Preview

Hamlet Act 1 Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
616 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Hamlet Act 1 Analysis
The short first scene of Act IV bases on Gertrude's selling out of her child, handing him over to the ruler in the wake of having guaranteed to help him. While she keeps her guarantee not to uncover that Hamlet was just putting on a show to be crazy, the prompt and blunt path in which she educates Claudius concerning Hamlet's conduct and his murder of Polonius suggests that she considers herself to be united to the ruler as opposed to her child. Whether Gertrude truly trusts Hamlet to be frantic, or has just perceived that her best advantage lies in aligning herself with Claudius paying little heed to what she accepts, is difficult to decide from this scene and is generally a matter of one's close to home translation of the occasions. Whatever …show more content…
Where the vast majority of the other male characters in the play, including Hamlet, King Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras, are fixated on topics of respect, good adjust, and retributive equity, Claudius is a narrow minded, aspiring lord who is more worried with keeping up his own particular power and turning away political threat than accomplishing equity through his run the show. His reaction to Gertrude's disclosure that Hamlet has executed Polonius is to a great degree telling. As opposed to considering that Gertrude may have been in threat, he quickly comments that had he been in the room, he would have been in peril. Villa must be sent far from Denmark, he considers, not as discipline for submitting murder but rather in light of the fact that he speaks to a peril to Claudius. What's more, when he knows about the murder, Claudius' mind starts attempting to figure out how to portray the slaughtering with the goal that it doesn't appear like a political emergency to his court and to the general population of Denmark. To do this, he says, will require all his "magnificence and expertise" (IV.i.30). In this scene and the scenes to take after, Shakespeare makes in Claudius a persuading delineation regarding a scheming, eager lawmaker. Along these lines, Claudius rises as a figure of intense differentiation to the all the more direct men in the play, including Laertes, Fortinbras, and Horatio, and the significantly more ethically cognizant Prince

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Now wears his crown” (1.5.46-47). Claudius’s brother was a great warrior that probably ruled with ideas of justice and moral balance but Claudius is a corrupt politician, he rules with manipulation and does not even feel guilt for catalyzing the fall from grace of so many characters. He schemes and manipulates other characters to get what he desires. When Claudius was certain that Hamlet knew of his lie about his brothers death he planned a match between Laertes and Hamlet in which Hamlet was not suppose to come out as the victor. Claudius will stop at nothing to maintain his power if he has he heart to murder his own brother, he will have the heart to murder anyone that blocks him from his goal. It is his own scheming that leads to his death, if power is gained by lies and manipulation more lies and manipulation must take place to maintain it and that life can only be held a secret for so long. The constant deaths, spying and confusion led many to become mad. His lack of guilt can be seen when he openly shows his affection for his wife in front of Hamlet and does it in a very obnoxious way. This affection for his wife is questionable because of his need for power. It is not certain whether or not Claudius actually has sincere feelings towards Gertrude or whether she is just another character playing a part in his lie, something that just came along with what he truly wanted, the crown. However even though his motives for marrying the queen are questionable, if he does not truly love Gertrude he covers it up well, showing once again his good use of manipulation. He openly shows affection and even declares his love in words, “The…

    • 698 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In “Hamlet in Pieces” by Andy Lavender, Claudius is described as "calm, reasonable, decisive," yet a small play scares. Claudius showed no aspects of the Machiavellian he was originally thought to be after he is shaken up by Hamlet’s little show. Instead, he hastily orders the death of Hamlet. Rather than slaying Hamlet himself, Claudius has others attempt to do so. Perhaps this is so because he needs everyone, including Gertrude, to perceive him as a good king. The murder of her son by her husband's hand would cause unrest in Gertrude. Claudius could not lose one of his key aspects for stealing the throne in the first…

    • 1304 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet became mad over a course of period as it seems, but Hamlet is only acting. So the question will be does Hamlet want to die before he conquers his revenge on Claudius or will he want to continue on with life? Hamlet becomes very wishy washy with his emotions throughout the play. Sometimes Hamlet is happy and sometimes he is mad, as well as crazy. Claudius is on the hunt to get rid of Hamlet, but little does he know Hamlet could be considering getting rid of himself without the help of Claudius.…

