Hamlet - Act 1, Scene 3 Flashcards
“Violet in the youth of prime nature”
Symbolic Metaphor. Love is seen as fleeting and fragile. The significance of violet being that it flowers early spring but doesn’t last over summer. Suggests their early love wont last.
Ironic as violets signify faithfulness
“Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open”
Symbolic of purity reinforcing ideas of a patriarchal, misogynistic society (male dominating). Ophelia is only seen as valuable and cherish able if she is pure. Commodifies and objectifies her, transactional.
AO3 : Dowry
Polysyndetic listing emphasises the fearful dramatic response. Crass reference to losing her virginity, emphasises Ophelia’s lack of agency over her own body and choices.
“It fits your wisdom so far to believe it”
Patronising/condescending tone. Presents Ophelia as naive and fickle. Implies she isn’t seen as clever because she is a woman. Ironic as men caused it.
“Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven” / “recks not his own rede”
Metaphor. Uses biblical analogy. Shows a sense of corruption and that women have to take a harder route than men to access peace. Ophelia’s criticism of her brother shows she is aware of the double standards in society and has the capacity to challenge men. Emphasises her intelligence.
“You speak like a Green girl”
Simile. Emphasises she is inexperienced in love, implicates her as naive.
“Think yourself a baby/ That you have ta’en these tenders for true pay/ Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly”
Pun on tender. Semantic Field of economy. Seen as a complete commodity. Valued for money solely. Subverts the meaning from affection to money. Objectifies and dehumanises Ophelia.
AO3 : Dowry
“Springes to catch woodcocks”
Seen as foolish birds which are easily caught. Shows Hamlet’s promises to Ophelia are fake as Hamlet only wants her for sex showing the male point of view in the play. Generalises men. However, may demonstrate the men around Ophelia to be genuinely worried about her.
“I shall obey, my Lord”
Generally monosyllabic language. Shows Ophelia as compliant and disempowered. Deprives her of independence showing her to be infantile and compliant. Cannot think for herself and must be told what to do. Oppression is more brutal as she is aware of societal inequality.
“Ay, fashion you may call it”
Manner. Criticising other men. Ironic as Polonius is criticising Ophelia for trusting Hamlet, where he depreciates all men though he is a man and contributes to such oppression against women.
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