Hamlet's Second Soliloquy Essay

Words: 928
Pages: 4
Open Document
HAMLET’S SECOND SOLILOQUY

Coming immediately after the meeting with the Ghost of Hamlet’s father, Shakespeare uses his second soliloquy to present Hamlet’s initial responses to his new role of revenger. Shakespeare is not hesitant in foreboding the religious and metaphysical implications of this role, something widely explored in Elizabethan revenge tragedy, doing so in the first lines as Hamlet makes an invocation to ‘all you host of heaven’ and ‘earth’. Hamlet is shown to impulsively rationalize the ethical issues behind his task as he views it as a divine ordinance of justice, his fatalistic view reiterated at the end of scene 5 with the rhyming couplet ‘O cursed spite,/That ever I was born to set it right’. These ideas are …show more content…
The image of Claudius as a ‘smiling’ villain, and Hamlet’s point that ‘one may smile, and smile, and be a villain’, highlights the recurring idea of appearance against reality, marking similarities with the corrupt characters in The Revenger’s Tragedy whose ‘mask’ can only be perceived by ‘that eternal eye that sees through flesh and all’. These Machiavellian politics of spectacle and persona highlighted by Hamlet show Shakespeare’s critique of the Elizabethan aristocracy, who at the time wore extravagant clothing by law to protect the social order and their apparent elitism; one that does not match the reality of their sinful personalities, tainted by scheming and narcissistic ambition.

The somewhat idiosyncratic fluctuations of Hamlet’s emotions and intentions are epitomized at the end of his second soliloquy. After denouncing and erasing the ‘trivial fond records’ of education from his memory, Hamlet can’t help but return quite comically to his preoccupation as a scholar, as he notes down (whether literally or mentally) the Ghost’s final words as a sort of mnemonic to assist him in his task. The use of iambic pentameter in these words (‘Adieu, adieu, remember me’) – coupled with the use of repetition and consonance – give them an ambiguous tone that could be ominous as much as it is affectionate. The humour is certainly dark though, as there is something foreboding about the
Show More

Related Documents: Hamlet's Second Soliloquy Essay

Quarto In Hamlet

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are several textual differences between the First Folio and Second Quarto texts, which often affect the reading of a character or the play. One example of this phenomenon is in Hamlet’s first soliloquy. After being confronted by the Ghost of his father and hearing about the circumstances of King Hamlet’s murder, Prince Hamlet laments his own existence. He says that he wishes he could “melt” (Q2, 1.2.129), and then bemoans “Or that the Everlasting had not fixed…

Words 1688 - Pages 7

Hamlet Soliloquy Essay

The first soliloquy of Hamlet falls in the Act 1, Scene II and it is one based upon sadness and gloom. This soliloquy occurs after King Claudius and the Queen Gertrude urge Hamlet in the open court to cast off the deep melancholy attitude, which has taken possession of his mind as a consequence of his father’s death. The opening lines of this soliloquy show not only his youth and naïve mind but also reinforce the symbolism of his feelings. Claudius expresses to Hamlet that he has grieved for his…

Words 1072 - Pages 5

Hamlet: Hamlet and Hamlet Shakespeare Essay

(2) 30 November 2012 Language of a Soliloquy William Shakespeare is a man with whom most of the world is well acquainted. His intelligence and wit allowed him to pioneer some of the most common literary techniques used today. Shakespeare used a common structure to each of his plays. The plays consisted of five acts. In the first act, Shakespeare would introduce the setting and direct the audience’s attention to the source of the dramatic tension. The second act contains the majority of the plays…

Words 1258 - Pages 6

Hamlet Edited Solilquy Essay

Justice Short 2/23/15 Mrs. Haas World Literature 5th period Hamlet’s Seven Soliloquies Hamlet’s soliloquies within the play created a lot of dynamics that the audience could comprehend and learn from to understand more about Hamlet. Each and every soliloquy expresses and provides the audience knowledge about what Hamlet is thinking and what his motives are. The first soliloquy that Hamlet gives, lets the readers know how upset and depressed Hamlet is. In the very first two lines he talks about…

Words 917 - Pages 4

Hamlet: Laurence Olivier and Hamlet Essay

not to be” soliloquy was able to capture the loneliness and helplessness that Hamlet is feeling at this point in the play. Stemming from the betrayal from his friends and his rejection from Ophelia, Hamlet feels he is completely alone with no one to turn to. Olivier’s version captures this best, using symbolism to represent Hamlet’s options and feelings, voiceover to break up the soliloquy into out loud vs. narration to reflect Hamlet’s thoughts, and the use of setting to reflect Hamlet’s motivation…

Words 1073 - Pages 5

Analysis Of Hamlet's First Soliloquy

The first soliloquy shows Hamlet’s sense of betrayal and dissatisfaction with his life. Hamlet feels deep anguish and grief at the recent death of his great father, King Hamlet, whom he admired. He feels betrayed by his mother, Gertrude, for remarrying his uncle Claudius so quickly. His grief is multiplied by his mother’s marriage to a man much “inferior,” to his father (Al-Ogaili). Although Hamlet is upset, he does not want to articulate how he feels because it would trouble Gertrude, “within a…

Words 1651 - Pages 7

Hamlet Discussion Questions

distilment; whose effect ......." (1V.61-64) (Score for Question 2: ___ of 25 points) 2. What purpose do the soliloquies that Hamlet delivers over the course of the play serve? What do readers and…

Words 580 - Pages 3

Hamlet Mabinogi Analysis

the play. With these important characteristics applied by the director, the scene that best shows his works is Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1. The director Sung June Moon, appeals to the young audience by simplifying the soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1. He does this by summarizing Hamlet’s speech into 12 lines. Some might think that shortening the speech will ruin the famous soliloquy, but the director keeps the most important lines and summarizes the other lines: To be? / Or not to be? / That…

Words 837 - Pages 4

Examples Of Syntax In Hamlet

act. "Led by this army of such mass and charge, Led by a delicate and tender Prince … even for an eggshell" (Shakespeare 320). Once again, he holds up a mirror to the Danish counterpart. In another circumstance, Hamlet's perplexity is shown over the poles. The soliloquy represents Hamlet's last fling with words. Further, he will shed his attachment to the phrase to show the root of action's "Currents to turn awry and lose the name of action” (Shakespeare 319). Use of Syntax…

Words 815 - Pages 4

Diadem In Hamlet

was Gertrude stolen. Hence, the responder realises that Gertrude was not stolen from old Hamlet, as he is now dead, but from Hamlet himself. The world ‘stole’ in this context means that Hamlet feels that Claudius took one of Hamlet’s possessions and deprived him of it. Hamlet’s real ‘motive’ is also seen when he says “Mother you have my father much offended”. Both Hamlet and the responder are aware that the Ghost is concerned about the ‘the foul and most unnatural murder’ Claudius committed and not…

Words 415 - Pages 2