The opening of Hamlet at the beginning of the play is set in the middle of the night. Midnight is often associated with mysterious happenings. The negative timing and setting is emphasised through the feelings of the characters, Francisco says "tis bitter cold, And I am sick at heart."
Horatio is presented as a rational character who Marcellus and Barnardo can rely on. Marcellus says "Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy." This shows that he has complete trust in Horatio and what he is told reassures him that the apparition "twill not appear" again.
The fact that there are no pauses between Horatio, Marcellus and Barnardo's diologue implies that the atmosphere is tense and the characters are on edge. Marcellus: It is Offended Barnardo: See it stalks away. Horayio:Stay,speak,speak,I charge thee speak.
1. the scene takes place at midnight 'tis now struck twelve' which creates a sense of danger, reflecting the guards. The states of minds of the guards are anxious and unsure 'Horatio says tis but our fantasy'.
2.the guards have asked Horatio to be present as he is educated and supposedly the voice of reason 'tush, tush, 'twill not appear'.
lines 41-69 1.the shared verse lines on 45 and 58 show a sense of urgency and further panic as we see Horatio begin to believe that there is a ghost. 2. the pauses while Horatio is speaking could show him thinking and questioning the ghost, and the pauses allow him time to accept that it is real.
3.Horatio believes that the ghost is warning them of danger that is to come 'that bodes some strange eruption to our state' he thinks the ghost is foreboding
lines 70-125 1.both Hamlet and Fortinbras' fathers were supposedly muredered 'did slay this fortinbras' They are both also angry about it and want revenege 'young fortinbras, of unimproved metal hot and full'
Faith (Act 1 Scene 1) The changing of the guards. A) "who's there" sugguests it may be night time as the guard is unable to see who has entered. "Tis bitter cold" indicates the season of year there in. The guards state of mind seem to be distressed as they exchange shifts, as Francisco says "And Iam sick at heart"which could be shown as frustration, due to keeping watch.
The guards chose to have Horatio present, as his presence will allow others to believe them about the apperance of the Ghost. Marcellus quotes"He may approve our eyes and speak to it". Initially Horatio displays a doubtful attitude towards the guards about the Ghosts next entrance.
Flora Says: A 1.Repeated retorical questions such as "Whos there?" allows shakespeare to establish a sense of confusion and anxiety.Furthermore the nighttime setting and fact "tis bitter cold" adds to the negative atmosphere and sense of forboding.
2.The guards want Horatio present as he is presented as the intellectual and sensible character, as marcellus says "Thou art a scholar" as they think he will know what to do in this situation. Horatios rational approach towards the ghost confirms its existance to the audience.
B 1.The shared verse lines add a sense of continuity to the conversation, giving the dialouge a faster pace, therefore creating tension surrounding the ghosts arrival.
2.During the pauses, it is clear that Horatio is considering his speech, and whether the ghost is real or not,further adding to the suspension.
3.Through the phrase "this bodes some strange eruption to our state" it is clear that Horatio sees the Ghost as a metaphor for something unnatural and corrupt that is occouring in Denmark.
C 1. The situation of Hamlet and Fortinbras is similar in the sense that both of their fathers(kings) have died and are angry at the position they are put in "unimproved mettle hot and full".
Act 1 Scene 1 a) The setting at the beginning of the play is at night, ‘Tis now struck twelve’, a temporal setting often associated with evil goings on. This is subverted when Francisco claims that ‘Not a mouse stirring’, so the juxtaposition between the evil connotations of the temporal setting and the mind set of guards creates a foreboding atmosphere for the audience. The juxtaposition also reveals the naivety of the guards as they are oblivious to the threats of the night. Francisco and Bernardo are however aware of the ghost, as they have seen the ‘dreaded sight twice’ so the state of their mind is distracted, by the ghost, from the important matters such as the security of the state borders.
1) The play opens with a question as the setting is described as night which denotes negative issues, the fact that the guards are terrified also suggests Denmark is residing in a place of fear, as one of the guards describes the weather as "BITTER COLD AND I AM SICK AT HEART", this suggests the mood of the guards.
2) Horatio is a fellow friend and student of Hamlet's, he has been told that both barnardo and marcellus have seen a ghost, he insists it is just in their imagination, they then persuade Horation to speak with the ghost. "I CHARGE THEE SPEAK". -----------------------------------
A1, S1 - L 41 - 69:
THE GHOST'S FIRST APPEARANCE.
