Sara Nesbitt Hamlet Monologue

​Quote:

A damned defeat was made. Am I a coward?

Who calls me “villain”? Breaks my pate across?

Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face?

Tweaks me by the nose? Gives me the lie i' th' throat

Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,

That I, the son of a dear father murdered,

Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,

Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words

And fall a-cursing like a very drab,

A scullion! Fie upon ’t, foh!

About, my brain.—Hum, I have heard

That guilty creatures sitting at a play

Have, by the very cunning of the scene,

Been struck so to the soul that presently

They have proclaimed their malefactions.


Analysis: 

In Act 2 Scene 2, Hamlet delivers an intriguing monologue that leaves you with more questions than answers. While asking questions about himself, he uncovers meaning behind his father’s death. "Am I a coward? Who calls me “villain”? Breaks my pate across? Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face?" Hamlet says as he enters a room alone. Throughout the play, he questions his instincts, and goes deep down to the core about what he's truly experiencing, and what is just inside his head. In this specific scene, we see the angry and confused man who wants to find peace within himself, and find the truth about his fathers death. "Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words, Why, what an ass am I!" This quote being my favorite, because Hamlet's realizing how crazy he really seems, and he's questioning his own thoughts. He is so upset with himself because his father was just killed, his mother married his uncle, he is in love with Ophelia, and yet all he can do is say words. That is by far my favorite line because I can relate to it. Sometimes when you are thinking so much all that comes out is words. It's good when we can express our feelings, but we want to do instead of say. I can relate to Hamlet completely. It makes you think not only about Hamlet and what he will entail, but also about yourself, and the questions you have been trying to decipher. Hamlet has been going through a difficult time, but he code switches depending on whom he interacts with. I like this scene from the play, because he's not putting on an act for anyone. In front of Ophelia, Polonius, and especially his uncle, he's not himself. He acts crazy and dramatic, but it's still not what he's truly feeling. When he went into the room and said, "I am now alone." you can tell he is relieved, that he can express his true feelings without anyone knowing. 

"That I, the son of a dear father murdered, prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell." he is saying here that his father had just been murdered, and he is ready to get his revenge. Then he goes on to say he needs to get himself together, because all he is doing right now is standing around talking about it. After talking, thinking, and planning, he said "That guilty creatures sitting at a play have, by the very cunning of the scene, been struck so to the soul that presently they have proclaimed their malefactions." This concludes the scene, and puts a halt to Hamlet's crazy thoughts for now. He remembers that people who face their deeds, admit what they have done, due to guilt. Hamlet may be crazy, or he may just want justice for his father. Putting on a play of a king being murdered and watching his uncle’s reaction is genus. I believe that Hamlet really isn't crazy, but just lost in his own thoughts. His emotions are out of control, but when he has time to be true to himself, and think for himself, is when you can tell he's just a man who wants answers and justice for his father.






hamlet 1

Hamlet: Close Reading

Kate-as-Ophelia-in-Hamlet-kate-winslet-12007258-1023-465
Kate-as-Ophelia-in-Hamlet-kate-winslet-12007258-1023-465
Hamlet:
"Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me. I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in. What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves, all. Believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery." (Act 3, Scene 1)
Hamlet ANA

Ophelia and Hamlet are in an intense argument after Ophelia rejects the continuous of her relationship with Hamlet. Ophelia returning Hamlet his love letters was her way of rejecting his love. Of course Hamlet doesn’t take this well at all. He is outraged by her actions in fact. Hamlet and Ophelia begin to lock horns. 

In the first couple sentences, Hamlet ultimately dismantles Ophelia’s ego when he says, “Get thee (to) a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?” A nunnery means convent (used mockingly to refer to brothel). Brothel, is a house where men can visit prostitutes. So, he refers to Ophelia, who is his lover, as a prostitutes; a sinful woman. As a sinful woman, she shouldn’t born any child because then there will only be more sinners in the world. 

When you are directed towards the third sentence, Hamlet says that he is an “indifferent honest”. To be indifferent honest, you are reasonably virtuous, meaning good. But, he sounds a bit contradicting as he finishes the sentence. After all, Hamlet hasn’t been the complete angel in the story so far. For example, In Act 1, Scene 5, Hamlet is confronted by his father’s ghost. The ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by the new king of Denmark, Claudius. He then tries to connivence Hamlet to seek revenge for him by killing Claudius. If he won’t kill Claudius for him, at least kill Claudius for Denmark:

“Oh, horrible, oh, horrible, most horrible!

If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not.

Let not the royal bed of Denmark be

A couch for luxury and damnèd incest.

But howsoever thou pursuest this act,

Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive

Against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven

And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge

To prick and sting her. Fare thee well at once.

The glowworm shows the matin to be near,

And 'gins to pale his uneffectual fire.

Adieu, adieu, adieu. Remember me.“ (Lines 78-91) 

Hamlet’s mind is set upon this and he responses to the naughty sin by saying,

“It is “Adieu, adieu. Remember me.”

I have sworn ’t.” (Lines 111-112) 

Hamlet goes on in a more reassuring way when he says to Ophelia, “I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offenses at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in.” It also seems as if Hamlet is trying to speck himself into higher spirits. He says that everyone has their fair share of flaws, but as long as a person can shape them into something good, then they’ll be fine. 

But then there is a sudden shift of tone in the next line when Hamlet says, “What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven?” It falls into a tone of confusion and anger. Was his father’s spirit on his heart? Does he think that he will end up like his spirit? Stuck between earth and heaven? Hamlet ends their argument by directing Ophelia again to go to a nunnery to repent and reflect upon her sins. But, shouldn’t Hamlet be the one doing so instead of Ophelia? 

In conclusion, Shakespeare uses his words to bring life into his text. Without his usage of certain words, his texts wouldn’t be valued. Throughout Hamlet, Shakespeare has a strong usage and play with his words. They can really set the tone for a text because they are the backbone. 

Marching Soles Shoe Drive

Capstone Flyer.001
Capstone Flyer.001
Please donate shoes to the Marching Soles capstone! There will be bins located on the second floor for the entire month of March. All proceeds will go to those in need via PlanetAid. If you have any questions please contact Mecca Sharrieff, at msharrieff@scienceleadership.orgThank you!

FAQs 

1) Can I donate just one shoe? Sure can!

2) Can I donate heels? Yup! Any shoe, any size. 

3) Where do proceeds go to? Planet Aid is an awesome organization that packages the donations and separates them based on quality. Those of a higher grade go to thrift stores in less fortunate countries. The lesser grade shoes/clothes are 'fixed' and then sent to disaster relief victims or others in need. 










Ananda Knight Hamlet close reading Act 1 Scene 5

http://prezi.com/cafn5rx8chb1/hamlet/?kw=view-cafn5rx8chb1&rc=ref-31226553

Hamlet Analysis Act 1 Scene 5

Ananda Knight


I am thy father's spirit,

Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night,

And for the day confined to fast in fires,

Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature

Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid

To tell the secrets of my prison-house,

I could a tale unfold whose lightest word

Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,

Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,


Hamlet is written in old english and has its ways of presenting words and lines in which people today may have a hard time understanding. Even though the text may be a little hard to read the way in which Shakespeare is written makes it both interesting, and a learning experience. 

The Hamlet scene that I found really interesting was Act 1 Scene 5. In this scene/ act Hamlet is introduced to the ghost of his father. His father’s ghost comes to him one night. When he first opens up to Hamlet he tells him how he has sinned and his should has yet to enter the gates of heaven because of his many untold sins. Even though the ghost of Hamlets father comes to him and presents himself and tells him that he cant go to heaven until he is punished for his sins he still refuses to tell his son what the sins are exactly for his is forbid to tell them. 


When reading this at first I expected Hamlet and his fathers first words to be different. I thought that Hamlet and his father may have exchanged words like I miss you, how are you ect. 

I also expected Hamlet to seem a little scared or hesitant as to how his father is appearing to him and why he can see a ghost. One question I had was did Hamlet notice that the ghost was his father even before he came out and said I am thy fathers spirit. Another question I had was what were all of the sins that the ghost had been talking about.


When I think of a king I think of a good person someone who people come to for help, guidance, and leadership. As I read this scene I wonder what kind of sins could a king have against him keeping him from his entrance into heaven. This scene is powerful because not only does it show a relationship between Hamlet and his father but It leaves readers wondering and mind boggled. Readers will be left wondering because the ghost constantly reminds the readers about how his are to horrible to be told and that he is forbid to tell them. But why? What are they? what did he do? Why can he talk to his own son about it? These are all questions that went through my mind while reading the scene. This scene includes an excerpt that makes me to continue to read the book and hope that soon my questions are answered.


