Why Does Hamlet Feel At The Beginning Of Hamlet's First Soliloquy
1. How does Hamlet feel at the beginning of the soliloquy?
At the beginning of the soliloquy Hamlet is clearly quite depressed and even suicidal. This is evident from the heartfelt plea that makes to die “O! that this too too solid flesh would melt”. Hamlet is painfully aware however, that his flesh is indeed solid and sturdy and shows no sign of melting into “dew” however much he desires it.
It is obvious that Hamlet resents the “Everlasting” God who “fixed his canon against self-slaughter”. This creates a difficult situation for the mourning price and his comments highlight that he is a moral, religious person who fears angering God by breaking canon law.
Hamlet’s anguish and disillusionment are conveyed very clearly when he describes the world as “weary, stale, flat and unprofitable”. As he mourns the loss of his beloved father, the “excellent…king”, this young man cannot seem to find any solace or comfort in “this world”.
By comparing the world to an “unweeded garden/ That grows to seed, things rank and gross in nature”, Shakespeare’s Hamlet vocalises his disgust and loathing for the State of Denmark after his father’s demise. The use of natural imagery, a common feature in …show more content…
Shakespeare’s writing, is a very effective way of conveying a mourning son’s pain after his father’s death and mother’s “speedy” marriage to his uncle.
As he vocalises his anguish and confusion, our young price is evidently overwrought, disillusioned and depressed by the state of his world.
3. How does Hamlet feel about his father?
Hamlet obviously has great admiration for his father on many levels; as a father; a husband and a leader.
In Shakespearean times, the King was the most powerful person in the land, one who should be worthy of respect, though this was not always the case as there were many corrupt and cruel leaders. Hamlet obviously had great respect for his father and this is highlighted most effectively when he describes him as “so excellent a king”.
On a personal level, Hamlet’s enormous admiration for his father is conveyed very powerfully when he compares him to a Hyperion, the god of the sun. This is a very effective metaphor because in Shakespearean times (as it is today) the sun was a symbol of great power and strength. This metaphor gains greater strength when Hamlet extends it and implies that his uncle, Claudius, is like a “satyr”, a mythological creature who was said to be half-man and half-beat.
Hamlet is clearly frustrated and indignant that his mother has betrayed his father’s memory by marrying her brother-in-law, the dead king’s brother, with “most wicked speed”. Given that he feels that his father was an excellent husband who was very “loving to [his] mother” and even now is looking down from heaven to “visit her face”, it is obvious that the Prince feels that this father’s memory has been disrespected by his mother’s actions.
4. How does Hamlet feel about his mother?
From the very outset of the soliloquy, Hamlet is very traumatised by the recent events in Denmark. The “unweeded garden” that he refers to, is a result of his father’s untimely death and his mother’s shocking and unexpected wedding – to his uncle.
Hamlet portrays his mother as a wife who “would hang on” his father as though her very existence depended on it. The grieving son is clearly disgusted by his mother as he implies that she is like a parasite who feeds on another: “as if increase of appetite had grown/ by what it fed on”. This is a very negative image and it is compounded as he continues, clearly confused, to wonder how such a dependent, loving woman could then “within a month - ” marry another. Hamlet is clearly very distraught at this stage because he is unable to even contemplate this marriage saying “Let me not think on’t”, dismissing his mother as a weak and fickle individual “frailty, thy name is woman”.
5. What does Hamlet think about his mother’s reaction to his father’s death?
This soliloquy highlights Hamlet’s growing distrust in his mother.
He is deeply suspicious and accuses her of shedding “unrighteous tears” from “galled eyes” just before she “married”. Therefore, in spite of his determination not to think on it any further, the prince is unable to forget about his mother’s recent behaviour and he begins to question her loyalty to his father. Using a simile to compare his mother to “Niobe” who “all tears” cried for the loss of her children, Hamlet feels that “a beast that wants discourse of reason/ Would have mourn’d longer”. Hamlet’s disgust for his mother has grown to such an extent, he now feels that she has less self-control than a base animal. This is a very powerful metaphor because it underlines Hamlet’s bitterness and fury for his
mother.
