Irodalom | Középiskola » Framing Questions and Topics to Aid Interpretation and Discussion of Hamlet

Hamlet Questions Scene-by-Scene 1 Prof. Jeff Theis Framing Questions and Topics to Aid Interpretation and Discussion of Hamlet 1. Identitywhat social roles do characters use to establish their identityfamilial, love/erotic, friendship, political, gender, etc.? How might biology and spirituality factor into establishing one’s identity? If any of these factors/roles come into conflict with another factor/role, which one does that character choose to side with? Does one have an “internal” identity that is different from an “external” identity? How does the natural world inform a character’s identity (e.g, descriptions of dirt, worms, flowers/plants, countries and territories)? 2. Interpretationeveryone in this play tries to interpret events or other characters Often these interpretations are flawed. A) What criteria/proof do characters use? B) How do they interpret that proof? C) What are the various “interpretations” or theories characters have regarding Hamlet’s

madness? Related to interpretation is story telling. What stories or accounts of things are offered in the play, and how do characters interpret (or react to) said stories? 3. Following from Interpretation is Memoryhow best does one remember someone who has died? What is the relationship between death and memory? 4. Acting/Role Playing This topic relates back to identity What roles are we given? What roles do we shape and control? What characters are self-conscious about role playing and which ones are blind to the roles they play? Act 1.1 Act 1.2 Act I --How does the fact that it is dark night, guardsmen are asking questions, and the guardsmen are wary set the tone for the play? --What factual bits (exposition) do we learn from these characters? --What is Horatio like? --How do these characters “interpret” the ghost’s presence? --How does Claudius present himself as king? Look at his language especially. --How does he address his recent installation as king, his marriage to

his former sister-in-law Gertrude, and the troubling news of Fortinbras’ military maneuverings? --In what we hear of Fortinbras, what does he seem like? --Claudius lets Laertes go to France but does not let Hamlet go back to Wittenberg. --How do Claudius and Gertrude react to Hamlet’s grief? --Notice that this talk is before all of the courtit is public talk. --What kind of language and imagery does Hamlet use? --Do G and C or does H seem to have the better argument regarding grief? Or are you not sure yet? --Hamlet’s first soliloquy. --Hamlet will have many soliloquies. Mark each one and compare and contrast them to each other as you read the play. Look to see if Hamlet’s character changes in how he approaches certain topics (like death/life, action/inaction, purity/corruption). --The soliloquy is about death. How does he describe death? --How does Hamlet see his father? Think about his views on his father and his mother throughout the play. Are his views realistic? Hamlet

Questions Scene-by-Scene 2 --How does Hamlet react to the following: --The arrival of Horatio. How are they friends? --The news from Horatio, Marcellus and Barnardo about the ghost? What proof or criteria do they use and Hamlet require? Does he believe them? Act 1.3 --Subplot with Polonius and his family. Laertes goes off to France --How does Laertes treat his sister? What advice does he give to her? How does Ophelia respond to both her brother and father in this scene? --Both Laertes and Fortinbras (and later, even Ophelia) will be foil characters to Hamlet. Try to chart their qualities and characteristics to get a better sense of how they will juxtapose to Hamlet’s situation. --What kind of advice does Polonius give to his son? Is it good, bad, something else? --What is Polonius’ view on Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship? Consider both his role as political advisor to Claudius as well as his role as father to Ophelia. Act 1.4-5 --The ghost appears. --Why do Hamlet’s

friends not want him to follow the ghost? --Is Hamlet sane or insane in these scenes? Remember, he was thinking suicidal thoughts in 1.2 --Analyze how the ghost tells of his (Hamlet Sr.’s if it is, indeed, his ghost) murder. It isn’t just that he was murdered, it is how it happened and how the ghost describes/remembers it for Hamlet that digs into important themes. For example, how is nature described here? Nature will be of recurring interest in the play. Is nature corrupt, pure, something else? What is Hamlet’s view on the natural world? Notice the garden of Eden imagery, too. If you don’t know it, look up “original sin” as a concept --Note where the ghost comes fromPurgatory. What is Purgatory, and what is the ghost doing there? Think about how Hamlet described his father in the first soliloquy. How does this knowledge about the ghost square with Hamlet’s view on his father? If the ghost asks Hamlet to remember him, is Hamlet remembering his father correctly? Is that

