Hamlet_Summary

TRANSFORMATIONS Hamlet and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are dead PLOT SUMMARIES Hamlet: • Marcellus and Bernardo take Horatio to see the ghost of Old Hamlet • Claudius and Gertrude hold a council meeting and send two emissaries to Norway to stop Fortinbras invading Denmark • Laertes is sent back to France and Hamlet is asked to remain in Denmark • Hamlet reveals his disgust at his mother’s marriage to his uncle and his uncle’s usurpation of the throne • Polonius requests that Ophelia shun Hamlet’s attentions • Hamlet sees his father’s ghost and learns of his murder at the hands of Claudius • Vows to avenge his father’s death and decides to feign madness • Ophelia tells Polonius about Hamlet’s intrusion into her room • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive to find the cause of Hamlet’s madness • Voltemand and Cornelius return with news that Fortinbras has retreated • Polonius tells Gertrude and Claudius of his theory that Hamlet is mad because of unrequited love for Ophelia • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern meet with Hamlet who tells them of his depression • The players arrive and Hamlet requests a performance for the evening including a section he will write for them • Claudius admits his guilt in a soliloquy • Hamlet gives his “to be or not to be” soliloquy • Ophelia returns Hamlet’s letters and is subjected to Hamlet’s anger and madness while Polonius and Claudius watch out of sight • The play within a play is performed and confirms Claudius’ guilt • Claudius arranges for Hamlet to be sent to England • Claudius tried to pray and Hamlet considers killing him but decides against it • Hamlet visits his mother in her room, slays Polonius, hidden behind the curtain, and berates his mother for her behaviour • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern escort Hamlet to England • The mad Ophelia visits the Queen • Laertes arrives angry and vengeful • Hamlet’s letter arrives • Laertes and Claudius organise a plan to kill Hamlet in a duel • Gertrude announces Ophelia’s death by drowning • Grave-digger scene with Ophelia’s funeral • Hamlet explains his escape from the ship to Horatio • Osric invites Hamlet to duel with Laertes • Hamlet apologies to Laertes • Gertrude drinks from the poison cup • Laertes and Hamlet are both mortally wounded • Queen dies and Claudius’ crimes are revealed • Hamlet kills Claudius • Laertes died followed by Hamlet’s death • Fortinbras arrives to take control of the country ACT BY ACT ANALYSIS HAMLET- Act I: • Opens on the battlements of Elsinore Castle • Atmosphere of suspicion is created by the many questions being asked • Horatio sceptical about discussion of ghost • Horatio explains that they degree of activity they have observed in their Danish homeland is due to the threat of war • Ghost’s appearance attributed to Fortinbras vs. Hamlet issue • ‘Strange eruption’ likely to occur in the Danish Court (foreshadowing) • Act I, Scene ii introduces Claudius • Claudius addresses a council meeting to explain his actions and to send two emissaries to Norway, uncle of Fortinbras, asking him to restrain his nephew • Laertes granted permission to return to France • Hamlet denied permission to return to university in Wittenberg • Claudius wishes him ‘to remain/Here in the cheer and comfort of our eye’ (the use of ‘our’, the royal plural, is indicative of how quickly Claudius has assumed the rights of kingship) • Hamlet condemns Gertrude’s behaviour (in Shakespearean times, these actions were regarded as a form of incest) • Horatio arrives with news of what has been seen on the battlements • Hamlet suspects some ‘foul play’ • Much advice is given:  Laertes warns Ophelia to regard Hamlet’s wooing of her as a ‘toy’ or game, suggests that if she does not do so, she may lose her virtue  Polonius repeats Laertes’ warnings to Ophelia • The ghost beckons to Hamlet to follow it and despite the entreaties of Horatio and Marcellus, he does • Ghost tells Hamlet what Claudius did. Now the ghost must spend the daylight hours ‘confined to fast in fires’ until his murder is avenged • Hamlet says he will ‘put an antic disposition on’ (pretend he’s mad) Act II: • Two conversations involving Polonius:  Instructs his servant Reynaldo to follow Laertes to Paris and discover how he is behaving himself  Converses with Ophelia, who recounts how Hamlet had come to her looking dishevelled and pale • Believing that Ophelia’s rejection of Hamlet’s love has sent him mad, Polonius sets out to inform the King • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrived (they are being ‘used’) • Voltemand and Cornelius return with news that Fortinbras has been persuaded not to attack Denmark • Polonius expounds to Claudius and Gertrude at great length, his theory regarding Hamlet’s madness – produces Hamlet’s letter to Ophelia and suggests that the Prince’s condition stems from unrequited love • Hamlet arrives and, in a series of verbal disputes, completely outwits Polonius • Hamlet abuses Polonius under the false pretence of lunacy • Hamlet meets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and is involved in obscene banter and fantastical remarks • In an elaborate speech he contrasts the ideal with the reality (a man not ‘a paragon of animals’ but the ‘quintessence of dust’) • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ascribe this mood to disappointed ambition • Players arrive – Hamlet asks for a speech to be delivered from an old play – actor does it much better than him • In soliloquising after the other characters have departed, Hamlet berates himself for moping and saying nothing, in contrast to the passion exhibited by the player in his recent performance • Expresses doubts as to whether the spirit he has seen is the devil • Plans to stage a play dealing with his father’s murder, in order to ‘catch the conscience of the king’ Act III: • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report that they cannot unearth the cause of Hamlet’s distraction • King announces that the eavesdropping planned by Polonius is about to commence • First time that Claudius acknowledges, aside, that he bears the burden of a guilty conscience • Then follows Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy:  Expresses his thoughts on suicide  Mentions that fact that is preventing him from killing himself. It is the dread of the after life (‘ the undiscovered country, from whose bourn/ No traveller returns’)  Ends with Hamlet turning away from his thoughts of death and meeting Ophelia • Hamlet questions Ophelia’s honesty • Hamlet’s attacks are not directed solely at Ophelia but at womankind in general • Ophelia is alarmed • Claudius resolves to send Hamlet to England • Hamlet advises the players on the act of acting • On seeing Horatio again, Hamlet commends his friend’s firmness of character and then asks Horatio to note the King’s behaviour during the play • They watch a dumb show or mime, in which a king is poisoned and his queen wooed by the poisoner • Claudius beings to have some doubts about this work – he rises and the play abruptly ends • Horatio acknowledges that the King looked guilty ‘upon the talk of poisoning’ • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern inform Hamlet that his mother ‘in most great affection of spirit’ has sent for him • Hamlet leaves, intent ‘to speak daggers’ to his mother ‘but use none’. • Claudius, urging Hamlet’s immediate dispatch to England, is reassured by Rosencrantz • Once he is alone and kneeling in prayer, Claudius becomes anguished – God will not forgive him • Hamlet sees the king and draws his sword to avenge his father’s murder. But, on reflection, he realises that to kill someone praying would result in their soul going to heaven • Ironically, Claudius is unable to pray • Polonius hides behind the arras while Gertrude receives her son • When she cries for help, Polonius takes up the cry and Hamlet, momentarily mistaking him for the King, stabs him. Hamlet is unmoved by the murder • Hamlet accuses Gertrude of having been involved in her husband’s death • Hamlet only stops his haranguing when his father’s ghost appears • He extracts from her a promise of secrecy, before dragging the dead Polonius from the room Act IV: • Gertrude tells the King of the death of Polonius at the hands of Hamlet • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are instructed to find the Prince and they discover him in one of the rooms of the castle • Hamlet leads his old schoolfellows on a game of hide-and-seek • Hamlet is brought before the King • Claudius announces that, as Hamlet is loved by the multitude, the ‘strong law’ will not be placed upon him, but in private he talks of sealed letters accompanying Hamlet to England which will result in his death • In Act IV, scene iv, Fortinbras makes his first appearance – he is leading an army of twenty thousand men across Danish territory to engage in a war against Poland for a ‘little patch of ground/ That hath in it no profit but the name’ • Hearing this news, Hamlet reflects on the nature of humanity • Here he balances the sense of man’s nobility against the idea of him as a ‘beast’ capable of little more than sleeping and feeding (the men are dying ‘for an eggshell’ and their leader has been ‘puffed’ up with ambition) • Hamlet cannot bring his thoughts into a state of coherence • Declares that henceforth his thoughts will be ‘bloody’ • Act IV, scene v displays a harsher side to the Queen:  She will not speak to Ophelia • The main concerns in this scene are the madness of Ophelia and the return of Laertes. Both of these matters have been caused by the death of Polonius. • Ophelia enters singing • Claudius is fearful of the arrival of Laertes, whom the multitude is crying out to be made King. Yet when Laertes bursts into the palace, seeking justice and revenge, Claudius is courageous in confronting him and protesting his innocence. • When Ophelia departs the King draws Laertes aside to ‘commune with his grief’ and to give full explanation of Polonius’ death • Letter from Hamlet delivered to Horatio – the vessel transporting Hamlet to