Hamlet

1
UNDERSTANDING

SHAKESPEARE:

HAMLET

UNDERSTANDING
SHAKESPEARE:

HAMLET

Robert A. Albano

MERCURYE PRESS

Los Angeles

UNDERSTANDING SHAKESPEARE:
HAMLET

Robert A. Albano

First Printing: July 2010

All Rights Reserved 2010 by Robert A. Albano

The text presented in this volume appeared earlier
as part of Understanding Shakespeare's
Tragedies (2009).

No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic,
electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, taping, or by any information storage
retrieval system, without the written permission of the
publisher.

MERCURYE PRESS

Los Angeles

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction . 11
Act I ................................................. 15
Act II ................................................. 47
Act III ................................................. 81
Act IV ................................................. 105
Act V ................................................. 121
Final Remarks ................................................. 139

Other Books by Robert A. Albano

Middle English Historiography

Lectures on Early English Literature

Lectures on British Neoclassic Literature

Understanding Shakespeare's Tragedies

Understanding the Poetry of William Wordsworth

Robert Albano is an Associate Professor of English
Literature in Taiwan.

NOTE: All act and scene divisions and lines numbers
referred to in this text are consistent with those found
in The Norton Shakespeare (Stephen Greenblatt,
editor).

11

INTRODUCTION

Hamlet is the most famous play in the world.
The primary reason for this fame is the complex
protagonist, who has continued to fascinate, intrigue,
puzzle, and entrance audiences for over four
centuries. Hamlet is a young man who rails and
scoffs at fate and criticizes the world as a place of
corruption and decay. With the death of his father,
the King of Denmark, Hamlet, the prince, feels that
the best and the good in life are now over. Hamlet is
full of depression and sadness. Yet, he is also a witty
and clever character who becomes a social critic of
great insight and understanding. The members of the
audience may either relate to him or be puzzled by
him, but nearly everyone in the audience will
recognize the truth that is contained in Hamlets
critical assessment of the world.
Hamlet is an astonishing and remarkable
character, and many critics argue that Shakespeare
was able to create such a complex and intriguing
character because of his own personal experiences,
notably the death of his son in 1596. Shakespeare
son, who was only eleven years of age when he died,
was named Hamnet. And, indeed, the possibility is
quite strong that Shakespeare chose the story of
Prince Hamlet because of the similarity in names.
Shakespeare wrote this, his greatest play, around
1601. Five years had passed since the death of his
son, but the emotional upheaval and depression
Understanding Shakespeare: Hamlet

12
within Shakespeare would not have passed in any
amount of time. Shakespeare appeared to pour all of
his emotional energy and resources into this play. It
is a working out of many of Shakespeares own
anxieties and uneasiness regarding death and the
father-son relationship. So, although the play is not
autobiographical in regards to plot or story, the rich
emotional intensity of the play most certainly does
reflect the powerful and bitter emotional upheaval
that Shakespeare would surely have experienced at
the time of his own sons death.
Shakespeare is, of course, known for creating
some of the greatest characters in world literature;
and, indeed, Hamlet stands out as the greatest of
these great creations. Therefore, the reader should
not be surprised that most commentary and criticism
about this play focuses on the character of young
Prince Hamlet.
However, this story, the plot of this tragic
play, also deserves and merits the serious attention of
the reader. Shakespeare took a rather simple and
straightforward medieval tale of revenge and
developed it into a complex account of political
intrigue and family dysfunction. It is, furthermore, a
ghost story and social allegory. The play of Hamlet
is so rich and multifaceted that most readers will need
to read it several times before they realize just how
intricate and marvelous the play really is. Each time
readers approach the play, they will discover

13
something else new to amaze, startle, and astound
them.

14

15
ACT I

ACT I, 1: A GHOST STORY

The story is set in Denmark at the castle of
the king. Two soldiers named Marcellus and
Barnardo are assigned to stand guard at night. But
for the last two nights they have seen what they
believe is a ghost. A young lord, an aristocrat named
Horatio, tells one of the guards that the soldier just
thinks that he sees a ghost; but, in reality, it is nothing
more than his own fantasy or imagination (line 21).
In response, the guard asks Horatio to come and see
the ghost for himself.
Horatio is an aristocrat, whereas the guards
are commoners. The guards know that they might be
laughed at if they told everyone that they had seen a
ghost. But the word of an aristocrat would be
accepted as fact. The reader should note that this is
not the only instance in this play where Shakespeare
suggests distinctions and prejudices among the social
classes of England (which Denmark symbolizes). So,
as the guard Marcellus tells Barnardo, Horatio may
approve our eyes and speak to it (27). The word
approve here means that Horatio will serve as a
witness to prove what they have seen. In addition,
because Horatio is also a university scholar, he
knows Latin. As the language of the Catholic
Church, Latin was a language of mystery and the
supernatural. Commoners were often awed by it and

16
afraid of it (students may recall Geoffrey Chaucers
Pardoner in The Canterbury Tales: the Pardoner
would use Latin phrases to intimidate and scare the
peasants as he attempted to swindle them out of their
money). Therefore, many commoners would
associate Latin with the afterlife and the supernatural.
In addition, priests, who were fluent in Latin, would
use Latin prayers and chants to exorcise (to get rid of
or eliminate) evil spirits or ghost. During the Middle
Ages (which is the time period of this story),
universities were run by priests of the Catholic
Church; and the primary goal of nearly every student
was to become a priest. Horatio would thus have
both the religious training and the knowledge of
Latin as a result of his study at the university.
As the reader will discover later, Horatio also
represents the voice of reason in this play. He is not
someone to accept readily the superstitions and fears
of most people. He is not someone who will allow
his emotions to take control over his ability to think
rationally.
The ghost appears for the third time before
the two guards, and on this occasion Horatio is their
witness. The ghost is wearing military armor,
including a helmet. But its beaver (the visor, the
metal piece that covers the eyes) is up so that Horatio
and the others can see its face. The ghost looks
exactly like old King Hamlet (the father of young
Prince Hamlet). The old king had been dead for only
a few months, and his brother Claudius (Hamlets

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uncle) is the new king of Denmark. The reader
should note that that not all European nations used
primogeniture (in which the oldest son inherits the
title) to determine their next king. Horatio attempts
to talk to the ghost, but it walks away without paying
him any attention.
Horatio is visibly shaken and upset by the
vision of the ghost. Barnardo tells him, You tremble
and look pale (51). The reasonable Horatio has seen
something that certainly stretches the boundaries of
reason.
A few critics have attempted to dismiss the
appearance of the ghost in this play as not being a
real ghost and suggest that the character of Prince
Hamlet is mad and just imagines it. These critics are
wrong. Not only do the guards see the ghost (as
Hamlet will see it later), but the skeptical and rational
Horatio sees it as well. Horatio not only proves or
verifies the existence of the ghost to the people of
Denmark. He also verifies it for the audience and for
the reader. Shakespeare uses the ghost both literally
and symbolically in this play. Shakespeare does not
intend the ghost to be merely the product of Prince
Hamlets imagination. If Shakespeare had intended
that, he would not have written this scene wherein
Horatio and the guards witness its appearance.


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ACT I, 1: THE STATE OF THE STATE

Horatio does not know why the ghost is
appearing, but he suggests that the appearance of it
bodes some strange eruption to our state (68).
Horatios words indicate a concept common in early
literature that the state of the state reflects the state
of the king. If the state or condition of the king is
good and healthy and well, then the state (or
condition) of the state (or nation) is also good and
healthy and well. But if there is something wrong or
unhealthy or evil with the king, then there is also
something wrong with the entire kingdom or nation.
This concept appears in the oldest of myths,
including the ancient myth of the Fisher King.
Indeed, Horatios guess is quite correct. Their
old King Hamlet has been murdered, and the
murderer now sits upon the throne. But, of course,
neither Horatio nor the audience knows this at this
point in the play.
The conversation seems to change direction
when Marcellus asks Horatio why so many changes
have lately been occurring in their kingdom (or state).
Marcellus lists several of these changes:

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1. Men who work usually just during the day
are now working both day and night (line
71)
2. Many new cannons and other instruments
of war are being manufactured around the
clock (72)
3. Many new weapons are being imported
(73)
4. Many new warships are being made (74)
5. Ship-builders are working seven days a
week (including Sunday, which should be
a day of rest line 75)

Horatio explains that a possible war with Norway
may occur. The old King Hamlet had made a bargain
with the old king of Norway, Fortinbras, that the
loser of their battle should forfeit or give up a large
piece of property to the winner. The old Fortinbras
lost the battle, and King Hamlet thus won a large
piece of land that previously belonged to Norway.
But old King Fortinbras died and his brother
became the new king of Norway. King Fortinbras
also has a son, who is also named Fortinbras. The
careful reader should note the similarities and
parallels between Denmark and Norway. Both of
the older kings have died, both have brothers who
have become new kings, and both of the old kings
have left sons who have the same name as their
fathers. The young Fortinbras is a foil to Hamlet.

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The reader should note the similarities and, especially,
the differences between the two.
Young Fortinbras is angry that his father was
defeated by Denmark and that Norway has lost their
property. So, without the permission of his uncle, the
new king, Fortinbras has hired his own (mercenary)
army to attack Denmark and get their lost property
back. Young Fortinbras wants revenge.
Barnardo then brings the conversation back to
the original topic: the trouble in the state. He
comments that the appearance of the ghost is an
omen, a supernatural warning, about the threat of war
(lines 106.2 to 106.4).
Horatio agrees and tells the guards that such
omens also occurred when Julius Caesar was
assassinated:

1. dead bodies walked out of their graves
(line 106.8)
2. fiery comets appeared in the sky and
appeared to drip blood (106.10)
3. eruptions appeared in the sun (106.11)
4. an eclipse of the moon occurred (the
moist star 106.13)

Such omens are listed in Plutarchs Lives of the
Noble Grecians and Romans, and Shakespeare
repeats that idea in his own tragedy, Julius Caesar.
But the comparison that Horatio makes is more
appropriate than he realizes. Not only do omens

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appear in both stories to announce war, but the
supernatural occurrences also indicate the
assassination of a king in both stories.
The ghost appears a second time but still
refuses to speak to Horatio or the others. When the
cock or rooster begins to crow, the ghost then
disappears. Horatio comments that a ghost cannot
appear in the daytime but must return to its grave
(lines 135-36). Since the ghost will not talk to him,
Horatio decides to tell Prince Hamlet about it (line
151). Horatio believes that the ghost will speak to his
own son.


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ACT I, 2: FORTINBRAS AND LAERTES

The second scene begins with Claudius, the
new king of Denmark, addressing his queen and
councilors. Claudius has not only become the new
king, but he has also just recently married the wife of
his brother (the old King Hamlet). Only a short
period of time has passed since the death of the old
king just a few months and the kingdom of
Denmark has thus experienced both a period of
mourning and a period of celebration at the same
time. There has been mourning for the death of old
King Hamlet, and there has been celebration for the
crowning of the new King Claudius and for the
marriage of Claudius to Queen Gertrude.
Although Claudius, as later events reveal, did
kill his brother in order to become the new king, the
reader or member of the audience would be mistaken
to view Claudius merely as a symbol of evil.
Claudius did kill his brother out of envy and, perhaps,
out of lust. Thus, the reader can connect him to two
of the Seven Deadly Sins as well as two Mortal Sins
(the breaking of the Ten Commandments): not to kill
and not to commit adultery with a neighbors (or
brothers) wife. In fact, more than once in the play
Claudiuss relationship with Gertrude is referred to as
being one of incest. In certain medieval societies,
people viewed a sexual relationship with a sister-in-
law as being the same as a sexual relationship with
ones own sister. So, Claudius is certainly an evil

23
character; but Shakespeare makes him more complex
than just that.
Shakespeare portrays Claudius as a man who
has regretted his past evil actions and attempts to
atone for them. Moreover, Claudius is a practical
king who handles the affairs of his kingdom well.
The second scene begins with a long speech
by Claudius. In the first sixteen lines he explains
how Denmark is in a mixed state of mourning and
celebration. But then he turns to discussing affairs
of state, specifically young Fortinbras and his plans
to attack Denmark (line 17). The reader is already
aware that King Claudius is in the elaborate process
of getting Denmark ready for war. But Claudius does
not stop there. He also has another plan: we have
here writ to Norway (27-28). Claudius decides first
to try diplomacy (peaceful negotiations) before
resorting to force and violence. Claudius writes a
letter to the King of Norway to inform him of the
attack planned by his nephew, the young Fortinbras.
And he sends two lords, Valtemand and Cornelius, to
deliver the message as quickly as they can. The
reader, by the way, should note that Claudius uses the
Royal We (in line 27) instead of the pronoun I.
The King refers to himself in the plural because he
represents everyone in his kingdom. As it turns out
later, King Claudius decision to write to Norway
was the right one. The King of Norway stops
Fortinbras from attacking Denmark. Thus, King
Claudius, simply by writing a letter, has prevented

24
war and saved Denmark from great expense, death,
and destruction.
The second affair of state concerns Laertes
(line 2). Laertes is a young lord and is the son of
Polonius, who is a high-ranking official and chief
advisor to the king. Laertes asks King Claudius for
permission to return to France now that the funeral
and coronation (crowning of the king) ceremonies are
over. During the Middle Ages many young lords
wanted to go to France, which even then was known
as a place of scandal and ill-repute. Many young men
wanted to go there to drink, to gamble, and to visit
the brothels (houses of prostitution). Claudius grants
Laertes his permission since Laertes already has the
permission of his father. This scene represents a
minor theme of abandonment. Several individuals
do not want to stay in Denmark: even Hamlet himself
has plans to return to Wittenberg, Germany, to attend
the university there.


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ACT I, 2: I AM TOO MUCH IN THE SUN

After Claudius grants permission for Laertes
to go to France, the topic turns to Hamlet (line 64).
And immediately the young princes use of puns
quickly establishes his thoughts as well as his
moodiness and depression. King Claudius addresses
Hamlet as both cousin and son. The word cousin was
frequently used to refer to ones nephew or other
close relation, and the word son frequently was
applied to stepsons. King Claudius is both Hamlets
natural uncle and his stepfather. Hamlet responds
with the following: A little more than kin and less
than kind (65). Both the words kin and kind can
refer to ones family relation, and so Hamlet at first
appears to be contradicting himself (he is saying that
he and Claudius are both more than family and less
than family). But the word kind also suggests
kindness, and Hamlet is implying that there is not
much kindness between them. There is also a
double-meaning in more than kin. On the one hand,
the expression could suggest that they are very close
in their relationship. But on the other hand, the word
more indicates too much. Hamlet feels that they
are too closely related their relationship goes
beyond the bounds of what was considered socially
proper or ethical. Hamlet also feels that Claudius is
guilty of incest by marrying Queen Gertrude. Their
kinship is too much. It goes beyond the limits of
decency and morality.

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Claudius does not readily understand
Hamlets double-meaning, but he does recognize that
Hamlet is deeply depressed. And he asks Hamlet
why he continues to be so miserable: How is it that
the clouds still hang on you? (66). Hamlet responds
with wit, with another clever pun: Not so, my lord, I
am too much in the sun (67). The response not only
provides witty wordplay (playing off of the word
clouds by using the word sun), but also contains the
pun of sun and son. The expression in the sun,
then, actually has a triple meaning: (1) to be happy,
(2) to be in the favor of the king, and (3) to be a son.
Hamlets hidden third meaning is that he is very
much a true and loyal son who cannot forget his real
father, who has now been dead for several months.
And because he remembers his father and mourns the
death of him, he is, in fact, not happy at all.
Hamlets mother, Queen Gertrude, then joins
the conversation and tells her son that death is a
natural part of life that everyone must accept (line 72).
Hamlet agrees, but with another pun: common (line
74). This word suggests that death is frequent,
natural, and universal but it is also negatively
suggests coarse or crude or vulgar. Hamlet is
disgusted by the death of his father and finds it
difficult to accept.
Gertrude does not pick up on Hamlets second
meaning. She believes that her son is agreeing with
her. So, she asks him, Why seems it so particular
with thee? (75). She is asking Hamlet why death

27
seems to affect him much more so than other people.
Hamlet responds with the following: Seems,
madam? Nay, it is. I know not seems (76).
Hamlet then proceeds to list the ways that people
seem to show grief:

1. wearing dark clothes (lines 77-78)
2. sighing (79)
3. crying (80)
4. displaying a sad expression (81)

Again Hamlet is playing off a double-meaning of a
word. Gertrude used seems as a substitute for is, but
Hamlet indicates that seems suggests a false
appearance or action. People often seem to be the
thing they are not. Hamlet is subtly criticizing,
perhaps, his mother for seeming to mourn the death
of old King Hamlet. He is suggesting that her
mourning is just an act, that it is not real.
Hamlet concludes his response to his mother
with these lines:

But I have that within which passeth show
These but the trappings and the suits of woe.
(85-86)

Hamlet expresses that his emotions are far deeper and
more real than anything that may be visible or seen
on the surface. The word show means both (1) to
reveal and display, and (2) to pretend or to act. The

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word these refers to his black clothes and sad face
(which Hamlet would point to as he says the line).
Hamlet is thus expressing that no matter what people
may see on the outside or surface of a person, they
can never see what is going on within that person.
They cannot see that persons emotions.