    • 383 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For the most part, this Hamlet's soliloquy is the crisis of the play. It is when Hamlet fail to kill Claudius at prayer although he has the inner certitude that he is the murderer of his father. And this is obviously due to his consciousness. This soliloquy emphasizes in one way or another the universal human thought: to act or not to act in front of a situation requiring immediate action, always ask inner questions, make difficult choices and sometimes be tugged by his or her choice. Shakespeare uses, thereby, Hamlet to reflect on situations in the current life on which people are unable to have control, or difficult events to overcome, just because consciousness pushes them to understand that every action has its consequences and leads them…

    • 140 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Summary: Act V, Scene i, opens up two gravediggers shoveling up a grave for Ophelia. While digging the hole the two grave men argue whether or not Ophelia should have a Christian burial since her passing seemed like a suicide, which was outlawed during that time. After the first gravedigger asks the second gravedigger a riddle, Hamlet and Horatio enter the scene watching the men dig up a grave. When looking at the men dig up the old grave for a new grave Hamlet deeply wonders what kind of career the skull had that was buried in the old gravesite “Why may not that be the skull of a lawyer? “(V.i.91). When Hamlet approaches one of the gravedigger he questions them about whose grave they are digging. At first the men lie to Hamlet and tell him it is there grave since they are digging it but then the men tell Hamlet it is neither for a living man or woman because the person living in the grave will be dead. At last the gravedigger admits to Hamlet that the grave will be for one “that was a woman sir; but, rest her soul, she’s dead” (V.i.146). When Hamlet asks the gravedigger how long he has been a gravedigger the man responds to him and tells him he has been digging up graves sing the late King Hamlet defeated the old Fortinbras in battle, which was the day the young Hamlet was born. Hamlet then picks up a skull that belonged to Yorick , the late King Hamlet’s jester, Hamlet then goes on to tell Horatio stories about what he and Yorick use to do when he was a child. Hamlet then realizes that all men even great men like Julius Cesar and Alexander Hamilton will eventually become dust use to patch up a wall. Suddenly, the funeral beginnings for Ophelia and Laertes, Claudius, Gertrude, and many mourning courtiers enter the scene. Hamlet wonders who has died and notices that the dead man or woman has killed them self. Horatio and Hamlet then hide as everyone else approaches the grave. At the same time, Laertes argues with the priest telling him that his sister should be…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Soliloquy Analysis

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In Hamlet, Shakespeare reveals dynamics and statics in character traits mainly through soliloquies. In Soliloquy #2, Hamlet takes an adventure of self-awareness with a static, violent and depressing tone.…

    • 372 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is thought by many readers to have the major theme of revenge. Although revenge is a significant part of the play, it is not the main theme. Throughout the play there are many ways Shakespeare uses dramatic irony and for each one there is always a cause and effect. He uses this Cause and effect to target the audience and to keep them engaged in the play. An example of cause and effect would be in Act IV, Scene IV (IV, iv, 35-70). In this scene it shows Hamlet and his liking of Fortinbras and how angry he is at himself. The cause is from the audience while the speech and other things are the effect. The cause and effect from this scene and the soliloquy is one of the ways Shakespeare connected with his audience, which was in his time the Elizabethan era.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In Act 1 Scene 2 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the audience is formally introduced to the thoughts and feelings of main character: Hamlet, through a soliloquy describing the current situation in Denmark. This includes the usage of mythical allusions, metaphors and tone to portray Hamlets feelings. The time between Hamlet’s fathers death and his mothers second marriage is demonstrated in the sentence, “But two months dead: nay not so much, not two.” For the rest of the time Hamlet speaks, he is very sarcastic and condescending towards the thought of his mother’s marriage. Hamlet compares his stepfather and his father using mythical allusions that creates solid imagery as to how Hamlet feels about these men. “So excellent a king, that was, to this/Hyperion, to a satyr,” this contrast elaborates on Hamlets disapproval of his mother’s new husband. Here he implies that he is a half-goat creature that is often mocked by society and that his father had the quality of one of the 12 Titans. Hamlet continues to allude to Greek mythology when he ironically calls his mother Niobe; implying that she shed so many tears for her deceased husband when in fact she did not seem too distraught at all. Finally, both of those literary devises contribute to the overall metaphor of Denmark being “an unweeded garden.” Without the leadership of King Hamlet and the chaos within the royal family, Elsinore will suffer. The kingdom has been spoiled and will soon be in ruins according to Hamlet. This can be inferred from Hamlet’s condescending and disapproving word choice. It is portrayed through this soliloquy that Hamlet is unhappy with how things are going in Denmark.…

    • 289 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    <center><b>Assignment 1: Explication from Hamlet (1.3.111-137) ("My lord, he hath importuned me with love" … [end of scene].</b></center>…

