Significance of the play with in play qamar khokhar English 4th

Play with in Play:

Hamlet is concerned to discover whether Claudius really murdered the late King
Hamlet or if the ghost making that claim was sent by Satan to lure Hamlet into
murdering an innocent man. Having rejected suicide as a way out of this
dilemma, Hamlet seizes on the traveling players (actors) when they arrive at the
castle as a solution.

Hamlet wants them to perform the play "The Murder of Gonzago" which he
edits to include new elements, such as a pantomime of the murder of King
Hamlet as the ghost described it. Hamlet wants to observe Claudius closely and
for Horatio to do the same. Hamlet is hoping Claudius will react in a way that
confirms that he is (or isn't) the murderer. Hamlet renames this play "The
Mousetrap" because, with the "bait" of the play, he hopes to trick Claudius into
revealing his guilt. "The Mousetrap" is referred to as a play-within-a-play
because it is enacted within the framework of the larger play, Hamlet, itself.

Ironically, Claudius, who has been worried about the moping Hamlet, is thrilled
to see him develop an interest in the players and encourages him to pursue it,
not knowing Hamlet's intent.
Significance of the play with in play qamar khokhar English 4th

Significance of the Play within Play:

Hamlet has been entrusted with the duty of avenging his father's death by his
father's Ghost. He learns that his father has been murdered by Claudius. But he
hesitates to execute the command of the Ghost. He has doubts about the
genuineness of the Ghost and Claudius's sin. He wishes to have strong proof
before taking revenge and allows time to lapse until the arrival of the players.
Their arrival inspires him with a sudden idea of enacting a play to catch the
conscience of Claudius.

Hamlet receives the players with enthusiasm and plans with them to stage a play
called The Murder of Gonzago with some modification in the speeches. On the
day of staging the play Hamlet prepares the players well in advance to make the
play a great success. He advises them to "suit the action to the word, the word to
the action" so that they would not "overstep the modesty of nature", for the aim
of a play is to hold the mirror up to nature. He then seeks the help of Horatio, to
whom he has already revealed the secret of the Ghost's revelation, to watch the
King's feelings while the play is staged. Thus he prepares the players, Horatio
and himself to 'catch the conscience of the King'. The play is to be the
mainspring for further action. The King, the Queen and the courtier are invited
to see the play.

The dumb-show is the prelude to the actual staging of the play Hamlet chooses
to sit at Ophelia's feet rather than next to the Queen, partly to encourage the idea
that his madness is caused by disappointed love, but mainly because he could
not watch the King's face if he sat next to the royal pair. Hamlet plays the part
of the commentator too. The dumb-show is the first part of the King's ordeal.
The dumb-show itself represents very closely the crime of Claudius. Yet it is
surprising that he does not betray his feelings. Some critics feel that Claudius,
being lost in his conversation with the Queen, missed the dumb-show. Certain
other critics feel that Claudius does see the show, but he hopes that it is only an
unlucky coincidence that The Murder of Gonzago resembles his own crime or
he naturally suspects that the choice of the play is deliberate and knows that
Hamlet is watching his reactions. As the remarks about second marriages,
which he has heard, are grossly offensive, he pretends not to have noticed them.
The dramatic importance of staging this dumb-show is that as the play is
stopped before the end, Shakespeare, in order to inform the audience of the full
plot, uses the dumb show for the purpose.
Significance of the play with in play qamar khokhar English 4th

The dumb-show is followed by the actual play The Murder of Gonzago with its
deliberately artificial style, full of repetitions and indirectness enables us to
concentrate on the real drama which is being enacted, with Hamlet's eyes
riveted on his uncle's face with the King trying hard not to show by his face
what he is feeling. Claudius's Guilt is confirmed. After the exit of the Player
Queen, Claudius appears to be frightened. Hamlet's assertion that the play is
titled The Mousetrap is a veiled threat of which the King is perfectly aware,
especially as 'mouse' is his term of endearment for Gertrude. When Lucianus
enters, Hamlet's comment that he is 'nephew to the King' is taken as another
threat, and Claudius suspects that Lucianus's lines are written by Hamlet himself
Claudius watches for the second time the re-enactment of his crime and is about
to reveal himself, and when Hamlet gives a last twist to the knife by explaining,
'You shall see anon how the murderer gets the love of Gonzago's wife,' the King
rises terror with false fire. The Ghost's story is confirmed.