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ACT I, 2: UNMANLY GRIEF

King Claudius then reenters the conversation
and makes a speech about mourning and grief
(starting on line 87). Claudius tells Hamlet that for a
son to mourn the death of his father is a proper and
fitting action, but then he adds that the son should do
so for some term (91). Claudius is stating that
there is a time limit as to how long one should mourn,
and he is suggesting that Hamlet is going beyond that
time limit.
The audiences evaluation of Hamlet may
depend, in part, upon how much they agree with
Claudius. On the one hand, Claudius does make a
valid point: to spend too long a period of time in
sadness and despair can only lead to the harm and
ruin of oneself. But then again, what is the time limit
for grief? Is it the same for everyone? One cannot
always judge another by ones own standards.
Claudius proceeds to tell Hamlet that
excessive mourning and grief is unmanly and sinful
(impious and incorrect to heaven lines 94-95).
Claudius also adds that it indicates a weak heart and a
weak mind (line 96). Claudius is not ridiculing
Hamlet. Rather, he is trying to push the prince back
into reality. Claudius is attempting to get Hamlet to
recognize the folly of his behavior. Claudius does
not want the prince to wallow in or struggle with his
depression any longer. Claudius does mean well.

30
In his argument, Claudius also adds that to
hold on to ones depression for too long a period of
time is absurd and that such action goes against
reason (line 103). Once again Shakespeare is
inserting the familiar conflict of reason vs. emotion
into his work. Claudius is attempting to argue
against an emotional response (Hamlets depression)
by using reason. Claudius is reasonable. His words
do make sense. But as Shakespeare reveals time and
again, reason is not as strong as emotion. Reason
cannot cause emotion to disappear.
At the end of his speech, Claudius asks
Hamlet to stay in Denmark rather than to return to the
University of Wittenberg in Germany (line 113). The
reader should note that the University of Wittenberg
was the greatest university in Europe during the
Middle Ages. It is also the university that Faustus
attends (in Christopher Marlowes Doctor Faustus).
Many lords and princes went to Wittenberg to receive
the best education available. Like Laertes, Hamlet
intends to leave Denmark (theme of abandonment).
However, when King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
request that Hamlet give up this plan and stay in
Denmark, Hamlet complies. Hamlet just does not
seem to care much about anything. Whether he stays
or goes is not all that important to him.


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ACT I, 2: SULLIED FLESH OR SOLID FLESH

Hamlets first great speech (or soliloquy)
appears in the second scene (at line 129). The speech
is one of great despair and provides insight as to why
Hamlet is experiencing such a severe depression.
Hamlets despair is so great that he longs for death
and considers suicide.
In the Folio version of the play, the speech
begins with the following:

O that this too too solid flesh would melt. (129)

An earlier Quarto version of the play used the word
sullied instead of solid. The word in the Quarto
version means dirty, rotten, or even sinful. It is,
perhaps, a better word to use than solid. As the play
develops, another theme emerges, a theme on
rottenness and decay. Denmark is a rotten and evil
place to be, according to Hamlet; and the people
living in Denmark are as sullied as the land.
However, the word solid also fits the passage because,
in most cases, a solid or hard object will not melt
under ordinary conditions.
Hamlet is indeed wishing that his body would
just melt away and turn into liquid (dew in line
130). Hamlet just wants to disappear, to become
nothing. Hamlets speech is extremely existential.
Existential literature typically develops the idea that
life is meaningless or purposeless (whenever the

32
word life or existence appears in a philosophical
context in a literary text, the writer may very likely
be introducing existentialism to his readers). Hamlet
does indeed express the idea that the world is
meaningless.
Hamlet, however, does not intend to commit
suicide. He recognizes that God (the Everlasting)
has established a law (canon) against suicide
(self-slaughter lines 131-32). Medieval
Christians considered the human body as a gift from
God. Therefore, they should not harm themselves in
any manner. To do so would be to betray God, and
such an act of treachery would be severely punished
by God.
The fifth and sixth lines of the soliloquy
clearly express Hamlets attitude about life and the
world:

How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of the world. (133-34)

By the word uses Hamlet is indicating everything that
happens in the world. Hamlet does not enjoy life and
he sees no point in it.
Hamlet then employs several metaphors to
further explain his opinion. The first metaphor is that
of the unweeded garden (line 135). When
Hamlets father was alive, the prince saw the world
as a cultivated garden as a garden that was well
cared for and beautiful. All of the plants were

33
arranged perfectly and grew splendidly. But now that
Hamlets father is gone, the garden is no longer cared
for. Weeds are growing wildly and strangling and
killing all of the fine and beautiful plants. To Hamlet,
one such weed is Claudius; and another is Gertrude.
The second metaphor (a double-metaphor
actually) involves the mythological characters of
Hyperion and a satyr. Hamlet contrasts his father to
Claudius:

King Hamlet = Hyperion
King Claudius = a satyr

Hyperion was the ancient Greek god of the sun. He
was a titan, a giant, large and magnificent. He would
shine more brightly than all of the other gods. A
satyr, on the other hand, was a mythological monster:
half man and half goat. The satyrs were well known
for always chasing maidens and nymphs (minor
nature goddesses). The satyrs were figures that
symbolized lust. Hamlet, then sees Claudius as a
lowly and base individual who weakly gives in to his
own sexual appetites.
With this second metaphor Hamlet has shifted
directions in his speech. In the first part of his
soliloquy, Hamlet is making general comments about
life and the world. But in the second part, he is
speaking in a specific manner about his own family.
From his father and uncle, Hamlet then
proceeds to discuss his mother. One of the extremely

34
famous lines from this speech sums up Hamlets
opinion of her:

Frailty, thy name is woman. (146)

The word frailty means weakness, and Hamlet views
women in general and his mother in particular as
being extremely weak. Hamlet cannot see any reason
or excuse for his mother lavishing her affections on
the lowly satyr after having been married to the god
of the sun, who adored her and worshipped her and
performed miracles for her. Hamlet sees Gertrudes
marriage to Claudius as a betrayal to the memory of
old King Hamlet.
Hamlet compares Gertrude to Niobe in a
simile (line 149). Niobe was turned into stone after
criticizing the gods Apollo and Artemis (Diana), but
Niobe continued to weep even as a statue because the
gods had also killed her fourteen children. Hamlet
recalls that Gertrude cried like Niobe at the funeral of
his father, but before a suitable period of time for
mourning had passed, the tears quickly disappeared
and she married Claudius. Hamlet then suggests that
his mother is worse than an animal:

O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourned longer! (150-51)

In this passage the word wants means lacks. In other
words, Gertrudes action does not make sense. She

35
does not seem to have any ability to reason at all.
Dumb animals do not have the ability to reason, but
Hamlet feels that even a dumb animal would have
shown more feeling than did his mother.
Hamlet uses one other double-metaphor to
describe Claudius: Claudius is no more like my
father than I to Hercules (152-53):

King Claudius old King Hamlet
Prince Hamlet Hercules

Hamlet is not anything like Hercules, the great Greek
hero who was a son of the god Zeus and who
possessed superhuman strength. Similarly, Claudius
is not anything like the old king. Hamlet is
suggesting that, rather, Claudius is the opposite of his
father.
The soliloquy concludes with Hamlet noting
that the relationship between Claudius and Gertrude
is one of incest. Hamlet believes that the
consequences of this sin will be bad for Denmark.
But Hamlet does not plan to take any action: I must
hold my tongue (159). He intends just to remain
quiet and suffer. Hamlet is a passive figure, not an
active one.
After Hamlet delivers his soliloquy, he meets
with Horatio. Horatio tells him about the ghost, and
Hamlet agrees to join the guards that night to see the
ghost for himself.


36
ACT I, 3: ADVICE AND MAXIMS

The third scene begins with a conversation
between Laertes and his sister Ophelia. Laertes is
soon to travel back to France. But, before he leaves,
he wishes to give his sister some advice about her
relationship with Prince Hamlet. Hamlet and Ophelia
are close friends, and they are attracted to one
another. In the past Hamlet has also given Ophelia
numerous small gifts such as any man who woos
(seeks attention and affection of a woman with the
intention to marry) a woman might give. Laertes
wants to warn Ophelia, though, that Hamlet is not
free to choose the woman he is to marry. As a man
who will one day become king, he must marry for
political reasons. Therefore, Laertes warns his sister
to be careful. She should protect her virtue and honor.
Ophelia tells Laertes that she will follow his advice.
After Laertes warns Ophelia, Polonius, their
father, enters. Polonius decides to give his son some
advice before he leaves for France (lines 59-80). He
then begins to make a number of suggestions as to
how Laertes should behave himself while he is in
France. Basically, he is telling Laertes to be careful
and not to get involved in any foolish behavior. This
speech, though, is actually something of a joke to
Renaissance audiences. Polonius merely recites a
series of maxims (proverbs or sayings) that were a
part of a school textbook that nearly everyone would
be familiar with. Schoolboys were often forced to

37
memorize these maxims, and many men in the
Renaissance audience would probably be able to say
these lines along with Polonius. Shakespeare,
however, has a very serious purpose for including
such a joke in his play. Polonius is the trusted
advisor of the king. He should be a man of clever
intellect and originality. His quoting a schoolboy
textbook indicates that he has no real wisdom of his
own. And if Denmarks chief advisor is not very
wise, then that certainly does not bode well for
Denmark. Hamlet may very well be right about the
weeds taking over the garden.
Shakespeare continues to depict Polonius as
something other than a wise man as the scene
continues. After Laertes leaves, Polonius speaks to
Ophelia about her relationship with Hamlet.
Basically, Polonius is giving Ophelia the very same
advice that Laertes had just given her. Ophelia nods
her head politely and quietly as Polonius proceeds,
but the audience would be laughing here. Poloniuss
advice is too little and too late. A wise father would
have spoken to his daughter much earlier. Polonius
is a little slow. Shakespeare further depicts Polonius
in a negative manner as the play progresses.


38
ACT I, 4: THE WASSAIL SPEECH

As Hamlet, Horatio, and the others are outside
the castle waiting for the reappearance of the ghost,
they hear the sound of trumpets blaring and cannons
blasting. Horatio asks Hamlet what the noise means.
Hamlet explains that the king keeps wassail that
night (line 10). The word wassail has a double
meaning here: it refers to spiced wine or ale, and it
also refers to drinking and celebrating an occasion.
The king is celebrating his marriage or coronation
(being crowned king) by getting drunk, dancing, and
making toasts (making pledges by drinking to the
honor of someone or something). Every time the
king drinks a cup of wine, the trumpets sound and the
cannons roar. The wassail celebration is a noisy and
wild occasion that Hamlet finds to be extremely
embarrassing to his nation.
Horatio asks if such wild celebration is a
custom, and Hamlet responds that it is a custom
which he does not care for:

though I am native here
And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honoured in the breach than the
observance. (16-18)

The word manner refers to custom or tradition.
Hamlet suggests that such wassailing has been a long
tradition in his royal family. However, Hamlet

39
believes that Denmark and his family would act more
honorably if they did not celebrate in such a fashion
(by breach Hamlet means to break away from or to
stop such an activity). In a subtle way, Hamlet is
stating that the tradition should end because it is
dishonorable.
Hamlet explains that the wassail tradition has
given Denmark a bad reputation. No matter what
positive contributions the Danes have made and
given to the world, other nations pay more attention
to their one fault rather than their many achievements.
The Danes, according to Hamlet, have a reputation of
being drunkards (line 18.3).
Hamlet then proceeds to use a metaphor to
further explain his view concerning this tradition.
Hamlet compares Denmark to a man (starting in line
18.7). A man may have one particular fault or vice
(mole of nature in line 18.8 or stamp of one
defect in line 18.15) but many virtues or admirable
qualities (line 18.17). However, society other
people will judge that man by the one fault. People
tend to overlook or ignore the good in a person and
see only the negative. Hamlet, in this speech, is not
only criticizing the wassailing custom, he is also
criticizing society (social criticism). He (and
Shakespeare) is making a wise observation about
how most people in society tend to be negative and
judge others too harshly and too unfairly. People can
be rather cruel. To Hamlet, these cruel people are
weeds in the garden.

40

ACT I, 4: SOMETHING ROTTEN

After the wassail speech in the fourth scene,
the ghost reappears. The ghost calls to Hamlet, for
he wants to speak to Hamlet alone. Despite his fears,
Hamlet follows the ghost. However, Hamlet realizes
that he must be cautious: the ghost could be either a
spirit of health or a goblin damned (21). In other
words, the ghost could be the actual spirit of
Hamlets dead father; or it could be a devil or demon
who has magically disguised itself to look like the old
king. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance,
people believed that a ghost could be either of these.
At the end of the fourth scene, the guard
Marcellus declares, Something is rotten in the
state of Denmark (67). This is another famous line
from the play. Marcellus is stating that the ghost is
an omen that indicates that something terrible or evil
has happened or will happen in Denmark. However,
the line also contributes to the theme concerning
decay and rottenness. Denmark and most of the
people in it are also rotten in a spiritual or moral
sense. That is Hamlets view about his own land, but
such a view might also have been held by
Shakespeare about England.


41
ACT I, 5: THE GHOST DEMANDS
VENGEANCE

The ghost holds a private conversation with
Hamlet in the last scene. The ghost hints that the
afterlife (prison-house in line 14) is unpleasant
and horrifying, but he is forbidden to reveal any
details about it. The reference to the afterlife is
certainly not a Christian one. Rather, it is more like a
pagan Anglo-Saxon belief, vague and frightening.
The use of the expression prison-house (instead of
hell or afterlife) is like an Anglo-Saxon kenning (a
poetic compound word). It further contributes to a
fearful notion of life after death, which many ancient
and medieval people had.
When a person experiences the death of a
close loved one, that person may find himself or
herself wondering about and questioning the
existence of God and Heaven. Hamlet lost his father.
Shakespeare had lost his son. Shakespeare too would
have had doubts and fears about what the afterlife
would hold. And such doubts and fears are reflected
in this play.
The Anglo-Saxons of pagan times concerned
themselves more with life than the afterlife. To them,
ones honor and reputation was of utmost
importance. In addition, ones commitment to serve
and assist ones lord and fellow men was one of the
ways a man could prove his honor and worth. If a
lord or fellow warrior were killed by an enemy, a

42
man was duty bound to seek vengeance. His pledge
to his kings and fellow soldiers included a vow to
revenge their deaths. Getting revenge was not only
an act of honor to the Anglo-Saxons, many other
tribes in early Europe held similar beliefs.
During the Renaissance, the writers of plays
modeled their works on the Classical writers of Rome
(especially Seneca for tragedy and Plautus for
comedy). The most common type of Roman tragedy
was the revenge tragedy; and so, not surprisingly,
many playwrights of the Renaissance decided to
write revenge tragedies as well. Hamlet is a revenge
tragedy, but, then again, it is not. That is,
Shakespeare began this play based on a revenge story.
But Shakespeare frequently broke conventions, and
he did so with Hamlet. The play is also the antithesis
or opposite of a typical revenge tragedy. The hero,
Prince Hamlet, swears to get revenge, but then he
hesitates. He does not get immediate vengeance as
he swears to do.
In the fifth scene, the ghost clearly explains to
his son why he is appearing at night and haunting the
castle:

If thou didst ever thy dear father love
Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.
(lines 23 and 25)

Hamlet responds as a good and dutiful son and
servant to his king should respond: Hamlet tells the

43
ghost that he will get revenge with wings as swift as
meditation (29-30). This simile indicates that
Hamlet will get revenge immediately the action
will come as quickly as the thought (meditation).
The ghost then proceeds, in a lengthy speech,
to explain to Hamlet how he was murdered and who
was responsible. Hamlet had heard previously that
the death of his father was caused by the bite of a
poisonous snake while he was sleeping in his orchard
(lines 35-36). But the ghost tells him that the report
of his death was a lie. Rather, King Hamlets own
brother, Claudius, killed him by pouring a poison in
his ear when King Hamlet was sleeping (lines 59-67).
The ghost also accuses both Claudius and
Gertrude of incest (lines 42 and 83). So, the double
crimes of murder and incest have brought the ghost
to the castle as an omen of the further difficulties to
come. The reader may note the similarity between
Oedipus the King and Hamlet in this regard.
Oedipus also was guilty of the murder of a relative
(his own father) and of incest (with his own mother).
And in that play, the city of Thebes is overwhelmed
by famine and disease as omens of the crimes that
have occurred and the trouble that will follow.
Although the ghost also accuses Queen
Gertrude of incest, he bids the prince not to harm his
mother in any way (lines 84-86). Rather, he tells
Hamlet that God (heaven in line 86) will punish her
in the afterlife.

