...famous soliloquies every written (Klann 127). However, for a neophyte watching a performance of the play, understanding everything Hamlet says can be difficult. Studying the texts of these speeches in printed form is helpful, because it allows the reader to follow the carefully constructed figurative language line-by-line. However, to gain a greater grasp of Hamlet’s emotional state, it’s sometimes better to simply listen to the words. By comparing recordings, the listener can quickly learn about the many possible interpretations of Shakespeare’s famous soliloquies. For example, in Avery Pohlman’s classic performances from the 1990s, we can sense Hamlet’s increasing panic over his inability to choose a definite course of action (Live From New York's Golden Arch Theater). Pohlman’s interpretation stands in stark contrast to the early recordings of Justin Makepeace, which are known for their somewhat lighter mood. In this paper, I attempt to compare the Pohlman and Makepeace recordings of Hamlet’s soliloquies. [Add more about the paper’s overall organization. Explain how comparing the recordings leads to a deeper understanding of the words of Hamlet.] The Need for Revenge The revenge tragedy was already a favorite type of play in the Elizabethan theater scene when William Shakespeare set out to write Hamlet (Klann 35). This type of drama typically included a play within a play, a ghost, violence, and scenes of madness. [Add more about revenge tragedies. Discuss the Pohlman recordings...
Words: 444 - Pages: 2
...There comes a time in one’s life when he loses faith in his beliefs or in his relationships. In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet’s uncle Claudius, murders Hamlet’s father to inherit the crown of Denmark and the love of Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Throughout the play there are six soliloquies that reveal the character of Hamlet and others. In more than any other Shakespearean play, the audience is painted a better picture of Hamlet’s mind. Shakespeare questions the social and Christian institutions in the face of tragedy with the usage of several ambiguous phrases. Through word play and tone shifts, Hamlet’s collapsing sanity is reflected and shows the deconstruction of his views towards the Church and its values and his family. Hamlet’s questionable sanity is first reflected in the Church and its teachings. During the Elizabethan Era, most people practiced Catholicism, and it was not until later in the 1500s that the Catholic religion was called into question by another developing religion at the time, Protestantism. Not only does society begin to doubt the teachings of the Church, Hamlet does as well because he has lost complete faith in Christian values. According to Hamlet, those values have the cause of Claudius murdering his own brother and marrying his wife. Hamlet is unable to accept this unfortunate fate, and in turn, exclaims to the heavens, “O God! O God” (I.ii.132)! Hamlet has lost faith in the Everlasting because he is disgusted that God would let such an incestuous...
Words: 1336 - Pages: 6
...women in the world are weak and act in the same way. At the beginning of the play, Ophelia describes Hamlet’s love for her that Hamlet has a great affection on her and he has made the holiest vows to her. However, Polonius still asks Ophelia to leave Hamlet. Later in the play, Ophelia follows her father’s advice and rejects Hamlet’s love. Hamlet starts to treat Ophelia terribly. It brings to a question that whether Hamlet loves Ophelia or not. Hamlet is angry for Gertrude’s remarriage to Claudius because he loves and cares about his mother. It is the same for Ophelia. His mad and angry acts towards Ophelia show readers that he loves and cares about Ophelia because no one will be mad if he is betrayed by someone who is insignificant to him. The ways Hamlet talks and treat Gertrude are almost the same with the ways treats Ophelia. This shows Ophelia is as important as his mother. Hamlet is upset for his mother’s hasty remarriage and his thought of his mother worsen when the ghost tells him that Gertrude marries to a person who is the murderer of his father. He loves his mother so much that draws him to madness. He starts to treat his mother badly. “What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me? Help, help, ho!” (3.4.22-23) He is being violent to his mother to show his anger. Relatively, He is being rude and mad to Ophelia after her rejection too. This indicates that Ophelia is another important woman in Hamlet’s life too. He is disappointed when Ophelia returns his gifts to him. Hamlet...
Words: 1060 - Pages: 5
...Module B: Critical Study of Texts In the context of your critical study of Hamlet, to what extent does your response to this section of the soliloquy inform your judgment of this play as a whole? In your response, make detailed reference to Hamlet. The third soliloquy primarily explores Hamlet’s struggle to take action and avenge his father’s death. This inner conflict creates a dramatic tension that is sustained throughout the play and contributes to the textual integrity. The themes of Hamlet’s self-loathing, his resistance to action, and revenge, dominate this soliloquy and recur consistently for the duration of the play. They reveal Hamlet’s weak and procrastinating character which only changes towards the very end when he overcomes his cowardice and takes revenge for his father’s death by finally killing Claudius. The audience’s attitude towards Hamlet develops through the third soliloquy as they are informed to a large extent about what the core of the drama is about. This in turn shapes their judgement of the play as a whole. Hamlet’s self-loathing arises from his frustration in not having avenged his father’s death. This is constant throughout the play because it is the character’s prime focus. His inner conflict of feeling he is incapable of killing Claudius, and then hating himself for it, begins in the first line of his soliloquy, when he uses direct speech to the audience, referring to himself as a ‘rogue and peasant slave’. This juxtaposes the image of his...
