Horatio’s speech

Horatio’s speech

In Horatio’s speech, he illustrates a questioning image of old Hamlet to be brave and courageous. Horatio describes that the valiant Hamlet to combat Old Fortinbras, then following the sentence stating that was how the world believed him to be, questioning Old Hamlet’s bravery. Horatio describes young Fortinbras to be bold and full of desire but has not demonstrated his abilities in describing to be determined in securing the land that was lost. The reading of the description of the character’s by Horatio shows the difference in views between old Hamlet and young Fortinbras, how Hamlet is said to be questioned of his abilities to be courageous, while Fortinbras has desires but has never shown his full capabilities.

Entry II- Act I Scene ii

Claudius’ speech in this scene gives Hamlet advice on the subject of his father’s death. I read Claudius’ information as he attempts to take Hamlet’s grief away so he would not have a pang of massive guilt on himself for killing his father and causing this grief for Hamlet. If Horatio was to give Hamlet the same advice, it would not be seen as a selfish thing, because Horatio is very dear to Hamlet and would be heartfelt advice instead of being for a selfish reason.

Entry III- Act I Scene iii

As Laertes leaves for France, Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia have a moment to talk, as Laertes gives Ophelia advice about Hamlet before leaving. Polonius gives reasonably good information to Laertes in regards to his trip to France, as they can be useful for Laertes to live on his own, “Take each man’s censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy (rich, not gaudy), For the apparel oft proclaims the man, And they in France of the best rank and station Are of a most select and generous chief in that. 80Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and friend” (I.iii 69-76). In the advice Laertes and Polonius give to Ophelia, they believe that Hamlet is very well taking advantage of her, she does not want to, but she obeys her father and brother in leaving Hamlet.

Entry IV- Act I Scene iv

The ghost responds to Hamlet after he is ready to hear, showing how he is very passionate about getting his revenge on Claudius for his murder. The spirit believes Hamlet will have intense emotions to the truth of what had happened to his father as well and will become enraged toward Claudius fulfilling the ghost request in revenge. Hamlet was ready for the attack when the ghost tells him that it was a murder that killed his father. Hamlet was very volatile with this information and was prepared to act upon it.

ACT II

Entry I- Act II Scene i

In this scene, Ophelia seems to be significantly disturbed by Hamlet’s presence as he was seen in the last scene to be speaking to his father’s ghost. In Ophelia’s description, Hamlet seems to be genuinely distressed after seeing his late father’s ghost and finding the truth of what had killed him. Hamlet is said to take a task in vengeance against Claudius to avenge his father’s death. In finding this information, the reader can evaluate his state of mind as being distressed by the amount of information he has received. He also may be upset that with the information he had collected from the ghost, he came to Ophelia for support, but she had given his letters back to him and disallowed him to see her, and that made him act manic.

Entry II- Act II scene ii

Claudius has a numerous amount of respect in Elsinore, as he is the current ruler. Still, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern both show loyalty and respect to Claudius, but they do not show forms of flattery, “Both your majesties Might, by the sovereign powers you have of us, Put your dread pleasures more into command Than to entreaty… But we both obey” (II.ii 25-29). Polonius, on the other hand, has respect towards Claudius and is loyal to an extent for his gain and appearance. Polonius’ lines show many forms of hypocritical flattery as he flatters Claudius but for appreciation from Claudius, “Have I, my lord? I assure my good liege, I hold my duty as I hold my soul, Both to my God and my gracious King.” (II.ii 43-45). At the beginning of this scene, the loyalty towards Claudius is said to be due to his sovereign power, and title he holds, “Might, by the sovereign powers you have of us,” (II.ii 22).

