Hamlet Close Reading

The English Play writer, William Shakespeare had written many well-known pieces of work including Hamlet. Hamlet is known to be one of his most popular works. Hamlet was written in the late 16th Century about the Prince of Denmark. The original title of the work was The Tragedy of Hamlet, now it is referred to as just Hamlet. In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses the mental state of his characters to prove that not all characters in books have to be one dimensional. Shakespeare’s writing shows that humans are complex, and can have different mental states. Characters throughout the story such as, Hamlet, Gertrude, and Ophelia show their not so stable mental state. First we will analyze Hamlet and talk about Ernest Jones’ Psycho-analytic study of Hamlet. Then we will talk about Ophelia and how the events that happened leading up to her death or suicide played a role into her mental state. Finally we will analyze Gertrude, the Queen’s role in Hamlet, and how she is a mentally weak woman and relies on the men in her life.

that he never went to hell (272). She clearly valued sex as the most important attribute of a husband for, “…in our bed he was so fresh and gay….Heaven knows whenever he wanted it- my belle chose-, thought he had beaten me in every bone…”(272) Even though her final husband had beaten her, because he was good in bed with her she felt she loved him the best of them all (272). Clearly, The Wife of Bath valued three things in her marriages, sex, power, and money. In her tale we find that power is an important role to women in marriage. A knight, after raping a women is spared by a queen (282) but in order to save his life, he has one year (283) to find, “What is the thing that women most desire”(282)? After searching, he finds no answer but on his way home finds an old women who promises she will save him, he must promise to do what she asks of him after however, and he agrees (285). When he and the old lady meet with the queen, he exclaimed, “A women want’s the self-sovereignty over her husband as over her lover, and master him; he must not be above her” (286). This answer is perfectly inline with The Wife of Baths views, she always wants to be more powerful than her husband. When the old lady says he must marry her, he protests but soon she offers him two choices, he can have her be old and ugly till she dies, but loyal, or she can be young and pretty and take chance that she might not remain faithful (291). He gives his answer to be that she may choose, thus giving her the

In the soliloquy it is shown that while Hamlet does not like his uncle he blames his mother for all that has happened especially her weak disposition that caused her to marry Claudius as seen in the line “frailty thy name is women”. In the line Hamlet generalizes all women showing his instability as he does not understand the difference between his mother’s actions and all women. His anger towards his mother is also shown in his comparison of her being “like Niobe all tears” because like the mythological figure Niobe she also mourned however Niobe was turned to stone and kept weaping which suggests that he considers her to be hypocritical because while she cried and mourned she remarried only a month after her husband died. This idea is also shown in the line “a beast would have mourned longer” showing that because of her betrayal he considers her to be an unfeeling animal. Hamlet’s anger builds throughout the soliloquy until he comes to the realization that he cannot reveal his true thoughts to anyone “but break my heart for I must hold my tongue.”

The use of attitudinal tones makes Hamlet react in a way that develops his character to dislike his uncle, Claudius. Hamlet’s opening statement in Act 1 Scene 2, displays a sarcastic tone and his inner struggles surrounding his mother’s remarriage shortly following the death of her former husband, which is considered incestuous in his perspective. He describes his uncle as “a little more kin and less than kind” (I.2.65) which displays hatred towards his uncle and emphasizes the discomfort in their relationship. There is outward conflict between them as there is tension in the air whenever Hamlet and King Claudius are present together. He first expresses suicidal thoughts in a melancholic tone, when he describes the corrupted world he lives in as an “unweeded garden/ That grows to seed; things to rank and gross in nature/ Possess it merely” (1.2.135-136) where he wishes his “too sullied flesh would melt,/ Thaw and resolve itself into dew” (1.2.129.) He expresses his disappointment in his mother for marrying too soon and describes his father as “So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr” (1.2.138-140.) He explains how his father was by far a better king than his uncle. This betrayal exposes Hamlet’s repressed feelings about his mother, and the impact of his father’s death is increased through his perceived betrayal to faithful marriage and family ties. His tone changes in Act 3, Scene 3 as he is now exposed to Claudius’ confession of being responsible for the

