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How is Hamlet described?
Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle's scheming and disgust for his mother's sexuality. A reflective and thoughtful young man who has studied at the University of Wittenberg, Hamlet is often indecisive and hesitant, but at other times prone to rash and impulsive acts.
How does Ophelia describe Hamlet's physical appearance?
SARAH: Ophelia portrays Hamlet as the conventional distraught lover who's gone mad from love: his jacket's undone, he's hatless, his stockings are unfastened and down around his ankles, and his face is as pale as his white shirt.
How is appearance vs reality shown in Hamlet?
As the Hamlet says, appearance is deceiving, and things are not the way they seem to appear. In the entire play, all characters appear as real and honest. However, in reality, they have ulterior motives and depict duplicity. Deceitfulness and appearance create tension among characters as they plot their secret acts.
What is Hamlet's character?
OpheliaClaudiusHamletPoloniusLaertesHoratioHamlet/Characters
Did Hamlet and Ophelia marry?
Perhaps the most famous scene concerning Ophelia in the original play is when Hamlet angrily tells her, "Get thee to a nunnery!" In the film, the pair are genuinely in love and marry in secret.
Who Was Hamlet's wife?
Ophelia HamletOpheliaHamlet characterJohn William Waterhouse's painting Ophelia (1894)Created byWilliam ShakespeareIn-universe information1 more row
Does Hamlet pretend to be crazy?
Despite the evidence that Hamlet actually is mad, we also see substantial evidence that he is just pretending. The most obvious evidence is that Hamlet himself says he is going to pretend to be mad, suggesting he is at least sane enough to be able to tell the difference between disordered and rational behavior.
How does Hamlet show his madness?
Throughout the play, Hamlet displays pessimistic thoughts and negativity. He is unable to cope with his perceived responsibility to his father and is driven further into a state of depression (Shaw). Hamlet's madness and his quest for revenge ultimately resulted in his death.
How is the theme of appearance vs reality explored in Hamlet?
The consistent theme throughout the play is appearance versus reality. Many situations appear to be forthright and honest, but in reality they are deceitful and dishonest. Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and King Claudius all appear to be sincere and trustworthy but the reality is they are all evil.
Who kills Hamlet?
LaertesHamlet dies on-stage, stabbed by Laertes with a blade poisoned by Claudius (it seems to be the poison that kills him, since he takes a while to die).
How old is Ophelia and Hamlet?
This is Ophelia, is eight years old, and she's newly arrived at Elsinore with her father and brother, and she is at her first banquet: “Prince Hamlet, who was then about 14, sprang about the hall with much silliness and some grace, his dark hair flying wildly about his head.
What age is Hamlet?
thirty years oldHamlet is therefore thirty years old, however out of keeping that might seem with the rest of the play. There are, however, both textual and interpretative grounds to doubt this reading, and to stick with our inference that Hamlet the student is a teenager.
What was unusual about Hamlet's appearance when he visited Ophelia in her closet private room )?
Hamlet came to her in her sewing room with his jacket askew and unfastened, and wearing no hat; his stockings were filthy and unfastened, drooping at his ankles; and he was pale and trembling, looking "piteous." Polonius diagnoses Hamlet's condition as madness due to his love of Ophelia, brought about because Ophelia ...
Is Ophelia pregnant in Hamlet?
By this point, Ophelia would be well aware of her pregnancy, and well aware that she would soon begin to show outward signs of it.
What does the representation of Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia reveal about his character?
Here, Hamlet's fatal flaw has affected even his love relationship with Ophelia as he fails to act upon his love for her. Therefore, this shows that Hamlet did love her before Old Hamlet's death, but he has lost his love after his mistrust of women and he also fails to act upon his love towards her.
How does Ophelia deceive Hamlet?
Hamlet does not trust Ophelia. Hamlet gives Ophelia the option to tell him the truth and recieve his trust when he asks her, “ where is your father,” but Ophelia continues to lie, telling Hamlet he is “at home” when Polonius is actually in hiding with the King and several others, listening to the conversation.
Who played Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet?
Mr. Phelps and Miss Glyn as Hamlet and the Queen, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Act 3, Scene 4. Print, 19th century. Folger Shakespeare Library.
Why did Hamlet carry two medallions?
This choice had the advantage of simplicity (no need for expensive portraits that might or might not look like the actors) and it promoted a choice bit of stage business: Hamlet could th rust the medallions in his mother’s face, daring her to confront the fact that her current husband killed her first husband. The medallions have had staying power, particularly in films of Hamlet. Laurence Olivier used them in 1948 and Kenneth Branagh did the same in 1996, both times showing the portraits in close up.
