Hamlet 5.2

    In Act 5 Scene 2, we finally see Hamlet kill Claudius, as the king's ghost asked at the play's beginning. Before the final scenes, however, Hamlet starts to act, something he has not been able to do yet. After learning of their plan (with Claudius) to call for his own execution by the English, Hamlet replaces the letter with one demanding the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This scene demonstrates the continued shift from the Hamlet we have seen in the past, someone who calls for action and revenge but cannot follow through, to a character who is willing to sacrifice. Once Hamlet returns to Denmark, Osric informs them of the wager King Claudius has put into place. Laertes will fence Hamlet in front of the King, Queen, and the court. I believe there is irony in the fact that these characters are fencing, using foils as weapons. Throughout the play, we see Hamlet and Laertes as foils of each other. Laertes was able to take revenge for his father’s death, while Hamlet was not able to follow through with the revenge he had planned. Now, the character foils are fencing each other using foils. (I just thought this was funny). We learn that Claudius has created a grand scheme to poison Hamlet mid-duel. The foil that Laertes plans to hurt Hamlet with is poisoned, and Claudius offers Hamlet a drink of poisonous wine during the duel. However, Gertrude is the one to drink from the poisoned cup “It is the poisoned cup: it is too late” (V.ii.235). After being stabbed with the poisonous foil, Laertes declared Claudius the creator of this plan. “The king, the king’s to blame.” (V.11.300) Finally, Hamlet can kill Claudius. “Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane, drink off this potion. Is thy union here? Follow my mother” (V.ii. 304-306). After Claudius’s death, Fortinbras, with the English ambassador, enters the room. Hamlet, stabbed with the poisonous foil, declares Fortinbras King of Denmark in his dying words. Fortinbras ensures that Hamlet is deemed a soldier for his honor and is respected, saying, “Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage, for he was likely, had he been put on to have proved most royal” (V.ii.375-378).

 

Hamlet 4.7-5.1 Blog Post

In Act 4 Scene 7, Claudius's manipulation is shown as he tells Laertes that Hamlet killed Polonius and urges him to take revenge. Although he mentions Hamlet kills Polonius, he doesn’t mention that he believes Hamlet to be mad, purposefully convincing Laertes even more to kill Hamlet. It is discovered that Claudius’s plan to kill Hamlet has failed, and Hamlet is returning to Denmark instead. Using Laertes’s newfound anger, he urges him to take revenge and kill Hamlet. Claudius’s plans for Hamlet to die in a way that seems like an accident, not to make Gertude mad and to still appeal likeable to the people. Claudius suggests poisoning Hamlet’s drink which is like how Claudius killed King Hamlet, by pouring poison in his ear. Claudius constantly plays on Laertes recent emotions of his father’s death and the discovery that Ophelia’s mad to urge him to take revenge. Laertes tells Claudius, “To cut his throat the church” (4.7.125). This shows Laertes willingness to act. Laertes is not worried in a spiritual and religious sense about murdering Hamlet, claiming that he would murder Hamlet in church. Whereas for Hamlet, religion is a constant reason for Hamlet’s inaction to murder Claudius.

 

In Act 5 Scene 1, the question arises whether Ophelia death of drowning was by suicide or on accident. The gravediggers discuss her death and whether they believe it to be suicide. The gravediggers offer an outside perspective from ordinary people. They say, “If this had not been a gentlewoman, she should have been buried out o' Christian burial” (5.1.20-21). The gravediggers believe that she did commit suicide but is still being given a Christian funeral because of her high rank. Continuing they say, "and the more pity that great folk should have countenance in this world to drown or hang themselves more than their even-Christen" (5.1.22-24). The gravediggers criticize society, claiming that the rich and noble are hypocritical because Ophelia is given a proper Christian burial even though she broke religious rules.

 

When Hamlet walks into the graveyard, he begins to speculate about who the skulls on the ground belonged to. Being face to face with the remains of humans affects Hamlet’s perspective. Throughout the novel, Hamlet’s thoughts have been surrounding death, whether that be his own, his father’s cruel death, or how he will murder Claudius. However, only now is he truly reflecting on death. When he discovers that one of the skulls was Yorick, the King's jester whom he used to be friends with, he falls into a deeper spiral about death. Hamlet realizes that all that is left of Yorick is his skull, not any of his defining characteristics. Hamlet asks Horatio: "Dost thou think Alexander looked o' this fashion the earth? (5.1.167). Hamlet begins to realize that all humans end up the same after death, even someone as great and powerful as Alexander the Great. This confirms Hamlet’s view of life as meaningless. 

Hamlet 3.3-3.4

     In Act III scene iii, Hamlet for a moment seems like he is finally ready to avenge his father's death by killing Claudius. He feels that Claudius's reaction to the play has proved his guilt, and at this point the audience is also sure of his guilt given his spontaneous confession. The pictures in our book show that in some stagings of the play, Hamlet even has his sword raised above Claudius, ready to strike. Yet, he is unable to see the murder through, further delaying the task the Ghost has charged him with.

