Death

Question 1

Knight 1930 ‘Hamlet is a figure…

Answer 1

‘Hamlet is a figure of nihilism and death’
- deems all values are baseless to him, associated with extreme pessimism & radical scepticism that condemns existence
- a true nihilist believes in nothing, have no loyalties & no purpose other than an impulse to destroy

Question 2

Knight 1930 ‘the general thought of…

Answer 2

‘The general thought of death…the pain in Hamlet’s mind, is thus suffused through the whole play’

Question 3

Yi-Chi Chen 2001 ‘on the one hand Polonius’ death…

Answer 3

‘On the one hand Polonius’ death frees Ophelia from his manipulation’
- modern day, feminist critic

Question 4

Yi-Chi Chen 2001 ‘death enables Ophelia to…

Answer 4

‘Death enables Ophelia to be the coveted object for Hamlet again, because from now on she is forever unattainable’

Question 5

Welleck ‘our feeling, at the end of…

Answer 5

‘Our feeling, at the end of the play, is not one of tragic resolution, but of pain’

Question 6

Lewis ‘hamlet is haunted, not…

Answer 6

‘Hamlet is haunted, not by the physical fear of dying, but of being dead’