Hamlet, quoteless

Question 1

Hamlet critics

Answer 1

“Hamlet is haunted, not by the physical fear of dying, but of being dead.”
- CS Lewis.

“Hamlet assumes without questioning that he ought to avenge his father”
- AC. Bradley.

“Hamlet is unable to carry out the sacred duty, imposed by divine authority, of punishing an evil man by death.”
- AC. Bradley.

“The story of moral poisoning”
- Hippolyte Taine.

“Hamlet’s mind is constantly occupied with the world within”
- Coleridge.

Question 2

Oedipus Complex

Answer 2

The attachment of a child to parent of opposite sex and aggressive feelings towards the parent of the same sex - Freudian theory.

AO5: the Tennant production sheds light to this claim in the scene where Hamlet is seen holding Gertrude down on the bed.

Question 3

Marxist theory

Answer 3

Focus on class structure
Hamlet mocks Claudius’ true motives of getting economic power and climbing social hierarchy.

Question 4

Feminist theory

Answer 4

Women are dominated by men
Male characters are strong, females are weak/passive

Question 5

Critical interpretation for Denmark as corrupt

Answer 5

“The number of images of sickness, disease and the idea of a tumour is descriptive of the unwholesome condition of Denmark morally”
- Caroline Spurgeon

Question 6

What is existential nihilism?

Answer 6

Life has no intrinsic meaning or value, human/humanity is insignificant.

AO5: seen in the Branaugh production (Act 3, Scene 1, get thee to a nunnery). Hamlet destroys his relationship with Ophelia, essentially removing meaning from his life.

Question 7

What is metatheatre?

Answer 7

Aspects of a play which draw attention to it being a play e.g a play-within-a-play, pretending to be mad, making audience look up. This performance mirrors the events of King Hamlet’s murder.

AO5: Branaugh production of hamlet often pans into Claudius’ face to see his reaction. Hamlet also looks up.

Question 8

Critical interpretation for Ophelia

Answer 8

“Ophelia is deprived of though, sexuality and language…she represents the strong emotions that Elizabethans thought womanish.”
- Elaine Showalter

Question 9

Act 1

Answer 9

Scene 1 - Horatio sees ghost

Scene 2 - Court, Hamlet soliloquy on incestual marriage

Scene 3 - Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes

Scene 4 - Hamlet sees ghost

Scene 5 - Hamlet decides to avenge his father

Question 10

Act 2

Answer 10

Scene 1 - Ophelia tells Polonius of Hamlet’s mad behaviour

Scene 2 - Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, asks to perform Murder of Gonzago

Question 11

Act 3

Answer 11

Scene 1 - Meeting of Hamlet and Ophelia being spied upon, ‘To be or not to be’

Scene 2 - Play is performed

Scene 3 - Hamlet unable to kill Claudius whilst praying

Scene 4 - Gertrude closet, Polonius killed

Question 12

Act 4

Answer 12

Scene 1 - Hamlet refuses to tell R&G where Polonius’ body is

Scene 2 - Claudius sends Hamlet to England

Scene 3 - Fortinbras orders army to go to Danish king

Scene 4 - Ophelia mad, Laertes returns

Scene 5 - Horatio gets letter from Hamlet to meet him

Scene 6 - Claudius and Laertes plan duel/poison, Ophelia drowns

Question 13

Act 5

Answer 13

Scene 1 - Gravedigger/skull/ Yorick

Scene 2 - Duel takes place, everyone dies

Question 14

RSC Tennant Production

Answer 14

Theme of surveillance through CCTV cameras, spying.

Can use this production to show how the theme of distrust is explored.

Question 15

Laurence Olivier Production

Answer 15

Emphasis on Oedipus complex as young actress plays Gertrude.

Winding stairwells echo Hamlet’s mind
Melancholic and introspection
- Focus on existential crisis.
- To be or not to be.
- Edge of cliff with dagger.

Question 16

Kenneth Branagh Production

Answer 16

Emphasis on strong emotions. It is an emotional production.
- Hamlet is seen to be upset and trying to protect ophelia when he tells her to go to a nunnery (rather than being rude as other productions act it).
- Ophelia is in a straight jacket in the madness scene.

Shakespeare was a big fan of placing antonyms (opposing words) up against each other in his dialogue. Part of the reason for this is that it helps give the actors direction in how they perform a line.
The “To be or not to be” is simply six words, however, when said with emphasis on the opposing ideas, the line becomes much more significant.
- Branagh takes the Shakespearean motif of antithesis and renders it with clarity

Madness and Appearances: The introduction of ‘mad’ Hamlet in Act 2 sees Kenneth Branagh appear wearing a skull mask - an obvious but nonetheless neat piece of foreshadowing that emphasises the play’s theme of mortality.

https://lukebartolo.blogspot.com/2017/06/kennerth-branaghs-hamlet-9-things-that.html