This scene has a good way of telling us about the ghost’s past. was Hamlets father really a bad person or a criminal. Is there a reason why the author held back the sins in which he committed and why did he describe them as being so traitorous. I feel like this scene covered a lot with a few lines.



Shakespeare Hamlet Analysis

HAMLETSLIDESHOW
OPHELIA Oh, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!— The courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, sword, Th' expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form, Th' observed of all observers, quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That sucked the honey of his music vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatched form and feature of blown youth Blasted with ecstasy. Oh, woe is me, T' have seen what I have seen, see what I see! Ophelia was very powerful with her use of words in the monologue above. I have come to understand that overall, she was trying to say that Hamlet was always noble, but after what he said and did, she thinks he is lost in his own self. How he used to be scholarly, strong like a soldier, and to be one with much grace. How Hamlet him self was the rose of the state which he lived in. Meaning that he was someone that was looked at, like an elegant flower. Hamlet was always someone to look up to, and really admire as a person. What everything Ophelia thought he was as a person, she does not see anymore. One thing she says which is quite passionate is, “Th' observed of all observers, quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,” I understood this to mean that out of all the women that were fond of Hamlet and fell for him the way she did, no one has ever been as miserable or upset as she is. I also seem to think that Ophelia always thought that Hamlet was so sweet and charming yet now he has been nothing but harsh and inconsiderate. She feels that how Hamlet use to act before is totally different from now, which is all affected by his insanity. Now that she see’s him as so insane, it makes her feel sorrow to see that he has changed and so different then before. Throughout reading Ophelia’s monologue over and over, I kept on thinking back to one certain movie and experience I have been apart of. In the movie John Tucker Must Die, there are these, three girls in different friend groups who go out with the same boy at the same time. The new girl in school notices this is happening and ends up telling them. Once all the girls find out, they’re heartbroken but want revenge. They use the new girl to get him by pretending to like him and go out with him, yet she actually falls for him, and falls for him hard. More then the other girls. Which is exactly what Ophelia did. She fell for Hamlet and when something bad happened, just like it did in the movie, they feel the worst pain. Worse then the other people and makes them feel confused. Just like Ophelia thought Hamlet was different this new girl thought this as well. She thought she saw another side of John Tucker, just like Ophelia thought she saw another side of Hamlet. Yet, over all both of their hearts end up being broken. This is a very modern day, teenage movie connection but it is also something that can happen to real life teenagers as well. Some fall in love with a boy and really fall for them. They think they know everything about this person and really see the good in them. See what other people don’t. They realize why some people fell for the person before because of how imaginable they really are. Until this one big thing happens, and everything falls apart. Their in shock, because they never even expected it at all, especially to the one they love, desire and look to for everything. They never saw this side of the person. How harsh they were and it felt very inconsiderate. The pain just goes right through them, as if the person they loved never really loved them back. This happens to teenagers just like it happened to Ophelia. Confused to what just happened. Like everything happened so fast, but still in shock from the person they thought they knew to the person they just saw.

Shakespeare "to be or not to be" analysis

Hamlet, this play is base around the life of a Danish noble and the struggles he encounters in his life, but most importantly it’s about revenge of someone he loves most dearly. I will be analyzing a monologue he has in the middle of the play in the palace he is staying in.

 

Shakespeare has created the ability to connect the characters and their problems and/or situations with common problems and people. This quote from the play Hamlet, “To be, or not to be? That is the question—Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them?The idea of whether is it better to live or to die. The topic of suicide was frowned and shamed upon this point in time but it was a popular theme in English literature since the idea was very prevalent in the minds of the common public at the time. But I have come to the conclusion that Shakespeare himself didn’t mind the thought or the act of suicide. He talks more about how society brings misfortune more than it does fortune and that it would be okay to end it since it was indeed very frustrating and unfair. This point can be furthered in the second part of the lines.

 

            “To die, to sleep—No more—and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep.” My assumption about how Shakespeare views death through this play is sleep. He views death as a constant sleep in which you can never awaken from. I believe that the concept of death as a long slumber became popular through the Hamlet play. Shakespeare was very popular at the time this play was shown and passed down through out the years. He also continues the concept of suicide and how it could be an alternative to dealing with all the hardships life has to offer.

 

            To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause. There’s the respect that makes calamity of so long life.” This portion of the famous Hamlet monologue is just about the concept of committing suicide or the thought of that action. But what is most fascinating about it the quote is the concept of dreaming if you’re dead. The logic of death according Shakespeare through this play is that death is just a long sleep. With sleep comes dreaming, you might know what you’re going to dream since you witness sounds, images and colors, but you can’t know what you will dream when none of those exist. This really puts a second thought in mind about suicide and is a very philosophical way of looking at the situation, what happens after death?

 

romey q3 shakespear analyisis

Hamlet: Close Reading

Shakespeare is a very skillful and interesting poet. He puts all of his plays together in a very unique way. How he chooses his style of words and the way he puts them together is incredible. He gives his audiences different perspectives of each of his works and makes them feel every emotion of the characters. One great example of this is in the play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, during the soliloquy made by Ophelia in Scene 3 Act 1 lines 163-175. Ophelia was the romantic interest of Hamlet before he started to act “crazy”. In the ball room of the castle they live in, Hamlet just left the room after truly expressing to Ophelia how he feels about her. Ophelia is left alone and she is saddened by what Hamlet has said to her, and starts to reminisce on how he used to be and how he is now. 


Oh, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!—

The courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, 

sword,

Th' expectancy and rose of the fair state,

The glass of fashion and the mould of form,

(III.I 163-167) 

Is the first few words Ophelia says in her soliloquy after Hamlet has left the room.  She states that he is not the same as before. His mind has been “o’erthrown” (163) meaning turned around, or taken over by something opposite of what he was before. She then starts to give the reader an idea of how Hamlet was before “The courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, sword, Th' expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form,...” (164-167) She is saying that he was, a great role model, so strong, admirable, a gentleman, with a scholar’s wit. She is confused because he was all of these great and noble things and she does not understand what has happened to him. His whole great and romantic personality has went down the drain.


Th' observed of all observers, quite, quite down!

And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,

That sucked the honey of his music vows,

Now see that noble and most sovereign reason

Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh;

(III.I 166-172)

Ophelia is continuing to express her feelings towards Hamlet’s “o’erthrown (163)” mind. “Th' observed of all observers, quite, quite down!

And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,” (166-169) She feels like his new attitude has hit her the hardest because they had a romantic connection with each other. She may feel that he has just let that all go and didn’t think about her at all. “That sucked the honey of his music vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason...” (170-171) Shakespeare is also a great man of metaphors and similes and many other figure of speeches. This sentence is a great example of a metaphor. Ophelia is comparing Hamlets new attitude to a music note that has lost its happy tune. She continues this thought by saying “Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh;” (172) The tune now tune is harsh, instead of how it used to be which was sweet. I found it interesting how Shakespeare chose music notes to compare his attitude to. This shows how unpredictable Shakespeare’s plays are, none of his plays are hackneyed and they are all original.

That unmatched form and feature of blown youth

Blasted with ecstasy. Oh, woe is me,

T' have seen what I have seen, see what I see!

(173-175)

She concludes her thoughts by letting the readers know that he is not the same as he was when growing up, it is all ruined by the madness that is inside of him.” That unmatched form and feature of blown youth, Blasted with ecstasy...” She knows that this is not the Hamlet that was raised by the noble family. He has changed greatly and she does not like it. “Oh, woe is me, T' have seen what I have seen, see what I see!...” She is highly affected by his behavior. 


Shakespeare tries to communicate to the audience that she is upset throughout this whole soliloquy because he want to make it as real as possible. Personally, I believe he naturally goes above and beyond in his plays which makes him such a famous and remembered playwright. This soliloquy from Hamlet is a great mixture of Shakespeare’s style. It has emotions 




Hamlet keynote

A Close Reading of Hamlet


Excerpt from the Play:
Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 63-81


"To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?"



