Greetings!
Hamlet Assignment - In Class
1. Please paraphrase Hamlet's 1st Soliloquy: lines 131 - 163. You will need to put it into your own words line by line on a separate sheet of paper. You will be performing these paraphrases Wednesday. This paraphrase is due by the end of class.2.Complete your logs for 1.2
3. What's are your opinions of Claudius? Gertrude? Hamlet? Please post your answer as a comment in the comments section of this blogpost by the end of day. Ideally, you should also comment on the opinions of those who commented before you (if you want the super A grade on the assignment)
3. Read 1.3 It's important to pay attention to the advice Laertes gives Ophelia, the advice Polonius gives Laertes, and the advice Polonius gives Ophelia. How would you characterize their relationships? What is on each of their minds? What kind of a man, and what kind of a father does Polonius strike you as being?
4. Complete Log assignment for 1.3 - due at the beginning of class 12/10
I feel as though Claudius is a parasite leaching on to Gertrude for his own benefits. He will marry her for power. I feel Gertrude is a damsel in distress. She just feels lonely and wants to marry to fill in the loneliness. I feel as though Hamlet is an evil genius planning something that will turn the play around.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Hamlet is planning something. I think that at this point he just feels angry, betrayed, and disgusted.
DeleteMaybe he might not be planning something, but I feel he will not let his father just be forgotten. He will probably encounter other characters within the next scenes which will help in revealing what Hamlet's 'mission' really is.
DeleteI agree with Eduardo. Claudius saw the perfect chance to become kinga and he took advantage of it while hamlet is confused about the whole situation. He is both mad and sad about how fast everything is going.
DeleteI agree with you Eduardo I believe that Hamlet is planning something that will turn the play around. But he is also disgusted with his mother and Claudius.
DeleteI agree w/ Eduardo Claudius is sort of "leaching" off of Gertrude b/c she has the "real" power and in a sense they using each other really.
DeleteAight secondly I think Gertrude is CRAZY for marrying her brother in law like Uche said #Ew, she wrong for dat.
As far as Hamlet I see him as a solider he keeping 100 so far.
Eh....I don't think Hamlet is planning anything. Well....anything evil at least. I feel like he is genuinely hurt over the loss of his father. But he doesn't want to disrespect his mother by objecting to their marriage, so he just sits back and remains quiet
DeleteClaudius is sure enjoying his newfound power (smh). It is kind of disturbing that Gertrude remarried so soon after her husband's death, even more so, that she married her husband's brother. And does Claudius seriously expect Hamlet to view him as a father? Come on now. I am completely with Hamlet on this one. It's in his right to be angry at his mother and at Claudius. Gertrude craves affection. She and Claudius are messed up.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Claudius and Gertrude are messed up. Out of all men to marry, she marries her brother-in-law. #ew And she also is dismissive of Hamlet's feelings. Instead of consoling him, she tells him to stop being so gloomy and that death is common. Very rude.
DeleteI agree that Claudius is messed up but Gertrude just wants to fill the void. Your emotions can deceive you.
DeleteOmg yes!! Gertrude is doesnt care about anybody except Gertrude. As long as she has a man, she don't care. She's too busy looking for love to even attempt to comfort and be there for her son. #motheroftheyear
DeleteHamlet is the victim as of the moment, because his father just died and now he has to deal with the fact that his uncle is going to marry the women that his father loved.I agree with Eduardo that Claudius is taking advantage of the situation and is trying to gain the throne by getting with Gertrude who feels lonesome and is very vulnerable at the moment. Hamlet seems like he isn't going to tolerate this and I feel like he will do something about it.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Hamlet will do something about this because he will not let his father be forgotten so easily, especially by the marriage that takes place quickly after his father's death.
DeleteI agree. I think that Hamlet is going to find a way to make sure that his father is properly honored and remembered. Hamlet is basically saying "Claudius is really just a big joke. He's the rebound. Lol, we all know who the real King is."