By enacting the play Hamlet has confirmed the Ghost's story, but at the expense
of revealing his own knowledge to the King. His own fate is sealed unless he
follows up his victory. The victory is imperfect, in any case, because Hamlet's
behavior during the performance, as well as the apparent gross lack of the taste
in his choosing a play with such a theme can allow the King to cover up his
guilt with a show of anger. On the other hand, Hamlet is extremely happy at
having discovered the truth. Now he gives more weight to the words of the
Ghost. Thus, the situation leads to the crisis or turning point of the play. Hamlet
has to act now. But when he gets the opportunity to carry out his work, he fails
to act as he finds Claudius at prayer. In his soliloquy he justifies his lack of
action by saying that if he kills Claudius, who is at prayer, his soul would enjoy
the pleasures of heaven, instead of suffering the tortures of hell.

The Murder of Gonzago play puts both Claudius and the Ghost on trial, the
former for 'fratricide' and the latter for its 'honesty.' Hamlet's doubts are
removed. Still, he hesitates to act. Hence this play emphasizes Hamlet's
procrastinating nature. Hamlet is inspired by the play with greater desire to act,
but it fails to have the effect to make him act. It only shows him as a 'pigeon-
livered' man who shrinks from action on moral grounds. It allows Hamlet and
Claudius to know exactly what the other feels. It is a climax and a crisis, and the
pivot of the action in Hamlet. Now, Hamlet has no excuse for delay, Claudius
Significance of the play with in play qamar khokhar English 4th

will set forth his own machinations to destroy Hamlet, and with the unseen hand
of fate, Hamlet will grow to self-realization.

This play-within-the-play further helps the dramatist to reveal his own theories
of playacting. Hamlet acts as a mouthpiece of Shakespeare, through whom he
expresses his ideas of playacting and shows his contempt for the contemporary
actors. To Shakespeare, the aim of drama is to hold the mirror up to nature, with
the actors not indulging in extravagant passions. They should "suit the action to
the word, the word to the action, and should not "overstep the modesty of
nature". This piece of advice given by Shakespeare through Hamlet shows
Hamlet at his best. He is playing the part of Deputy Providence, plotting,
arranging, baiting the trap, etc. His making fun of Ophelia, his darting sarcasm
at his mother and playing the part of a Chorus, his mocking the King, all shows
his versatile genius.

The play-within-the-play serves to emphasize that Hamlet is not the traditional

revenge play. The hero, after the Ghost's words have been confirmed, he yet
spares Claudius' life because the King is praying. The problem is that Hamlet
sees himself as one who is to ensure the victim’s punishment in the next world
also. He is overestimating his role, and it is only towards the end that he will
truly understand that man must accept certain conditions and act within them
readily. However, it would be wrong to consider the scene the central act and
the crisis of the play. It is important as far as bringing Claudius and Hamlet to a
full awareness of one another's true nature.

The Mousetrap:
Shakespeare was known for his use of metadrama, a play which features another
play as a part of the plot. This is similar to metafiction, when a novel or story
might refer to itself within the plot of the book. We first see the makings of a
metadrama when Hamlet declares in Act II, '…the play's the thing/wherein I'll
catch the conscience of the king.' Here, he announces a devious plot to 'catch'
his uncle Claudius, and force him into a genuine confession of the murder of
Hamlet's father. Hamlet has struggled through the first part of the play with the
admonition of the Ghost of his father to avenge his murder. He wants to be a
loyal son, and he surely hates his uncle, but he's not quick to commit murder
himself. He decides that he needs some confirmation of his uncle's guilt, and he
has a plan to catch him by staging the performance of a play aptly named 'The
Mousetrap.'
Significance of the play with in play qamar khokhar English 4th

Hamlet Designs a Plan

After the coincidental entry of a troop of traveling actors to the kingdom,
Hamlet writes a script that mimics the story the Ghost told him of his father's
death. As it plays out, we see that a Gonzago, the Duke of Vienna, dies when
his scheming nephew, Lucianus, pours poison in his ear. Then, Lucianus
pursues the Duke's wife, Baptista, and eventually convinces her to fall in love
with him. It's a chilling reminder of the plot of the play we are currently
watching; according to the Ghost, Claudius had poisoned him while he lay
sleeping in his garden. And, Hamlet has been focused on his mother's hasty
marriage to his uncle.

