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what is the closet scene in hamlet

by Aniya Fisher Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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The closet scene is the pinnacle in the Hamlet play as it shows the true intention of Hamlet to kill Claudius is manifested to the opponent in the play. The taunting of Hamlet shows how vexed Hamlet is towards his mother.Nov 4, 2013

Full Answer

Why does Gertrude give Hamlet in the closet?

Staging the scene in the closet rather than in a bedroom is more in line with the Freudian psychoanalysis of an Oedipal Hamlet — a man resembling the Greek character Oedipus who bedded his mother and killed his father. If Gertrude received him in her closet, she treated him more as an intimate than as a son.

What happens in Act 3 Scene 4 of Hamlet?

Summary and Analysis Act III: Scene 4. As promised, Polonius arrives in Gertrude's room before Hamlet and hides himself behind an arras. He instructs Gertrude to be entirely blunt with her son.

Was hamlet in love with his mother?

Though not the first to cast Hamlet in an Oedipal light, Laurence Olivier popularized the notion of an untoward love between Hamlet and his mother in the 1947 Royal Shakespeare Company production and again in the 1948 film version.

What does the ghost of King Hamlet tell Hamlet?

King Hamlet's Ghost reappears to Hamlet, but only Hamlet can see him. Hamlet believes that the Ghost has come to chide his tardy son into carrying out the "dread command," but Hamlet then perceives the Ghost as his mother's protector. The Ghost tells his son to be kinder to her.

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What is the significance of the closet scene Hamlet?

Staging the scene in the closet rather than in a bedroom is more in line with the Freudian psychoanalysis of an Oedipal Hamlet — a man resembling the Greek character Oedipus who bedded his mother and killed his father. If Gertrude received him in her closet, she treated him more as an intimate than as a son.

What happens in the closet scene Why is this death so important for the play or what does the death of this figure represent?

iv (the closet scene)? Why is this death so important for the play, or what does the death of this figure represent? hamlet kills polonius that is hiding behind a curtain. In this encounter hamlet assumed that claudius was behind the curtain.

What happens in III IV the closet scene )?

Act 3, scene 4 is also known as the Closet scene. In this scene, Polonius arrives in Gertrude's room before Hamlet and instructs her to be blunt with Hamlet as he has instigated commotion and has deeply upset Claudius. When they hear Hamlet coming, Polonius hides behind an arras, which is a hanging tapestry.

Why does Hamlet go to Ophelia's sewing room?

The description is one that Polonius immediately recognizes — "Mad for thy love?" — because Hamlet's appearance embodies the contemporary stereotype of the spurned lover, indicating that his main objective in visiting Ophelia is to use Ophelia to convince others that his insanity was not due to any mysterious unknown ...

What is a closet scene?

The closet scene in Hamlet is a breakthrough in the moving of play where intensity is heated up through the actions of young Hamlet. King Claudius is very doubtful about the demeanor of young Hamlet. He wants to know it through observing him.

Why did Hamlet strike instantly at the figure behind the arras in his mother's room?

he wants him to go to Hell. Why does Hamlet strike instantly at the figure behind the arras in his mothers room? What reason does the ghost give Hamlet for his second appearance? The ghost thought Hamlet was going to kill his motherGertrude, so he told him you are not to kill your mother we just want to explain to her.

Who killed old Hamlet?

ClaudiusRemember that Claudius killed King Hamlet by pouring poison into his ear.

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).

Why is Hamlet so cruel to Ophelia immediately thereafter?

Hamlet is cruel to Ophelia because he has transferred his anger at Gertrude's marriage to Claudius onto Ophelia. In fact, Hamlet's words suggest that he transfers his rage and disgust for his mother onto all women.

What did Hamlet do in Ophelia's room?

Describe what Hamlet does when he enters Ophelia's room. Why, do you suppose, Hamlet chose Ophelia to be the first person to whom he reveals his new, strange behavior? Hamlet grabbed Ophelia's wrists and pinned her against the wall and breathed heavily while staring at her and acting mad.

Why is Ophelia so upset when she enters?

Ophelia becomes so upset when she speaks with her father because Hamlet had came to talk to her while she was sewing and he was acting in a strange way.

What did Hamlet do to Ophelia?

and he takes it out on Ophelia, abusing her, calling her all those things. “I'll no more on't,” he declares. Women, he tells her, are not fit to be part of society and should be locked away. “Get thee to a nunnery,” he yells, and he actually strikes her.

What happens to Hamlet at the end of the play?

His uncle, fearing for his life, also devises plots to kill Hamlet. The play ends with a duel, during which the King, Queen, Hamlet's opponent and Hamlet himself are all killed.

What is the final act and scene in Hamlet?

Hamlet's final scene covers the duel between Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet tells Horatio that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have died offstage: they were executed in his stead by the king of England. A courtier named Osric jokes with Hamlet and Horatio, making many puns (plays on words that are often humorous).

What are the symbols in Hamlet?

