Terms
when a character just yaps to another charactrer
monologue
prince hamlet's bestie
horatio
why do the guards tell hamlet about the ghost?
1) it's the ghost of hamlet's father, King Hamlet
2) the ghost didnt talk to the guards, but if it truly is the ghost of the king, it wouldn't refuse to talk to his son
what figurative language is goin on here:
"The serpent that did sting thy father’s life
Now wears his crown."
metaphor - Ghost King Hamlet is comparing Claudius to a poisonous snake
describe hamlet using one word
(other answers may vary)
juxtaposition is when there's two or more things/ideas/etc placed next to each other for emphasis. what ideas are being juxtaposed in Claudius' lines: "our dear brother's death / the memory be green"; "With mirth in funeral, and with dirge in marriage"
death and decay is contrasted with greenery of life, growth, renewal
this guy assumes the ghost's appearance is a warning of impending misfortune
horatio
How soon after King Hamlet's death did his wife, Gertrude, marry his brother Claudius?
within a month. big yikes.
what's goin on here:
"[A]nd the moist star
Upon whose influence Neptune’s empire stands
Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse."
allusion to Neptune, the Roman god of the sea :)
where the play takes place
Elsinore Castle in Denmark
when a character makes a comment directed the audience; other characters on stage cannot hear this
aside
this guy gets permission from King Claudius to go to France
Laertes
List 3 pieces of advice Polonius gives Laertes
1. don't say what you're thinking, don't be too quick to act on what you think.
2. be friendly but don't overdo it
3. once you've tested your friends and found them trustworthy, hold onto them
4. don't waste time shaking hands with every new guy you meet
5. don't be quick to pick fight, but once you’re in one, hold your own
6. listen to many people, but talk to few. hear everyone's opinion, but reserve your judgment
7. spend all you can afford on clothes - quality over flashy
8. don't borrow money and don't lend it
9. be true to yourself
what's going on in Polonius's metaphors here:
"Think yourself a baby
That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay,
Which are not sterling."
He's calling Ophelia a baby, saying she's naive for believing that Hamlet’s affections (“tenders”) for her are true when in fact they are like counterfeit silver coins.
What does the King of Denmark and the King of Norway have in common, besides being kings?
their sons have their names! very original!
Hamlet's whole "wow everything sucks and I wanna die" speech is an example of ________
soliloquy!
these two characters don't want Ophelia to hang around Hamlet
Laertes and Polonius
what does the ghost tell Hamlet?
Claudius murdered King Hamlet via ear poison while he was sleepin in the garden
both Hamlet and the Ghost allude to incest/incestuous desire. So far, why might this be a recurring motif/theme?
Gertrude marrying her brother-in-law so quickly after her husband's death -- a key plot point
Why does Marcellus say, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”?
something—as yet unknown—is wrong in the country. indicated by Ghost of King Hamlet appearing, and also the Ghost wanting to speak to Hammy privately
a foil is a character who, by contrast, emphasizes the distinct characteristics of another character. Hamlet has a few foils-- name one of them and why you think they are foils.
Laertes - his family life is normal, used to contrast the awkwardness of Ham's family
This guy is revealed to be a murderer in Act 1 Scene 5
Claudius
think of the interactions between claudius and hamlet, and then between polonius and laertes. what's the point of showing the two family interactions?
claudius n hamlet = awkward tension (claudius essentially shaming hamlet for mourning his father; all the elaborate joy of having Ham stay in Denmark)
juxtaposed with
polonius n laertes = normal, familial interaction (polonius giving laertes some life advice and showing love)
what's goin on here:
"How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on’t! O fie! ‘tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely"
metaphor - hammy is comparing the world to a garden where the weeds have taken over
what's up with Hamlet's line "Frailty, thy name is Woman"?
Hamlet is a lil judgmental that Gertrude has 1) immediately remarried after her husband's death, and 2) she um. married his brother. of all people. Hammy is now a lil cynical about women and their morality/sexuality :/