Analysis:

Time and time again, there are new analyzations, theories, or thoughts that come from the writings of the poet, William Shakespeare. The play Hamlet is no different from all of his other writings of soliloquies, speeches, and ideas. And what makes this play shine out is that the ideas of having multiple meanings to the passages from this one play. A remarkable example of this can be seen in Hamlet’s speech, a soliloquy of Hamlet facing the idea of death or keeping the life of dishonesty that he currently had. In the speech, he talks to himself and compares the value of life and the value of an endless sleep. This part of the play shows another side of Hamlet that Shakespeare is slowly starting to reveal as the play winds down and prepares for the drama of the royal family of Denmark.

            “To die, to sleep;” (Line 63, Act 3, Scene 1) Here, Hamlet is debating life and death. He doesn’t know what to believe due to the fact that the people around him assume that he is crazy and are willing to reiterate to the King and Queen of Denmark every action and conversation Hamlet will have whether it is to directly them or whether it is not. He it would be like he is sleeping off his problems, worries, and ideas.  This one line builds the structure for what Hamlet is trying to portray. He shows that there is much more to death then meets thee eye. In line 64, act 3, scene1, Hamlet says: “To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;” going more in-depth with the thought of sleeping forever. He wants to highly consider it but then there is a draw back. Readers can see that Hamlet is highly considering the idea of death and peacefulness over his life. While Hamlet is debating on committing suicide or not, he soon realizes that there is a price for dying. The term: “there’s a rub” means that there is a price of death and that is that no one knows what comes after death.

            With that, Hamlet goes into the proposal of death and what the repayment of taking his life really means in the thought of line 65-66: “For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,” As Hamlet says this,  he is slowly changing his mind from considering death to slowly moving back to the perks of living. He previously stated that he wanted to sleep but now states that he does not know what dreams will or will not come true in his never-ending sleep. He doesn’t even know if there is life after death on this earth. A modern day translation of this could be: “If I do die, what will happen to me? Where will I go after death and how will I go on with...anything? That is the only perk to living because I know there will be a tomorrow and I am living for today.”

            And with that, we see the more rational side of Hamlet come back to say: “Must give us pause: there's the respect…that makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time… The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office and the spurns

That patient merit of the unworthy takes,” (67-73) In regard to these lines, the mindset of Hamlet changes again because of his approach to appreciating life. When looking at all that he has been through, we can see that Hamlet has seen it all: his father’s ghost returning to seek revenge, a crooked king, deceitful friends, and the loss of his love’s heart and honesty.

            As Hamlet goes on to the amount of deceitfulness and negativity coming from his surroundings, he drifts back into a suicidal state of mind and see that maybe: “When he himself might his quietus make…With a bare bodkin? …Who would fardels bear,” (74-75) and that maybe a dagger would do more good than the amount of harm that has already taken place in his life. Now Hamlet is stuck between a rock and a hard place, “To grunt and sweat under a weary life,” (76). Going on, Hamlet sees that death leads to peacefulness “but that the dread of something after death… The undiscover'd country from whose bourn…No traveller returns, puzzles the will…And makes us rather bear those ills we have…Than fly to others that we know not of?” (77-83)

            In the most cautious and unstable state of mind, Hamlet shows that there are three sides to him, one that is afraid of death, one that will avenge his father’s wrongful death, and one that is willing to die for everything to end on his part. With that, readers can see that with the progression of the play there will always be at least one side of these three traits in him.



Here's How I Did a Close Reading of the Play:

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Jalen Smith (Hamlet Close Reading)

Jalen Smith

Analysis Of A Hamlet Quote

Laertes and Ophelia’s Confrontation 

Important Information From Scene: Act 1 Scene 3 page 39-40

Quote:

Think it no more.                                                 

For nature, crescent, does not grow alone 

In thews and (bulk) but, as this temple waxes,

The inward service of the mind and soul

Grows wide withal. Perhaps he loves you now,

And now no soil nor cautel doth demirch

The virtue of his will; but you must fear, 

His greatness weighed, his will is not his own,

(For he himself is subject to his birth.)

He may not, as unvalued persons do,

Carve for himself, for on his choice depends

The safety and the health of this whole state.

And therefore must his choice be circumscribed

Unto the voice and yielding of that body

Whereof he is the head. Then, if he says he loves you,


It fits your wisdom so far to believe it

As he in his particular act and place

May give his saying deed, which is no further

Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.

Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain

If with too credent ear you list his songs

Or lose your heart or your chaste treasure open

To his unmastered importunity.

Fear it, Ophelia; fear it, my dear sister,

And keep you in the rear of your affection,

Out of the shot and danger of desire.


Analysis:

William Shakespeare, the legendary dramatist, has been recognized for his ability to create such dramatic characters that can lie within every reader. There are many examples listed throughout Shakespeare's most well told stories, one entitled Hamlet. One remarkable example is the deep conversation between both Ophelia and Laertes. The two both discuss the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet. In the beginning of this scene Laertes is preparing to go away for quite some time. While Laertes is preparing himself, his sister Ophelia enters and they both begin to review everything that has to be done while he is gone. While reviewing Laertes offers additional advice to Ophelia.

The advice that he provided was about Hamlet. Laertes mentions to Ophelia that she should just consider thinking that Hamlet thinks of her as a hot blooded youth and that their relationship won’t last. Laertes thinks that everything is sweet and also believes that Hamlets affections towards her will all fade away very soon. As the reader of this passage it actually seems as though even though Ophelia and Hamlet are both deeply in love and they would like to be together Laertes is trying to do everything in his power to try and stop their thriving relationship. When the reader analyzes the tensions between what Laertes is thinking about Hamlet and what Ophelia is thinking about Hamlet it turns out to be completely different.  It seems as though Laertes kind of shows some type of hatred towards Hamlet. 

As Laertes starts talking to Ophelia he mentions some very important things which help reveal his actual concern for Ophelia. He say’s “For nature, crescent, does not grow alone In thews and (bulk) but, as the temple waxes, The inward service of the mind and soul Grows wide withal.” Through this quote Laertes is suggesting that Hamlet not only gets bigger in his body but his responsibilities have to grow also. This quote seemed to be very challenging but I had to really dig deep and take my time to try and understand exactly what he was talking about. In the next sentence Laertes says, “Perhaps he loves you now, And now no soil nor cautel doth demirch The virtue of his will; but you must fear, His greatness weighed, his will is not his own, (For he himself is subject to his birth.)” Laertes is trying to encourage the situation in someway by stating Hamlets love for Ophelia however he believes that she has to become cautious of his actions towards her. He then says that she must remember that he belongs to a family of high authority and his intentions don’t really matter that much at all. 

After making that clear Laertes then mentions, “He may not, as unvalued persons do, Carve himself, for on his choice depends The safety and the health of this whole state. And Therefore must his choice be circumscribed Uno the voice and yielding of that body Whereof he is the head.” This quote stood out to me because Laertes is saying to Ophelia that Hamlet can’t really make personal choices for himself because the country depends on what he does as a person. The choices that he makes for himself have to agree with the whole nation of Denmark. This situation is thoroughly indicated in some cases. He goes on and says, “It fits your wisdom so far to believe it As he in his particular act and place May give his saying deed, which is no further Than the main voice of Denmark goes withal.” Laertes is basically saying that if Hamlet loves Ophelia, she should be wise enough to see that his words only mean as much as the state of Denmark allows them to mean. This quote was very interesting.

Then he says, “Then weigh what loss your honor may sustain If with loss your honor may sustain If with too credent ear you list his songs, Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open To his unmastered importunity.” Ophelia in this case should think about how shameful it would be for her to fall for his flirtatious conversations and should surrender her treasure to his importunity. One of the last important quotes that Laertes said to Ophelia was, “Fear it, Ophelia; fear it, my dear sister, And keep you in the rear of your affection, Out of the shot and danger of desire.” From this quote Laertes is warning Ophelia about Hamlet’s ways and that she should keep her love under control for him. Laertes says that she shouldn’t become apart of his own desire. 

To conclude everything this work of Shakespeare goes to show that he is very creative with showing the audience how dramatic character can really lie within every reader.

Hamlet Analysis Slide Show

Ananda Knight (Hamlet Close reading) Act 1 scene 5

Hamlet Analysis Act 1 Scene 5

Ananda Knight


I am thy father's spirit,

Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night,

And for the day confined to fast in fires,

Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature

Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid

To tell the secrets of my prison-house,

I could a tale unfold whose lightest word

Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,

Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres,


Hamlet is written in old english and has its ways of presenting words and lines in which people today may have a hard time understanding. Even though the text may be a little hard to read the way in which Shakespeare is written makes it both interesting, and a learning experience. 

