Vocabualary quiz 1 today, as well as a short quiz on Acts III and IV.
Notes for Act IV
Scene I: Gertrude relates to King Claudius that Hamlet has killed Polonius, and that her son is "mad as the sea and wind when both contend / Which is the mightier" (IV.i.7-8). It's even more important now to get the kid out of the kingdom.
Scene ii: Rosencratz and Guidenstern ask Hamlet where Polonius' body is. Hamlet calls out their syncophancy, the way they suck up to the king: they are sponges, who "soak[ ] up the King's countenance, / his rewards, his authorities...When he needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you, and, sponge, you shall be dry again" (IV.ii.15-21).
Scene iii: Hamlet finally relents and tells the king where Polonius might be found"
Hamlet eventually tells the King "but if, indeed, you find him not / within this month, you shall nose him as you go up / the stairs into the lobby" (IV.ii.38-41). After Hamlet departs for England, the King's soliloquy reveals that "by letters congruing to that effect / The present death of Hamlet"(IV.iii.73-4).
Scene iv.: Hamlet encounters Fortinbras and his army, who are on their way to attack Poland. Through the conversation between Hamlet and the Captain we gain some insight into the purposelessness of war. Captain: "Truly to speak, and with no addition, / We go to gain a little patch of ground / That hath in it no profit but the name"(IV.iv.19-21). Hamlet observes that the war is being fought simply because of "much wealth and peace." This scene closes with another soliloquy, where he compares his own inaction to how Fortinbras "makes mouths at the invisible event / Exposing what s mortal and unsure / To all that fortune, death, and danger dare, / Even for an eggshell" (Iv.iv.53-5). In other words, for "honor's sake", Norway will attack a tiny, useless piece of Poland, and Poland will not yield it, because this would not be honorable. Yet, Hamlet "that have a father killed, a mother stained" has yet to seek his father's revenge. The soliloquy concludes with his "thoughts be[ing] bloody, or be[ing] nothing at all."
Scene v. Ophelia "speaks much of her father;...speaks things in doubt / That carry but half sense" and people are listening. Horatio convinces Queen Gertude to have a conversation with her. The King wants her watched closely and observes, "when sorrows come, they come not single spies, / But in battalions"(IV.v.84-5). Note how he summarizes the play to this point.
And if that is not enough, in comes "young Laertes, in a riotous head" and assumes Claudius is the killer. The king assures him that he is "guiltless of [his] father's death / And am most sensibly in grief for it"(IV.v.171-2). Then Ophelia comes along, strewing flowers: rosemary for remembrance, pansies for thoughts, rue and daisies. The king takes advantage of the situation- Laertes grief and anger over his father's death, who incidentally had an "obscure funeral" and "no noble rite nor formal ostentation", and his sister's mental breakdown, to take the time to calm him down.
Act IV. scene vi.: Horatio gets a letter from Hamlet, who relate how he switched the message sent from Claudius to England that said the Prince was to be killed. In his stead now, his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will be murdered.
Act IV. scene vii. Laertes wants to know why Claudius hasn't done anything about his father Polonius' death. Claudius' excuse is that "the Queen his mother / Lives almost by his looks (IV.vii.13-4) and the public has a "great love" for him. then what news should be imparted: Hamlet's back, but the has an idea. Laertes will "be ruled / The rather if you could devise it so / That I might be the organ" (IV.vii.77-9). That is Laertes wants to be the one to carry out Claudius' plan. Claudius flatters Laertes that he is known for his "rapier most especial", sword fighting. The king then goads him by questioning his love for his father: "was your father dear to you? / Or are you like a painting of a sorrow / A face without a heart?(IV.viii.122-4). Claudius will arrange a friendly sword competition between Hamlet and Laertes, but Hamlet, "being remiss, / Most generous, and free from all contriving, / Will not peruse the foils" (IV
And still to come in scene vii: Ophelia's death by drowning. But Laertes refuses to cry for "too much of water hast" she.
Bonus 25: Which composer wrote an opera based on Hamlet. Leave response next to the computer under the hole punch, as usual.
Hamlet vocabulary 2 As with the previous, the assessment will be you will simply be defining the word. Quiz Friday.
