HAMLET ESSAY #2

People often question right and wrong, trying to give exact definitions to the words, yet how can right and wrong be defined in such an open context. A person must have their own definition to each of these words and their own choices will reflect on those definitions. There will always be that vacillating that happens between what is happening in ones mind and what they want to physically do. A decision will be made, but how does one justify if their action was right or wrong? Hamlet faces this fight throughout the entire play, contemplating what is wrong and what is right. His hesitance in killing King Claudius shows that Hamlet is contemplating murder, which any human being would do when faced with the duty of killing someone. Although many readers and even the characters see Hamlet as mad, he is a very intricate and intelligent character in which his actions are done for specific reasons. Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, To be or not to be, contributes to the understanding of why Hamlet is so hesitant in killing the King and to the overall theme of uncertainty and experiencing change as Hamlet moves through the different stages of performative utterance.

The soliloquy presented by Hamlet shows how Hamlet has this fight between what his mind is telling him to do and what he really wants to do. Hamlet recites the famous soliloquy To Be Or Not To Be in Act 3 Scene 1. In reciting this message, Hamlet realizes that he is procrastinating in killing the King because he is afraid of the guilt that will come along with killing him. At one point, Hamlet mentions death only because it seems like it would be an easier outlet rather than making a decision to kill the king or not. Hamlet sees himself as a coward because he can’t follow through with his father’s request. There is not only this fight between right and wrong that Hamlet faces, but also contemplating whether he will stay loyal to his deceased father or do what is best for himself. For the audience, this soliloquy defines Hamlet as a confused and complicated character, rather than an insane and mentally unstable character, which was the impression that was given off by his previous actions. This is a turning point for Hamlet because he starts to focus on his negative attributes and his lack of bravery to get the job done, which only complicates his decisions even more.

Hamlet’s soliloquy include many literary techniques such as irony, language and juxtaposition. The irony is seen as Hamlet is trying to escape death and murder, yet it surrounds him in every direction. Shakespeare uses a variety of language that are different in origin and meaning the use of “quietus” and “bodkin”. Juxtaposition is displayed throughout the entire soliloquy; the opposites between doing what is in his mind and what he believes right or fulfilling his father’s request. The soliloquy helps to develop the central theme of uncertainty and living through change. Hamlet suffers through uncertainty throughout the entire play, while trying to acclimate to this new life with a disloyal mother and no father. Every character experiences change and must become familiar with how the new life will be, like the new king gaining power and Gertrude moving on so quickly after her husbands death. The overall tone of the play is dark, uncertain, and tortured which is seen in the soliloquy because Hamlet is tortured with picking what action he will take. Throughout this soliloquy, Hamlet is in the locutionary stage, the thought process. He has already went through the illocutionary phase by promising his father he will kill the king, but throughout this soliloquy he never reaches the per locutionary stage.

The battle that Hamlet fights within himself makes him a weak character at times, but when he finally enters the pre locutionary stage at the end of the play, his true bravery and confidence is shown. Hamlet endures this journey of contemplation and hesitancy that contributes to a tone of torture and an overall theme of uncertainty. Through this quote in the play, the audience takes on a new understanding of Hamlet and the struggles that he is taking on, while Hamlet also has a new understanding of his cowardice and weakness. To be or not to be is a very significant part of the play in that we see this vacillation happening inside of Hamlet; he is not an insane person, but rather a very calculated and confused character that has a lot going on inside his mind.

ACT 4 AND ACT 5 NOTES

Act 4 

Scene 1

Gertrude describes hamlet as insane.

Two solutions:

Send him away or sweep it under the rug it was advisable.

Let's get the inter circle around to make our decision.

Hamlets threat is to Claudius 

Scene 2 

Rosencrantz and guildenstern question hamlet and he gets very defensive don't look at me like the king and you have no right to blame me. First time acting like a prince. Sponge metaphor.

Hamlet is saying polonius is with his dad.

It's not the actions that get judged it's whether the people like him or not. And he is really liked. Claudius is talking about hamlet.

Hamlet combines his character. We've seen all parts of him but now he brings them together he is very complex. Hamlet is saying that the king is not bigger than everyone. 

Claudius is sending hamlet to England where he will then be killed. Claudius will hire someone to kill hamlet.

Hamlets characterization: getting called to see the king when your guilty of something. Hamlet doesn't care he is confident and content with what he has done. He is now a man. He was vacillating now he is certain.

Scene 4 

Captain says if I tell you the truth we are going to fight over something very worthless. Shakespeare includes this because when you see a soldier you think of honor and inner commitment which triggers Hamlet. He compares himself to the captain

Hamlets soliloquy. 

One hand it's hard for me to carry out the ghosts order but on the other hand I want to so bad.

What is the difference between him and a dumb animal. All he does is sleep and eat but has no purpose. We have a brain to think and carry out action why isn't he using it. 

Ignorance of an animal or overthinking an event. 

How can he continue to put things off but not do it. He has the resources he is just putting it off. Seeing the captain reminds him that he isn't doing what he promised and he needs to take action. 

