Hamlet Flashcards
Hamlet to Rosencrantz 4.2 “Take you me……
…….for a sponge?” - could reflect the contrast of Hamlet to the other sycophantic members of the court
Act 4 Scene 3 quote that shows Hamlet’s contemplation of life and hierarchy and eqivocation (worm/fish)
“A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of kings and eat of the fish that hath fed on worm”-Hamlet
Bloody thoughts Symbol Act 4 Scene 4
“My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!”-Hamet
Mermaid simile Act 4 Scene 7
“Her clothes spread wide and mermaid like”-Gertrude on Ophelia’s death
Act 4 Scene 7 - Laertes description of fire speech
“Speech of fire that fade with blaze” - Laertes
Black Devil Symbol Act 4 Scene 5 - ideas of corrupt marriage could be interpreted
“Vows to the black devil” -Laertes
disease/corruption Symbol Act 4 Scene 1
“Like the owner of a foul disease”-Claudius
Poison Symbol Act 4 Scene 5
“This is the poison of deep grief”-Laertes
Blood Symbol Act 4 Scene 5 (Laertes)
“Repast then with my blood”-Laertes
Rosemary Symbol Act 4 Scene 5
“That’s rosemary for remembrance”-Ophelia
Wave Symbol Act 4 Scene 1 which shows Hamlet’s madness
“Mad as the sea and wind when both contend which is mightier”-Gertrude
What is Gertrude’s response to Hamlet when he accuses her of living “in the rank swear of an unseamed bed”?
“These words, like daggers, enter into mine ears”
What is the title of the mousetrap play?
‘The murder of Gonzago’
line in Hamlet’s soliloquy, links to religion + corruption
‘O my offense is rank, it smells to heaven’
Denmark is described as ‘C___ o____ l___ a___ d______ I______
‘couch of luxury and damned incest’
Who advised Laertes to ‘neither a borrower nor a lender be’?
Polonius
What mythical creature does Gertrude compare Ophelia to in a simile following her death?
Mermaid
What is Hamlet’s final line in the play?
“The rest is silence”
What type of poem lists each body part? (The Ghost)
Blazon
How do Hamlet and Horatio respond to Osric’s sycophantic/flourishing language?
They mock him
What quote said by the clown in Act 5 would have been comical to The Globe’s contemporary audience?
“(madness) twill not be seen in him there. There the men are as mad as he.
Act 5 “The devil take thy soul” -said by?
Laertes
How can we interpret the quotation “Why, what a king is this?
Horatio recognising the change in Hamlet since his return, Questioning how Claudius could treat his nephew this way.
What type of humour is used in the gravedigger scene?
Macabre
2 quotes from act 1 scene 3 that portrays how Ophelia’s value is monetised by her father.
“tenders”, “green girl”
What does Hamlet exclaim in 3.1 (the nunnery scene) that can be interpreted as the Elizabethan slang for brothel?
“get thee to a nunnery! why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?”
What does the “rosemary for remembrance” that Ophelia presents in 4.5 represent?
healing of inwardly felt pain
3 key points for 2.1
- Polonius orders Reynaldo to spy on Laertes
- Ophelia reports of Hamlet’s madness to Polonius
- he decides to tell the king
Key points for 2.2 (7)
- King and Queen order R + G to spy on Hamlet
- Polonius tells C + G that he has found the cause of Hamlet’s madness, hatch plan to uncover him
- Ambassador requests safe passage through Denmark
- Polonius + Hamlet dialogue
- R + G approach Hamlet
- Players arrive
- O what a rogue and peasant slave am I”
2.1 “your bait of falsehood….
