Hamlet Act 2.1 Quotes Flashcards
expense
And how, and who, what means, and where they
keep,
What company, at what expense; and
Pol about the danes in paris
Several interrogative words in rapid succession within a few lines of pentameter - indicates the complete, all-encompassing RANGE of information Polonius wants - atmosphere of espionage even on his own son.»_space;> paranoia, pathological control
wanton
such wanton, wild, and usual slips
As are companions noted and most known 25
To youth and liberty.
polonius
Interesting personification of human vices as ‘companions’ to the abstract nouns, and stage of life, ‘youth’, and condition, ‘liberty’.
Possible juxtaposition between ‘wanton, wild’ and ‘usual’ - but perhaps that’s the point - a little bit of wildness is expected in young men, so long as it’s controlled. Food for thought: note how Polonius actively encourages him to besmirch Laertes’s reputation, but the merest hint of naivete from Ophelia leaves her “unsifted in such perilous circumstances.”
liberty
That they may seem the taints of liberty,
The flash and outbreak of a fiery mind,
A savageness in unreclaimèd blood,
pol
My central contention as developed from above: Polonius views male wildness as something valuable if it’s well controlled. If it can be controlled, then it’s ultimately no longer wild.
Notice, as well, his entire instruction is this: “Spread fake rumours about my son, but not too bad, and make them seem natural, “merely the taints of liberty””
perchance
There falling out at tennis”; or perchance
“I saw him enter such a house of sale”—
pol
Polonius regards himself as a master of information, perhaps as a caricature of Elizabeth I’s famous spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, but he seems enjoy the fantasies and manipulation more than the real information.
falsehood
Your bait of falsehood take this carp of truth;
pol
The fishing metaphor compares catching a fish to uncovering the truth, showing how both require skill and patience. It could mock the overly complicated methods of spies like Sir Francis Walsingham. Or, it might show sympathy for a father’s desperate efforts to find his son.
why rumors?
Polonius asks Reynaldo to spread rumors about Laertes to indirectly gather information about his son’s behavior in Paris. By planting false stories, he hopes others will either confirm or deny them, revealing Laertes’ true actions. This sneaky approach reflects Polonius’s manipulative and distrustful nature.
unbraced
with his doublet all unbraced,
No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled,
Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle,
opheli
Rapid, asyndetic list of multiple instances of inappropriate dress
pergatory like descrption
As if he had been loosèd out of hell… He took me by the wrist and held me hard.
ophelia
harold bloom ‘hamlet stands authoritatively between life and death’
pieous
He raised a sigh so piteous and profound
… to shatter all his bulk
And end his being
ophelia
despite a being a ghost like figure, she uses tactile (touch) imagery as if he is stuck between two worlds (life and death) LIMINAL
end his being - euphemism, sugar coating? ambiguous, poofed out of existence. hyperbole. consistance theme of tactile imagery
ecstacy
This is the very ecstasy of love,
Whose violent property fordoes itself
passion/anger do not equate to love, pol prevously justifying men’s actions
access
I did repel his letters and denied
His access to me.
ophelia
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
germanic names, multiple syllables, musical, unserious - you cannot play upon me
something
something you have heard
The King’s use of vague and indirect language, like “Something have you heard,” indicates his uncertainty and unease about Hamlet’s madness. It suggests that he feels unsettled and suspicious, struggling to grasp Hamlet’s true intentions or whether his madness is genuine. This guarded phrasing reflects the King’s growing paranoia and anxiety.
gentle
thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz.
Gertrude’s use of chiasmus in reversing the King’s address—”thanks, Guildenstern and gentle Rosencrantz”—might indicate her effort to soften the formality of the King’s command. This subtle shift suggests a more personal and conciliatory tone, reflecting Gertrude’s desire to maintain harmony or express genuine gratitude. It contrasts with the King’s more calculated authority, perhaps highlighting her emotional or maternal instincts.
HAMLET My excellent good friends! How dost thou,
warm socially acceptable language vs insulting polonius earlier. suggests he can control his madness
fortune
GUILDENSTERN On Fortune’s cap, we are not the very button.
HAMLET Nor the soles of her shoe?
ROSENCRANTZ Neither, my lord.
HAMLET Then you live about her waist, or in the 250
middle of her favors?
