Act 1 Quotes Flashcards
I,1
Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself.
Francisco
Establishes tension almost immediately. Subtle exposition on the unstable political climate. The audience gets the idea that something is wrong from the very first lines of the play.
It is interesting that the only reason Francisco even exists in this play as a character is to have a tense, fast paced back and forth between him and Bernardo. The establishment of an unstableclimate is the sole intention behind Francisco’s character. He also represents the misery of the soldiers at large which hints more directly that geo-political tensions are afoot. (yet still subtle)
I,1
Horatio says ’tis but our fantasy
And will not let belief take hold of him
Marcellus
Marcellus paints a skeptic as well as a stoic image of Horatio as the audience’s first impression of him (more or less). Many critics believe Horatio to be the audience’s touchstone. For example J H Walter claiming Horatio to be the ‘witness and measure of truth’.
In this way, Horatio is similar to Mercutio from Romeo and Juliet, just less pessimistic. Mercutio has been described as a cynical realist.
I,1
Before my God, I might not this believe
Without the sensible and true avouch
Of mine own eyes.
Horatio
West claimed that when the skeptic, Horatio’s confidence in pneumatological rationalisations are overriden, this override should take place within the audience as well.
Hints of skepticism and stoicism permeates his character.
I,1
Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore task
Does not divide the Sunday from the week.
Marcellus
For most Christians, Sunday is observed as a day of worship and rest, holding it as the Lord’s Day and the day of Christ’s resurrection.
The practice of having Sundays as holidays has its roots in religious and historical traditions. While the concept of taking a day of rest or a Sabbath can be traced back to various ancient cultures and religions. The adoption of Sunday as a holiday is primarily associated with the Christian tradition.
The fact that the soldiers are essentially preparing for war with ferocious intensity and even working sundays gives the audience very direct exposition that Denmark is in grave poltical danger. The Sunday work rule subtlely also hints that the present King is not a good Christian ruler projecting doubt within the hearts of keen eared audience members before Claudius has even set foot on stage.
Marcellus’ frustration is evident in his little speech. He speaks for all his fellow soldiers. The tough realities of an underclass come to the forefront. The confusion adds another layer of stress to the overworked men, suggesting the king’s attempt at strategically keep the nation calm during an unforeseen shift in power is not working well for the common people.
A mote it is to trouble the mind’s eye.
Horatio
Horatio refers to the ghost as dust stuck in his mind’s eye, something bothering his thoughts constantly, difficult for it to get out of his head.
In his speech he makes multiple allusions; to Julius Caesar, Neptune (the Roman God of the seas) . Julius Caesar’s mention is a very direct piece of foreshadowing, a direct warning to the audience of murder committed between two characters close enough to be brothers.
The fall of Rome is described in an attempt to illustrate the very serious omen of destruction that the appearance of the Ghost has brought upon Denmark.
The way that Horatio references Neptune enhances the sense that he and the other men on the battlements are witnessing something larger than themselves. They are interacting with powerful, elemental forces of disruption. In turn, the atmosphere at the beginning of the play, which is built through the dialogue of the frightened characters, lends a sense of inevitability to the ghostly and horrendous acts that follow.
I,2
Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death…To our most valiant brother. So much for him.
Claudius
Claudius’s first impression is that f manipulating his court. He purposefully uses a myriad of oxymorons such as “mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage”, with flowery language, internal rhymes, alitteration, assonance and whatnot, his speech comes off as crafty, over rehearsed and inauthentic.
With the first impression of a machiavellian villain, the audience already has a strong sense of who the antagonist of the play is and this is due to Shakespeare’s brilliant use of subtle exposition such as speech stylisation, overlly crafted language with a tone of recitation.
The word machiavellian comes from the Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote the political treatise The Prince in the 1500s, that encourages “the end justifies the means” behavior, especially among politicians.