The speech of Hamlet “O that this too sullied flesh would melt, … But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.” (1.2.129-159) is where we can see Hamlet’s sadness towards his mother, Gertrude and his uncle Claudius and feels disappointed about their decision of getting married. Hamlet is seen to be too upset after his father’s death. It’s not even a month has passed and he gets to hear another news about his mother Gertrude and uncle, Claudius getting married. In the beginning of Act 1 Scene 2, King Claudius gives a speech to his courtiers, telling them about his recent marriage to Gertrude, mother of Hamlet and his brother’s widow. Claudius says that he mourns his brother but has chosen to balance Denmark’s mourning with delight of his marriage. He also mentions in his speech that young Fortinbras has written to him, rashly demanding the surrender of the lands King Hamlet won from Fortinbras’s father, and dispatches Cornelius and Voltimand with a message for the King of Norway, Fortinbras’s elderly uncle.

During the early 1600s, a time of unrest and uncertainty spread through most of the world specifically in Europe as it began to see a gradual insurgency of leadership as new monarchs rose to great power as the existent ones faded. The legitimacy to how some new rulers gained their prestigious power came into question as tales of treason especially within families spread rapidly. William Shakespeare, having grown up near this time period was influenced by his surroundings and similar works such as histoires Tragiques, that inspired his work Hamlet. Although there are various views and opinions surrounding Hamlet as a whole, it is a great tragedy which centers itself on one’s own uncertainty and depicts seeking revenge as a major theme. These main topics are further discussed in the works or Kiernan Ryan and the British Library in “Hamlet and Revenge”, as well as “Hamlet in Purgatory” by Stephen Greenblatt. The main character, Hamlet however is both the protagonist and the tragic hero as the story unfolds. Hamlet is torn between his own conscience as expresses in his ongoing soliloquies and in doing what he believes is right opposed to seeking revenge, which leads him to being indecisive on his actions taken due to influence caused by those around him.

Fie on't! O fie! ' tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely.

In act one scene two, the audience sees Hamlet for the first time as a distraught man who has just lost his father and is in a state of confusion and anger over his mother’s new marriage. In this scene he gave his first soliloquy which gave the audience a clearer view of Hamlet’s mind. He began the soliloquy by wishing that his flesh could melt away or that God had not made suicide a mortal sin. In lines 136 to 137 Hamlet said, “ O God, God, / How weary, stale, flat, and

With the overall powerful and God like perspective of his father, Hamlet develops the idealistic understanding that a king should to be loyal and morally in the right. “ so excellent a king: that was, to this Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother.. of impious stubbornness tis unmanly grief.” ( Ham, 1:2:60) “O most wicked speed, to post/ With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!/ It is not nor it cannot come to good/ But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue” Comment1: Thereby, Hamlet represents his innocence and overall admiring his behaviour by comparing his father to the gods, saying that his father was like the “ Hyperion” the sun god, the symbolizes is god like he admired his father as a young child would admire any parents, not looking at their faults or his mistakes, being oblivious to the situations that he went through. Hamlet truly projects his young innocent nature by only seeing the good in people, but in this case only seeing the good in this father stating that he was a pure “ excellent king” further process that he only choose to see or appear his father in one point of view. As for Claudius also stating that Hamlet is also just but a child as he is handling the grief as child like and how he should be more manly in how he handles the situation. Hamlet’s admiration for his father is clear. Hamlet believes that he is irreplaceable. Ironic comment because he will meet his father again.