44
The ghosts final words are these:
Remember me (91). The words haunt Hamlet.
Indeed, he cannot forget he can never forget his
father.
With the coming of the morning light, the
ghost exits. And Hamlet then has another soliloquy
in which he declares that all other thoughts and
matters he will forget and ignore. Only one thought
shall be in his head: thy commandment all alone
shall live within the book and volume of my brain
(102-03). The ghosts commandment is to revenge
his death. Hamlet is thus asserting that he will live
for one purpose only: vengeance. He will not think
about or do anything else.
But that does not happen. Hamlet hesitates.


45
ACT I, 5: AN ANTIC DISPOSITION

After his soliloquy, Hamlet returns to Horatio
and the guards and speaks to them. He makes them
take a vow to swear that they will not reveal
anything about the ghost or about what they had seen
and heard. They do so (line 163).
When the rational Horatio comments on the
strange and wondrous events of that night, Hamlet
responds with the following:

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in our philosophy. (168-69)

In these famous and often quoted lines, Hamlet is
expressing a belief in a supernatural world, a world
that extends far beyond the reaches of ones
imagination and ability to believe. An earlier quarto
version of the play is slightly different. Instead of the
folios our philosophy, the quarto reads your
philosophy. The Norton editors follow the lines as
written in the folio edition. But other editions of
Hamlet follow the quarto version instead, and they
may be right in doing so. Horatios philosophy is a
philosophy based on reason and common sense. His
philosophy does not include or take into account the
supernatural world. Shakespeare himself, however,
did believe there was far more happening in the
world than a reasonable or common sense philosophy
would suggest. His inclusion of the force of fate in

46
just about every play and poem he wrote clearly
indicates this.
At the end of the scene, Hamlet then tells his
companions about his plan or scheme. Hamlet says
that he will put an antic disposition on (173). In
other words, Hamlet will pretend to be mad. The
reader should note that there is a theme of madness
in this play. And, of course, a number of critics have
wondered at just how much Hamlet is pretending to
be mad and how much he really is mad.
Hamlet intends to act crazy so that he can find
out more about his fathers murder. He wants to find
proof that his uncle is really guilty. But this is just
hesitation on Hamlets part. Hamlet should not be
hesitant. He should be taking immediate action, as he
promised the ghost. Hamlet had vowed to act, to get
revenge, as swiftly as thought. But to put on the act
of a madman to wait and find proof is certainly
not what Anglo-Saxon or other medieval warriors
would have done. Rather, they would have acted as
swiftly as they could. The first act of the play ends,
then, in a manner far different from other revenge
tragedies. Something is wrong with Hamlet. He is
not rushing out to get a swift and immediate
vengeance as he should. For some strange and
inexplicable reason, Hamlet is hesitating.

47

ACT II

ACT II, 1: REYNALDO, THE SPY

The second act begins with a dialogue
between Polonius and Reynaldo. Reynaldo is a
servant to Polonius, and Polonius is ordering him to
spy on his son. Polonius tells the servant that he
should go to France and find out what bars or inns or
other places of amusement his son visits. At these
places Reynaldo is then to strike up casual
conversations with people who are friends or
acquaintances of Laertes. Reynaldo then will subtly
try to discover how Laertes behaves and what he does
while he is in France.
The scene is important for two reasons. First,
the audience learns that Polonius does not trust his
own son. Since this is a play about family
relationships, one of the key ideas or themes that
Shakespeare is establishing here is one of mistrust.
Polonius does not trust his own son; and, later,
neither Hamlet will trust Claudius nor Claudius trust
Hamlet. The family unit in both cases is
dysfunctional. Both families suffer and are in serious
danger of ruin.
The problems of family extend to the
problems of state. The personal problems foster

48
political problems as well. A theme of spying is also
established in this scene. Just as Polonius hires a
man to spy on his son, Claudius, in the next scene,
hires two men named Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
to spy on Hamlet. Spying on ones own people is an
indication of the corruption of the court and state. If
no one can trust anyone else, then an atmosphere of
fear and vigilance soon encompasses everyone and
everything. And such an atmosphere does develop in
the court of King Claudius.


49
ACT II, 1: THE BEDCHAMBER SCENE

In the first act, Hamlet told Horatio and others
that he would pretend to be mad. And he intended
to do this in order to get Claudius to reveal the truth
about his role in murdering old King Hamlet. In the
second act, the first indication of Hamlets madness
appears (beginning in line 75). In a conversation
between Ophelia and Polonius, Ophelia tells her
father about Hamlets strange behavior in her room
or chamber.
Ophelia reports the information. The
audience does not actually see the events that occur
in her chamber. This is a fine example of
storytelling art. The audience is, in this scene,
prepared for the odd behavior of Hamlet pretending
to be mad. The situation that Ophelia describes is
bizarre and wild, and her description causes the
audience to be curious and desire to see the mad
Hamlet for themselves. And, in the next scene of the
play, Shakespeare satisfies that curiosity.
In some movie versions of this play, the
bedchamber scene is actually filmed and presented
before the audience. This can be effective and
artistic as well in a movie because with film the
producers have the ability to cut quickly between one
scene and another. The audience could then see the
actions of mad Hamlet at the same moment as
Ophelia tells her father about what had happened.
Such, of course, could not be done as effectively on

50
the live stage. Film and live theater are different
mediums that require different approaches to
storytelling.
A reader may wonder why Hamlet does not
tell Ophelia that he is just pretending to be mad.
After all, Hamlet and Ophelia do have a very close
relationship. But Hamlet is perhaps wise in not
revealing his deception to Ophelia. If Ophelia knew
that Hamlet was not really mad, she would not be so
flustered and upset when she told her father. And
then Polonius himself would not have been
convinced that Hamlet was, indeed, truly mad. And
Hamlet does need to have the deception to appear
real and convincing. On the other hand, though,
Hamlets deception works too well. Ophelia later
believes that Hamlet is not only mad but that he is
also no longer in love with her. And that belief will
lead to extremely tragic consequences. Hamlet
should have thought more about his affect on Ophelia
than on his making his deception convincing.
Ophelias description is noteworthy: she
accurately describes the look and actions of a
madman. She notes how Hamlet certainly dresses
like a madman: his coat is open, he wears no hat, and
his stockings are dirty and hang loosely about his
ankles. In the medieval palace, the courtier was
always expected to look splendid, clean, and precise.
Even a slight fault, like not wearing a hat, would be
considered a lowly and dishonorable act. But not
only are Hamlets clothes unacceptable and offensive,

51
his body language is also equally inappropriate: his
knees are knocking together (indicating a lack of self-
control), and on his face he has a look so piteous in
purport as if he had been loosed out of hell to speak
of horrors (83-85). Ironically, Ophelias simile is
more accurate than she realizes. Although Hamlet
had not just come out of hell, he had been speaking
with a creature (his fathers ghost) that had just come
out of hell. And Hamlet does have thoughts about
horror the horror of his own fathers murder.
Hamlets actions fit his appearance. He stares
mutely at Ophelia for several long moments, and then
moans a deep and troubled sigh (line 95). Then, as
he walks out the door, he keeps his head turned back
and his eyes fastened on Ophelia. He does not watch
where he is walking, but somehow seems to find the
doorway as if directed by some invisible force (line
100). Hamlets act is perfect. He convinces Ophelia
that he is, indeed, quite mad.
Polonius, the inept advisor, immediately
jumps to the wrong conclusion: he believes that
Hamlet is mad because of his unrequited love for
Ophelia (line 86). He tells Ophelia quite firmly that
Hamlets behavior is the very ecstasy of love (103).
By the word ecstasy, Polonius means the irrational
and emotional state that the lover experiences. Such
an emotional state is a form of madness. Although
Polonius is most incorrect about thinking that Hamlet
is mad because of unrequited love, the senior advisor

52
does accurately describe the effect of love, especially
unrequited love:

love
Whose violent property fordoes itself
And leads the will to desperate undertakings
As oft as any passion under heaven
That does afflict our natures. (103-07)

This is an idea that Shakespeare expresses over and
over again in his plays, especially in his comedies.
Shakespeare clearly believed that love was one of the
strongest emotions (or passions) that could lead to
insane or irrational actions (or desperate
undertakings). However, unrequited love is not the
cause in Hamlets case, and Hamlet is certainly not a
comedy.
The scene ends with another brilliantly ironic
line. Polonius believes his earlier advice for Ophelia
not to take Hamlets words of love seriously and to
repel his love has led to Hamlets madness. Thus,
Polonius becomes upset with himself:

But beshrew my jealousy!
By heaven, it is as proper to our age
To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
As it is common for the younger sort
To lack discretion. (114-18)


53
Polonius is stating that older people often jump to
conclusions and make the wrong decision about some
matter or situation. The irony is that this is exactly
what Polonius is doing here. Polonius has incorrectly
jumped to the conclusion that Hamlet is mad because
of his unrequited love for Ophelia. Polonius has once
again cast beyond himself in his opinion.


54
ACT II, 2: ROSENCRANTZ AND
GUILDENSTERN

In the first part of the second scene (lines 1-
39), King Claudius hires two courtiers named
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find out why
Hamlet is so troubled. The scene has both positive
and negative implications. On the one hand,
Claudius is truly concerned about the young prince
and wishes to help him. His earlier speech to Hamlet
has proved unsuccessful in aiding his nephew, and so
the king now seeks another solution to solve the
problem. But, on the other hand, Claudiuss actions
suggest the trouble within the court and society.
Claudius is asking Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to
spy on Hamlet, and so the theme on spying
reappears here. Moreover, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are, or were, close friends to Hamlet.
Claudius indicates the relationship with the following
lines:

That, being of so young days brought up with him,
And since so neighboured to his youth and humour.
(11-12)

Claudius may be right in thinking that Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern have more in common with Hamlet
and therefore may be able to find out what is
troubling the prince. But Claudius is wrong in
thinking that the companions of ones childhood may

55
still be companions to that one as they approach
manhood. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are
neighboured to Hamlets youth they are
approximately the same age. But, as it turns out, they
are not neighboured to Hamlets humour. The
word humour here means thoughts and feelings.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern do not at all
understand what Hamlet is thinking and feeling.
That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern agree to
spy on their childhood companion also indicates a
problem in friendship. Truly close friends were
supposed to have a bond of fellowship and trust
between them. Like the old Anglo-Saxon bonds of
comitatus (the fellowship of warriors), the bond
between two friends was considered closer than the
closest of family ties. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
break that vow of friendship with Hamlet. They are
no longer behaving as his friends.


56
ACT II, 2: SUCCESSFUL POLITICS

Also early in the second scene (lines 59-85),
the ambassadors Valtemand and Cornelius return
from Norway. The message that King Claudius sent
to the King of Norway proves successful. The
Norwegian king has stopped his nephew, the young
Fortinbras, from attacking Denmark. Claudius thus
avoids a costly war wherein many lives would have
been lost.
The careful reader should note that the hired
soldiers the mercenary army that Fortinbras has
gathered will still be used. Fortinbras instead intends
to attack Poland the Polack (line 75). This does
make sense in one regard. Putting together an army
was a costly activity, and even a prince would not
wish to spend all of that money and have no result.
And, at this time, Norway and Poland are enemies.
But Shakespeare is also providing social
commentary here. Wars are started with little or no
cause or motivation. Man engages in war even if
there is no good reason to do so. Man is surely an
irrational and ridiculous creature.
One should also note here that Fortinbras is a
man of action. This is in direct contrast to Hamlet,
who is a man of inaction and hesitation. Although
both men are princes and serve kings who are their
uncles, Fortinbras and Hamlet are opposites in
personality. Fortinbras is the literary foil to Hamlet.


57
ACT II, 2: BREVITY IS THE SOUL OF WIT

Before Valtemand tells Claudius about the
successful trip to Norway, Polonius smugly informs
the king that he has discovered the very cause of
Hamlets lunacy (49). But Polonius insists that
Claudius first hear the good news concerning Norway
and that he will tell his good news afterwards: My
news shall be the fruit to that great feast (52).
Here the word feast symbolizes the good news about
Norway, and the word fruit which is the dessert
after the feast symbolizes the good news about
finding the source of Hamlets problem. Polonius is
quite proud of himself for discovering the problem;
but, of course, he is wrong. He does not know the
true cause at all.
After Valtemand exits, Polonius then
proceeds to tell Claudius and Gertrude what he has
discovered (beginning in line 86). The dialogue that
follows actually creates a comic scene. Polonius
begins by explaining that one should not waste a
great deal of time but should come directly to the
important point or matter that needs to be said. The
irony here is that Polonius wastes a fair amount of
time in explaining that one should not waste time.
One of the famous lines from this play occurs in this
speech: brevity is the soul of wit (91). This means
that the truly witty and intelligent person will speak
briefly and get right to the point. Ironically, Polonius

58
is indicating that he is not a man of wit. He does not
speak briefly, and he does not get right to the point.
Queen Gertrudes response indicates that she
is not exactly pleased with the long and tedious
explanation given by Polonius. She tells him, More
matter with less art (96). The word matter here
refers to substance. She is saying that he should get
to the point. And the word art here refers to empty
rhetoric, to thoughtless and meaningless phrases that
waste time and unnecessarily complicate the meaning
of the speech. Shakespeare, here, appears to be
making fun of political rhetoric, which often
employs too much art and too little matter.
Poloniuss reaction to Gertrudes request is
also comical. He responds by saying, Madam, I
swear I use no art at all (97). The word art here has
a double meaning. Polonius is suggesting that he is
not using any empty or meaningless rhetoric in his
speech (but, of course, he is). But the word art also
suggests skill or ability. Polonius is unintentionally
stating that he is artless, that he has no skill or ability.
Polonius then continues to explain, in a very wordy
fashion, why he believes Hamlet is mad.
Polonius produces a love letter that Hamlet
had written to Ophelia as evidence of a madness that
resulted from unrequited love. Of course, the letter is
part of Hamlets scheme to pretend to be mad; and, it
does successfully convince Polonius. And it nearly
convinces the king and queen as well. Polonius is so
convinced that he is right that he tells Claudius,

59
Take this from this if this be otherwise (157). The
first time Polonius says this, he points to his head.
The second time he says it, he points to his shoulders.
The third this refers to his opinion, his conviction that
Hamlet is mad because of unrequited love. In other
words, Polonius is telling the king that he can cut off
his head if he is wrong. Polonius is making a very
foolish offer. He should have been brief.


60
ACT II, 2: A METHOD TO THE MADNESS

In the next part of the scene (beginning in line
172), Polonius proceeds to gather further proof of his
belief regarding Hamlets madness by having a direct
conversation with him. The reader will note that
Shakespeares language changes at this point. Before
the language was poetic; now it is in prose. Often,
Shakespeare uses poetry to indicate the higher
elevated speech of aristocrats and prose to indicate
the language of the commoner. Reports and letters
are also usually done in prose. Here the prose is used
to indicate the language of madness or feigned
madness. Prose will also be used to express
untruthful statements and dialogue. On stage the
flow of the language, as it shifts from poetry to prose,
has a subtle affect on the audience. The audience
may not consciously be aware of the shift, but they
will sense a difference.
Hamlets mad language is complex, for it
conveys a subtle or hidden truth. Hamlet begins by
greeting Polonius and calling him a fishmonger (a
seller of fish line 175). A fishmonger holds a low
position in society, even in the society of commoners.
For an aristocrat to be referred to as a lowly
commoner, then, is an insult. Polonius is insulted,
but he believes that Hamlet is mad. So, Polonius
does not take the insult seriously. Hamlet then
responds that he wishes Polonius were as honest as
a fishmonger (177). Here again is a subtle social

61
criticism. Although many aristocrats believed that
honesty was a quality to be found in the higher
classes, Hamlet is suggesting the opposite. He is
suggesting that a quality like honesty can be found
only in the lowly commoner. By extension, then, he
is also suggesting that aristocrats are dishonest and
corrupt. Hamlet emphasizes his point by stating that
only one man out of ten thousand is honest (179-
80). Thus, the world is a corrupt place full of
dishonesty.
When Polonius says that he agrees with
Hamlet, the prince then begins to make a statement
that sounds quite mad: for if the sun breed maggots
in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion (182-
83). Hamlet then stops and changes the subject.
Polonius does not understand Hamlets comment at
all. Polonius probably does know the old superstition
declaring that maggots were created in dead animals
that were exposed to sunlight. But he would have no
idea how that relates to the beginning of the
conversation. Hamlet, though, is speaking
metaphorically. The word maggots could signify
dishonest men, and the dead dog would thus signify
the world. The imagery is extremely fitting since
Hamlet views the world as essentially corrupt and in
a state of decay.
Hamlets mad language also employs the use
of puns. He tells Polonius that he should not allow
Ophelia to walk i th sun (185). The line picks up
on the idea of the sunlight breeding maggots. Hamlet

62
is telling Polonius to keep Ophelia free from
corruption. But the pun is that the word sun also
sounds like son. Thus, Hamlet also appears to be
warning Polonius to keep Ophelia away from the son
of the king, namely, Hamlet himself.
The pun on sun is followed by another pun:
conception is a blessing, but not as your daughter
may conceive (185-86). The word conception
means both (1) to have a thought or idea and (2) to
have a child (to conceive an idea or to conceive a
child). Hamlet is thus stating that having thoughts or
ideas are blessings, but having children is not a
blessing. In a world full of corruption and dishonesty,
more children means more dishonest men and more
corruption.
The dialogue continues with additional puns,
and Hamlet also manages to include a negative
description of Polonius as well (lines 196-202).
Among other things, Hamlet criticizes Polonius for
having a plentiful lack of wit (199). But not being
very witty, Polonius does not realize that he is the
target of Hamlets humor. After Polonius exits,
Hamlet refers to him as a tedious old fool (215).
Shakespeare thus contributes to his negative
depiction of the kings advisor once again to indicate
the corruption in the court.