Entry III- Act II scene ii

Hamlet uses the play of Pyrrhus to represent Claudius since both of them are murderers who killed a defenseless king. Pyrrhus represents Hamlet himself, as Hamlet intends to murder Claudius in retribution. Hecuba’s grief is most likely a contrast for Gertrude’s hasty remarriage, as Hamlet feels she did not sufficiently grieve his father’s death. In Hamlet’s words, he supports his antic disposition in his monologue as he reflects his cowardice towards what is going on with him and his impediment to taking action against Claudius.

Entry IV- Act II scene ii

In Hamlet’s soliloquy at the end of the stage, he reflects his lack of action in the task of killing Claudius, and he puts on a play to see Claudius’ reaction toward the actions portrayed in the act that reflects his efforts killing his brother. Hamlet compares the players to those who reflect them in reality to see the wrongdoings in his existence. Hamlet has yet to fulfill his task in killing Claudius, and he criticizes himself in the cowardice of his lack of action. In this quote, he explains his weakness in his failure to act “But I am pigeon-livered and lack gall To make oppression bitter, or ere this I should have fatted all the region kites With this slave’s offal.” (II.ii 554-557). Hamlet has a very passionate rage towards Claudius, in disgust with his actions and carrying it on in his brother’s throne. With his brother’s wife, he describes in the monologue to be an inhumane villain (II.ii 557), showing how appalled he is by Claudius, enraging him with considerable motivation to take revenge against him. Hamlet takes action in putting on a play and telling a story that can portray the bloody acts of Claudius. He does this to prove him being guilty of killing old Hamlet and giving Hamlet a go in killing him to avenge his father, “Play something like the murder of my father Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks. I’ll tent him to the quick. If he does bench.” (II.ii 574-576).

ACT III

Entry I- Act III scene i

In Hamlet’s soliloquy in this scene, he explains two possible actions, to be alive or dead. In his lines, he emphasizes the benefits of dying as it takes away the humiliation and suppression that life allows.

Is it better to be alive or dead? Is it more honorable to put up with all of the hardships that life gives you, or is it more honorable to overcome it all by ending at once? Dying is just sleeping in the end, asleep that completes all the deprivation that life on earth gives, that one should wish. To die, to sleep and dream. Though there is a catch to this, you would not know dream may come after. But who would want to put up with the humiliation, the abuse, and insults that life allows, the pain of unrequited love, unfairness, and the rudeness of others- when it can be all over with the works of a knife. What person would put up with the exhaustion of life, unless they were afraid of what may come after death?

Hamlet’s mood during this monologue is that he is contemplating death, and he has a positive and passionate feeling towards God in his destination once he dies. He believes dying would not be harmful because it would be in comparison to sleeping.

Entry II- Act III scene ii

In the last scene, stage I, Hamlet is seen to be in despair during his monologue, contemplating death as a resort to end his deprivations. He is very brute and rude to Ophelia in their exchange and becomes very demeaning and disrespectful towards her. At the beginning of Scene ii, Hamlet seems very eager for the players to run the play smoothly and perfect, Hamlet speaks to the players in a condescending and antagonizing way, to show how crucial this act will mean to him once he sees Claudius’ reaction towards the play. Once the play begins and everybody joins in viewing it, Hamlet puts on an antic disposition that counteracts his mood from the last scene he was in with the exchange with Ophelia. Hamlet begins to act very elevated and edgy, allowing the other characters to interpret Hamlet to have a mad disposition.

Entry III- Act III scene iii

In scene iii, Claudius is repenting and asking for forgiveness for the murder of old Hamlet, and Hamlet walks in hearing his prayer, but he does not kill Claudius. Hamlet does not kill Claudius because he does not have the drive to kill. Hamlet does not have the heart to kill Claudius no matter how enraged he may be knowing Claudius murdered his father. Hamlet does not believe it would be fair to his father to kill Claudius when he repented his sins when his father never had the time to repent, and now his father is in purgatory where Claudius would not be. In scene iii, Hamlet explains how he would not avenge his father killing Claudius after he pleaded for forgiveness, “A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do the same villain send to heaven.” (III. iii 77-79).