1) Horatio seems to doubt there ever being a ghost until he sees it with his own eyes.
2)They seem to be thinking about events which have just occured, they are trying to establish who the ghost is and on Line 64 as he says "tis strange", this suggests that what they saw is almost unbeleivable.
3) That the King is warning them of some clamity which is going to occur within the near future. ----------------------------------- A1, S1 - L 70 - 125:
1. "who's there" this quote assumes that it's dark and it's normal for bad things to happen at night in shakesperean times. This also gives us a temporal setting. "tis bitter cold" this quote lets me know that the weather is cold, this combined with the temporal setting is classic for a bad thing to happen. This suggests that the state of mind the guards is a bit anxious and they're on their toes. 2. I think the guards have asked Horatio to be present because he's seen as an educated man so his thoughts and opinions will be rational and valid. "tush, tush, 'twill not appear" at first Horatio doesn't believe in the ghost of old Hamlet and thinks the guards have imagined it.
Act1, Scene1:Lines41-69 1. The dramatic effect of the shared verse is that it clarifies that all the guards and Horatio saw the ghostand once the ghost has vanished they are in disbelief and conversate on whats just happend.
Lines 1-40: The changing of the guard 1. The opening line is a question, ‘Who’s there?’ this obviously immediately creates confusion in the characters. The following short sharp responses further create an impression of urgency and mingling tension. ‘’Tis now struck twelve,’ the motif of the witching hour is one that is repeated in most Shakespeare plays, it is a time when evil usual takes the reins and bad things happen. The characters also reveal that it is a cold and gloomy night, further adding to the impression that something bad is about to occur.
2. The guards have asked Horatio to be present as they believe him to be an educated man and a rational character, ‘Thou art a scholar,’. They are eager for Horatio to speak to the ghost for them for the aforementioned reasons.
1. the first secion of the speach addresses the death of the old king and his new marriage to the queen 'therefore our sometimes sister, now our queen' and he is very inclusive of everyone so to get them on his side. in the next two sections, he changes to consider war , and dealing more with the business of the state, and he uses lots of commands 'let your haste commend your duty'
B lines 42-63
1.the tone of claudius' next speech to Laertes is quite friendly, and you can see that they have a good relationship 'whats the news with you?'
C lines 64-128
1. I think Claudius' request for Hamlet to stay with themis to keep his enemy close 'in the cheer and comfoprt of our eye' and so he can keep an eye on him.
2.the effect of using 'thou' and 'you' makes the queen seem distant from her son, although he uses 'you' for her.
The opening of Hamlet immediately creates a sense of fear and disorder. Barnardo opens with the line “who’s there?” this creates an apprehensive atmosphere as already the audience are feeling on edge.
ACT 1 SCENE 1 a)1) The setting is "bitter cold" and "Tis now struck twelve" showing that the scene is taking place at midnight. Pathetic fallacy is used to represent how the guards feel as they are nervous "Who's there?" 2) The guards have asked Horatio to be present in order to prove that they have seen the ghost. "Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy" shows that Horatio doesn’t believe the guards, but we can assume this is because he is educated.
b)1) The shared verse lines show a flow of speech. They suggest a sense of urgency. 2) The pauses in lines 59 and 64 show Horatio contemplating whether what he has just seen is true or not. 3)The ghost's presence makes Horatio think that something disastrous is going to happen, "This bodes some strange eruption to our state".
c)1) Both Hamlet and Fortinbras' fathers are dead, and they are both out to seek revenge. However, Hamlet is seeking revenge for unjust actions towards his father whereas Fortinbras is seeking land that was fairly won by King Hamlet. "Which he stood seized of to the conqueror" showing the old king in a positive light compared to the new king who has not yet taken any action against anything.
d)1) Incomplete lines show the Horatio pausing to think of what to say next. This is very important as he is trying to be persuasive in order to get the ghost to speak. Shared lines shows how nervous the guards are as they are still aware that the ghost is around them. The repetition of "'Tis" shows that they are still not convinced that the ghost is the old king as they do not talk about him respectfully.
