Critics Flashcards
Cedric Watts - on Gertrude
“Gertrude isn’t the stereotypical lustful woman of revenge drama, she’s far more sympathetic”
Cedric Watts - on the Ghost
“The Ghost seeks to impose a stereotype on the prince, that of a dedicated revenger; but Hamlet repeatedly displays a very credible resistance to that stereotype”
Goodland - on Ophelia
“[Ophelia] freed and contained by her madness”
Belsey on moral uncertainty
“the moral uncertainty persists to the end […] Hamlet dies a revenger, a poisoner, but also a soldier and a prince”
Greenblat on religion
“Hamlet is a Protestant man haunted by a Catholic ghost”
Scofield on Claudius
“Claudius is morally empty”
Calderwood
“Hamlet’s killing of Claudius is an act of restorative destruction”
A C Bradley on Ophelia
“Her whole character [Ophelia] is that of simply unselfish affection”
Showalter - Ophelia.
“Ophelia is deprived of thought, sexuality and language… she represents the strong emotions that Elizabethans thought womanish.”
Wyandotte - Ophelia.
‘One could argue that Ophelia’s death is the true tragedy of Hamlet.’
Eli Hamana - Ophelia.
‘[Ophelia] suffers a series of patriarchal oppressions.’
Fintan O’Toole - Fortinbras.
‘Fortinbras is a man of action’
Bloom - Hamlet
‘the hero-villain’
Richard Brucher - Hamlet
‘Hamlet equates conscience with cowardice.’
Samuel Johnson - Polonius.
‘Knowing in retrospect and ignorant in foresight.’
Dr Katy Limmer.
R+G Denmark.
‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are firmly ensconced in the web of social and power relationships that exists at Elsinore.’
‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s friendship is inspired more by Machiavellian realpolitik, where friendship is valued only as far as it offers economic and political usefulness.’
Dr Katy Limmer.
Horatio and Loyalty.
‘Horatio by contrast demonstrates his loyalty and virtue throughout the play by giving Hamlet constant support and preferring death to life without him at the end.’
Richard Vardy.
Polonius’
‘Polonius - as chief spy - is instrumental to the seizure and control of power and is at the heart of this corrupt and oppressive state.’
‘Polonius has no qualms about (ab)using his own daughter to serve the new king.’
Richard Altick - Claudius.
‘the cunning and lecherousness of Claudius’ evil has corrupted the whole kingdom of Denmark.’
Dowden on Horatio
‘Horatio’s evenness of temper is like solid land to Hamlet after the tossings and tumult of his own heart.’
D. G. James on Horatio
‘Horatio is one who suffers everything and nothing’