possible? --What might Hamlet mean by his phrase “O my prophetic soul”? Did he suspect the murder? --Note the ghost’s injunctions to Hamlet. Why does he say “Leave her [Gertrude] to heaven” and not kill her? Why just kill Claudius? --The ghost ends by saying “remember me.” Is revenging the murder the same as remembering the father/ghost? Why or why not? --Look at Hamlet’s exchange with his friends. Does he seem mad/insane? Why do they agree to swear not to tell of what happened? Hamlet starts to set out his plan here as well (“to put an antic disposition on”) (i.e, appear insane). Hamlet Questions Scene-by-Scene Act 2.1 Act 2.2 3 Act 2 --How does Polonius want Reynaldo to find out what Laertes is up to (note Reynaldo is also to give notes and money to Laertes from Polonius)? --What is Reynaldo’s reaction to these instructions? --What does this passage tell you about how Polonius goes about getting information? (This will get at the interpretation topic.)

--Ophelia reveals to Polonius Hamlet’s “madness.” --What evidence does she provide regarding this madness, and how does Polonius interpret it? --Rosencrantz and Guildenstern join the play. --These guys are foil characters to Horatio as all are friends to Hamlet. --How do R and G know Hamlet? What is their friendship based upon? --Does it matter that they came at the king and queen’s behest? Should that be seen positively or negatively? --We learn that Claudius’ diplomatic strategy seems to have redirected Fortinbras and saved Denmark. Again, what kind of leader is Claudius? How might he compare to other Shakespearean kings (like Henry V, for example)? --Polonius proposes to Gertrude and Claudius his theory that Hamlet is mad for love of Ophelia. How does Gertrude respond? How does Claudius respond? What kinds of evidence does Polonius use? He uses love letters and poems. What do they suggest regarding Hamlet’s feelings for Ophelia? Are they genuine or generic feelings and

writings? Is it possible to tell? --Polonius gently interrogates Hamlet. Hamlet is feigning madness (note he now speaks in prose, not verse!!!). Is there anything to Hamlet’s gibberish? Note in particular the focus on nature, physical corruption, birth, etc. What might Hamlet be revealing about his view on the world? --How does Polonius interpret Hamlet’s words? --Ros and Guild meet up with Hamlet. --How does Hamlet respond to seeing them? --Notice the bawdy joke about Fortune. How does this discussion of fortune compare to that in other plays (e.g AYL with Celia and Rosalind) --Talk of ambition. Why? This will be one of the motivations ascribed to Hamlet’s madness and unhappiness. Is he ambitious and unhappy that he didn’t inherit the throne? Do his friends really think he’s ambitious, or do you think they were told by Claudius to push that line of questioning (note, there is no evidence Claudius really tells them this). --Why does Hamlet suspect they were sent for? Why does

it matter? How do Ros and Guild respond to his suspicions? How does this affect their friendship? --Hamlet takes delight in learning the players come to Elsinore to perform. --Why are the players here and not in the city? --What is Hamlet’s view on theater? Look closely at this part of the scene. --Notice that Hamlet request a specific play be performed in court, and he asks if he can insert some lines. When the “Moustrap” or “Murder of Hamlet Questions Scene-by-Scene Gonzago” is performed in 3.2, are there any lines that strike you as particularly “Hamlet-ian?” --Notice Player One’s continuation of the speech Hamlet begins. It is about the fall of Troy and family/national tragedy and mourning. --How does Hamlet respond to that speech in his next soliloquy (O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I)? How does acting and role playing feed into his views on remembering and revenge? --What are Hamlet’s views now on revenge and death? --What are his views on the ghost?

