critics Flashcards
what does samuel johnson say about hamlet being an insrument of fate
hamlet is rather an instrument than an agent
what does wilson knight say about hamlet being evil
hamlet is an element of evil in the state of denmark
what does rebecca smith say about polonius loving his children and the kingdom
polonius seems to love his children he seems to have the welfare of the kingdom in mind
what does showalter say about ophelia being flat
ophelia is deprived of thought, sexuality and language
what does jonathon dollimore say about corruption in the play reflecting the real world
articulates a crisis in the decay of a traditional social order in england
what does dawson say about claudius’ love for gertrude
he loved gertrude deeply and genuinely
what diana bornstein say about women and slaves
women are often given the same advice that is given to servents…chastity, piety and obedience
what does one critic say about the atmosphere in the court
claustrophobic
what does one critic say about hamlets beliefs
no firm beliefs in either himself or anything else
what is said about the second scenes negative tone despite the king and queens efforts
a shadow lingers over the second scene despite the efforts of the new monarch claudius and the queen gertrude to erase it
what is said about hamlets respoibikuyu
personal and political responsibility
what is said about appearance vs reality
radical fracture between appearance and reality
What does Kate baty say about revenge tragedies and conventions that would be expected
It was written at the height of the genres, popularity and features. Many of the conventions of the contemporary audience would expect.
What does baty say about revenge as a philosophical debate
Revenge is less of a spectacle for audience consumption and more of a philosophical debate: is revenge a justified and fitting resolution
What does baty say about applying our own morals onto an old play
It is too easy to retrospectively apply our own morals and sensibilities to a play that was written over 400 years ago and for a very different audience
What does baty say about claudius being able to be empathised with
By granting Claudius his own soliloquy shakespeare allows the audience to empathise with the figure who recognises his ‘offence is rank’
What does baty say the humanising of Claudius does
The humanising of Claudius as more than a simple villain again makes the plays resolution a little less comfortable
What does baty say about four deeply flawed avengers
Shakespeare gives the audience four different models of avenger all of whom could in their own way be seen as deeply flawed
What does baty say about hamlet being less than enthusiastic about his revenge
The task of avenging his fathers murder , he is portrayed as less than enthusiastic about the prospect
What does baty say about the killing of polonium being a farcical accident
The killing of polonium which can be interpreted as the point of no return that seals hamlets fate is a farcical accident rather than an heroic act of revenge
What does baty say about hamlets instability
Hamlets instability calls into question the idea that a noble act of revenge by him is possible
What does baty say about revenge and corruption
Revenge has the power to corrups
What does baty say about laertes being a tool for Claudius
He is little more than a tool used to achieve Claudius’ own ends
What does baty say an audience viewing hamlet when it was first preformed may have felt
An audience viewing hamlet when it was first performed may have felt that there had been a purging of negative emotions and that Oder had been restored
What does baty say a modern audience would think of fortinbras
A problematic figure prone to action over thought
What does baty say about the command of bearing hamlet like a soldier being wrong to a modern audience
The command to bear hamlet like a soldier to a military style funeral chimes discordantlt especially to a modern audience who have seen hamlet as a thinker, a philosopher in the renaissance humanist vein rather than a fighter
What does baty say about revenge and moral questions
Revenge is complicated by moral questions
What does baty say about the ending being the only possible ending
Revenge while far from being a perfect solution is also the only possible ending for hamlet from the point of view of plot and drama
What does baty say about the inevitability of the final scene
The final scene is tragic in it’s inevitability
What is said about hamlet and mental illness
Hamlet is shakespeares most fully developed study of mental illness
what does a.c bradley say about what the tradgedy of the play is
tragedy of thouhgt
what does elaine showalter say about madness being a product of feminity
‘madness is a product of the female body and female nature’
what does t.s elliot say about the play being about a mothers guilt
It is a play ‘dealing with the effects of a mother’s guilt upon her son’
what does jonothan dillimore say about the avenger as an agent and victum
Sees character of avenger as an ‘agent and victim of social corruption