He is a prince he has at hand an army and he is comparing himself to the captain and fortinbras and he is saying how they are so much better because they use their power and fight whereas he does not.

Now he is going to beat himself up. How do I have all of these family members like this and I have done nothing. 

On one hand there is a piece to all of us. At the same time there is also an occasional benefit to not thinking so much and just taking action. 

He resolves that he is just going to act and not think about right and wrong. He will just finish the deed. 

Scene 5 

Gentlemen is talking about Ophelia. Saying that she is crazy.

Ophelia has lost it and is singing like a crazy person. She is talking about her dead father who has gone to the grave. She is talking about love. Love unrequited. Rejection has made someone mad not only hamlet. 

Although she was nutty, she is making a good point. Claudius believes he has gotten rid of all his problems but now he has Ophelia is another problem and is going to tell her brother that they are excusing hamlet from the action.

Laertes shows up and confronts the king.

Any bit of me that is not furious right now is not my fathers son. 

King Claudius confronts him/ questions him.

Laertes is saying that Ophelia has lost her mind and wits. Hamlet was sent away. Laertes is twice as mad at hamlet.

Claudius is saying that he is trying to take laertes down from his combat. Laertes is saying that the way is death was treated must be acted on and Claudius says it will it will. 

Scene 5

Horatio tells them that hamlet is not on his way to England that rosencrantz and guildenstern are and that Claudius's plan is falling apart.

Scene 6

Hamlet wrote the letter. The letter is to Horatio. Hamlets ship was taken captive by pirates and even though pirates would hold the prince captive they didn't. Hamlet promised Horatio that he would be returning to Denmark. Horatio is to give the other letters to the king and meet hamlet for the news he has.

Scene 7 

The king has finally gotten laertes to see his way. But laertes wants to know why the king has made hamlet pay for his bad deed.

The king has two reasons: one being he loves Gertrude and she lives by hamlets looks and the second being hamlet is liked by the people of the society and any accusations may backfire. 

The king may be lying but has some truth to it and needs hamlet gone in England rather than where everyone can see because the people may turn against him. The king thinks hamlet knows who killed his father. 

Laertes tells the king that he seeks revenge on hamlet. And the king says laertes doesn't need to lose sleep over it 

The messenger brings hamlets letters to the king one is for the queen and one if for the king but the one to the queen will never be mentioned again. The king reads the letter in front of laertes. It says that hamlet is back in the kingdom and he is alone. 

The king makes up this story to stop laertes from killing hamlet. The story is about Lamond who praised laertes and that is why hamlet envies laertes. 

The king questions laertes love for his father and tells him that love can die too. But that if laertes is going to act he much act fast. 

The interaction between laertes and the king brings flashbacks from hamlet and his journey in killing the king. The last line regarding how laertes will kill hamlet in the church is a flashback to when hamlet had a chance to kill the king while he was praying but he didn't.

The king has laertes hooked and will now reveal the plan. He says that when hamlet returns laertes is to leave him alone and they will build up hamlets reputation And laertes reputation in the crowd then create a fencing challenge between the two to show who is better and laertes will not have the protective button on his sword and while fencing hamlet will accidentally purposely kill him.

They begin to think of back up plans and laertes says he will put poison on his sword to ensure hamlets death then the king says you will make the match so intense that hamlet needs to get water and the king will give him poisoned wine to also ensure his death. 

Now Gertrude enters to tell laertes that his sister is dead. She had died in the woods from flowers and song. The willow symbolizes forsaken love, a garland of willow is what a lover does when their beloved has left them, daisies symbolize dissembling and nettles sting. Ophelia has died because of lost love not because of her father. She went to hang her garlands and the branch breaks and she falls in the water. Her clothes get waterlogged and pull her down. She drowns.

Laertes begins to cry and makes a sad joke about the water. He then says that once he is done crying he will be done being a woman and be a man again. He exits crying with a famous line. 

The king says they must follow laertes because his rage may come again with the news of Ophelia's death. The king is still afraid of laertes. 

Act 5 

Scene 1

- Shakespeare introduces sacrifice in nonchalant way 

- clown done this so much that he is detached to burying people, very humorous and not sensitive to the death. Makes jokes of it. 

The clowns contemplate if Ophelia killed herself in self defense or f it was suicide. People kill them self because of self defense, they reach the point where they just can't do it anymore.

Clowns continue to make jokes using the wrong words to mean other things. Stupid clowns, not really funny

Hamlet is becoming more comfortable with the thought of death and talking about death. 

Hamlet begins joking about the dead and thinking how it doesn't matter what you have because eventually all you will have is your grave. Hamlet decides to talk to the gravediggers and realizes they joke just like him. 

Hamlet asks who's grave the man is digging but the man said it is neither a woman nor a man rather a woman who is now dead. Hamlet never realizes that it was Ophelia's grave. The gravedigger continues with the jokes about death. 

Hamlet asks how long the man has been on the job and the man began talking about hamlet saying he started when he was born and he was talking about the hamlet that went crazy and was sent to England to gain his wits. He doesn't realize that he is talking to hamlet. 

