Hamlet 1:3 Flashcards
general events of 1:3
- 3 parts: L-O, P-L, P-O
- private and domestic scene
- reveals the oppressive standards of purity and modesty for women
‘and the trifling…’
‘and the trifling of [Hamlet’s] favour’ - L to O
- private side of Hamlet
- free to play with the affections of women
‘a toy in…’
‘a toy in blood’ - L to O
- says H sees O as a passing fancy
- TRANSIENT AFFECTION
‘youth of…’
‘youth of primy nature’ - L to O
- animalistic
- sex/lust
‘His greatness… he himself…’
‘[Hamlet’s] greatness weigh’d, his will is not his own;/ For he himself is subject to his birth:/ He may not, as unvalued persons do,/ Carve for himself’ - L to O
- has to take the path determined for him
- has no say
- ‘his birth’ - heir
- will not marry a girl like Ophelia
‘circumscrib’d […] yielding of that…’
‘circumscrib’d […] yielding of that body whereof he is the head’ - L to O about Hamlet
- public duty
- body politic
‘your chaste…’
‘your chaste treasure open’ - L to O
- can still marry her off to elevate their status
- commercial enterprise
- virginity
‘The chariest…’
‘The chariest maid is prodigal enough/If she unmask her beauty to the moon’ - L to O
- even the most modest girl can fall foul/be wasteful if she gives herself to a man
- blame the woman
Ophelia accuses her brother (Laertes) of hypocrisy
‘Do not […] show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,/ Whiles […] himself the primrose path of dalliance treads/ And recks not his own rede’ - O to L
- it’s okay for him cos he’s a man
- standing up for herself
- ‘primrose path’ - path of pleasure
‘Give thy thoughts…’
‘Give thy thoughts no tongue’ - P to L
- don’t talk too much
‘Be thou familiar…’
‘Be thou familar, but by no means vulgar’ - P to L
- don’t be over friendly
‘Those friends thou…’
‘Those friends thou hast, and their adoption/ tried,/ Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel’ - P to L
- don’t let go of truly good friends
- alliances - politics
‘Give every man…’
‘Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;/ Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy/ judgement’ - P to L
‘rich, not gaudy…’
‘rich, not gaudy;/ For the apparel oft proclaims the man’ - Polonius to Laertes
- dress stylish but restrained
- appearances
‘Neither a borrower…’
‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be’ - P to L
'’Tis told me he…’
'’Tis told me he hath very oft of late/ Given private time to you’ - P to O
- eyes everywhere, reporting back to her father
‘He hath, my lord…’
‘He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders/ Of his affection to me.’ - O to P
- Polonius will use ‘tenders’ repeatedly over the next 10 lines
‘You speak like…’
‘You speak like a green girl’ - P to O
- ‘unbloomed’ - L (both use nature)
- ‘before their buttons be disclos’d’ - L
‘I will teach…’
‘I will teach you: think yourself a baby’ - P to O
- patronising
‘That you have ta’en…’
‘That you have ta’en these tenders for true pay/ Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more/ dearly’ - P to O
- higher sale price
- commodity
‘you’ll tender…’
‘you’ll tender me a fool’ - P to O
- make him look like a fool if she gives her self away easily
‘My lord, he hath importun’d me…’
‘My lord, he hath importun’d me with love/ In honourable fashion.’ - O to P
- defends hamlet
‘Ay, springes…’
‘Ay, springes to catch woodcocks!’ - P
- comparing Ophelia to prey
- woodcocks are notoriously easy to catch
‘your maiden…’
‘your maiden presence;/ Set your entreatments at a higher rate’ - P
- higher dowry, the right time
- ‘chaste treasure’ - L
business semantic field in Polonius’ advice to Ophelia
‘parle’ ‘brokers’ ‘investments’ ‘suits’ ‘bonds’
- business, commercial
‘that he is young…’
‘that he is young,/ And with a larger tether may he walk/ Than may be given you.’ - P to O