6. What does Hamlet think of his mother’s new relationship?
As one might expect, Hamlet is deeply confused and ashamed that his mother has married her brother-in-law; his uncle; his father’s brother. He vocalises his disgust most poignantly when he muses that the salt from his mother’s “unrighteous tears” had not dried when she got married. The prince’s disgust is particularly effective because he places the two actions in juxtaposition.
“Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears/ Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, / She married.”
The incestuous nature of his mother’s new relationship obviously troubles Hamlet greatly as he ponders that it “cannot come to good”. His use of the expression “wicked speed” succinctly sums up his attitude to such a marriage.
In addition to his anger at the speed of her marriage, Hamlet demonstrates his disgust for his mother’s incestuous, sexual relationship with his uncle when he describes her “dexterity to incestuous sheets”. The use of the verb dexterity is very powerful because it implies that the Queen moved from her husband’s bed to her brother-in-laws with ease and haste; a very unsavoury image.
From your reading of this soliloquy, describe Hamlet’s personality. • Hamlet is deeply moral person, who has very clear ideas of what is wrong and right (e.g. how soon one should remarry; that one should not marry one’s relatives) • He is extremely introspective – he thinks very deeply and keeps his thoughts to himself. • He is very controlled – although he is clearly very emotional and distraught, he does not vocalise his thoughts • He is a religious person who does not wish to break canon law. It seems that it is this alone which prevents Hamlet from committing suicide in the very Act. • He is quite a judgemental person who analyses other’s actions • He is very passionate – he becomes worked up when he thinks about recent events. He uses passionate language to describe his mother’s actions and his opinion of himself • He is very humble and self-critical – while he describes his father as being like Hyperion, he refuses to compare himself to Hercules, a symbol of power and courage; • He is clearly very intellectual – his language is very descriptive and vivid. He uses a lot of metaphors and similes to describe his world • He is very in touch with nature – although he is distracted and emotional, he uses a lot of natural imagery to describe his situation.
At the beginning of the soliloquy Hamlet is clearly quite depressed and even suicidal. This is evident from the heartfelt plea that makes to die “O! that this too too solid flesh would melt”. Hamlet is painfully aware however, that his flesh is indeed solid and sturdy and shows no sign of melting into “dew” however much he desires it.
It is obvious that Hamlet resents the “Everlasting” God who “fixed his canon against self-slaughter”. This creates a difficult situation for the mourning price and his comments highlight that he is a moral, religious person who fears angering God by breaking canon law.
Hamlet’s anguish and disillusionment are conveyed very clearly when he describes the world as “weary, stale, flat and unprofitable”. As he mourns the loss of his beloved father, the “excellent…king”, this young man cannot seem to find any solace or comfort in “this world”.
By comparing the world to an “unweeded garden/ That grows to seed, things rank and gross in nature”, Shakespeare’s Hamlet vocalises his disgust and loathing for the State of Denmark after his father’s demise. The use of natural imagery, a common feature in …show more content…
Shakespeare’s writing, is a very effective way of conveying a mourning son’s pain after his father’s death and mother’s “speedy” marriage to his uncle.
As he vocalises his anguish and confusion, our young price is evidently overwrought, disillusioned and depressed by the state of his world.
3. How does Hamlet feel about his father?
Hamlet obviously has great admiration for his father on many levels; as a father; a husband and a leader.
In Shakespearean times, the King was the most powerful person in the land, one who should be worthy of respect, though this was not always the case as there were many corrupt and cruel leaders. Hamlet obviously had great respect for his father and this is highlighted most effectively when he describes him as “so excellent a king”.
On a personal level, Hamlet’s enormous admiration for his father is conveyed very powerfully when he compares him to a Hyperion, the god of the sun. This is a very effective metaphor because in Shakespearean times (as it is today) the sun was a symbol of great power and strength. This metaphor gains greater strength when Hamlet extends it and implies that his uncle, Claudius, is like a “satyr”, a mythological creature who was said to be half-man and half-beat.