5 Principal Symbols in Hamlet ExplainedBad Weather. Symbolism in Hamlet begins in the very first scene of the play, as the weather represents the events that are about to occur. ... Hamlet's Dark Clothes. ... The Mousetrap. ... Ophelia's Flowers. ... The Skull of Yorick. ... To Read, or Not to Read.

How does Gertrude react to the play?

What does Gertrude's reaction to the play indicate? The fact that Gertrude does not act at all guilty and even admits that she suspects the Player Queen of being insincere indicates that she is guiltless of any crime against her deceased first husband, Hamlet's father.

What is the theme of Hamlet?

Some of the predominant themes in the text include revenge, treachery, deception and gender . The idea of revenge first comes up in the text when the ghost of the dead King Hamlet appears to Prince Hamlet, discloses to the prince that he was murdered by his brother King Claudius and demands that he avenges him. Prince Hamlet agrees to this and even though he is hesitant about fulfilling this, as he struggles with the idea of murder, he finds a solution when a group of actors arrive at Elsinore, the Danish royal castle, and decides to use them to stage a play, with his uncle King Claudius among the audience, about the murder of his father as told to him by the ghost. This was meant to determine Claudius’s guilt or innocence by observing his reaction to the play. As the murder scene was presented, Claudius abruptly rose and left the room where the play was being staged and Prince Hamlet saw this as proof of guilt. Queen Gertrude, Prince Hamlet’s mother who was also among the audience, summoned his son to her closet to demand an explanation. While they were in her closet, Polonius, Claudius’s counselor, who was spying on the scene from behind an arras, cried out for help when it seemed as if the prince was about to murder......

What is the drama review of Hamlet?

...Drama Review of Hamlet By studying the Stage Show of Wuhan University Abstract As the longest masterpiece of Shakespeare, Hamlet impresses us with its tragic revenge of prince Hamlet. This stage show presents us the core part of Hamlet through performance of “nunnery scene”, “closet scene” and Hamlet’s monologue. Thus, this article will mainly focuses on drama review of the stage show from aspects of technical arts, adaption and editing as well as performance of the actor and actresses and a character analysis combing with Oedipus complex, Electra complex together with the author’s personal reactions. Keywords: drama review; technical arts; performance, character analysis Contents I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………....3 II. Technical arts………………………………………………………………………4 A. Lighting &Music.……………………………………………………………..4 B. Stage Properties…………………………………………………………..........4 C. Costumes………………………………………………………………………4 III. Editing& Adaption………………………………………………………………..5 IV. Performance……………………………………………………………………….6 A. Hamlet…………………………………………………………………………...6 B. Ophelia………………………………………………………………………….6 C. Gertrude…………………………………………………………………………7 V. Character Analysis………………………………………………………………....7 A. Hamlet………………………………………………………………………….7 B. Ophelia…………………………………………………………………………8 C. Gertrude………………………………………………………………………..9 VI. Conclusion…………………………………………………………….................9 Introduction The original play of Hamlet is a......

What are the characters in Hamlet?

Polonius is the oily courtier; Horatio, the loyal friend. Most of the characters in Hamlet are well defined and unambiguous; the character of Gertrude, however, presents us with many ambiguities and difficulties. Some critics see her as "well-meaning but shallow and feminine, in the pejorative sense of the word: incapable of any sustained rational process, superficial and flighty" (Heilbrun 10), while others see her as a stronger character, cool and calculating. The play presents many aspects of Gertrude ’s character ambiguously. Janet Adelman writes, Given her centrality in the play, it is striking how little we know about Gertrude; even the extent of her involvement in the murder of her first husband is left unclear....The ghost accuses her at least indirectly of adultery and incest...but he never accuses her of nor exonerates her from the murder. For the ghost, as for Hamlet, her chief crime is her uncontrolled sexuality; that is the object of their moral revulsion, a revulsion as intense as anything directed toward the murderer Claudius. But the Gertrude we see is not quite the Gertrude they see. And when we see her in herself, apart from their characterizations of her, we tend to see a woman more muddled than actively wicked; even her famous sensuality is less apparent than her conflicted solicitude both for her new husband and for her son....Even......

What is the meaning of decay in Hamlet?

...Decay in Hamlet Decay is defined as “a gradual decline; deterioration,” disease as “any departure from health.” Both have multiple forms: physical, psychological, and social. Numerous examples of illness and deterioration can be found in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In this drama, Shakespeare uses imagery of decay and disease and the emotional and moral decay of his characters to enhance the atmosphere of the play and create a sense of impending doom. For example, in Act I, Laertes uses the analogy of plant disease to convince his sister Ophelia to preserve her virginity: The canker galls the infants of the spring Too oft before their buttons be disclosed, And in the morn and liquid dew of youth Contagious blastments are most imminent. (I, iii, 43-46) Furthermore, Hamlet’s description in Act IV of Polonius’ corpse being eaten by worms evokes a strong sense of decay and disgust: Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain convocation of politic worms are e’en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service -- two dishes, but to one table. That’s the end. (IV, iii, 22-28) While references to literal sickness and rottenness are made throughout the play, decay is perceivable in other ways as well. The characters in Hamlet decay emotionally throughout the play. For example, at the beginning of Hamlet, Queen Gertrude is happy,......