- hamlet 30 years old

Hamlet asks how long a body will last and gets a straight answer of 8 or 9 years. Then another skull is shown and it is yoricks skull, the tables turn. 

- "alas poor yorick! I knew him horatio: a fellow of infinite jest , of most excellent fancy" yorick was like a father figure to hamlet giving him thousands of piggy back rides. Hamlet looks into the empty skull and talks to it about its features. Hamlet made a horrible pun at yoricks expense. The skull reminds hamlet that one day we will all come to this. One day we will all be dead. 

At a funeral and the deceased is upper class but not royal and was a suicide. Hamlet questions why this dead person is being buried on sanctified ground if it is a suicide. 

Hamlet notices laertes who is arguing with the priest. The priest wanted the ceremony to proceed like it would for a suicide but due to the Kings request it did not, but laertes still wants more but the priest cannot do that for him. 

Laertes jumps into the grave and holds Ophelia again telling them to dig him and her together. Hamlet is enraged and jumps into the grave as well and tells laertes he is being melodramatic. 

Laertes begins to fight hamlet but not with the intent to kill because hamlet is able to ask laertes to get off of him. Others jump in and separate the two but now they have disrespected Ophelia's dead body. 

- grandest among us be humble 

- hamlet lived Ophelia

- thinks laertes thinks he didn't and now he is talking out loud

Laertes is trying to out do hamlet in grief and hamlet calls him out. Hamlet expresses how he loved Ophelia. 

The king and queen calm laertes down but as soon as hamlet leaves the king reassure laertes about the plan to kill hamlet.

- "the dog will have his day"

Scene 2 

While talking to Horatio, hamlet reveals his plan against the king by accident out of rashness. 

Hamlet took the letter from guild and rose that was meant for the king of England. The letter was from the king and it ordered the king of England to kill hamlet. Hamlet has the orders in his hand and must act upon it. 

- found guild and rose. Fear opened commission. Found scheme that guild and rose were going to him

- hamlet forging new commission to Kill guild and rose

Horatio tells hamlet he must act fast because the king will soon hear what happened to guild and rose and will know that hamlet is out to kill him. Horatio is telling hamlet he must kill the king as soon as possible. 

Osric comes to invite hamlet to the fencing match between him and laertes, but hamlet is giving this man a hard time and barely letting him deliver his message. 

Hamlet talks good about laertes as well and with better language. Horatio laughs at osric

Hamlet agrees to the fencing match. Everyone is coming to start the match right away. Hamlet and Horatio have a few moments to themselves in which Horatio expresses how he thinks hamlet will lose but hamlet feels confident.

Hamlet is now having second thoughts and Horatio offers to tell everyone the match is off, but hamlet insists to let it be. Hamlet says that he will die now or die later in three different ways which seems comical. Then he says he is ready so he is ready for death. Then he explains how he can't take anything with him when he dies so why not die now but he wants revenge on the king first. 

Everyone comes and hamlet decides to partake in the fencing match. 

As laertes and hamlet shake hands hamlet apologizes and says that his actions were caused by his madness ( this must be a lie because hamlet never thought of himself as mad, he is just trying to be nice) 

Laertes says he accepts the apology and will do hamlet no wrong which is obviously a lie. 

Hamlet is trapped the sword or the wine will kill him. Hamlet wins the first round but doesn't drink. He wins the second round and doesn't drink but his mother steps forward congratulates him wipes his sweat and offers to drink it for him. The king must now do something or his wife will be killed.

Gertrude drinks some and offers hamlet some but he does not take it but she insists on wiping his eyebrows. Laertes thinks about killing hamlet right then in a cowardly way, but hamlet gets ready for round three and laertes loses his chance. 

They tie the next round and as hamlet walks away laertes attacks and nicks hamlets shoulder hamlet gets the sword with the poison and offers another round to laertes but laertes is very hesitant. 

The queen falls and is dying so is laertes who was hit with the sword and gives up the king as he is dying. Hamlet stabs the king with the poison sword and makes him drink the poison. 

Hamlet is now dying and says his last words to laertes ( they are at peace) and his last words to his mother. He then turns to Horatio and tells him to tell hamlets story about his revenge for the king and how the king had betrayed him. Horatio tries to drink the poison to follow hamlet but hamlet insists that Horatio stay and tell his story. 

Hamlet tells Horatio he wants fortinbras to be king.

Hamlets urgency to have Horatio tell his story seems odd he never cared what people thought before. 

Everyone doesn't know who to give thanks too because everyone is dead. 

Horatio will tell the story with no one the hero just as a story that needs to be told. 

Fortinbras says he will be king because has the rights from a long lost relationship. Fortinbras orders the bodies to the stage where Horatio will give his speech. Fortinbras has cannons shot off and music played in honor of hamlet. 