The Hamlet scene that I found really interesting was Act 1 Scene 5. In this scene/ act Hamlet is introduced to the ghost of his father. His father’s ghost comes to him one night. When he first opens up to Hamlet he tells him how he has sinned and his should has yet to enter the gates of heaven because of his many untold sins. Even though the ghost of Hamlets father comes to him and presents himself and tells him that he cant go to heaven until he is punished for his sins he still refuses to tell his son what the sins are exactly for his is forbid to tell them. 


When reading this at first I expected Hamlet and his fathers first words to be different. I thought that Hamlet and his father may have exchanged words like I miss you, how are you ect. 

I also expected Hamlet to seem a little scared or hesitant as to how his father is appearing to him and why he can see a ghost. One question I had was did Hamlet notice that the ghost was his father even before he came out and said I am thy fathers spirit. Another question I had was what were all of the sins that the ghost had been talking about.


When I think of a king I think of a good person someone who people come to for help, guidance, and leadership. As I read this scene I wonder what kind of sins could a king have against him keeping him from his entrance into heaven. This scene is powerful because not only does it show a relationship between Hamlet and his father but It leaves readers wondering and mind boggled. Readers will be left wondering because the ghost constantly reminds the readers about how his are to horrible to be told and that he is forbid to tell them. But why? What are they? what did he do? Why can he talk to his own son about it? These are all questions that went through my mind while reading the scene. This scene includes an excerpt that makes me to continue to read the book and hope that soon my questions are answered.


This scene has a good way of telling us about the ghost’s past. was Hamlets father really a bad person or a criminal. Is there a reason why the author held back the sins in which he committed and why did he describe them as being so traitorous. I feel like this scene covered a lot with a few lines.


 

Hamlet Prezi

Hamlet Close Reading

Hamlet Ghost Analysis

Hamlet, or The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark is a play written by William Shakespeare back in the later-1500s.  Out of all of the plays and acts that were written and directed by William Shakespeare, Hamlet has been one of Shakespeare’s best and most highly acclaimed play he ever created. Also, other than it being his most highly acclaimed play, it’s also his lengthiest player ever written. Hamlet came in with a total word count of 29,551, covering an extensively long amount of 4,402 lines. Further on, we will go into and present the scene that is to be analyzed.


The following scene takes place in Act 1, Scene 5 on lines 14 through 29, the position being played is the Ghost of Hamlet’s father, Claudius:

I am thy father’s spirit,
Doomed for a certain term to walk the night
And for the day confined to fast in fires
Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature
Are burnt and purged away but that I am forbid
To tell the secrets of my prison house,
I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would hallow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,
Make the two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres
thy knotted and combinéd locks to part
And each particular hair to stand an end,
Like quills upon the fearful porpentine.
But this eternal blazon must not be
To ears of flesh and blood. List, list, O list!
If though didst ever thy dear father love–

Starting off from the beginning of this scene, this is when the ghost comes out to Hamlet, proposing the fact that he is the ghost of Hamlet’s father, who was killed by Claudius. Pause, let’s take a few steps... well, a few scene-steps back. Back in Act 1 Scene 1, in the beginning of Hamlet, the two watchmen Bernardo and Marcellus are watching over the castle as they begin to realize that a strange apparition was appearing in the darkness. They almost immediately thought that the ghost was the ghost of dead King Hamlet. After noticing that shakespeare inputted those various appearance of the ghost into the play, a few questions came rolling through my head. First a foremost, I pondered why Shakespeare thought it was necessary to make the ghost come into play a few times before even encountering itself to Hamlet. Personally, I thought this was Shakespeare’s monotonic and indirect way of hinting to the readers that the ghost was certainly Hamlet’s father. Using this method of writing, Shakespeare was able to successfully capture the readers attention, throw the reader off, while also hinting towards the reader what could possibly happen, such as Hamlet eventually coming around to confront the ghost.

Continuing onto this line from the soliloquy:

“Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature

Are burnt and purged away...”


These lines are somewhat towards the beginning of the soliloquy. At this point, Hamlet’s father’s ghost is explaining that he wants everything that caused his dead to be gone from the face of the earth. William Shakespeare added this part because it’s there to explain the father’s infuriation from being dead and no longer having the ability to roam the Earth a free human being.


Dead King Hamlet goes on to say...


“I could a tale unfold whose lightest word

Would hallow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,

Make the two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres...–”


From here, the ghost is explaining that there are things on the dead side of the world that are not meant to be seen. From here, Hamlet is very curious to hear what is father has to say about being dead, but the ghost begins to explain that if he did begin to extrapolate the truth, Hamlet may not be able to bare listening to the rest, considering how frightening and inhumane it is.

All of that could also be connected with...
“–...Thy knotted and combinéd locks to part

And each particular hair to stand an end,

Like quills upon the fearful porpentine.”


These lines are just a continuation from what the ghost was just explaining, how the dead world is too exhilarating to listen to.


In conclusion, this main quote from Act 1, Scene 5 mainly summarizes the debut of Hamlet and his fathers reconnection as Shakespeare includes various types of tone and “secret messages” that depict the possibilities of different reasons why the ghosts various appearances occurred early on in the play.





Hamlet Close Reading

There are many ways this could be analyzed. In the beginning It is being stated as if he is waiting on a decision. There is a lot to be waiting for by allowing time to go past means that time is being wasted. The more he focuses on what the Objective which means that he is able to conquer more than he would have. He knows for a fact that he is not going crazy he is being sure that all is for the right and the more he does wrong the longer it will take for such a job to be done. He believes that he may not being making sense in his own mind. In order to test that theory he must talk to him self which may seem worst but it seems that by doing it that way he gets what he has to say out and un noticed so it won’t draw to much attention to himself. That is the last thing he wants to do at the moment

Further on in the scene he explains that it is reserved for a quantity of choice, this means that it is up to him either he will follow through with the plan and succeed or he will not. When that much pressure is put on someone it makes them feel a totally different way so that they will ensure that all the fear is shook out of them. Attempting not to have time so that he can continue his long talk to his self before the big finally. The reason why I am calling it a finally is because there are more to the situation then we may think. In order for it to be a finally it means that this could actually be the end, so when you count your footsteps and wait for the perfect you know that the chance of you actually messing up are little to none.

He mentions that the devil is what may be holding him back or what could possibly be interfering with all he has to do. He does not want to believe what has been done to his father but time has quickly caught up and he know the time is near that there must not be anymore things that stand in his way but it seems that he is going numb from all this dram he says “Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight”. To me he is stating that he has no sense of direction he has no where to go with this all he knows is what he has to do to avenge. As we all still know he has to wait for the perfect time.

He is now trying to make sure that he toughens and realize that this is reality everything that he does from now on matters, and counts. There will be no sadness only justice to prove something. He still cannot believe what he has seen but he know after the lies and the wrongfulness that this may be the only wait out the situation that he is in. No one want to be stuck with a conscious in your head nagging you to do something definitely not if a ghost told you. When someone asks why you did what do you say do you say a ghost did it or do you hold it to your own state of mind and say you had a feeling. You were sure 100% by a feeling that he has killed your father and if thou may be wrong it may not end well. Who know if this is true but of course there is only one way to find out.

Hamlet Presentation

Deep reading of "Hamlet By: William Shakespeare"

The best playwright in history is William Shakespeare. Shakespeare stories always seem to include death, life, sadness, madness, etc. making all the emotion shine out through his books. It’s hard to understand the real meaning behind what William Shakespeare writes. Not only do the words make it hard to understand but the emotion in every scene that help make people think of why someone would act a certain way. Since Shakespeare put so much emotion and feeling into his books, his words hide the deep meanings that are actually behind them. One play that represents this is one of Shakespeare's most famous play, Hamlet. This play is know to be one of his best play, but also know to be the one with the worst/best conflicts out of all of his writings.

A scene that had a great impact in the story is when hamlet is talking to himself about a player that had come to his house. Hamlet wasn’t getting why this player was crying like when he had said, “What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her?” (I.ii). Hamlet questioned the reason that the player had for cried because the player had never met the woman. Just like the woman had never met the player. He was think deeply into the fact that this man cried. He was thinking about his own self at that time to. Thinking about the unjust that had happen to his beloved father. The unjust that only he knows of and that he can’t let go of. So much pain that curses his existence.