Words: 1116 - Pages: 5
...Hamlet Final Essay What do you think makes Shakespeare’s Hamlet such a powerful and enduring play? Thesis William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1603) explores the intrinsic aspects of humanity creating a powerful and enduring play by subverting the audiences’ expectation of a revenge tragedy play. Shakespeare enables universal anthropological appreciation through the emphasis on the thematic concerns of: the mystery and transcendental nature of death, clouded grey areas in between the dichotomy of good and evil morals, and the twisted manipulative nature of human behaviour. Therefore, through critical study of the play, Shakespeare augments and connects to the audience’s perspective and interpretations. Body Topic sentence 1. Overarching idea i. Point ii. Quote iii. Technique iv. Elaboration Sample Sentence Linking sentence (concluding sentence) Body 1 – Death Death is the inescapable reality of human life as explored in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the fact that the living world is made of death and decay is visible anywhere there is life. 1. Hamlet’s bereavement over his father i. Bereavement is an inescapable reality in which all humans must endure. ii. “But I have more within which passes show – These but the trappings and the suits of woe” iii. Rhyming couplet iv. To reinforce Hamlet’s underlying argument to his grief over the finality of his father’s death. Bereavement is an inescapable reality, exemplified when Hamlet says...
Words: 2776 - Pages: 12
...the Book by Everything, but Its Cover “To be, or not to be, that is the question…” This is, perhaps, one of the most known quotes in world literature, translated into various languages from all across the world. It is an opening line to Hamlet’s soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet.” This tragedy brilliantly portrays metal corruption of a person who is overpowered by grief due to his father’s death. Meanwhile, grieving Hamlet learns that his father did not die of natural cause and that in fact, he was murdered by Hamlet’s uncle – Claudius – in order to receive the power, kingdom, and the King’s wife (Hamlet’s mother.) That leads to incest between the in-laws, which, surprisingly, is not looked down upon in the Denmark Kingdom. The theme vividly explores demoralization of all the characters, which results in their death, therefore, labeling Hamlet as a Shakespearean tragedy. The main character – Hamlet – is a protagonist. He is the Prince of Denmark and the nephew of the present King. When the reader starts reading the play, Hamlet is a grieving character, which creates powerful sympathy towards him. The reader feels for Hamlet, as he learns the Hamlet's father, the previous King of Denmark, has been killed by Claudius – Hamlet's uncle. However, when Hamlet does become aware of the true reason of his father's death, he goes mad. The ease, with which Hamlet steps into the madness is not helping him either because that increases the distance between the reader and...
Words: 1027 - Pages: 5
...Jake Nevins 3/15/13 English foundations honors 2 Mrs. Muratori Research paper hamlet INTRO Hamlet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare where the main character, Hamlet, Thesis: In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet mythological and biblical allusions informs us of Hamlet’s inevitable fall. Throughout the play, Hamlet uses many mythological allusions to show his feelings towards other characters such as Claudius, Gertrude and the old king as well as inform us of his “fall”. After Queen Gertrude is re-married to Claudius, Hamlet shows his feelings when he compares the late King Hamlet to Claudius. Hamlet tells his mother, "So excellent a king, that was to this / Hyperion to a satyr." (Ham. I ii 139-40). This allusion shows Hamlet's high praise for his dead father as well as his extreme hatred for Claudius. Hyperion is the Greek sun god. By comparing his dead father to Hyperion, Hamlet does not just connect his father to a titan, but also the source of light and with that hope and happiness. The sun is what also sustains life. Hamlet is alluding to how his father was a great king, a strong and dynamic leader that cared for his family and strength of Denmark. The sun also symbolizes warmth and glory which are qualities reflected upon his father. A good king, like the sun, is also a keeper of the peace who watches from above. It is evident that Hamlet greatly loved his father and is stunned by how his mother quickly moved on after his death to marry...