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ReplyDeleteClaudius is selfish and conceited. All he cares about is being king and having people exalt him. He wants Hamlet to forget about his father and move on and take Claudius as his new father. He seems to be upset at the fact that he is still grieving and won’t move on. This demonstrates his twisted and deceitful attitude. He shows no grief towards his own brother’s death and does little to console Hamlet when he sees him grieving.
ReplyDeleteGertrude is submissive and quiet. Her attitude reflects Claudius and they seem to have the same views as to how Hamlet should stop grieving and move on. Hamlet’s soliloquy illustrates how she cried yet soon after her crying stopped, she fell deep in love with Claudius.
Hamlet is filled with anger and worry. He is still mourning his father’s death and refuses to move on and accept Claudius as his new father. He is angered at Claudius’ “attempts” at consoling him and will not accept him as his new father. Hamlet feels anger towards his mother for moving on so quickly and remarrying his uncle. Hamlet is worried when he discovers his father’s ghost is stalking and he makes an attempt to find out what is wrong.
I don't think Gertrude loves Claudius. I think she just wants someone to love her and give her attention and also I think she's power hungry. She could have waited and married someone else, or she could have remained a widow. However, she chose to marry her brother-in-law, who became king right after her husband died. Either that or she and Claudius had something going on even before Hamlet, Sr. died.
DeleteOverall I see that we all are interpreting the characters the same however in the end of act one I quickly realized that there was something fishy going on , take in mind I have not finished reading the book but clearly Claudius and the queen planned this and Hamlet is stuck dead in the middle. Hamlet is very unhappy because its disrespect the late king his father but more than likely he will support his mother and avenge his fathers death. That I suspect was done on purpose.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think Claudius and Gertrude have been planning something like this, even when her gay and was still alive. It's a big scandal going on.
DeleteClaudius, in search for power, appears to be wise at approaching the perfect moment to marry Gertrude at an "o, most wicked speed" after her husband has died. Gertrude must like the attention Claudius has approached her with since she is now lacking that male position in her life. This unpleasant 'romance' triggers Hamlet. The idea of Claudius showing no sorrow towards his brother’s death must create some type of curiosity of what really is going on in his head. Might he have a plan? Hamlet is still in agony from his father’s loss, and is unhappy about the marriage. He does not accept Claudius as his father, but Hamlet is sharp, and I believe he will soon reveal what Claudius is really in search for.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but in my opinion I think that this scandal has been performed in secret, when Hamlet's father was alive and well, an affair perhaps. Which would be a great explanation for the "o, most wicked speed" in the marriage of Claudius and Gertrude.
DeleteClaudius is extremely intelligent. Not only does Claudias make a speech addressing his brother's death and they nonconfrontational way but he proves himself to be a capable leader.
ReplyDeleteGetrudis seems to be selfish in that she married her dead husband's brother. She also seems uncaring in that she doesn't acknowledge Hamlet's feelings.
I believe Hamlet is a strong person because not only does he have to deal with his selfish mother and his (trying to take over *I can't think of a word that means the same thing*) uncle but he has to cope with the fact that the ghost seen around the castle is his father.
Under the Claudius comment
ReplyDelete*He makes a speech in a nonconfrontational way
Claudius is selfish and is seizing the perfect opportunity to become King and take over after King Hamlet dies. He is constantly formal because he doesn't care about people or personal matters only himself. Gertrude is weak in every sense of the word and does not support Hamlet at all. She may be even more selfish than Claudius. Hamlet is the victim in this situation because he lost his father, his mother and his shot at being King. He has no sympathy from his mother and feels completely alone.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Claudius is jealous of Hamlet’s father. I think this because through Hamlet’s soliloquy, Hamlet reveals that Claudius was nothing compared to his father. Therefore, I believe that maybe Hamlet was not the only one who thought that and so Claudius was tired of living in his brother’s shadow. Therefore, the death of his brother might have delighted him and so he could have wanted to prove that he was good enough and better than his brother by taking over his life. As a result, he married his sister-in-law and wanted Hamlet to see him as a father. However, I think he only said he wanted Hamlet to see him as a father for public sake because he doesn’t really like Hamlet. I think this because although, Hamlet is technically his step-son and the next in line he talked to him last rather than first showing that he cares not for Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteAs for Gertrude, I agree with Eduardo, I think Gertrude married Claudius to fill in the loneliness she felt after the loss of her husband. I think she didn’t really love her husband but rather loved the attention he gave her (her husband treasured her so much “he might not beteem the winds of heaven visit her face too roughly”). However, I think she also married Claudius so she can still be the queen and have the luxuries she was accustomed to. I think this because if Claudius would not have married her he would have married someone else and both she and Hamlet could have been kicked out of the castle. Therefore she might married Claudius to secure her place as well as that of her son, the heir to the throne.
