1. Write down a significant quote from the play and explain what that means in terms of the broader context of the play. Do not use a quote that has already been used.
2. Also, describe a particular moment in the movie and discuss why that particular interpretation works or does not work.
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Kiera Wesley
ReplyDeleteP. 3
"But now, thou noble youth,/The serpent that did sting thy father's life/Now wears his crown." (Ghost, I. IV. 45-47.)
This is important to the rest of the play because now Hamlet knows the truth about his uncle and what King Claudius has done. Shakespeare had hinted at this truth throughout the play but now it is finally known for sure that Claudius had poisoned old King Hamlet.
Crystal Nybo
ReplyDelete"Why, then 'tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. To me, it is a prison." 2.2.267-270
This quote is explaining how in life the only thing that makes something wrong is how someone looks at it. With their morals and beliefs people determine themselves if they think something is wrong or not. This is shown throughout the book and one example is Claudius King of Denmark. His actions with marrying his sister, to him he doesn't think that is wrong, but to many many people it is very wrong and the speed of the engagement was unreal.
In the movie I thought the scene where Claudius was murdering Hamlet could have been acted out better. I don't feel like I got the full emotion of the event like it should be.
Jenn Hergert
ReplyDelete"I'll have these players/ Play something like the murder of my father/ Before mine uncle. I'll observe his looks;/ I'll tent him to the quick. If he do blench,/ I know my course."
-Hamlet (2.2.623-627)
This quote is important to the play because it is describing an important event coming in the near future. Hamlet is going to discover whether his uncle really did murder his father, or whether the ghost was a lie. Basically the outcome of Hamlet's plan will decide the outcome of the rest of the play.
In the movie, I thought the opening scene with the guards was over the top and a bit melodramatic. It was, after all, a scene where one watchman is relieving another of his shift, but instead of showing this in a normal fashion, the movie had the guards tackling each other. Also, the music playing in the backround was somehow unfitting...I can't place exactly why, but I didn't feel like it matched the scene. It certainly matched the melodrama, but not the scene.
"What's Hecuba to him, or her to (Hecuba,)/That he should weep for her? What would he do/Had he the motive and (the cue) for passion/That I have? He would drown the stage with tears/And cleave the general ear with horrid speech..." [2.2.586-590]
ReplyDeleteThis tells a major part of the story, because now Hamlet is really thinking about things in the future. Like is the ghost of his father is from the devil or the heavens and many other things. He believes that he has more to cry about than the actor that was crying to Hecuba.
In the movie, he ponders many things like what the ghost had said to him while they were alone. He believes that his Uncle did the crime, but how can he be sure so therefore he puts on an act to try to see if he can get information. (This statement doesn't really connect to my quote, but that's because my quote I had chosen hasn't come up yet.)
Bridget Cook
ReplyDelete"That hath made him mad. I am sorry that with better heed and judgment I had not coted him." (Polonius 2.2.123-125)
This quote is significant to the overall play because it show that Polonius believes Hamlet is acting in a strange manner because he forbid Ophelia to see or talk to him. Many characters in the play have opinions on why Hamlet is acting so strange. Only time will tell if Polonius's idea is correct.
My favorite scene in the play so far, is the one where Polonius is telling Ophelia that she cannot associate with Hamlet any more. The way the shots flash back and forth from the conversation to Ophelia and Hamlets relations really shows the internal conflict that Ophelia is dealing with.
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ReplyDeleteLexy Kaftan
ReplyDelete"Excellent well. You are a fishmonger." 2.2.190
Hamlet says this to Polonius, this was important because it earlier says that Polonius was a player back in his day and Hamlet implies that he is the opposite of Jeptha. It also supports the question of whether Hamlet is bipolar or not.
The part where the flashback of claudius murdering Hamlet was done very well, it showed how he died wih great detail and drama.
Savannah Guillen
ReplyDelete“Though this be madness, yet there is / method in ‘t. – Will you walk out of the air, my lord?”
~Polonius (II.2. 223-224)
This quote is important to the rest of the play because it shows that Polonius realizes that there must be a reason as to why Hamlet is acting so crazy. However, Polonius wrongly assumes that the strange behavior is because Hamlet is in love with Ophelia. In actuality Hamlet is putting on an act to discover the truth about Claudius’ part in old King Hamlet’s murder.
I thought that the movie scene where the Queen and King Claudius run into the bedroom was really interesting because it suggested that they might have been having an affair before King Hamlet’s death. If this was true, then that would explain why the Queen married Claudius so quickly.
