Act 1 Scene 5 Flashcards
What happens in 1.5
Hamlet speaks to the ghost for the first time and he names Claudius as his killer and Hamlet states ‘sweep to my revenge’
When the ghost first appears, the protagonist urges, ‘speak, I am bound to hear’. How does Shakespeare present Hamlet’s relationship with his dead father here? You might also look at the ghost’s comment, ‘List O list if thou didst ever love thy father love’
Hamlet feels obligated to listen to the ghost because he is in grievance. Hamlet respects his father and feels filial duty
How does Shakespeare present Hamlet, when he tells the ghost ‘Haste me to know’t that i… May sweep to my revenge’?
Hamlet wishes to adopt a medieval mindset and avenge his father. By the end of the scene he already calms down
What are the connotations of the image used by the ghost to describe Claudius - ‘a serpent stung me’
Biblical imagery linking Claudius to the snake in the garden of Eden and the devil.
Why does Shakespeare have Hamlet refer to his father’s instruction of ‘Thy commandment’?
Hamlet feels obligation and filial responsibility to his father. There’s also biblical connotations suggesting Hamlet sees his father as God like
How does Shakespeare manipulate line length in order to reflect the power dynamic between the ghost and Hamlet?
The ghost has significantly more lines than Hamlet suggesting filial responsibility/the supernatural dominates the scene.
What critics can be connected to this scene?
-‘All duties seem holy to Hamlet’ (Von Goethe)
-‘Hamlet is rather an instrument than an agent’ (Johnson)