England met a pirate ship and how Hamlet has now returned to Denmark • To Claudius’ great surprise a message from Hamlet is delivered, announcing his imminent arrival at court • Laertes is ready to kill Hamlet and, to enable him to do so without suspicion being cast upon him, Claudius plans a fencing match between the two young men in which Laertes will have an unbated foil. Laertes quickly adds that he will dip his sword in poison and the King decides that a poisoned drink should also be available • Death of Ophelia Act V: • This act begins with two grave-diggers discussing the person whose grave they are digging • Hamlet is amused by the clowns’ jesting and joins in • There is irony in the fact that the clown mentions Hamlet without realising to whom he is speaking • Shakespeare’s local humour:  Hamlet will be mad in England, but it will be no great matter as ‘there the men are as mad as he’ • Hamlet discovers that one of the skulls unearthed by the grave-digger belonged to Yorick, the King’s jester • Funeral procession arrives • When Ophelia’s body is placed in the ground, Laertes, overcome with grief, jumps into the grave and calls on those present to bury him too. • Hamlet shows himself and he and Laertes grapple. • To escape England, Hamlet tells Horatio that he used the royal Danish seal to substitute the names of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for his own name on a death warrant and he draws the conclusion that: ‘There’s a divinity that shapes our ends/ Rough-hew them how we will’ • Osric delivers a wager regarding the outcome of a fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes  At this point the audience is aware of all the circumstances leading up to a particular moment, whereas the characters on stage only have partial awareness o ‘Discrepant awareness’, or o Dramatic irony • When Hamlet meets Laertes prior to their fencing match, he apologises for his behaviour in the graveyard  This is evidence that Hamlet’s unpredictable actions were not solely attributable to his ‘antic disposition’ and that, at times at least, he was genuinely mad • Hamlet wins the first bout • While Hamlet is off guard he is wounded by Laertes • Laertes is also wounded • The Queen dies • Laertes reveals the King’s involvement in the scheme • Hamlet ensures that Claudius will be killed by stabbing him with the envenomed sword and forcing him to drink from the poisoned cup • Claudius’ death is soon followed by that of Laertes • Hamlet hears the approach of Fortinbras. He nominates Fortinbras as heir to the throne of Denmark • His final phrase: ‘The rest is silence’ • Fortinbras calls on four captains to bear Hamlet like a soldier and for the guns to fire a salute CHARACTER ANALYSIS HAMLET – Character Analysis Hamlet 30-year-old Hamlet is a perplexing and procrastinating character. There is an air of mystery behind him, and he gives off the impression that there is more to him than meets the eye. He is a smart man who attended university prior to his father’s death. The inclusion of Hamlet’s soliloquies allow for Hamlet’s philosophical and contemplative side to show. He is an impulsive character; this is quite evident by his rash decisions, e.g. killing Polonius. His is disgruntled with his family life and also the state of affairs in Denmark, and his distrust in women is evident by his reaction to Gertrude and Claudius’ marriage, and also his harsh treatment of Ophelia. Hamlet’s revenge at the end of the play is truly tragic. Gertrude does not get to know who truly killed Hamlet snr. And Hamlet ends up being killed by the man who killed his father – Claudius. Quote: “O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer” – directed towards Gertrude Scene: Act 5, Scene 1 – The grave digger’s scene. Here, Hamlet display his philosophical and contemplative side as he questions life, death and life after death Ophelia Ophelia is a sweet and innocent teenager who will obey everything her father and brother tell her to do. Throughout the play, it becomes clear that Ophelia is most definitely influenced by her context as she appears to depend on the male characters in the play to tell her how to behave. Ophelia is fragile in that she is easily manipulated and she is extremely obedient. Her relationship with Hamlet may have a secret motive of social status, but Ophelia does give off the impression of being honest and dependable. Ophelia forms the “love interest” in this play. All of Ophelia’s actions in the play are somewhat influenced by the men in the play, and he transformation into madness was purely by circumstance. Quote: “I shall obey, my lord” – pure evidence of Ophelia’s evidence towards her father and his status to her i.e. a lord Scene: Act 3, Scene 1. Here Polonius orders Ophelia to trick Hamlet and she does so wilfully and obediently Claudius Claudius plays the villain in this play. He is the corrupt politician who causes trouble and discontent. Claudius seems to possess an indestructible lust for power which is only finally omitted when Claudius’ death occurs. Claudius is a very manipulative