“What would he do, Had he the motive and the cue for passion That I have?”(I.ii).The player weeped for Hecuba so then the player would definitely cry for the lost of a great king, also known as Hamlet’s father. “He would drown the stage with tears And cleave the general ear with horrid speech, Make mad the guilty and appal the free, Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed The very faculties of eyes and ears.”(lines 587-591). Hamlet is thinking of a plan that involves the players. By doing this he plans to lure out the suspected criminal that killed his father.

He wasn't sure on whether or not to trust the ghost so he set up the play to see the reactions of claudius. He wanted to make sure that his uncle was actually guilty of killing King Hamlet. He felt that he was the worst person in the world. Hamlet blames himself for the death of his father. Since Hamlet's father is gone he feel like he can relate to the play that he asked the player to perform for him. “Yet I, A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, And can say nothing; no, not for a king, Upon whose property and most dear life A damn'd defeat was made. Am I a coward? Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across? Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face? Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' the throat, As deep as to the lungs? who does me this?”(I.ii) Hamlet has a lot of questions that he would like to get answers to that’s why he is planning this play out.


​Prezi Presentation 

Hamlet Close Reading

Act 2, Scene 2, Lines # 606 - 615
I should have fatted all the region kites
With this slave's offal: bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!
O, vengeance!
Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,
That I, the son of a dear father murder'd,
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,
And fall a-cursing, like a very drab,
A scullion! Fie upon't! foh!

Analysis
If there is one thing that William Shakespeare does well within plays like Hamlet, it is to give the character a beautiful, dramatic monologue. It is way for readers to understand the character. However, due to our “ascended” language, readers and listeners today would not be able to understand scenes of a character who is alone in scene and speaks out his internal thoughts. The character would be considered to be crazy, expressing such drama and language. With good analyzation of the wording, a reader can understand the scene... as long as the reader dedicates his or her time to analyze the words.

I’m taking Act 2, Scene 2, and lines # 606 - 615 from Hamlet. This is a scene where Hamlet is in his room. He blurts out his feelings of his uncle who is now the King, and who is to be one and only suspect who killed the previous king, his father. To read the book for the first time (or see the movie for the first time), I had no idea what they were saying with the fancy English back in their day. Given time, lines can mean the simplest of things.

Lines such as “I should have fatted all the region kites; With this slave's offal: bloody, bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! O, vengeance!” (Lines # 606 - 609) To clarify what kites are, it is not the toy. Kites are birds that eat insects and small mammals.  To clarify another thing, offal is the internal organs of animal being eaten. There is the connection between kites and offals. Hamlet imagines the pain he wants to give his uncle. He describes his uncle as a villain plus a few other things, and given the situation, he’s right. His uncle committed regicide. This is treachery. His uncle immediately married his mother after the king’s death. This lecherous. The way he pulled off the crime by pouring poison in his ear, and leaving him. This is remorseless and kindless. It is amazing how one word in a line can mean so much. I don’t blame Hamlet for seeking vengeance. I would have the same feeling. No one gets away with regicide, not even if the victim is family.

This is probably a set of lines that could be understandable, but may still have confusion. “Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,” (Lines # 610 - 612) Hamlet notices himself acting wildly about this, and he is embarrassed (even though no one is around him). Yet, he recognizes he is better than this. He is after all the son of the previous king, he is a prince (or lord). He should be less unstable about this, but he can’t because the one person he looked up to is dead, his mother married the traitorous uncle, so he can’t really look up to her now. He is a lone wolf. Even so, he feels his pride rise once he realize he is destined to avenge his father death, and if no one can help, he must do it himself. That’s what makes it difficult for him. Once again, words that mean so much more than they let on.

These lines required more time for analysis. “Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words, And fall a-cursing, like a very drab, A scullion! Fie upon't! foh!” (Lines # 613 - 615) Now, Hamlet self-pities himself by saying he shouting outbursts of his rage and that he isn’t doing anything that is benefiting him. To clarify, a scullion is a kitchen servant who doesn’t need skill to his or her job done. He’s saying he can’t do much with screaming and fooling around. He knows something must be done, what he was doing a few moments ago isn’t going to get him anywhere. It normally wouldn’t for anyone in that matter.

There we have it. One section of a scene analyzed and explained. If readers/writers are given the time, they can understand Shakespeare. More specifically, the monologues the character such as Hamlet express. It's what makes the monologues unique. Their ability to tell more than what we see.


HamletAnalysisareveron

Taylor Veasley's Hamlet Annotation

Hamlet Annotation

Taylor Veasley

Water Stream

March 1, 2013


William Shakespeare was a man of complex thoughts and language, this makes his work a challenge to dissect and to analyze. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is recognized as an especially difficult piece of writing in literature because of the extensive vocabulary and the difficult story plots. The main character of Hamlet is a young man who loses his father and the story focuses on him avenging his father’s death. In this paper an excerpt from Hamlet will be dissected and analyzed. The excerpt that is going to be used was taken from Act 1 Scene 5, and was spoken by the Ghost of the King and spans from Line 9 to Line 24.


“I am thy father’s spirit.”(Act 1, Scene 5 Line 9)The very first line of this speech sets the entire piece up, it is a simple statement yet it is very powerful. Before this encounter the ghost never verified that he was the spirit of Hamlet’s father. So when he followed the first line with saying that he is walks on the earth at night and is confined to hell during the day. “Doomed for a certain term to walk the night And for the day confined to fast in fires,” (Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 10&11). I found it interesting and unexpected that the spirit was in hell considering how he was portrayed in the book leading up to this. Throughout the book whenever the King was mentioned he was spoken about as an honest and kind man so the sins that he speaks of were surprising. I also find it odd that after mentioning these sins Shakespeare never actually specifies what the sins were.

The ghost then goes on to say that he is sentenced to hell until his sins that he committed while he was alive have gone away, but that he is forbidden to tell why he is sentenced. “Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid To tell the secrets of my prison house,” (Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 12-14) Again, I feel as though Shakespeare not bringing up the reasons for the King to be in Hell was an odd but seemingly intentional aspect. I believe that the reasons were left out because of the image that has been painted for us of the King. We see the King as a wonderful man and ruler and if Shakespeare were to change that perception of this character it could conflict with prerequisite ideas about this character.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              
The way Shakespeare has the ghost describe what will happen to humans if they hear of the horrible tales of the underworld is captivating. Shakespeare uses very descriptive similes when the ghost is describing what will happen to Hamlet if he tells him of the forbidden sins that explain why he is sentenced to hell. “Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, Thy knotted and combinèd locks to part. And each particular hair to stand on end, Like quills upon the fearful porpentine.” ( Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 18-21) He compares Hamlet’s hair to that of a porcupine’s quills and his eyes to stars, both comparisons paint clear pictures of the reaction. After all of the description of all of the horrid side effects to what the spirit is about to tell him, the spirit says that if he loves his father then he will listen. “List, list, O, list! If thou didst ever thy dear father love—” ( Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 23-24) I saw this line as a sort of foreshadowing for what he was about to tell Hamlet. When the spirit said if you ever love your father it made me think that he was going to tell him of how he died. Following the speech that is being analyzed is another speech where the spirit tells of how he died.

Shakespeare’s language throughout this text is exciting. He plays with his words and plays with contrasts and comparisons of objects to body parts. All sixteen lines feature an important aspect of this speech. Because the speech is an opening to another piece of writing Shakespeare does a superb job on setting up the stage for the next piece to come along.
Hamlet Annotation PDF

Close Reading

Kaitlin Krook
Ms. Rami
English III
28 February

“Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death

The memory be green, and that it us befitted

To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom

To be contracted in one brow of woe,

Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature

That we with wisest sorrow think on him

Together with remembrance of ourselves.

Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,

Th' imperial jointress to this warlike state,

Have we—as ’twere with a defeated joy,

With an auspicious and a dropping eye,

With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,

In equal scale weighing delight and dole—

Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred

Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone

With this affair along. For all, our thanks.”

(Shakespeare I.ii.1-16)



Analysis


There is no doubt that Shakespeare’s plays could be compared to soap operas today; poisonings, suicides, murders, affairs, faked deaths, and of course, romance. Shakespeare’s plays simply have a Elizabethan Era twist. An example of this is the King’s speech, which introduces King Claudius to the play. After reading the play, the audience knows that the King poisoned his brother, took his throne, and married his wife approximately one month after he died. In the King’s speech, he exemplifies the arrogance and  narcissism even further so than his previous actions. By analyzing his words, we can look into how Shakespeare meant to draw out his character, and the King’s motives.