The entire span of the plot plays out first in silence, commonly known as a
dumb-show, which was a prelude to the spoken part of the play that would
follow and clarify the actions with previously unspoken dialogue. Playing out
the entire scene allowed Hamlet to allow his uncle’s reaction to see sign of
guilt.

Definition of Soliloquy:
A soliloquy is a popular literary device often used in drama to reveal the
innermost thoughts of a character. It is a great technique used to convey
the progress of action of the play, by means of expressing a character’s
thoughts about a certain character or past, present, or upcoming event,
while talking to him-self without acknowledging the presence of any other
person.

The word soliloquy is derived from the Latin word solo, which means “to
him-self,” and loquor, which means “I speak,” respectively. A soliloquy is
often used as a means of character revelation or character manifestation to
the reader or the audience of the play.

Due to a lack of time and space, it was sometimes considered essential to

present information about the plot, and to expose the feelings and
intentions of the characters. Historically, dramatists made extensive use of
soliloquies in their plays, but it has become outdated, though some
playwrights still use it in their plays. Soliloquy examples abound during the
Elizabethan era.
Significance of the play with in play qamar khokhar English 4th

Hamlet's Soliloquy, Act 3. Scene I

To be, or not to be: that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

For in that sleep of death what dreams May come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause: there's the respect

That makes calamity of so long life;

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,

The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,

The insolence of office and the spurns

That patient merit of the unworthy takes,

When he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something after death,

Significance of the play with in play qamar khokhar English 4th

The undiscover'd country from whose bourn

No traveller returns, puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;

And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er 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.

Analysis of Hamlet's Soliloquy, Act 3. Scene I

Hamlet's third soliloquy is the famous 'to be, or not to be' speech. Once
again Hamlet is confused and contemplating death. He is wondering
whether life or death is preferable; whether it is better to allow himself to
be tormented by all the wrongs that he considers 'outrageous fortune'
bestowed on him, or to arm himself and fight against them, bringing them
to an end. If he were to die, he feels that his troubles, his 'heart-ache', would
end. Death is still something that he finds appealing, 'tis a consummation
devoutly to be wished'. Yet, even death troubles him, as to die might mean
to dream and he worries about the dreams he might have to endure,’ in that
sleep of death what dreams May come'.

He is still contemplating suicide and considers how, by taking one's own

life, with 'a bare bodkin', or dagger, one might avoid 'whips and scorns' and
other hard-to-bear wrongs. However, he refers to death as 'the dread of
something' in the 'undiscovered country', and this shows that he worried
about how his soul might be treated in the afterlife.
Significance of the play with in play qamar khokhar English 4th

He decides that fears concerning the puzzling and 'dreadful' afterlife,

together with the conscience, cause people to bear the wrongs inflicted
during their life on earth, rather than commit suicide and risk offending
God. The fear of arriving somewhere unknown and frightening—possibly
the torments of hell—is proof that 'conscience does make cowards of us
all'. People, he concludes, tend to think things over, lack resolve and do
nothing.

When Hamlet is remarking on such people, he is actually talking about

himself. He believes that his uncle is wicked and deserves to die. He
believes that it is he who should end his uncle's life. But he is afraid of going
to purgatory, as the spirit claiming to be his father has done. He is afraid of
risking hell by committing suicide. He is afraid of doing the wrong thing,
and is inactive, partly because of his conscience. He is afraid of the potential
consequences that his religious upbringing—an upbringing that would
have been the norm—claim would come if he commits suicide.

Hamlet continues to feel frustrated and angry in his grief, and his feelings of
impotence have returned. Although Claudius's response to the play
indicated guilt, Hamlet still does not know what the right thing to do is—
right in the eyes of God, that is.

Definition of Comic Relief:

Comic relief is a literary device used in plays and novels to introduce light
entertainment between tragic scenes. It is often used in the shape of a
humorous incident, a funny incident, a tricky remark or a laughing
commentary. It is deliberately inserted to make the audiences feel relief. In
this sense, it makes the tragedy seem less intense. Although it is often
considered a diversion, it plays a significant role in advancing the action of
the play or the novel. Etymologically, comic relief is a phrase of two words
comic and relief. The meanings are clear that it is a relief provided through
comic incidents or remarks.