Is it a ghost from heaven or hell? Should he be testing the ghost’s story? 4 Hamlet Questions Scene-by-Scene Act 3.1 Act 3 --Gertrude and Claudius interrogate Ros and Guild. What is their “interpretation” of Hamlet now? Do Gertrude and Claudius see Hamlet and his situation in the same way? --There are many scenes staged or overheard in this playthe Ophelia and Hamlet scene is of particular interest. --Note that Polonius and Claudius will overhear it. How does this approach square with how Polonius operates? Notice Claudius’ asideit is the first proof external to the ghost that Claudius is, indeed, guilty. --Hamlet comes in with his third soliloquy. “To be or not to be” Ostensibly no other character hears this speech. How does this speech compare to his previous soliloquies? Is he focused on revenge or on suicide or on both? How does he describe death here? Follow the developing logic closely. --Taking the soliloquy into account, how do Ophelia and Hamlet interact

with one another? --Do you think Hamlet rejects her because she’s already been forced to reject him? Does he reject her because he wishes to protect her? --The nunnery stuff. What is Hamlet saying here? How does Hamlet see women and sexuality? Female sexuality is becoming a major preoccupation with Hamlet. Can you speculate why? --Is Hamlet feigning madness, being sane, or might he be genuinely mad in this scene? --When Hamlet asks, “Where’s your father,” does he suspect Polonius is overhearing them? What do you think? Notice that his approach to Ophelia gets much harsher at this point. --Consider Polonius’ response to Ophelia. Is he tender or not? What is Claudius’ interpretation of the scene between Hamlet and Ophelia? Act 3.2 5 --Hamlet with the players. --Here we get Hamlet’s theory about what makes for good acting and theater. What is the purpose of playing? Is his theory comical, or should we take it seriously? --Hamlet with Horatio. --Horatio is now at least

partly in on things. Why does Hamlet work Horatio in? What does he value in his friend? --Compare and contrast having Claudius and Polonius both view and interpret Hamlet’s actions in the previous scene to Hamlet’s decision to have Horatio also be a witness/interpreter to the king’s reaction to the play. --How does Hamlet interact with Ophelia before the play begins? --The play within the play. --Note the repetition in the play. First the dumb show (a silent acting out of the play’s plot), and then the actual play with dialogue. --What actions does the dumb show focus on? --Explore the language used by the player king and queen. Think back to Hamlet’s plan to insert some lines of dialogue into this Hamlet Questions Scene-by-Scene play. Does anything here strike you as something Hamlet might have written? What? --How does Hamlet comment on the play? --A question that often bugs or strikes critics and actors as puzzling is why is it that Claudius only reacts to the second

enactment of the murder and not the first? Can you offer any theories? --The fallout from the play. --How does Horatio see things? --Note Ros and Guild’s behavior toward Hamlet. Are they on Hamlet’s side or Claudius’s side? Or do they think they are on both mens’ sides? --Look especially at Hamlet’s sharp anger at them. Look at the recorder analogy. Work through the logic of the analogy. Act 3.3 Act 3.4 --Look at Claudius’ plan for Hamlet --Claudius gets his own soliloquy. Analyze thoroughly Sometimes vice characters (villains) get soliloquies to pull in the audience. Does Claudius pull you in here? --Follow the chain of logic in this soliloquy. His ideas develop and change. --What requirements are there to repent? Can he repent? --Hamlet walks by and does not kill Claudius. Why? Would the ghost agree with Hamlet’s decision? Why or why not? What conditions might there be for revenge? Another overheard scene with Polonius and Gertrude. --How do Hamlet and his mother