    Hamlet rationalizes his delay by saying he wants more complete revenge--he does not want to kill Claudius while he is praying and thus send his soul to heaven. But is Hamlet truly concerned with the fate of Claudius's soul, or is he merely finding something else to be uncertain about now that he is sure of his guilt? Is it possible for Hamlet to ever be sure of such a fate? In scene iv, Hamlet admits to not being sure of the fate of his father's soul: "how his audit stands, who knows, save heaven?" (line 82). Given this, it seems more likely that Hamlet, though at surface level looking for total revenge, is merely finding more reasons for delay.

    Also in scene iv, Hamlet has a lengthy exchange with Gertrude after he rashly murders Polonius, mostly on the subject of how vile he finds her relationship with Claudius. Gertrude shows a range of reactions throughout the scene, having earlier accused Hamlet of offending Claudius but eventually conceding that she has sinned: "Thou turn'st my eyes into my soul,/And there I see such black and grained spots/As will not leave their tinct" (lines 89-91). But has Hamlet really gotten through to her? It's possible he has, but it also seems that Gertrude as a character generally submits easily to powerful men, and she could be merely going along with what Hamlet is saying given his potent behavior. Additionally, Gertrude seems convinced of Hamlet's madness when the Ghost appears and he converses with it, as she cannot see or hear it. It's possible she's frightened by both this and his earlier violent behavior, and so she appears to agree with/side with him out of fear.

    Lastly, towards the end of their dialogue in scene iv, Hamlet persistently urges Gertrude to not sleep with Claudius, saying he wants to keep her from sinning (and we know from various other lines and scenes that Hamlet is generally repulsed by their relationship). Hamlet earlier in scene iii says that one of the scenarios in which he would kill Claudius was while he was being lustful, as his soul would then be sent to hell, so this urging to Gertrude perhaps also serves the dual purpose of further delaying Claudius's murder.

Hamlet Act 4.1-4.6

In the opening scene of Act 4, the reader experiences Claudius's reaction to the death of Polonius, but his concern is not for the death of his friend and is instead the possible consequences he will face. Although Hamlet is the murder, Claudius is worried that he will be held responisble despite Hamlet (as stated by Gertrude) being a mad man because, as Claudius later says, he is loved by the people of Denmark and therefore will not be harshly punished for his act. However, Claudius is desperate to find the body of Polonius and sends Rosencratnz and Guildenstern to find the body, but when they ask Hamlet, he answers in a series of riddles and words of a mad man. Finally, after teasing Claudius of the bodies location, Hamlet reveals where the body is saying, "But if indeed you find him/not within this month, you shall nose him as you gip up the stairs/into the lobby" (4.3.32-34). In Act 4, Scene 3, Claudius finally reveals that he will send Hamlet to England, somthing that he has been planning and threatening for a long time. It is revealed the the reader that Hamlet is to be killed on arrival to England. This exemplifies the bad relationship between Hamlet and Claudius and how desperate Claudius is to be rid of Hamlet. In Act 4, Scene 4, Hamlet encounters a Captain of Fortinbras's army who is seeking permission to pass through Danish lands on their journey to aquire a invaluable piece of Poland. This encounter causes Hamlet to refelct on the nature of society full of death and blood. He realizes that he has a great cause for bloodshed on order to avend his father's death, but he has failed to act. In his soliliquy, Hamler says, "Oh from this time forth,/My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth" (4.4.65-66). Hamlet's words indicate to the reader that he is more motivated than ever to avenge his father's death. In scene 5, Ophelia is seen as mad following the death of her father, and Laertes is also distraught after hearing of his father's death. People have begun to riot because of the unknown circumstances surrounding the death. Ophelia talks much of death and Claudius promises the either be found guilty of Polonius's death and give up his title, or to be found innocent and help seek revenge (4.5.201-207). There is now more tension and conflict in the play, and I am excited to see what happens in the following acts. 

Hamlet Act 1, Scenes 3-5

 

In last night's reading of Hamlet, many significant events took place. We are introduced to Ophelia, Laertes and Polonius. We discover a very interesting hierarchical relationship between the three, as well as their perspectives on Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship. However, I would like to focus on the interaction between Hamlet and the Ghost of his father. While the Ghost describes to Hamlet the cause of his death and who killed him, he uses specific contrasting language to reveal his feelings towards both Claudius and Gertrude. He refers to Claudius as a “serpent that did sting thy father’s life” (1.5.38). Expressing his brother in this dark light shows his deep bitterness towards him. A serpent also implies a devilish aspect that the Ghost believes Claudius embodies. Furthermore, to him Claudius is an “incestuous” and “adulterate beast” (1.5.42). He continues to describe Claudius as less than human, especially when marrying his wife; however, in the same breath he refers to his former wife as a “most seeming virtuous queen” (1.5.46). This implies that the Ghost is reluctant to blame or look down upon Gertrude for her marriage to Claudius. This contrast between the demonic Claudius and virtuous Gertrude reveals the Ghost's feelings towards the two of them. He places the most fault on Claudius when in reality it was both of their decisions. He believes Claudius used “witchcraft of his wits” and “traitorous gifts” to seduce Gertrude and corrupt her (1.5.43). This furthers his belief that Claudius is something less than human and took advantage of his wife. 

