Hamlet's First Soliloquy by Nina

O, that this too, too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew

nst — 2015-10-01 19:48:20 UTC

The soliloquy starts with the poetic apostrophe of O indicating Hamlet's extreme emotional state after meeting with his mother and Claudius. HIs desire to disappear and melt is emphasised by Shakespeare through the use of the spondee and the repetition of 'too' as Hamlet describes his feeling of being to 'solid' and physical, suggesting that he feels too alive. Some interpretations use the term 'sullied' meaning dirty and unclean, which could suggest that he feels tainted by the actions of his mother in marrying Claudius. The opening lines capture his despair.

'and yet, within a month- let me not think on't-Frailty, thy name is woman!-'

2015-10-02 13:38:57 UTC

This particular part of the soliloquy focuses on the anger Hamlet has for not only his mother but now, women in general. Throughout the soliloquy, Hamlet also focuses on the aspect of time of which it has taken his mother to grieve over her late husband and then to marry her brother in law. The repetition of the phrase 'within a month' highlights Hamlet's disbelief in his mother's grieving time. Hamlet also doesn't want to think about the short amount of time taken by his mother to re-marry as shown by 'let me not think on't'. He is almost arguing with with himself to think of the circumstances or to not.

The noun 'frailty' describes his mother of being weak and feeble. He is disgusted by her actions and shows this by saying 'Frailty, they name is woman!' The exclamatory syntax emphasises Hamlet's disapproval of his mother's remarriage and also the anger that he cannot speak of it. Throughout the quote and soliloquy, the use of the hyphen indicates that Hamlet is thinking fast and is obsessed with the situation.

So loving to my mother, That he might not beteem the winds of heaven visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!

2015-10-02 13:39:23 UTC

In these lines of the soliloquy, Hamlet uses very dramatic language, for example the phrase, "that he might not beteem the winds of heaven visit her face too roughly", in reference to how protective his father was over Gertrude. By using this hyperbole, Shakespeare is able to convey how over-dramatic Hamlet is. This attitude is heightened further by the exclamatory "Heaven and earth!". This sentence could also be considered an expletive, portraying Hamlet's disbelief at his mother's audacity.

within a month: Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes She married.

2015-10-02 13:39:29 UTC

The quotation is from line 154-156. Hamlets disapproval of his Mother is made clear throughout this soliloquy. The time between Gertrude's husbands death and her remarriage is emphasized. Hamlet has this attitude because of the disgust he feels towards his Mothers new relationship. The short sentences shows Hamlets shock and disbelief.

O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, would have mourn'd longer - married with my uncle, my father's brother, but no more like my father than i to Hercules:

2015-10-02 13:39:38 UTC

By beginning with the exclamatory 'O, God!' shows us how appalled Hamlet is with his mother. Hamlet refers to his mother as a 'beast' the use of this adjective expresses that he believes that even an animal would have mourned longer than his mother did. This adjective shows us how he is belittling her, he is disgusted by the way she is acting. The comparison between his father and his uncle shows us that they are not similar due to the way he compares himself to Hercules afterwards.

'it is nor nor it cannot come to good : But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue'

2015-10-02 13:39:42 UTC

Hamlet's last line of broken, fragmented and eliptical language expresses the character's difficulty in his current emotions, his anguish within his mental ordeal of 'what to do', with regards to the infomation given to him by the ghost. And also how he feels about his mother, the king of procrastination decides it is best to not do or say anything.

. Jay Staker was ere

A little month, or ere those shoes were old, With which she follow'd my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears: - why she, even she-

2015-10-02 13:40:15 UTC

Hamlet appears almost obsessed with the time-frame in which his mother had betrayed he and his father: he uses the adjective "little" in order to emphasize his shame on his mother for lacking time to grieve his father's death. He uses "shoes" as an allegory for her love for his King Hamlet; worn out and "old", an adjective he uses again to suggest his obsession with time. Hamlet seems unable to fathom an amount of time in which is acceptable to stop grieving his "poor father", and this stems his lack of belief in love and marriage.

Also comparing Gertrude to "Niobe", this proper noun is linked to the story relative to tears and death. Here, Hamlet infers that her feigned sadness and grief shall lead to her death; recognizing her disloyalty to his father and thus to him.

His exclamatory tone in the phrase "why she, even she" suggests a sudden burst of anger. Hamlet displays features of spoken language by interruption his own soliloquy simply to release his own anger. The repetition of "she" is used to exaggerate his inability to call her his mother, connecting her with any other woman and therefore allowing him to use his mother as an example of all women.

O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous speech

2015-10-02 13:40:32 UTC

Here, Hamlet uses consonance and sibilance to accentuate his disgust throughout the quote at his mother for getting involved with Claudius and it creates that sound of him spitting the words out. The 'wicked speed' refers to how his mother being with Claudius so soon since is dads death is the opposite of religious and is something un-holy

O,God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn'd longer-married with my uncle, My father's brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules

2015-10-02 13:40:50 UTC

The noun 'beast' which Hamlet uses to describe his mother tells us that he thinks that even an animal would have morned longer than she did. He clearly feels that she has no compassion for his father anymore, now that she has married his uncle. Hamlet compares the relationship between his father and uncle to him and Hercules. He is basically saying that his father and uncle were strangers to each other and were in no way similar. He feels protective of his father and feels like his uncle will never replace him. The exclamative phrase 'O,God' with the poetic apostrophe shows Hamlet's anger at the way his mother has acted.

A little month, or ere those shoes were old. With which she follow'd my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears:--why she, even she--

2015-10-02 13:41:07 UTC

The image of the shoes that she wore to his father's funeral had not even worn out before she remarried. the use of the hyphen is used to show the disjointed and fragmented speech and Hamlets state of mind

within a month: Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married.

2015-10-02 13:41:22 UTC

It is clear that in this part of the soliloquy, Hamlet is disappointed and disgusted with his mother's hasty remarriage to Claudius

this is highlighted by the use of time, 'within a month:' and 'Ere' showing his disaproval. The use of the short sentence, 'she married.' highlights Hamlet's bluntness and shock. This is also shown with the use of the third person, as Hamlet is not refering to his mother using her name but with 'she' highlighting his anger and lack of expectation and inability to call her his mother. The verb 'galled' suggests Hamlet is irritated and annoyed by his mother's remarriage.

it is not nor cannot come to good:But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue.

2015-10-02 13:41:47 UTC

Hamlet is frustrated by the fact that he feels he cannot express his feelings on the hasty marriage of his mother, Gertrude, to Claudius. He cannot speak out as he so clearly wants to but instead he says 'I must hold my tongue'. The dynamic verb 'breaks' emphasises his heartache, and the deep-felt hurt and betrayal he feels.

but two months dead: nay, not so much, not two. So excellent a king; that was, to this, Hyperion to a satry;

2015-10-02 13:41:55 UTC

The false starts in his speech shows his anger and his state of mind when thinking about the death of his father and the speedy marriage of his mother, his depression and his anger is shown in the repeated negations of "not" he strongly disapproves his mother marriage . He starts to recall his father in admiration, with the use of the superlative adjective 'excellent' to show how good the king was. He goes on to juxtapose King Hamlet with Claudius emphasizing his fathers superiority over Claudius by using a greek god 'Hyperion over a half goat half man 'Satyr' showing his father is all the more superior to Claudius.

As if increase of appetite had grown

2015-10-02 13:42:33 UTC

In this line of the soliloquy Hamlet is obsessed with Gertrude's betrayal to his dad. The imagery of Gertrude feeding on King Hamlet suggests that King Hamlet gave her life and gave her a meaning,. It also suggests that Gertrude can not survive without a man.

or that the everlasting had not fix'd ,his canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God ! God!

2015-10-02 13:43:24 UTC

The use of the repeated exclamatory "God !" shows the visceral and passionate feelings hamlet has towards ending his own life and also has religious connotations "O God!" as though he is crying out for permission to do so. Furthermore the use of the word "cannon" highlights the religious context that hamlet knows suicide is wrong from a christian point of view and also has connotations of violnece and war which could be comparativer to the war hamlet is feeling with himself ;whether to end his life .

2015-10-02 13:43:41 UTC

and yet, within a month - Let me not think on't - Frailty, thy name is woman!-

2015-10-02 13:57:18 UTC

The hyphens show Hamlet's fragmented and broken speech which
shows his inability to think about what his mother has done because he is so
disgusted. There is also irony here as he says 'Let me not think on't' yet he
carries on. The link he makes between frailty and women and how he is
personifying Frailty shows how his disappointment and disgust of his mother is
clouding his view on all women, that all women are frail. Some could argue that
this has an effect on his relationship with Ophelia

O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets

2015-10-02 14:01:15 UTC

The sibilance used with the repeated use of the sound 's' in 'Incestuous sheets' helps to show Hamlets feelings of disgust towards his mother after he finds out she has been involved with Claudius. The use of 'the wicked speed' shows that Hamlet is still obsessed with the hastiness of how quick Claudius and Gertrude after Old King Hamlet's death.