20 Questions: Hamlet – Discussion Questions

Outline responses to these questions to prepare yourself for the ‘Discussion’ component of the Internal Assessment.

1. Discuss the importance of the opening scene for the play.

The opening scene of Hamlet is of particular importance to the audience as it introduces several central motifs, and foreshadows the both the drama and suspense of the play. It does a good job of establishing the tone and context for the setting.

The mood the initial scene is of both confusion and fright. As we will see later, Hamlet is confused with the task of killing Claudius. His emotions go from determined to tame. Although there is “not a mouse stirring,” the audience learns that the apparition has been seen twice already by Marcellus, thus presenting for the first time the supernatural elements of the play. They then decide that Hamlet must be notified of the existence of the apparition because even Horatio is unable to communicate with the apparition. Horatio even goes on to predict that the appearance of this apparition bodes some strange eruption for our state. Moreover, the first scene is replete with information concerning the death of king Hamlet, and also introduces the parallel plot of Fortinbras of Norway, whose father was murdered by King Hamlet. The young king plans to take on the touch enterprise of securing the lands lost by Fortinbras.The first scene of the play has been said to strike the keynote of the character of the whole drama.A Renaissance audience would have believed that the ghost comes for some terrible reason -- never anything good. This scene is essential to establishing this background information. Once the audience has all of this information, they are ready to meet Claudius, Hamlet, Gertrude, Polonius and all of the other significant characters in the next scene.

2. What do you feel is the critical turning point in the play?Hamlet is arguably a play with two different plots. While one involves Hamlet’s emotional and psychological

development, which Shakespeare represents through Hamlet’s characterization (soliloquies, dialogue), the other is Hamlet’s revenge plot against Claudius. The critical turning point of Hamlet’s characterization is during his confrontation with Gertrude, and quite conveniently, the turning point of the plot occurs subsequently. Hamlet struggles to maintain his sanity as soon as he meets his Father’s ghost, and as an audience or reader, it is difficult to comprehend whether his antic disposition is a misrepresentation to fool his family, or whether it has become his reality. Hamlet is determined to kill Claudius but also despises Gertrude because of her decision to marry his uncle so soon after the death of his father. He eventually confronts Gertrude and kills Polonius. He believes she knows that Claudius has committed this sin, but she denies. Thus, his confrontation signals his psychological transformation as he has turned away from contemplation and thought, to action. In the prior scene, due to his dependence on thought, he chooses not to kill Claudius while he is praying. However, he exploits his furiousness and questions whether his mother has forgotten his father. Hamlet is disgusted by his mother’s actions, and believes that it is not possible for a public figure who is dependent on her husband to decide to sin by performing a prohibited marriage. He then, thinking that Claudius is behind the curtain, slays Polonius. This is the climax of the external, man vs. man conflict presented in the novel. When Hamlet stabs Polonius through the arras in Act III, scene iv, he commits himself to overtly violent action and brings himself into unavoidable conflict with the king. At these points, Hamlet will not be able to turn back and act differently. His mother and uncle have learned about Hamlet’s conflict.

3. Discuss the ending of the play in terms of the conventions of a tragedy.Aristotle's definition states, "a tragedy is defined as an imitation of an event that is serious, complete, and possessing magnitude...” Under the conventions of the tragedy, the death of the major protagonists will occur by the end. Moreover, a tragic hero will experience separation or banishment from society, and will eventually suffer at the hands of his hamartia. Finally, the downfall of the protagonist will occur partially because of external pressures such as the supernatural. Hamlet is certainly an admirable character, especially in his unwillingness to do harm to Claudius until he is absolutely sure that Claudius is guilty. In Hamlet's case, that tragic error occurs when he stabs Polonius through the curtain errantly believing that he is really stabbing Claudius. This action sets off a chain of events that eventually decides Hamlet's fate.Unfortunately, Hamlet does not immediately confront Claudius because he is much too cautious, and instead, Hamlet slips into a state of

madness. Hamlet's reflective and cautious nature is his tragic flaw, and these characteristics ultimately lead to the tragic ending of the play. Tragedies, according to Aristotle, must effect "through pity and fear [...] the catharsis of such emotions." This means that the story must bring about the emotions of pity and fear into the audienceThis catharsis in Hamlet is brought about by the swordfight. Hamlet must fight with Laertes, and in the process, Gertrude is killed, Claudius is killed, Laertes is killed, and Hamlet himself is killed. But the catharsis is achieved when a warring prince from Norway comes upon the scene of death, hears the tragic story of Hamlet's life, and decides to treat Hamlet's body like that of a hero.

4. "Two mighty opposites." To what extent is the action in "Hamlet" a duel between Hamlet and Claudius?

• They both fight for a secret, one to bring it out while another too keep it inside

• Both fight for mother’s love and affection

• Both devise strategies to bring about death of the other person

• Hamlet uses the his play to reveal the truth while Claudius uses Laertes to kill hamlet

• As is shown in both their soliloquies, they both, as Hamlet puts it, 'unpack their hearts with words'. They both use their inate cunning to try to manipulate the fates of others; Hamlet attempts to use the play to 'catch the conscience of the King' (i.e. force him to reveal that he is indeed guilty of Hamlet Sr's murder) whilst Claudius explains to Laertes that he has a plan 'ripe in [his] device' for getting rid of Hamlet without any 'wind of blame' blowing in Claudius' direction and pointing him out as being the perpetrator. They both have confidants to whom they reveal what is on their mind and what their plans are; Hamlet has Horatio, Claudius has Polonius and Laertes.

They are both haunted by their conscience; Hamlet by the revelations by his father's spirit of his untimely death at the hands of his brother and Claudius by the heinous act that he has committed.