man whose need to maintain power causes him a great deal of trouble. He is a selfish character, but does occasionally show signs of true human emotion, such as that of guilt about the death of his brother. This guilt may also let us come to the conclusion that Claudius did love his brother, albeit only slightly, but his lust for power overpowered his love for his brother. Claudius seems to have married Gertrude as a strategic move, but also shows genuine signs of love towards her. Claudius sees Hamlet as a hurdle in his rise for power and also a threat to the throne. Quote: “O heavy burden!” – This quote clearly displays the emotion of guilt that Claudius is inevitably feeling Scene: Act 1, Scene 2. The first speech of this act clearly displays the theme of Appearance vs. Reality. Claudius appears to be a great leader but is actually being very manipulative and patronising. Gertrude Queen to the throne and the disappointment of her son, Gertrude in fact appears to be a very weak woman. She loves Hamlet a lot but had a secret agenda of status and affection. She doesn’t seem to want to grieve about her past husband, even though she seemed to have loved him. Gertrude is dependant on the men in her life and she may have realised this, resulting in the somewhat impulsive marriage to her dead husband’s brother. Gertrude is honest in her actions but still influenced by her husband and status in society. Quote: “I shall obey you” – clearly shows Gertrude’s obedience to the men in her life, in this case, Claudius Scene: Act 1, Scene 2. Gertrude portrays her obvious lack of love, or otherwise hidden love, for her past husband. She simply agreed with Claudius even thought she would have grief for her late husband. It is also obvious in this scene that Gertrude genuinely wants Hamlet to stay in Denmark so that she can see him, and it reinforces Claudius’ somewhat contrasting reasons for keeping Hamlet in Denmark, i.e. to make sure Hamlet does not threaten the throne or discover who murdered his father. Polonius Polonius is a “trouble-maker” in the play. He is a pompous, convincing character who only has his own interests at heart. He is a foolish man who changes quite often. He tends to have no clear agenda and is very controlling of his daughter. He uses his daughter to help spy on Hamlet, and it is this same act of spying that results in Polonius’ death when he tries to listen in on a conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude. Quote: “Have you so slander any moment leisure as to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet. Look to’t I charge you. Come your ways.” – Polonius is telling Ophelia what to do/controlling her. Scene: Act 3, Scene 1.It is obvious in this scene that Polonius is a selfish man (i.e. he is using his daughter to spy on Hamlet) Laertes Laertes is a somewhat independent male character in the play. Although he resides in France for the most part of the play, much of his character is revealed in the few scenes that he does appear in. He is a passionate man who truly loves his father and his sister and he deeply cares for them. Even so, he leaves his sister alone with his controlling father, but this may be due to Laertes’ strong desire for independence and his own aspirations. It is understandable why Laertes reacts rashly when he hears about his father’s death and his actions towards Hamlet are, to some extent, appropriate. Quote: “Do not let me sleep but hear from you” – this quote is directed at Ophelia and is evident of Laertes’ love for his sister due to his desire to hear from her when he retreats to France Scene: Act 5, scene 1. In this scene Laertes fights with Hamlet when Hamlet offends Laertes about his love for Ophelia. Once again, this scene shows quite clearly Laertes’ love for his sister. Horatio The helpless “side-kick”, Horatio truly is a loyal and true friend to Hamlet. Horatio forms “the good guy” in the play. He is relied upon by Hamlet for help and advice, and Horatio does not fail to deliver. Horatio is true to his intentions and does not seem to have a hidden agenda. Horatio could be seen as a link between the audience and the play as his character is able to question Hamlet about certain things that the audience may be wondering. Horatio is repaid for being “the good guy” by being the only main character alive at the end of the play. He remains alive to tell Hamlet’s story and without Horatio, there would be no real feeling of closure at the conclusion of the play. Quote: “If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither, and say you are not fit” – this is directed towards Hamlet before the commencement of the fight scene. It is an example of Horatio’s loyalty to his and Hamlet’s friendship. Fortinbras Fortinbras may be seen as the “threat” in the play. He is a symbol of the times in which the play was written. He is an ambitious man who will resort to many measures to get his own way, including taking advantage of his uncle. Fortinbras does not rightfully take the throne at the end of the play but his ambitious and selfish mind