Warm up: Based on prior discussion of the play, why might Shakespeare have added "players" a traveling group of actors to the plot of the play?
- Seems v.s reality
- Hamlet might be using the "players" to play out what "seems" to him what is
- a play within a play: Shakespeare likes to wrap it up like that
- the play mirroring the play - the reflection of what seems v.s what is
Notes on 2.2.
Why does Polonius enter into Hamlet's path?
- bait with falsehood
- King and Queen want to see if its true from Hamlet
- Polonius 2.2 line 176-8
Trying to answer the question: Is Hamlet mad?
- Hamlet enters reading a book and Polonius questions Hamlet asking if he knows him, and Hamlet says " you are a fishmonger" (2.2 191)
- a fishmonger- scum of the ocean, sounds derogatory, works with the way we view Polonius, Hamlet's opportunity to call Polonius names
- ambiguous- Polonius says, " Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't" (2.2 223-4)
- Hamlet's last line: " These tedious old fools" (2.2 237) - Shows us that Hamlet knows exactly who Polonius is and his intentions. Throughout the encounter with Polonius Hamlet pretends he doesn't know him, and makes himself seem as if he is crazy, but is actually with it. OR The line about tedious old fools could mean he is sick of everyone talking to him etc. and he is actually losing it a little.
- double entendre: 2 way meaning
- lines 250-254: "middle of her favors" - their humor is all about sex
- Hamlet says Denmark is a prison: he is literally trapped in Denmark because he isn't allowed to go back to school. Lots of things are rotten in Denmark for Hamlet
- Hamlet's super objective is getting revenge on his Uncle-everything revolving around his super objective
- seems v.s is = Hamlet says," There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so" (2.2 268-9) .
- word playing all over the place about dreams: Hamlet is not plagued by aspiration, but revenge
- Hamlet is trying to get them to talk because he is suspicious about their intentions (just as he was with Polonius)
- Hamlet asks them to "teach me" - perhaps the plot of the king and the queen or how to play it off as if he doesn't understand what is going on
- Hamlet lines 323-334 : Hamlet realizes he is talking to R+G,but that they don't understand what he is saying. Equates a man with dust- at some point every person dies. your ideas have nothing to attach to and they disappear. How much does life matter? Hamlet is pondering how much meaning he has in his life- would avenging my father's dead give my life meaning? Back inside Hamlet's head. What is Hamlet prepared to do if his Uncle is guilty?
-Catherine Galateria
No comments:
Post a Comment