Hamlet - Character Flashcards
“Am I a coward?”
Hamlet says this when he is trying to work himself up to kill Claudius but can’t bring himself to do it because of his morals.
“Haste me to know ‘t, that I with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge.”
This is when Hamlet is talking to his fathers ghost about getting revenge.
Theme - revenge
Imagery - ‘as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love’ - meditation being slow and thoughtful.
“THIS IS I, HAMLET THE DANE.”
This shows that Hamlet has changed his fathers revenge into his own justice for murder of a king.
Themes - justice & revenge
Hamlet refers to himself as the king ‘dane’ who at that time is Claudius.
‘He that hath killed my king, and whored my mother’
The repetition of the word ‘my’ shows Hamlet making everything about himself rather than his father.
Themes/issues - conflict with Claudius and justice.
“There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now”
This shows the theme of religion and the fact that Hamlet accepts death.
“I’ll cut his throat i’ th’ church”
Shows that Laertes is a more traditional revenge hero than Hamlet saying that he can kill anywhere.
Theme of revenge
Contrasts with Hamlet
“Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers”
Theme of corruption
The corruption is spreading from Claudius through the royal family to the citizens.
