Mid to Late 20C

Question 1

What did T.S Elliot downplay in his essay “Hamlet and his Problems”?

Answer 1

The psychological emphasis of the play

Question 2

Who did T.S Elliot focus on in his essay “Hamlet and his Problems”?

Answer 2

Minor characters such as Gertrude, seeing what they revealed about Hamlet’s decisions

Question 3

What did T.S Elliot famously call Hamlet and why?

Answer 3

An “artistic failure”, comparing it to the Mona Lisa, in that both were overly enigmatic

Question 4

In contrast to Freud what did T.S Elliot comment about Hamlet’s relationship with his mother?

Answer 4

Elliot targeted Hamlet’s disgust with his mother as lacking “objective correlative”, his feelings were excessive in the context of the play

Question 5

What movement took into account the role of minor characters?

Answer 5

The Feminist Movement questioning on the role of minor characters within gender and political views

Question 6

What are current historical theories attempting?

Answer 6

To remove the Romanticism surrounding the play and show it in the context of the Elizabethan England