ACT 3,1 HAMLET'S PHILOSOPHY SOLILOQUY Flashcards
What happens in this scene?
Hamlet is dispassionate and begins to question and debate,
How does this scene contrast with previous scenes?
Hamlet in previous scenes has been angst ridden and had quick changes in emotional mindset, here Hamlet exhibits more reasoned and analytical thinking
AO3 for this scene
Renaissance Humanism was a new way of thinking which ‘placed man as the measure of all things’ which encouraged more changes to intellectual curiosity and thinking, this is a change from the medieval mindset whereby man was controlled by religious faith and doctrines
another example of this may be Galileo which rejected the idea of the universe being centered around God as he stated that the earth orbitted the sun rather than the other way around
Quotes that show Hamlet talking about thinking
the native hue of resolution/sicklied o’er by the pale cast of thought
thus conscience does make cowards of us all
Quotes that show Hamlet questioning life and death
Undiscover’d country
Sea of troubles/ Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
To be or not to be
Analyse the native hue of resolution/sicklied o’er by the pale cast of thought
Hamlet here talks about the colourful idea of action being disrupted and corrupted by his own overthinking as it inhibits from carrying out his natural role and instinct (inaction)
Analyse Undiscover’d country
Hamlet describes the ambiguity and uncertainty after death which causes him doubt and inaction
he exhibits the renaissance humanism of questioning the nature of the afterlife
Analyse Sea of troubles
Hamlet views life as being overwhelming and difficult due to its numerous troubles and pressures which challenge him - eg his mother, ophelia, his duty to his father
He laments about the difficulties brought about by his role and goal of regicide
analyse Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Hamlet describes life as being unpredictable which causes him pain as his life is characterised by luck and chance rather than justice
why does Hamlet discuss death so much?
It may be an attempt made by Hamlet to rationalise death which would then make him capable of action
analyse to be or not to be
The use of parallel phrasing depicts Hamlet’s inner conflict and uncertainty as he debates whether life or death is better, his grief thus exhausts him
analyse the structure of this scene
It is a soliloquy which means that Hamlet is being honest and his thoughts in this scene are more controlled and reasoned - exemplified by the iambic pentameter
critics for this scene
Hamlet is a tragedy of thought (knight)
The single characteristic of Hamlet’s character is by no means hesitation but a strong conflux of contending forces (swinbourne)
who said that Hamlet is a tragedy of thought
Knight
who said that The single characteristic of Hamlet’s character is by no means hesitation but a strong conflux of contending forces
Swinbourne