63
ACT II, 2: THE SHADOWS OF BEGGARS

Hamlet then has a conversation with
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern after Polonius exits
(beginning in line 217). The use of mad language
and puns continues, and Hamlet also manages to
criticize Fortune (or Fate) as well (lines 230-31). The
reader should also note the reference to doomsday
(line 234) and the use of prison imagery (lines 237-
40) in the dialogue. The depressed Hamlet asserts
not only that he feels trapped, but also that the entire
world is a prison. To Hamlet the world is a terrible
and corrupt place without freedom. There is no place
to go to escape that corruption. And such a terrible
state suggests that the end of the world is near
(according to certain Christian beliefs).
Social criticism also appears in this dialogue.
Hamlets companions suggest that Hamlets ambition
makes him feel like he is trapped (line 246). The
conversation then suggests that ambitions are dreams
and that dreams are like shadows: airy and
insubstantial. Hamlet then concludes with the
following:

Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and
outstretched heroes the beggars shadows. (256-57)

Here Hamlet is playing with rhetoric, with language,
in creating this complex metaphor. Beggars do not
have any ambition, but kings and heroes do. Thus,

64
the kings and heroes are merely shadows; and the
beggars are the solid bodies that cast those shadows.
Hamlet is criticizing kings and heroes. He is stating
that they are like shadows. They are nothing. They
are insubstantial. They are meaningless. To be a king
or a hero in the world means nothing. The life of a
beggar has more meaning and importance than the
life of a king.
Hamlet realizes that Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern were called by Claudius and Gertrude to
spy on him (lines 273-74). Hamlet then asks them to
reveal the truth because of their friendship or
fellowship (276-80). Yet, Hamlet is also aware that,
in the corrupt court of Denmark, such friendship is
also corrupt.


65
ACT II, 2: THE PIECE OF WORK SPEECH

During his dialogue with Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, Hamlet admits that he has changed and
become depressed (beginning in line 287). His
description and explanation form a prose speech that
expresses his feelings and, at the same time,
contradicts a prevailing Renaissance philosophy.
The speech begins with a metaphor: the earth
seems to me a sterile promontory (289-90). A
promontory is a rock, and for Hamlet the world is
nothing but a dry and barren piece of stone. There is
nothing alive there. All is dead and useless to him.
Hamlet then proceeds to describe the sky in
positive terms: excellent, brave, majestic. Hamlet
does this to express the positive attitude that others
have about the world and the heavens that surround it.
But to Hamlet, the air is filthy and diseased: a foul
and pestilent congregation of vapours (293).
From the earth and sky, Hamlet then moves
more specifically to the topic of mankind: What a
piece of work is a man! (293-94). The line
suggests that man is like a perfect machine, well-
made and finely crafted. Hamlet then lists mans best
features: his excellent reasoning ability, his unlimited
intellect (faculty), his beautiful body (form), and
his wonderful and precise physical agility. Hamlet
then adds two similes to complete the description: his
actions or movements are like an angel and his
ability to understand or comprehend is like a god.

66
Hamlet then concludes this description by stating that
man is the perfect creation, the perfect animal
(paragon of animals). The description that Hamlet
presents here is one that is consistent with the
philosophy of Humanism. The Humanists did
believe that man was capable of perfection and that
with the power of his mind a man could accomplish
just about anything. Students may be familiar with
the expression Renaissance Man. A Renaissance
Man suggests a man who studies everything and
takes a lively and scholarly interest in everything.
Perhaps the best example of a true Renaissance Man
is the Italian Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519).
Leonardo da Vinci was a musician, an artist, a
sculptor, a painter, a scientist, an engineer, and an
inventor. He was probably the most remarkable man
who ever lived. He could do everything, and he was
outstanding in everything he did. The Humanists
believed that anyone could be like da Vinci if he
applied his mind to it.
Hamlet (and, apparently, Shakespeare)
however, does not agree with the Humanists. The
turning point in the speech (like a turning point in a
poem) is indicated by the word yet: And yet to me
what is this quintessence of dust? (297-98). In one
short breath, Hamlet has moved from describing man
as an angel or a god to describing him as dust or dirt.
Hamlet concludes that Man delights not me (298).
Hamlet is expressing that he finds nothing wonderful
or impressive about mankind. The line is actually a

67
good example of understatement. Hamlet is
actually implying an idea opposite to that of the
Humanists. To Hamlet, man is the lowest of the low.
He does not even rank with the lowest of living
creatures, like an ant or a flea. Man is below that.
He is dirt. He is dust. He deserves to be swept away.
At this point in the speech, Rosencrantz
would smirk or smile. So, Hamlet adds, no, nor
woman either (298-99). Shakespeare adds this line
because he knew very well that Renaissance
audiences were always on the alert for double-
entendres and sexual jokes. Hamlets comment to
Rosencrantz is actually Shakespeares comment to
the audience. The Renaissance audience might
humorously view Hamlets line about finding no
delight in man to be a declaration of his
heterosexuality (that is, Hamlet is not attracted to
men). So, Hamlet adds the comment about women to
clarify his point: he finds nothing wonderful or
impressive about mankind (men and women). The
addition that Hamlet makes, though, also cleverly
proves his point: man is usually quick to think in a
base and lowly manner. Hamlet is talking about
higher philosophy, but many members of the
audience are thinking crudely about sex and dirty
jokes.


68
ACT II, 2: METATHEATER AND
LONDON FADS

The term metatheater (and sometimes
metadrama) refers to a drama within a drama as well
as a drama about drama. In Hamlet there are both.
There is a shorter play, which is called The
Mousetrap, within the larger play of Hamlet. But in
several instances Prince Hamlet and other characters
also comment about the art of acting and playwriting
as well.
The first instance of metatheater occurs
directly after Hamlets Piece of Work speech.
Rosencrantz informs Hamlet that some famous actors
(tragedians) from the city have traveled to the
castle as traveling performers (lines 315-16).
Although this play is set in Denmark, Shakespeare
uses that background to symbolize England. Thus,
the city is actually a reference to London. Hamlet
is surprised that such good actors would leave the
city and the playhouse (theater) where they usually
perform because a good acting troupe would make
more money staying at their own theater in London.
Traveling performers were more often acting troupes
that had no established theater for their performances.
And traveling actors made far less money than the
actors in the city.
Rosencrantz explains that there is an
innovation or fad currently popular in the city. He
adds that lately audiences are mostly interested in

69
seeing performances by all-boy acting troupes.
Although the acting and performances are not as
good as those by adults, the audiences find the all-
boy cast to be cute and charming. And, so, they
attend these performances instead of the
performances by the adult actors. And, so, the adult
actors are forced to go on the road and perform in the
small towns outside of the city.
Such a fad actually did occur in London
during Shakespeares time, and Shakespeare uses the
character of Hamlet to criticize the fad. Shakespeare
knew that such a fad was bad for acting and the
theater business in general. These lines, then, are
also a form of social criticism. Shakespeare is
criticizing the low tastes of a society that prefers bad
boy actors to good professional adult actors.


70
ACT II, 2: POLONIUS

The negative depiction of Polonius continues
as the actors (or players) arrive:

(1) Hamlet refers to Polonius as a baby in
diapers (lines 365-66)
(2) Polonius delivers the news about the arrival
of the actors too late (line 375)
(3) Hamlet compares Polonius to the foolish
Jephthah in the Bible (line 385)

In the Old Testament (Judges, Chapter 11), Jephthah
vowed that he would sacrifice the first person he saw
on his return home if he was successful in battle. The
first person he saw on his return was his own
daughter (whom he was forced to sacrifice). Hamlet
is suggesting that Polonius is not only a fool, but he
also does not recognize the value of his own daughter
(referred to as a treasure).
Shakespeare also uses Polonius to list the
genres of drama that were performed during the
Renaissance: tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral,
pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, and so forth
and so on. The list gets too long and too ridiculous.
Having the foolish Polonius recite the list emphasizes
the ridiculous aspect of it. All of these genre
classifications were too complicated and basically
unnecessary. Every play could simply be listed as
either comedy or tragedy, and Shakespeare would

71
certainly not have felt that all of these classifications
were necessary. This is another example of
metatheater. It is a comment, a criticism, on
playwriting classifications.


72
ACT II, 2: THE ACTORS SPEECH ON
THE DEATH OF THE TROJAN KING

The inclusion of metatheater continues
during Hamlets dialogue with the actors (beginning
in line 405). In fact, the use of metatheater is so
widespread that it forms a minor theme in the play.
But the inclusion of it is also directly related to the
play, for it contributes to the plot and to the character
development of Hamlet.
At this point in the scene, Hamlet asks one of
the actors, whom he knows well, to recite a passage
from a play. Hamlet describes the play as one that
pleased not the million. Twas caviare to the
general (418). Hamlet is stating that the play was
not very popular because it was too good most
people who attend the theater want simple and easy
stories to follow. Caviar, which are the eggs of a
sturgeon or some other similar fish, is a delicacy and
a finely acquired taste. They are expensive, but most
people also do not like them. Hamlet uses caviar
here as a symbol of something that is fine and
wonderful but mostly unappreciated by the public.
Once again, this use of metatheater is also social
criticism. Shakespeare is criticizing audiences who
do not appreciate great poetry and great drama.
Hamlet asks the actor to recite Aeneas tale
to Dido (426-27). Aeneas is the Roman hero of The
Aeneid, the Classical epic by Virgil. The speech in
Hamlet, then, is inspired by Virgils work. The

73
student, incidentally, should also note that
Christopher Marlowe was also greatly inspired by
Virgil and wrote a play entitled Dido, Queen of
Carthage.
In the speech the actor describes the death of
the Trojan King Priam. During the Trojan War,
Priam encounters the Greek Pyrrhus (who was the
son of the hero Achilles). The actor relates how
Pyrrhus (who wants to avenge his fathers death)
comes covered in blood and gore to face King Priam.
During the struggle Priam is knocked down to the
ground. But before Pyrrhus can strike the fallen king,
the burning walls of Troy come crashing down to the
ground. The noise distracts Pyrrhus, and he hesitates:

So, as a painted tyrant, Pyrrhus stood,
And, like a neutral to his will and matter,
Did nothing. (460-62)

The expression painted tyrant refers to the picture
of a tyrant in a painting. Pyrrhus seems frozen like
an image in a work of art. But Pyrrhus hesitation
lasts only a brief moment. He then raises his sword
and kills Priam.
There are a couple of similarities to the plot of
Hamlet. Pyrrhus is also a prince whose father has
been murdered. And Pyrrhus seeks vengeance. And,
like Hamlet, Pyrrhus hesitates. But his hesitation is
only for a moment. Hamlets hesitation lasts much
longer. And so, the audience may wonder if Pyrrhus

74
vengeance will foreshadow Hamlets own or if
Hamlet, perhaps, will hesitate for too long.
After a brief interruption by Polonius and
Hamlet, the actor continues his speech and describes
the reaction of Queen Hecuba, the wife of the now-
dead King Priam:

The instant burst of clamor that she made
Unless things mortal move them not at all
Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven,
And passion in the gods. (495-98)

In other words, even Jupiter (Zeus) and the other
gods above would cry upon witnessing the grief and
mourning of Queen Hecuba. Hecuba is a contrast to
Queen Gertrude. The Trojan Queen reacts properly,
in Hamlets mind, upon the death of her husband.
But Hamlets own mother, the prince feels, did not
show the proper respect or grief when old King
Hamlet died.


75
ACT II, 2: THE RESPONSE TO THE
ACTORS SPEECH

Before the actor finishes his speech on the
death of Priam, Polonius interrupts and exclaims,
This is too long (478). To Polonius, the speech is
caviar; and caviar is not at all to his liking. Hamlet
apologizes to the actor and explains that Polonius
likes only a jig or a tale of bawdry, or he sleeps
(480-81). The word jig here stands for broad
physical comedy or silly comic dances; and bawdry
refers to dirty or crude stories involving sex.
Polonius thus symbolizes the masses of audiences
who cannot appreciate great literature or great art.
But, ironically, Polonius is supposed to be a wise and
learned advisor to King Claudius. Once again,
Hamlet is ridiculing Polonius. And once again,
Shakespeare is inserting metatheater and social
criticism in his play.
After the speech is over, Hamlet tells
Polonius to treat the actors well, for they are the
abstracts and brief chronicles of the time (503-
04). Hamlet is praising drama and actors in this line.
The actors, in the plays they memorize, preserve
history. Hamlet is not suggesting just a mere catalog
of names and events. Rather, he is referring to
universal truths. Shakespeare, here, is
distinguishing history from literature. For a history
of events, one should read chronicles and
historical texts. But for a history of ideas and the

76
way man thinks, one should read literature. And
the main form of literature during the Renaissance
was drama. Thus, in drama, in the words of the
actors, one could find the history of the way man
thinks. And, thus, Hamlet is implying that the actors
hold a valuable and important role in society.
After Polonius exits, Hamlet speaks further
with the actors and asks them to perform a play about
the murder of Gonzago (514-15). This play, which
is referred to later as The Mousetrap, depicts a story
where a man kills his brother in order to become king.
Hamlet wants this play to be performed before King
Claudius because then Claudius will reveal his guilt
and the role he played in the death of old King
Hamlet. Although this idea may make sense to
modern audiences of today, Renaissance audiences
would have been aware that Hamlet is still hesitating.
He is delaying the action that he promised to take
getting revenge for the death of his father. Hamlet is
breaking his promise to the ghost, and Hamlet is fully
aware that he is acting improperly and shamefully.


77
ACT II, 2: SOLILOQUY: WHAT A ROGUE
AND PEASANT SLAVE AM I!

The second act concludes with a soliloquy. If
the members of the audience had been unaware that
there is a problem with Hamlets hesitation up to this
point, Hamlet now emphasizes the problem and
reveals how he feels about himself. Essentially,
Hamlet hesitates or delays in getting revenge because
of an internal conflict (a conflict of Hamlet vs.
himself). There is no rational explanation for this
hesitation. Rather, it is about feelings and emotions
as well as a sense of confusion within Hamlet. And
Hamlet strongly dislikes himself because of this. The
opening line of the soliloquy clearly expresses this:
Hamlet declares himself to be a rogue and peasant
slave (527). Peasant slaves are the lowest level of
the social ladder, and a rogue or criminal is actually
lower because he opposes society and challenges the
social order. Hamlet is thus declaring himself to be
at the lowest level of society because he cannot act,
because he cannot get his revenge against Claudius.
Hamlet contrasts himself to the actor who
recited the speech on the death of King Priam.
During the speech, the actor becomes emotionally
overwhelmed by the lines that he himself speaks. He
turns pale and tears appear in his eyes (see lines 499-
500). Hamlet wonders how an actor can get so
emotionally bothered and upset by lines from a work
of fiction when he (Hamlet) himself cannot work up

78
enough emotion to take revenge on Claudius. Hamlet
then asks the question, What would he do had he the
motive and cue for passion that I have? (537-39).
The actors emotion comes from something fictional,
from something unreal; yet his emotions or passions
are extremely intense and vivid. Hamlet, on the other
hand, has a real and true cause for emotion the
murder of his father. Yet Hamlet cannot seem to find
the intense and vivid emotions within himself to take
what he feels to be the proper form of action.
Hamlet then answers his own question.
Hamlet asserts that the actors emotions would be
raised to a furious pitch had he real cause for emotion:

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 faculty of eyes and ears. (539-43)

To put it simply, the actor would be so emotional and
so furious that he would shock and amaze everyone
around him. What Hamlet is really saying here is
that this is how he should be behaving. Hamlet
should be emotionally overwrought. Hamlet should
be furious. But he is not. And Hamlet wonders at
himself for not having what he believes should be the
appropriate emotions for someone in his situation.
Hamlet continues to criticize and condemn
himself (lines 543-48). And then he asks a question

79
of himself: Am I a coward? (548). Hamlet
believes that he is acting very much like a coward.
And since he has no other explanation for his actions,
he feels that he must, indeed, truly be a coward.
Hamlet adds that if he were brave, he would have
already fatted all the region kites with this slaves
offal (556-57). A kite is a scavenger bird, like a
vulture, that seeks for and eats dead animals. And, of
course, Hamlet is referring to Claudius as the slave.
Hamlet realizes that he should have already killed
Claudius by now.
A clue to Hamlets problem also appears in
this soliloquy. Despite having more than sufficient
motivation to seek and take revenge against Claudius,
Hamlet instead states that he must, like a whore,
unpack my heart with words (563). Hamlet thinks
too much! He ponders and evaluates and studies and
plans. But a man of action does not waste time with
words. There is an old expression that is appropriate
to mention here: actions speak louder than words.
Hamlet has the words, but he is unable to act.
The soliloquy ends ironically. Once again
Hamlet thinks about the plan of having the actors
perform a murder scene that will be quite similar to
Claudius own murder of old King Hamlet. If
Claudius becomes pale or exhibits some other
emotional trace, Hamlet will then be convinced that
Claudius is truly guilty of murder. The plays the
thing wherein Ill catch the conscience of the King
(581-82). Hamlet is declaring that he will then be

80
absolutely certain of Claudius guilt and will then be
able to get his vengeance. The irony here is that
Hamlet is just hesitating again. Even though he has
just admitted that he should not hesitate but instead
take immediate action, Hamlet is not doing that. He
is waiting. He is hesitating. He is putting off the
action that he should have already done much sooner.

