Act I, scene ii
Here's your question for this reading...follow the same guidelines you did for the short story blog: reader response of 4-5 sentences (with evidence!) and then a slightly shorter response to two classmates. Go beyond just "good job"! If this format gets too unwieldy because we're all responding to one post, we'll find another platform. Thanks for your patience!
“What do you think the most important lines of the play are so far and why?”
“What do you think the most important lines of the play are so far and why?”
After hearing his uncle's speech about the death of his father, Prince Hamlet says "O, 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" (1.2.133-136). These are the most important lines of the play so far because they show Prince Hamlet's true disgust and hatred of his uncle taking over the throne. Hamlet even wishes that "self slaughter" was not against the law, because from his perspective, suicide seems like his only escape from this new rule. The description he uses of having his flesh "melt," "thaw," or "resolve itself into a dew" also illustrates his sadness of the loss of his father, and how he feels completely alone in this transition.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you brought in the idea that Hamlet's first thought is to escape, especially after the many tragedies that are occurring around him, and the imagery of his flesh melting away shows not only his hatred but also the feeling of falling apart.
DeleteI really like the quote that you chose because of how descriptively is expresses how Hamlet is really feeling about his Uncle and the relationship that he has with Hamlet's mother. I particularly liked your analysis over the melting/thawing away imagery.
Delete^Betsy
DeleteI really like the quote you chose because it shows how Hamlet is different from his dad. I feel that King Hamlet would have taken a more aggressive approach in response to Claudius becoming king instead of complaining and almost surrendering by thinking about suicide.
DeleteGreat lines, Lauren, and great emphasis on that particular imagery. I agree with Lara and Betsy...he just wants to melt away and disappear, and it's such a great contrast, as Chiraag notes, with what his father probably would have done, which only makes it more difficult for Hamlet. He never feels good enough.
DeleteI think the most important lines of the play so far are when Hamlet calls the world "an unweeded garden That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come (to this:)" (1.2.139-141). These lines display the extent of disarray and chaos that is present in the kingdom, as he compares his surroundings to an "unweeded garden." Hamlet's disgust for the new king's manipulative nature and his marriage to Gertrude is highlighted by the powerful and pungent word choice of "rank" and "gross." The new developments that the world has "come to" following King Hamlet's death deeply contrast the previous era under Hamlet's rule, an era that was without grief, an impending war, and a morally questionable king. Now, Hamlet makes his despair and hopelessness with regard to the world he lives in very apparent, as he outlines atmosphere of the play as well as his own mindset.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your response because of the way you highlighted the descriptive words Hamlet uses to demonstrate his aversion to his uncle's way of ruling and marriage to his mom. I also think that your comparison of the atmosphere of the play and young Hamlet's mindset at this time is a very interesting and accurate correlation. Good job!
DeleteI really liked how you talked about Hamlet's grief and confusion over what is happening in his life. I also liked how you compared his life to an "unweeded garden," it was a really nice connection. -Betsy
DeleteI really liked your quote because it vividly contrasts the great atmosphere of King Hamlet's rule with the dangerous atmosphere of Claudius' rule. I also liked how you talked about the adjectives that emphasize Hamlet's hatred for Claudius.
DeleteYes! These famous lines really do capture the corrupted state of the kingdom under Claudius, and I love the garden imagery you've highlighted. It's like a dark, creepy version of Eden with Claudius and Gertrude as the rotten Adam and Eve. Keep an eye on garden/nature imagery going forward (look for flowers and worms in Monday's module reading!).
DeleteI think the most important lines are in King Claudius' opening speech; King Claudius showcases his unique and modern approach to rule when he says, "Have we (as ’twere with a defeated joy, with an auspicious and a dropping eye, with mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight and dole)"(I.ii.10-13). By associating "mirth" with the sorrow of a funeral and connecting "dirge" with the joy of marriage, Claudius attempts to portray King Hamlet's death and his marriage to Gertrude in a positive light and thus reveals that he is more politician than king. His political tendencies imply that he acts according to self-interest as opposed to collective good; therefore, he contradicts the monarchy, believed to embody the country, because he seeks protection of only his security and image, thus abandoning the body politic. This not only foreshadows future conflict, but also compliments the first scene, as it implies the presence of internal danger through Horatio's Julius Caesar reference; Claudius is the internal threat because he betrays the noble and selfless image of a king and adopts the self-serving attitudes of a diplomat.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the King’s speech is very important. He definitely seems to be selfish and disrupts the kingship, which is very important.
