1.4.43-62)⏸ In other words, what seems to be the trouble...Papa?
ReplyDeleteThe ghost of the late King beckons his son to come and talk to him alone. Horatio and Marcellus are a bit concerned about this, but Prince Hamlet assures them that he will be just fine. Hamlet finds out that his uncle poured a poison up his father's ear, so it only looked like a snake bite. His suspicions have been confirmed, and he makes a note, "Adieu, adieu, remember me."(1.5.98) He swears to avenge the death of his father, and makes Horatio and Marcellus swear by his sword not to tell anybody what just happened and to help him in his vengeance. They're rather reluctant, but eventually they give in.
DeleteThese scenes do a really good job of setting up the rest of the book as readers now wonder how Hamlet will avenge his father. That night, when Hamlet met the ghost of his father, was a huge turning point for Hamlet. After their conversation, Hamlet gains a firm resolve, but one that he must hide or else he’ll end up like Macbeth (a true tragedy). With a new determination he struggles to hide his intents to others around him. Immediately after the ghost disappears from sight, Horatio and Marcellus appear at the scene and are worried for Hamlet. Hamlet recovers from his shock and struggles to hide his feelings, particularly to his closest friend Horatio. He is clearly on the verge of panic at this moment as he desperately asks his “... good friends, // As you are friends, scholars and soldiers, // Give me one poor request”. Even though they can clearly see something is wrong with Hamlet, they, and the ghost, promise to Hamlet that they will “Never make known what [they] have seen tonight”. He is trying so hard to ensure that his secret doesn’t escape to make sure that he can actually carry out his plan for revenge. After all, his father can ask for anything he wants since he is beyond physical harm from the living, but Hamlet still has a whole life to live.
ReplyDeleteAfter confirming that the Ghost is indeed Hamlet’s father’s spirit, Hamlet listens to what the Ghost has to say regarding his death. The rumor was that King Hamlet was poisoned by a serpent while taking his nap in the garden but what people don’t know is that, “the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.” (24). Shakespeare compares King Claudius to a serpent because he used poison (can be compared to a snake’s venom) as well as stealth and sneakiness ( compared to a snake preparing to attack its prey). King Hamlet while sleeping was approached by his brother who, “With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, and in the porches of my ears did pour the leperous distilment, whose effect holds such an enmity with blood of man that swift as quicksilver it courses through the natural gates and alleys of the body.” (25). By poisoning his brother in the orchard, King Claudius did not raise much if any suspicion towards himself successfully inheriting the throne soon after. There could be many motives as to why King Claudius wanted to murder his brother but none have been talked about yet. In addition, as the audience, many of us raise the question of whether it was just King Claudius who commited the crime or if there were a group of people helping King Claudius. No one knows for sure yet but we hope to reveal more in the upcoming scenes.
ReplyDelete- Minh-Quan Bach
When Hamlet sees the ghost I would describe his reaction as 85 percent intrigued, & 15 % nervousness. Some of the nervousness rubs off on him from the others with him at the time (Horatio...). The others realize how bad it could be that Hamlet is going off with a ghost after it beckons him to come. Again like I've said before, Hamlet knows deep down that he has nothing to loose going with the ghost. One thing is almost for sure: Hamlet seeing and talking with the ghost will impact the rest of the play in possibly a major way, so Hamlet's initial reaction in this particular scene is also very important to the rest of the play.
ReplyDeleteIn the very end of Act I, both Hamlet and the ghost make Horatio and Marcellus swear to never speak about what they have seen that night. Hamlet requests, “Come hither, gentlemen,/ And lay your hands again upon my sword./ Never to speak of this that you have heard:/ Swear by my sword” (28). The Ghost himself continues to echo his son, softly demanding “Swear”. This is not the first time Hamlet has asked the two to keep the Ghost’s existence a secret. In Act I Scene II, upon first hearing of the Ghost, Hamlet says, “I pray you all,/ If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight,/ Let it be tenable in your silence still;” (14). Horatio and Marcellus are reluctant at first, but eventually give Hamlet (and the ghost) their word. Hamlet does not tell the two exactly what his father told him, but still does not want anyone else knowing that there is belief of a ghost. I believe Hamlet does not want the kingdom to get news of this because they will think he has lost his mind. I also think Hamlet does not want Uncle Claudius to know yet that he has been caught.
ReplyDeleteAs Hamlet sees the ghost in Act 1 scene 5, he begs it to speak to him and is shocked that he looks like his father. It begs Hamlet to come. As Hamlet goes toward the ghost, Horatio and the other guards stop him but he breaks free and begs to be let go. He feels that the ghost will be valuable to his father's death. He is also not afraid or worried."O, answer me!" "It beckons you to go with it, As if it some impartment did desire To you alone." "Look with what courteous action It waves you to a more removed ground. But do not go with it. "It will not speak. Then I will follow it." "Why, what should be the fear? I don not set my life at a pin's fee;... I'll follow it."
ReplyDeleteShivani Verma
DeleteI meant Act 1 scene 4.