81

ACT III

ACT III, 1: O HEAVY BURDEN!

The third act begins with a report from
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to King Claudius
concerning Hamlet. They tell the king that Hamlet is
moody and distracted, but they were unable to find
out why he is that way. Rosencrantz adds that
Hamlet was delighted to see the arrival of the
company of actors and that Hamlet would be quite
pleased if Gertrude and Claudius would come and
watch the actors performance. Claudius is pleased
that Hamlets mood seems to be improving.
King Claudius and Polonius then begin their
plan or scheme to have Ophelia talk to Hamlet while
they hide and spy on them. Polonius tells his
daughter to pretend to be reading a book and to
pretend that her meeting Hamlet was purely an
accident. Polonius realizes that he is advising his
daughter to be not quite honest and states, With
devotions image and pious action we do sugar oer
the devil himself (49-51). Polonius means that often
people pretend to be holy or virtuous even though
they really have evil intentions or plans.
The comment affects Claudius greatly. In an
aside (words that reveal his thoughts and are not

82
heard by the other characters), Claudius reveals his
guilt, how his conscience is bothered by the evil deed
that he has committed (line 52). Claudius describes
his guilt by use of a double metaphor. He compares
the cheek of a harlot or prostitute that is covered with
make-up or cosmetics to his evil deed and his actions:

HARLOTS CHEEK COVERED UP WITH MAKE-UP
IS EQUAL TO
CLAUDIUSS DEED COVERED UP WITH LIES

Claudius uses the expression painted word (55) to
suggest the lies that he has to tell Gertrude, Hamlet,
and the rest of Denmark. The make-up on the harlot
cannot hide her evil (hence, ugly) act, nor can
Claudius lies hide or remove the evil that he has
done. For Claudius, such an act is a heavy burden
(56), perhaps too heavy to bear.


83
ACT III, 1: TO BE, OR NOT TO BE

The most famous speech that Shakespeare
ever wrote appears early in the third act. In this
soliloquy Hamlet contemplates death. The speech is
the essence of existentialism.
Hamlet begins by asking himself about
choosing one of two possible options:

To be or not to be; that is the question.
(58)

Hamlet is asking whether he should be alive or not be
alive. He is wondering if life is worth living. Hamlet
is contemplating suicide. The question is repeated
and elaborated upon in the four lines that follow.
Hamlet asks which is nobler: to stay alive or die. Is
there nobility or honor in choosing death? If one
chooses to be, to stay alive, then he is choosing to
suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
(59-60). Fortune (or Fate) is personified as an
enemy to man, who shoots arrows at man from his
bow or who hurls rocks at man from his slingshot.
Hamlet is declaring that the fate or destiny of man is
painful and sorrowful, like a soldier who is
continually under attack and sees no relief or rest in
sight. Hamlet refers to life in a metaphor as a sea of
troubles (61). The alternative to life is death. Again,
through metaphor, Hamlet states that man is merely
defending himself against fate by killing himself. To

84
take arms means for a man to take up a weapon to
defend himself. Figuratively, one is using the
weapon against the enemy of Fate. But literally, one
is using that weapon against himself to commit
suicide.
For centuries a common expression or maxim
was the comparison (metaphor) of death to a long
sleep. Hamlet elaborates upon this comparison at
some length. In sleep one is at rest and finds peace
even though the day is heavy and full of worries and
problems.
1
For Hamlet, if death is really like sleep,
then it is a consummation devoutly to be wished
(65-66). In other words, death is something
everybody should wish for because it brings peace
and rest.
But then Hamlet extends the metaphor further.
Sleep is not always restful, soothing, and peaceful.
Sometimes during sleep man is troubled by dreams,
by nightmares. To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay,
theres the rub (67). Hamlet worries that if death is
really like sleep, then perhaps it may also be like one
long nightmare. A rub, literally, is an obstacle in the
game of lawn bowling. A bowling ball could hit a
rock or some other object and be knocked off course.
That rock was called a rub. Here Hamlet means rub
to stand for an obstacle or complication to prevent
man from seeking death. If death is really just one

1
Sir Philip Sidney also examines the benefit of sleep in Sonnet
39 of Astrophil and Stella (written circa 1582).

85
long nightmare, then a man should pause (70) or
hesitate from taking an action that will end his life.
Once a man no longer has his mortal coil (his
human body line 69), his spirit may be afflicted by
nightmares. Hamlets notion of nightmares is, of
course, not unlike the notion of hell itself.
Hamlet explains that it is this fear of the
afterlife that causes man, any man, to cling to life and
fear death. Theres the respect that makes calamity
of so long life (70-71). In this line the word respect
means concern or fear. The word calamity means a
distressful or horrible event, and that is what a long
life is to Hamlet. A long life is horrible, but mens
fear of what the afterlife may bring prevents them
from killing themselves.
Hamlet then proceeds to make a catalog, a list,
of all of the awful events that man experiences in life:


86

Line Quote Meaning
72 Whips and
scorns of time
Pain one experiences in
a lifetime
73 Oppressors
wrong
Abuse by people in
authority
73 Proud mans
contumely
Scorn or ridicule from
proud or overbearing
men
74 Pangs of
disprized love
Unappreciated or
undervalued love
74 Laws delay Injustice
75 Insolence of
office
Rudeness or disrespect
from government
officials
75-
76
Spurns patient
merit of th
unworthy takes
Scorn or mockery of
good people by bad
people

Hamlet is stating that life, existence, is a burden full
of problems and worries and troubles that no
thoughtful man can tolerate; but man accepts it
because he fears that the afterlife could even be
worse. Man could make an end to his life (quietus
in line 77) with a bare bodkin (78), with a simple
knife. But man is afraid that the worries and troubles
to come in the next life will be worse than the ones in
this life.
Hamlet explains that the afterlife, which he
refers to as the undiscovered country (line 81), is
a mystery. It is unknown. And man fears the

87
unknown far more than he fears the known dangers
and problems that afflict him daily.
The soliloquy concludes with the following
lines:

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied oer with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action. (85-90)

By the word conscience, Hamlet means thought or
thinking. The word thought is even used as a
synonym by Hamlet (in line 87). Hamlet thinks too
much. Hamlet worries, wonders, and speculates too
much. The word resolution indicates decision and
determination. It also suggests action (as provided in
line 90). Hamlet is declaring, then, that people in
general (and Hamlet himself specifically) tend to
hesitate because they think too much. They think so
much that they lose or miss the opportunity to take
action at the time when that action is most needed.
Hamlet is troubled and depressed. But he
expresses an idea that many others who are not so
troubled or depressed also believe to be true.
Hesitation is not a quality that is unique to Hamlet.
Rather, it is a quality that makes him a sympathetic
character to the audience.


88
ACT III, 1: GET THEE TO A NUNNERY

Hamlets conversation with Ophelia is a
heavily dramatic and moving dialogue. Hamlet
continues to act mad and distracted, and his words
appear to be disjointed and senseless. But there is the
sense behind the madness, and Hamlet also continues
to provide social criticism in a veiled or hidden
manner.
Early in the conversation, Hamlet brings up
the topic of honesty (lines 105-16). The reader may
recall that Hamlet also spoke with Polonius about the
lack of honesty in men (Act II, 2: 177-80). In talking
about Ophelias beauty and honesty (or virtue),
Hamlet expresses the idea in a complex metaphor
that also involves personification (lines 113-16):

BEAUTY can transform HONESTY into DISHONESTY (bawd)
more easily than
HONESTY can transform BEAUTY into HONESTY

Essentially, Hamlet is declaring Beauty to be a more
dominant force in society than Honesty is. He is
saying that people make statements or take action
because they are persuaded by beauty (or superficial
considerations) rather than being persuaded by honest
or virtuous intentions. Hamlet then suggests that he
had hinted to Ophelia that he loved her because he
was motivated by beauty, not honesty.
The moment when Hamlet tells Ophelia that
he never loved her (lines 119-20) marks a dramatic

89
moment in the play. The actress playing Ophelia
should probably go through a range of emotions
before saying her next line: doubt, fear, worry, anger,
betrayal, disappointment, shock, and perhaps others.
Such an emotional reaction would prepare the
audience for the madness that eventually overwhelms
Ophelia later in the play.
Hamlet then advises Ophelia to join a convent:
Get thee to a nunnery (122). Hamlet is telling
Ophelia to live a chaste life. He is telling her to
avoid men and never have children. Boys grow into
men, and even the best of men are full of negative
qualities: proud, revengeful, ambitious and so on.
Hamlet states that he himself is full of such qualities.
In other words, Hamlet is implying that all men are
worthless or evil and the world would be better off
without such creatures.
Hamlet does not have anything positive to say
about women either. Some editors of this play
comment that the word nunnery was Elizabethan
slang for a brothel (a house of prostitution). The
double-meaning could fit this passage. Women are
either nuns or whores (they are either saints or
sinners). Hamlet clearly expresses his indignation or
anger with women a few lines later. He states that
women hide their faces with make-up (suggested by
paint in lines 142-43) and that they walk and speak in
an artificial manner as well (indicated by the words
amble and lisp in line 144). Hamlet is declaring that
the majority of women are fakes or frauds. He is

90
saying that they are dishonest. And, worst of all,
Hamlet declares that women hide their wantonness
(their loose sexual behavior) by pretending to be
ignorant or innocent (line 145). Hamlet is thus
declaring the majority of women to be whores.
Hamlet, of course, is especially thinking of
his own mother when he utters these lines. He feels
that his mother has betrayed his father. He feels that
if his own mother, the woman whom he had trusted
most, could act in such a shameful manner, then all
women must be similarly sinful. Hamlet tells
Ophelia that there should be no more marriages.
Those that are married already all but one shall
live (146-48). Hamlet feels that there is one married
woman that should die. That woman is his mother.


91
ACT III, 1: HE SHALL WITH SPEED
TO ENGLAND

King Claudius is convinced that Hamlet is not
only melancholic, but he is also mad. And so
Claudius makes a quick decision: he shall with
speed to England (169). Claudius recognizes that
Hamlet could be dangerous to others around him, and
so he is determined to send Hamlet away. Claudius
does not have any evil intention in doing this. Rather,
he wants to protect others and attempt to help Hamlet.
As Claudius tells Polonius, perhaps the change of
location will get Hamlets mind off of his worries.
Claudius believes that Hamlet needs a vacation to
settle down and calm his overactive mind.


92
ACT III, 2: THE UNSKILLFUL VS.
THE JUDICIOUS

In the second scene more metatheater occurs
as Hamlet advises the actors about how to deliver
their lines. Here again the audience may actually be
getting William Shakespeares own personal views
about actors and acting.
Hamlet criticizes actors who overact, who put
too much emotion in a speech. He comments that a
bad actor out-Herods Herod (line 12: also note
how Shakespeare uses a noun as a verb). Herod is a
Biblical character who appears in medieval mystery
plays. In these plays the character would scream and
shout in a wild, violent, and mad manner. Thus, to
out-Herod Herod means to speak and act in a manner
that is even more wild and violent and mad. Such
acting is too much. It is bad acting. Apparently,
such bad acting was also quite common during the
Renaissance. For if it were not, neither Hamlet nor
Shakespeare would have to make this kind of
comment.
Hamlet tells the players that a good actor
holds the mirror up to nature (20). Here
Shakespeare is expressing the notion that good actors
must be true to life. They must act naturally,
realistically. For Shakespeare, overly exaggerated
emotion has no place on the stage.
A few modern scholars have asserted the
erroneous notion that if Shakespeare were alive today,

93
he would be writing for television. They say this
because Shakespeare wrote for the masses. He did
not specifically intend his plays for just aristocrats or
just intellectuals. But, actually, these scholars are
wrong. Although his plays did appeal to a wide
variety of people, Shakespeare never purposely set
out to please what is often referred to as LCD or the
lowest common denominator (which means the
members of the audience who are not very intelligent
and who prefer jigs or bawdry see II, 2: 480
over great drama). Shakespeare, as several lines in
Hamlet indicate, was more interested in pleasing one
thoughtful and tasteful man in his audience over
several thousand foolish and boorish men:

Now this overdone,
or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful
laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve;
the censure of the which one must in your
allowance oerweigh a whole theater of others.
(22-25)

The word censure refers to disapproval or negative
criticism. Hamlet is stating that if one wise or
judicious man in the audience disapproves, even if all
of the fools applaud, then the actor has failed his task.
In other words, actors should not try to please the
fools. Rather, they should please the judicious or
thoughtful members of the audience even if there is
only one such person in an audience of several
thousand.

94

ACT III, 2: HORATIO: BLOOD AND
JUDGMENT

Hamlet admires Horatio as a man of wisdom
and reason. The reader may recall how the guards (in
Act I) also looked up to Horatio as a man of
intelligence and composure. So, Hamlet asks Horatio
to watch Claudius when the actors perform their
scene that reenacts the murder of the dead king.
Hamlet does not trust his own judgment. He is too
moved by his passions or emotions. He wants
Horatio to confirm his opinion of Claudius when the
murder scene occurs. Hamlet realizes that if the cool
and rational Horatio holds an opinion, then such an
opinion is very likely to be correct.
In his speech to Horatio, Hamlet tells him,
Blest are those whose blood and judgement are so
well commingled that they are not a pipe for
Fortunes finger to sound what stop she please (61-
64). Hamlet is expressing his view on the conflict of
Reason vs. Emotion. Most men are not so lucky as
to have an even balance of reason (or judgment) and
emotion (or blood or passion). Rather, most men,
including Hamlet, allow their emotions or passions to
overwhelm their reason. And because of this, most
men become a victim to Destiny (Fate or Fortune
note the use of personification). Thus, Shakespeare
is suggesting that most men are not equipped for life.
Man becomes an easy victim of the slings and arrows

95
of outrageous Fortune because he is so emotional.
But a reasonable man, who can control his emotions,
can use his reason, his cool and calm mind, to solve
or resolve the problems that life throws at him.
Unfortunately, most men are not like Horatio cool
and reasonable. Rather, most men are like Hamlet
troubled and passionate.


96
ACT III, 2: THE MOUSTRAP

At this point, midway through Hamlet, the
play within the play begins (at line 122). One should
note how the play begins with a dumb show a
brief version of the play that is performed without
words. The dumb show serves as the argument
(126) or summary of the play to arouse the interest of
the audience.
Hamlet tells Claudius that the title of the play
is The Mousetrap (217). Of course, Hamlet is
actually referring to Claudius himself as the mouse,
whom Hamlet hopes to trap (to have him reveal his
role in the murder of King Hamlet).
The play has the effect that Hamlet expected.
Claudius becomes emotionally stunned and rushes
out of the theater abruptly (line 247).
The reaction of Claudius to the play
convinces Hamlet that the ghost was telling him the
truth: Ill take the Ghosts word for a thousand
pound (263-64). Once again, Hamlet has the motive,
the cue, for getting revenge immediately against
Claudius. Yet, once again, Hamlet hesitates.


97
ACT III, 2: THE RECORDER METAPHOR

Toward the end of the second scene, Hamlet
has another conversation with Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern. They bring him a message that his
mother, Queen Gertrude, is not feeling well and
wishes to speak with him. During their conversation,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern once again try to get
Hamlet to reveal why he is so deeply troubled, and
they ask him in the name of friendship to reveal his
grief. But they are not there as friends; they are there
as spies.
Hamlet becomes annoyed with them and asks
Guildenstern to play a recorder a musical
instrument like a pipe. Guildenstern replies that he
does not have the skill to play the recorder. Hamlet
responds angrily with the following: You would
play upon me, you would seem to know my stops,
you would pluck out the heart of my mystery, you
would sound me from my lowest note to the top of
my compass (335-37). Hamlet is asserting that
understanding a man is far more difficult to do that
understanding how to play a simple musical
instrument. Yet Guildenstern cannot do the simple
task although he attempts to do the difficult one. He
attempts to unravel the mystery of Hamlets heart.
But Hamlet is not about to let Claudius spy do that.


