549 Ay, so, God buy to you. Exeunt [ROSENCRANTZ and GUILDENSTERN]. Full Summary 549 Now I am alone. 550 O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! 551 Is it not monstrous that this player here, 552 But in a fiction, in a dream of passion, 553 Could force his soul so to his own conceit 554 That from her working all his visage wann'd, 555 Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect, 556 A broken voice, and his whole function suiting 557 With forms to his conceit? and all for nothing! 558 For Hecuba! 559 What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, 560 That he should weep for her? What would he do, 561 Had he the motive and the cue for passion 562 That I have? He would drown the stage with tears 563 And cleave the general ear with horrid speech, 564 Make mad the guilty and appall the free, 565 Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed 566 The very faculties of eyes and ears. Yet I, 567 A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak, 568 Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, 569 And can say nothing; no, not for a king, 570 Upon whose property and most dear life 571 A damn'd defeat was made. Am I a coward? 572 Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across? 573 Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face? 574 Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' the throat, 575 As deep as to the lungs? who does me this? 576 Ha! 'Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be 577 But I am pigeon-liver'd and lack gall 578 To make oppression bitter, or ere this 579 I should have fatted all the region kites 580 With this slave's offal. Bloody, bawdy villain! 581 Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! 582 O, vengeance! 583 Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, 584 That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, 585 Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, 586 Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words, 587 And fall a-cursing, like a very drab, 588 A scullion! Fie upon't! foh! 589 About, my brain! Hum — I have heard 590 That guilty creatures sitting at a play 591 Have by the very cunning of the scene 
592 Been struck so to the soul that presently 593 They have proclaim'd their malefactions; 594 For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak 595 With most miraculous organ. I'll have these players 596 Play something like the murder of my father 597 Before mine uncle. I'll observe his looks; 598 I'll tent him to the quick. If he but blench, 599 I know my course. The spirit that I have seen 600 May be the devil, and the devil hath power 601 To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps 602 Out of my weakness and my melancholy, 603 As he is very potent with such spirits, 604 Abuses me to damn me. I'll have grounds 605 More relative than this: the play's the thing 606 Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.Hamlet is full of insults for himself in this soliloquy as if he needs to get himself pysched up to do the deed. The ghost of his dead father has told him that it was his uncle who had killed him and that Hamlet must avenge him, however Hamlet, despite his devotion to his father still needs to call himself a "whore" and a "rascal" among a slew of other insults in order to get motivated. In addition he uses rhetorical questions and logic (he slept with my mom!) until finally, mid-soliloquy he screams "O Vengeance!" All of this over thinking reveals a Hamlet who gets too caught up in his own over-rationalization like a lovelorn teenager over analyzing the meaning behind a text message. He claims to still need proof so he's going to trap the king by seeing if he reveals his guilt during a fake play depicting the same scenario in which his father was supposedly murdered.
Here's the thing though...do you think Hamlet really needs more proof or is he just stalling because he doesn't have the guts to enact vengeance? Is Hamlet a thinker or a doer? What is his fatal flaw? Or do you think that he is justified in needing more evidence because, let's face it, a ghost isn't exactly cold, hard evidence? Or maybe he just enjoys the game of it?
I feel like Hamlet doesn't want to kill anyone despite the situation. I feel he's a lover not a fighter, but like with anyone if someone murders ur family member in cold blood, ESPECIALLY your parent, you MUST avenge their death. Hamlet stalls while his mind ponders on what action to take next. So by insulting himself he's getting himself angered up for the "fight". Hamlet still feels he needs more proof other than that of a ghost so by him doing the play in order to trick his uncle, this is his shot at his own proof because come on let's face it if I just seen a dead ghost of my father I kind of wouldn't go and kill someone based off of what it told me. What's your defense, "my dead father came and told me"
ReplyDeleteVery true about the quality of his defense. If people already think he is crazy, what would they think if he justified it with a ghost?