Act 2, scene 1 Polonius thinks quite wisely of himself when he says "Thus do we wisdom and of reach." However the audience do not really take him seriously and instead we see him as quite a comical figure when he forgets what he was saying "And this sir, does a'this-he does--what was i about to say?"
Reynaldo's response to Polonius is very respectful. He doesn't take advantage of Polonius's forgetful character, instead he constantly replies "I will my lord" "My lord, I did intend it." and "Ay, very well my lord." His replies are very short, one liners to highlight the fact that Polonius is doing all the talking.
Polonius wants to send Reynaldo to Paris to spy on his son to find out what kind of life he is leading, whilst he is away in a foreign country. he wants to find out the truth and to see whether his son has been lying to him.
Act 2, Scene 1 lines 73-end scene
One of Hamlet's motives of his strange behaviour is to secure the validity of what the ghost had told him about his father. In his soliloquay in Act, scene 2 he says "The spirit that I have seen May be a devil, and the devil hath power T' assume a pleasing shape" Hamlt fears that the only evidence he has of the truth about his father is through the ghosts' words, therefore his 'antic-disposition' is a way of securing his validity. Some could argue that Hamlet is using 'antic-disposition' to avoid taking the blame and instead people will blame it on insanity and how it has a hold over him. This way he can get his revenge, but without the consequence of being found out. he says in his soliloquay in Act 2, scene 2 "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!"-here he is afraid of the consequences of his actions whilst seeking out revenge. On the other hand, it could be questioned whether Hamlet is actually mad and that his antic disposition id reality.
18 comments:
Fiona says
in the opening the setting is described as "bitter cold".
Act 1, Scene 1:Lines 1-40
The opening of Hamlet at the beginning of the play is set in the middle of the night. Midnight is often associated with mysterious happenings. The negative timing and setting is emphasised through the feelings of the characters, Francisco says "tis bitter cold, And I am sick at heart."
Act 1, Scene 1: Lines 1-40
Horatio is presented as a rational character who Marcellus and Barnardo can rely on. Marcellus says "Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy." This shows that he has complete trust in Horatio and what he is told reassures him that the apparition "twill not appear" again.
Act 1.scene 1: Lines 41-69
The fact that there are no pauses between Horatio, Marcellus and Barnardo's diologue implies that the atmosphere is tense and the characters are on edge.
Marcellus: It is Offended
Barnardo: See it stalks away.
Horayio:Stay,speak,speak,I charge thee speak.
Horatio has been convinced that the ghost is real during the pauses in lines 59 and 64.
"He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice. 'Tis strange."
Ella says
1. the scene takes place at midnight 'tis now struck twelve' which creates a sense of danger, reflecting the guards.
The states of minds of the guards are anxious and unsure 'Horatio says tis but our fantasy'.
2.the guards have asked Horatio to be present as he is educated and supposedly the voice of reason 'tush, tush, 'twill not appear'.
lines 41-69
1.the shared verse lines on 45 and 58 show a sense of urgency and further panic as we see Horatio begin to believe that there is a ghost.
2. the pauses while Horatio is speaking could show him thinking and questioning the ghost, and the pauses allow him time to accept that it is real.
3.Horatio believes that the ghost is warning them of danger that is to come 'that bodes some strange eruption to our state' he thinks the ghost is foreboding
lines 70-125
1.both Hamlet and Fortinbras' fathers were supposedly muredered 'did slay this fortinbras' They are both also angry about it and want revenege 'young fortinbras, of unimproved metal hot and full'
the scene as a whole
Faith
(Act 1 Scene 1) The changing of the guards.
A) "who's there" sugguests it may be night time as the guard is unable to see who has entered. "Tis bitter cold" indicates the season of year there in. The guards state of mind seem to be distressed as they exchange shifts, as Francisco says "And Iam sick at heart"which could be shown as frustration, due to keeping watch.
The guards chose to have Horatio present, as his presence will allow others to believe them about the apperance of the Ghost. Marcellus quotes"He may approve our eyes and speak to it".
Initially Horatio displays a doubtful attitude towards the guards about the Ghosts next entrance.
The Ghosts first appearance
B)
Flora Says:
A 1.Repeated retorical questions such as "Whos there?" allows shakespeare to establish a sense of confusion and anxiety.Furthermore the nighttime setting and fact "tis bitter cold" adds to the negative atmosphere and sense of forboding.