The King’s speech starts out with the lines, “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death/The memory be green” (I.ii.1-2). The readers can already assume that Claudius is being snide is the way he speaks because they know that he actually killed his brother; why would he mourn a loss that he caused himself? Furthermore, from the metaphor “green” meaning fresh, it is obvious that Shakespeare is emphasizing that the death happened merely a month ago. The next lines read “and that it us befitted/To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom/To be contracted in one brow of woe,” tell the audience that Claudius truly wants the kingdom to believe his scheme. By using the metaphor “contracted on one brow of woe” Shakespeare shows the sarcasm in Claudius’ speech. Altogether, this passage portrays the malice of Claudius’ actions.

The lines that follow are, ”Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature/That we with wisest sorrow think on him/Together with remembrance of ourselves”(5-7). The meaning of this is that while it is natural to grieve, those who are wise will start thinking about themselves and stop mourning because that time is over.  The words “wisest sorrow” almost makes it sound like Claudius is guilting the kingdom into not feeling grief. The whole passage shows the ignorance of the King Claudius and his desire to move forward, and for the kingdom to forget that the death of King Hamlet ever happened, which is very suspicious of King Claudius.

Next, King Claudius declares, “Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,/Th' imperial jointress to this warlike state,/Have we-...-/Taken to wife” (8-10) . These lines restate that the King married his brother’s widowed wife, or  “sometimes sister.” After this, the king says “as ’twere with a defeated joy,/With an auspicious and a dropping eye,/With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,/In equal scale weighing delight and dole,” which basically means that the king was both joyous and upset about his brother’s death and his own marriage (11-13). We can surmise that the King was being insincere in saying this. If he was upset about his brother’s death, why would he be happy to marry his brother’s wife?  His words are quite contradictory which is why we cannot take them seriously.

The King’s departing words read, “Nor have we herein barred/Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone/With this affair along. For all, our thanks” (14-16).  As if the rest of his speech was not biting enough, this just tops it off. The King was obviously not asking the kingdom of their opinions all along, and it would be impossible to know if the entirety of Denmark agreed with his decisions. Ending with the word “thanks” shows how pompous and omnipotent Shakespeare wanted to write Claudius to see himself as, because he would not actually thank the kingdom for allowing him to marry his dead brother’s widow.

In Hamlet,  the playwright William Shakespeare illustrates another soap opera-like installment to his collection. King Claudius’s speech exemplifies the drama of the play. The King’s character and motives are clearer by looking closer at the text. In finality, through analyzing the speech it is clear how sarcastic, conceited, and narcissistic the King was because of the symbolism and meaning behind his words

Close Reading

Hamlet: Close Reading - Henry Edition

jawnskibob

Henry Poeng




William Shakespeare, master of his craft, often has many hidden meanings in his plays. This is exhibited in one of his more famous works, Hamlet. To portray these meanings, he uses tones and various other literary devices to get the messages across.  A remarkable example is Hamlet’s little ‘State of the Union Address’ just before his encounter with the ghost. Hamlet expounds on the state of Denmark, and his portrayal screams with emotion. The anger hidden within starts to trickle out, building ever so slowly. 

“As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty since nature cannot choose his origin),(1.4 / 28-29). A fitting ending to a monologue that touches on everything that Hamlet stands for. He realizes that people, himself in particular, are born with things they can’t control. This can be a disease, a quirk or a position of power. At this point in the monologue, Hamlet isn’t too happy. “As in their birth”- is a reference to a social stature. This includes being poor, rich, part of the royal family or some other class. In this case, Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark and part of the royal family. The royal family is the face of Denmark. Each action they do or do not do affects their reputation. “Wherein they are not guilty since nature cannot choose his own origin”- otherwise read as not their fault, compares Hamlet’s position to those of his peers. He doesn’t want to be in this position nor does he have the choice. Life is like a gamble in this regard.

“And to the manner born, it is a custom.” (1.4 / 17). As the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet has to act as befits a prince. “it is a custom” or commonly practiced, meaning he must partake in these actions regardless of personal interest. It can be deduced that Hamlet is a troubled man with a lot on his plate. To make matters worse, he has to deal with King Claudius and his tomfoolery. Prior to this monologue beginning, it was stated that King Claudius was heavily drinking. To drink and have fun is a privilege that only a country in a position of power can have simply because they can afford it. This isn’t the case with Denmark. “They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase soil our addition.” (1.4 / 21).” They clepe us drunkards” quite literally means, they call us drunks. “With swinish phrase soil our addition.” - Hamlet then proceeds to call those other countries cowards and pigs. The actions of the King are not held in high regard with Hamlet, although he can do nothing about it, furthering his anger. 

“And indeed it takes our achievements, though performed at height.” (1.4 / 22-25). - These acts are putting shame to all our accomplishments, even though we worked so hard to acquire them, it continues to lessen our reputation. “And indeed it takes our achievements” - this is in reference to King Claudius’ acts of carelessness. “Though performed at height” -  a hint at the past, this bit of line shows the struggle and the pain that it took for the royal family to get to where it is. It’s quite possible that they were of a lower social stature and climbed the ladder of hierarchy. Maybe they made rose Denmark to glory. The possibilities are endless, however, Denmark was better when King Hamlet was on the throne. 

Family and Honor are one of the many key themes in William Shakespeare’s  Hamlet. Emotional turmoil follows each theme and comes crashing down on Hamlet all at once. These emotions, when discovered takes the themes to another level of entertainment. Emotions weave hidden meanings in and out of the lines creating a more dynamic play. When used correctly, emotions can pluck strings in the reader’s/viewer’s heart, causing for a better experience. William Shakespeare, ace of language, is a true puppeteer of emotions. 

Close Reading

As Laertes is preparing to return to school in Paris Polonius offers some wise counsel to his son. These words of advice that is offered are a very significant part of the play. The language of the speech and the way it is delivered has great impact on the perspective you receive when its read. Before I read the speech i looked over the things before it and predicted some of the things that could happen after it. This helped me with analyzing the deeper meaning behind the words and not just viewing it as plain text.

I had two different approaches when reading this particle piece. The first time i read it i played the role of Laertes with receiving the speech. The second time i read it i took the role of Polonius with delivering it. Each time i practiced this the words would have different meanings. Just like Shakespeare takes on different roles as the Shakespeare the poet and the dramatist. I took on two roles as the father and the son. As a father i was giving my son instruction on how to conduct himself in the world, to give a good representation of his name and the name of the family. As a son i was receiving these words and tucking them into my memory for future reference. 

There; my blessing with thee!” With genuity and authority this invitation and command is given. The father is allowing his son to go and venture out and take the blessing with him with in his journey. Everything that precedes from this point has much more meaning.Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportioned thought his act.Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.” The language of the words encourages you to think beyond what you see. You would interpret to give no words to your thoughts but it means much more. Giving your thoughts no tongue, to think before you speak or perform an action. This is a life lesson that could be carried on. Choosing who you associate with too is important and is also emphasized by polonius. The advice that he gives his son is sincere and everything that he says he has the best intentions with.

As polonius continues with his speech he addresses common matters that will appear. I think he make these connections with his experiences that he probably had in his life. Some of the advice given looks familiar because it is heard often. “Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;” We have all been warned to avoid fights and disagreements but if we have to, make them to the best account. Listen more than we talk, and to observe more than we react. 

From this speech i got that your character is something that should be valued in all your endeavors no matter what you do. Value your name, your family, and consider the blessings of someone wiser who has more experience. Examine yourself and make sure all your intentions are good and beware of those who might be against you. Receive a blessing and live the best possible life, all of this relates completely to the advice Polonius gave his son before he embarked on his journey.

Final Hamlet slideshow

Hamlet: Close Reading

Hamlet- CLose Reading PDF

            Act 2, Scene 2: Lines 623-635


For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak

With most miraculous organ. I’ll have these players

Play something like the murder of my father

Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks.                           625

I’ll tent him to the quick. If he do blench,

I know my course. The spirit that I have seen

May be the devil, and the devil hath power

T' assume a pleasing shape. Yea, and perhaps

Out of my weakness and my melancholy,                           630

As he is very potent with such spirits,

Abuses me to damn me. I’ll have grounds

More relative than this. The play’s the thing

Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.