Overall, contrast the Ghost illustrates between Gertrude and Claudius show that his anger lies mostly with Claudius. Similarly, we saw this in the Scarlet Letter with Roger Chillingworth. He only blamed Dimmesdale for the relationship between him and Hester, and his revenge ultimately led to his demise. Though Hamlet’s father is already dead, I am interested to see how this influences Hamlet, and the revenge he takes for his father. 

Hamlet Act 2

    In Act 2, themes such as love, madness, and deceit develop further as the play unfolds. The combination of all of these themes eventually leads up to Hamlet's second soliloquy in Act 2 Scene 2 and this is what I mainly want to focus on. However it is important to note how Shakespeare includes some of these themes in his play prior to the soliloquy in order to understand the context that surrounds Hamlet's emotions. In Act 2 Scene 1, deceit and lying are used to discover the source of Hamlet's madness. When Claudius and Gertrude question the motive for Hamlet's recent mad behavior, they ask two of Hamlet's friends to, "draw him on to pleasure, and to gather so much as from occasion you may glean, whether aught to us known afflicts him thus, that opened lies within our remedy" (2.2.15-17). Claudius and Gertrude are asking two of Hamlet's good friends to deceitfully dig into his life in order to uncover what could be driving him to this madness he is experiencing. I think this is interesting because it further shows the kind of people Claudius and Gertrude are and that they don't necessarily have the best intentions when it comes to Hamlet.

    In Hamlet's second soliloquy, his true emotions are revealed. The true reason for Hamlet's madness is due to his confusion of emotions surrounding his father's death and his insecurity of taking revenge on Claudius. After watching the players act out a scene, Hamlet is amazed with the emotion that they were able to display, and he wonders why he does not feel more upset about his own father's murder. Hamlet says to himself, "Yet I,/A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak/Like a John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,/And can say nothing-no, not for a king,/Upon whose property and most dear life/A damned defeat was made. Am I a coward?" (2.2.518-523). Hamlet wonders why he is not more upset over his father's death and concludes that he must be a coward for not having a plan of revenge yet. Later Hamlet states, "This is most brave/That I, the son of the dear murdered/Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,/Must unpack my heart with words" (2.2.535-538). Hamlet continues to struggle with the notion that he has this great responsibility to seek revenge, but all he can do is talk about his problems to himself. 

    I think that the second soliloquy highlights a very interesting side of Hamlet that we have not seen yet. His inability to take action and the guilt that he feels about this emphasizes the difficult situation he is in. Shakespeare's choice to reveal Hamlet's internal struggle adds more depth to his character and makes me wonder how this mindset is going to evolve and impact him in the future. 

Scarlet Letter: Final Reading Blog Post

While the concluding paragraphs of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne are filled with action and suspense, I would like to focus on Hawthorne’s depictions of Pearl as a symbol of innocence. In our class discussions, Pearl often represents the sin between Arthur and Hester. However, I think that Hawthorne creates Pearl’s unique personality to separate her from the other characters in the novel. This can be seen when Hester, Arthur, and Pearl join in the forest and discuss their plan of escape. After removing her scarlet letter, Hester sits with the minister and watches Pearl play by the brook and gathers jewels. Hawthorne describes Pearl as, “looking so steadfastly at them through the dim medium of the forest-gloom; herself, meanwhile, all glorified with a ray of sunshine…” (Hawthorne 191). Hester has removed the scarlet letter from her chest, and Pearl refuses to return to her mother. Hawthorne’s depiction of the sin-ridden couple sitting in the dark while Pearl glows in the light shows the child’s innocence, despite coming from an unfortunate pairing. The child of love is embodying light while Hester and Arthur sit in the darkness of public shame and internal guilt. Furthermore, Pearl’s special charm can be seen during election day. As the townspeople gather to hear the Election Sermon, Pearl is in her own world, dancing and galloping among the chaos. Hawthorne uses romantic techniques and compares Pearl to nature. When describing her clothing, Hawthorne writes, “The dress seemed an… outward manifestation of her character…the many hued brilliancy from a butterfly’s wing, or the painted glory from the leaf of a bright flower…her garb was all of one idea with her nature” (209). Compared to the gray garment Hester hides under, Hawthorne decorates Pearl in the reality of her personality. Using “brilliant” and “bright” to describe how Pearl stands out, Hawthorne continues to draw a contrast between Pearl, Hester, and the puritan community which surrounds her. 

Pearl is the result of an unlawful union and that is the reason she is so special. Although she was born as innocently as any other baby, she was raised to endure the crudeness of Puritan culture. Pearl never learned that sin should be a secret because she and her mother were the embodiment of one. Her innocent mind was forced to see sin as a natural thing, and this is what sets her apart from the other members of society.