• Does Hamlet want to kill his father and sleep with his mother? Maybe. If so, Claudius is a perfect foil for Hamlet, because Claudius does what Hamlet only thinks about doing: killing Hamlet Sr., and then marrying Gertrude. Some scholars even suggest that Hamlet delays so long in killing Claudius because he realizes Claudius is just like himself.

• Even if you don't buy this theory, Hamlet and Claudius are foils in a more basic way. Hamlet hates deception; Claudius is really good at it. Hamlet values honesty and truthfulness and fidelity; Claudius is one of the biggest —and most successful —fakers ever. Claudius is good at politics and managing people; Hamlet doesn't seem to be very good at this at all. Claudius doesn't make a bad king, minus the brother-killing-thing; Hamlet may have actually made the worst king ever

5. How does imagery of ‘disease’ and ‘decay’ help us to understand Hamlet’s character?In Hamlet, William Shakespeare uses imagery of disease, poison and decay, for many purposes. Marcellus' line in Act I illustrate the use of this imagery very well, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." Corruption is rampant, like a contagious disease infecting the court. The atmosphere of disease serves to heighten the audience's disgust for the events that are taking place in the play. When Hamlet releases the words "O that this too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew," (I.ii, 129-130) he communicates how he wishes to not exist in this world anymore. An image of Hamlet's flesh rotting and combining with the soil is produced. At this moment, Hamlet's true emotions liberate, and his pain and his yearn for death can be felt. Hamlet continues to say "How we are, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't, ah, fie, 'tis an unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely."(I.ii, 133-137) Here, Hamlet feels that the world around him is useless and in constant chaos. By creating these vivid images of death and decay, Shakespeare lets us peer into Hamlet's soul and recognize his real underlying motivations. Hamlet's knowledge of Claudius killing his father stems his hatred, therefore Hamlet can not feel anything but disgust and loathing for him. "Not where he eats, but where 'a is eaten. A certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creature else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots."(IV.iii; 19-22) Claudius has just asked Hamlet where Polonius is, and Hamlet replies ever so mockingly by saying he is at dinner. Hamlet killed Polonius and hates Claudius so much that he can even speak of the death of the King's friend with such vulgarity. By saying "A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm,"(IV. iii, 25-26) Hamlet again proves his hatred towards the King. Through his blatant rudeness, Hamlet surprises the King with the fact that even Kings can decay and be eaten. Hamlet's smart and sneaky comments have underlying meanings that reveal to us his deep, eternal hatred for the king. Furthermore, Hamlet was once very conscientious, but in Act IV he suddenly stabs Polonius through the drapery, thinking it is Claudius, and from that point his ethics and morality falls rapidly downhill. Finally, he ruthlessly sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, his old friends and confidants, to their deaths simply for serving the king and also to save himself. His "How all occasions inform against me" soliloquy in Act IV demonstrates how his priorities have changed too, and he will finally attempt to act in order for revenge and also to preserve his honor. Hamlet speaks of Fortinbras' bravery and his own cowardice and concludes, "O, from this

time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!" (IV,iv,65-66) This Hamlet of bloody thoughts and revenge is totally different from the previous Hamlet who once had to be sure that Claudius was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt before his slaughter. In this play moral principles within numerous characters experience a substantial decay.

6. Discuss Fortinbras and Laertes as foils to Hamlet.All three were sons of slain fathers. Fortinbras waited until 30 years after his father's death. He waited until his father's killer was already dead. If he'd attacked Denmark sooner, Hamlet's father might have challenged him to a personal duel. But Fortinbras was a coward who preferred to send thousands of "commoners" to their graves to fight for his greed. Fortinbras came to Poland and Denmark to steal land. He called it "honor" but it was really cowardice and greed. Laertes wanted revenge, but he didn't care about right and wrong. He said, "To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit!" When he thought Claudius had killed his father, he confronted Claudius, but at the head of a mob, common people who might have been killed for Laertes cause. Then Laertes plotted with Claudius to murder Hamlet through treachery. But in the end Laertes realized his errors and exchanged forgiveness with Hamlet. Hamlet wasn't afraid of death. He attacked a pirate ship without waiting to see if his shipmates were beside him. But Hamlet greatly feared doing wrong. He made sure of Claudius' guilt before attacking him. He had shook hands and parted with his friends to avoid exposing them to his own danger. He returned to Denmark to meet his fate "naked" and "alone." The first foil or character that sets off Hamlet, in the play is Laertes. After King Hamlet's death, he, along with Prince Hamlet, return to Denmark for the funeral services. That is the first sign that Laertes will become a foil to Hamlet in the play. Both Laertes and Hamlet are very fond of Laertes' sister, Ophelia, which is the second similarity of the two. Another similarity of Laertes and Hamlet is the father figure of each, Polonius to Laertes and Claudius to Hamlet, has someone to watch them to see if they are acting accordingly. [accordingly?] In act two, scene one, Polonius instructs Reynaldo to go to Paris to give Laertes money and messages, and to find other Danes that will give him gossip about Laertes. In act two, scene two, Claudius instructs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find out why Hamlet is acting so strangely. The next similarity of Laertes and Hamlet is that they both grieve over a death in the play. Laertes grieves the death of Ophelia, while Hamlet grieves over his father, King Hamlet's death. The final similarity of Laertes and Hamlet is that both seek revenge for the death of their fathers. Laertes wishes to kill Hamlet after Hamlet murders Polonius and Hamlet wants to kill Claudius for the murder of King Hamlet. Both succeed in their quest for revenge.