2.The guards want Horatio present as he is presented as the intellectual and sensible character, as marcellus says "Thou art a scholar" as they think he will know what to do in this situation. Horatios rational approach towards the ghost confirms its existance to the audience.
B 1.The shared verse lines add a sense of continuity to the conversation, giving the dialouge a faster pace, therefore creating tension surrounding the ghosts arrival.
2.During the pauses, it is clear that Horatio is considering his speech, and whether the ghost is real or not,further adding to the suspension.
3.Through the phrase "this bodes some strange eruption to our state" it is clear that Horatio sees the Ghost as a metaphor for something unnatural and corrupt that is occouring in Denmark.
C 1. The situation of Hamlet and Fortinbras is similar in the sense that both of their fathers(kings) have died and are angry at the position they are put in "unimproved mettle hot and full".
Act 1 Scene 1
a)
The setting at the beginning of the play is at night, ‘Tis now struck twelve’, a temporal setting often associated with evil goings on. This is subverted when Francisco claims that ‘Not a mouse stirring’, so the juxtaposition between the evil connotations of the temporal setting and the mind set of guards creates a foreboding atmosphere for the audience. The juxtaposition also reveals the naivety of the guards as they are oblivious to the threats of the night. Francisco and Bernardo are however aware of the ghost, as they have seen the ‘dreaded sight twice’ so the state of their mind is distracted, by the ghost, from the important matters such as the security of the state borders.
Ahmad Farhat Says:
A1, S1 - L 1 - 40:
THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD.
1) The play opens with a question as the setting is described as night which denotes negative issues, the fact that the guards are terrified also suggests Denmark is residing in a place of fear, as one of the guards describes the weather as "BITTER COLD AND I AM SICK AT HEART", this suggests the mood of the guards.
2) Horatio is a fellow friend and student of Hamlet's, he has been told that both barnardo and marcellus have seen a ghost, he insists it is just in their imagination, they then persuade Horation to speak with the ghost. "I CHARGE THEE SPEAK".
-----------------------------------
A1, S1 - L 41 - 69:
THE GHOST'S FIRST APPEARANCE.
1) Horatio seems to doubt there ever being a ghost until he sees it with his own eyes.
2)They seem to be thinking about events which have just occured, they are trying to establish who the ghost is and on Line 64 as he says "tis strange", this suggests that what they saw is almost unbeleivable.
3) That the King is warning them of some clamity which is going to occur within the near future.
-----------------------------------
A1, S1 - L 70 - 125:
BACKGROUND OF INFORMATION.
Letitia says:
Act1, Scene1:Lines 1-40
1. "who's there" this quote assumes that it's dark and it's normal for bad things to happen at night in shakesperean times. This also gives us a temporal setting.
"tis bitter cold" this quote lets me know that the weather is cold, this combined with the temporal setting is classic for a bad thing to happen. This suggests that the state of mind the guards is a bit anxious and they're on their toes.
2. I think the guards have asked Horatio to be present because he's seen as an educated man so his thoughts and opinions will be rational and valid.
"tush, tush, 'twill not appear" at first Horatio doesn't believe in the ghost of old Hamlet and thinks the guards have imagined it.
Act1, Scene1:Lines41-69
1. The dramatic effect of the shared verse is that it clarifies that all the guards and Horatio saw the ghostand once the ghost has vanished they are in disbelief and conversate on whats just happend.
Noor says:
Act 1 Scene 1
Lines 1-40: The changing of the guard
1. The opening line is a question, ‘Who’s there?’ this obviously immediately creates confusion in the characters. The following short sharp responses further create an impression of urgency and mingling tension.
‘’Tis now struck twelve,’ the motif of the witching hour is one that is repeated in most Shakespeare plays, it is a time when evil usual takes the reins and bad things happen. The characters also reveal that it is a cold and gloomy night, further adding to the impression that something bad is about to occur.
2. The guards have asked Horatio to be present as they believe him to be an educated man and a rational character, ‘Thou art a scholar,’. They are eager for Horatio to speak to the ghost for them for the aforementioned reasons.