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ReplyDeleteAfter speaking with his father's ghost, Hamlet is shocked and despairing about his father's fate. However, he is also resolved to avenge his father's murder at the hands of the king, his uncle Claudius, further propelled by his father, the ghosts plea for him to "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder." Once returned from his parlay with his deceased father, hamlet makes Horatio and Marcellus swear to “Never make known what [they] have seen tonight” as he wants to ensure that no one, especially king Claudius, catches wind of his plan to avenge his father's tragic murder. Hamlet continues to ensure the success of his plan by planning to act crazy to throw everyone off so that he does not look suspicious as he plots to carry out his revenge. This scene really sets the us up for the rest of the play and effectively marks the end of the exposition.
ReplyDeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost of his late Father, he is filled with mixed emotions. At first sight of his father, he is in shock, but wants to speak to him. Hamlet saying "Speak, I am bound to hear" is his way of saying he wants to have a conversation. The ghost tells him that the cause of his death was not a natural one, and Hamlets uncle is at fault "Murder most foul, as in the best it is, but this most foul, strange and unnatural" - Ghost. Hamlet wants to stay loyal to his father, and doesnt tell anyone of his plan to get revenge on his uncle, but he has full intentions of doing so.
ReplyDeleteBilly Nicolakakis
I believe Hamlet is more or less intrigued when the ghost first appears before his eyes. Because the ghost has “such a questionable shape,” Hamlet wishes “to speak with thee.” Previous lines further support Hamlet’s interest in the ghost. “Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damn'd, Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, Be thy intents wicked or charitable,” Hamlet still wishes to speak to such a mysterious specter. When Horatio refuses to let Hamlet go with the ghost alone, Hamlet claims that “petty artery in this body” is “as hardy as the Nemean lion's nerve” which further signifies his fearlessness and interest. Overall, I believe this scene gives us a greater understanding of Hamlet’s character, which may be useful when analyzing the rest of the play.
ReplyDelete~Chris
Hamlet and the ghost of his father make the others swear that they will not tell anyone about seeing the ghost, and that they will keep it a secret. Hamlet then has them swear on his sword so that he has the word of all the people that have witnessed the ghost."Come hither, gentlemen, And lay your hands again upon my sword. Never to speak of this that you have heard: Swear by my sword. The ghost also chimes in creepily by chanting "Swear, Swear!" This adds to the eerie, and mysterious persona of the ghost. This can also be related back to act 2 when Hamlet says "I pray you all, If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight,(265) Let it be tenable in your silence still;" In the play Hamlet never tells Horatio and the others exactly what the ghost has told him, when they ask, he simply tells them to swear that they will never speak of what happened that night. I think that Hamlet is going to put together a plan and make King Claudius expose himself for what he did, and his plan would not work if people knew that King Hamlet's ghost spoke to Hamlet himself.
ReplyDelete-Bryant Kroeger
DeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost of his father he reacts very positively to his message and does not seem very shocked to see him. Most people when you read about seeing a ghost are in awe and lost for words, but Hamlet was very attentive. He also is sympathetic to his father which is not usually the case when a character meets a ghost. One of the first things that Hamlet say to the ghost is that he says “Alas, poor ghost.” The use of the word poor implies that he is feeling sorry and or bad for whatever he has been through, even though he is yet to know about what actually killed his father. Then after the ghost of King Hamlet explains how he has been murdered Hamlet immediately responds with the fact that he will want revenge saying “Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift/As meditation or the thoughts of love,/May sweep to my revenge.” The ghost is yet to give him any orders yet and he does not even know who he is about to seek revenge on and he has already had the thought of killing the person. When he finds out that it is his uncle his opinion on the matter does not change, rather is heightened because of his already disliking of his uncle’s actions with the kingdom and his mother.
ReplyDeleteAfter Hamlet confronts his fathers ghost, his father reveals details about his apparent murder. He first describes his murder as, "Revenge his foul and most unnatural(33)" and clearly emphasizes how 'foul' his murder was in the proceeding lines. He also depicts hi s murderer, Claudius as a serpent, "The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown.(34)". Clearly king hamlet feels very strong about how disgusted he is at the situation at which he was murdered. He also now strongly despises his brother and feels disgust towards his wife. He seems to feel strong enough about his brother to want Hamlet to kill him, but tells him to not bother the queen. - Troy Kennedy
ReplyDeleteTyler Millien
ReplyDeleteHamlet and the ghost make everybody who knows about the ghosts' existence swear to secrecy. nobody must know the ghost talked to hamlet, because that could lead to further questioning. and if word gets to the king that his victim came back from the dead, he will know his secret is out, making it impossible for Hamlet to enact his fathers revenge. It seems from Hamlet's excitement at the thought of killing his uncle that he had been dreaming of the chance to get back at him ever since he stepped up as king. We can also hear the ghost itself crying from beneath the stage for Horatio and others to swear. Back in the times where shakespeare wrote this, superstition was taken a lot more seriously than today, so when a ghost told you to swear, by god you'd better swear. this was all to ensure Hamlet can get his revenge in the end.