7. What do we learn of Hamlet from his soliloquies? For starters, we learn what Hamlet thinks about himself, life, death, Denmark, his mother, Claudius. From his first

soliloquy, "O that this too too sullied flesh should melt," we learn that he is close to suicide over his father's death and his mother's too soon marriage to Claudius. We know that he is learned, scholarly, moral, and deeply disillusioned by those around him. But we also learn that he is not quick to action. He knows he must hold his tongue. Later, in Act 2, Hamlet reveals in his "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I" soliloquy his extreme frustration over his inability to avenge his father's death. He is angry that Claudius lives and that he has been able to do nothing but put on an antic disposition. But in this soliloquy, filled with self-loathing and bitterness, we see a very smart mind at work. He comes up with a clever plan to ascertain Claudius' guilt. In his "To be, or not to be" speech, we see further a more mature mind as Hamlet philosophically and rationally considers why people endure suffering in this life when they could take action to end this suffering. This speech marks a certain development in Hamlet's character in that it is a general musing rather than an individual expression of emotion. In Act 4, Hamlet's soliloquy "How all occasions do inform against me," we see Hamlet dissect the connection between thought, action, and cowardice as he evaluates the honor and merit of Fortinbras's actions.

8. Indicate the dramatic importance of Hamlet’s soliloquies.A soliloquy is a dramatic speech spoken by a character who is alone on stage, or believes themselves to be alone. This device allows a character in a play to speak directly to the audience about their motives, feelings and decisions. They reveal the characters innermost thoughts and traditionally contain no lies or deception as the character is revealing their true thoughts and emotions. Hamlet's soliloquies give the impression of a man discovering himself as he speaks. The importance of the soliloquies in Hamlet is therefore crucial to the development of his character and of course the development of the play.

Authors use various literary elements to give insight into the mental composition of their characters. In Shakespeare's

“Hamlet, Prince of Denmark,” we can trace Hamlet's mental process through his soliloquies. Hamlet's first soliloquy reveals him to be thoroughly disgusted with Gertrude, Claudius, and the world in general. “How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, seem to me all the uses of this world” (1284), he said. He is saddened by the death of his father, who he admired as a king

and husband to his mother. His grief over his father's death is compounded by his mother's hasty marriage to Claudius. Hamlet protests, “a beast, that wants discourse of reason, would have mourn'd longer” (1285). The worst part is that he

cannot tell them how he feels. In his second soliloquy, Hamlet becomes curious and suspicious after hearing of the

ghost. “My father's spirit in arms! All is not well; I doubt some foul play” (1287), he said. Hamlet feels that the presence of the ghost indicates that his father died due to dubious circumstance. After talking with his father's ghost, in the 3rd Soliloquy

Hamlet is angered by the news that Claudius had murdered his father. Hamlet assures that he will think of nothing but revenge. “I'll wipe away all trivial fond records...and thy commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of

my brain” (1296), he proclaims. In Hamlet's fourth soliloquy, his mental state shows signs of declination. He castigates himself for not taking action to avenge his father. He realizes that he has cause to kill Claudius, but cannot muster the

boldness to go through with it. He said, “Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, that I...must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words” (1314). He also expresses some doubt that the ghost was telling the truth. He said, “The spirit that I have

seen May be the devil: and the devil hath power T'assume a pleasing shape...” (1315). However upset he is with himself, Hamlet is sure that the play he has arranged will reveal Claudius' guilt. In the fifth soliloquy, Hamlet hits upon a mental

nadir. As he contemplates suicide, Hamlet asks himself if it is more honorable to live with life's misfortunes or to die young and bypass all the hardships. Hamlet suggests that the reason we choose life is because we know nothing about death, except

that it is final. It is “the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns” (1317). He goes on to say, “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” (1317). Subscribing to this theory, Hamlet takes the coward's way and does not take

his life.Hamlet's mental status shows some promise in his sixth soliloquy. Extremely resentful toward Gertrude, part of Hamlet really wants to hurt her. Sensibility prevails as he admits that it is not his nature to harm. He resolves to “speak daggers to her, but

use none” (1328).In his seventh, and final, soliloquy, Hamlet gains the courage to finally avenge his father. After talking with a captain in Fortinbras' army, Hamlet is inspired by the men going off to Poland to fight for not much more than pride.

Hamlet then feels ashamed of his unwillingness to go after Claudius. It dawned on Hamlet that he had been thinking too much and acting too little. “Now, whether it be bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple of thinking too precisely on th' event, A thought which, quarter'd, hath but one part wisdom and ever three parts coward, I do not know why yet I live to say, “This thing's todo” (1342). With his newfound determination to avenge his father's murder, he vows, “O, from this time forth, my

thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth”(1342).

9. To what extent is Hamlet’s anger directed at his mother, more than Claudius? From the start of the play, Hamlet's anger and disappointment toward hismother are shown. In Scene I, Act ii, Hamlet meets his friend, Horatio, and revealshis disappointment in his mother's decision. Hamlet tell Horatio that "The funeralbaked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables" (I, ii, 180-181). To Hamlet,it seems the marriage has followed so fast upon his father's death that he can barelytell that any time has passed at all since his father's funeral. His mother's marriageto Cladius deeply hurts Hamlet and he feels that it may "break [his] heart" (I, ii, 158).It even causes Hamlet to say that "frailty, thy name is women." That is very strongcomment to make and the cause of such thinking all comes down to his mother andhow she let Hamlet down. As the play continues, Hamlet's anger seems to increase.In the beginning of the play, Hamlet feels he must "hold [his] tongue" (I, ii, 158) and not speak to his mother, but later in the play he wants to confront her. He becomesso angry that he feels he could "drink hot blood" (III, ii, 398). Hamlet is enraged tothe point of wanting to "speak daggers to her" (III, ii, 404).Although Hamlet's anger is evident throughout the play, the most direct display of hisanger occurs when he confronts his mother in Act III, Scene iv. There is nomistaking his rage when he begins to speak everything that he has previously kepthidden from his mother. So dangerous does he seem in his wrath that Gertrudeeven cries for help. This cry results in Polonius' death and if it were not for thepromise Hamlet made to his father not to kill Gertrude, Hamlet may have very wellkilled his mother as well. Instead of causing her bodily harm, Hamlet tries to makeher realize what a horrendous thing she has done. Hamlet so shames his motherthat she cries out: "O, speak to me no more" (95). But Hamlet is unwilling to stop, hemeans to drive home those "daggers" he spoke of earlier.Although throughout the play the anger toward his mother is most easily recognized,there are other feelings that Hamlet holds for his mother. Hamlet still cares for hismother and still hopes that she will redeem herself. Why would Hamlet be so mad athis mother if he did not love her? Hamlet tells Gertrude that "he is cruel only to be