HAMLET ESSAY

Actions speak louder than words. Many people say that they are going to do things, but do those things ever really get done? No, rarely people follow through with their words. In today’s society, it is difficult to trust someone with only words, actions are the only thing that can truly speak. Yet, words and language have a big impact on what a person actually does. What the person is constantly telling themselves or others changes how they will act or if they will act at all. In Hamlet’s case his words drowned him, his words took over him. He became what his words were saying. Insanity was instilled in him because his words were meant to evoke that stereotype; his stereotype seemed to come true during his conversation with his mother and the action preceding Polonius’s murder. In my life, words take on a whole new meaning. When I say that I am going to do something, it will get done no matter what. My words become my expectations and I refuse to not accomplish something that was expected of me. Where Hamlet uses the power of language to trick people, I use language as a to-do list, never leaving one thing unchecked. Language impacts people, whether by trickery, motivation, or lack of motivation; words define a person’s personality, but the actions following define the person’s character.

Hamlet changes immensely throughout the course of the play, which seems to be the repercussion of such powerful language he uses. When Hamlet made Ophelia believe that he was insane, knowing that Ophelia would run to tell her father and her father would run to tell the king, insanity wasn’t a thought. Intelligence and maturity were the first characteristics that Hamlet contained. He knew how to trick the community in order to fulfill what his father requested from him, King Claudius’s death. His plan was working and considerably well. The play that resembled Hamlet’s story was another example of his powerful language, which truly impacted the king to a level that he needed to “get rid” of Hamlet. Yet, Hamlet was a character of all words and no actions, why was the king so frightened by someone who only used words? But Hamlet soon changed from a character of words to a character of actions. Hamlet soon embraces insanity after going completely crazy on his mother; his feelings that he had been holding in for so long had finally exploded. His actions went along with his words. In Hamlet’s case the power of his words seemed to take over his life and turned him into someone he didn’t want to be.

Words mean promises. When I agree to do something, I either get the job done or make sure that someone else will if I absolutely cannot do it. An example of this is when I told my softball team that I was going to start a club my senior year giving athletes many different opportunities to volunteer allowing them to have at least one thing to go to that wouldn’t conflict with their schedules. As senior year came around, I had applications, scholarships, classes, Special Olympics (which I was president of), and so many other things going on in my life. The team kept asking me, are you still making that club, I really want to join and I couldn’t let them down. Although I was overbooked and didn’t have a lot of extra time for this club, I started it anyway and spend hours looking for volunteer opportunities for them. Not only did my words of committing to something impact my actions, but the words of my friends also impacted my actions. The fact that my friends confided in me and knew that I would follow through with what I had said shows that my dedication to my words is very strong. I live by the motto of sticking to my words, while also ensuring that they don’t over power me.

Words are powerful in so many ways, but never ensure that the action will be done. Every person uses words, the difference is whether the words impact the person in a negative or positive way. For Hamlet, he was extremely intelligent and excellent with his power of language, but eventually it took over his life. For me, language works as an ignition to my actions and inspire me to do more. Self-overhearing seems to be the main issue for Hamlet. He vacillates whether he wants to be the person in his words or the person in his mind. Self-overhearing in my mind is the constant reminder of what I have to do on my to-do list. Although words are extremely powerful and make an impact on how a person will act, actions still seem to be the determining factor. Language can define a person’s intelligence, but actions show who the person really is after the mental fight that happens within.

Act III Notes

Act 3 Scene 1 

Indirect characterization crafty madness

Hamlet was giving them weird answers. 

He's forcing the way he's acting. He is doing it on purpose.

Polonius says devotions visage 

The outward of being devoted 

By looking like we are doing the right thing we can convince the people that we are not malicious 

Claudius is beginning to feel guilty 

R and g are on Claudius's side.

Hamlet is talking to Ophelia but also commenting on that he doesn't trust her feelings and beauty corrupts honesty- his mother queen Gertrude. 

He doesn't love you now. 

Everyone that comes to talk to him is sent there for a reason that is why he doesn't trust Ophelia 

He's upset at everyone. Everyone is acting a fool including himself. He is a sinner as well. He is a skinny kid at fat camp. 

He is saying that women corrupt men 

He is talking about two faced or face paint and makeup.

Madness double entendres. Madness in temper. Beyond the pale of good taste and therefore at the presumption of insane.

Hamlet is going back to England. Polonius and Claudius were listening. They set this up so they could hear his own words. Claudius suspects danger. He doesn't know if it's anger at his fathers death or his mothers marriage. So now he will send him off

Polonius will never disagree with the king but he still believes the madness is over the love for my daughter. Polonius says let Gertrude have a moment with him to get it out. He's not really mad but if he is send him away. Polonius wants his daughter to marry hamlet because she has potential to become queen but then he also tells her to stay away from him.

Scene 2 

Hamlet has turned director. Telling the players how he wants the players to speak and it is naturally 

Don't underplay it but also let your own judgement be your guide. Make this be real. He's very calculated. Not a madmen. Gearing it to the audience. In a sense post modernism a play within a play. Don't go off the script. The lines I've given you are exactly what I want you to say no more no less. 

The king and queen are ready to watch the play so Hamlet sends rosencrantz and guildenstern to get the players ready. He then begins to talk to Horatio. He gives him praise. Is this because Horatio has kept hamlets secret or Horatio is the only one that Hamlet trusts? 

