Our emotions define us as human beings, they determine our mental state and sometimes physiological state. Hamlet’s innermost feelings are revealed through multiple soliloquies throughout the play. In Act II, scene ii Hamlet is in awe after an actor’s moving performance of the murder of Hecuba’s husband. First Player’s short speech impacted Hamlet’s feelings enough for him to conduct a plan to avenge the murder of his father. There is a sense of lack of motivation and a depressed mindset in the beginning of the soliloquy, but eventually his increased appetite for vengeance helps him calculate a plan for catching his uncle with a face of guilt. Within soliloquy two Hamlet expresses several distinctly different moods. His bewilderment …show more content…
He would drown the stage with tears and cleave the general ear with horrid speech,
Make mad the guilty and appal the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed
The very faculties of eyes and ears (II.ii.531-537).
Hamlet is not only moved by the speech, but he is envious of First Player’s ability to evoke emotion in other people. Hamlet believes if First Player were in his position, he would give such a genuine, touching performance that it would drive the guilty spectators crazy and make the audience feel what Hamlet is going through. After Hamlet is worked up from the speech, he realizes how poorly he has handled the murder of his father. Sarcastically, Hamlet observes:
Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,
That I, the son of a dear father murder’d,
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,
And fall a-cursing (II.ii.556-560).
Hamlet is upset with himself because he is told his father has been murdered and all he does is talk about it, he does not take action. From Hamlet’s disappointment with himself, he proceeds into calculating a plan and making a final decision on how to get evidence against his uncle so that he can finally get
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The use of figurative language engages the readers and makes the scene or argument more relevant and impactful. When Hamlet said, “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I” (II.ii.520) it emphasizes his feelings of dissatisfaction because Hamlet is not really a slave, but he is acting like a servant who lacks courage. Uses of imagery in the play, like when Hamlet utters, “What would he do, / Had he the motive and the cue for passion / That I have? He would drown the stage with tears” (II.ii.531-533) creates a picture in the audience’s head of how moving that performance would be because the stage is figuratively filled with tears. The audience realizes how upset Hamlet is with himself when he says, “Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words” (II.ii.559). This simile is powerful because a whore is a woman who fakes love and says words, but does not feel them. Hamlet is comparing himself to this because he is just speaking and not actually acting with real emotion. He speaks of being a loyal son, but does not act on
In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the playwright introduces the compelling, complex, and complicated character of the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet. In the events of the play, Hamlet swears revenge against his uncle for the foul murder of his father, the king. However, despite his intense catalyst, Hamlet reveals to be continuously torn between his motive of revenge and conflicted conscience, generating an inability to carry out his desired actions. While Hamlet possesses the passion and intellect to murder his uncle, Claudius, his actual inclination to act upon the murder directly opposes that of his powerfully emotional contemplations (S.T. Coleridge). Hamlet’s overzealous thoughts become unrealistic compared to his actual endeavors throughout the play.
Hamlet, unlike Fortinbras and Laertes, did not follow what his advisor told him without questioning why he should take the advice. As time passes, Hamlet still has not acted out the revenge he promised his father. Out of disgust for his irreverence for his father he says, ?why, what an ass am I! 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? (II.ii.594-598). This statement prompts one to believe Hamlet has been convinced by his father?s words to act, but does not want to do so hastily. Hamlet questions the validity of his revenge by devising a plan to provide evidence of King Claudius? guilt. Hamlet took advantage of his position at the local theater by instructing his actors
Hamlet is considered to be Shakespeare's most famous play. The play is about Prince Hamlet and his struggles with the new marriage of his mother, Gertrude, and his uncle and now stepfather, King Claudius about only two months after his father’s death. Hamlet has an encounter with his father, Old King Hamlet, in ghost form. His father accuses Claudius of killing him and tells Hamlet to avenge his death. Hamlet is infuriated by this news and then begins his thoughts on what to do to get revenge. Hamlet and Claudius are contrasting characters. They do share similarities, however, their profound differences are what divides them.Hamlet was portrayed as troubled, inactive, and impulsive at times. Hamlet is troubled by many things, but the main source of his problems come from the the death of his father. “Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, or that the everlasting had not fixed his canon 'gainst self-slaughter” (Act 1, Scene 2). In this scene, Hamlet is contemplating suicide, which is caused by the death of his father and the new marriage of Gertrude and King Claudius. This scene shows the extent of how troubled Hamlet is. Even though Hamlet’s father asked him to avenge his death, Hamlet is very slow to act on this throughout the play. “Now might I do it pat. Now he is a-praying. And now I’ll do ’t. And so he goes to heaven. And so am I revenged.—That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven” (Act 3, Scene 3). This scene shows King Claudius praying, while Hamlet is behind him drawing his sword but decides not to kill
In Hamlet, Hamlet knows that he must avenge the death of his father, but he is too indecisive, too self-doubting, to carry this out until he has no choice. His failings cause his downfall, and he exhibits some of the most basic human reactions and emotions.
In William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” there are four major soliloquies that reflect the character of Hamlet.