kind" (III, iv, 179). He hopes that his words, although strong and painful, will makeher see what she has been avoiding all along, that her lust for Cladius is sinful andunlawful. He asks her to "repent what's past" (III, iv, 151). Hamlet would not ask thisof her if he did not believe deep inside that his mother could be redeemed. Herealizes that it is possible for his mother to gain back some of what she has lost,including Hamlet's respect, by keeping herself away from Cladius' bed. In addition toasking her to repent, Hamlet asks his mother to tell Cladius that he is still mad.Hamlet would not make such a request if he did not have at least some faith in hismother. He has enough trust in her to make this request. Even though anger seemsto be at the forefront, he still cares for his mother deep inside. The real question maybe how does this all affect the play? The most obvious reason has to do with Cladiusand Hamlet. The fact that Cladius killed Hamlet's father is by itself alone enoughreason for Hamlet to kill Cladius, but add on top of that the fact that Cladius is nowsleeping with King Hamlet's wife. Hamlet could not be in much worse a situation.The situation adds to the theme of revenge and gives more reasoning behind it. Itgives Hamlet more reason to seek Cladius' death, not only is Cladius king, he hasmanaged to take away the mother that Hamlet used to know and love. Now, Hamletcannot even think of his mother without becoming angry. Also, the interactionbetween Hamlet and his mother, especially the confrontation, really helps readerslook into Hamlet's character and it helps readers see how extremely angry and sadHamlet is. It brings out the emotion in Hamlet and Hamlet confronting his mother iseasily one of his most passionate moments. In addition to being important to thetheme of revenge and showing Hamlet's character, the situation that Hamlet is inwith his mother is in itself an interesting dilemma that adds to the story. It givesHamlet a different kind of problem to deal with. Dealing with his mother is notsomething that can be solved by murder like his problem with Cladius, rather it is aproblem that Hamlet must find a different way of dealing with, especially on anemotional level. Part of the reason he is so melancholy is his mother's marriage andthroughout the play he is forced to deal with the feelings that have arisen from theconflict he is in. In a way, confronting his mother provides Hamlet with a way to venthis anger and let loose some of the rage he has held in. Although the change inHamlet from thoughtful to rash may have been triggered by Polonius' death as manybelieve, maybe instead it was actually caused by his confrontation with his motherwhich allowed Hamlet to let loose some of his painful emotions held inside andthereby, freeing Hamlet's mind to act.

10.How is Gerturde’s character developed through the bedroom scene?The Gertrude who does emerge clearly in Hamlet is a woman defined by her desire for station and affection, as well as by her tendency to use men to fulfill her instinct for self-preservation—which, of course, makes her extremely dependent upon the men in her life. Hamlet’s most famous comment about Gertrude is his furious condemnation of women in general: “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (I.ii.146). This comment is as much indicative of Hamlet’s agonized state of mind as of anything else, but to a great extent Gertrude does seem morally frail. She never exhibits the ability to think critically about her situation, but seems merely to move instinctively toward seemingly safe choices, as when she immediately runs to Claudius after her confrontation with Hamlet. She is at her best in social situations (I.ii and V.ii), when her natural grace and charm seem to indicate a rich, rounded personality. At times it seems that her grace and charm are her only characteristics, and her reliance on men appears to be her sole way of capitalizing on her abilities.Though Gertrude’s speech in this scene is largely limited to brief reactions to Hamlet’s lengthy denunciations of her, it is our most revealing look at her character. As the scene progresses, Gertrude goes through several states of feeling: she is haughty and accusatory at the beginning, then afraid that Hamlet will hurt her, shocked and upset when Hamlet kills Polonius, overwhelmed by fear and panic as Hamlet accosts her, and disbelieving when Hamlet sees the ghost. Finally, she is contrite toward her son and apparently willing to take his part and help him. For Gertrude, then, the scene progresses as a sequence of great shocks, each of which weakens her resistance to Hamlet’s condemnation of her behavior. Of course, Gertrude is convinced mainly by Hamlet’s insistence and power of feeling, illustrating what many readers have felt to be her central

characteristic: her tendency to be dominated by powerful men and her need for men to show her what to think and how to feel.This quality explains why Gertrude would have turned to Claudius so soon after her husband’s death, and it also explains why she so quickly adopts Hamlet’s point of view in this scene. Of course, the play does not specifically explain Gertrude’s behavior. It is possible that she was complicit with Claudius in the murder of her husband, though that seems unlikely given her surprised reaction to Hamlet’s accusation in this scene, and it is possible that she merely pretends to take Hamlet’s side to placate him, which would explain why she immediately reports his behavior to Claudius after promising not to do so. But another interpretation of Gertrude’s character seems to be that she has a powerful instinct for self-preservation and advancement that leads her to rely too deeply on men. Not only does this interpretation explain her behavior throughout much of the play, it also links her thematically to Ophelia, the play’s other important female character, who is also submissive and utterly dependent on men.

