Hamlet: Notes: Odds and Ends…
1. Imagery: Hamlet abounds in imagery – vivid words and phrases that conjure up emotionally-charged mental pictures in the imagination (“He would drown the stage with tears”). They carry powerful significance, far deeper than their surface meanings. They enrich both particular moments (“the slings and arrow of outrageous fortune… a sea of troubles’) and the themes and motifs of the play.
An image cluster that appears very frequently throughout the play illuminates the related motifs of corruption and disease, pain and suffering, death, and disorder in nature. Here the imagery expresses that ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’, usually either as a simile “These words like daggers enter in my ears”, or as a metaphor “Denmark’s a prison”.
Find other examples of this particular imagery (of disease, corruption, etc) and explain what it tells the audience.
2. Themes: There are several themes in the play – some of these could arguably be described as overlapping or enriching each other. For each of the ideas bulleted below, explain what the significance would be for the audience. Remember, to express a theme fully, one or two words is really not enough…
- appearance vs. reality can….
- narcissism can …
- friendship and faithlessness can…
3. Parallel situations Hamlet Hamlet
(loyal, devoted to family) (madness?)
(starts with passionate desire (response to death of a parent)
for revenge)
(honour or dishonour?)
Fortinbras Laertes Ophelia
4. Characters:
Claudius –
Hypocrite – has killed his brother but speaks of him as “dear brother”; shows a hypocritical affection for Hamlet: even when sending Hamlet to England and certain death, he hints that it is only for Hamlet’s “especial safety”.
Politically astute/quick to take action – takes immediate steps to protect Denmark from Fortinbras (I); secures the consent of his counsellors before marriage to Gertrude, coronation, sending of Hamlet to England, etc; knows the general mood of the populace; makes use of Polonius, R&G, as spies; quick to plan with Laertes and to use him as an ally
Suspicious – one of the few who is suspicious of Hamlet’s ‘madness’ from the beginning – sends for R&G, gets Polonius to spy for him, and is ready to play the spy himself (II, III)
Courage and Coolness under stress – faces a mob and Laertes, wins him
to his side
Intemperate and Coarse-drinks to excess, “carouses”, has made a hasty marriage with possible overtones of incest
Troubled by Conscience- “O my offence is rank, it smells to heaven”
(III,iii)
Affection – as far as he is able, Claudius does show a real affection for Gertrude, as shown repeatedly whenever he addresses her, and especially when he says “She’s so conjunctive to my life and soul that as the star moves not but in its sphere I could not but by her”(IV, vii, 14-16)
Polonius –
Pedantic/overly verbose/self-conceited- longwinded and often loses track of his own arguments; yet, is considerably pleased by his own powers of speech, as he views them. Others may find him tiresome (eg”more matter, less art). Considers himself an authority on drama (II, ii) and on the intrigues of court politics (II,I).
Revels in ‘wire-pulling’/spying - enjoys the idea of setting traps, spying, and ‘wire-pulling’ from behind the scenes (instructions to Reynaldo to spy on Laertes, using Ophelia as a decoy; spying on Gertrude and Hamlet)
Strict father – careful of his daughter, but not very courteous to her; consents to Laertes’ leaving for France but keeps a careful watch on his behaviour
Loyalty to the king- unquestioned: “I hold my duty as I hold my soul, Both to my God and to my gracious king”(II, ii). Claudius appreciates this and makes good use of him.
Laertes – is in direct contrast to Hamlet.
Impetuous – where Hamlet is irresolute, Laertes is impetuous: “The ocean, overpeering of his list, eats not the flats with more impetuous haste than young Laertes…”(IV, v, 97-99). We see more of this side of Laertes in the same scene, and at the grave of Ophelia (V,i)
Wild, immoral, unscrupulous – Judging from Ophelia’s remarks (I,iii, 47-51) and in comparison to Hamlet, he lacks the refinement of Hamlet, although he is intelligent and educated. This can also be seen from Polonius’ concern for his behaviour in France, and from his own willingness to go to any extremes when exacting revenge (“To cut his throat i' the church”) and to plot with the king. He even partially and hypocritically receives Hamlet’s apology by saying “I do receive your offer’d love like love and will not wrong it” when he knows very well that he is about to kill Hamlet. Does regain some honour by confessing and apologizing in his final moments.
Determined - wins consent from Polonius to return to France, by “laboursome petition”; determined to exact revenge for death of father and insanity of sister. Note that he is troubled by some feelings of conscience (“And yet it is almost against myconscience” V,ii,288) but commits himself nonetheless.
Loyal/devoted to family – cares for sister’s welfare (I,iii), reaction to her insanity and death
Horatio – appears but seldom in the play yet gives a vivid picture of a man who is a worthy friend. He is loyal to Hamlet and is the only character that Hamlet feels he can trust with his confidences. He also feels secure enough in his friendship and in his own judgement to remonstrate with Hamlet over Hamlet’s weaknesses (I, v, “there needs no ghost come from the grave to tell us this, my lord” or “these are but wild and whirling words, my lord; V, ii “Why, what a king is this!”).