overpowers whether it is right or wrong to take the throne or not. Quote: “We have here writ to Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras, who, impotent and bad-rid, scarcely hears of this his nephew’s purpose” – Part of Claudius’ speech, it provides evidence towards Fortinbras’ true intentions and his taking advantage of his sick uncle Scene: Act 5, Scene 2. Fortinbras takes the throne after the death of nearly all the main characters. This here displays his selfish and ambitious mind, THEME ANALYSIS WHAT IS CONTEXT' • Personal, social, historical and cultural perspectives • Typical or unusual for historical period' • Certain qualities of human nature have not changed, so the character types we meet in different texts may be similar • Social and cultural customs change over time (e.g. mail vs. phone) • Language differs • Context provides meaning to a modern reader who may be challenged by outdated morals or mores • A text may be considered a classic because it deals with universal themes, situations, characters and/or mores • The way these universal themes are delivered and the importance each of them take in a body of work, changes over time (once again, mail vs. phone) • “The world of the play” – external and internal environments HAMLET – Aspect of Context Details/Description Personal  Born in 1564 to a successful middle-class glove-maker in Stratford-upon-Avon, England  By 1592, Shakespeare was both an actor and playwright in London, but it was two of his narrative poems that established his reputation as a writer  In 1594 he became a member of a theatrical company called the Chamberlain’s Men, which became the King’s Men  From 1599, the company acted in the Globe Theatre  As a professional playwright under the patronage of Elizabeth I - affects ideals conveyed in play – expected to entertain the masses by reinforcing established values of the time – worked under the demands of the audience  Son Hamnet died not long before Hamlet was written – unhappy with religious changes occurring in his world, as they did not allow for him to grieve for his son properly – explores death, including the spiritual aftermath and the physical remains  Close to the age of death himself – surrounded by death  Shakespeare wrote with the actors of his company and their recent performances in mind Historical  Rumours of a second Spanish Armada attack  Government struggled to crush a second Catholic rebellion in Ireland  Medieval feudalism was in decline – aristocrats resorted to increasingly harsher measures to maintain their power  Renaissance:  Renaissance spread to other countries which produced a more sceptical strain of humanism which stressed the limitations of human understanding e.g. French humanist Michel de Montaigne  Medieval/Enlightenment  Galileo’s telescope (early 17th century) – earth is not the centre of the universe Social/Cultural  Uncertainty and turmoil in England  The flourishing of revenge tragedy was fuelled by the enormous changes taking place in Elizabethan and Jacobean society  Second Spanish Armada attack – meant London was braced for invasion  Division of the church in England divided people into Catholics and Protestants - religious doubt, albeit cleverly disguised, was becoming more prevalent  Important things: royalty, being a good Christian, good deeds etc. The play  Written during the first part of the seventeenth century (1600 or 1601)  As was common practice during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Shakespeare borrowed for his plays ideas and stories from earlier literary works  Shakespeare changed the emphasis of the original Hamlet story to make his Hamlet a philosophically-minded prince who delays taking action because his knowledge of his uncle’s crime is so uncertain – he was thus able to take an unremarkable revenge story and make it resonate with the most fundamental themes and problems of the Renaissance.  Hamlet’s famous speech in Act II, “What a piece of work is man!” (etc.) is directly based upon one of the major texts of the Italian humanists, Pico della Mirandola’s Oration on the Dignity of Man  French humanist Montaigne maintained that the world of experience was a world of appearances, and that human beings could never see past those appearances into the “realities” that lay benieth - This is the world that Hamlet is set in - Hamlet is faces with the task of correcting an injustice that he can never have sufficient knowledge of - The play as a whole demonstrates the difficulty of knowing the truth about other people (their guilt or innocences, relative states of sanity, etc.)  The world of other people is a world of appearances, and Hamlet is fundamentally a play about the difficulty of living in that world.  Has an intense focus on the phenomenon of change  Shakespeare was writing in the tradition of “theatre of blood” – very popular to have the stage covered in blood at the end of the play  Intense focus on the phenomenon of change Is Hamlet typical for its time'  Elizabethans wanted death in their plays because of their religious beliefs  All texts were about nobles in Elizabethan times  There was a belief in Order and a sense of purpose in life  Revenge Tragedies were popular – fuelled by enormous challenges/changes taking place in society; religious doubt, religious challenges, surveillance, spies, assassinations (Elizabeth and James), plague, etc.  