Deletei agree he needs to go around everything before he actually feeds into problems- lines (595-606) he doesnt want to believe what the ghost has told him but he seems to keep it in mind
ReplyDeletethis scene actually explains how hamlet is a thinker because he speaks with his conscience when he wonders what to believe. hamlet craves proof and until he gets it his mind will always wonder.... what makes me think this is " For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak "
ReplyDeleteI think you are right that he is wrestling with his conscience and this is his definitive quality, but I think that the evidence you chose needs to be justified further.
DeleteTo me Hamlets seeks revenge but thinks about if is worth his time? And is it worth the pain but he dosent know what to believe, i also agree with Samantha explaining how hamlet is a thinker so if he wanted to kill he would actually think wether is a good choice or not just because of certain emotions hes feeling, I believe hamlet has all the proof he needs but he just dosent wants to believe it.
ReplyDeleteI think hamlet is stressed to be in the position that he is in. He's expected to kill a man and risk it all on the word of a ghost. Hamlet is simply to stressed and is letting it out in this scene. With his life turning upside down it's understandable. I believe Hamlets a thinker and is being smart on trying to see if a play would spark a emotion into his uncle. I agree with Joel because hamlet can't simply kill a man without proof.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Hamlet is a very conflicted and tortured individual. The death of his father took a severe toll on him. I don't believe Hamlet is waiting for more realistic evidence to prove who killed his father, on the contrary I believe that Hamlet is stalling; he doesn't have the guts to avenge the death of his father. Hamlet's fatal flaw is his irrationality, madness and his tendency to overthink.Hamlet gets so caught up in his own mind that he never actually executes his plans. This act includes several revelations that further the development of the main themes of the play. The links were easy to understand, and I liked how you posed questions at the end to the reader. (Aldesha)
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to what you think of Julainey's comment....
DeleteWhen a person is troubled, drowning within their own thoughts with continuous reminders, they constantly search for reasons to do what they want to do, but another part of them searches for just as many reasons not to. Being a thinker leads your path into several directions to the point where your own subconscious mind becomes your enemy instead. Hamlet feels as though there isn't really a win-win situation, yet it is his duty to avenge an innocent soul. No matter if it is blood versus blood.
ReplyDeleteI think Hamlet is the ultimate procrastinator tbh. Like if you want to kill someone just do it already. He's trying to negate the thought of killing his uncle by plunging in guilt along with the ghosts revelations. To answer your question I think Hamlet is a thinker and an over contemplator. He doesn't think fast on his feet and I believe that is his fatal flaw. He's trying forsake the clues the ghost told him buy saying he needs more evidence in order to put his plan in motion. Again he's just procrastinating his uncle's death. It's sort of like he's the ventriloquist and his uncles the puppet; he's toying with his uncle's life.
ReplyDeleteGreat identification of fatal flaw. I agree with you that it involves thinking, but I wonder if it's that he doesn't think fast enough or if the thinks too much. Now that you've raised that point I need to think about it.
DeleteI think that Hamlet had to decide if he wants to kill for his father's honor or if it is better that the country is stable.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is intimidated by his conscience because he doesn't feel that he has absolute control of his actions.The second video shows a more confused coward version of Hamlet because the author speaks in a soft tone. The use of soft tone makes Hamlet appear vulnerable. in using a line like " Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words" Hamlet is saying one expressing themselves is a feminine task and also weak and unmanly of him.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting idea that he doesn't think he has control. What makes you think that?
DeleteI think Hamlet just had a uncontrollable mental breakdown at first and that’s what caused him to spend half the soliloquy going on and on about an actor, and the powers he possesses. But I don’t think its unhealthy for him to go off the way he does. It’s a vital part of his thought process and in the end it allows him to come up with ideas that he would not have thought of otherwise. Hamlets ability to pull himself together and the way he reprimands himself shows that he does have the ability to think clearly.