As for Hamlet, I agree with mostly everybody, he is beside himself in grief over his father’s death and disgusted/ feels betrayed by his mother and uncle. I think he believes that Claudius is also planning something.
I strongly agree. Cladius is very manipulative and definitely knows how to play his cards right. I really believe that cladius has something to do with his brother's death. It's really suspicious how two months after the death of a loved one someone can move on so quickly. Gertrude is a very selfish woman. She doesn't care for hamlet at all. Instead of being a caring, consoling mother she told her son he should get over the death of his father. Honestly I feel Gertrude may know something about what happened to her husband. This is like a crazy episode of fatal attraction. Hamlet is just caught in the middle. He is truly hurt by what his mother and uncle have done to him but no one seems to care. Hamlet isn't going to let the memory of his father just die
DeleteIt seems that Hamlet's feeelings are not being taking in to consideration since his mother married his uncle in just a few months that his father passed away.Out of all the people she could of chose she ,Gertrude chose Hamlet's unlce which is down crazy but she just thought of trying to keep the power of being queen as long as possible not caring who she had to marry and not caring for Hamlets's thoughts.Howver, many don't seem to fond of the new King, Claudius, as Hamlet compares him to his father who was a better ruler and had the love of the people especiall the guards. By which the guards decided to tell Hamlet about the appearance of his father's ghost and why he might be apearing but they make no mention of telling this to the king.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I felt Claudius was selfish and arrogant, as he boasted during his speech that he was invincible to the forintabras and how they were incapable of taking back their land they lost. Claudius seem as he didn't mourn for his brother as he was overjoyed at the fact he was the king now. Gertrude marrying her brother in law very quickly seem shady as why will she marry her husband's brother right after her husband, it's so wrong. She may have done it to fill in her husband's spot or could possibly had a adulterous relationship with Claudius prior to the king's death Hamlet was mournful at the coronation as his uncle married his mother to obtain the throne ; he felt digusted and betrayed by his mother for getting married right away and for marrying his uncle, which I had said previously was very wrong, like who 9n their right marries their in-laws after their spouse's death. Hamlet feels like his uncle may be planning something that's why he wanted the crown so bad and not to fill in his father's spot as a fatherly figure in his life.
ReplyDeleteHamlet feels anger and resentment towards Claudius because he doesn't show any resentment and grief towards his brother's death. I feel Hamlet admired his father because he is not willing to forget his father as fast as Gurtrude and Claudius. Just as Yajaira said, Claudius was living in his brother's shadow which might have prompted him to work Gurtrude and kill the king so he can prove he's just a great king as Hamlet. Claudius is arrogant and selfish for thinking he could ever live up to his brother legacy. There was never an emptiness in Gurtrude after her husbands death because she married so fast. If she truly loved the king she would not have married because no other man could take his place. Therefore, Gurtrude was only concerned with her tittle as queen and the power it came with it.
ReplyDeleteI feel bad for Hamlet. Whatever his mother and Claudius have going on, he's stuck in the middle of. They tell him to stop grieving for his dad because it's "unmanly". It's easy for Gertrude to say since she was able to marry right after her husband died.