    • 1000 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet undergoes many forms of stress throughout the play, and, as a result, his complexities are quite apparent. While some of Hamlet's attributes work in his favour, others, such as his strange relationships with women and ever present insanity, only act to hurt him. Hamlet's studying at Wittenburg also serves to his disadvantage. While attending this progressive school, Hamlet has obviously gained vast amounts of knowledge, as illustrated in his Pyrrhus speech (II:ii:455). A result of Hamlet's advanced education is his desire to obtain proof of Claudius' guilt before he takes action. Rather than act quickly, as was the case with Fortinbras' actions, Hamlet would much rather establish guilt in a (relatively) calm and collected manner. While Hamlet could have easily taken Claudius' life, he instead wrote new lines for the play "The Murder of Gonzago" and stated he would observe Claudius' looks (II:ii:601). A special type of individual is required kin order to develop such a plan, and had Hamlet not been so well educated, he might have acted quickly or without thought. Hamlet's plan is carried off and Horatio "did very well note" (II:ii:294) that Claudius showed…

    • 1181 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hamlet Rhetorical Analysis

    • 1632 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Throughout the course of the play, Claudius is manipulating the royal court and Hamlet. Immediately following his murder of the late king of Denmark, he cons the royal court into believing that the passing of the late king caused him much grief. However, Claudius exhibits no contrition for murdering the king because of “fruits” he had gained from it: “[his] crown, [his] own ambition, and [his queen]” (III.iii.59). He has no intention of handing over the “fruits” of his crime, that he is well past any chance of redemption. Claudius is unwilling to surrender everything he has gained from his crime because it was those ambitions that drove him to commit the murder in the first place. Claudius maintains his power by acting in favor of the people’s anticipations. Even after he had already wed Gertrude, Claudius confessed his sorrow for the late king and how he was overcoming his sorrowed heart to the royal court to be strong for the kingdom (I.ii.10-12). Claudius hastily shifts from the sadness over the late king and merriment of marriage to his future proposals and allegiance to Denmark (I.ii.17-38). In addition, Claudius also requests permission from Laertes father, Polonius, to authorize Laertes to go to France, as opposed to authorizing Laertes himself (I.ii.59-65). This generates favor from the people…

    • 1632 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The primary function of the first soliloquy is to reveal to the audience Hamlet's profound melancholia and the reasons for his despair. Hamlet explains, with an outpouring of disgust, anger, sorrow, and grief that everything in his world is either futile or contemptible.…

    • 529 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As Hamlet criticizes Gertrude for all of her misdoings, he reveals his hatred for Claudius and his intentions to do the king harm; at the same time, Hamlet also reveals his intentions to “blow [his two schoolmates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern] to the moon” after reading the execution letters that Claudius writes (3.4.232). At this point, the reader may begin to question Hamlet’s intentions and whether his plan to murder Claudius is actually feasible. For one, any good murderer does not reveal his plans to anyone unless absolutely necessary. In Hamlet’s situation, Gertrude may well be his own mother, but she is also the wife of the victim that Hamlet seeks to assassinate. Hamlet already denounces women for their inferiority and submissiveness…

    • 1208 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Hamlet Character Analysis

    • 1996 Words
    • 8 Pages

    In Hamlet, many think of Hamlet as being the main or only tragically flawed character within the play. However, in actuality, the play contains many other characters that possess varying severities of imperfection, some of which put the shortcomings of Hamlet, the title character of Hamlet, to shame. Despite the tragically flawed nature of Hamlet’s character, other characters in the play are clearly more flawed in comparison to Hamlet. As a result of this character’s imperfection, many of the characters within the play Hamlet are considered tragic; however, those in which this trait is predominant are Claudius, Laertes and Gertrude.…

    • 1996 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hamlet Analytical Essay

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare is a tragic story about a prince named Hamlet attempting to get revenge for his father's murder. As Hamlet only to slowly destroy his life in the process. As Hamlet attempts to get revenge, he ultimately ends up destroying himself and the people around him. But before his death, Hamlet slowly decides what he wants to do with his life. Hamlet goes from thinking the world holds nothing for him but not wanting to kill himself because he fears god in the first Soliloquy, to living to avenge his father if needed in the second Soliloquy, to fearing death in the third Soliloquy. Hamlet slowly decides what he wants to do with his life, through his first three Soliloquies in the play…

    • 895 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays