Act 1 Scene 1+2 Quotes

Question 1

Before my God, I might not believe this - Horatio

Answer 1

RELIGIOUS CONTEXT
-> no questioning about God, he makes more sense than ghosts
-> theme of supernatural

Question 2

In which the majesty - Horatio

Answer 2

• synecdoche -> small to identify something big
• fate of the country is reliant on the King

Question 3

Decasyllabic

Answer 3

Artistocrates & important characters speak in decasyllabic

Question 4

“In the most high and palmy state of Rome, A little ere the mightiest Julius fell” - Horatio

Answer 4

• actions of leaders in Rome, determined history
  -> over-class conflicts or larger political movements

Question 5

“Speak to me.” X2 “O, Speak” “Speak of it, stay and speak” - Horatio

Answer 5

• blank verse
• repetition.
• emphasis on fear

Question 6

“To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom”
“Together with remembrance of ourselves” - Claudius

Answer 6

• manipulating through language
• speaks for the country
• decasylabic = aristocratic
• semantic field of mourning
  “Our” -> inclusive personal pronoun

Question 7

“Therefore our sometime sister, now our Queen” - Claudius

Answer 7

• a reflection of how important the patriarchy is
• conductive to success
• semantic field of duty

Question 8

“Or thinking by our late dear brothers death Our state to be disjoint and our of frame-“ - Claudius

Answer 8

• deliberately manipulating others with his words
• “our” makes the situation seem degrading and less personal

Question 9

“To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras”

Answer 9

• metonymy, swapping a name with others
• symbolism
• shows how important he was, represents an entire counry

Question 10

“Tis not alone my inky cloak, cold mother” - Hamlet

Answer 10

• staccato
• sharp tone
• syntax -> the artangenment of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language

Question 11

“To give these mourning duties to your father, But you must know your father lost a father, that father lost lost his” - Claudius

Answer 11

• mocking Hamlets grief
• claims he’s “over-mourning” and being dramatic
• continuous repetition of “father”

Question 12

“Vulgar” “peevish” “absurd” - Claudius

Answer 12

• lexical word choice, specific
• creating on overall meaning
• mockery over the death

Question 13

“Or that the Everlasting had not fixed, His canon ‘giants self-slaughter. O God, God, How weary, stale, flat” - Hamlet

Answer 13

• too big of an issue for God to deal with
• semantic field of misery
• “self-slaughter”, reference to his desire to end his own life

Question 14

“Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother” - Hamlet

Answer 14

• comparing God to a Goat
• comparing his mother to his father
• Hyperion = Greek god of the sun

Question 15

“A beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer” - Hamlet

Answer 15

• an illiterate monster would’ve had more sympathy for his fathers death
• comparing a WOMEN to a beast -> but within reason
• his mother has no thoughts, consideration or compassion for his own feelings

Question 16

“But break, my heart, for I must hold my tounge” - Hamlet

Answer 16

• wants to defend his mother, but consequences would follow
• not very heroic of him considering hes the eponymous protagonist