"Never make known what you have seen tonight" -Hamlet (I.5.160)
ReplyDeleteThis is a significant quote in the play because it is spoken right after Old King Hamlet comes to his son and tells him that he was murdered. Hamlet does not want Horatio and Marcellus to tell anyone what they have seen because it is Hamlet's job to get revenge on his father's murderer. Hamlet then proceeds to make Horatio and Marcellus swear on his swoard, which is the most holy of oaths.
This was a very powerful scene in the movie. One thing that stood out to me was the ghost's electric blue eyes. That made the scene between him and Hamlet very spooky and powerful. Just like in the book, Horatio and Marcellus come up to Hamlet in amazement of what they have seen, And Hamlet makes them swear they will not tell anyone of what they have seen.
Derek Decker
ReplyDelete"The spirit that I have seen May be a devil, and the devil hath power T' assume a pleasing shape..." - Hamlet (2.2.627-629)
At the end of Act 2, Hamlet's sheer lust for vengeance has worn off somewhat, and now he seeks to ensure that the ghost he thought of as honest at the end of Act 1 really is honest. If he simply strikes down Claudius because a ghost, who may or may not be his father, told him to do so, then it could turn out that Claudius was innocent, Denmark would spiral into chaos and bloodshed, and Hamlet would face damnation. Therefore, he seeks to have the players stage an edited version of "The Murder of Gonzago" for the Danish court and read Claudius's reaction to determine if he's responsible for his brother's death.
Kenneth Branagh's portrayal of Hamlet is obviously quite over-the-top, but for the most part, it is well-portrayed and gives the audience a good sense of Hamlet's madness. One exception, though, is when Hamlet is going through the woods seeking the ghost. The way he talks in that scene, coupled with the score, made me think for a brief second that this was Hamlet: The Musical.
Sarah Hale:)
ReplyDelete“What a piece of work man is, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable; in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god; the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals-and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?”
In a broader context to the play this quote describes how Hamlet is beginning to see all humans. He goes on to not only compare them to dust, but to state how neither man nor women delight him. This describes Hamlet’s newfound opinion of mankind; man being filled with deception, treachery, and an awful void to their existence. His father’s spirit is obviously putting these thoughts in his head, and it’s wicked to read these crazy lines spewed by Hamlet, only to be spoken due to the sort of possessiveness the spirit has over Hamlet.
A particular scene in the movie that stuck with me was the scene where Ophelia and her father Polonius were talking in his chamber and Ophelia described Hamlet’s catastrophic event of approaching her and grabbing her like a crazy man. Ophelia is completely unaware of why Hamlet acted so, and he only thought was that perhaps her father’s forbiddance to see Hamlet had made him react so. Her father outraged, met with the King and Queen to discuss the issue. I thought this dramatic scene was perfectly acted out, and one of my favorite scenes in the movie thus far.
Christine Nafziger
ReplyDelete“I doubt it is no other but the main – His father’s death and our o’erhasty marriage.” (II.2.59)
This quote represents the theme of why Hamlet is acting so strange. Hamlet’s mother, the queen, thinks that he is acting strange because of his father death and how fast she and King Claudius got married. The quote puts shows one of the many reason why he is acting so strange and that the Queen might understand what Hamlet is thinking.
One scene in the movie that stood out to me was where Hamlet was talking to Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Polonius right before talking with the players. He was talking really fast which I took as he was trying to cover up the whole scene with the ghost.
Nik Toor
ReplyDelete"We'll ha 't tomorrow night. You could, for (a) nee, study a speech of some dozen or sixteen line, which I would set down and insert in 't, could you not?" (II-2-566-569)
This part is important because it shows what Hamlet has in store for his "uncle-father" in the future. Hamlet plans on inserting a part in there play that acts out his father's murder and then he will see how the new king reacts. If he doesn't react at all then he didn't murder king Hamlet and the ghost might have been sent from the devil. However if he does react then Hamlet can kill him. I thought the part in the movie when prince Hamlet talked to the ghost was acted out well because it helped me fully understand that scene, especially the part when the ghost helps prince Hamlet get the men to swear on the sword.
Tori Weisel
ReplyDelete"My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced, no hat upon his head, his stockings fouled, ungartered, and down-gyved to his ankle, pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, and with a look so piteous in purport as if he had been loosed out of hell to speak of horrors - he comes before me"(II.1.87-94).
In this quote Ophelia is telling Polonius about how that night Hamlet had come into her room and acted in a crazy way and Polonius thinks that he is mad because Polonius told Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet because he is not good enough for her. This quote is important because this is just one of the reasons why Hamlet could be acting in a crazy way and you won't find out later in the book which reason is the right reason.