98
ACT III, 2: NOW COULD I DRINK
HOT BLOOD

A short soliloquy concludes the second scene.
Hamlet once again asserts that he is ready for an
immediate vengeance: Now could I drink hot blood
(360). But instead of getting revenge immediately,
Hamlet decides that he will first go speak to his
mother. I will speak daggers to her, but use none
(366). Hamlet intends to speak fiercely and cruelly
to his mother, but he will not harm her physically.
Yet, as noted before, Hamlet is delaying the
immediate business at hand. He should see Claudius
before he goes to see his mother.


99
ACT III, 3: MY OFFENCE IS RANK

In the beginning of the third scene, Claudius
informs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that they are
to take Hamlet to England immediately. Claudius,
of course, was deeply troubled by the performance of
The Mousetrap, and he most likely suspects that
Hamlet is aware of his terrible crime. So, Claudius
would most certainly wish to remove Hamlet from
Denmark so that the prince will not reveal the crime.
Yet, removing Hamlet is also a wise political
decision. Claudius also does believe that Hamlet is
quite mad. So, the removal of a madman from the
court is not only a wise move for those in the palace.
Such a decision is also a wise one for all of Denmark.
Problems in the court do affect all of the country.
The spying theme is also repeated in the
scene. Polonius comes to Claudius to inform him
that Hamlet will be visiting his mother in her
chamber (line 28). The advisor then adds that he will
hide behind a screen or tapestry (arras) and listen to
what Hamlet says to Gertrude. Once again, the
supposedly wise advisor is making a very unwise
decision; for his spying will lead to his own death.
After Polonius exits, a soliloquy spoken by
Claudius follows (beginning in line 36). The reader
should keep in mind that a soliloquy represents the
innermost thoughts of the speaker. The soliloquy
informs the audience what the speaker is thinking.
Claudius clearly admits his guilt. He admits that he

100
killed his brother (fratricide). Following Christian
belief, Claudius is aware that such a sin is one of the
worst in the eyes of God. Claudius asserts that such a
sin has the primal eldest curse upont (37). This
is a Biblical allusion to the Cain and Abel story that
appears in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. Cain
killed his brother Abel out of envy, and God cursed
him and banished him from society. Claudius, too,
killed his brother out of envy as well. Now Claudius
regrets his sin. It troubles him deeply.
According to Christian belief, any sin can be
forgiven. Gods mercy is infinite. But in order to be
forgiven, one must be truly sorry for that sin. Being
truly sorry also means being willing to give up
whatever one gained by the sin. If somebody steals a
car, he must return that car if he wishes for God to
forgive him. If he keeps the car, then he is not truly
sorry for his sin. Similarly, Claudius is not truly
sorry for murdering his brother, not according to
Christian standards, because Claudius does not want
to give up what he has gained by the murder: my
crown, mine own ambition, and my queen (55).
Claudius likes being king, he likes having power, and
he likes being married to Gertrude. He is unwilling
to give these up. From a Christian perspective, he is
a weak man who chooses sin over God.


101
ACT III, 3: VENGEANCE AGAINST
BODY AND SOUL

At the end of the third scene, Hamlet arrives,
hot for vengeance. He is ready to kill Claudius. But
then he sees that Claudius is kneeling down. Hamlet
thinks that Claudius is praying to God and asking for
forgiveness. And Hamlet believes that God has
forgiven him. So, Hamlet does not kill his uncle.
Hamlet knows that if God has forgiven Claudius,
then when he kills him, his soul will go to heaven.
Hamlet does not just want revenge against Claudius
body, he also wants revenge against his soul. When
Claudius killed his brother, he did not give King
Hamlet a chance to confess his sins. So, as Prince
Hamlet believes, the soul of his father was not
forgiven of his sins and therefore went to hell. And
so, in order to get a complete revenge, Hamlet also
wishes to send the soul of Claudius to hell. Once
again Hamlet hesitates. He thinks too much and
loses a chance to get his revenge.


102
ACT III, 4: THESE WORDS LIKE DAGGERS
ENTER IN MINE EARS

The fourth scene takes place in Gertrudes
chamber. Hamlet, still feeling hot and angry, speaks
roughly to his mother. She fears his look and his
words, and she screams for help. Polonius, who is
hiding behind the screen as he had planned, also
screams (line 22). Hamlet, thinking that the person
behind the screen is Claudius, runs his sword through
the tapestry. Polonius dies.
Gertrude is shocked by the act, but she
becomes even more shocked by Hamlets words, his
speech, that follows (lines 34- 95). Hamlet accuses
his mother of incest and of being untrue to the
memory of old King Hamlet. He makes her see and
feel shame in the way she has behaved since the
death of her first husband. Gertrude even eventually
agrees to stay away from the bed of Claudius.
Toward the end of his speech of accusations
against his mother, the ghost appears (line 94).
Oddly, Hamlet can see the ghost, but Gertrude cannot.
For some critics, this is the evidence that Hamlet
must be truly mad at this point and that the ghost
exists only in his own mind. But this scene is really
not evidence of this at all. According to Renaissance
superstition, a ghost can make itself visible to one
person and invisible to another at the same time.
That may explain why most people do not ever see
ghosts. Shakespeare appears to have this superstition

103
in mind. The ghost does not want Hamlet to harm
Gertrude, and the appearance of the ghost to the
already troubled Gertrude would shock her and
perhaps cause her great harm.
At the end of the scene, Hamlet reminds his
mother that he is going to be sent to England in the
company of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (line 183).
But Hamlet suspects a trap, and he notes that he will
not trust his two schoolfellows (185.1). Hamlet
then states the following:

For tis the sport to have the engineer
Hoised with his own petard. (185.5-85.6)

A petard is a small bomb, and the word hoised (like
modern hoist) means to lift up or, in this case, to
blow up into the air. The engineer is, in this
reference, the maker of the bomb. Thus, Hamlet is
saying that the bomb-maker will be blown up by his
own bomb. This is a metaphor suggesting that
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (bomb-makers) will be
hurt by their own scheme (bomb) against Hamlet.
Hamlet also makes a comment on the death of
Polonius:

This counselor
Is now most still, most secret, and most grave,
Who was in life a foolish prating knave. (187-89)


104
The word grave means serious, but also has the
intended dark pun: Polonius will soon be lying in a
grave. Hamlet is also speaking ironically here: only
in death does the trusted counselor behave properly
for a person in such a trusted office.

105
ACT IV

ACT IV, 1: O HEAVY DEED!

In the first scene of Act IV, Claudius learns of
the death of Polonius. Claudius, up to this point in
the play, had only noble intentions toward Hamlet.
Claudius did want to help Hamlet. But Claudius
realizes he had made a blunder. He should not have
allowed the mad Hamlet to roam freely about the
castle (lines 17-18). So, Claudius blames himself for
the death of Polonius. The reason why Claudius
allowed Hamlet to walk freely about the palace was
his love for his nephew: But so much was our love,
we would not understand what was most fit (18-19).
This was the one occasion when Claudius, who
otherwise acts responsibly and wisely in regards to
important matters, slips up. This is his one big
mistake. Claudius is extremely bothered and
dismayed by what has happened, and he realizes that
he can no longer allow Hamlet to do as he pleases.


106
ACT IV, 2: A RIDDLE

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, in the second
scene, go to Hamlet and attempt to find out where
Hamlet has hidden the body of Polonius. Hamlet
continues to speak madly to them, and responds in a
riddle: The body is with the King, but the King is
not with the body (25-26). The reference to the
king is most likely a reference to old King Hamlet,
whom the prince would recognize as being the only
true king of Denmark. So, Hamlet may be saying
that Polonius body is with or near the body of the
dead King Hamlet, but King Hamlets soul is not
with his own body or corpse. Other possible
interpretations also have been given for Hamlets odd
statement. Hamlet speaks in a mad manner, and this
often gives his speech more than one possible
interpretation.


107
ACT IV, 3: HOW DANGEROUS IS IT
THAT THIS MAN GOES LOOSE!

By the third scene, King Claudius has made
up his mind as to how he will deal with the mad
prince. Claudius realizes that the people of Denmark
love their prince (line 4), and the queen also would
not accept any kind of severe punishment of her son.
So, Claudius wisely decides not only to ship Hamlet
to England immediately. But, once there, the King of
England will put Hamlet to an immediate death.
England, at this point in history, is under the
authority of Denmark (indicating the time of the
Danelaw in the 10
th
century). Thus, Claudius intends
to send a private message to the English king
ordering the present death of Hamlet (66). And
Claudius knows full well that the King of England
will do as Claudius requests.
In this scene there is also a return to the
existential theme introduced earlier. When Claudius
asks Hamlet about the location of the dead body of
Polonius, Hamlet responds by saying that Polonius is
at supper: not where he eats, but where a is eaten
(20). Hamlet explains that Polonius is buried and
being eaten by worms or maggots. Hamlet adds that
both the skinny beggar and the fat king share the
same fate. This is an irony of life, and Hamlet
expands on that first irony with a second one: Hamlet
explains how a beggar may eat a king. (1) A dead
king is buried and eaten by a worm. (2) A beggar

108
digs up the worm to use as bait in fishing. (3) A fish
eats the worm and is caught by the beggar. And (4)
the beggar eats the fish. Thus, the beggar has eaten
the king (lines 27-31). Hamlet is continuing to speak
madly to the king; but, at the same time, he is also
commenting upon the basic and natural progress of
the life cycle. This is a philosophy that concerns only
the body and ignores the idea of soul. The
implication is that man is soulless, and life (even the
life of a king) is essentially meaningless.


109
ACT IV, 4: EGGSHELL AND STRAW
METAPHORS

The reader should recall how Fortinbras, the
young prince of Norway, had gathered up a
mercenary army to attack Denmark. But persuaded
by his uncle, the King of Norway, Fortinbras agreed
not to attack Denmark. So, instead, Fortinbras
decided to use his paid army to attack another of their
enemies, Poland. Fortinbras is a man of action, in
contrast to Hamlet, a man of hesitation.
Fortinbras, in the fourth scene of this act, is
moving his army across Denmark in the direction of
Poland. Hamlet encounters one of the Norwegian
captains, and he asks him about the army led by
Fortinbras. The captain tells Hamlet that Norway is
going to fight Poland over a small piece of land that
is basically worthless (lines 9.7-9.8). It is small; it is
too rocky for farming; and it has no real strategic
value as a military base. Hamlet responds by saying
that if the land has absolutely no value, then the army
from Poland will never defend it. However, the
captain tells him that the Polish army is already there
to defend it.
Hamlet is surprised at this news. He is
surprised that a nation will spend large amounts of
money and sacrifice the lives of many men for what
is essentially no real reason at all:


110
Two thousand souls and twenty thousand ducats
Will now debate the question of this straw.
(9.15-9.16)

A ducat was a gold coin of considerable value. And
20,000 ducats was a significant fortune. Hamlet uses
the metaphor of a straw (like a piece of dry grass) to
indicate the value of the land. Thus, Hamlet is
pointing out the irrational behavior of man. Here,
man is throwing away countless lives and significant
sums of money in a ridiculous manner. In a way,
though, Hamlet is making a connection between
action and irrational thinking. The man of action (in
this case, Fortinbras) is a man who acts irrationally.
But the man of thought and inaction (in this case,
Hamlet) is a man who thinks too much and who
attempts to find reason and logic in the world. The
man of thought does not really seem to fit in or get
along with society.
Another soliloquy by Hamlet appears in this
scene. Once again Hamlet criticizes himself for
failing to take action. Fortinbras, who has no real
motive for taking action, is nevertheless taking action.
But Hamlet, who has great motive for taking action
(for seeking revenge), is still hesitating.
Again Hamlet thinks too much. He thinks
that God has given man god-like reason (9.28) for
a purpose, and that if man does not use that reason,
he is just like the beasts, just like the animals.

111
Hamlet then wonders whether it is his reason or his
cowardliness that prevents him from acting:

Now whether it be
Bestial oblivion or some craven scruple
Of thinking too precisely on thevent
I do not know. (9.29-9.33)

The expression bestial oblivion suggests forgetting
or ignoring his bestial or animal nature. If man is not
like an irrational beast, then he is more like the purely
rational god. Hamlet, thus, is wondering whether he
is being rational or being a coward (suggested by the
word craven) in regards to his failure to act. Hamlet
still cannot explain his hesitation. He still does not
know why he has failed to seek vengeance upon
Claudius.
Hamlet directly contrasts himself to
Fortinbras in the soliloquy as well (line 9.36 and
following). Hamlet suggests that Fortinbras is
risking his life and his honorable name for an
eggshell (9.43). Like the straw, the eggshell also
refers to the piece of worthless property that Norway
and Poland are fighting over. Hamlet repeats the
straw metaphor in the following key lines from the
speech:

112

Rightly to be great
Is not to stir with great argument,
But greatly to find quarrel in a straw
When honours at the stake. (9.43-9.46)

The word argument in this passage refers to purpose
or reason. Hamlet is indicating that honor and
greatness in the world come not from intelligence and
reasonable behavior. Rather, honor and greatness
come from action, even if the action is trivial or
fanatical. But Hamlet is not like Fortinbras. Hamlet
thinks too much. Hamlet is too rational. Yet Hamlet
wants to be like Fortinbras. He wants to be able to
act without his thoughts getting in his way. So, once
again, Hamlet decides, My thoughts be bloody or be
nothing worth! (9.56). He is saying that he should
only think about action, about his bloody and violent
revenge. If he thinks about anything else, then he is
worth nothing. He is worthless to himself and to a
society that demands action.


113
ACT IV, 5: OPHELIAS MADNESS

In the fifth scene Horatio informs Queen
Gertrude about Ophelia, who has gone mad. The
source of the madness is twofold. Hamlets
declaration of not loving her caused her initial
suffering. But then the news of the death of her
father at a time when she was already feeling
distressed was too much for her to bear. The problem
is made much worse because Hamlet is the one who
murdered her father.
Ophelia sings two wild songs in this scene.
In the first one, she sings about a lady whose true
love has died (beginning with How should I your
true love know in line 23). The song reflects the
madness of Ophelia since the subject matter is not
directly related to Ophelia. But the song does
combine two themes that do relate to Ophelia: (1)
death and (2) the loss of a lover. The second song
also thematically relates to Ophelias condition
(which begins with Tomorrow is Saint Valentines
day in line 47). This is a song about an unfaithful
lover who promises to marry a maiden but, after the
two of them have a sexual encounter, the man breaks
his promise. Although the details are certainly
different in regards to Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet
did break his promise to her.


114
ACT IV, 5: THE RETURN OF LAERTES

Before King Claudius has adequate time to
moan his grief about Polonius and Ophelia, Laertes
returns home to Denmark from France. Laertes is
also a foil or figure of contrast to Hamlet. Like
Hamlet, Laertes has a lost a father. And, again like
Hamlet, that father had been murdered. But unlike
Hamlet, Laertes does not hesitate. Rather, he has
come home to take immediate action. He has come
home to seek his revenge.
Laertes does not know who was responsible
for his fathers murder. Wisely, King Claudius had
kept the details concerning that death a secret from
the public. So, when Laertes enters the castle, he is
hot-blooded and hot-headed. And, so, he comes to
the king to demand vengeance: Ill be revenged
most thoroughly for my father (131-32). Laertes
does not want to think or talk, he wants to act.
King Claudius quietly and calmly gets Laertes
to settle down and cool his temper before he tells him
about what has happened. King Claudius handles the
passionate Laertes extremely well (just as he had
handled the matter with the hot-headed Fortinbras
earlier). When Laertes sees his sister Ophelia, who
has lost all reason and has become completely mad,
he becomes more overwhelmed and desires revenge
even more urgently than before. But Claudius still is
able to get Laertes to calm down before Claudius tells
him about the manner of Polonius death. Claudius

115
instructs Laertes to be patient and that soon he will be
receive satisfaction for the death of his father (lines
204-05). Claudius is promising Laertes that he will
be get satisfaction, he will get his revenge.


116
ACT IV, 6: HAMLET AND THE PIRATES

In the sixth scene, which is very brief, Laertes
receives a letter from Hamlet, which he reads aloud.
Some time had passed since the fourth scene where
Hamlet had promised to be bloody and get immediate
revenge. But once again Hamlet hesitated. Hamlet
failed to keep the promise he had made to himself.
At this point in the story, Hamlet had already boarded
the ship with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and had
set sail for England. But, as Hamlet explains in his
letter, the ship he was on was chased by pirates, and
the pirates attacked. During the fight between the
pirates and the Danes, Hamlet sneaks away from the
Danish ship and boards the pirate ship. The pirates
return Hamlet to Denmark in return for a reward that
Hamlet had promised them. Hamlet also tells
Horatio to deliver a letter to Claudius. And, finally,
Hamlet also informs his friend that Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are still on the ship that is bound for
England. Hamlet adds that later he will tell Horatio
more news about these two men.