How does Almereyda portray Hamlet?

Michael Almereyda portrays Hamlet as having a great level of mental instability and hysteria. This is shown through his actions throughout this scene. At the beginning of the scene Hamlet is shown being extremely violent towards Gertrude. He throws her on the floor with great force, and then while on the ground he grabs her hair and forces her against the mirror. While against the mirror Hamlet makes Gertrude look at her herself. After this he pulls her away and wraps his arms around her neck and holds her there (Almereyda 2000). The violence expressed shows his inability to control his emotions. Further, this shows his mental instability because he lacks that ability have a normal interaction with his mother. He lets his anger overcome all other emotions he is feeling and takes it out on Gertrude. Also, within this scene Almereyda shows Hamlet’s hysteria after he has committed the act of killing Polonius. While still holding Gertrude in a choke like hold he shoots Polonius through a closet door. After Polonius is shot he falls out of the closet and onto the floor. Hamlet stands on the bed and looks down at the body. He appears shocked and as if he doesn't know what to do (Almereyda 2000). Hamlet's mental instability is shown here by the emotions he shows. He shows no remorse for what he has just done and only stays...

What is the most problematic play in Shakespeare's history?

...Introduction Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most famously problematic plays ever written. It has inspired critics to argue over it, since it first appeared on the stage in 1601. • John Dennis implies that there is no clear moral lesson in the play, since both good and bad characters die, but he refers to Hamlet as the best of Shakespeare’s tragedies. • Samuel Johnson generally praises Hamlet for its entertaining variety and balance but he dislikes its resolution. • Johann von Goethe sees the character of Hamlet as lacking in heroism. • T.S. Eliot felt that Hamlet was an artistic failure. • A.C Bradley says “It was not that Hamlet is Shakespeare's greatest tragedy or most perfect work of art; it was that Hamlet most brings home to us at once the sense of the soul's infinity, and the sense of the doom which not only circumscribes that infinity but appears to be its offspring”. The layers of Hamlet seem endless. Even after more than four hundred years of critical debates, there is no consensus about the play. Interestingly, Hamlet begins with a question and it remains infinitely open to interpretation. It is therefore a play of mystery. One of the central concerns of the play is the nature and the role of the Ghost who takes the form of Hamlet’s dead father. In order to understand it, we firstly ought to consider the theatrical impact of ghosts and spirits on Shakespeare’s audience. Ghosts in Shakespeare’s Time Shakespeare’s......

The Essay on Hamlet Gertrude And Ophelia

Frailty thy name is woman William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1 sc. 2 L. 145-146 Women, in the dictionary defines them as adult female human beings having characteristics such as courtesy, kindness, gentle, sweet, understandable and so on.

The Term Paper on Hamlet Play Scene Revenge

Hamlet What is a tragedy? A tragedy can be defined as a form of drama that depicts the suffering of a heroic individual who is often overcome by the very obstacles he is struggling to remove (Tragedy 1).

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What is the purpose of a closet in Hamlet?

Although a closet was a private room in a castle, and a bedroom was meant for receiving visitors, the convention since the late 19th century has been to stage the scene between Hamlet and Gertrude in Gertrude's bedroom. Staging the scene in the closet rather than in a bedroom is more in line with the Freudian psychoanalysis of an Oedipal Hamlet — a man resembling the Greek character Oedipus who bedded his mother and killed his father. If Gertrude received him in her closet, she treated him more as an intimate than as a son.

Who played Hamlet's wife in the movie?

In the film, Olivier, playing Hamlet opposite his wife in the role of Gertrude, staged the scene so that it was stripped of all its ambiguities. He dressed Gertrude's bed in satin, and he dressed the Queen, awaiting her son's arrival, in the same suggestively folded satin and silk.

What does Hamlet believe about the ghost?

Hamlet believes that the Ghost has come to chide his tardy son into carrying out the "dread command," but Hamlet then perceives the Ghost as his mother's protector. The Ghost tells his son to be kinder to her. Gertrude is utterly convinced now that her son is hallucinating from a devil-inspired madness, but Hamlet tells her that it is not madness that afflicts him. He begs her to confess her guilt to him and to heaven. At the very least, he begs her, don't sleep with Claudius or let him "go paddling in your neck with his damned fingers."

What does Gertrude tell Hamlet?

Gertrude tells him he has badly offended his father, meaning Claudius; Hamlet answers that she has badly offended his father, meaning King Hamlet. Hamlet intimidates Gertrude, and she cries out that he is trying to murder her. Polonius reacts from behind the curtain and yells for help.

What does Hamlet do when he finds Polonius' body?

Hamlet draws his sword and thrusts it through the tapestry, killing Polonius. When Hamlet lifts the wallhanging and discovers Polonius' body, he tells the body that he had believed he was stabbing the King. He then turns his attention to punishing Gertrude.

What is the scene in Act 3 Scene 4?

Summary and Analysis. Act III: Scene 4. As promised, Polonius arrives in Gertrude 's room before Hamlet and hides himself behind an arras. He instructs Gertrude to be entirely blunt with her son.

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