First, Hamlet’s anger is shown when he reveals his true feelings about his family. Hamlet has strong feelings about the marriage between his mother and Claudius. Furthermore, Hamlet says, “But two months dead! Nay, not so much, not two: so excellent a king: that was, to this Hyperion to a satyr: so loving to my mother…” (2636). Hamlet is struggling with the fact that his mother married his father’s brother. He has not mourned his own father’s death. Also, he feels like he just has to accept what is occurring around him and no one is concerned about his feelings. Hamlet feels like his own mother betrayed him as well. It has not even been two months since his death and she is already moving on. His father was also a good person and loved his mother dearly which make him feel even more upset. Hamlet also says. “O, that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew!” (2636). Hamlet is so discussed and angry with his family that his wishes that his flesh would melt away into vapor. He has become sick of his own skin. It

To start the play, King Claudius gave a speech that despite the loss of his brother he had taken his spot as King, Married his wife and this was cause for a celebration. This was still very much a shock to Hamlet, he was filled with so much sadness and numbness. Through pain filled tears Hamlet spoke “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, or that the Everlasting had not fixed his canon ‘gainst self-slaughter. O God, God, How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!” (I.2.129-134). This has so much pain and depression, here Hamlet

Hamlet also manages to both degrade himself and his uncle in another comparison, saying his uncle was “no more like my father / Than I to Hercules” (1.2.152-3). Though such strong comparisons to romanticized and mythical figures could are partially simple hyperbole, they also underscore some of the insecurity in Hamlet’s character. The value in recognizing this comes as Hamlet descends into his madness, whether real or imaginary, where the reader can see that, even before Hamlet deliberately decides to appear to be “mad” he has certain issues and insecurities with his own feelings. Even more significantly, this passage begins to elaborate on Hamlet’s relationship with his mother. Gertrude represents an interesting dilemma for the deconstructionist critic, as she does not create or involve herself in many conflicts or oppositions. She manages to significantly affect the plot and the subtext of the play while seeming almost insignificant as a character at first glance through the deconstructionist lens. She does not overtly affect events, and often plays the victim of circumstance. This very insignificance creates an issue for Hamlet, who is clearly quite disgusted with her behavior. He vehemently disapproves of the speed of her marriage to Claudius, saying that “a beast, that wants discourse of reason, / Would have mourned longer” (1.2.150-1), but can find no other strong criticism of her other than how fast she remarried. This strikes at the

In Act I, scene II, Hamlet delivers his first soliloquy after his mother and new step-dad/uncle Claudius try to convince him to get over the death of his father, and to accept their rather hasty marriage. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet questions whether or not he should kill himself, and curses God for making suicide a sin. Hamlet is also fixated on his mother’s rushed marriage to his uncle, not even a month after his father’s death. Hamlet says, “A little month, or ere those shoes were old/with which she followed my poor father’s body” (Lines 146-147). He is very hooked on the fact that his mother wore the same shoes to her wedding as she did to her husband’s funeral, not even having time in-between to break the shoes in. Hamlet wishes he could say whatever he wants and express his disgust about his mother’s marriage and his hatred for his uncle, but since his uncle is the reigning King of Denmark, he has to hold his tongue and show respect for the king. This first soliloquy introduces the reader to Hamlet’s indecisiveness and over analytical mindset.

It is this mourning that becomes the foundation of conflicts to come. After an encounter with his father’s ghost, Hamlet learns of his uncle’s treachery and is at first filled with rage, “Haste me to know’t, that I with wings as swift, as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge.” (Hamlet aside, Act I, Scene V, p.1651), but it is Hamlet’s struggle with himself that leads to not act upon his words as fast as he had clamed to.

Hamlet reconciles his mother's hasty actions after the death of his father in lines one hundred thirty-seven through one hundred fifty-seven (Hamlet Prince 71). He begins with, "But not two months dead! --Nay, not so much, not two," which clearly shows disgust in the hastiness of the marriage between his mother and his uncle. His ideas and feelings jump around throughout this group of lines, which also demonstrates a nervous anger. He remembers how "excellent a king" his father was and how "loving [he was] to [Hamlet's] mother" (Hamlet