Shakespeare, I realized often likes to use exaggeration and he restates his thoughts for the play mainly throughout Hamlet’s soliloquies. This is a sophisticated and difficult strategy because Hamlet’s character throughout the play is not constant. His emotions and inner feelings for other characters change from scene to scene, however this is Shakespeare’s area of expertise and as always he succeeds in making the puzzle pieces fit together with skill and deftness. 

The theme behind Shakespeare's play’s are always a topic of discussion and question. After reading the first few Acts in Hamlet it can be strongly stated that the theme behind Hamlet is language and what the human eye should believe. Who should Hamlet trust? Can he trust anyone? Will he be betrayed by those who are the closest to him? Throughout Act 2, scene 2 these questions come up in Hamlet’s path multiple times. Hamlet feels extremely joyous after reuniting with his two best friends from childhood, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. He feels he can finally enjoy the presence of others and that it will be refreshing to see some new faces. However he starts to doubt his wishes when it comes to his realization that his friends are spying on him, as it is their duty to the new king. Nonetheless, the young prince of Elsinore believes he can use his friends by taking advantage of their presence when Guildenstern and Rosencrantz suggest Hamlet see a play performed by come players they met on the way to Elsinore, Denmark. 

Hamlet still distraught over his fathers death, desperately wants to find the culprit behind his murder. Hamlet believing that his uncle Claudius, is the murderer wants to verify his suspicions. “For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak” (622). Because murder is an action that can not speak for itself, it can never be vocally expressed and Hamlet knows that Claudius will never admit through words that he killed the king,  therefore murder can only be seen. Either the action being committed itself or the admitting of the crime. At this part in the story Hamlet wants to find a way to test his uncle and see the face of the murderer. He believes that his suspicions will confirm the moment the crime speaks through his face expressions. 

Hamlet then formulates a plan to reveal his uncle’s crime. Shakespeare does a very exceptional job as he stirs up a really creative nature into Hamlet’s character in this scene of the play. Hamlet wants to lure his uncle into a trap without giving away his suspicions so he organizes the play. “With most miraculous organ. I’ll have these players / Play something like the murder of my father / Before mine uncle.” (623-625). Again the language theme rises again as Shakespeare orchestrates a play with in a play. He fiddles with the idea that something very unexpected can happen very soon, thus building up the suspense as the audience craves for more knowledge.  

Hamlet knows that Claudius can not gain any information about the specifics behind the play. Because as a king of Denmark a minor play is very insignificant and is not of importance. At the end of Act 2, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz report back to Claudius, and they mention how their will be an extraordinary play being performed later by some players that were roaming around Denmark. Claudius is completely oblivious to the fact that Hamlet has an entire scheme in place behind this play. He thinks that the play is simply entertainment and it will get Hamlet’s mind off of other things such as his fathers death.

The following lines of Hamlet’s soliloquy is “I’ll observe his looks; / I’ll tent him to the quick. If he do blench, / I know my course.” (625-627). Shakespeare continues to make sure the young prince proves himself to be more brilliant as the scene progresses. Hamlet knows that the contents of the play will come as a big shock to the new King. So as stated in the line “I’ll tent him to the quick.” (626) Tent, means to investigate by drawing one into a trap. This is exactly what Hamlet believes his plan will do. Claudius does not expect the play to be about the King’s foul death. Claudius also is not aware of the fact that Hamlet will be keeping an eye on him during the performance, therefore he will not be able to compose his face of any emotions. So Hamlet decides to observe his uncle’s face throughout the performance. If Claudius flinches or make a sudden movement during the killing of the king then Hamlet will know if his plan was a success and if his suspicions about Clausius were accurate. Thus creating a new path for Hamlet to follow. 

Later in the soliloquy Shakespeare meddles with his use of words and allows the readers and audience to come up with their own predictions on what will happen and where Hamlet’s thoughts are leading to. “The spirit that I have seen / May be the devil, and the devil hath power / T' assume a pleasing shape.” (627-629). After looking at the kings face Hamlets will know if his uncle was the murderer or actually innocent for the death of the king. If he is innocent it will mean that the ghost of the king was actually the devil. Hamlet strongly states that The devil knows how to trick people by turning into someone that one loves and misses dearly just like Hamlet does his father. “Yea, and perhaps / Out of my weakness and my melancholy, / As he is very potent with such spirits, / Abuses me to damn me.” (629-632). At this point it comes to the attention of the readers and the audience that Hamlet may be going mad. He starts to doubt he ever saw the ghost of his father and that he mistook the devil for his father. Hamlet however admits that he is weak and depressed and it was his state of instability that lead the devil to take advantage of him. 

Hamlet ends his speech with the words “I’ll have grounds / More relative than this. The play’s the thing / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.” (632-634). The tone of the young prince suggests that play will give him more to work off of. He will have more proof and knowledge on whether to trust Claudius or not. At this point in his life all he cares about is the play. He feels it is crucial that he know more about Claudius’s thoughts.

Throughout this entire speech Shakespeare toys with language as he brings in a new setting to the story. The questions about trust and doubt come up as Hamlet devises his magnificent plan. Shakespeare switches gears to the prince confirming his suspicions instead of going along with fully trusting his ghost father’s words that Claudius killed the King. 






Hamlet: Close Reading!

Hamlet Keynote Monologue Annotate
This great line from Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, will forever influence society; To be or not to be? – that is the question,[Scene 3.1, Line 57] began the most famous Hamlet monologue. 

I believe Lord Hamlet, here, is contemplating the value of life and weighing its positives and negatives. To be; live, not to be; die. He processes the option of suicide, which is quite such an extreme option in his circumstances of turmoil. At this point in the play, Hamlet is emotionally spent and he seems a dagger to the heart may be the right answer. The status of this monologue correlates with the beginning of the play. Both start with an intriguing question. In the beginning, Banardo asks, Who's there? This question gives suspense and grabs the audience to wonder what's happening next.

He goes on to say, Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And, by opposing, end them? [Scene 3.1, Line 58-61]

Interestingly enough, Hamlet still has a logical mindset about suicide. He talks about whether it is better to go through life and have bad fortune and try to form a smile during the hard times or don't tarry in life's conflict, when there's an easy way out; suicide. Unlike Hamlet, Greek mythology figure Ajax killed himself over the general consensus that he wasn't worthy enough to get prized amor against Odysseus. Ajax couldn't handle bad fortune against him and he decided to take the easy way out. But, Hamlet is thinking, Why suffer if we are born into bad luck, we can void this by death. Ironically, it seems that Hamlet hints toward Catholicism or Christianity. His belief in soul's returning as ghosts and murderers destined for Hell shows his insinuated religion. If he were to practice any type of Christianity, suicide is something out of his beliefs. Why would he think of such a catastrophic end.

Hamlet continues, To die, to sleep / – No more. [Scene 3.1, Line 60-61]

His thinks all death is is sleep – terminal sleep. It is interesting to see although his has a Christian-esk moral compass, Heaven or Hell does not seem to be his afterlife; dreaming does. It is as if Heaven or Hell does not play into his circumstances. 

Hamlet then said,—and by a sleep to say we end / The heartache and the thousand natural shocks. [Scene 3.1, Line 62-63]

After he's proclaimed that dying is a state of limbo, he says limbo is a closure of the misfortune that happens in life. And, assuming that he vaguely practices Christian beliefs Heaven is not limbo. It does not exist. But, in a state of absence, it seems that that is Hamlet's way of release and he talks about it as if it may be chance at happiness.

After he said,That flesh is heir to – 'tis a consummation / Devoutly to be wished! [Scene 3.1, Line 64-65]

He talks about limbo as if that's where he ultimately wants to be – and soon. And, suicide would get him there on his own time. In lines 60-65, he elaborates on how living is basically worthless because of the bad things that happen. He thinks, instead of dealing with life, and it's trials and tribulation, he'd rather die. 

Hamlet went on; To die, to sleep. / To sleep, perchance to dream. [Scene 3.1, Line 66]

He says that since dying is sleeping, one can also have dreams. It's as if this terminal sleep brings dreams that would become the dead person's new reality. 

He then recoils his argument; ay, there's the rub, / For in that sleep of death what dreams may come / When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause. [Scene 3.1, Line 66-69]

Even though death means sleep, and sleeping yields dreams, Hamlet said that there's always a catch, those dreams may not peachy or the ideal. There's no guarantee that dreams will be good and there's always the possibility of them being horrific. So, one needs to be conscience of that in the attempt of suicide, in Hamlet's terms.