interact with each other? --Hamlet quickly kills Polonius hoping it is Claudius. He says Polonius was “rash,” but, clearly, it is Hamlet who is rash. What do you make of his not killing Claudius when he could see him praying, and then hoping he killed him while Claudius was hidden? Is Hamlet thinking sanely? Is he just rash? Is he confused or torn about revenge? --Now Gertrude really does think Hamlet is insane, but he tries to reason with her about Claudius. How does he attempt to illuminate her? Is she aware of what Claudius did? Is he making headway? --The ghost’s reappearance. Before, everyone saw the ghost This time only Hamlet sees the ghost. 1 What is the effect on Gertrude? 2 Might Hamlet be really hallucinating if only he sees the ghost? --Is the ghost right? Why is Hamlet so focused on his mother? How might it tie into Hamlet’s ongoing preoccupation with female sexuality and corruption? --Hamlet says he knows he is being sent to England. How the heck did he learn

that? 6 Hamlet Questions Scene-by-Scene 7 Act 4 Act 4.1-3 --Look at how Gertrude speaks to Claudius. Did she believe Hamlet in the previous scene, or was she just mollifying him because she saw he was violent and mad? Notice that she does not tell Claudius of Hamlet’s accusations against Claudius. What might that tell you about Gertrude? --Having hidden Polonius’ body, Hamlet says some interesting things about death. What kinds of views on life, death, power, and social hierarchy come out of his talk about a worm, a king, and a beggar? --Note Claudius plans to have the King of England kill Hamlet. Act 4.4 Act 4.5 Act 4.6 Act 4.7 --Fortinbras crosses the stage with his army. They are given clearance by Denmark to go through its territory so Fortinbras can take on the Polish (a bit risky if you ask me). --Hamlet just misses Fortinbras, but he learns from the Captain what Norway (Fortinbras) is fighting fora measly piece of bad land. --Hamlet’s “How all occasions do

inform against me” soliloquy. How does this information about Fortinbras spur his own thinking? Is he admiring of Fortinbras? Why or why not, or does that matter? Notice that Hamlet is using external events and characters to prompt his own call to action (just as he did with “O what a rogue and peasant slave am I”). Action does not come from inside, it seems. Think more on this --Ophelia goes mad. --Compare Ophelia’s madness to the madness Hamlet displays. Do they enact madness in different ways? --Analyze the songs Ophelia sings. What is the content of the songs? What is she focusing on? Polonius, Hamlet? Think about how songs are used in Shakespeare’s plays in general. Is this a different way to use songs? --How do Claudius and Gertrude respond to Ophelia (and interpret her madness)? Why did Polonius not get a big, state funeral? --Laertes more or less starts a political riot. How does Claudius head things off? --Ophelia reappears. Nature reappears, too, as she hands out

plants What is the symbolic significance of the plants? --Horatio learns Hamlet will return. --Claudius and Laertes plot. --Laertes is now a foil character to Hamlet as both have had a father murdered, and both seek to revenge that murder. How does Laertes approach the situation? How does it compare/contrast to Hamlet’s approach? --Look at Claudius’ explanation for why he acted the way he did regarding Polonius’ quick funeral and sending off Hamlet. Good answer? Hamlet Questions Scene-by-Scene --They find out Hamlet has returned. --How does Claudius speak of revenge and how it is vulnerable to time’s delay? Think about how his words serve as an indirect rebuke of Hamlet’s inability to revenge Hamlet Sr.’s murder --We find out Hamlet is not just a “philosopher prince.” He’s trained in fencing and is jealous of Laertes’ reputation as an excellent fencer. --How does Laertes respond to Claudius? How does it compare to Hamlet’s approach to revenge? --Does the play