Topic: ANALYSIS OF HOW HAMLET ACT III SOLILOQUY TIES ACT I AND II SOLILOQUIES TOGETHER
Throughout the play, Hamlet’s character is characterized both by periods of extreme caution and moments of impulsivity. One of the best examples of Hamlet’s heed can be found in Act 2, Scene 2 where he decides to have his theatre troupe perform his play, The Mousetrap. With this, Hamlet hopes that he will be able to “catch the conscience of the King,” by monitoring Claudius during the performance, that heavily mimics his murder of his brother, for signs of stress and guilt. While Hamlet was fully capable of bypassing this step by simply adhering to what he believes is the ghost of his father, Hamlet’s decision to unearth some sort of evidence that supports his father’s accusations is just one example of his cautious ways and need for certainty before action. However, such displays of caution find themselves juxtaposed with Hamlet’s bouts of impulsivity. One of the most telling illustrations of Hamlet’s rashness can be found in Act One, Scene Five, where he first conversing with the ghost of his father. Here, when the Ghost asks Hamlet to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder,” Hamlet immediately agrees. In fact, within the next few lines Hamlet pledges he will “sweep to my revenge” with “wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love”. The fact that Hamlet coins this commitment to avenge his father’s murder without making much of any consideration of the possible repercussions of such an undertaking is one of the best representations of Hamlet’s impulsivity. This rash action, marked by a lack of extended over-analysis and internal debate, contrasts with the excessive caution Hamlet exhibits at many other points throughout the play. Ultimately, the interplay between Hamlet’s caution and impulsivity is one of the most notable juxtapositions of the play and serves to strongly steer the development, not only of
[(This soliloquy is used to display Hamlet’s raw emotion) and thoughts after he learns of his father’s murder]. Hamlet is deeply traumatized
(2.2.587-590), Hamlet idolizes the Player's ability to powerfully capture the raw emotion of Hecuba's grief with a simple performance. Through this comparison, he reveals the lack of passion he has for committing the murderous act itself despite his disgust and rage for Claudius. Hamlet, as a result, criticizes himself for not being as active as the Player: "Yet I, / A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak / Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, / And can say nothing—no, not for a king" (2.2.593-596). The juxtaposition of his poetic capabilities and harsh comments demonstrate his passion for articulating his thoughts in a creative yet logical manner. In wanting to be the son who succeeds in achieving justice for his late father, however, Hamlet's passion for expression does not correspond with his desire to do so because unlike poetry, he knows he will not get the same satisfaction from committing a vengeful act.
The play “Hamlet” depicts the life of a prince who wants to avenge his father’s death. In his journey, he takes the lives of many, but manages to kill Claudius, the one who killed his father. The soliloquy being analyzed is located at the end of Act 2 Scene 2. This extract takes place after Hamlet is left alone in a room in the castle. A character in this soliloquy is Hamlet. In the extract, he is releasing his fury as a player could get more emotional about his father’s death than Hamlet. He is reflecting at what he has done and what will he do to avenge his father.
Shakespeare’s employment of dramatic struggle and disillusionment through his character Hamlet, contributes to the continued engagement of modern audiences. The employment of the soliloquy demonstrates Shakespeare’s approach to the dramatic treatment of these emotions. The soliloquy brings a compensating intimacy, and becomes the means by which Shakespeare brings the audience not only to a knowledge of secret thoughts of characters, but into the closest emotional touch with them too. Through this, the audiences therefore gain a closer relationship with Hamlet, and are absorbed by him because they are able to resonate with his circumstances, as he is faced with enduring truths of the human condition. Through these, the struggle and
Hamlet is a suspenseful play that introduces the topic of tragedy. Throughout the play, Hamlet displays anger, uncertainty, and obsession with death. Although Hamlet is unaware of it, these emotions cause the mishaps that occur throughout the play. These emotions combined with his unawareness are the leading basis for the tragic hero’s flaws. These flaws lead Hamlet not to be a bad man, but a regular form of imperfection that comes along with being human.
With Hamlet’s tragic flaw being his inability to act, he is plagued throughout the play by his immense intelligence and philosophical nature, which causes him to overanalyze each situation, rendering him unable to carry out any action in response. This is evident in the play by the frequent delay of acting out his father’s revenge due to the uncertainty of the evidence pertaining to his uncle’s crime. Hamlet’s inability to act creates a discourse between hamlet and his consciousness, generating an abundance of stress, which causes him to become increasingly frustrated as the play progresses. This frustration leads to him at moments in the play to behave in a rash and impulsive way or acting in an inappropriate manner, contradicting his methodical and reserved disposition. It is the consequences of these “inappropriate” actions that resurfaces at the plays end, to haunt the character, as Hamlet’s inability to act while using his renowned logic and intelligence ultimately leads to his eventual demise at the plays conclusion, due to his inability to act both “effectively” and “appropriately” in critical situations.
He alters from innocent sorrow and depression following his father’s death to unhinged insanity and anger once he hears of his father’s true reason for death. Hamlet is constantly under scrutiny and this led to the way in which he chooses to handle his response to learning information about his father’s involuntary passing. The significant change in Hamlet’s emotions also pushes the implied meaning of how thought processes work differently for everyone. It is extremely noticeable of Hamlet specifically, that clear thought processes can be clouded by a desire to carry out crazy and revengeful
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is laden with tragedy from the start, and this adversity is reflected in the title character. Being informed of his father’s murder and the appalling circumstances surrounding the crime, Hamlet is given the emotionally taxing task of avenging his death. It is clear that having to complete this grim undertaking takes its toll on Hamlet emotionally. Beginning as a seemingly contemplative and sensitive character, we observe Hamlet grow increasingly depressed and deranged as the play wears on. Hamlet is so determined to make his father proud that he allows the job on hand to completely consume him. We realize that Hamlet has a tendency to mull and ponder excessively, which causes the notorious delays of action