hamlet Flashcards
” O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I “
the metaphor suggest hamlet to be self loathing and ignoble prisoner unable to act due to his hamartia ,trapped by his passivity
” must like a whore who must unpack his heart with words”
The smilie suggesting that Hamlet feel cheap, undignified and emasculated as he is unable to embody the role of the medieval avenger instead of the renaissance man he is
“Pigeon livered and lacking gall”
with Shakespeare making reference to the four humours, a theory of medieval medicine whereby a persons character was connected to a surplus and deficit of key fluids in their body . this is therefore suggesting hamlet is cowardly and lacks the heroism to act
” fair and warlike form”
Shakespeare used the antithesis to suggest ambiguity and that the force for good ‘fair” is somehow imposing a risk / danger “warlike form”
The ambiguity presented can be seen through the medieval harrowed but curious view on the supernatural and can be linked to the witchcraft act of 1562
“bodes some strange eruption for our state”
The metaphor bodes suggests an omen for an unpredictable but potentially devastating change for the whole of Denmark.
“list, list list! if thou didst ever thy dear father love”
shakespeare use of repition almost suggest and incantation of the imperative commanding Hamlet to listen to his instructions perhaps linking to Hamlets sense of filial duty, close to the beginning of the play, Shakespeare creates revenge with the ideas of love for a parent can be linked to - “speak i am bound to hear” - hamlet is “bound” by his filial duty the relationship between father and son
“mark me”, “now Hamlet hear”, “remember me”
the repeated imperatives throughout show’s the little choice hamlet has due to his duty and obligation through the commands to listen and act.
” a serpent stung me- so the whole ear of Denmark is … rankly absurd”
the reference to genisis can Link to plato’s body politics where the monarch is part of the same bigger body so the whole state of Denmark will be corrupt if the king is corrupt. Claudius is presented as not only immoral but as blasphemous and unholy
“haste me to know’t, that i may sweep to my revenge”
Hamlet abrupt decision to quickly and decisively sweep to his revenge shows his filial duty, although the promise he makes he repeatedly fails to meet.
I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records, all saws of books , all forms, all pressures past”
the asyndeton shows the extent that hamlet is willing to sacrifice for his fathers memory, being a renaissance man further emphatic of just how much he is willing to give up
“thy commandment all alone shall live”
The personification makes the ghosts words seem like a tangible ,physical force, which he must abide by
” i have sworn’t”
unbreakable holy bond
Act 1, Scene 2 - ‘O that this too too sullied flesh would melt’
Hamlet is Melancholic riddled with pain, grief, anguish – all of his petulance ‘a little more than kin’ has shifted. He also talks about his mother/Claudius and contrasts Claudius to his father.
‘To be, or not to be’
Hamletis shown to be a Reasoned and dispassionate humanist thinker who coldly and unemotionally contemplates life and death. Soon after this he’s dragging Ophelia around ‘GET THEE TO A NUNNARY’ – so by placing these side by side, he’s highlighting how unstable he is.
‘Unpregnant of my cause’
Emasculated as not fulfilled his purpose as an ‘avenger’ – he feels he is lacking the natural motivation that should be within him as a prince.