I thought the scene where Ophelia is telling Polonius about when Hamlet came into her room was a good interpretation because it really caught the emotions of what Ophelia should be feeling and helped to set up the scenes after where Polonius and Claudius are trying to find the real reason of Hamlet's actions.
Laura Ahlrep
ReplyDelete"Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect, a broken voice, and his whole function suiting with forms to his conceit- and all for nothing! For Hecuba!" (Act 2, Scene 2 581-585)
This quote is from Hamlet's soliloquy about how ashamed he is with himself that this actor can put so much emotion into a story about the fall of troy and when weeping for Hecuba. It makes Hamlet think about the fact that how can this actor cry over a fictional character while Hamlet has had so much going on with the murder of his father and how to avenge him.
In the movie I thought the scene after Hamlet discovering that perhaps the king killed his father that the way the actor brought the craziness to Hamlet was very well played when he mocked Polonius. He was shouting and making different faces the whole time as well as going from calm to extremely wild over and over. This made the concept in the book that everyone could tell there was a change to Hamlet very apparent.
Kirsten Zoba
ReplyDelete"Out of my weakness and my melancholy,/ As he is very potent with such spirits,/ Abuses me to damn me. I'll have grounds/ More relative than this. The play's the thing/ Wjherein I'll catch the conscience of the King." II.2.630-634
This part in the play adds to the overall meaning of the book because of the important event that it signifies. At this point, Hamlet is setting up a show exactly as he believes the murder of his father occured to try and catch Claudius.
I thought this scene in the movie was greatly captured by the intense emotion seen in Hamlet while giving his soliloquy.
Gina Chenoweth
ReplyDelete“How pregnant sometimes his replies are! A happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and {sanity} could not so prosperously be delivered of.” (2.2.227-229)
This is an important quote because Polonius begins to see Hamlet’s genius. He realizes that Hamlet, is very smart, but to a point that he thinks is not healthy. He believes that having such intelligence comes with insanity. Polonius attributes Hamlet’s craziness with being lovesick and overlooks it.
A scene in the movie that I thought worked well was the murder of Hamlet’s father. Because we saw Claudius watch the King die and the King saw him do nothing to help him, we know how King Hamlet knew that he should be avenged.
Katie Martens
ReplyDelete“O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst thou!” Hamlet (Act 2.2.425)
This is just one of the many religious references that Shakespeare incorporates into the play. The reference that hamlet makes to Jephthah is different because I had not previously heard of that name before. It is something that if I was reading the book on my own I would have not caught. Also, Shakespeare makes it so that Hamlet is the person who often says the religious lines, showing more of his background characteristics.
The part of the movie that I enjoyed was when Hamlet was acting his first soliloquy. This is because he had just finished having a somewhat joyful conversation with his friends Horatio and Marcellus, then he automatically turned into a very depressed state. Although sometimes it may be a little over the top, I liked how the actor playing Hamlet shows this change in emotions. This backs up the fact that Hamlet may be bipolar, and has bigger issues than most people think.
Erik Enselman
ReplyDelete"No, my good lord, but as you did command I did repel his letters and denied his access to me" Ophelia 2.2.120-123
This quote is important to the book because it helps show part of why Hamlet has gone into this starnge stage of his. It is because Ophelia, his lover, is not responding to his letters and totally ignoring him.
I think the first scene of the movie was very over done. It seemed like the movie was going to be way over dramatic because of the way the guards started off the movie. I knew this was a big part of the story but I felt like it was way too intense then it seemed while reading the book.
April Dick
ReplyDelete"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" -Marcellus (I.IV)
While debating whether or not he should follow the ghost into the night, Marcellus makes a reference to the corrupted state of Denmark. The ghost is a visual representation of Denmark in its corrupted state due to the murder of the King. There seems to be a theme throughout the book of the moral standards of a ruler and the well-being of its kingdom.
The guy who plays Hamlet in the movie does a good job showing his bipolar disorder. In the book it was difficult to see that he acted this way because Hamlet made references that I had never heard of before, but the movie reinforces this idea.
Brian Gleadle
ReplyDelete(power surge = destroyed modem=no internet=blog late) :(
Quote: Frailty, thy name is woman!
This quote is important because it once again shows Hamlets bipolarism. I do not believe he believes what he says most of the time, but at this point he is cursing his mother for jumping straight from her dead husband into the arms of Claudius, Hamlet can never forgive his mother for what she did. Tis not good, tis not good at all.
I loved the part of the movie where hamlet runs after the ghost and the earth is exploding around him while he tries to make his men swear on the sword. That kind of action would scare any man and they did a good job portraying that the ghost was actually from Hell since everything was exploding from the below the ground.