11.Comment on Ophelia’s madness as compared to Hamlet’s. You might have greater success contrasting their madness instead of comparing it. As noted above, Hamlet's madness is feigned*, while Ophelia's is real. Hamlet puts on his antic disposition so he can conceal his scheme to entrap Claudius. From behind his guise, he indulges in the freedom to speak his mind, mocking and insulting people and occasionally just plain screwing with them. Ophelia on the other hand is so shattered that she cannot bring herself to speak directly of the things that are troubling her (her father's death, her brother's absence, her compromised honor) so she resorts to songs and rhymes that approximate them. Notice how her death seems to be passive? Rather than straight-up committing suicide, as Gertrude tells us, she accidentally falls in the water and then simply neglects to save herself from sinking. Ophelia's "garments" "pull" her down, as if they had a mind of their own. This seems to be a metaphor for the way Ophelia lives her life: doing what her father and brother—and boyfriend—tell her to do, rather than making decisions for herself.But the possibility's there. Some of the flowers Ophelia gives away during her mad scene (like rue and wormwood) were used for centuries in abortion potions. And there's something pretty suggestive about the fact that she's literally being deflowered—giving flowers away. Would it make a difference if they'd actually had sex?But, most important, Ophelia’s insanity is designed to contrast strongly with Hamlet’s, differing primarily in its legitimacy: Ophelia does not feign madness to achieve an end, but is truly driven mad by external pressures. Many of the worst elements in Denmark, including madness, fear, and rebellion, so far have been kept hidden under various disguises, such as Hamlet’s pretense and Claudius’s court revelry, and are now beginning to emerge into the open.staging Ophelia's flower distribution with imaginary flowers has become traditional in the modern theater, which generally interpret the flowers as symbolic rather than real. Ophelia gives fennel, symbol of flattery, to King Claudius. She also gives him columbine for ingratitude and infidelity. Rue, for sorrow, she gives to Gertrude; she also offers Gertrude daisy, for springtime and love, and says she lost her own violets, which represent sweetness, when her father died. To Laertes, she gives rosemary, for remembrance, and pansies, for thought, suggesting both their shared history and her lost faculties.

Gertrude also suggests that Ophelia's drowning was natural when she describes Ophelia as being like a "native" creature in the water. We also notice that Ophelia is described as being "mermaid-like" with her "clothes spread wide." Even in death, Ophelia is sexy.

12.To what extent are the women in the play victims?“Frailty, thy name is woman!” 

Shakespeare’s plays are well populated with strong women who lead or influence men. Examples are Portia (The Merchant of Venice), Cleopatra (Antony and Cleopatra), Volumnia (Coriolanus), Queen Elinor and Constance (King John), and Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing). However, in Hamlet, Gertrude and Ophelia are both weaklings who are dominated by men. In Act I, Scene II, Hamlet, deeply disturbed that his mother (Gertrude) has married Claudius a short time after the death of old King Hamlet, says, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (150). Hamlet well realizes that fickle Gertrude wants, needs, requires marriage–impropriety notwithstanding–to satisfy her desire for attention. As the new Mrs. Claudius, she is totally submissive to the king's will; to offer an original thought that might offend him is out of the question. Ophelia also keeps her place. Like Gertrude, she is totally dependent on a male–in her case, her father. Even though she loves Hamlet, she agrees to help her father spy on Hamlet. When Laertes returns to Elsinore from France, she says, “I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died.” In other words, Ophelia herself withered; her spirit died. Queen Gertrude, however, does not need madness to convey her own independence. She is by nature a very sexual woman who is not afraid to go beyond the barriers of 17th century gender lines. She concerns herself in matters of state and refuses to be seen as a mere trophy wife, but as a separate woman of power. Hamlet is beyond livid when he hears of his mother's quick remarriage to his deceased father's brother. I will admit that the fact that she married her son's uncle is odd, but by no means the disastrous, incestuous, relationship that Hamlet thinks of it. The only proof that Hamlet even has that Claudius murdered his father is the ghost that comes to see him. I believe that the ghost could have not been real to begin with. Just a manifestation, a hallucination if you will, of the hatred Hamlet feels for his mother's

quick remarriage. Perhaps Hamlet thought that his mother should have spent the rest of her life in mourning. According to Akiko Kusunoki, during the Elizabethan era people felt that widows should indeed not marry again. But many women of the upper crust often did. Their refusal to adhere to the norms "presented a contradiction to patriarchal ideology" and "posed a radical threat to the existing social structure" (176). It could be this act of independence by his mother that has made Hamlet lose his mind.

In a time when women were supposed to be merely wall decorations and submit thoroughly to the patriarchal society that ruled the land, she bravely defied such rules. She married a man only briefly after the death of her first husband, casting caution to the traditions that ruled women since the beginning of the agrarian age. Perhaps she did this, as Amanda Mabillard suggested, out of neediness for male attention (Mabillard, "Gertrude"). I believe that it goes beyond that. If she had not re-married and Hamlet had become king, she would then be reduced to the station of queen consort. She would be forced to yield all of her power to her male son and no longer have influence on state matters. Perhaps she felt that the only way to keep some power in her hands would be to marry another man of royal lineage to keep as much influence on state matters as she possibly could. One might think that this is a characteristic of a power hungry woman, but you must also take into consideration that at this time in history, any power a woman could obtain was indeed a miracle. This is centuries before the women's liberation movement, and many believe Queen Gertrude was a strong woman who truly felt that she was doing what was best for herself and her country. And considering the mental break-down Hamlet experiences, she could in fact have been very insightful to that assertion.