1.To glean - to gather; to collect
2. sovereign (adj)- absolute; totally undisputed / n- king or monarch
3. satirical (adj) – sarcastic, biting, mocking
4. promontory- (noun)- a cliff high above water
5. rogue (noun)- a villain, fiend, scoundrel
6. firmament (noun) – the sky
7. pestilent – (adj)- deadly, likely to cause an epidemic
8. paragon –(noun)- perfect example, model, standard
9. quintessence –(noun)- ideal, essence, perfect model
10. to cleave (verb)- to split, also to adhere
11. malefactions (noun)- evil deeds
12. consummation (noun) completion; achievement
13. calamity (noun)- disaster, cause of great distress
14. contumely (noun)- insulting treatment
15. wantonness (noun)- immorality, extravagance
16. dejected –(adj)- depressed, disheartened
17. abominably –(adverb)- detestably; with hatred
18. to buffet (verb)- to hit or strike
19. clemency (noun)- leniency, mercy
20. to beguile (verb)- to deceive, to cheat
21. contagion (noun)- the cause of a disease
22. fetters (noun)- chains or shackles attached to the ankles
23. to compel- to force
The following is a link to Hamlet's soliloquy at the close of Act II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyB4ktn7AIE Rogue and peasant slave am I
The following is a link to Hamlet's soliloquy in Act III.i. To be or not to be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JD6gOrARk4
In act five scene one Hamlet finds out about the death of Ophelia and throws a fit while Claudius and Laertes are still planning to kill him. Does the gravedigger play any significance later in the play? I felt the gravedigger was sort of uneccessary.
ReplyDeleteThe scene w/ the gravedigger and the other was pretty boring and pointless, I was disappointed. Also what the gravediggers job? To bury people or get rid of there bodies?
ReplyDeleteIt was funny how the gravedigger was just aimlessly talking about Hamlet w/o knowing he is Hamlet.
Aww poor Hamlet finding out the woman he love is dead. :( Poor baby. u need a hug :)
"I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not w/ all their quantity of love make up my sum"
However in Laertes defense I totally understand why he started chocking Hamlet my brother would've done the same thing especially seeing how previously he killed our father and now he's mourning me.
Poor Laertes :(
p.s In the future dnt get in Hamlets face too much he's not afraid to kill u
One thing that LAERTES and hamlet has in common would be thet fact their father die. But how does hamlet feel about the death. Do hamlet feel a little better knowing the fact that Laertes dad is died to. Why is Laertes having a sercret funeral for his dad?
ReplyDeletealdin hamzabegovic
ReplyDeletei know that hamlet loves ophelia, but i expected him to react a little differently when he found out that she was the one being buried. i thought he would be more emotional.
It seems as if laertes is keeping ophelias funeral a secret, why is that??
Why did Hamlet and Horatio go the graveyard in the first place? And i thought Hamlet had stated that he didn't love Ophelia so why is he saying that he does now?
ReplyDeleteI think Hamlet may really be mentally ill. He claimed he didnt love Ophelia when it was obvious that he really did... but why didnt he react to her burial the way he should have? maybe he's used to losing the ones he loves by now. Perhaps he's gone numb.
ReplyDelete5:1-i found it funny and ironic,how the gravedigger began to sing when he was doing his duty. what does it mean when hamlet and Laertes grapple?
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting. Hamlet is crazed. He was the rudest of rude to his mother as well as Ophelia. But it puzzeld me when they were at the play and he said that he loved her. Because earlier her said he could never love her and she'd need to marry a fool. And the way he claimed to have loved her when they were standing at her grave. The entire death scene seemed unreal. I wanted all but Hsmlet to die but too bad that didnt happen. If Hamlet and Laetes could have worked out their problems before they fenced neither of them would have had to die. Im glad the queen died and couldnt wait for the queen to die. And on Horatios part i think it was foolish of him to attempt to drink the poision, but luckily Hamlet stopped him.
ReplyDeleteYo, what is it with all these ghost-like things? His father's ghost, the graveyard, etc. It makes the play less believable because the entire plot is based off of something that many people don't believe exist. That leads anyone reading or watching it to conclude eventually that Hamlet is crazy. I mean, come on now, he is talking to his dead father? As if...
ReplyDelete