DeleteIt is interesting to note that the name Claudius means "lame", literally. In addition, Claudius comes off as controlling and inconsiderate of Hamlet, whom has just lost his father. Already we see Claudius controlling Hamlet to not leave for school in Germany, and urges him to forget any account of his father. This "lame" king, has something up his sleeve and obviously demonstrates he wants t o retain his power at whatever cost necessary. Gertrude is the most unfaithful woman I have ever read in a play. Hamlet was right to say that even animals cry harder and with more emotion than her. Gertrude obviously lacks spiritual strength and thus subsides to Claudius's lame power, it seems as if she agrees more with Claudius than her own son! Lastly Hamlet, seems like a wise youth who is noble at heart, From the way he gave that soliloquy, I can infer that he is prudent and is just like his father. From the onset Horatio and Hamlet look to be against Gertrude and Claudius
ReplyDeleteI believe that Claudius is only marrying Gertrude for power. I doubt that he loves his brother's wife like that especially if he didn't even love his brother. His thirst for power is ultimately undone by a lack of fortitude, a lack of commitment to his own evil nature and a need to be seen as honorable when he is not. Gertrude is what we call a coward. She doesn't even take time to acknowledge the death of her husband. She is vulnerable and can't hold up for herself and Claudius speaks for her every move. Hamlet, on the other hand disagrees with both and he despises Claudius and the ideas of his mother. Hamlet would notice that his mother would
ReplyDelete"she would hang on him" with a major sexual "appetite" that she seems to have simply transferred over to her new husband. This has the reader wondering is Gertrude interested into any man.
I believe that Gertrude's character, especially in this scene, portrays how women were perceived during the respective time period. She was faithful to her husband until his death, but she could not stand to be alone and independent so she hastily remarried someone, even though her new spouse doesn't really compare to the deceased. Compared to the guys, Gertrude doesn't even have very many lines and most of our understanding of her comes from the speeches of other characters.
ReplyDeleteGertrude- I think she did love the king while he was alive. But I think that once he died, she knew that she would have to marry in order to keep her power and luxuries. I agree with Misael that she is only concerned with her title as queen. But perhaps she married so soon after the king’s death because during this time period woman were not allowed to rule by themselves. Therefore, when Claudius sweet talked her she may have thought he could the next king since he was already an insider and would not to learn as much as someone else would about the kingdom. Marrying her brother-in-law was definitely an inconsiderate decision because of Hamlet. However, in the past cousins would also marry. So during this time period, it isn’t so shocking that she married Claudius.
ReplyDeleteClaudius- He seems to be ambitious for power and when his brother died he sought an opportunity. Claudius was probably in the shadows of his brother and was jealous and angry that he got to be king. Maybe he married his brother’s wife as revenge.
Hamlet- He is angry and disgusted by his mother’s choices and he hates his uncle for taking his father’s place. Hamlet seems to have had a good relationship with his father by the way he insists on keeping his father’s memory alive. He seems to be smart and will probably plan something against Claudius to take his title of king away.