His cool and even temper, his balanced nature, is highly admired by Hamlet (III, ii) and his sceptical nature (as seen in his first response to reports of a ghost, to Osric’s message) are natural for a scholar. Others, such as Gertrude, are also affected by his quiet, unassuming advice (re: Ophelia).
He shows his loyalty, deep affection, and courage by his intent to commit suicide upon the death of Hamlet. However, he obeys Hamlet’s dying wish and takes the more courageous stance of living to tell the sad tale. His epitaph for Hamlet, “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” speaks more to a pure depth of affection than perhaps any other lines in the play. He is a loyal, even-tempered, scholarly gentleman.
Hamlet is one of the most complex characters ever conceived for the stage. Many actors feel that until they have played the part of Hamlet, they have not reached the culmination of their histrionic powers…There are so many sides to Hamlet’s character, and they are each so contradictory…
v (first impression) Hamlet is portrayed as having a profound melancholy, natural to one who has lost a father and who is bitterly opposed to his mother’s current marriage. This melancholy temperament is, moreover, enhanced by a habit of introspection and philosophizing, most frequently displayed in his soliloquies (“O that this too too sullied flesh…”)(I,ii, 129+) or in the most famous speech where we find him longing for death and pondering upon eternity, “To be or not to be, that is the question.”(III,I, 57+). His habit of introspection can be seen from his speeches comparing himself disfavourably to others, such as the players (“ O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!”)(II,ii, 553), or Fortinbras (IV, iv, 31+)
v (by Ophelia) Hamlet is described as a noble mind, a courtier, soldier, scholar, one from whom the state expected much and who was a role model for all: (“the glass of fashion and the mould of form” (III, i, 152-5)
v Hamlet is also a man of refinement as shown when he expresses his disgust for the drinking habits of Claudius and the Danes in general (I,iv, 14-20) or when he speaks so feelingly of the ‘o’erhasty’, ‘incestusous’ marriage of his mother and Claudius which he feels has dirtied him (“sullied”) and soiled his memories of past relationships (his parents) and current ones (his mother and Claudius)
v Friendliness – the spirit of friendliness is noted in his meeting with Horatio (I,ii) and also with R&G, former friends. He even had the same feeling towards Laertes, a feeling which made him blind to any treachery on the part of the latter (V, i, 284; ii, 243)
v Humour- Hamlet’s humour is mostly grim, but shows glimpses of the man he must have been before his life was overshadowed by the duty for vengeance. At times he is sarcastic, as when speaking with those he considers untrustworthy and hostile (I, ii, 65; III, ii etc.). His humour is also marked by a taste for puns and obvious enjoyment (however grim) of verbal repartee (eg, with Polonius, Claudius, and the gravedigger, etc)
v Irresolution - Hamlet expressly notes his determination to avenge his father’s murder (“haste me to know’t, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge.”)(I, v) and often speaks of hurrying to exact this revenge. Nonetheless, several months elapse and no action is taken until the players come.
That he is ashamed of this inaction is obvious (self-comparison with
Fortinbras, guilty pleas to the ghost, III,iv). Some of the inaction is due in part to
the command of the ghost not to injure his mother, but there is also in him an
inherent repugnance to performing such a fearful deed (III, iii “Now might I do
it..”); I, v “O cursed spite!…”)
v Impulsive – as seen when jumping into the grave with Laertes; killing of Polonius; first to board the pirate ship, etc
v Determination – in contrast to the above, Hamlet at times shows himself full of determination and able to act on that determination. When he is assured of Claudius’ guilt, he asserts that, “Now could I drink hot blood and do such bitter business as the day would quake to look on.”(III, ii). He is also able to act with determination when seeking out the ghost (I, iv) or when sneaking into the cabin of R&G to find the letter from Claudius and then re-writing it.
v Cold-bloodedness – could be considered another trait of Hamlet’s multi-faceted character, as instanced by his reaction to Polonius’ death (III, iv, 33;215-218) and in his reply to Horatio’s question concerning R&G (V, ii, 57+)
v Courage – boldly addresses the ghost (I,iv); first to board the pirate ship; willingly enters into the duel, knowing that Laertes is the better swordsman.
To summarize what we can of Hamlet’s character, he is impulsively courageous, yet inactive and irresolute; he displays a fund of clever humour, yet he is prone to most bitter melancholy; His cold-bloodedness is directly opposed to his warm loyalty and affectionate nature. He is capable of friendliness, yet manifests a biting sarcasm and cruel ironic wit.
Sources: Hamlet Swan Edition, 1961 – editor’s notes
Hamlet Cambridge School, 1994 – editor’s notesHH