Words: 1095 - Pages: 5
...George Awtrey English April 16, 2011 Hamlet’s Psychological Analysis William Shakespeare was and still is one of the most renowned play writers of all time. Shakespeare had a talent like no other that allowed him to create plays that entertained viewers of his era and beyond. One of his most popular plays is Hamlet. Because this play was one of his more complex works it is also became of the most analyzed plays as well. The main character, Hamlet, has fascinated readers and audiences for centuries, and one of the first thing to point out about him is that he is indecisive (22 Newell). But even though he is thoughtful to the point of obsession, Hamlet also behaves rashly and instinctively. When he does act, it is quickly with little or no premeditation, like when he stabbed Polonius through the curtain without even checking to see who he was. He seems to step very easily into the role acting crazy, behaving erratically and upsetting the other characters with his careless speech (22 Newell). It is also important to note that Hamlet is extremely laid back and unconcerned with it comes to the state of affairs in Denmark and in his own family. He is extremely disappointed with his mother for marrying his uncle so quickly. He rejects, Ophelia, a woman he claimed to have loved once. At a number of points in the play, he contemplates his own death and even the option of suicide. But, despite all of the things with which Hamlet expresses dissatisfaction, it is remarkable that...
Words: 1744 - Pages: 7
...right moment, when he's by himself, in when he could vomit them all out, just as he himself admits, "But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue" (1.2.159). Doing this so in his secret place, Hamlet allows to be honest with himself and therefore his words reflect Hamlet's true intentions, perspectives, thoughts, and ultimately his true colors- all which will later reflect in his actions throughout the rest of the play. The reader can even conclude that these lines foreshadow Hamlet's actions (or inactions) for the remainder of the play. In these lines, Hamlet's emotional state make him vulnerable, allowing his unrestrained words to reflect his true personality and motives. Hamlet begins his soliloquy boldly expressing that he wished he could die: "O, that this too too sullied flesh would melt,/Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!" (1.2.129-30). Furthermore, he wishes that God had not made suicide a sin so that he could do the act himself: "Or that the Everlasting had not fixed his canon 'gainst self-slaughter!" (1.2.131-2). It is immediately obvious that this passage is written in metrical form, making it a versed passage. Most of the lines in this soliloquy end with an exclamation point or a question mark. Hamlet's statements seem very direct and all seem to hover around the idea of...
Words: 1213 - Pages: 5
...Outline Hamlet Essay Politics, hatred, envy, incest, love, and most importantly revenge. These are all themes that boldly occur in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Literature is made to be understood and related to by the audience and throughout Hamlet; Shakespeare presents his audience with many soliloquies. As a matter of fact, the most famous of words in English literature "To be or not to be" (III, i, 58) is in a soliloquy said by Hamlet. Like all speeches in Shakespearean pieces, Hamlet's soliloquy captures the audience's eyes, ears, and hearts with relation to the economic, social, and political aspects of life. Through the common social tendencies of humans and Body Paragraph 1 Death is all around, whether caused through nature or by another man it will always haunt the world. Many people tremble upon the subject of death and it even haunts many to think of dying, this is why and how Shakespeare found a way to captivate his audience. This is evident when Hamlet says "while, to my shame, I see the imminent death of twenty thousand men, that for a fantasy and trick of fame, Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, which is not tomb enough and continent to hide the slain?" (IV, iv, 59-65). Here Hamlet expresses the great number of people that are being slaughtered in comparison to the one man who he is destined to kill to avenge his father. The audience analyzes this and now understands what it means to take a life. Shakespeare shows...
Words: 1216 - Pages: 5
...Hamlet: The Drama Behind It All Most of Shakespeare pieces of writing are fictional. His other pieces are based on an old story Shakespeare had adapted. His writing has many twists and changes that engages the reader and allows them to read more. Shakespeare’s works of art are all written in the form of a play as opposed to a novel or short story. Shakespeare uses literary devices and a huge amount of imagination to come up with these fascinating stories. The story of Hamlet begins when King Hamlet died and was eventually buried. Prince Hamlet, his son, found a mysterious ghost inside the castle which drives him to take vengeance on his father’s death and seek revenge on Claudius for his father’s murderer. True this can be seen as a "tragedy" but Hamlet isn't just any tragedy—it's a classic and revengeful tragedy! One literary device that Shakespeare uses in this particular play is antithesis. Antithesis is contrary ideas expressed in a balanced sentence. He uses this literary device when he writes, “To be, or not to be, that is the question” (Barnet, Burto, & Cain, 2014). He is expressing opposite ideas of being or not being, living or dying. Another, antithesis example in Hamlet, is when Claudius asks Hamlet about the clouds. Hamlet replies, “Too much in the sun” (Barnet, Burto, & Cain, 2014). Hamlet contrasts imagery of clouds to rain and storms. Also the grief to imagery of sun to joy and happiness. As he does this sarcastically, he also puns the word “sun” with “son”...
