Hamlet: Action and Inaction Flashcards
‘With the _________ purposes of revenge, he is ________ and ________’
‘With the strongest purposes of revenge, he is irresolute and inactive’
Henry Mackenzie (Romantic)
Critic:
‘His ruling _______ is to _____, not to ___’
‘His ruling passion is to think, not to act’
William Hazlitt (19th Romantic)
‘The ______ the thing wherein I’ll ______ the ____________ of the king’
‘The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king’
A2 S2 (Hamlet)
- Scene ends in rhyming couplet (Hamlets regained momentum from his quest)
‘______ for a ______, dead.’
‘Dead for a ducat, dead.’
A3 S4 (Hamlet)
‘__________ purpose’
‘____ my _____ revenge’
‘blunted purpose’
‘spur my dull revenge’
‘hath but ____ part _________ and ever ______ parts ______’
‘hath but one part wisdom and ever three parts coward’
A4 S4 (Hamlet)
‘___________ and _____ to the ___________ pit!’
‘Conscience and grace to the profoundest pit!’
A4 S5 (Laertes)
‘are you like the ________ of a _______, a face without a ______?’
‘are you like the painting of a sorrow, a face without a heart?’
A4 S7 (Claudius)
‘is’t not perfect _________ to quit him with this ____?’
‘is’t not perfect conscience to quit him with this arm?’
A5 S2 (Hamlet)
- Using his own physical strength + sword to kill Claudius
‘as a __________ to mine own _______’
‘as a woodcock to mine own springe’
A5 S2 (Laertes)
‘To ____ an antic _____________ on’
‘To put an antic disposition on’
‘Thus __________ does make ________ of us all’
‘Thus conscience does make cowards of us all’
A3 S1
‘I am _________ to my ____________’
‘I am constant to my purposes’
A5 S2 (Hamlet)
‘Led by a _________ and _______ prince’
‘Led by a delicate and tender prince’
A4 S4
‘My stronger _____ defeats my strong ______’
‘My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent’
A3 S3
‘Laertes is a typical _________ and the complete _____ to Hamlet in that ______’
‘Laertes is a typical avenger and the complete foil to Hamlet in that regard’
Kittredge (20th)
Hamlet’s soliloquy A4 S4 in Simon Godwin, Paapa Essiedu production (2016)
ACT 4 SCENE 4:
- Hamlet in handcuffs (arrested to be sent to England, also represents his internal conflict/entrapment)
- Fortinbras appears strong and resolute, dominates stage (contrasts Hamlets who is cowering and slouching)
- Hamlet dressed in casual wear compared to Fortinbras who is more formal/put together
Hamlet’s killing of Claudius in Kenneth Branagh (1996)
ACT 5 SCENE 2:
- Hamlet throws a dagger at Claudius from the balcony
- Allows the chandelier to fall on and crush Claudius
- Angrily force feeds Claudius the poisoned drink (very involved/direct in the killing)
Importance of Fortinbras in RSC 2025 Luke Thallon production
- Cut from the play
- Paints Hamlet as the main hero of the play, removes the threat of Fortinbras
‘they are not ______ my ______________’
‘they are not near my conscience.’
- Hamlet’s lack of remorse for killing R + G
- Short sentence shows his indifference
- Uses ‘they’ instead of names
‘Laertes and Fortinbras are both _______________ of _________’
‘Laertes and Fortinbras are both representatives of action’
Hall (19th)
‘Hamlet’s _______ is not one of ________ or of love for Ophelia, but purely of ______ at Laertes’
‘Hamlet’s mood is not one of sorrow or of love for Ophelia, but purely of rage at Laertes’
Stewart (20th)
How is Polonius’ death depicted in Kenneth Branagh 1996 production?
- Polonius hides behind a mirror (theme of surveillance)
- The mirror shatters as Hamlet shoots him (= destruction of an illusion + revealing a harsh truth ALSO shattering = breakdown of Hamlet’s sanity, mental turmoil)
What 3 characteristics do tragic heroes possess as stated by Aristotle (ancient greek philosopher)?
- A character of noble birth/greatness
- Hamartia (tragic flaw)
- Inevitable downfall e.g defeat, suffering, untimely end (due to hamartia)