Hamlet begins to give this big speech about why he likes Horatio. Horatio is important to Hamlet because he doesn't have an agenda, he comes simply to talk to Hamlet. Horatio is poor which means that Hamlet does not need to impress him, so why does Hamlet give him all these complements? I believe that it is because Horatio is the only person that Hamlet trusts and is the only person that Hamlet has left. 

Horatio has a trait that Hamlet lacks. I'm confused as to what that trait is or what he is implying in this situation. Horatio is a steady man, but what is that implying?

Hamlet then realizes he has embarrassed himself and said too much, so he asks Horatio to watch the king and make sure he does not escape in its course. 

All those that see hamlet as mad enter for the play. Hamlet makes an interesting remark that has two puns. One pun being air/ heir. ( the king promised to be heir to the throne but that promise isn't even chicken feed) what does this mean? The king promised to be faithful but he has done nothing of the such? 

Another pun is seen when hamlet calls polonius a calf and then turns his attention to Ophelia. Does this mean he is protecting Ophelia or how is this a pun and what is its importance? 

Hamlet makes sexual puns towards Ophelia and she reacts without anger. Rather casual as if he is joking, but hamlet is serious and referring to his mother and the king.

The play starts identically like how hamlet's father died. The exact seen is shown, but one thing is clarified or suggested: that the queen never participated in the murder and did not have affairs with Claudius before the death of King hamlet. 

The next scene of the play is the queen promising that she will never remarry even though the king feels his death nearby. The king then explains that one should recognize their lies and forgive and forget it which contradicts hamlet's belief that he is a coward for not fulfilling the revenge. 

The act of the king being poisoned is played again and more in real life. Hamlet is getting impatient and asks his mother what she thinks of the play. Then the king asks if there was offense in this play and hamlet replies yes. Now hamlet begins yelling out extra details that were not in the play. The king calls off the play and everyone leaves except for hamlet and Horatio. 

Hamlet is celebrating and very excited for his success. But was he successful? Did everyone else catch on? 

Guildenstern and rosencrantz come to tell hamlet that the king is distempered, but hamlet does not care and takes it as drunk rather than angry. The two friends expect an apology or guilt within hamlet but hamlet rather gives them a hard time and does not feel bad at all.

The friends tell hamlet that his mother wishes to speak to him, but he is not apologetic but will talk to her and tell her that he is simply doing her a favor.

Guildenstern attempts to stop hamlet when he goes to play the recorder. The hunting metaphor is then made. He is trying to guide hamlet into a net. Guildenstern tells hamlet he is only doing it out of love and then hamlet retaliates and explains how his friends have betrayed him in so many ways. 

Polonius now enters and relays the same message that hamlets mother wishes to speak to him. But hamlet treats the three men with disrespect and shows that he is sick of them treating him like a fool and a madman. 

Hamlet now thinks about what he will say to his mother. He has so much anger that he contemplates killing his mother but remembers what the ghost told him. 

Scene 3 

The king, guildenstern and rosencrantz enter because hamlet does not obey the messengers. The king says I like him not which means he doesn't like where it is going. 

The king tells the two men that they will be taking hamlet to England. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Not in this case. The Kings reason is that he deserves respect as the king and hamlet is of complete disrespect so he must leave.

Guildenstern and Rosencrantz accept the Kings request and kiss up to him as the king has much more power than any government official in today's world does. The people strongly believe that the king is trying to keep the country safe so many would agree with making hamlet leave the country.

The king does not care what the queen has to say because the king has already decided hamlet will be sent to England for his protection. Polonius hides behind the curtain hoping to hear that hamlet is mad because he can't have Ophelia's love. Polonius then expects the queen to scold hamlet and make him be a good boy. The king doesn't care what is being said so polonius exits.

The king now gives his soliloquy. He is scared by the play but still will not admit anything to anyone. The king does not know for sure whether hamlet has figured him out or not, but he knows that God knows and this guilt rises up inside of him. He try's to pray but cannot. He has been exposed to God. He knows that sins can be forgiven but only if they are repented and cannot repent this sin.

He asks the Angels for help and bends his knees. He is going to pray now. 

Now hamlet enters just as the king kneels down to pray. He is about to kill the king but then realizes that if he killed him now the king would go to heaven and that is not revenge. Hamlet decides he will catch the king when he is in a state of sin. Hamlet leaves to go to his mom. Just as he leaves the king reveals that he had failed to pray and if hamlet would of killed him he would not have gone to heaven. Hamlets thinking about his thinking saved his enemies life. 

Scene 4 

The scene takes place in the queens closet where there is a huge bed. ( this is also where hamlet had paid Ophelia a silent visit. )

Before polonius hides behind the curtain he tells the queen that she must scold her son. 

The queen begins to scold her son and calls the king his father and he responds with you have offended my real father. She then tells him that she will get someone who will make him listen talk to him rather than herself. She seems frightened now as if hamlet is doing something that scares her. He may have put his hand on his sword or thrown his mother into the chair it is not said, but he does something to frighten her. 