Yes it is true that Claudius' name means "lame" but will his tactics later be changed later in the story? Claudius is trying too hard to inflict damage on Hamlet because he knows well that Hamlet may have a weak spot, which would be his father's bond. What im seeing in this play is how Hamlet will develop as his father and possibly die how his father did. Think about it, history always repeats it self, no matter how humans try to avoid it, or in characters in a story, the ending usually comprises of the main character and the rival in a duel. Now if i were in Hamlet's position i would be so upset that betrayal and anguish would be filtered through my steamy blood. Hamlet's soliloquy (monologue) gives the audience a sense how he feels and his thoughts are easily projected. There was a part in the soliloquy that he dissed his mother. That shows something, that shows that his hate toward Claudius is so strong that he is willing to go against his own mother because he is in denial. Everything happened so fast, that he is unable to process all of the events in his mind. Gertrude is just a fast lover and cannot live her life as "lonely" thus possibly causing her to make this haughty move. There is going to be inner and external conflicts and i can sense it already. Scandals and unfortunate events,such as these that were presented in this play, summarizes how there was always troubles in the Medival times and in history in Europe
ReplyDeleteClaudius is greedy, power-hungry, and inconsiderate. He has shown that he doesn't truly care about the feelings of Hamlet, who is grieving over the loss of his father. I don't think Gertrude ever truly loved Hamlet's father, otherwise she wouldn't have been able to marry another man in less than 2 months. Unlesssssss, her and Claudius were having an affair when he was alive :o Gertrude mourned rather quickly and was more than eager to hop in the bed with another man right after "the one she loved" died. That's rather fishy to me. Maybe she never truly cared about Hamlet's father and was a golddigger who only married him so that she could be the Queen. Hamlet seems as though he is misunderstood. His father was his role model, someone he admired and looked up to, and now that he has died, he is told to suck it up and get over it. That's so unfair and insensitive. And to see his own mother move on like nothing happened has got to hurt. When Horatio told him of the sightings of the apparition, I think this gave Hamlet hope and he was curious to find out what it was. I feel bad for Hamlet and I don't like Claudius or Getrude one bit.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. Gertrude is power hungry, and Hamlet is left to mourn on his own.
DeleteI believe Gertrude married her brother-in-law because after the king died, she would be thrown out and she was too caught up in all the luxuries and the royalty title she had. She didn't want to lose that so she thought marrying him was the best thing to do. At the same time it was wrong because not only did she not wait even a month after his death but she married his brother. I agree with everyone about how Hamlet feels towards his mother. He feels disgusted like Lizbeth and Yajaira said. I think Claudius might have been angry how his brother got the best of everything so marrying Gertrude was a form of revenge.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Emily. Gertrude acting incredibly selfishly when she married her own son's uncle. She did not put in consideration her son's grief and discomfort with such an action. Hamlet could have been fully capable to rule after his father's death. His mother was well aware of this fact and simply wanted to keep her position and queen.
DeleteThis is, without question, the best discussion among multiple classes I've ever seen! To those of you that responded today - 100! If you haven't responded yet there are still A's to earn here.
ReplyDeleteI think Claudius is a man who is power hungry and will do anything for it. He has shown that he puts himself first. He directly put himself into the most powerful family and gained king status with it. Gertrude is another interesting character. I believed she did love her (ex) husband greatly, but after time past, her feelings changed. She began to lose interest and had an affair with his brother. This led to Claudius becoming even more power hungry than he already was because now he knew he could become king. Gertrude loved Hamlet's father but once he died she quickly forgot about him and moved on to someone else because she knew he'd keep her as queen. Hamlet is a character that is plagued with emotions. He loved his father, but he was taken away and now he has to accept his mother marrying his uncle and can't talk out against it. He's stuck between trying to be there for his family and trying to communicate with his dead father. He is conflicted and it's tearing him apart.
ReplyDeleteP.S. if anyone has watched sons of anarchy, you can see the allusion to Hamlet with Clay to Claudius, Gemma to Gertrude, and Jax to Hamlet. Just wanted to share lol
ReplyDeleteI don't feel like Gertrude is planning anything but quite the opposite she is just going along with the tide, she is lost by just having lost her husband and even in her grief she felt that there was no escape but to marry Claudius. If there was no king how could she be the queen? So she had to be strong and maintain her position for her son and if that meant marrying her brother-in-law then she did it. Claudius on the other hand is definitely planning something especially by wanting Hamlet to stay so bad when he wants to go away. Maybe planning to kill the future king? But either way he is up to no good because he seems selfish and as if the death of his brother didn't matter at all. Hamlet loves his mother but at the same time he doesn't understand her reasons for marrying his uncle and this disturbs him and is pushing him away from her. Internally he resents his mother but cannot come to show it because he respects her too much. As for how he feels about Claudius is still too early too tell I think but he is resenting him too because how could he marry his mother and do that to his brother even after the king's death. Again though, he respects his uncle to say anything and maybe even a little scared of him.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I hadn't thought of it like that. Maybe Gertrude is smarter than we think and did all of that so that Hamlet could have a good life. I looked up the meaning of her name and this is what came out: "able to see how the details of a situation fit into the overall picture, you have good judgment regarding anything of a practical or technical nature". That would make complete sense if it turned out that Gertrude knew what she was doing when she married Claudius.
