Appearance vs Reality
-Ghost - everyone sees him in I, but only Hamlet sees him in III iv
-Is the ghost really Old Hamlet
-Key plot point
-ghost doesn't tell Hamlet anything new - he already knows he's supposed to leave his mother alone
- In Act One - ghost moves the plot along - tells him new stuff
- Ghost wearing house clothes in III iv, in I he's wearing battle gear
- Clothing change could represent different intention (kill the king vs don't kill your mother)
- [conscience?]
- [devil - tempts Hamlet: "the devil has power to assume a pleasing shape" (II ii 604)
- Deception - people put on "different faces" [look at III i when Hamlet chastises Ophelia for "painting her face"]
- When Ham and Laertes are dying - say the truth (no false pretenses any more)
- Is Gertrude for herself or her son? - she wants power for herself - most reasonable explanation for betraying her son
- One of the smartest characters - never has to publically say who she's on side with - switches from son to husband - plays the game
- Hamlet's "madness" - is it all a play? - he puts on a play -seems okay in the final scene - "puts on a face"
- II ii - we see Hamlet is very interested in plays - not beyond him to be able to act (supported when he talks about acting
- R & G Are Dead = asking the right questions
- "to seem" (I ii 75- Gertrude asks "why do you seem so particular?) Ham answers "I know not seem"
- [what does this topic reveal about our experience - how does it intersect?]
- Who is this person? [there's no truth; only perception]
- ["There's nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so" (II ii 253)]
- [what about Ophelia's closet?]
- Emotional and theatrical
- Acting helps Hamlet cope
- Relationship with Ophelia - changes - "get thee to a nunnery!" - but truly reacts when she's dead - true emotions - was she "acting"
- She kills herself because she has nothing life - her father's gone, her boyfriend's crazy, she lost her virginity and her crazy ex kills her father
- Relationship is an excuse for his madness
- Polonius promotes the idea of Hamlet's madness being caused by Ophelia
- Polonius is hiding when Hamlet is yelling at Ophelia in III i - this helps Ham's cause for everyone thinking he's crazy
- Does he know it's Polonius behind the curtain.
Loyalty, Honour and Revenge
- Different representations with characters
- For Hamlet - honours his religion over achieving his ultimate goals - III iii - Claudius is praying - can't kill him because he needs him to suffer - "full of bread" like his father
- Honouring his father
- Wants his mother to be by his side - thinks his mother should be "honourable" (but married his uncle - "frailty thy name is woman"
- Everyone in this society seems not honourable - except Horatio [what about lying about R & G's death?]
- Horatio sticks by Hamlet's side - supporting his friend
- [what about FORTINBRAS?]
- Doing nothing - hard for good, honourable people to be in power - have to betray people and do controversial actions
- Fortinbras raises an army and gains support [also Laertes]
- How much do people honour our families today
- Not so much in Canadian society - more with the individual
- Laertes almost takes down the king after raising his own army
- Fortinbras wins Denmark in the end [what is Shakespeare telling us about action?]
- Hamlet has "scheme-y plans to avenge his father's death"
- Ophelia's "honour"/virginity is very important - her rejection of Hamlet greatly affects him and ends up killing her
- Tells us about that society - women's virginity is ultimately supremely important for women [seen still in other countries]
- Does Hamlet reclaim his honour by killing Claudius in the final scene (that royal family is gone - rotten-ness is gone now)
- Claudius kills his own brother - motivation is SELF INTEREST [a great sub-topic]
- Hamlet [doesn't actually want to kill Claudius - but thinks he has to - Claudius' reign has been discussed - example - Laertes was easily able to get some people against him - it's also reported that he carouses a lot]
- King is immediately next to God - Claudius kills the person next to God - people in power believe it? [all symbolism supports the chain of being - in plants, animals, etc. - part of their belief system - believe in ghosts and witches]
- The way Claudius kills Old Hamlet - does it in a dishonourable way - while Old Hamlet is sleeping in his own orchard
- "words without thoughts never to Heaven go." (III iii) - trying to repent - but doesn't want to - acknowledging his lack-lustre honour
- Doesn't have the self-power to give it up
- Loyalty - Gertrude - is she justified in her betrayal of Hamlet ("but not by him" V i) - tries to live a comfortable life - selfish - not honourable
- [what is honour?]
- How is she able to marry her husband's brother - which was seen as incest in that society - why isn't it a bigger deal? Maybe king and queen can do what they want "something is rotten"
Action vs Inaction
- How do Hamlet's actions or inactions affect others?
- When he doesn't kill Claudius - this is inaction (after that Polonius is killed)
- Hamlet says "no" on its own line
- The play would have ended at that point
- A lot of the play consists of Hamlet doing things and then not doing them
- Gertrude toasting Hamlet at the end - engaging in a sword fight - wants to praise her son for being active (she does mention that Hamlet has gone to fat) - she ignores Claudius' warning
- Inactions - no death
- Actions - the wrong people die
- What's better? Acting or not acting?
- Putting on the play is acting (meta)/ action
- Hamlet vs Fortinbras - two different types of acting - Fortinbras - big actions - easier to see and quantify
- Hamlet's downfall? Inaction
- "time is out of joint," "what an ass am I" - look at soliloquies - he is regretting his lack of actions over and over
- Hamlet is a procrastinator - says "Denmark's a prison" (II ii) again doesn't do anything about it [seems like a disgruntled teenager]
- "revenge his foul and unnnatural murder" - ghost dad (I v) - this is what spurs Hamlet on
- Hamlet is bad at decision making - example - why would he kill who he thinks is Claudius in front of his mother - he kills Polonius with no real fore thought - doesn't ensure that it's him
- Polonius "Give your thoughts no tongue" - opposite of what he actually does
- Emphasizes Hamlet's inner conflict [reminds us of the barber in "Just Lather"]
- Has trouble moving forward
- "conscience doth make cowards of us all" (III i )
- If Claudius hadn't killed Old Hamlet - could have ruled Norway? - maybe inaction can be a good move [do nothing principle]
- Is Hamlet a coward?
- Being sneaky and trying to trick people - cowardly methods
- Do we want a rash leader?
- Look at Macbeth
- Hamlet acts rashly when he kills Polonius - which also leads to Ophelia's death
- The play is the only thing he thinks through "put on an antic disposition"
- [Fortinbras fights and loses probably 2000 men for "a piece of straw" in Poland - just to show he's a leader]
- Hamlet tries to do everything on his own - Fortinbras "sharkes up a list of lawless resolutes" (I I 98)
- Hamlet does actually accomplish his goal as a single man
- Fortinbras tries to reclaim land
- Hamlet just revenge - the play is his shining moment - adrenaline at its peak
- Laertes to kill Claudius with an army
- Revenge plans tells us about different types of people in our society
- Hamlet - impatient when he decides to act
- Is there a time limit?
- When Hamlet doesn't take his time = bad things happen
- Hamlet's sadness turns to anger - selfish anger - "I don't have her anymore" - possessive
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