HAMLET, III.I by

Key Characters:

skiew — 2014-01-25 20:48:04 UTC

Hamlet - son to Old King and nephew to Claudius

Gertrude - Queen of Denmark and Hamlet's mom

Claudius - King of Denmark

Polonius - Lord Chamberlain

Ophelia - daughter of Polonius

Guildernstern & Rosencrantz - courtiers

"To be, or not to be: that is the question..."(III.i 56)

skiew — 2014-01-25 20:51:06 UTC

- Hamlet questions the meaning of human exsistance: whether it's worth living or to just commit suicide.

- Why would people suffer the pains of life rather than just die?

Research:

skiew — 2014-01-25 20:52:30 UTC

The reason for researching Elizabethan makeup was through Hamlet's conversation with Ophelia, where he talks about the power of makeup, and its ability to distract others from the true person behind it. Looks are deceitful, he means.

However, wealthy Elizabethan men wore makeup to - only not as much - which is rather ironic because they are just as deceitful!

The presentation can give you an idea of how Ophelia and women of the Elizabethan times looked like.

Where does III.i take place?

skiew — 2014-01-27 22:57:36 UTC

At Elsinore Castle, Denmark

Motif: Spying!

skiew — 2014-01-27 23:02:37 UTC

Key Quotes : Key Themes:

skiew — 2014-01-27 23:06:35 UTC

Problem of Delay

skiew — 2014-01-27 23:10:05 UTC

Hamlet is very much a passive person, however he yearns to be less like that and more of a doer. He self-criticizes by saying that thinking is cowardly; yet no matter how much he yearns to take active measures he cannot seem to do so. This is because he constantly second-guesses himself conveying that deep down, he does not believe in himself. Hamlet’s introspect is both a blessing and a curse in that although at times there is some rationality to him, it ultimately makes him hesitate andstops him from taking action; delaying. His conscience interferes with his willpower causing delay. The problem is that delay leads to inaction. The more he procrastinates, the less he takes any actions and the more he avoids the truth of his own identity because he is trying to do things beyond his capability.

OVERTHINKING --> HESITATION --> DELAY --> INACTION

Time Period?

skiew — 2014-01-27 23:12:40 UTC

Elizabethan Era, 1558–1603

Family Tree

skiew — 2014-01-27 23:22:57 UTC

'To be or not to be' speech

skiew — 2014-01-29 02:13:06 UTC

Hamlet and Ophelia Conversation (skip to 3.16)

skiew — 2014-01-29 02:16:00 UTC

Motif: Misogyny

skiew — 2014-01-29 04:26:17 UTC

The mystery of Afterlife

skiew — 2014-01-29 04:29:45 UTC

Despite this, Hamlet’s grief longs for his own death so he does not have to deal with the scorns of life. However, it is against their religion to commit suicide and fears the “undiscovered country” of afterlife from which “no traveler returns.” He concludes that this is why people would rather suffer on earth than commit suicide. No one truly knows what happens after death hence this fear of the unknown leads to moral conflictions that gets in the way of taking any action.

The rollercoaster symblizes Hamlet's inconsistent behaviour

skiew — 2014-01-29 15:53:58 UTC

skiew — 2014-01-29 16:27:52 UTC

Spying is a recurring element throughout the play. In 3.1, Claudius and Polonius spy on the conversation with Hamlet and Ophelia for very different reasons. Polonius wants to know if Ophelia’s rejection has truly made Hamlet go mad, whilst Claudius has deeper intents. He wants to know exactly what Hamlet is up to and is worried that Hamlet may become a threat to the throne. Why is he acting crazy? Many of his inconsistent behaviours are due to the spying which confuses the king yet intensifies his intentions to find out. The spying reveals Claudius’ insecurities and selfish fear for his own protection. Spying uncovers the numerous mysteries and deception of characters in the play, allowing the audience to relate to the vulnerability posed by those spied upon.

skiew — 2014-01-29 16:29:13 UTC

Hamlet’s inability to accept his mother’s choice of marrying Claudius because he thinks it is morally incorrect leads him to become cynical of women in general. He stereotypes their sexuality with moral corruption, that their “…power of beauty will sooner transform honesty…” (III.i 110-111). He means that their beauty will corrupt chastity, then tells Ophelia to “Get thee to a nunnery” (III.i 121). His hatred towards women occurs sporadically throughout the play, intensifying as he speaks to Ophelia (and Gertrude) and their interaction mirrors the one between Hamlet and Gertrude. Conclusively, Gertrude’s corruption is an integral part to Hamlet’s misogyny, making him lash out at the women around him, and women in general.

skiew — 2014-01-29 16:32:24 UTC

"Get thee to a nunnery"! (III.i 121)

skiew — 2014-01-29 16:34:08 UTC

What happens after death?

“…conscience does make cowards of us all.” (III.i 84)

skiew — 2014-01-29 16:36:35 UTC

- Hamlet believes that THINKING makes us cowards.

- He self-depricates

skiew — 2014-01-29 16:39:19 UTC

The power of conscience

skiew — 2014-01-29 16:41:34 UTC

Hamlet's cycle of delay

Works Cited:

skiew — 2014-01-29 17:02:19 UTC

skiew — 2014-01-29 17:06:47 UTC

Bell, Millicent. "Hamlet, Revenge!" The Hudson Review 51.2 (1998): 310-28. Print.

skiew — 2014-01-29 17:19:32 UTC

Sharma, B. D. "The Problem of Delay in Shakespeare's Hamlet: A Point of View." The Problem of Delay in Shakespeare's Hamlet 13.2 (2006): 16-23. Print.

skiew — 2014-01-29 17:28:17 UTC

Tkacz, Catherine Brown. "The Wheel of Fortune, the Wheel of State, and Moral Choice in "Hamlet"" JSTOR. South Atlantic Modern Language Association, Nov. 1992. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.

III.i Summary Video

skiew — 2014-01-29 23:53:03 UTC

"I have heard of your paintings...God hath given you one face, and you make yourself another; you jig... and nickname God's creatures, and make your wantonness your ignorance." (III.i 142-146)

skiew — 2014-01-30 00:10:44 UTC

- Hamlet is lashing out at Ophelia, but that quote he says to her is referring to all women in general.

- What he says to Ophelia is really what he wants to say to his mother.

- His misogyny causes him to stereotype women; he links women to sexual corruption.

- He says that women are a deceiving and fraud. Their makeup distracts others from their true ugly self, and that they excuse their bad behavior by their ignorance.

skiew — 2014-01-30 00:33:53 UTC

Deceit! -->

skiew — 2014-01-30 00:36:32 UTC