The question; is suicide the answer? In this excerpt of Hamlet's monologue, and in this context, he talks about the possibility, the positive and the negatives in his mind. Based on one's interruption, it's up to the reader or audience to decide, but as the monologue progresses, Hamlet contradicts himself.  

Hamlet: Close Reading

For anyone who has read Shakespeare, they know that love always has a conflict to go along with it. In the play Hamlet, the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet is still questioned and complicated. Out of the entire play, there are scenes that show different feelings they have towards each other, along with fights and other characters opinions. In certain sections of the book, there are certain scene that have a deeper meaning to them. 

     In Act two, Scene one, Polonius tells Reynaldo that he has to go spy on Laertes because he has heard there has been some trouble. After, Ophelia comes rushing to her Father, Polonius, telling him that she has been frightened due to Hamlet’s actions that he presented to her while she was sewing. Ophelia’s talk with her father is significant for several reasons. One, It reveals Hamlet’s emotions and reactions for the first time since he has had his interactions with the ghost. It allows you to see how someone else sees him instead of him talking to himself. Secondly, it shows that Ophelia has obeyed her father by staying away from him just as she was told. 

    When Ophelia first enters to talk to her father she explains what happened while she was in her room. Her tone starts out as being frightened, but then starts to be almost happy that Hamlet came to see her, as well as curious as to how her father is going to react. “He falls to such perusal of my face, As he would draw it. Long stayed he so.” To me, Ophelia is saying he stared and focused on her face for such a long time that he could paint it like a picture. Hamlet was at loss for words and his actions are very confusing. If Hamlet had said what was actually wrong, it may have caused even more trouble for everyone.

     Polonius then says, “What said he?” Although, Hamlet never actually spoke to her. The whole time he was in there, his emotions were powerful enough that no words had to be spoken. Hamlet was also so full of emotion that he wasn’t able to get it out, and didn’t want to reveal his insanity. 

     “At last, a little shaking of mine arm, And thrice his head thus waving up and down.” Ophelia’s tone is scared, but also flattered that Hamlet is coming back to see her, and after Hamlet left, she was more confused because it was so unexpected. In these lines, Ophelia could also be mad at Hamlet because him coming to see her, this action can make it even harder to obey her father’s rules. Ophelia may start to form into Hamlet’s plan to feign insanity. She may be worried about him because he’s “missing” her and it’ll make him worse since she had to reject him.

    Overall, Hamlet has been having trouble treating Ophelia well because he almost sees all women as not good due to his mother marrying his uncle. Hamlet also has a hard time of seeing true love as a good thing, but Ophelia believes that he still loves her deeply.

Close Reading

Hamlet Close Reading

Shakespeare is known for his ability to create characters that resonate with every reader. Hamlet is one of his most famous creations, particularly well known for his “To be, or not to be” monologue. The fame of this piece arises from its resonance as a separate work, taking the monologue out of context does not in any way subtract from it’s meaning. The reason for this is that in the passage, Hamlet addresses a subject that almost everyone throughout human history has had to wonder about at one point in his or her life. Themes in this passage include life after death, the meaning of existence on earth, and whether or not your actions during life matter in the long run. The genius of this passage is that it doesn’t lay these themes out in front of the reader, but guides them down a path of thought that eventually leads to these subjects. What starts as an analysis of Hamlet’s life suddenly becomes much deeper contemplation about the reader’s own existence.

Taken with the rest of the play, Hamlet begins to think these thoughts after a visitation by his father’s ghost. It is revealed to him that his uncle murdered his father, and that his father expects him to take revenge. In the moment, Hamlet agrees but as time goes on he grasps the magnitude of the task. What he needs to do is treason, and he needs to do it alone. As time goes on his responsibility weighs on him. He delays his task for as longs as possible, and becomes secluded and short tempered with other characters at court.

            “To be, or not to be: that is the question” A fitting start to the monologue, as it sets the scene with a summary of what is to come. It comes from a dark place, where Hamlet contemplates suicide. “The question” –whether or not he will end his life there or live on to commit murder– has him torn between his duty to the memory of his father and his own fear of being caught, his hesitance to act. “Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles.” Will his struggle be worth it, how will his actions be remembered? He wonders if he will look back with satisfaction in the end. He wants to know if his perseverance will be worth the trouble. At the same time he wonders if the better thing to do is nothing at all. ‘‘Tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” in the end would he be more at piece if he suffered through the rest of his life, or if he fought –possibly died– avenging his father. He continues in the same vein, “And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; no more; and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to” What would happen should he choose to carry out his father’s revenge? Should he die, what would happen? He finds a bright side in the thought of death, because at the very least he would hope that his troubles would end. In saying, “Sleep” he implies that it will bring him a peaceful death. Settling the souls of himself and his father. 'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; to sleep: perchance to dream.” He hopes that upon entrance to the after life he will dream a better dream. Shakespeare has Hamlet end this portion of the monologue with a profound thought, “Ay, there's the rub; for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil.” The problem, he says, is that we don’t know what comes after death. This is the train of thought at the root of his hesitation to kill his uncle. He believes that any of the choices he makes going forward could easily result in his death. He doesn’t know what will come, and that ignorance turns into a fear of the unknown. Hamlet reflects in a very real way how any person might react in his situation.

Hamlet Passage Analysis

Hamlet Close Reading By:Byshera Moore-Williams

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Shakespeare is often credited for the poetic nature of his writing. However, there are many times when he is very straightforward. Even with his sometimes blunt lines, there is always something new that you can draw from these otherwise transparent lines. Act two, scene one, lines 99-112 are a prime example of this. At the start of the scene Ophelia is discussing Hamlet’s mental state with her father.

“He took me by the wrist and held me hard.” (II.i.99) This line seems to mean the same thing when analyzed; that Hamlet grabbed Ophelia’s arm and held onto her extremely hard. Throughout these lines, Shakespeare's language seems to be focusing on the different body parts starting with the wrist. It is not until the next line, “Then goes he to the  length of all his arm,” (II.i.100), the hidden focus of movement  is being put on the bodies of both Hamlet and Ophelia. Going from the arms slowly bringing you closer to a key point that is not yet know to us. Or, perhaps Shakespeare may be doing this just to give a very still part of the play some movement.

We can see the idea of small moments moving the plot along “And, With his other hand thus o’er his brow,” (II.i.101.) Another redundant line meaning then he took his other hand and placed it over his brow. This move brings everything to Hamlet’s face allowing more emotion to be more prevalent. Emotions that are felt by Ophelia’s but seen through the eyes of Hamlet “He falls to such perusal of my face, As he would draw it. Long stayed he so.” (II.i.102-103.) The close study that Hamlet does of Ophelia’s face shows the emotions that Hamlet feels, which he shows with his attentiveness to her appearance.

Hamlet’s extreme emotional distress overcomes him in the coming lines. “As last, a little shaking of mine arm, And thrice his head thus waving up and down, ” (II.i.104-105.) Going back to the first body part that Shakespeare speaks of you can see that it makes a circle. Continuing subtly but important just like the emotions of the two young lovers. “He raised sigh so piteous and profound” (II.i.106.) The fact that profound was used to this was interesting to me.The work is used mostly to explain the vast depth of the ocean or of the mind. This shows how deeply Ophelia knows Hamlet that she would use a word so strong to describe a sigh and with how it seemed to physically unnerve him. “As it did seem to shatter all his bulk, And end his being. That done he lets me go,” (II.i.107-108.) The use of the work shatter and bulk with in the same line stands out. Bulk being such a strong work and shatter is something that happens only to fragile things. Showing Hamlets truly fragile emotional state through his manly facade.

Once emotions settle and Hamlet starts to move away, you can still feel the stillness in both Hamlet and Ophelia “And, with his head over his shoulder turned, he seemed to find his way without his eyes, For out o’ doors he want without their help, And to the last bended their light on me” (II.i.109-1012.) Hamlet’s eyes never lose focus on Ophelia. The calm after the emotional storm, a language only true lovers understand.
To conclude these looks into the eyes and mind of Shakespeare, remember this. Movement is not just something that a person does with their body but what a writer does with his words moving you to different points of views and places. Shakespeare had a great deal of knowledge about emotion and how people express them . Knowing that someone is not going to show the pain that they might be feeling in the same way with different people. This scene seemed transparent until we found rose colored stain glass look at it through a lovers lense.