The ghost starts his description of the murder by telling Hamlet that he was murdered and needs to be revenged. Before he even begins his story of who murdered him and how he was murdered he makes hamlet promise to revenge him. He then tells Hamlet that although the rumor is that he was bit by a snake while in his garden, but actually he was poisoned and "the serpent that did sting" was Hamlets uncle. He then tells Hamlet that the man who murdered him was his brother. He talks about how awful his brother is, saying he shouldn't have married his wife, and he is living unjustly in "a couch for luxury". The king makes many of the same points Hamlet had already made in his speech about the relationship between the new king and Hamlets mother.
ReplyDelete- Solace Lockheardt
Hamlet and the ghost of his father make the others swear that they will not tell anyone that they have seen the ghost. Hamlet pushes them to promise that they don’t tell a soul about what they have seen and he makes them swear on his sword to completely seal the deal. Hamlet says: “Never to speak of this that you have seen, swear by my sword.” to ensure the safety of his secret and his plans. The ghost of Hamlet’s father also pitched in and says: “[Beneath] Swear.” repeatedly.
ReplyDeleteSummerize the ghost’s description of the murder.
ReplyDeleteThe Ghost tell Hamlet that he wants him to “Revenge his foul and most unnatural death”(23). The Ghost then tells Hamlet that “A serpent stung me;so the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forged process of my death Rankly abused”(24). The Ghost is basically saying that Hamlet's uncle is a snake and killed his father and wants him to kill the unl;ce to get revenge.
To what does Hamlet (and the ghost) make the others swear?
Hamlet and the Ghost make the others swear on the sword, to promise that they will keep the conversation and plans a secret so that no one will find out about Hamlet's plan to kill his uncle. “Ah ha, boy, say’st thou so? Art thou there, truepenny? Come on. You hear this fellow in the cellarage consent to swear.”(27). - CJ
When Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?: When Hamlet sees the ghost of his father he is dumbfounded and bewildered, as he thought he would "never look upon his fathers gaze again" yet here he is. Once the ghost starts to talk to Hamlet and he tells him that his uncle was the one who betrayed him "The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his crown". This ties into my second question "Summarize the ghost's description of the murder". The ghost is very upset for a lot of reasons, He is upset because his own brother murdered him in cold blood, also he was not allowed to relinquish his sins "Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature are burnt and purged away." He also tells Hamlet to murder his uncle, but when asked about his mother the Ghost tells him to leave her to god. -Aidan
ReplyDeleteFirst Hamlet makes Horatio swear to never tell anyone that he has seen the ghost of the dead king when he says, "I pray you all, If you have hitherto conceal'd this sight, Let it be tenable in your silence still;" (1.2). After Hamlet runs off after the ghost he again asks Horatio and the others to swear to never tell anyone what they saw that night and the ghost makes sure they do. He makes them swear when he says, "Come hither, gentlemen, And lay your hands again upon my sword. Never to speak of this that you have heard: Swear by my sword."(1.5). Hamlet is going to kill the king in revenge for his fathers death and wants to make sure no one ever finds out that his father told him too.
ReplyDeleteHamlet goes on the watch with Horatio to see what they were talking about. Once Hamlet gets there, the ghost appears and he sees that it is the ghost of his father. The ghost leads him away from the group. The ghost of Hamlet’s father tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his brother in his garden while taking a nap. The ghost says, “ Sleeping within my orchard, my custom always of the afternoon, upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, with juice of cursed hebenon in a vile, and in the porches of my ears did pour (24).” Hamlet’s father tells Hamlet the truth about how he died. Hamlet’s uncle poured venom into his ear.
ReplyDeleteChristine Reardon
2) When Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, he is terrified yet sad because its the first time Hamlet has seen his father after his death. But in the midst of the late king’s presence, he tells Hamlet that he has been murdered by the one who currently sits on the throne now: his uncle. He even states how “murder [is] most foul, as in the best it is, but this [it is] most foul [when it is] strange and unnatural.” (line 27-8) He then proceeds to tell Hamlet that it was his uncle that killed him when he was “sleeping within [his] orchard, [and upon the afternoon and] secure hour, thy uncle stole with juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, and in the porches of [his] ears did pour the leperous distilment, whose effect holds such an enmity with blood of man that swift as quicksilver it courses through the natural gates and alleys of the body and with a sudden vigor doth posset and curd, like eager droppings into milk, the thin and wholesome blood. So did it mine. and a most instant tetter barked about, most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust all my smooth body. Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother’s hand of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched, cut off even in the blossoms of my sin.” (line 59-76) When Hamlet hears the horrific truth of his father’s death, he bins to curse upon not only his uncle but also his mother for agreeing to be married to his uncle. There are many theories as to why this might’ve happened but I have thought about what happened. I think the wife knew about the whole thing, from her brother in law poisoning her husband to the present, so that she could be with her brother in law because she didn’t want to be with the late king, to begin with. Maybe the late king treated her really bad so she sought out her brother-in-law and they both developed genuine feelings for each other, which would explain why she was happy when they married the uncle. She wouldn’t have married her brother-in-law to begin with if she didn’t like him. I mean, this is a theory and it may not be the case until we read further into the play, but those are my thoughts on how it might’ve happened and that the late king didn’t know that his wife might’ve been having an affair with his brother.
ReplyDelete