DeleteThat actually makes sense. Before reading the play, I had read somewhere online how Hamlet was a juxtaposition himself because he was "good" and "bad", regarding his mother and uncle, respectively. I can't remember the exact statement I read, but it went something like, Hamlet was trying to be good for his mother and that he would do anything to keep her safe. However, when we began to read the second scene I was confused since it seemed as if Hamlet actually despised his mom- which maybe he did at that point. But then later on, he may realize that Gertrude was, like you said, playing smart so she nor Hamlet would get hurt, which is why Hamlet would feel the need to protect his mother at all costs.
DeleteI think it makes sense to think that Hamlet is a little frightened by Claudius, or at least by his power. Sometimes when I look at C's speech I see veiled threats everywhere.
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ReplyDeleteClaudius, Gertrude, and Hamlet strike me as characters that are empty and dishonest. Gertrude is a fragile woman that has allowed men to direct her entire life. Claudius has taken advantage of this and has married her to become King. This action reveals to the reader that Claudius is a sneaky man that seeks power to remain invincible. On the contrary, Hamlet strikes me as a character that is wounded due to his father's death. Hamlet is a character with diminishing self-worth and confidence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about Claudius and Gertrude but I don't believe hamlet is dishonest
DeleteClaudius is a fake, he wants power and he's currently taking advantage of everyone's weakness especially Gertrude. She's in a fragile state but Claudius doesn't care, he's just directing her every move. Claudius is a pig and will do anything for power, that;s what I interpret. Claudius is hurt by his father's death and I believe he's also mad because Claudius doesn;t want him to grieve but rejoice because he's his new father.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is someone who is power hungry who uses whoever he can to remain in his power. From the looks of things, he will try everything he can to remain in his high status.Gertrude, on the other hand, is someone who is weak and has fallen in the bandwagon of things. Everyone says oh she's only marrying him to keep her status but does she really? What if she's being forced to marry Claudius in order to protect Hamlet? I'm not exactly sure what's going on there, but until I see hardcore proof then I'm just going what I have. Also Hamlet has no right to diss his mother. She lost a husband and he doesn't know how she really feels. To me he's just a whiny boy who's not thinking right. Yea he lost his dad but at the same time he doesn't need to bring everyone else down with him.
ReplyDeleteI have is disagree with Ann. I don't feel as though Hamlet is power hungry, rather he is acting out in grief and only wants to refute his mother's immoral actions against is father.
DeleteNevertheless, Claudius is manipulative and calculative, which can be clearly seen in his first soliloquy where he speaks in regards to everyone and everything, before finally addressing Hamlet- his nephew. Furthermore, he believes that by placing Laertes before Hamlet, he is pushing Hamlet to be no one of importance in court- which in this case isn't smart in the long-run. Plus, the fact that he doesn't allow Hamlet to leave means that he plans to keep him in sight in order to check that Hamlet doesn't rise up against him.
ReplyDeleteClaudius is very careful in acting out the role he wants everyone to see him as. He reminds me of a corrupt politician in the sense of him telling lies in order to get what he wants. He strives for power and control and will do whatever it takes to secure his position.
ReplyDeleteThere's a saying, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer". I believe this is what Claudius is doing with Hamlet because he sees him as a threat. Therefore, he does not want him to leave, because he wants to be able to see that he is not doing anything that will hurt or ruin "his plans".
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DeleteI totally agree with you Jennifer. Why else would he want him there I mean he is King? It appears to me he in fact sees him as a threat and would not his power/position be taken from him.