117
ACT IV, 7: THE SCHEME OF CLAUDIUS
AND LAERTES

King Claudius speaks once again to Laertes in
the seventh scene. Laertes has now calmed down
somewhat and is prepared to listen to what Claudius
has to say. Claudius, who has read a letter from
Hamlet in which Hamlet announces his return,
develops a scheme to get rid of Hamlet. Claudius has
to be careful. He does not want to cause conflict in
his kingdom or conflict with his wife. Also, he does
not wish Laertes to be blamed for murdering the
beloved prince of Denmark. So, Claudius devises the
scheme of the fencing match. Laertes and Hamlet are
to have a fencing contest, a contest using swords.
Laertes has a reputation as being a great swordsman,
but Claudius will not take any unnecessary risks.
Normally, the swords used in this type of contest are
topped with a button or cap so that no one will get
killed. But Claudius informs Laertes that in the
middle of the fight, he will arrange it so that Laertes
gets a sword that has no button, a sword with a sharp
pointed end (a sword unbated in line 110). Laertes
can then kill Hamlet and claim it was an accident.
Laertes agrees and adds that he will also add a
poison to the tip of the sword (line 113). That way,
all Laertes has to do is scratch Hamlet with the sword
point; and then Hamlet will die a quick death.
Claudius likes Laertes idea, but the king wants to
make sure that the plan will not fail under any

118
circumstances. So, he also plans to put poison in the
drinking cup that will be given to Hamlet. After each
bout of fencing, each contestant is allowed to drink
from his cup. Therefore, even if Hamlet does not get
scratched by the poisoned sword point, he will still
get poisoned from his drink.


119
ACT IV, 7: THE DEATH OF OPHELIA

As soon as Claudius and Laertes have
completed their scheme to kill Hamlet, Queen
Gertrude appears and informs them that Ophelia has
died (line 134). The mad Ophelia was apparently
sitting upon a branch of a willow tree that bends
down over a small river or stream. Ophelia, who is
busy making garlands out of flowers as she sat on the
branch, accidentally slips off and is swept by the
current of the water. And, so, she has drowned. The
reader should note that the willow tree was a symbol
of mourning and forsaken love. The tree, then, is an
appropriate setting for Ophelias death.

121

ACT V

ACT V, 1: ENTER TWO CLOWNS

The fifth act begins with a dialogue between
two grave-diggers. They are digging a grave for
Ophelia as they speak. The grave-diggers are also
referred to as clowns. Here the word clown refers to
a rustic, to someone from the country. From the
prejudiced viewpoint of the Londoner, folks from the
country were often stereotyped as being foolish or
ignorant. But the clowns in Hamlet are also included
to provide comic relief, to provide humorous
dialogue. And in this dialogue there is also a certain
amount of social commentary or social criticism as
well.
The social commentary begins with the very
first line. In a Christian society, a person who
committed suicide would not be buried on holy
ground that is, he or she could not be buried on
church property. From the Christian perspective,
suicide is the only unpardonable sin one can commit
because, once a person is dead, he or she cannot ask
God for forgiveness. Therefore, a person who
commits suicide would go directly to hell without
ever having a chance of going to heaven. Ophelias
death by drowning would be viewed in Renaissance

122
society as a suicide because, even though she was
mad, Ophelia would be held responsible for her own
safety. There was no other person or external force
that caused her death.
Nevertheless, the clowns are digging the
grave on Church property. As the second clown so
wisely observes, if Ophelia had not been a
gentlewoman, she would have been buried
somewhere other than on church property (lines 22-
23). The clown, of course, is commenting on the
problem of class distinctions. Ophelia belongs to the
aristocratic class, and the aristocratic class usually
received favors that the commoners did not.
Aristocrats often could get away with breaking the
laws of society and the laws of the church.
The two clowns also make fun of the legal
system. According to English law, the act of a
suicide actually has three parts: (1) the plan or
thought to commit suicide, (2) the determination or
resolution or willingness to go through with that plan,
and (3) the actual performance of completion of that
act. In other words, the point is that suicide is
premeditated it is planned out before the act is done.
Ophelia might not be thought of as a suicide by this
legal definition since her suicide was not planned and
since she was not determined to commit that act.
The clown rephrases the English law
incorrectly. He states that a suicide by drowning has
three branches: it is to act, to do, and to perform
(11-12). All three words (act, do, and perform) mean

123
the same thing. The clowns verbal blunder reveals
or suggests the commoners lack of comprehension
or understanding of the law, which is usually written
in a very complex jargon, in an unnecessarily
complicated manner. And because of that
complicated language, the poor commoner was
usually unable to use the law to his advantage. He
did not understand the law, and he could not afford to
hire an attorney who did. And, so, the breaking of a
law by a commoner would usually result in his
imprisonment. But if an aristocrat broke the same
law, that aristocrat could often find a way to prevent
punishment.


124
ACT V, 1: HAMLETS EXISTENTIAL
COMMENTARY

As the two clowns continue with their
humorous dialogue and with their digging of the
grave, Hamlet and Horatio enter from the side of the
stage. They watch the clowns from a distance, but
the clowns do not realize that they are being watched.
One of the clowns sings as he is digging, and
Hamlet is bothered that the clown does not act more
seriously at such a solemn and serious business as
digging a grave (lines 61-62). But Hamlet is even
more surprised that, as he is digging, the clown finds
an old skull and casually and carelessly tosses it aside
as if it were a rock. At this point, Hamlet starts to
ponder and philosophize about the identity of the
skull. Hamlet imagines that the skull might have
once belonged to a high-ranking politician (line 72).
A second skull that the clown digs up Hamlet
imagines as belonging once to an extremely
successful lawyer (line 91). Hamlet then asks
himself a question: where are the clever words and
arguments of that lawyer now? He no longer is able
to defend himself, not even against a rude and simple
rustic. Hamlet is suggesting the cleverness, the
intelligence, and the abilities of the lawyer (or
anybody else, for that matter) have disappeared as if
they had never existed. All that remains, the only
evidence of his existence, is a dirty old skull that a

125
clown can casually kick to the side as if it were some
worthless piece of rubbish.
At this point in the play, Hamlet goes to the
clowns to speak to them directly and to find out who
is going to be buried in the grave. The clowns do not
recognize Hamlet, and, during the course of
conversation, they tell Hamlet that their young prince
has gone mad and was sent to England. Shakespeare
uses the comic discourse of the clowns to make a
joke about England itself. The clown states that
Hamlet will recover his wits, his sanity, in England.
But even if he does not, it will not matter. Hamlet
asks, Why? And the clown responds, Twill not
be seen in him there. There the men are as mad as
he (141-43). In other words, everybody in England
is mad. Shakespeares audience would most
certainly have laughed out loud at length upon
hearing a line like this.
Later in the conversation the clown tells
Hamlet that one of the skulls that he had dug up
belonged to Yorick, the court jester of old King
Hamlet (lines 160-67). The clown notes that the
skull has been in the ground for twenty-three years
(which would mean that Hamlet is several years older
than 23 in the present time of the play since Hamlet
had known Yorick when Hamlet was an infant or
toddler). Hamlet holds up the jawless skull and
thinks about the past:


126
Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio a fellow of
infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath born me
on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred
my imagination is! (171-73)

The word abhorred means to think with a feeling of
horror. Hamlet is horrified to think that someone he
knew and loved could come to such an end. Hamlet
remembers that Yorick was always full of songs and
clever jokes and always kept everybody laughing.
His ability to make people laugh was an ability that
Hamlet greatly admired. But now he is dead and
nearly forgotten. The only reminder of his existence
is an old and ugly skull that has only worms for
company (memento mori a reminder of death or
mortality). Of course, Yorick is not the only person
whom Hamlet has loved and who has died. Hamlet is
most likely also thinking about his own father at this
time as well. And death, whether it is of Yorick or
the old king, is a concept that fills Hamlet with dread
and horror.
The finding of Yoricks skull leads Hamlets
mind and imagination to more general thoughts about
man in general and about the death of man. He tells
his friend, To what base uses we may return,
Horatio! (187). The word base refers to something
that is low and insignificant. Hamlet then proceeds
to explain how a man may degenerate from someone
fine and noble to something low and foul. Hamlet
chooses, as his example, one of the noblest and most

127
heroic men of all time, Alexander the Great.
Alexander was a Macedonian king in the 4
th
century,
B.C.; and he was the conqueror of Greece, Persia,
and Egypt (which had the greatest kingdoms or
empires of the Western world at that time in history).
But even the remains (the dead body) of Alexander,
as Hamlet explains, may end up stopping a bung-
hole (189). A bung-hole was a hole in a cask or
barrel that was used for holding beer or other liquid.
Obviously, a hole in such a barrel would cause the
beer to leak out, so clay was used to cover the hole.
Hamlet explains that when a body dies, it
turns to dust. The dust mixes with the earth, and
loam or clay is made from that earth. And such clay
is used to block up holes in beer-barrels (lines 192-
95). Thus, it is theoretically possible (although
highly improbable) that part of Alexanders noble
dust is now performing the lowly task of stopping
beer from pouring out of a barrel. Similarly, Hamlet
continues, the clay made from Julius Caesars body
could be used to plaster over a hole in the wall to
keep the wind out (lines 196-97).
Hamlets existential thoughts about life and
death once again suggest that nobility and greatness
during life are essentially meaningless. Because no
matter how great or how noble one has been in life,
the result is the same. Man becomes dust and dirt.
Man becomes a lowly material that could be handled
by coarse workmen, like the makers of beer barrels or
the diggers of graves.

128
The reader should also note how Hamlets
philosophizing here is similar to his earlier comments
regarding the king, the beggar, the fish, and the worm
(in Act IV, Scene 3: 27-31). Both examples suggest
a miserable and demeaning outcome for the life of a
man.


129
ACT V, 1: THE FUNERAL

After Hamlet has completed his philosophical
views that were stimulated by finding the skull of
Yorick, the mourners for the funeral appear. King
Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Laertes, a priest, and
others enter. Servants carrying the coffin of Ophelia
enter as well. Hamlet and Horatio stand aside so that
they are not seen by Laertes and the others.
Some religious commentary or criticism also
appears at this point. The priest expresses his doubts
about allowing Ophelia, a suicide victim, to be buried
on church property (lines 209-21). But Laertes
angrily criticizes the priest and tells him that Ophelia
will be an angel in heaven while the priest will end
up in hell after his death (lines 223-25). Although
Laertes is angry and speaks emotionally, he is also
making a subtle point. Many ministers or priests
were hypocrites who acted in a manner that was
unreligious. But such ministers still felt or believed
that they were morally or spiritually superior to
others. Shakespeare is suggesting that a virtuous girl
like Ophelia, even if she did kill herself, is far more
likely to end up in heaven than a sinful minister who
confesses his sins just before his death. Shakespeare
takes a more pragmatic (practical or sensible) view in
contrast to that of Catholic belief. What is important
to Shakespeare is not how one acted in the final
minutes before his death but how he has acted over
the entire course of his lifetime.

130
As the body of Ophelia is being laid in the
grave, Laertes becomes extremely emotional and
even leaps into the grave to say farewell to Ophelia
one last time (line 235). Hamlet, who is perhaps
envious that Laertes is displaying such a strong
emotion upon the death of a family member, leaps
into the grave with Laertes. Hamlet here does take an
action based on his emotions (rather than his
thoughts). But the action is ill-timed. Laertes, who
blames Hamlet for the death of Polonius and wants
vengeance, grabs Hamlet by the throat (line 245).
The two angry men struggle until some guards
separate them. Hamlet also makes an emotional and
angry speech in which he declares his sorrow for
Ophelia (259-69). Hamlet indicates that he can be
and will be far more emotional than Laertes on this
occasion.
King Claudius dismisses Hamlets emotional
words as another indication of his madness. And the
king informs Laertes to hold his wrath until the
fencing match takes place.


131
ACT V, 2: OF ROSENCRANTZ AND
GUILDENSTERN

The final scene of the play begins with a
conversation between Hamlet and Horatio. Hamlet
tells Horatio about what had happened on board the
ship that was going to England. On one particular
night, Hamlet was troubled and could not sleep. He
got up from his cot or bed and went to the bag
belonging to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. From
it Hamlet took the commission (the document or
letter) written by King Claudius to the King of
England. And there Hamlet read that King Claudius
demanded that the King of England should
immediately sentence Hamlet to death and cut off his
head (line 26).
Hamlet quickly seized the kings commission
and wrote up a new one, a forgery, to put in its place.
In this fake document King Claudius demands that
the King of England put the bearers (those who are
bearing or carrying the message) to an immediate
death (line 47). Obviously, the bearers of that
message are none other than Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern. Hamlet thus gets an appropriate
vengeance against his former schoolfellows who
were attempting to lead him to his own death. Of
course, Hamlet still has not taken his revenge against
Claudius. Yet Hamlet still sees revenge as the
proper course of action: ist not perfect conscience
to quit him with this arm? (68-69). The word quit

132
here stands for requite. And requite here means to
pay Claudius back for what he has done. It means to
get revenge.


133
ACT V, 2: OSRIC

Hamlet does tell Horatio that he is sorry that
he had acted so hotly against Laertes at Ophelias
gravesite (lines 76-77). Hamlet had acted
emotionally. His argument is with Claudius, not
Laertes.
At this point a foppish and vain (conceited or
excessively proud) courtier named Osric arrives to
inform Hamlet about the fencing contest with Laertes.
Osric is somewhat effeminate and rather foolish. The
dialogue between Hamlet and Osric is fairly long
(lines 82-136). It is, essentially, a digression in the
play. Shakespeare uses this moment to insert once
again social criticism into his play. Just as Polonius
represents the bad advisor, Osric represents the bad
courtier. Osric speaks improperly and ignorantly to
Hamlet. And Hamlet, who still plays the role of the
madman, uses the occasion to mock or make fun of
Osric just as he had done with Polonius. As Hamlet
directly implies after Osric exits, the foppish courtier
represents a whole group of courtiers or young
noblemen that somehow now seem to dominate the
court:

Thus has he and many more of the same bevy that I
know the drossy age dotes on only got the tune of the
time and outward habit of encounter.
(140-43)


134
The word drossy here means worthless; tune of the
time suggests noticeable behavior; and the
expression outward habit refers to appearance. The
drossy age, the worthless opinion of society, may
dote on or admire these superficial courtiers. But
such courtiers are all show and no substance. They
may look good, but they are neither intelligent nor
heroic. Such shallow courtiers must have been all
too common in the court of England during
Shakespeares day.
A noteworthy parallel to Osric appears in
King Henry IV, Part 1. The character of Hotspur in
that play describes such a dandy or foppish courtier
who had come up to him immediately after a battle
with Scotland (in Act I, 3: 32-68). Shakespeare must
have surely known such courtiers rather well to
criticize them more than once in his plays.