DeleteI love how you're separating the politician and the king: they do occupy very different spaces, and I think you're right about Claudius, and bringing in the Caesar reference is a smart idea in the context of your response.
DeleteI really like how you use this quote to expose Claudius and his faulty nature. I think King Claudius is a bad character and we will see this come up more later on... -Trey
DeleteThe most important line of Hamlet so far is when King Claudius, the new crowned king, says, “Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature That we with wisest sorrow think on him
ReplyDeleteTogether with remembrance of ourselves” (I.II.5-7). Claudius creates a double sided feeling full of “sorrow” for the king’s death, but also must “remembrance of ourselves”. The King wants to move past the death of the Kings and focus on the more joyful event of his marriage and new kingship. This image creates a bit of confusion and chaos as the king is doing something very unordinary by having a country sorrow and celebrate at the same time. As the king, Claudius represents the country as a whole, so this message is a bit chaotic and doesn’t line up with how the country should be feeling at this time.
Bo
I really like the way you showed that because Claudius is the new king, he represents the whole country and is not off to a very good start with his mixed signals. I also enjoyed your wording of the "double sided" feeling because I think it also goes to show that maybe Claudius is two-faced.
DeleteSo true! He's very self-involved, and that's clear in this line and your presentation of it. And you're right that it's confusing...trying to feel those two emotions at the same time is virtually impossible.
DeleteClaudius might be trying to get everyone to forgot the dead King because it weakens his claim to the crown. He's probably trying to prevent a civil war by not acknowledging that Hamlet should be King.
DeleteI think that the most important lines so far are "'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage, Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,That can denote me truly" (I.II.80-85). Hamlet is filled with sorrow after his father's death, and he cannot fathom how his mother is able to remarry in a mere 2 months. In this quote, he is expressing to his mother how strong his emotions of sadness and loss are, and how he feels that her grief is fake. He is trying to share with her that he is so broken inside and that the black and inky clothes he wears are just the beginning of his sorrow. -Betsy
ReplyDeleteThese are such great lines...they capture his emotions, as you say, and they also show the dynamic between Hamlet and his mother right now: he's so frustrated with her apparent lack of grief as well as relationship with Claudius.
DeleteThe most important lines so far are in Claudius' response to Hamlet's grief: "For what we know must be and is as common As any the most vulgar thing to sense, Why should we in our peevish opposition Take it to heart? Fie, 'tis a fault to heaven, A fault against the dead, a fault to nature" (I.ii.102-106). By using the word "peevish," King Claudius is comparing Hamlet's grief to an annoyance and is patronizing Hamlet by saying that he doesn't need to take the death personally because it happens all the time. Claudius also said that Hamlet's grief is "a fault to heaven," equating it to a sin. The passage shows Claudius' manipulative nature as he is trying to get Hamlet to move on from his own father's death after only 2 months. - Jolie
ReplyDeleteGood! Yes, he does seem to want everyone to hurry up and move on, Hamlet most of all. He's very manipulative, and, as you say, bringing in "heaven" adds an extra layer to it all. I also like the "fault against the dead, fault to nature"--he seems to want Hamlet to understand that it's all part of a natural cycle, but the appearance of a ghost may suggest otherwise?
DeleteI really like how you use this passage to show how manipulative Claudius is because that's what I thought when I first read this passage. I think it is foreshadowing something big....
Delete-Trey
The most important lines so far are at the end of act when Hamlet reacts to some surprising news: "Till then, sit still, soul. (Foul) deeds will rise, though all the Earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes" (1.2.279-281). Hamlet's reaction to this very surprising news from Horatio sparks an interesting response in Hamlet that Shakespeare uses to help illustrate the importance of sight and its impact on trust. Hamlet states that "foul deeds will rise," meaning that something "foul" is about to happen in Denmark/Elsinore, but that "the Earth (will bury) them, to men's eyes" to show that people won't be able to understand, furthermore trust, what is happening. People won't be able to understand/trust what is/will happen because something or someone, such as King Claudius, will bury the truth, which is a connection back to when Claudius tells Hamlet to not overreact/worry about his father's death, a saddening event. -Trey
ReplyDeleteI like the analysis of vision. Also relates back to scene 1 when the guards can't see each other in the dark.