ReplyDeleteClaudius seems to be a shady king. He craves power and position would possibly do anything to keep it. He is very dishonest as he tries to give support to Hamlet on his father's passing. Hamlet is a bit of smart ass and gullible in this situation because he seems to be accepting anything King Claudius tells him. I believe Hamlets mother, Gertrude, is not a good mother because she agrees with Claudius in keeping Hamlet at home instead of going off to study. I feel as if she has been brainwashed my King Claudius's because she also wants to keep her position as Queen. Hamlet doesn't approve of many things his mother as done but only can accept them as his opinions seem to not matter. He cannot understand why his mother married just 2 months after his father's death and to his uncle, when he could of sworn they were in love. Claudius and Gertrude fall into the small category as ambitious people. Leaving Hamlet behind as their shadow. I came to believe that Claudius had something to do with his own brothers death and most likely harm Hamlet in the future. As for his mother I believe she should of supported Hamlet on his path of becoming king because I son would always help a mother in her hardest times. I expect of her to be thrown out of her position in the future just like her dead husband King Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteI think Claudius is self-centered and also shady because of the way he gives his speech. He tries to put on a face of grief while talking about his dead brother but in reality he is as happy as can be. To me it also sounded as if there was mockery in his tone while delivering his speech and also talking to Hamlet by the way that he called him his son, as if mocking the memory of his father. Gertrudis is just latching onto Claudius only because she is just as self-centered as Claudius is and is willing to do whatever it takes to remain queen and keep her power. She doesn't even take into consideration Hamlet's feelings and emotions which clearly states how unmotherly she is. I also feel as if Gertrudis probably didn't even love the past king because of how fast she got over him. Hamlet, on the other hand, I thought to be a bit sassy because of how he said to Claudius “little more kin but less than kind” under his breath and not to Claudius himself. He feels alone now because no one seems to care about his father being dead but him, not even his own mother.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the mockery tone as Claudius delivers his speech and refers to Hamlet as his son, I also agree with you on how Gertrude is self-centered. She only cares about herself as she thirsts for power. She is no human being, let alone a mother, as she tells her own son to move on and forget his father's death. All she cares about is her own power with the title that is "Queen". But I find this interesting because the queen in reality doesn't really even have any power, she's just married to a King. The king is the one with true power and he is able to influence his kingdom but the Queen only stands behind the curtain as she watches the king rule over his land.
DeleteI feel as though Claudius is an "ideal" ruler, not in his qualifications, but capability to manipulate and control. Claudius, King Hamlet's own brother, does not grieve the death of his family; rather he is actually rejoicing in his new position as King. He does not care for his nephew's grief. He puts on a fake act and goes to great extents to keep up his fake persona of a caring and strong king. Hamlet however sees past this. He knows his uncle only married his mother for control of the kingdom. However, ironically, Hamlet does not act to express his opinion. He sits passively is his grief and self-pity, despite the strong opinion he holds. His mother his just as self centered as her new husband. Rather then entrusting her own son with the throne, she remarries her son's own uncle to keep her power.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Laura, but not necessarily with him being the only "idealistic"(with negative connotations) ruler. Like Bovines, Gertrude and Claudius have a mutualistic relationship in which they both benefit from each other. Gertrude remains in the thrown by marrying her recently deceased husband's brother, in a way she is still with her husband(gross), and Claudius enters the thrown, something i'm sure he always wished for, by any means. They are both opportunistic by nature thus in a sense, perfectly capable of manipulating each other for their desired means. As a unit they are shameless, power thirsty, and unsympathetic thespians. Hamlet is a trapped soul, he is troubled by his mother's and uncle's vile decisions. He is give not nearly enough time t grieve his loss, which entails for a mentally unstable hurricane.
DeleteIt seems like Hamlet was sought to be diminished by Claudius as not a royal but a boy instead. As he gives the speech by skipping Hamlet and referring to others until the very end in which he finally explains that he will still be king but not at the moment. Hamlet thinks that the choices made by his mom are done carelessly, calling her a whore and thinking that he is the royal, while diminishing the social class of his mother as "common People" showing his superior status and why he should be the rightful king.
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