The queen begins to yell asking what hamlet will do to her because she is guilty and it is coming out of her. Polonius yells for help and hamlet stabs through the curtain killing polonius. His last words were o I am slain.

The next part is up for interpretation. I believe hamlet meant to kill the king and did not know that it was polonius. Hamlet makes the accusation to his mother that she helped the king kill her husband, which is new and was not said by the ghost. When hamlet calls the king a murderer the queen doesn't deny it or isn't surprised. Whether the queen was apart of the murder or not was never determined.

Hamlet pulls back to curtain and says he thought it was the king and that polonius will finally understand why it is dangerous to be so noisy. 

The queen tries to justify herself but hamlet is very rough in denying her and goes on to tell her how she has gone against her vows and so forth. He shows a picture of both the men she married. She sees king hamlet as a god and king Claudius as a mildewed ear. She then realizes she doesn't understand why she did what she did, she didn't control herself ? 

Hamlet continues to shout at his mother because he is still so angry. 

The ghost enters: as hamlet continues to shout and show his anger towards his mom the only thing that stops him is the ghost.

His mother sees nothing and finds him mad but hamlet explains to his father that he would rather reem his mother than revenge his father. He is nervous because he had a chance to kill the king and he did not. 

The ghost tells hamlet he must make sure that his mother does not go mad. Shakespeare paints the picture within the eyes of the queen that hamlets hair is standing on end and has a life of its own which clarifies why his mother thinks he's mad. 

She begins to explain his presence.

Hamlet tries to show the ghost to his mother but she cannot see the ghost. He seems to be reporting an emotional encounter with himself. He believes the image of the ghost will make him weep rather than kill. 

The queen explains that he is only insane and that is why he describes this ghost. Hamlet is offended and begins to verbally attack again. Hamlet asks for forgiveness but the queen has a hard time with this. Hamlet then tells his mother to not sleep with his uncle tonight because it will bring virtue to her easier. He knows he has sinned but worries only of his mother sexual relationship with his uncle, not of what happened with the murder or if his mother was apart of it. 

He softens his tone and wants sympathy from his mother which is expressed through his repetitive good night. He repents his killing of polonius and knows that he will have to pay for it. He asks for one more word from the queen but she only says what shall I do.

Hamlet then gets angry again with this response and spills that he is only pretending to be mad and he doesn't want his mother to sleep with the uncle because she may reveal his secret. If she does this she is only getting herself into more trouble. 

The queen promises not to tell her secret and hamlet asks if she knows that he must go to England. She says that she knows and she's sorry that he has to go. Hamlet then paints a cartoon painting regarding his feelings towards guildenstern and rosencrantz. What significance does this have? 

Hamlet is now done with his mother and he will begin to pack his bags. He continues to make puns at polonius even though he is dead and he makes one on drawing. Drawing towards the end with polonius and drawing him out of the room. Hamlet says goodnight to his mother again and she doesn't respond again. 

The Performative Utterance in Hamlet Notes

Notes on the performative utterance in hamlet 

Hamlet is often seen as indecisive, but is rather stuck between what is happening in his mind and what is going to or needs to happen in reality.

He is very powerful in many aspects of the play but struggles throughout the play in whether he will act on what he is supposed to- revenge. 

He is not a confused character but rather a complex character that contemplates between right and wrong. 

Performative language acts. It influences real change in the world.

People say things and often do what they say but this also leads to a chance of a person saying something but not acting on it.

There are three types of forces in performative language: locutionary force, which is the ability of language to deliver a message; illocutionary force, which is what is done in being said; and per locutionary force, which is achieved by being said ( an order being followed or refused, which applies in Hamlet).

Going to show relationship between the business of language (saying something) and the business of the real (following through).

Writers use performative utterances to show that language encourages or influences a person to do something, yet this can be proven wrong in so many cases by the millions of people who say something and never do it. This could be different when referring to the authors tho. 

Characters that come from Shakespeare's plays develop through self-hearing, they over hear themselves thinking and in doing so gain self-knowledge. How so? 

Self-hearing is either revelation or creation, which is it for Hamlet?

He demonstrates performative utterances. Is it because inside he hesitates whether to kill the king and in real life he sees hesitation as well. Or is it because he says that he must complete revenge and is planning to do so? 

Because Shakespeare's characters had to give speeches to reveal their thoughts, they had a chance to overhear themselves and develop from that.

Locutionary to illocutionary to per locutionary = thought to language to action. 

Locutionary is that Hamlet wants revenge because he is angry and misses his father. Illocutionary is that he promises his fathers ghost he will kill the king. Pre locutionary is whether he does it or not and what results from that.

Hamlet does not swear to revenge, but rather sweats only to remember his father. Horatio and Marcellus swear to secrecy. Hamlet over hears himself and has trouble following through with the revenge because he did not swear to kill klaudius.

Common motifs are drama and play acting which brings the reader to the conflict of finding what is sincere and what is not.