However, in the closet scene, act 3 scene 4, between Gertrude and Hamlet I believe she can no longer live the façade that she can in fact live as an equal to her male counterparts. Out of fear, desperation, concern, or pure defeat, she decides to succumb to her son's wishes. He commands her to:

O, throw away the worser part of it, And live the purer with the other half. Good night: but go not to mine uncle's bed; Assume a virtue, if you have it not. That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat, Of habits devil, is angel yet in this, That to the use of actions fair and good He likewise gives a frock or livery, That aptly is put on. Refrain to-night, And that shall lend a kind of easiness To the next abstinence.

Her reply to her son's attempt to rule over her own body is, "Be thou assured, if words be made of breath, And breath of life, I have no life to breathe What thou hast said to me". Perhaps her decision came from a mother's love, or perhaps she finally came to the conclusion that she can no longer attempt to live as the equal of men. She submits to Hamlet fully.

13.What do Hamlet’s interactions with women reflect about his character?Ophelia has been known as "the good daughter." She does whatever is asked of her by any male figure in her life. In the list of characters found in the lay she is simply listed the "daughter of Polonius." This implies that she is a minor character who still "belongs" to her father. Amanda Mabillard believes that it is out of love that Ophelia obeys her father's and brother's every desire (Mabillard, "Ophelia"). However, many believe that it is not out of "love" that prompts her obedience, but fear. When Laertes tells Ophelia to distrust Hamlet, she willingly obeys him and gives him the authority over her heart. In many of the exchanges between herself and her father, she simply responds with, "I will obey." For instance, in act 2 scene 1, Polonius asks Ophelia if he had denied contact with Hamlet and Ophelia tells him, "...but as you command , I did repel his letters."In Act 3 scene 1 Ophelia is spying on Hamlet at her father's insistence. We are lead to believe that she truly does love Hamlet but cannot refuse her father, so she betrays her love to spy on him. When Hamlet discovers that Ophelia's father is listening he calls Polonius a "fishmonger," which means a pimp. With the same token, Hamlet is calling Ophelia a prostitute that is being used by her father. Hamlet is not very far off on this assertion. However, you must also remember that because of the actions of his mother, he believes all women to be harlots and has lost faith in the female. Again, in act 3 scene 1 Hamlet states:If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, go, farewell. Or if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go; and quickly too. Farewell.To someone who is unfamiliar with seventeenth century slang, one may think that by Hamlet telling Ophelia to go to a nunnery he is ordering his chaste bride-to-be to join a convent and forever be pure. But "nunnery" was slang for a whorehouse. He believes her (and all women) to be monstrous whores. Yet, even after he had berated and belittled her, "Ophelia describes him, in her lament for his madness, as having been courtier, soldier, and scholar, the exemplar of form and fashion for all Denmark" (Bloom 418). Does she feel this way about him because she is that much in love with him, or because she has been trained to think even a mad man is her master?To today's women, it is easy to see her as being pathetic with no will of her own. But when we look more closely at the character that is Ophelia she exhumes more depth than many of the other characters that have a more prominent role in the play. Was this character more than a puppet, a "prostitute" to her "fishmonger" father? Or does she posses more qualities of the modern woman that previously thought? It is in her madness that I believe the real Ophelia finally comes to light. The source of her madness is a source of debate all in itself. Some believe it was the immense grief she felt. Amanda Mabillard

believes that it was Hamlet's hate that was responsible for Polonius's death that drove Ophelia to madness (Mabillard, "Ophelia"). Gabrielle Dane believes that the absence of men telling her what to do is what drove her to madness. (Dane, "Reading Ophelia's Madness") Through the guise of mental illness she can finally act out and speak her mind with no consequences. Carol Thomas Neely states that through her father's death, "Ophelia is freed for madness" (Neely, "Feminism Criticism and Teaching Shakespeare"). Even the way she speaks to the King and Queen in complete defiance is the beginning of her liberation. She is able in her insanity to speak her mind, defy authority, and remove the shackles that had placed upon her since birth all because of the accidental sex she was born with.It is also in these mad ramblings that one begins to see Ophelia as she truly should be seen. Why did the rejection of Hamlet affect her so? Why did Hamlet suggest she go to a whorehouse when she is supposed to be the model of goodness and chastity? Perhaps Hamlet knows something about her that we as the audience have not yet figured out. In Ophelia's insane ramblings in act 4 scene 4 she begins singing very vulgar rhymes about sex.

14.Do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deserve their death?Rosencrantz and Guildenstern did not deserve to die; nor did they need to die; nor did their death in any way benefit or detriment any of the main characters in the play, so why then did they die?

The first logical assumption would be that Hamlet did so out of revenge. But what did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do to deserve death? At most they betrayed Hamlet’s trust, which is less than admirable true, but Hamlet was aware of their lying but seemed unaffected by it at the time.

My lord, we were sent for. [II.ii.281] – Guildenstern and later:

Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore [II.ii.348] – Hamlet

With Hamlet’s reaction to the two at this time it is hard to imagine him so incensed as to order the death of the two men he warmly welcomed into his home.It is logical however that Hamlet, assuming the two had some sort of responsibility in the conspiring of his own death sentence, changed his opinion of his old friends. Whether Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s part was simply passing on news of Hamlet to Claudius or willingly transporting Hamlet to his death in England, Hamlet had reason to be upset with the pair.Hamlet could have killed Guildenstern and Rosencrantz in revenge, but justice doesn’t seem like a fitting motive. With all justice served the two would not die, as they simply followed orders, albeit willingly and by their own accord. Few would agree though that talking behind a friend’s back is justification for murder, and it’s probably that the two never thought that their information was anything more than for the sake of a concerned Uncle.Recommended viewing would be 1990 Tom Sheppard Film Rosencrantz and & Guildenstern Are Dead based on the play of the same name.At the end of the film, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern learn the true contents of the second letter after Hamlet escapes with the pirates. They have an equally hard time understanding why they must die:

Guildenstern: We’ve done nothing wrong. We didn’t harm anyone, did we? Rosencrantz: I don’t

remember

Rosencrantz: Was it all for this? Who are we that so much should converge on our little deaths. Player: You

are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. That is enough.