DeleteGreat points about what can be seen and not seen...I like this choice, Trey, and I also like H.P.'s connection to "being in the dark." Great link to the "foul deeds" potentially happening in Elsinore (the "rank, unweeded garden," "rotten" Denmark) and the ways that the truth will likely come to view...maybe in the form of the Ghost, which has also been about seeing/believing?
DeleteThe most important lines of Hamlet (so far) are "(O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer!), married with my uncle. My father's brother, but no more like my father than I to Hercules" (1.2.154-158). The end of Hamlet's first monologue highlights the main conflict of the first two scenes. Hamlet's father, the king has died. By the rules of European monarchy, the eldest son, Hamlet, should succeed the King, but instead, the King's brother is crowned. Even more scandalously, the queen marries her brother in law, the new king. Hamlet the true heir to the throne is outraged that he has been robbed of the crown, and his mother has seemingly immediately abandoned her first husband. Hamlet suggests that his uncle is not a strong warrior, unlike his father, who after a peaceful death returned armed and armored. Clearly, the conflict between Hamlet and his Uncle will be a deciding factor for the Kingdom of Denmark, which now faces internal and external pressure.
ReplyDeleteGreat! I love that you're bringing in the internal and external threat that we discussed in class this morning (even before we did), and I also like the "I to Hercules" part of the lines...Hamlet doesn't feel as strong or confident as his father. He's a tragic figure in so many ways.
DeleteThe most important line of the play for me so far is when Barnardo asks: " Who's there?" this is a metaphorical question which express fear, paranoia and unknown. Also, the time which this question is set is really important. Since it happens at midnight, this scene have a transition from day, good, to night, bad. Furthermore, this question emphasizes one of Shakespeare biggest quotes, which is: " To be or not be" which essentially accentuate existance and belief. The feeling that this question brings it's ultimately what the kingdom is feeling at that time fear, paranoia and unknown; since the king was dead and no one knew what was about to come.
ReplyDelete- Matheus Couto.
That first line is such a great one...it really does echo through the whole play, and I like the connection you're already starting to make to "To be or not to be"--Hamlet struggles with the question of who he is and whether/how to be, literally and figuratively, throughout the play.
ReplyDeleteThe most important lines of Hamlet scene ii are when Hamlet remarks about Claudius: "A little more than kin and less than kind." In this line, Hamlet talks about his complex relationship to his new stepfather, Claudius. Hamlet can't really see Claudius as a stepfather and reduces him to that of a brotherly figure. Hamlet also states Claudius is "less than kind" which literally means that Hamlet believes that Claudius made a un-tasteful move marrying his mother. This line also provides some foreshadowing of the conflict that will arise between Hamlet and Claudius.
ReplyDeletealex
DeleteThe most important lines in Hamlet so far are, “Seems,” madam? Nay, it is. I know not “seems.” (I.ii.79) Hamlet is really grieving and his mom doesn't even believe it using the word “seem” as she thinks he is putting on an act or showing off while he is truly mourning and the clothes are just a little way of showing what he actually feels. ‘Seems’ is also important as a lot of things seem a certain way when they are not in. Another important line is “With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, In equal scale weighing delight and dole” (I.ii.10-13) Claudius sees his brothers death as equally a sad and a good thing, he sees marrying Gertrude as a necessity in his new role, without acknwlodeing the incestous nature of it, because, he is still benefitting and that is all that he cares about but he tries to make it seem like he doesn't. He acts like it is for the kingdom yet his character reflects a much more selfish and power hungry nature. Similarly after Horatio tells Hamlet about seeing his father's ghost, Hamlet says “My father’s spirit—in arms! All is not well. I doubt some foul play. Would the night were come! Till then, sit still, my soul. (Foul) deeds will rise, Though all the earth o’erwhelm them, to men’s eyes” (I.ii.277-280) This foul play and images of his father being afraid and armed is foreshadowing the discoveries and betrayals that follow, setting up the secrets that would be revealed in rest of the play. - Mariana
ReplyDelete