135
ACT V, 2: THE FENCING MATCH

Hamlet accepts the challenge to fence with
Laertes. However, he expresses some doubts about
whether he is making a wise decision (lines 150-51).
Horatio tells Hamlet that he can postpone (forestall)
the match to some later date, but Hamlet objects to
this idea. Hamlet explains that one cannot defy fate
(augury in line 157). He adds, Theres a special
providence in the fall of a sparrow (157-58). Here
Hamlet seems to be contradicting his earlier
statements about the existential nature of man. The
word providence suggests Gods plan or design. It
suggests a destiny or fate that is shaped and
controlled by God. Hamlet is stating that even the
death of a small creature like a tiny bird is somehow
part of the grand design or plan of God. Therefore,
he tells Horatio, a person should not try to avoid
destiny. Rather, a person must accept his fate. These
lines in the play suggest that the bloody outcome that
follows in unavoidable. That violence, too,
Shakespeare is implying, is also somehow part of
Gods grand design, the Divine Plan of God.
Hamlet does not really have a choice in regards to
what he does or what happens to him.
Before the fencing match begins, Hamlet
apologizes to Laertes (lines 163-81). Laertes
responds by accepting the apology but also noting
that he still feels obligated to act honorably: But in
my terms of honour, I stand aloof (183-84). Laertes

136
is suggesting that he has a duty to his father to seek
vengeance. He must get his revenge even if such
revenge means killing a friend or brother. Such
action is a matter of honor. And Hamlet will surely
understand such a response, for he too has the duty to
avenge the death of his own father. Laertes, however,
does hint that the fencing match will not be the time
or occasion for his moment of revenge.
Once the fencing match does start, the action
of the play moves swiftly. Hamlet scores the first
point by striking or hitting Laertes with his sword
(line 220). Claudius uses the occasion to toast
Hamlet, to have a drink; and the king offers Hamlet a
drink from the poisoned cup (line 226). Hamlet says
that he will fence longer before he drinks. The
fencing continues, and Hamlet scores a second point
(line 228). Gertrude then takes a drink to
congratulate Hamlet, but she does so from Hamlets
poisoned cup (line 232). Claudius tries to stop her,
but he is too late. In this instance, fate has sealed
Gertrudes doom (has passed judgment on her).
Gertrude does not know that the cup is poisoned, but
she starts to feel weak and ill at this point.
Once again Hamlet refuses to drink, but
continues with the fencing match. During the match,
Hamlet receives a wound, a scratch, by the poisoned
sword. But before he feels any effects, the fighting
continues. In a close struggle, both swords fall to the
ground. Hamlet picks up Laertes sword, and Laertes
then has Hamlets sword. The fighting proceeds, and

137
Hamlet wounds Laertes. Now both Hamlet and
Laertes have been poisoned.
Hamlet and Laertes are parted quickly
thereafter. Both are wounded. Both are dying.
Laertes admits that his own evil plan has backfired
upon himself: I am justly killed with mine own
treachery (line 250 similar to being hoised with
his own petard in Act III, 4: 185.6). Queen Gertrude
then realizes that she has drunk poison from Hamlets
cup, and she is able to tell Hamlet this with her dying
breath (line 253). And Laertes, before he dies,
admits his treachery and informs Hamlet that
Claudius is to blame for this poisonous plot (lines
256-63).
Hamlet now finally gets his revenge. He
stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword, and he also
forces Claudius to drink from the poisoned cup.
Claudius immediately dies (line 269).
Before Hamlet dies, music from a distance
announces the return of Fortinbras, who has won a
victory over Poland. In Hamlets final speech, the
dying prince exclaims, I do prophesy the election
lights on Fortinbras. He has my dying voice (297-
98). Hamlet is expressing his hope that Fortinbras
will be elected the next king of Denmark. By voice,
Hamlet means that he gives his vote to Fortinbras.
Fortinbras will be a good king for Denmark. The
corruption and vice that Claudius brought into the
kingdom is gone. Denmark will no longer be a
prison. It no longer will rot.

138
The play is at an end. Laertes is dead. His
father Polonius and his sister Ophelia are dead.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Queen
Gertrude is dead. King Claudius is dead. And now
the brooding prince of Denmark, the young hero
Hamlet, is dead. And, so, the troubled ghost of old
King Hamlet no longer needs to disturb his sleep and
haunt any longer the castle in which he was murdered.

139
FINAL REMARKS

THE PLOT

Hamlet is the worlds most famous play. The
primary reason for this fame is the fascinating yet
puzzling hero, the dark brooding Prince Hamlet. So,
as one should expect, most of the commentary and
criticism on this play focuses on the character of
Hamlet.
However, the story or plot of the tragedy also
deserves serious attention. The central conflict is the
internal one: Hamlet versus himself. The climax
(the highest point of tension) then does not come
until the end of the play: the sword fight itself is the
point where Hamlet really breaks free of his
hesitation and begins to get his vengeance against
King Claudius. The resolution (the point is which
the conflict is resolved or ended) occurs at the point
when Hamlet finally gets his vengeance, when King
Claudius is dead. But Hamlet himself dies just a few
moments later. The denouement (the final
untangling of elements in this case, the final result
for Denmark and the surviving characters) is
extremely short. The implication that Fortinbras will
succeed to throne suggests a hopeful ending for
Denmark and the kingdom.
Now that the state or condition of the king
(the new king, Fortinbras) is without evil or
corruption, the state of Denmark itself also is free of

140
corruption and evil. Peace and goodness will return
to the land. Denmark will no longer be a prison. It
will no longer contain something rotten. As noted,
there are several passages concerning fate in the play,
and so a second important conflict in this play is the
one of Hamlet vs. Fate. In such a conflict, as
Shakespeare repeatedly suggests in his work, Fate is
the only winner. The play of Hamlet, then,
duplicates an old medieval and Christian historical
theme: the evil element exists in order that good can
eventually assert itself and defeat the evil or remove
that evil from the land. This same idea can be found
(but in a much more emphasized manner) in
Shakespeares Richard III. The evil King Richard III
is vanquished so that the good King Henry VII can
gloriously assert goodness, end the civil war referred
to as the War of the Roses, and bring peace and
harmony to England.
In Hamlet there are also subplots and
digressions to enhance and complicate the plot. Most
notable is the subplot involving King Claudius. In
this subplot, the student should view Claudius as
protagonist. The king has three central issues or
conflicts to solve: (1) He must maintain Denmark and
the throne from its enemies. The primary threat here
comes from Fortinbras, but later Laertes is also a
threat to the king and kingdom. King Claudius
handles both of these threats well. (2) The king must
deal with his own guilt after murdering his own
brother. In this case, Claudius does not fare so well.

141
He is not able to confess his sin to God because he is
not able to give up the items that he has won by his
sin. And (3) Claudius must deal with the emotional
and depressed Hamlet. Claudius does not wish to
offend either Queen Gertrude or the people of
Denmark (who idolize Hamlet). Yet, at the same
time, Hamlet clearly represents a threat to the
kingdom. And, as the end of the play reveals,
Claudius, despite his clever scheming, fails to resolve
the problem of the troubled prince.
The digressions on theater (meta-theater)
and the conflict of madness in Ophelia are among the
other important aspects of the play that complicate
the story yet overlap with the main plot. All of the
smaller conflicts or digressions relate to and
contribute to the overall greatness of the play to make
it the best drama ever created.


142
SOURCES

Shakespeares play is a remarkable literary
achievement. Although Shakespeare borrowed
elements and ideas from a number of sources, none
of those sources (either taken individually or in total)
contain even a small fragment of the genius found in
Hamlet.
Nevertheless, the reader should be aware of
the sources or possible sources that Shakespeare had
access to and could utilize in the creation of his
masterpiece:

1. An earlier play about Hamlet
(actual title unknown):
This English play is now lost. The play is
mentioned in a prefix to a novel written in
1589. The prefix of the novel suggests that
plays author was Thomas Kyd. The play was
probably quite similar to Fratricide Punished
(see below).

2. Fratricide Punished
(German play of 17th century):
This play based on lost English play
mentioned above. The plot is much simpler
but fairly similar to Shakespeares own play.


143
3. Prose Edda (c. 1230 AD)
an Old Norse (Scandinavian) saga:
The name Amlothi appears in a fragment of
the saga. Amele is a common first name; Othi
means both (1) brave in battle and (2) mad.
Feigned madness was part of original story.

4. Historiae Danica
by Saxo Grammaticus (Danish historian):
This is the first version of the story (c. 1200).
The book is an historical work containing folk
tales. The story contains the following plot
elements:
a. fratricide
b. incest
c. wild disposition of hero
d. heros relationship to character like Ophelia
e. characters like Horatio, Polonius,
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern
f. Amleth eats dirt & talks nonsense
(with sinister hidden meaning)
g. Uncle Feng is the murderer
everyone knows it
h. Amleth is foreordained avenger
i. Amleth goes to England and marries the
kings daughter
j. Amleth returns to Denmark. Uncle Fen
and others are in a hall, drinking and
celebrating Amleths death. Amleth
sets fire to the hall.

144

5. Francois de Belleforest historian, circa 1580:
This history includes the tale from Historiae
Danica (above) and adds adultery scene
between mother and uncle before the old king
(Amleths father) is killed.

6. Treatise of Melancholy (1586) by Timothy Bright:
Shakespeare used this source for Hamlets
characterization.

7. Pamphlet by Thomas Nashe (1592):
This pamphlet contains the source for the
wassail speech.

8. Elizabethan textbook containing passages from
Isocrates (Greek author of Classical Age):
This is the source for the maxims or advice
that Polonius repeats to his son before Laertes
leaves for France.

9. Earl of Essex:
Essex was possibly a real-life model for
Hamlet. Essex was noted as one who suffered
from severe depression or melancholy.


145
THE CHARACTER OF HAMLET

Hamlet is the most noted literary figure in the
world for two primary reasons: (a) his speeches are
eloquent and universal; and (b) the problem of family
conflict becomes enmeshed within the larger problem
of politics and aristocracy. Thus, Hamlets conflict
(the plot) operates on both a personal (or
psychological) level and a political (or social) level.
In analyzing the character of Hamlet, the
student should consider the following elements and
descriptive terms:


146

1. Melancholy Hamlets emotions are not in
accord to nature, perhaps.
Hamlets depression transcends
physical acts
(Act I, 2: 85).
Claudius admonishes Hamlet for
his unmanly behavior
(Act I, 2: 87+).
2. Disenchantment Hamlet has thoughts of suicide
before he sees the ghost (Act I,
2: 129 +).
3. Revenge Hamlet feels obligated to
avenge his fathers death
(Act I, 5).
4. Imprisoned,
Trapped
Hamlet feels that Denmark is a
prison.
He has an Existential outlook
(II, 2: 235-58).
5. Paralyzed Hamlet is unable to feel or act
(II, 2: 527-82).
6. Indecisive,
Suicidal
Hamlet ponders death: to be or
not to be (III, 1: 58 +).


147
These are just some of the elements that contribute to
the complexity and richness of Hamlets character.
Hamlet intrigues many people, and confuses others.
There are no simple answers to explain why Hamlet
is motivated or unable to be motivated in regards to
any action or to his course in life. Hamlet feels
tossed and torn by the forces of Fate. And Fate (or
Fortune, as it is usually called during the Renaissance)
usually did not bestow special treatment upon anyone
for any prolonged length of time.

148
THE CHARACTER OF CLAUDIUS

Although overshadowed by the strong
presence of Hamlet, the character of Claudius should
not be overlooked. Claudius, too, is a finely
developed personality in the play. He is not entirely
evil (he is definitely not a stereotypical villain).
Rather, Claudius even has some positive qualities. In
one regard, Claudius functions as a contrast or foil to
Hamlet. Where Hamlet acts indecisively and
negatively, Claudius attempts to act decisively and
positively. Although Claudius has committed an act
that is both criminal and evil, in the course of the
play itself he wishes to forget the past and rule
honorably.
Claudius moves in a positive direction several
times throughout the play: (1) He attempts to help
Hamlet remove his melancholy. (2) He handles the
problem with young Fortinbras, who desires to attack
Denmark. And (3) he deals competently with Laertes,
who has a strong anger and passion to seek
vengeance after his father Polonius is killed.
However, Claudius is also a figure who is torn
by his guilt and conscience (see, for example, Act III,
1: 52-56). He wishes to confess his sins to God, but
discovers that he cannot easily give up the gifts of his
sin: the throne, the queen, and the power. Claudius
decision to remove Hamlet from Denmark may be
viewed by some viewers or readers as another evil act;
but, actually, such a decision is both wise and

149
politically practical. Hamlet poses a threat to the
safety and welfare of everybody in the castle. The
decision to send him to England removes that threat
and yet, at the same time, does not bother or anger
Queen Gertrude or the people of Denmark. Claudius
makes the best decision a man in his position could
make. He really has no other choice.


150
THEMES

There are numerous thematic concepts and
ideas in this play, and thus a reader may have
difficulty in selecting the major or central theme of
the play. The following key words point to the
various and complex ideas that underlie this play:

indecision
disenchantment
melancholy
revenge
imprisonment
hesitation
suicide
guilt
fratricide
kingship/ rule
incest
paralysis
friendship
loyalty
truth
deception/
spying
death
grief

The student should especially consider the following
themes or issues of the play:


151
1. Anti-Renaissance or Anti-Humanism Theme
The Humanists believed in Human Achievement:
(a) Establishment of Earthly Power
(b) Display of Gallantry
(c) Acquire Knowledge
(d) Purposeful Action
The Humanists believed in the nobility and greatness
of man. Shakespeare (and Hamlet) did not appear to
agree with the Humanists at all.

2. Melancholy Theme (replaces idea of
Human Achievement)
Hamlet experiences a sense of void and
purposelessness:
II, 2: 294 What a piece of work is a man
(Hamlet expresses the Humanist idea ironically)
III, 2: 311 I lack advancement

3. Existential Idea
The existential aspect in Hamlet became epitomized
in the 1966 play by Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern Are Dead. Stoppards play is
existential from beginning to end and, quite naturally,
is inspired by the existentialism of Shakespeares
play.


152
4. Revenge Theme
The revenge idea is present in several characters and
scenes:
(a) Hamlet vs. Claudius
(b) Young Fortinbras vs. Denmark
(c) Hamlet vs Rosencrantz & Guildenstern (IV, 2)
(d) Laertes vs. Hamlet (IV, 5)
NOTE: Hamlet will not kill Claudius while he is
praying (III, 3) because it is not a fitting revenge.

5. Acting & Theater Theme (minor theme):
Meta-Theater
(a) Theater is used as device to expose king in III, 2.
(b) Hamlet defends theater against bad fashions and
new innovations (II, 2).
(c) Types or genres of drama listed ironically (II, 2).
(d) Actors are the chronicles of the times (II, 2).


153
6. Kingdom Gone to Pieces / Decay Theme
Rottenness and decay are present in Danish society
and especially in certain individuals in the court:
(a) Claudius & Gertrudes marriage was viewed as an
act of incest to Elizabethan audiences.
(b) Abandonment: Hamlet goes to Germany (I, 2)
Laertes goes to France (I, 3).
(c) Imagery of Disease & Rottenness reflects the
condition of the court of Denmark:
* I, 4: Something is rotten in state of Denmark
* I, 1: Day is out of joint
preparations of war during nighttime
* V, 1: graveyard imagery, poor Yorick
* I, 4: anti-wassail speech
(d) Polonius is presented satirically.
* He uses empty formalities of speech.
* He sends a spy on his own son.
(e) Osric is a caricature of the hollow courtier.

Two Characters Reflect a Contrast to the above:
(a) Fortinbras is a positive element:
He will be a good ruler
(b) Horatio is also a positive element.
He suggests loyalty, friendship, reason.
He is a contrast to Rosencrantz &
Guildenstern.

154

LANGUAGE: NOTABLE QUOTES

Many lines from Hamlet are famous and are often
quoted out of context. The serious student of Hamlet
should know the following lines and the context in
which they are delivered:

(1) Frailty, thy name is woman I, 2: 146
(2) He was a man I, 2: 187
(3) Neither a borrower nor a lender be I, 3: 75
(4) To thine own self be true I, 3: 78
(5) Something is rotten in the state of Denmark
I, 4: 67
(6) Murder most foul I, 5: 27
(7) There are more things in heaven and earth
I, 5: 168
(8) Brevity is the soul of wit II, 2: 91
(9) Though this be madness, yet there is method int
II, 2: 203
(10) What a piece of work is a man II, 2: 294
(11) They are the abstracts and brief chronicles of
the times II, 2: 504
(12) To be, or not to be; that is the question
III, 1: 58
(13) Get thee to a nunnery III, 1: 122
(14) Out-Herods Herod III, 2: 12
(15) These words like daggers enter in mine ears
III, 4: 85
(16) Hoised with his own petard III, 4: 185.6
(17) Alas, poor Yorick V, 1: 171

155

COMMENTS FROM THE CRITICS

Harold Bloom
(Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, pp. 383-84):
It is the theater of the world, like Divine Comedy or
Paradise Lost or Faust, or Ulysses, or In Search of
Lost Time. Shakespeares previous tragedies only
partly foreshadow it, and his later works, though they
echo it, are very different from Hamlet, in spirit and
in tonality. No other single character in the plays, not
even Falstaff or Cleopatra, matches Hamlets infinite
reverberations.
The phenomenon of Hamlet, the prince
without the play, is unsurpassed in the Wests
imaginative literature.

Joseph Rosenblum
(A Readers Guide to Shakespeare, pp. 115-16):
To explain the reasons for its excellence in a few
words, however, is a daunting task. Apart from the
matchless artistry of its language, the plays appeal
rests in large measure on the character of Hamlet
himself.


156
Frank Kermode
(The Riverside Shakespeare, p. 1135):
Hamlet clearly works on a different level from any
other play of its kind, and indeed from any preceding
play of Shakespeares. Somehow, as Granville-
Barker suggested, he himself became a different man
in those early years at the Globe; he found his
daimon.

Stephen Greenblatt
(The Norton Shakespeare, p. 1659):
Hamlet is an enigma. Mountains of feverish
speculation have only deepened the interlocking
mysteries:
Why does Hamlet delay avenging the murder of
his father ?
How much guilt does Gertrude bear in this
crime?
How trustworthy is the ghost ?
Is vengeance morally justifiable ?
What exactly is the ghost ?
Why is the ghost visible only to Hamlet in
Act 3?
Is Hamlets madness feigned or true?
Does Hamlet continue to love [Ophelia] ?
Does Ophelia actually intend to drown
herself ?

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