Ella says:
A lines 1-49
1. the first secion of the speach addresses the death of the old king and his new marriage to the queen 'therefore our sometimes sister, now our queen' and he is very inclusive of everyone so to get them on his side. in the next two sections, he changes to consider war , and dealing more with the business of the state, and he uses lots of commands 'let your haste commend your duty'
B lines 42-63
1.the tone of claudius' next speech to Laertes is quite friendly, and you can see that they have a good relationship 'whats the news with you?'
C lines 64-128
1. I think Claudius' request for Hamlet to stay with themis to keep his enemy close 'in the cheer and comfoprt of our eye' and so he can keep an eye on him.
2.the effect of using 'thou' and 'you' makes the queen seem distant from her son, although he uses 'you' for her.
Act 1, Scene 2
Lines 1-40:Claudius opening speech
his topic of discussion changes
he adapts a more retoric style of speaking.
his change in subject towards the end of the speech shows his lack of kingship and lack of political situation.
Lines 42-63: Claudius and Laertes
He id poweful and demanding.
he takes on the role of the authoritive king.
his speech is controling.
Lines 64-128: Claudius and Gertrude, with Hamlet-
Claudius is excusing the needs of Denmark and instead wanting to know more about Hamlet's motives.
charlotte says:
The opening of Hamlet immediately creates a sense of fear and disorder. Barnardo opens with the line “who’s there?” this creates an apprehensive atmosphere as already the audience are feeling on edge.
Preena Says:
ACT 1 SCENE 1
a)1) The setting is "bitter cold" and "Tis now struck twelve" showing that the scene is taking place at midnight. Pathetic fallacy is used to represent how the guards feel as they are nervous "Who's there?"
2) The guards have asked Horatio to be present in order to prove that they have seen the ghost. "Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy" shows that Horatio doesn’t believe the guards, but we can assume this is because he is educated.
b)1) The shared verse lines show a flow of speech. They suggest a sense of urgency.
2) The pauses in lines 59 and 64 show Horatio contemplating whether what he has just seen is true or not.
3)The ghost's presence makes Horatio think that something disastrous is going to happen, "This bodes some strange eruption to our state".
c)1) Both Hamlet and Fortinbras' fathers are dead, and they are both out to seek revenge. However, Hamlet is seeking revenge for unjust actions towards his father whereas Fortinbras is seeking land that was fairly won by King Hamlet. "Which he stood seized of to the conqueror" showing the old king in a positive light compared to the new king who has not yet taken any action against anything.
d)1) Incomplete lines show the Horatio pausing to think of what to say next. This is very important as he is trying to be persuasive in order to get the ghost to speak. Shared lines shows how nervous the guards are as they are still aware that the ghost is around them. The repetition of "'Tis" shows that they are still not convinced that the ghost is the old king as they do not talk about him respectfully.
Act 2, scene 1
Polonius thinks quite wisely of himself when he says "Thus do we wisdom and of reach." However the audience do not really take him seriously and instead we see him as quite a comical figure when he forgets what he was saying "And this sir, does a'this-he does--what was i about to say?"
Reynaldo's response to Polonius is very respectful. He doesn't take advantage of Polonius's forgetful character, instead he constantly replies "I will my lord" "My lord, I did intend it." and "Ay, very well my lord." His replies are very short, one liners to highlight the fact that Polonius is doing all the talking.
Polonius wants to send Reynaldo to Paris to spy on his son to find out what kind of life he is leading, whilst he is away in a foreign country. he wants to find out the truth and to see whether his son has been lying to him.
Act 2, Scene 1 lines 73-end scene
One of Hamlet's motives of his strange behaviour is to secure the validity of what the ghost had told him about his father. In his soliloquay in Act, scene 2 he says "The spirit that I have seen May be a devil, and the devil hath power T' assume a pleasing shape" Hamlt fears that the only evidence he has of the truth about his father is through the ghosts' words, therefore his 'antic-disposition' is a way of securing his validity.
Some could argue that Hamlet is using 'antic-disposition' to avoid taking the blame and instead people will blame it on insanity and how it has a hold over him. This way he can get his revenge, but without the consequence of being found out. he says in his soliloquay in Act 2, scene 2 "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!"-here he is afraid of the consequences of his actions whilst seeking out revenge.
On the other hand, it could be questioned whether Hamlet is actually mad and that his antic disposition id reality.
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