Revenge

Question 1

What is the first paragraph for revenge?

Answer 1

Hamlet’s ‘overt’ revenge vs his ‘covert’ revenge

Question 2

What is the critic for Hamlet’s ‘overt’ revenge vs his ‘covert’ revenge?

Answer 2

(Janet Adelman) - “Despite his ostensible agenda of revenge, the main psychological task that Hamlet seems to set himself is not to avenge his father’s death but to re-make his mother”

Question 3

What is the first quote for Hamlet’s ‘overt’ revenge vs his ‘covert’ revenge?

Answer 3

Hamlet - “He hath killed his King and whored my mother”

Question 4

What is the analysis for “He hath killed his King and whored my mother”?

Answer 4

The Possessive pronoun used to refer to his father as ‘his king’ differ from the possessive pronoun ‘my mother. This creates a contrast between his familial relationship with his mother and suggests it is his duty as a son to avenge the late king.

Question 6

What it the context for “He hath killed my King and whored my mother”

Answer 6

Reta. A. Terry explains how during the Renaissance period the honour code underwent a ‘significant metamorphosis’, where the old honour code (with its emphasis on lineage) evolved into a more moral and political code, in the sense that it emphasised allegiance to the state.

Question 7

What does Reta A Terry imply about Hamlet invoking an honour code?

Answer 7

Therefore, the fact that Hamlet invokes an honour code in avenging the ‘king’ and not his ‘father’, suggests that killing Claudius to fulfil this duty is his ‘overt’ revenge. Furthermore reinforcing the contrast created by referring to Gertrude as his ‘mother’ is emphasised by the syntactic parallelism, which suggests that the second phrase carries more ‘emotional weight’ than the first.

Question 8

What does the Ghost say that implies revenge and is in the paragraph Hamlet’s ‘overt’ revenge vs his ‘covert’ revenge?

Answer 8

Ghost - “Do not forget. This visitation/Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.”

Question 9

What is the analysis for “Do not forget. This visitation/Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.”?

Answer 9

The connotations of “blunted’ mean that Hamlet’s purpose is even looked upon by the ghost of his father as dull, misdirected, and confused here. His goal is to kill Claudius yet Hamlet does not take the opportunity to fulfil his duty. This delay of revenge therefore suggests that Hamlet’s covert purpose- remaking his mother- has not yet been fulfilled.

Question 10

What is the second paragraph for revenge?

Answer 10

Revenge as a form of divine retribution or justice

Question 11

What is the critic for Revenge as a form of divine retribution or justice?

Answer 11

Are the catastrophes that take place in the play a ‘just, if appalling retribution’, or is it the
‘malianity of the heavens. (Kastan)

Question 12

what is the first quote for Revenge as a form of divine retribution or justice?

Answer 12

Hamlet - ‘There’s a divinity that shapes our ends./ Rough-hew them how we will’

Question 13

what is the analysis for ‘There’s a divinity that shapes our ends./ Rough-hew them how we will’?

Answer 13

Here the word ‘ends’ is polysemic, meaning that either God shapes our plans/purposes, or that God shapes our ultimate late/death. In both meanings however, revenge is enacted through Gods

Question 14

What is the context for ‘There’s a divinity that shapes our ends./ Rough-hew them how we will’

Answer 14

‘You may make your plans but God directs your actions’ (The Bible. Old Testament, Book of Proverbs 16.9) “ends” can signify the ultimate conclusion of life—death. In this view, Hamlet implies that while humans may take actions that seem self-directed, their fates or deaths are ultimately ordained by God. This resonates deeply within the revenge theme of the play. Hamlet’s eventual confrontation with Laertes and Claudius, resulting in multiple deaths, seems almost predestined, as if divine forces have maneuvered events to reach this inevitable conclusion.

Question 15

What quote shows Hamlet implying Polonius’ death is the result of some karmic justice as he addresses Polonius. saying:

Answer 15

‘Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger. The fact that Polonius is ‘busy’,

Question 16

What does ‘‘Thou find’st to be too busy is some danger. The fact that Polonius is ‘busy’ mean?

Answer 16

meaning meddlesome and officious, results in danger.

Question 17

what quote support the context of the Old Testament?