…. she is a strumpet.
Discuss this casually misogynistic extended personification of Fortune.
strumpet - whore
Simultaneously giving Fortune genuine (?) power yet in a masculine banter amongst men - ALT: trying to diminish Fortune’s power due to their anxiety - ‘reducing’ her to a woman»_space;> tragedy = story of a great man’s fall partly due to fate
October 17, 2023 at 9:06 AM
good or bad
ham Why, then, ’tis none to you, for there is
nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it
so.
Solipsistic argument has its limits»_space;> massive hypocrisy: Hamlet is fully philosophically aware of this idea, yet fails to apply it to his own life: complaining how “weary, stale, flat and unprofitable” (definitely worth dropping in a Part A) and vicious misogyny: “Frailty, thy name is woman”
Sympathising: Shakespeare positions Rosencrantz as an unwitting confirmer of Hamlet’s stereotypical melancholy - in the sense that Denmark is restricted for him, his father’s murderer is the King, and in a metaphysical sense - our lives being finite.
ambition
Guildenstern “Which dreams, indeed, are ambition,”
Guildenstern’s line, “Which dreams, indeed, are ambition,” uses a dense metaphor that blurs the lines between reality and illusion, likening ambition to dreams—ephemeral, insubstantial, and fleeting. The reference to “shadows,” possibly alluding to actors, deepens the metaphor, suggesting ambition is as transient and performative as a play on stage. This might hint at the theme of appearances versus reality in Hamlet and underscores the idea that human aspirations, like dreams or actors, lack lasting substance or true significance.
Hamlet dynamic w Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
His probing questions (“Were you not sent for?”) reveal his keen observation and capacity to expose deceit, contrasting with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s inability to effectively conceal their intentions.
confession
there is a kind of confession in your looks
which your modesties have not craft enough to
color. I know the good king and queen have sent for
you.
ham
anticipation
I will tell you why; so shall my anticipation
prevent your discovery, and your secrecy to the
wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth, forgone all
with my disposition that this goodly frame, the
Earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most
excellent canopy, the air, look you, this brave o’erhanging
firmament, this majestical roof, fretted
with golden fire—why, it appeareth nothing to me
Hamlet’s speech could reflect genuine despair, as he describes the world as a “sterile promontory” and “this majestical roof” appearing “nothing” to him, showing his existential crisis. However, his line “so shall my anticipation prevent your discovery” suggests he may be manipulating Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, pretending to be vulnerable. The exaggerated melancholy may also indicate a calculated performance. Ultimately, Hamlet’s honesty is ambiguous, blending real anguish with strategic deception.
noble
HAM What a piece of work is a man, how noble in
reason, how infinite in faculties… beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and
yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?
god formed adam from dust, alexander the great turned to dust, ashes to
in this passage, Hamlet grapples with these opposing views: the Renaissance humanist conception of man as noble and almost divine, and a nihilistic rejection of humanity as insignificant and meaningless. This internal conflict reveals Hamlet’s deep existential struggle, caught between the promise of human greatness and the disillusionment of his own experiences.
delights not
Man
delights not me, no, nor women neither
ham
intersting how he seperated man and woman - man was typically used to define the whole of the human race
Majesty
his Majesty shall have tribute on me - Ham
he is making a gracious offer to the lead actor, The actors, can present an image of dignity, nobility, and virtue, qualities that Hamlet finds lacking in Claudius.
decieved
But my uncle-father and aunt-mother are
deceived. - ham
north-north
HAMLET I am but mad north-north-west. When the
wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.
In Hamlet’s line, “I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw,” he asserts that his madness is strategic and situational. The “wind” metaphor reflects Hamlet’s ability to control when he feigns madness, as he “knows a hawk from a handsaw” when the situation allows. His use of “madness” is a deliberate performance, not a permanent state. The line also explores the fluidity of identity, where Hamlet shifts roles depending on external forces. Ultimately, it highlights his manipulation of perception, contrasting his feigned insanity with his underlying clarity.
POLONIUS The best actors in the world, either for 420
tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical,
historical-pastoral, tragical-historical,
tragical-comical-historical-pastoral,
metathetrical absurd internal rhyme, Shakespeare subtly critiques both the superficiality of Polonius’ character and the larger societal structures that encourage performance over truth.