Rosencrantz: If we have a destiny, then so had he and this is ours, then that was his. And if there are no

explanations for us, then let there be none for him (after stabbing the player)

It seems the conclusion they reach is simply that it is their destiny to die, and everyone dies, from the most important kings and princes to the common man. They make no attempt to prevent their execution and in the end Guildenstern simply remarks “I don’t care, I’ve had enough, to tell you the truth I’m relieved.” They come to terms with the fact that their life (and death) seems planned out, with every twist and turn orchestrated beyond their control, almost as if they were characters in a play.

15. . To what extent do you agree that Hamlet has changed on his return to Denmark in Act V?• He still has the same motives • Except he’s more focused on what he has to do now • As Hamlet and Horatio return from England, they encounter a graveyard and a gravedigger who sings as he works.

Hamlet is surprised by the gravedigger's cheerful attitude and remarks that a skull he has just uncovered "had a tongue in it and could sing once." He is astonished further when the gravedigger digs up Yorick's skull. Yorick was

Hamlet's father's jester, and Hamlet knew him well as a boy. The graveyard makes Hamlet more contemplative about death rather than angry, as he realizes that death is inevitable and no one will escape it.

16.Discuss the use of humour in the play.

After killing Polonius, Hamlet is questioned by Cladius as to the body's whereabouts are. Hamlet says "You'll nose him in the lobby" and basically telling Cladius to go to hell to search for him there. He also calls Polonius a baffoon on many occasions. He tells Cladius that a king often eats through the guts of a beggar. The whole part about switching the letters from Cladius to that of Hamlet's ordering the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is also considered dark humor... there are many humorous parts throughout the play, but most of it is dark humor.Excellent well; you are a fishmonger" (2.2.174"These tedious old fools!". In Act III Scene 2, Hamlet used a recorder, the musical instrument, as a telescope when Polonius entered the scene. He asked Polonius, "Do you see yonder cloud that's almost in shape of a camel?". Hamlet always pretended to be the madman in front of Polonius, while he actually made him look like an old fool. The scene with the grave diggers (the clowns), took place in Act V Scene I. The clowns were discussing Ophelia's death and were making fun of the case of Sir James Hales, who also drowned himself. That case brought up the old argument of whether Sir James went to the water, or whether the water came to him. The clowns ridiculed each other by saying such words as, "Confess thyself", as in "confess thyself and be hanged", and, "Cudgel thy brains no more about it.". The clowns sang while they were digging the graves and they even tossed up skulls. Hamlet, while talking to one of the skulls, commented humorously on the life of lawyers. He was also fascinated with the idea of death. When he finally began to speak to one of the clowns, a match of wits began. When he asked, "Whose grave's this?", the clown replied, "Mine sir". Hamlet then used the pun on the word lie, as in lying down, and as in lying and cheating. He said to the clown, "I think it be thine indeed for thou liest in't". Typical of Shakespeare, he portrayed the clown's intelligence equaling that of Hamlet's.

Hamlet's use of his "antic-disposition" to add humour was evident throughout the play. In Act IV Scene 2, Hamlet was delighted with the situation he was in, at that time. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were looking for Polonius' dead body. Hamlet treated this as a game of hide-and-seek. He said, "Of nothing: bring me to him. Hide fox, and all after". In Act IV Scene 3, Hamlet must answer to the king about the hidden body of Polonius. He replied, "Not where he eats, but where he is eaten:". He was referring to the worms that decomposed dead organic matter. To the other characters, Hamlet was seen as a madman because of his abnormal reactions to the situations that arose. And his abnormal reactions were very humorous.

17.What do you feel is Hamlet’s tragic flaw?As many have said, Hamlet's tragic flaw is hesitation. In the opening moments of the film version with Laurence Olivier, the unattached voice says, "This is the story of a man who could not make up his mind." While it is true that he hesitates, Hamlet's flaw is not one single thing. In addition, Hamlet is fated to his own destruction. When he says "O wicked spite that ever I was born to set it right," Hamlet is acknowledging that he is fated to the act and tragic consequences of that act. His other "flaw" is hubris, the sin of thinking oneself godlike. Watch Hamlet when he has the golden opportunity to kill Claudius in the chapel, shortly after Hamlet has the proof he sought of Claudius' guilt. He can act, and if this is the right thing to do, he should act. But he does not. Why? Hamlet

wants to ensure that the soul of Claudius goes to hell. At that moment Hamlet dooms himself. Any human being could take the life of another; taking the soul of another? That is God's province, and when Hamlet decides that he will be God in this instance, he has completed the circle which will lead to his own destruction. His fatal flaw then is threefold: hesitation, fate, and hubris. His tragic flaw is in his heart. He is a clever person because he makes devious plans to find out if King Claudius actually murdered his father or not so there is nothing wrong with his head. The problem is in his heart. he is hesitant to carry out the revenge on King Claudius. He lacks passion and willpower. I often think that Hamlet's problem (or tragic flaw if you like) is his idealism.Hamlet suffers from too much philosophy. He loves beauty. He loves reason. He loves honesty. He loves virtue. He loves balance, harmony and thought.But he looks around him and see murder, lies, greed, stupidity, ignorance, hatred and chaos. The world makes no sense to him. So he does nothing.