Words: 830 - Pages: 4
...Ms.Humes English IV April 4th, 2013 Hamlets Sanity Is Hamlet mad, is he sane, what is he going to do with his madness or sanity? In this mind twisting play, Hamlet by: William Shakespeare, there are many situations throughout the play that are enough to bring Hamlet to insanity. Take, for example, Act IV, scene II, after Polonius's death. Hamlet's day has been crazy, he finally decides that Claudius has killed his father. The chance to kill Claudius confronts him, and he comes very close to convincing Gertrude that Claudius killed his father. Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius and finally, the ghost of his father visits him. Though at this point these situations create plenty of reasons for Hamlet to be insane, he remains sharp and witty. Hamlet remains in this state of madness, .his intelligence remains clear, but his way of thinking takes a turn for the worse. Hamlet reveals to his friends and his mother of his plans to pretend act insane. He tells Horatio that he is going to “feign madness”, and that if Horatio” notices any strange behavior from Hamlet, it is because he is putting on an act”. (I.v.166-180). Hamlet also tells his mother that he is not mad, "but mad in craft." (III.iv.188-199). In addition to his confessions, Hamlet's madness only shows itself when he is in the presence of certain characters. When Hamlet is around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he behaves in a bad manor. When Hamlet is around Horatio, Bernardo...
Words: 632 - Pages: 3
...------------------------------------------------- English – The Tragic Hero Final We instinctively know that Hamlet is a play about revenge. By where it is unlike any other revenge tragedy that has preceded it, is the fact that it’s more concerned with moral questioning and thought than bloody action. The central tension in the play arises from Hamlets inability to find any definite moral truths, or certainties, as he works his way towards revenge. A theme ascends, known as The Impossibility of Certainty, the overall reading and vision for my film. Our lives, as well as the lives of our contemporary audience, are continually built upon uncertainties, as we try to distinguish what we think we know, and what we actually know. By successfully articulating this theme, The Impossibility of Certainty, I feel that it will be able captivate and concern contemporary audience’s to a point where they are immersed in the film, comparing it to their own lives. We know there is a constant search for truth and stability in peoples’ lives. Whether it is in relationships, about life or even death, they forever long to have a sense of certainty. This film will show that true certainty, like that Hamlet is searching for regarding the death of his father, is impossible to find, and that constantly searching for it will only bring you internal conflict and unhappiness, and in Hamlet’s extreme case, death. Therefore the message that we are trying to convey to the contemporary audience is that a quest...
Words: 892 - Pages: 4
...Hamlet Aristotle once wrote, “You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honour”. William Shakespeare wrote the play, Hamlet, as a revenge tragedy to entertain the Elizabethan audience. In act IV scene IV, Hamlet questions his courage and lack of ability to make a decision to avenge his father’s death. Hamlet compares himself to a military leader who demonstrates great bravery while questioning what defines honour. Shakespeare strategically utilizes his characters flaw to create deception, greed and ultimate revenge within the play. Therefore, Hamlet’s final soliloquy causes the Elizabethan audience to connect to the emotions the play evokes while simultaneously engaging them. To begin with, Hamlet’s final soliloquy allows the audience to elicit feelings of empathy over the personal conflict and struggle Hamlet is facing over avenging his father’s death. Firstly, Hamlet is overcome with grief and sadness at the loss of his father and recent marriage of his mother, which causes him to question his inability to act out his revenge. Hamlet states, “How stand I then, that have a father killed, a mother stained, excitements of my reason and my blood, and let all sleep” (IV.IV.55-59). This conflict of conscience would cause the audience to sympathize with Hamlet as he mourns the unimaginable loss of his precious family and the realization that the world he knows will never be the same again. Additionally...
Words: 929 - Pages: 4
...a constant presence in Hamlet or not – one thing is for certain – death, or whatever it is supposed to represent permeates the play right from the opening scene, where the ghost of Hamlet’s father introduces the idea of death and its consequences. The ghost represents a disruption to the accepted social order – a theme also reflected in the volatile socio-political state of Denmark and Hamlet’s own indecision. This disorder has of course been triggered by the "unnatural death" of Denmark's figurehead, the King, and is soon followed by a whole range of murder, suicide, revenge and accidental deaths. Hamlet is above all a story of individuality – and the search for it. This is why Yorick’s skull is so pivotal to the whole story. Previously, Hamlet has been appalled and revolted by the moral corruption of the living. Seeing Yorick's skull (someone Hamlet clearly loved and respected ‘I knew him, Horatio’ ‘fellow of infinite jest’ ‘how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rises’) propels Hamlet's realisation that death eliminates the differences between people. His questioning of ‘Where be your gibes now? Your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment’ are a manifestation of his realisation. This, once hilarious, loving person is a conglomeration of bones. It is also difficult to not notice the sudden shift in age as important. When the play begins, Hamlet is a university student, and therefore presumable 18 to 25. By the time Hamlet makes it to the graveyard in Act...
Words: 1505 - Pages: 7