Entry IV- Act III scene iv

The imagery in both Gertrude’s and Hamlet’s speeches after Polonius has been killed shows their accurate interpretations of Claudius and their idea of the killing of old Hamlet. Although Gertrude did not directly kill or take part in the murder of old Hamlet, she feels much guilt about remarrying Claudius and grieving for a short amount of time. Hamlet accuses his mother of many things dealing with Claudius and the killing of his father, and shocks her and puts her in distress. Then Hamlet orders her to disallow Claudius from sleeping with her, telling her he plans to kill him.

ACT IV

Entry I- Act IV scene i, ii, iii, and iv

Hamlet’s soliloquy before heading to England at the end of scene iv of this act makes Hamlet realize how much of a coward he has been holding this task of killing Claudius. He is inspired by the army who comes to invade a piece of land knowing they will die, but they have the bravery and willpower in which he does not have enough bravery to avenge his murdered father. “Sith I have caused and will and strength and means To do’ t.” (IV.iv 44-45). In this quote, Hamlet explains that he has the resources and motivation to take on the task, but he did not have the bravery to go through with it. In his other soliloquy’s Hamlet blames his beastly uncle for the rage he holds, but in this soliloquy, he realizes how much of a coward he has been in holding this off.

Entry II- Act IV scene v

In the song Ophelia sings for Gertrude and Claudius in this scene, she sings a song that begins illustrating death and then ends with a man falling out of love with a girl because of she no longer a virgin. The reader can infer Ophelia’s song as a way to tell her former relationship with Hamlet and how she is driving mad. Throughout the plot, Ophelia is told what to do and she does not make decisions on her own, Polonius tell her what she can and cannot do and she obeys, such as how she obeys Laertes. Once Polonius is gone she goes mad because she is not pushed around anymore and she can not control herself on her own. The song Ophelia sings speaks about being devirginized and then having the man leave her because she is no longer a virgin. The song shows her past relationship with Hamlet and how they had a form of sexual intimacy between them, “So would ha’ done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed.” (IV.v 64-65).

Entry III- Act IV scene vii

Laertes returns from France in anger from the news of his father’s death. He accuses Claudius of foul play at first. Claudius is a very manipulative character, and he woos Laertes to believe him and tells him the truth of who had initially slain his father. Laertes has a considerable amount of loyalty towards Claudius that his reaction towards his command deeming with an amount of respect, rather than respecting him as a sovereign power, while the other characters react toward a dominant figure because they feel like they have to instead of reacting with respect.

Entry IV- Act IV scene vii

Hamlet’s action towards the ghost request in revenge was in a leisurely amount of time and very unprepared, unlike Laertes. Laertes once asked to take the task of killing Hamlet. He becomes very passionate and plans every possible way of killing him. Although Hamlet and Laertes are both passionate about such things, they both have a different approach in executing what they asked of them.

ACT V

Entry I- Act V scene i

In the opening act of the scene, the gravediggers are seen to be digging up a grave for Ophelia and questioning her burial in the holy ground. Gertrude explains that she fell off the tree and into the willow, and the gravediggers are in disbelief. The interpretations of Ophelia’s death can be seen as more truthful and less, as Gertrude’s understanding stated that she accidentally drowned. Although knowing that she killed herself due to the grave amount of grief she had experienced, though Gertrude changed the situation to protect Hamlet, so he would not label as the cause of her death.

Entry II- Act V scene I and ii

In Hamlet’s line of this scene, he fights with Laertes to show who had loved Ophelia, and this shows how he does not take responsibility for Polonius’ death and Ophelia’s madness. He says as apart of his genuine madness. Once Hamlet acknowledges Laertes, he begins to maneuver Laertes in showing how much he had loved Ophelia. Hamlet does not once take responsibility for Polonius’ death or Ophelia’s madness, and his blindness of these situations would be caused by his genuine madness that had formed in Hamlet.