This was a fun chapter to read. We see Hamlet frustrated and wandering aimlessly, or so it seems to everyone around. He is really planning in his head. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive, at the behest of the king, and tell Hamlet of the coming actors group, he seems to immediately spring forth with a plan. A pretty ingenius plan at that; put in the face of the murderer king his own actions using the actors. We earlier see in the chapter that the noble Polonius is not such a nice guy afterall when he sends Reynoldo to follow his son and try to get him into mischief and therefore back home. Most of the characters are plotting in this chapter all motivated by self interest.
Ophelia, is one character who really does not seek to plot against anyone, however, she agrees to help her father in trying to determine what is at the heart of Hamlet's perceived madness. Shakespeare really makes her such a week character. This job is not something she is ready for or capable of doing. Conspiring is just not in her, she loves Hamlet, and does not seem to be able to get from him what others want to know, chiefly the King. She also cannot stand up to her father and tell her that she loves Hamlet and that he loves her back. Her father does not even think her worthy of a Prince as he states to Ophelia: Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star.
This chapter was definately the setup for what is to come. Hamlet is now decided that he will pursue the King and make sure the ghost of his father was not the devil in his mind toying with him. The King has now begun to bring in people, Rosencrantz and Gulderstern, to try to find the root of Hamlet's madness. Polonius is manipulating his daughter to find out what is going on with Hamlet and also sending Reynoldo to watch and lure his own son into mischief. The most significant thing that occurs is this: the King agrees to allow Fortinbras to move his armies through Denmark for war against the Polak. Obviously the whole Hamlet issue has blinded the King to the foolishness of the above agreement. No country ever allows their potential enemy to move his armies into his land unopposed. So in essence while everyone intrigues against everyone else the house of Denmark is on its way to being overun without a fight.
Had Shakespeare made Ophelia a stronger character, one who could have stood up to her father and up to Hamlet, might Hamlet have come out of his funk and been able to see the foolishness of the revenge he sought. Second question, is the King almost a comical but profound prophecy of what Neville Chamberlain did when making an agreement with Hitler just before the outbreak of World War 2?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I hope its ok to focus on your journal rather than the questions at the end. I did not gather that Polonius was trying to have Reynaldo get Laertes into trouble. I thought he was telling Reynoldo to become familiar with the other Danes that Laertes was hanging out with and make false accusations as a way to trick his aquaintances into saying what he was really up to. He tells him not to go too overboard in his accusations and that by speaking untruths he will get at the truth. I could be completely wrong about this. Shakespeare is way out of my league. By the way, I feel really sorry for your kids having to watch it! (Just kidding! I'm refering to your voice thread comment) My husband started snoring about halfway through it. He told me that he didn't read Hamlet in high school. The next day after we'd watched it, he says to me: "You know what? We did do Hamlet in High School. I was almost succesful in blocking it out too!" He's twelve years older than I so lets see its been 37 years since he was in high school...YIKES
ReplyDeleteI noticed that Shakespeare likes strong female characters in most of his plays, but in Hamlet, that character is obviously absent. I'm not sure why that is, but the lack of a strong woman in Hamlet doesn't seem so out of place. Women, at least in Shakespeare's world, are intelligent, well rounded and seem to provide at least a little common sense. But I suppose without a character like that in Hamlet, it allows the character to inform his own decisions and do as he pleases. It also makes for an interesting play :)
ReplyDeleteIf Shakespeare had made Opehilia a stronger character it would have diminished her presence as a foil character. She needed to be the weak creature she was in a way to develop hamlet and the story.
ReplyDeleteI have never understood why Ophelia, in love with Hamlet, doesn't just tell her father, Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet is not insane? If she has any real understanding of Hamlet, she should know. She is, after all, his own age, and one of his closest friends. Aside from Horatio, I'd think she'd be the most likely to know what's really going on inside his head. This would be even clearer if we had a better sense of how much time Hamlet has recently spent away at school, vs. home at the court.
ReplyDeleteHey there!
ReplyDeleteI think that if Ophelia were a stronger character, we would have ended up discussing a story much more like Romeo and Juliet but with a similar outcome. I think, though, that she was really more torn than weak because she wanted to obey her father and trusted his judgement.