seem to sanction/endorse Laertes’ approach to revenge, or is there a problem with it? In the world of revenge, does it matter that Claudius would stand to benefit from Laertes’ killing Hamlet? Does morality matter in the world of revenge? --Gertrude reports Ophelia’s death. Think about how it is described and how nature imagery is deployed. 8 Hamlet Questions Scene-by-Scene Act 5.1 Act 5.2 9 Act 5 Ophelia’s burial --The gravediggers bring comic relief. --What do they say about Ophelia’s death? Why is she to be buried in the graveyard? Suicide is a big issue for Hamlet, and it is for these guys as well. If she committed suicide, Ophelia should not be buried within sanctified ground. Is her case a suicide as the clowns/gravediggers see it? --The gravediggers have their own view on death. How does their approach square with Hamlet’s views on death throughout the play? --Yorick’s skull. He was court fool/jester How does Hamlet respond to seeing this skull as opposed

to seeing all the other bones being dug up? --Hamlet and Laertes lament Ophelia. --Grief and remembering the dead is a central preoccupation in the play. How do these two guys “remember” Ophelia? --How best to remember the dead? --Hamlet talks to Horatio. --Does Hamlet seem changed from the voyage to England? --He found out Claudius’ plot by being rash. Is it good for Hamlet to be rash or bad? Think about his swings from action to inaction, thought to impulsiveness. --He uses his dad’s ring to sign the new commission. He adopts his father’s power?! --He orders the execution of Ros and Guild. Did they deserve it? --Osric extends the challenge to the fencing match. Comic What’s the effect of it being at this stage of the play? --Horatio is suspicious, but Hamlet accepts the challenge. What are Hamlet’s views on life and death? Look at his view that there is providence in the fall of a sparrow line and “the readiness is all.” Have his views on revenge and life and death

altered? Why or why not? --Hamlet apologizes to Laertes. Does it seem like a heartfelt apology (and acceptance of the apology for that matteras Laertes still uses the poisoned foil). Hamlet is beating Laertes. Hamlet realizes Laertes is his “foil” --Gertrude is poisoned as she drinks from the poisoned chalice (Claudius’ backup if Laertes didn’t get Hamlet). Set of discoveries begins as she learns of Claudius’ villainy. --Laertes takes cheap shot at Hamlet, and Hamlet, suspecting something amiss, takes Laertes’ foil and nicks Laertes. Laertes confesses --Hamlet kills the king. All call him traitor Hamlet and Laertes reveal a) Claudius is true traitor, and b) Claudius is the poisoner. --More true forgiveness and reconciliation between Laertes and Hamlet. --Examine what Hamlet says as he’s dying. Is “the readiness all”? --He hears that Fortinbras is on his way, and Hamlet more or less turns things over to him. Fortinbras, then, gets even more than he wanted Did this foil

character “win”? Why or why not? Also examine what Fortinbras Hamlet Questions Scene-by-Scene 10 says at the play’s end about Hamlet. How does he frame the situation, and what do you make of his account? --Suicide thwarted. Horatio wants to kill himself (yet another potential suicide). Hamlet says Horatio “Absent thee from felicity a while, / And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain / To tell my story.” --What does this request/command tell you about Hamlet’s views on memory and reputation? Was he really ready to die if he’s so concerned with how others will think of him and his family’s situation? --Think about other Shakespearean characters preoccupied with reputation (Hotspur and Hal in 1 Henry IV and Henry V or Cassio in Othello or any of a dozen other characters in Shakespeare). Is Hamlet bequeathing Horatio an injunction similar to the one the ghost gave Hamlet (i.e, to remember me)? How does revenge relate to telling a story as kinds of memorializing

the dead? --$1,000,000 question: Can Horatio even tell Hamlet’s story? Certainly Horatio can tell the “facts” of what happened, but can he get across the deeper significance? Think of the number of stories characters tell in this play. Think of the number of interpretations characters give of characters and scenes. Think of how they, at best, only get partly right Hamlet and his situation. --Did Hamlet have a tragic flaw? Or is it “flaws” or is this an inadequate question? Why or Why not? --Side question. Hamlet could have killed Claudius at prayer Instead, Hamlet directly or indirectly kills Plonius, Ros and Guild, Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude also dies. Is this a flaw in Hamlet or a flaw within the revenge tragedy genre, or both?