ReplyDeleteI do not think Hamlet is thinking clearly as what to do to find out what really went on with his father death. As his plan he wants to find out if the ghost who has been haunting him is actually real or is it just imaginations through his head. He is not brave because his not trying to face his uncle as he just because he is scare to end up like his own father dead as well. Hamlet overthinking is causing him to not handle the situation as he should.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is the type of character that wonders a lot and is always questioning everything that surrounds him.. And even though i just discovered he's a man in his 30's, i still believe that his mind is in a little kids body that wants to know everything. Even though i don't believe that wondering things isn't unnecessary but in all contrary it is, what makes him who he is, and loosing his father and having his mother marry his uncle makes it even more understandable. I do believe as well that he will seek for revenge even though he will question all throughout why is he doing it? But he'll still do it for his father, and i also believe that he'll do it to have himself answer many of his unanswered questions.
ReplyDeleteI think Hamlet is on the verge of going insane. Hamlet knows that he is a good person who possibly could not kill anyone so he tries to convince himself that he is this bad person so it will be easier to kill his uncle. Its visibly clear that Hamlet is fighting between his own personal morals and what his father wants. I do believe that the ghost is his father and not his imagination or conscience because there was a ghost apperance in the beginning of the novel. It is not a concidence that a ghost appeared twice. I also am sticking with my theory of the Ghost symbolizing something bigger than himself but i have not quite figured it out. I believe that he is in some way related to a figure in the bible because there are many biblical references when refered to the ghost or when the ghost is speaking. The ghost like the bible is very repetitive.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Unique!
ReplyDeleteHamlet is definitely fighting with his own morals. He wants to convince himself that he is willing to kill a man. This is proven when Hamlet starts comparing himself to an actor.
Although it is clear that Hamlet was going completely crazy in his head, he managed to start thinking a lot more clearer. He pulled himself together proving he has the ability to get it together and think clearly.
i think hamlet is putting himself down because he knows he won't kill anyone but then again is getting frustrated because of everything especially because of what the ghost is telling him. He is basically fighting with himself because it seems like thats the only thing he can possibly do since he is unsure of what to do. he is trying to fight with his thoughts about trying to be someone he is not.
ReplyDeleteI actually like this scene the most because you get to see the real side of Hamlet and what he puts himself through as an individual. Hamlet keeps putting himself down and comparing himself to the actor and portraying himself as the actor. Hamlet asks himself rhetorical questions constantly and then, he ends up insulting himself. This scene was very interesting.
ReplyDeleteHamlet doesn't think that killing his uncle is right. I think that even though he doesn't like his uncle and he wants to avenge his fathers death he can't bring himself to actually killing his uncle. In the scene you see Hamlet comparing himself to the actor and how the actor shows more passion than Hamlet does. I think his lack of passion for this is because he knows that this is wrong -Penelope
ReplyDeleteI feel like there are two sides to Hamlet, One that knows what he's contemplating is very wrong and would inevitably damn him, and the other that essentially wants to act on rage and anger and ruin his uncle.
ReplyDeleteIts interesting to see this sort of unbridled self righteousness and cowardice blended into a character
I believe Hamlet does not care at all in killing his uncle and finally avenge his fathers death. He's portraying another side of him to the ghost to make the ghost believe he's in for the killing of his uncle. Hamlet is a coward and questions himself but does not want the ghost to see him as "unmanly". I agree with Unique, I do think he is trying to insult himself and get full rage to finally kill his uncle and the idea of disappointing his father is also driving him to have no control over his thoughts.
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, Hamlet was overthinking way to much and he puts himself down way to much. It's clear on this scene that Hamlet doesn't want to kill anyone in general and it seems to me that the only reason he's contemplating killing his uncle was for the ghost and he doesn't want to disappoint his dead father.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is not comfortable with the fact of murder and does not want to commit it. He don't like change. It is a feeling he is not use to. In order to come over this change he needs to find a motive like how we as humans need to find a motive in order to accomplish something of our doing.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is more of a thinker than a fighter. His conscious is against hi killing his uncle but the ghost of his father on the other hand wants him to revenge. That's why he plans on organizing a play to further justify to himself why he has to kill his uncle.
ReplyDelete