Nevertheless, Hamlet was ahead of its time – complex  Shakespeare’s most consciously theatrical play  Shakespeare transformed the concept of a revenge tragedy to include comedy: parody, mocking humour  Set in a medieval time but the ideas expressed are enlightened ones – Shakespeare infused it with the values of the time that he was living in  What separates Hamlet from other revenge plays is that the action that we expect to see, particularly from Hamlet himself, is continually postponed while Hamlet tries to obtain more certain knowledge about what he is doing THE TRANSFORMATION “Transformations of texts have occurred for centuries and stories have been updated to contemporary situations. Composers gather inspiration from past texts, and the “new” thus resonates with the past texts” “Consider the ways in which transformations generate reflections on the texts, contexts and the ways in which a text can be transformed” Transformation: to take a traditional text and reinvent it a new audience Textual transformation reveals why certain texts are valued – reveals how they present new ways of thinking and evaluating society Transformations in context: Why is the original text (Hamlet) valued' - Shakespeare considered high culture – high brow – in contemporary society - Universal appeal – universal values/themes explored e.g. death - Most famous Shakespeare play - Stoppard: “[Hamlet] is the most famous play in any language, it is part of a sort of common mythology” THE TRANSFORMATION, IN GENERAL “You can’t make tragedies without social instability.” – A. Huxley The relationship between the two texts is NOT one way… CONTEXTS AND CONTRASTS – Aspect Hamlet Social order - Politically conservative author, more focused on the nature of humanity than on the nature of society - Strong concept of social order (divine right) - In a society where the influence of the Church was strong, the dominant values promulgated were goodness, diligence, obedience and endurance, in the expectation of eternal happiness in heaven - Moral framework present in the prince’s hesitancy to trust ghost (thinks it’s the devil) and his hesitancy to kill Claudius (will result in his own damnation) - Hamlet’s context is a world of certainty; people know their place; their progression through life is well ordered; right and wrong are clearly defined – as is eternal punishment and reward - Shakespeare’s questions primarily concern human nature and the relationship of man with this relatively solid moral and social structure Tragedy - Hamlet’s death is a tragedy but he causes his own downfall – his initial hesitancy then his subsequent rashness - Hamlet’s tragedy is universalised by the resolution he shows in Act 5 that suggests that he would have made a great leader - TRANSFORMATIONS AND THEMES (PARALLELS WITHIN TEXTS)– Theme Hamlet Destiny/Fate Similarities: - The characters’ resignation to their destiny – although Hamlet takes responsibility for his lack of action, he also likes to think that it is not entirely under his control - Rosencrantz feels the same release in ending the struggle - Submitting to the inevitable brings both Ros and Hamlet a sense of release from battling against fate - The concept of one’s future being mapped out, unalterable, is common to both texts, but in different ways - Both plays explore the idea of a purpose in life - Hamlet has the illusion of choice and control over his life – he chooses to avenge his father’s murder – he chooses to put ‘an antic disposition’ on – he chooses not to kill Claudius at prayer – he chooses to accept the duel with Laertes - Hamlet is not only influenced by outside forces, but also appears to direct the action himself - Idea of a master plan – Hamlet believes that there is a sense of justice in fate. When he tells Horatio that he has sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths, he says: ‘There’s a divinity that shapes our ends,/ Rough-hew them how we will’ - Central questions: ‘What are we here for'’ and ‘What is after life'’ - Hamlet’s fate as ‘the avenger’ - The belief at the time was that fate could not be avoided – hence, Hamlet was destined to walk a preordained path - Fate of other characters in the play (Claudius murders so he is murdered, etc) - Belief of an ordered universe with a “master plan” - Sense of questioning - Purpose in life – “What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven'” - Destiny and fate are portrayed as being inescapable and as a predetermination of justice - Action and consequence are clearly linked Death Similarities: - Both pursue the nature of death but come up with different answers - Death is always the unknown entity - Underpinned by a Christian world view - Romantic and tragic, but only tragic to those of nobility - Deaths are “over the top” – stabbings, poisonings, etc. - Death only comes to those who deserve it - Deliverance of justice – Elizabethans had strong beliefs in the religious and monarchal system of justice – it came to those who broke the ‘Chain of Being’ - Death is a bit Elizabethan theme – bloody goriness typical to Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy – thus Hamlet seeks revenge via the sword - Religious values of time affect ideas about death - Fear of unknown in death - Trapped in life, “Denmark’s a prison” - Inevitability of death – a leveller - Death is something significant – believed our mortal coil was only the first step - Hamlet’s attitude to death is shaped by religious and moral philosophy - Hamlet acknowledges death as a great leveller that humans have no control over – faith in the existence of a divine being and the afterlife – death cannot be the end, even if what lies beyond is Hell Religion Similarities: - The ponderings presented in R+G are perfectly paralleled and contrasted with the religious framework of Shakespeare’s play – a religious world that was in turmoil, and yet decidedly directive in contrast to Stoppard’s primarily directionless context - The presence of the ghost, and Hamlet’s later reaction to it, act as evidence that Shakespeare was grappling with the conflicting religious teachings of the Elizabethan era - Elizabethan audience would recognise “prison house” as the Catholic concept of purgatory - a place that was dismissed as fallacy by the reigning monarch and her church - The presence of the ghost in the opening scenes of Hamlet could indicate that Shakespeare was tormented by the fact that Protestant beliefs did not allow him to adequately mourn the death of Hamnet - Claudius could be an embodiment of the new Protestant rites - Elizabethan audience would have recognised Claudius’ and Gertrude’s urges to “throw to earth/ this unprevailing woe” as a subtle subversion of the current Protestant order; not overt enough to be censored, but nevertheless a clear embodiment of the Elizabethan crisis of faith - Hamlet opens with clear references to religion, relying on its audience’s knowledge of these allusions to purgatory and the supernatural - Shakespeare is relying on his audience’s awareness of the social expectations binding Hamlet - Attempts to subtly subvert the power structures of his time Metatheatre Similarities: - Both convey features of a play within a play, to remind the audience of the comment that the composer is making. - Both are metaphors, Hamlet is a metaphor for the Elizabethan context, whereas R+G is uses theatre as a metaphor for life - Theatre = amusement – light hearted and dramatic - Non realistic/dramatic acting - Hamlet uses the players to subvert Claudius’ corrupt autocracy, and the theatre becomes a place of reassurance - It is the presence of the players that reinvigorates Hamlet’s purpose, as Hamlet begins to see in them not only their ability to enact tragedy in an entertaining manner, but also that they embody “beyond what they act: a struggle or conflict in human existence” - Hence Shakespeare questions the power structures of the Elizabethan era - The final moments of Shakespeare’s play fulfil the conventions of the tragedy genre – Shakespeare satisfies the urges of his expectant audience, suggesting that society needs to take heed - Hierarchal structure of Elizabethan society is subverted when Shakespeare punished the usurper, Claudius, and makes an example of the procrastinator, Hamlet - Shakespeare is simultaneously reinforcing the necessity of the monarchy, as Fortinbras represents the stability that Denmark requires in this tragic time - Fortinbras – new king in Denmark – paralleled with the possibility of a new king in England, King James I, the king who will bring unity and stability to the ruptured and bloody England Values: Things that we think are important. The things that the author sees as important are reflected in what the characters see as important. Therefore, both Shakespeare and Stoppard saw destiny/fate, death, religion (or lack thereof) and theatre as important and thus represented these through their texts, due to their contexts. THE COMPOSER’S PURPOSE – Shakespeare: ♪ Shakespeare is disguising a lot of his own concerns in the play: o His father appears as a ‘ghost’ of the medieval world, honour, tradition, nobility o Claudius is the new, self-made man ♪ Tragedy ♪ Torn between medieval ideas and God ♪ Message – pointlessness of revenge (new movement stopping people taking out their own revenge) ♪ Christian message – God judges – it’s not our right to judge THE COMPOSER’S AUDIENCE – Shakespeare: ♪ During Shakespeare’s times, audiences not likely to read the text ♪ Wider range of audience, from the royal to the everyday ♪ Came in with preordained expectations of a Revenge Tragedy – of the fate of the avenger ♪ Shakespeare intended to create a moral message - had to do so without undermining the contemporary political situation ♪ Theatre was their only form of entertainment ♪ Expected to be entertained