Performatives that fail are called infelicities or unhappy.

Hamlet has false performatives because they were meant to be pretended in a context of play acting, they were not failed. 

Illocutionary can be mis understood in many ways and pre locutionary can be a variety of the illocutionary has been left open to interpretation. 

Hamlet is in hollow performative act and has powerful emotional forces and can spur action that had great consequence (killing king klaudius)

When Hamlet hears the first player he realizes that revenge is not what he wants to do. He falls into language and does not follow through with action. 

Hamlet is strongly influenced by the words of the first player and uses the first players emotions to decide what he shall do. Hamlet feels guilt for wanting revenge and is influenced by the first player who says he would only mourn. Will Hamlet follow his footsteps and do the same? 

This example shows the power of language and how it influences people. But what if it influences them to break a promise now they are going against language again? 

The legitimate of the emotional context of utterances to the power of those utterances is important in Hamlet's world. 

Hamlet's intentions are misrepresented due to his play acting that requires more attention. 

The central mimetic act is a play at madness designed to hide Hamlet's murderous intent, to cover his investigation of his uncles crime and to inoculate him from punishment for his various small sins, in short he acts as if he is crazy in order to distract the others from what he plans to do. 

How the players act is very important because he has to be careful not to reveal himself as intelligent and only playing the madman. His advice to the players is very detailed because Hamlet cannot perform his performative utterances if the players do not follow his advice. 

It is difficult to tell what one is really doing because one can be physically doing something but really covering up or setting something up for something else. Hamlet does this when he talks to Ophelia, knowing that she will go back and tell polonius.

Hamlet has made successful utterances because polonius believes his madness. He used language to create his sense of madness. 

Hamlet does not say he is mad but uses language to pretend that he is mad through illocutionary forces.

Polonius is incapable of seeing the true side of Hamlet because he sees repetition. Something similar happened to him so it will happen to Hamlet. He discovers this by analyzing why Hamlet may be crazy in great detail. 

Hamlet uses his act of madness to find his true identity and who he wants to be. Whether he wants to act on right or wrong, kill or not kill. 

Hamlet is realizing that royalty and power is fraudulent and he must break those barriers because he cannot trust those of royalty. He shows this by the example of his father being king to now his fathers murderer being king.

Hamlet looks at how other people see him just as how he sees other people and debates within himself whether that is real or unreal. 

We must infer our actions and emotions through our behavior, just as we would do so with other people.

Everyday, everyone creates an identity of themselves. This identity changes day to day, hour to hour.

Claudius has unhappy performative utterances when praying because he feels guilty yet still has power and does nothing but pray. Hamlet chooses not to kill Claudius while he is praying because he doesn't want him to go to heaven. Because Claudius acknowledges the false nature of his prayer, this can be strictly analyzed by linguistics rather than religion. 

The steps of performative utterances are revealed through Claudius's actions or rather shown how he has not performed happy utterances. He thinks about praying and does so, but fails at doing so because he cannot line up his interior world. He cannot face his guilt and horrific actions which means he fails at his prayer.

Claudius's story is used to show an opposite of Hamlet. Hamlet has changed and now cares about others and decides that revenge is not the answer and he must stay within his Devine plan. This contradiction shows how Hamlet has changed. 

Hamlet uses performative utterances not to follow through with action, but to self realize. He realizes who he wants to be and does this. 

He was once unable to do something but now grasps himself and does it in the worst way possible. Hamlet has changed entirely over the course of the play. 

Hamlet Soliloquy

Act I and II Notes

Act 1

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Metaphor of the snake to the uncle of killing King hamlet 

Queen knew that the uncle killed her wife. Klaudius seduced he queen 

Hamlet didn't have his last rights and was able to come back according to the religious customs of that time. He was in a state of sin when he died.

Hamlet was poisoned and died. Only knows what he knows because he is a ghost.

Hamlet says don't punish the queen. He says leave her to her own guilt and to heaven. But punish King klaudius. King hamlet tells hamlet to get revenge. 

I have sworn 't. He is resolved. He has a heroic roll. He has the obligation to get revenge for his father. He needs to be a man and strong and heroic, but this puts a lot of pressure on him and weighs him down dramatically. This is the conflict for the rest of play. 

He's at peace. He has validation and knows now. 

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, then are dreamt of in your philosophy. 

The time is out of joint: o cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right. He lives now to avenge his fathers death.

Revenge is a difficult motif.

The play is now taking place in a more formal setting. They seem to be at a sit down dinner with the king and queen and hamlet. 

The king talks about how everyone is sad about the death of the king but it is time to move on now and continue on with the line of royalty. 

After king hamlet died the uncle became king and married Hamlet's wife.

King sends Cornelius to give a message to fortinbras. 

King talks about laertes who is the child of a good family friend and how he encourages him to go to England to study more.

Hamlet "A little more than kin, and less than kind" situational irony from the aside audience knows something to be true while the character does not 

Not letting him in just taking it in not being rude back. Denying his assumption 

Hamlet is saying the things happening are just ritual not what is happening inside of him

Visage- facial expressions 

Hamlet is acknowledging that you can do all those things but it doesn't mean you are unhappy. You don't know a persons inside. He is beginning to call out those who are or may be faking the ceremonies but don't feel the same inside. He feels horrible inside and is hiding them.