18.Are Hamlet’s delays in killing Claudius justified?

One reason may be that that opportunity has not yet arisen for him to kill Claudius before the scene in Act III scene 3 when Claudius seems to be praying. At that point, Hamlet doesn't want to kill Claudius because he believes doing so will send him to heaven, since he appears to have been praying, and Hamlet feels that heaven is not a worthy punishment for his father's murder.

Another reason may be that Hamlet simply thinks too much about it. He hesitates because he looks at the task from too many angles. He is paralyzed by his own uncertainty. He is uncertain if killing Claudius is really the right thing to do. He is uncertain, as is evidenced in his solioquy at the end of Act II scene 2, that the ghost is really his father.

The passage below taken from Hamlet's solioquy at the end of Act II sheds more light on the reasons for his hesitation:

"I have heardThat guilty creatures, sitting at a play,Have by the very cunning of the sceneBeen struck so to the soul that presentlyThey have proclaim'd their malefactions;For murder, though it have no tongue, will speakWith most miraculous organ, I'll have these playersPlay something like the murder of my fatherBefore mine uncle: I'll observe his looks;I'll tent him to the quick: if he but blench,I know my course. *The spirit that I have seenMay be the devil: and the devil hath powerTo assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhapsOut of my weakness and my melancholy,­­As he is very potent with such spirits,­­Abuses me to damn me:* I'll have groundsMore relative than this.­­the play's the thingWherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."The quotation above from the soliloquy at the end of Act II scene 2 voices some of Hamlet's doubt and reasons to hesitate. The ghost may be a devil tricking him into a murder that will damn him. He plans The Mousetrap, the play within the play, to test both the King and the ghost. Of course, the ghost's claim turns out to be true, and this reassurance solidifies Hamlet's resolve to go through with his revenge.

19.How does Shakespeare develop the motif of appearance versus reality?

Shakespeare also examines his favorite theme of the discrepancy between appearance and reality. The dilemma of what is "real" is established at the very beginning of the play. The dead King appears to have been bitten by a snake. In reality, he has been poisoned. The

Ghost appears as an apparition from the depths of hell; in truth, he is the medium of reality, revealing the facts to Hamlet. Since Hamlet doubts the veracity of the Ghost's revelation, he decides to put on the appearance of being mad; in the process he really drives Ophelia mad, causing her death. At times it also seems that Hamlet's appearance of madness has become a reality. The duel scene also presents an appearance vs. reality. The duel appears to be an innocent competition between two rivals; in reality, it is a deadly match that causes the death of the four main characters. The most obvious, and perhaps the most clever, symbol of "Appearance vs. Reality" is the play-within-a-play. The actors, representing mythical figures, appear onstage and act out the events that have happened in reality. Hamlet carefully orchestrates this appearance so that he can gauge the degree of reality by Claudius' reaction. In summary, the theme of appearance vs. reality is so well developed that everything in the play must be questioned, for nothing appears certain. As far as Polonius is concerned, he appears

to be a loyal servant to his kingdom who is willing to take on tasks, but in reality he is selfish and evil, who is

not concerned about his kingdom but his own comforts. Polonius appears to be happy, caring and

supportive to his son, Laertes. He gives his son advice that shows how sincere he is, but in actual it is

hollow and without feeling. Polonius is a large spy in general. He gives his blessing to his son, Laertes to go

away and sends a spy to keep an eye on him. This proves his lack of faith for anyone, he appears to be a

trustworthy father, but in actual, he lies about his trust for his son by sending a spy to watch him. He further

ads to the theme appearance vs. reality by ordering Ophelia to boycott Hamlet. He lies to her that Hamlet

doesn’t love her, while he does love her. Throughout the play, Polonius appears to be honest, but in reality,

he manipulates people. His character shows that his appearance is not his true nature; behind the mask

there lies someone entirely different.

Two of Hamlet's childhood friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are also victims of the theme appearance

vs. reality. They were sent and given bribe by King Claudius and Queen Gertrude to find out the cause of

Hamlet’s madness. Both of them go to Hamlet pretending to be his fast friends, while in reality, they are only

there because the king ordered them to find out the truth. In Act 2 Scene 2 line 278, Guildenstern

states, “What should we say my lord?” completely denying the fact that they were sent for by the king and

queen. Both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern show there appearance of being Hamlets friends, but in truth

they have a hidden reason for visiting to Hamlet.

20.What is the significance of honour in the play?

o Hamlet the scholar, "honour" means following the Golden Rule: LORD POLONIUS My lord, I will use them [the actors] according to their desert. HAMLET God's bodykins, man, much better: use every man after his desert, and who should 'scape whipping? 

Use them after your own HONOUR and dignity: the less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take them in. 

To Hamlet the soldier, "honour" means "might makes right." HAMLET (while possesed by his father's spirit, praising the genocidal Prince Fortinbras): Rightly to be great Is not to stir without great argument, But greatly to find quarrel in a straw When HONOUR'S at the stake. ....I see The imminent death of twenty thousand men, That, for a fantasy and trick of fame, Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, Which is not tomb enough and continent To hide the slain? O, from this time forth, My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! 

To Laertes, "honour" is whatever Claudius says: LAERTES (letting wicked Claudius set his "terms of honour") I am satisfied in nature, Whose motive, in this case, should stir me most To my revenge: but in my TERMS OF HONOUR, I stand aloof; and will no reconcilement, Till by some elder masters, of known HONOUR I have a voice and precedent of peace, To keep my name ungored.