…takes this carp of truth”
2.1 “by indirections…
find directions out”
2.1 2 x quotes that show Hamlet’s madness
“doublet all unbraced”
“loosed out of hell”
2.1 “ecstasy of
love”
Initial stage directions that demonstrate the pomp and circumstance (2.2)
‘flourish of trumpets’
Claudius to R + G 2.2 “the need we did have to
use you did provoke our hasty sending”
2.2 “we did long to see you” C to R+G
insincere, appearance vs reality
2.2 “Might by the sovereign power you have of us
put your dread pleasures into command more than to entreaty”
2.2 “he tells me dear Gertrude, that he hath found
the head and source of YOUR son’s distemper”
2.2 Gertrude thinks Hamlet’s madness is due to “his fathers death and
our o’erhasty marriage”
following on from Polonius’ convoluted explanation in 2.2 Gertrude requests
“more matter with less art”
Hamlet’s Ironic letter in 2.2 reads
“doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love”
Hamlet - Polonius 2.2 “yourself should grow as old as I am if
like a crab you could go backwards”
2.2 “though this be madness, yet there is
method in it”
2.2 Denmark’s a
prison
2.2 “I could be bounded in a nutshell and think myself a king of infinite space
were it not that I have bad dreams” (haunted by the ghost)
2.2 “I am but mad north north west
when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw”
Summarise 3.1
Hamlet ‘to be or not to be’
king to send hamlet to england
nunnery scene
3.1 Guildenstern - “crafty
madness”
3.1 “why wouldst thou be
a breeder of sinners”
3.1 “wise men know well enough what monsters you
make of them”
3.1 “madness in great ones
should not unwatched go”
Summarise 3.2
The mousetrap
soliloquy - ‘ Tis now the witching time of night’
3.2 Hamlet instructs the players to “hold, as twere, the
mirror up to nature”
3.2 Hamlet exclaims how some actors have “imitated humanity
so abominably”
3.2 describes Ophelia as
“metal”
Summarise 3.3
King plots with R+G to send Hamlet to England
‘O my offense is rank’ and ‘now he is praying’ soliloquies
3.3 ‘live and feed upon your majesty’
R+G are sycophants
Summarise 3.4
the closet scene
Hamlet kills Polonius
3.4 you question
with a wicked tongue
3.4 “a rat, dead for a ducet
slain!”
3.4 “rank sweat
of an enseamed bed”
3.4 G -“these words like daggers
enter mine ears”
3.4 “see how it
steals away”
3.4 “rank
corruption”
3.4 “I must be cruel
only to be kind”
3.4 (Hamlet on R+G) “whom I will trust
as I will adders fanged”
What Act/ Scene is Hamlet’s 2nd Soliloquy?
1.5 - ‘O all you host of heaven’
1.5 ‘O villian, villian, smiling
damned villian’
Summarise 4.1
- Queen tells Claudius of Polonius’ death
- discuss Hamlets madness
4.1 mad as the
sea and wind, when both contend which is mightier
Summarise 4.2
R + G find Hamlet, who equivocates about Polonius’ death
compares Rosencrantz to a sponge
4.2 “soaks up the king’s countenance, his rewards
his authorities”
Summarise 4.3
King is searching for Hamlet, Hamlet will not tell the location of Polonius’ body, King decides to send Hamlet to England
4.3 “at supper”….”a convocation
of politic worms are e’en him”
4.3 Claudius describes how the “d____ m_____” admire Hamlet
distracted multitude
Summarise 4.4
Hamlet meets the captain of Fortinbras’ army, who is leading an attack on Poland, Hamlet’s how all occasions do inform against me soliloquy”
4.4 “no profit in’t
but the name”
4.4 “my thoughts be bloody
or be nothing worth!”
Summarise 4.6
letter to Horatio, Hamlet is coming back with Pirates
Summarise 4.7
Laertes and King plot revenge against Hamlet
King receives letter from Hamlet telling of his return
Ophelia has drowned
Summarise 4.5
They discuss Ophelia, who has grown mad
Ophelia enters and sings
Laertes returns - King tells him that his father has died
Ophelia enters and hands out the flowers
4.5 “ill breeding
minds”
4.5 “O this is the poisen
of deep grief”
4.5 “Laertes shall
be King!”
4.5 “riotous
head”
4.5 “vile
king”
4.5 “I am
guiltless in your father’s death”
4.5 “And where the offence is
let the great axe fall”