Hamlet is clearly frustrated and indignant that his mother has betrayed his father’s memory by marrying her brother-in-law, the dead king’s brother, with “most wicked speed”. Given that he feels that his father was an excellent husband who was very “loving to [his] mother” and even now is looking down from heaven to “visit her face”, it is obvious that the Prince feels that this father’s memory has been disrespected by his mother’s actions.
4. How does Hamlet feel about his mother?
From the very outset of the soliloquy, Hamlet is very traumatised by the recent events in Denmark. The “unweeded garden” that he refers to, is a result of his father’s untimely death and his mother’s shocking and unexpected wedding – to his uncle.
Hamlet portrays his mother as a wife who “would hang on” his father as though her very existence depended on it. The grieving son is clearly disgusted by his mother as he implies that she is like a parasite who feeds on another: “as if increase of appetite had grown/ by what it fed on”. This is a very negative image and it is compounded as he continues, clearly confused, to wonder how such a dependent, loving woman could then “within a month - ” marry another. Hamlet is clearly very distraught at this stage because he is unable to even contemplate this marriage saying “Let me not think on’t”, dismissing his mother as a weak and fickle individual “frailty, thy name is woman”.
5. What does Hamlet think about his mother’s reaction to his father’s death?
This soliloquy highlights Hamlet’s growing distrust in his mother.
He is deeply suspicious and accuses her of shedding “unrighteous tears” from “galled eyes” just before she “married”. Therefore, in spite of his determination not to think on it any further, the prince is unable to forget about his mother’s recent behaviour and he begins to question her loyalty to his father. Using a simile to compare his mother to “Niobe” who “all tears” cried for the loss of her children, Hamlet feels that “a beast that wants discourse of reason/ Would have mourn’d longer”. Hamlet’s disgust for his mother has grown to such an extent, he now feels that she has less self-control than a base animal. This is a very powerful metaphor because it underlines Hamlet’s bitterness and fury for his
mother.
6. What does Hamlet think of his mother’s new relationship?
As one might expect, Hamlet is deeply confused and ashamed that his mother has married her brother-in-law; his uncle; his father’s brother. He vocalises his disgust most poignantly when he muses that the salt from his mother’s “unrighteous tears” had not dried when she got married. The prince’s disgust is particularly effective because he places the two actions in juxtaposition.
“Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears/ Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, / She married.”
The incestuous nature of his mother’s new relationship obviously troubles Hamlet greatly as he ponders that it “cannot come to good”. His use of the expression “wicked speed” succinctly sums up his attitude to such a marriage.
In addition to his anger at the speed of her marriage, Hamlet demonstrates his disgust for his mother’s incestuous, sexual relationship with his uncle when he describes her “dexterity to incestuous sheets”. The use of the verb dexterity is very powerful because it implies that the Queen moved from her husband’s bed to her brother-in-laws with ease and haste; a very unsavoury image.
From your reading of this soliloquy, describe Hamlet’s personality. • Hamlet is deeply moral person, who has very clear ideas of what is wrong and right (e.g. how soon one should remarry; that one should not marry one’s relatives) • He is extremely introspective – he thinks very deeply and keeps his thoughts to himself. • He is very controlled – although he is clearly very emotional and distraught, he does not vocalise his thoughts • He is a religious person who does not wish to break canon law. It seems that it is this alone which prevents Hamlet from committing suicide in the very Act. • He is quite a judgemental person who analyses other’s actions • He is very passionate – he becomes worked up when he thinks about recent events. He uses passionate language to describe his mother’s actions and his opinion of himself • He is very humble and self-critical – while he describes his father as being like Hyperion, he refuses to compare himself to Hercules, a symbol of power and courage; • He is clearly very intellectual – his language is very descriptive and vivid. He uses a lot of metaphors and similes to describe his world • He is very in touch with nature – although he is distracted and emotional, he uses a lot of natural imagery to describe his situation.