Samielle Foltz
ReplyDelete“I am but mad north-north-west. When the/ wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.” (2.2.402-403)
When Hamlet says he is “but mad north-north-west” he's basically saying he's only mad(in terms of crazy in the head) when he chooses. So when he's acting all weird and such its only because he chooses to. But this kind of behavior is chosen for a particular reason. That is, Hamlet wants to uncover the truth about something and in order to do that Hamlet feels that he has to act unlike himself. In a way this will lower the defenses of offending characters in the play. But in the end it may be more likely to hurt Hamlets position and hinder the ability to influence others around him. Since he did after all work deceivingly and the faith others had in him before may be hindered once they uncover the truth. In broader terms of the play, this just might mean that things wont appear as what they appear to be.
I thought the scene in the movie where Ophelia and Polonius went to go see the king and queen wasn't interpreted very well. Especially when Ophelia was trying to read Hamlets letter. She sounded like she was going have an asthma attack or she had water in her lungs, having to take a painful breath before speaking a single word. That kind of acting was just too over the top. She should have acted more in pain or at least had gained the strength to read two words from the letter in a single breath.
Breanna Taylor
ReplyDeleteSomething have you heard/Of Hamlets transformation...His fathers death/that thus hath put him/so much from the understanding of himself."
Act 2, scene 2, lines 5-9
I think that the biggest point in the play is corruption, Shakespeare shows in some of his plays how corruption plays such an important role in ones madness. Hamlet is acting mad and there are many theory's as to why but the king must have suspicion that Hamlet knows of his treachery and fears he may display what he has done. This thought may drive the King to madness. This quote symbolizes the King and his supposed fear of Hamlets knowledge, as he is asking about him.
unfortunatly I missed the movie because I wasn't in class though...
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ReplyDeleteBrody Hovatter
ReplyDelete"Never to speak of this that you have seen, swear by my sword." (Hamlet, 1.5 174-175)
This is what Hamlet says to Horatio and Marcellus after he encounters the ghost of his father. After the ghost tells Hamlet that he was killed by his brother, Hamlet (and the Ghost) make them swear upon his sword. This is significant because to swear upon someones sword is the same as to swear upon a cross, meaning that Horatio and Marcellus have made a strong oath never to speak of the ghost.
The scene near the beginning of the movie in which King Claudius and the Queen are adressing the people stood out to me. I thought that it was acted out well, especially by Hamlet, who wore all black (like in the play) and was very dramatic about his father's death.
Maxx Forde
ReplyDelete"More matter with less art." - Queen Gertrude
The significance of this quote is in the fact that it reveals a little bit more about the Queen's character. It shows that she would like people to cut to the chase, she doesn't want all the other fluff that people have to say. She just wants a straight answer.
In the movie, a particular part that I thought worked well was when Hamlet first enters the movie. It is at the coronation of the new king, his uncle, after he has gotten married to Hamlet's mother, the Queen. I like how Hamlet is kind of just standing there, wearing all black when he enters. The way it is able to reflect his mood even without him speaking is just perfect, I think.
Anna Billmaier
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
“Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,/gives him three-score thousand crown in annual/fee/and his commission to employ those soldiers, so levied as before, against the Polack, with an entreaty, herin further shown,/that it might please you to give quiet pass/through your dominions for this enterprise,/on such regards of safety and allowance/as therein are set down.” (Voltemand: Act 2, Scn 2, lines 76-85).
Voltemand tells the king that Norway is raising an army against Denmark, but he pays to invade Poland instead. He is asking the King's permission to bring troops through Denmark to reach Poland. To us as the readers, this seems like an obvious answer because it is such a dangerous situation to trust that Norway will not invade Denmark along their way. When Voltemand hands the King the request on paper, the King decides to put it off for a later discussion, leaving the readers in suspense for what might come of this.
There was a very brief scene in the movie where King Cladius and Queen Gertrude were playing some game in the halls of the kingdom together. I thought this was quite interesting because it seemed to portray such a love and passion between the two. In the scene they were laughing and smiling together and it seemed like Queen Gertrude had no second thoughts about her late husband, King Hamlet. I think that this forshadows a story line that will be explained later in the play, as to why Queen Gertrude married King Claudius so soon after her previous husband's death.
Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural. (Ghost)
ReplyDelete1.5.33,
I choose this quote becsaue to me I feel as though it is the tunring point of the play. It's realyy the first climax if you will when Hamlet discovers his fathers murderer.
As far as the movie is concerned I mostly enjoy how the characters interact with one another especially during the scene with the ghost in the forrest. I feel that by having the actors do a good job i can better understand the play.