Answer 17

‘I do repent, But heaven hath pleased it Polonius’ death so,/ To punish me with this. and this with me./ That I must be their heaven’s scourge and minister.

Question 18

Analysis for the quote ‘I do repent, But heaven hath pleased it Polonius’ death so,/ To punish me with this. and this with me./ That I must be their heaven’s scourge and minister.’

Answer 18

When Hamlet refers to himself as heaven’s scourge and minister, a contemporary audience, in accordance with the message in the book of Proverbs, would have understood Hamlet as a human agent which God exacts justice through. However, Hamlet’s own end is also shaped by divinity.

Question 19

what is the chiasmus quote?

Answer 19

The chiasmus- ‘To punish me with this, and this with me,’

Question 20

What does the chiasmus- ‘To punish me with this, and this with me,’ suggest

Answer 20

suggests that Hamlet will also lace justice or revenge, since he will be punished by society and in relation to the divine law. Therefore, revenge is most certainly shown to be influenced by divinity, as a result the fate of characters is manipulated.

Question 21

What is the 3rd paragraph for revenge?

Answer 21

How the delay of revenge suggests that it is morally wrong

Question 22

What is the critic for How the delay of revenge suggests that it is morally wrong?

Answer 22

“Hamlet’s conscience is the main reason why he doesn’t kill Claudius sooner” (“moral repulsion to the deed”) (A.C. Bradley)

Question 23

What is the first quote for How the delay of revenge suggests that it is morally wrong?

Answer 23

“This is most brave,/ That I, the son of a dear father murdered./ Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell./ Must like a whore unpack my heart with words/ And fall a cursing like a very drab, A stallion!”

Question 24

What is the analysis for “This is most brave,/ That I, the son of a dear father murdered./ Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell./ Must like a whore unpack my heart with words/ And fall a cursing like a very drab, A stallion!”

Answer 24

Hamlet sarcastically calls himself ‘brave’, suggesting that in actuality he is cowardly. He has every reason to take action but all he can do is talk. Therefore, although he recognizes his purpose, ironically it is by these soliloquies that Hamlet sees as useless, that Hamlet ‘unpacks his heart.’ The simile comparing himself to a prostitute further emphasises his lack of action as being shameful.

Question 25

What is the context for this quote “This is most brave,/ That I, the son of a dear father murdered./ Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell./ Must like a whore unpack my heart with words/ And fall a cursing like a very drab, A stallion!”

Answer 25

Women, especially women at the bottom of the social class system (prostitutes) can only curse when someone has wronged them because they have no other power at their disposal. Hamlet should be able to take action. This is what Aristotle had to say: ‘On the
contrary, the male is more ready to help, and, as it hath been said, more brave than the female; and . . . if the sepia (cuttlefish] is struck with a trident, the male comes to help the female, but the female makes her escape if the male is struck.’

Moreover, the reference to the divine makes his inaction even more shameful, as it suggests that he is ignoring the great chain of being.

Question 26

What is the second quote for How the delay of revenge suggests that it is morally wrong?

Answer 26

‘Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.’

Question 27

What is the analysis for ‘Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.’?

Answer 27

The delay of revenge is intended to show how revenge is perhaps not always morally praiseworthy. Hamlet takes so long because of his conscience. But shakespeare isnt saying this this is wrong of Hamlet necessarily, because through the delay Hamlet loses this conscience and does morally dubious things.

Question 28

What is the critic for ‘Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.’

Answer 28

‘Revenge is not justice. It is rather an act of injustice on behalf of justice’ (Belsey)

Question 29

What does Hamlet say to Horatio and what does Horatio say to Hamlet that displays Hamlets shift in morality?

Answer 29

he says to Horatio: ‘They are not near my conscience’ To this. Horatio replies with ‘why what a king is this!”

Question 30

What is the context for he says to Horatio: ‘They are not near my conscience’ To this. Horatio replies with ‘why what a king is this!” ?

Answer 30

Nicholas Machiavel, during the Renaissance, wrote a political treatise entitled The Prince (II Principe), where he argues that the ‘end justifies the menas’. Therefore the term Machiavellian often connotes political deceit, deviousness and pragmatism. By being cruel and using deceit to fulfil his revenge, Hamlet is seen in the new light of a Machiavellian prince.