critics Flashcards
What is Janet Adelman’s view on Hamlet’s main psychological task in the play?
“Despite his ostensible agenda of revenge, the main psychological task that Hamlet seems to set himself is not to avenge his father’s death but to re-make his mother.”
According to Stephen Kastan, what are the causes of the catastrophes in Hamlet?
“Are the catastrophes that take place in the play ‘just, an appalling retribution’, or is it the ‘malignity of the heavens’?”
What does A.C. Bradley believe is the main reason Hamlet doesn’t kill Claudius sooner?
“Hamlet’s conscience is the main reason why he doesn’t kill Claudius sooner (‘moral repulsion to the deed’).”
How does Catherine Belsey describe the nature of revenge in Hamlet?
“Revenge is not justice. It is rather an act of injustice on behalf of justice.”
According to Katy Limmer, what does the relationship between Hamlet and Horatio expose?
‘Their friendship and their virtue have been corrupted, like so much else at the Danish court, by the malign influence of Claudius.”
What does Richard Vardy say about power and family values in Denmark?
“Power and politics evidently trump family values in Claudius’ Denmark.”
What does Richard Vardy say about the prevalence of spying in Denmark?
“In Denmark’s corrupt world, spying is endemic.”
How does Avi Ehrlich characterize Gertrude in Hamlet?
“Gertrude is ‘sexually treacherous.’”
What does David Kerrigan suggest Hamlet thinks about women’s love?
“They both confirm Hamlet’s ‘suspicion’ that ‘woman’s love is brief and unworthy’ – that women are fickle and their love is of little value.”
According to Katy Limmer, why does Hamlet distrust Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
“Even after Hamlet has appealed to them in the name of their friendship to be open with him—’But in the beaten way of friendship, what makes you at Elsinore?’—they dissemble and equivocate for four exchanges before admitting they were sent for by the king. This betrayal of one of the basic tenets of friendship justifies Hamlet’s distrust and rejection of their feigned friendship.”
What does Janet Adelman say about Gertrude’s role in her husband’s death?
“The issue with this parental domination lies in the fact that Gertrude has chosen to marry Claudius, thus making her almost complicit in her first husband’s death.”
How does Alfred Mack describe the role of madness in Hamlet?
“Madness was ‘dramatically useful’ as it allowed the ‘combination in a single figure of tragic hero and buffoon, to whom could be accorded the license or the allowed fool in speech and action.’”
What does Tosh argue Shakespeare believed about excessive or unrequited love?
“Shakespeare took seriously the view that excessive or unrequited love could lead to mental distraction.”
What does Elaine Showalter say about female melancholy in Hamlet?
“Female melancholy was considered to fall into a whole different category, connected not with genius but with sexuality and sexual frustration.”
According to Marian Cox, how does Hamlet shift between different roles in the play?
“Hamlet wears alternately the twin theatrical masks of tragedy and comedy, sane prince and mad fool, from the moment he decided to put on an ‘antic disposition.’”
How does Harold Bloom characterize Horatio’s role in the play?
“Horatio is a key figure who represents ‘reason and calm,’ qualities Hamlet both respects and longs for. His friendship with Horatio provides a rare stable foundation amidst the chaos surrounding him.”
What does Rebecca Smith say about Hamlet’s relationship with Horatio?
“Hamlet is Horatio’s chosen friend.”
How does A.C. Bradley describe Hamlet’s feelings towards Ophelia?
“Hamlet’s love was not only mingled with bitterness, it was also weakened and deadened by his melancholy.”
What does Dieter Mehl say about the play-within-a-play device in Hamlet?
“The device of the play within a play enjoyed particular ‘favour with English dramatists throughout the Renaissance period.’ This of course gives Shakespeare a ‘particularly good opportunity to comment on contemporary stage practices and to define his own views about the proper function of drama.’”
How does T.S. Eliot characterize Hamlet as a tragic figure?
“The greatest of all tragic protagonists, Hamlet is caught in the tension between thought and action, leading to a tragic indecision.”
What is A.C. Bradley’s view on Hamlet’s psychological complexity?
“The character of Hamlet is, in fact, the most complex and psychologically rich of any character in the Shakespearean canon.”
How does Harold Bloom describe Hamlet’s character in relation to other Shakespearean figures?
“Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most profound and enduring creation. His dilemma is timeless, and his inner conflict continues to resonate with audiences today.”
According to Wilson Knight, what is the central focus of Hamlet?
“Hamlet is, above all, a play about the mind. The action that takes place is secondary to the psychological and intellectual turmoil that defines its hero.”
What does Friedrich Nietzsche say about Hamlet’s paralysis due to overthinking?
“In Hamlet, we see a tragic hero who, by being overwhelmed with thought, is paralyzed in action, a model of the philosophical detachment that ultimately leads to ruin.”
What is Stephen Greenblatt’s view on Hamlet’s personal quest?
“Hamlet’s quest is one of self-understanding. The tragedy is not just the death of the protagonist, but the loss of the opportunity to reconcile his inner self with his outer world.”
How does E.M.W. Tillyard describe the central problem in Hamlet?
“The central problem of Hamlet is not simply revenge, but the moral and existential questions that plague Hamlet, turning the play into a profound meditation on life and death.”
What does Colin McGinn say about Hamlet’s greatest torment?
“Hamlet’s greatest torment is his deep awareness of the futility of human endeavor, trapped between moral scruples and the inevitable decay of all things.”
How does Jan Kott describe Hamlet as a character in a modern context?
“Hamlet is a man of action who cannot act. He is the modern man, caught in a world that seems irrational, meaningless, and irredeemably corrupt.”
How does Catherine Belsey explain Hamlet’s hesitation?
“Hamlet’s hesitation is not just a plot device but an expression of Shakespeare’s exploration of the limits of human understanding, questioning whether action can ever lead to certainty or redemption.”