Was there an actual portrait of William Shakespeare on the stage of the Globe Theatre when the King's Men performed Hamlet?
Was there an actual portrait of William Shakespeare on the stage of the Globe Theatre when the King’s Men performed Hamlet? Probably not, given what we know about the absence of moveable scenery in public playhouses at the time. Still, it’s tempting to imagine Shakespeare not just writing a part for himself , but writing his own physical likeness into the world of the play , and a flattering likeness at that .
Did Shakespeare play the ghost in Hamlet?
One of the oldest theatrical legends about Shakespeare is that he played the ghost in Hamlet. We know that Shakespeare was both an actor and a playwright, but we have no idea whether he acted this small, but memorable role. Yet if he did, he certainly would have enjoyed the “closet scene” between Hamlet and Gertrude (Act 3, Scene 4) in which the ghost appears for the third and final time. What Shakespeare might have most enjoyed was writing a scene that included a portrait of himself.
Why is Hamlet dressed in black?
From our first encounter with Hamlet, he is consumed by grief and obsessed with death. Although he is dressed in black to signify his mourning, his emotions run deeper than his appearance or words can convey. In Act 1, Scene 2, he says to his mother:
Who is Hamlet in Hamlet?
Hamlet is the melancholy prince of Denmark and grieving son to the recently deceased King in William Shakespeare 's monumental tragedy " Hamlet .". Thanks to Shakespeare’s skillful and psychologically astute characterization, Hamlet now is considered to be the greatest dramatic character ever created.
What does Hamlet do when his father's ghost kills him?
When the ghost of Hamlet's father reveals that Claudius killed him to take the throne, Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s murder. However, Hamlet is emotionally disorientated and finds it difficult to take action. He cannot balance his overwhelming hatred for Claudius, his all-encompassing grief, and the evil required to carry out his revenge. Hamlet’s desperate philosophizing leads him into a moral paradox: He must commit murder to avenge murder. Hamlet’s act of revenge is inevitably delayed amid his emotional turmoil.
What does Hamlet say about his father?
Hamlet idealizes his father in death and describes him as “so excellent a king” in his “O that this too solid flesh would melt” speech in Act 1, Scene 2. It is, therefore, impossible for the new king, Claudius, to live up to Hamlet’s expectations.
What is the depth of Hamlet's emotional turmoil?
These but the trappings and the suits of woe.". The depth of Hamlet’s emotional turmoil can be measured against the high spirits displayed by the rest of the court. Hamlet is pained to think that everyone has forgotten his father so quickly—especially his mother Gertrude. Within a month of her husband’s death, Gertrude married her brother-in-law, ...
What is Hamlet's moral paradox?
Hamlet’s desperate philosophizing leads him into a moral paradox: He must commit murder to avenge murder. Hamlet’s act of revenge is inevitably delayed amid his emotional turmoil.
Why is it difficult to appreciate how revolutionary Shakespeare’s approach to Hamlet was?
Today, it is difficult to appreciate how revolutionary Shakespeare’s approach to Hamlet was because his contemporaries were still penning two-dimensional characters. Hamlet’s psychological subtlety emerged in a time before the concept of psychology had been invented—a truly remarkable feat. Cite this Article. Format.
What is Hamlet's style?
Hamlet. Style in Hamlet frequently functions as an extension of character: the way characters speak gives us insight into how they think. This observation is especially true for Hamlet himself, who speaks more than one-third of the play’s total lines, and whose linguistic style changes—often rapidly—depending on context.
How many lines does Hamlet have in his monologue?
This monologue continues for nearly 35 lines, in which Hamlet pontificates on the suffering inherent in existence and considers the pros and cons of committing suicide.
What does Hamlet say about Claudius?
When Claudius refers to him as “my son,” Hamlet replies somewhat aggressively: “A little more than kin, and less than kind” (I.ii.65). Hamlet’s words play off a common English proverb that states, “The nearer in kin the less in kindness.”.
Why is Hamlet written in prose?
One reason for the high amount of prose is that Hamlet has more comic scenes than any of Shakespeare’s other tragedies. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the gravedigger, and often Hamlet himself all make jokes, while Polonius has jokes made at his expense in almost every one of his scenes. Shakespeare preferred to use verse when he was tackling serious themes, and prose when he was writing comedy, so in Hamlet he switches often, sometimes in the middle of a scene.
Why does Shakespeare switch to prose?