King (uncle) find something he can honor them stabbing his ideas. Grow up and snap out of it you are acting unmanly. And by the way you aren't going back to school. Your next to the thrown but we are going to treat you like a baby. Making hamlet seem crazy or mentally unstable. The idea of keep your friends close and your enemies closer. King is keeping Hamlet close. 

He says he will try to obey his mother.

See directly into the mind of the character through Hamlets monologue 

Hamlet is pissed. Characterizes his dad as such a great king then his uncle to satyr which is a goat and horrible acts. Hamlet implies that he wishes he didn't have to sit here and see all of this happen. Hamlet is now thinking about suicide because he doesn't have to see this not because he is sad or crazy. He's not giving up he's pissed. Also bashing on his mom. Implying that she did not love his father, that she was a slut, and recognizing incest. Ashamed of her and feels betrayed. Should have mourned a lot longer. Allusion to bible about suicide and being a sin. Against biblical references. 

His tone of the questions was now investigative detective, asking very detailed questions. Fact based questions. Dispassionate more interested in details. Contrast between passionate and dispassionate. Very intelligent teenager who is in his wits. Very appropriate and mature conversation with Horatio and Marcellus.

Laertes is the brother of Ophelia. 

Hamlet likes Ophelia. Feels good but not a good idea. 

Laertes is being protective of his sister. 

Keep your self distant. 

She says she's going to take advice. She said don't tell me how to live my life if your going to do what your telling me not to do.

Family of advice givers. 

Cautel means caution 

Wants him to be independent, think before you speak, if you have good friends be loyal, don't go and have a million friends, quality over quantity. 

Polonius says what teenager wants to hear that she doesn't have her life in order.

Act 2 scene 1 

Lord polonius wants Reynaldo to investigate his son.

Reynaldo objects to saying that he does things such as drinking and things that may not be true.

Characterization polonius loses his train of thought. Talks more than he thinks. 

When people know you enough they will fill in the blanks. So get to know him. Throw out the bait and you catch the fish that will tell you what is happening in laertes life

By i directions find directions out. Foreshadows how he will get information out of Ophelia to get info about laertes. 

Ophelia is telling her dad that hamlet had approached her. He had grabbed her. He was the dark side she was the light side. He was confused. 

Lord polonius thinks he came to get some. 

He wasn't trying to he was just possessed by some emotional state and couldn't understand where she was coming from. He was there for misery not for her. 

Ophelia loves him even though her dad says not to see him. 

She hasn't been seeing him.

Possibilities: 

Hamlet was grieving his dad and thinking about how he has to kill the king. 

Hamlet could be faking it so that she will go back and tell the story to her dad.

Hamlet could be sad that he doesn't have Ophelia's love.

Act 2 scene 2 

King is doing the same thing as lord polonius. To get information about hamlet. He is sending hamlets friends to get more information about him.

King has been notified of hamlets eradicate actions.

The queen is paying the friends for their service.

Polonius:

False humility. Aren't I a clever guy is what he is saying

Fortinbras thought that his nephews taxes were against the polish but when he found out that it was toward King he became angry. So the uncle sends out for his arrest and says he won't go against King klaudius anymore. But now they want to go through Denmark to attack the polish. 

Brevity is the soul of wit. Makes a long story longer. The news is good which confirms klaudius power. But he uses that compliment to talk badly about hamlet.

Gertrude is right. Polonius is wrong 

Fishmonger- someone who sells fish in a market acting like a crazy person 

Though this be madness, yet there is madness. 

Each of hamlets answers have a double meaning is being hinted by polonius 

Hamlet was faking he knows exactly who they are.

For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. 

What a piece of work is a man! 

Hamlet read them like a book knew that they were sent for him. We can assume he is in a state of grief.

He is a very passionate character. He confesses he is not himself but he he knows they are evil in his life. 

Actors that are coming to the castle to give a play.

-" what a piece if work is a man". Cliche line. Theme of play and how we are contradictory and are able to creat beauty and destroy it with at the sane time. Powerful 

- hamlet is saying that he is kinda mad and testing g and r

- hamlet tells player 1 to tell story if king who was in scandal and then dies because not righteous

- hamlet is changing play and writing in lines and starting to hatch a plan

-make play resemble fathers murder and watch how Claudius reacts 

-" the plays the thing wherein I will catch the conscience of the king". Starting to beat himself up. Like when you take a test and know you did bad. Compare himself to actor and how actor can cry and feel emotion fir fictional but hamlet can't feel anything. Feels about coward because keeping everything to himself. Alone with no one to give him tough love and has to motivate himself. Compare himself to whore and how words have no meaning like a whores because they always lie. He judges on action. Mentions "the play within the play". Trying to make himself look weak so no one will see him coming

Remix ACT I and II

Hamlet Soliloquy: Remix of a Remix