I,2
we have here writ
To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras—
Who, impotent and bedrid, scarcely hears
Of this his nephew’s purpose
Claudius
He may be a good politician when it comes to internal affairs but his merit as a ruler comes into doubt. His grand plan to thwart young Fortinbras is by writing a strongly worded letter to his incapicitated, lame uncle and finding no issue with Fortinbras marching his army through Denmark to fight in Poland for a seemingy useless bit of land.
this interpretation is demonstrated in Kenneth Branagh’s film, Hamlet 1996: he shows fortinbras’ arrival as neither incidental nor innocent. During Act V the Norwegian soldiers stealthily storm the castle, disarming the sentries and occupying strategic sites. Already before the death of Claudius there has been an effective regime change; we see soldiers hauling down a giant statue of King Hamlet. –The intense familial struggles prove to have been a catastrophic distraction; the Danes should have attended to state affairs.
Other than proof of being an ill-fitted king, the speech also creates a mental parallel structure within the minds of the audience; Young Fortinbras with a killed father and a lame uncle || Young Hamlet with a murdered father and a lame uncle. Young Fortinbras is set up as Hamlet’s foil even before Hamlet has spoken a singular word.
unfit ruler
I,2
Upon his will I sealed my hard consent.
Polonious
Polonious’s first lines encapsulates his personality perfectly as an overbearing father.
I,2
A little more than kin and less than kind.
Hamlet
Hamlet gives his first impression as somewhat of a salty, quirky, sarcastic teenager. His first line in the script involves wordplay, letting the audience know his love for cleverly toying with the english language. Despite this somewhat childish introduction, there is a mark of great intellect even if not so much maturity.
I,2
Do not forever with thy vailèd lids
Seek for thy noble father in the dust.
Gertrude
This is an interesting comment made by Gertrude because it shows an abject apathy to her own son’s grief at the loss of a father. For me this confirms an adulterate relationship between her and Claudius before the King’s death. If she truly loved Old Hamlet, it would not be possible for her to move on so quick and marry Claudius,(even if she married claudius for survival reasons) moreover it would be so much harder to not empathise with Hamlet’s grief. In fact if there’s anyone who could understand exactly how Hamlet was feeling it would be Gertrude.
But since Gertrude chooses to be or atleast cant help but be aloof, it makes me think she is somewhat complicit in Claudius’s crimes.
I,2
It shows a will most incorrect to heaven
Claudius
Claudius speaks again in verse, and elaborate language. Marks of being manipulative. He basically says that to Hamlet that its emasculating to grieve his father and it becomes quite clear why Hamlet is unhappy. Both his ‘parents’ are discontented by a most natural human reaction. They borderline villainise Hamlet just for the sake of their own image. Mark of selfishness.
I,2
Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,….
….It is not nor it cannot come to good,
But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.
Hamlet
Hamlet’s first soliloquy gives alot of exposition on his character. They learn of his suicidal nature which will give the audience a different persective on his future recklessness. The audience understands his motives far better than most of the characters in the play already.
We get the impression that Hamlet is highly unimpressed by the world, humanity, himself and perhaps even fate. However, he is not unimpressed by his father, he holds him to an impossibly high pedestal. For Hamlet, he is the standard of masculinity, love and Kingship. It is safe to conclude that he feels inferior to such a model.
I,2
no more like my father
than I to Hercules
Hamlet
Hamlet’s sprinkling in of self depreciation casually suggests that he does loathe himself quite a bit especially compared to his father (in his own head). His unstable personality was not caused by the death of his father but his pre existing insecurities, the death and marriage just accelerated the instability in his personality.
Directly connects himself to Claudius. (Freudian theory on hidden motivations)
i,2
I would not hear your enemy say so,
Nor shall you do mine ear that violence,
Hamlet
The first impression of Hamlet and Horatio is that of two very close friends who seem to love eachother alot. For the Hamlet the audience has seen so far, they experience a completely different facet of his character. He speaks with sincerity and concern for the few people he genuinely respects and loves in this world. He is confident of their loyalty and love and returns the same energy.
I,3
For Hamlet and the trifling of his favor,
Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,
Laertes
Laertes speaks to Ophelia with a tone of affection and concern, showing true love for her. Contrasting this to Polonius’s behaviour with Ophelia later it is clear she is far more respected and loved by Laertes.
However personally, I think Laertes failed to understand Hamlet, he is a rebel and an idealist, he is not the type to give up what he feels his true inclination to (ophelia) for stately concerns. In that way he is much like Shakespeare (discuss later).
Most of his animosity towards Hamlet comes from the fact that he is a royal. (further discussion of this below)