Another reason why Shakespeare switches between verse and prose is to mark the difference between careful speech and disordered speech. In Act III, Scene 1, Hamlet begins by speaking in verse. His famous soliloquy, “To be or not to be” (III.i.), expresses a complex, ordered thought which Hamlet seems to have been mulling for some time. When Ophelia enters and tries to return the presents Hamlet has given her, he switches abruptly to prose. His switch to prose shows us that Hamlet is no longer thinking clearly, and we understand that Ophelia has surprised and upset him.
Why does Hamlet switch between prose and verse?
Hamlet’s frequent switching between verse and prose is part of what makes the style of the play feel evasive. Hamlet’s facility with both prose and verse, and tendency to alternate between the two styles, also underscores the sense of him as a character who is of two minds, or who is not quite sure who he is, so adopts different speaking manners trying to figure out how to really sound like himself.
How does Shakespeare make the rapid twists and turns in Hamlet's thought evident?
First, he has Hamlet move quickly between low and high registers, such that he delivers cutting insults and alludes to Greek mythology in the same breath. Second, he includes dashes to indicate quick interruptions of thought.
Who is Hamlet in love with?
This small scene shows how wholly frightened Hamlet is by his encounter with the ghost, and suggests that he is in love with Ophelia, as she seems to be the first person he runs to after the shock.
What is the irony of Hamlet's encounter with the ghost?
There's dramatic irony in this encounter, meaning that we as an audience know something that neither Ophelia, nor her father Polonius, to whom she's telling the story, do: that Hamlet has run to her just after his encounter with the ghost .
What act does Hamlet visit Ophelia?
Hamlet looks completely dishelved and appears to be insane when he visits Ophelia in Act 2. Ophelia describes his appearance and odd behavior to her father Polonious in 2.1.87-94:
What is Hamlet's story about?
On the contrary, Hamlet is about the central problems of Renaissance thought: philosophical uncertainty, the anxiety of damnation, and the difficulty of knowing how to act morally. Hamlet is a sophisticated, modern intellectual.
Where does Hamlet's story take place?
The whole play takes place inside Elsinore’s castle , except for Act Five scene one, which takes place just outside, or possibly in the grounds of the castle. This confined setting reflects Hamlet’s situation. He feels trapped by his duty to his father and his duty as a member of the Danish royal family, so his story is confined behind the battlements of the Danish royal fortress. Elsinore is a place with many private spaces. Hamlet is often alone when he delivers his soliloquys. Ophelia has a “closet”—a private space—and so does Gertrude. Claudius prays in a private chapel. These private spaces reflect the play’s obsession with how people behave when they are not performing for other people. At the same time, the characters’ privacy is often disturbed or spied upon. Polonius spies on Hamlet while he talks to Ophelia. Hamlet invades Ophelia’s closet and he spies on Claudius while he prays. When Hamlet invades Gertrude’s closet, Polonius is spying on them both. All this spying contributes to the play’s atmosphere of uncertainty and mistrust.
What is the meaning of "Elsinore" in Hamlet?
“Elsinore” is the English spelling of Helsingør, a town on the eastern coast of Denmark. In Shakespeare’s lifetime, Helsingør was an important military location, the stronghold from which the King of Denmark controlled a narrow stretch of sea. A fortress had stood in the town since the middle ages, and between 1574 and 1585 Frederick II of Denmark rebuilt the fortress as a magnificent castle. Will Kemp, a member of Shakespeare’s acting company, probably visited the castle at Helsingør to perform for Frederick, who was an enthusiastic patron of theatre, so Shakespeare likely knew where the town was and what its castle was like. The threat of invasion from neighboring countries is essential to the plot of Hamlet, which ends with the Norwegian prince Fortinbras storming the castle. The threat of invasion also contributes to Hamlet ’s mood of anxious uncertainty.
Where did Hamlet and Horatio come from?
Hamlet and his friend Horatio have come to Elsinore from Wittenberg, Europe’s leading university. Laertes is visiting from France, and we learn that another Frenchman, Lamord, has recently visited Elsinore. Claudius receives tribute from the ruler of England and exchanges diplomatic messages with the King of Norway.
Who spies on Hamlet?
At the same time, the characters’ privacy is often disturbed or spied upon. Polonius spies on Hamlet while he talks to Ophelia. Hamlet invades Ophelia’s closet and he spies on Claudius while he prays. When Hamlet invades Gertrude’s closet, Polonius is spying on them both.
Is Hamlet a modern intellectual?
Hamlet is a sophisticated, modern intellectual . He is familiar with the latest ideas from all over Europe. His philosophical doubts express the profound uncertainties which lay at the heart of European culture when Shakespeare was writing.
