Important scenes in 'Hamlet' paper 1

Name:- Bhumi . N . Vajani

M.A:-Sem -1

                                                    

Roll No:- 06

Subject:- The Renaissance Literature

Topic:- Important scenes in 'Hamlet'

Year:- 2012-2013

Submitted to:- Department of Englis

                     Maharaja KrishnaKumarSinhji

                     Bhavnagar University.

->Introduction

                                                ->Story Outline

->Scenes :-

                                                        ->Ghost Scene

->The Nunnery Scene

                                                        ->The Play Scene

                        ->The Prayer Scene

-> Hamlet's meeting with Gertrude, where he accidentally kills Polonius

                        ->Bedchamber Scene

->The Graveyard Scene

                                                        ->The Fight Scene

:*: Introduction :-

                                        'Hamlet' is the name as well as the character of the tragic play 'Hamlet'. It’s a famous play by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon in sixteenth century. He wrote many poems. He also wrote comedies, tragedies and tragic comedies. Hamlet has caused more discussion than any other character in fiction, dramatic or non-dramatic, H.N.Hudson , " It is easy to invent with possibilities almost any theory respecting, but very hard to make any theory comprehend the whole subject ".

                                                ‘The Tragedy of Hamlet' which marks the beginning of the playwright's great period of composition. Hamlet itself belongs with Othello (1604) , King Lear (1605/6), and Macbeth (1606) as one of the greatest tragedies in world literature. Many writers says that it is his greatest play.  

:*: Story Outline :-

                                           Hamlet is the protagonist o the play. His father died of poisoning by his                  . His uncle became the king of Denmark and also marries Hamlet's mother soon after his father's death. Ghost is seen by the two soldiers. Hamlet is told and the secret behind his father's death is revealed. The ghost tells him to take revenge. Being an intellectual being he wants to find proof before taking revenge. He delays taking the revenge of his father's death. On the other side king suspects his madness and decided to send abroad. He made plans to kill Hamlet but he is saved. Later on Hamlet's beloved dies, before Ophelia dies her father-both died accidentally. Larteus, Ophelia dies, and then Hamlet's mother dies, then dies his uncle and in the end dies Hamlet. The things go wrong because of Hamlet's delay in taking revenge.

:*: Scenes :-

                                        Hamlet has many memorable scenes. some of the fined scenes are the Ghost Scenes, the Nunnery Scene, The Play Scene, The Prayer Scene, The Closet Scene etc. Let's see the scene one by one with their importance as far as the drama is concerned.

~~Ghost Scene :-

                                        Most of the Shakespeare’s tragedies have supernatural elements to create the proper effective. This scene is set up in the beginning. It has the narrow stage platform of Elsinore castle which is on the top of the hill. The ghost of the previous king of Denmark appears at the midnight. During this hour people are asleep but the guards are awake. The guard sees him and tries to stop and response. They decided to inform about these incident to the son of the late king, Hamlet. When Hamlet hears he decides to go to the place and find out the reality. He goes to the place, there he finds his father's ghost whom he talk's but the ghost made sign to go behind him. Hamlet meets his father is ghost and learns the trater.

                             [ Act-1 , Scent-5 ]

->" Haste me to know it, that i with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge"

-Hamlet to the ghost. Hamlet wants to know the details of the crime so he can immediately seek revenge.

->“O most pernicious woman |o villain, villain, smiling damned. Villain |...| one may smile and smile and be a villain | At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark”

->"Something is rather in the state of Denmark"

"No, you will reveal it!”

-Hamlet to Horatio. At first he refuses to tell his best friend, Haratio, What he has discovered. Although he quickly changed his mind, this reveals the beginnings of his paranoid.

->"The spirit that I have seen may be devil....... I'll have grounds more relative than this"

-Hamlet soliloquy. He reveals part of the reason for his hesitancy (Afraid to trust the ghost's words), and resolves to have former evidence of his uncle's guilt before he inflicts punishment.

->"The play's the thing! Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king"

Hamlet decides that the best way to test Claudius guilt is to make him face his own crime in the form of a play, and then watch for his reaction.

                                      This scene is very important as the consequence of the drama is considered. The ghost appears second time also when Hamlet and his mother talks. The ghost reminds Hamlet to take revenge of his death and not to harm his mother.

~~ The Nunnery Scene :-

                                Opens with a meditation on life and death. Ophelia thought that Hamlet has gone made because she stopped meeting him Polonius, her father and the king Claudius decides to test Hamlet with the help of Ophelia. Ophelia is not aware of their real because she is considerate, She wants Hamlet to get well. Ophelia is projected doing prayer when Hamlet enters the place Hamlet is not aware of the presence of Ophelia. When he sees him she greets her saying 'Nymph', in thy orisons be all my sins remembered.

                             [Act 3 , Scene-1 ]

" To be or not tobe, that is the question | whether ' its nobler in the mind to suffer | The slings and arrows of outrageous fartune | or to take arms against a sea of troubles | and by opposing, end them"

Hamlet wonders which is preferable, life or death. At this point he sees life as nothing more than pain and suffering.

" I did love you once "

Hamlet to Ophelia

" Indeed, my hard, you made me belive so"

Ophelia to Hamlet

" You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it ; I loved you not. "

Hamlet to Ophelia

" I was the more deceived "

Ophelia to Hamlet

" If thou wit needs marry, marry a fool; for wise man know well enough what monsters you make of them to a nunnery, go; and quickly too. Farewell ".

Hamlet to ophelia, offering a further critique of women.

                                      The stage arrangement is such that audience could see the king and polonius. Hamlet was not to be told about presence according to the plan. He thought  that ophelia deceived him by participating in the plan  as Hamlet saw both of them. He insulted ophelia brutally in this scene. Ophelia is humiliated and could not understand why she was treated in this way by Hamlet. She felt deterioted. This scence digs valley betwen the two lovers of misunderstanding. A lovely innocent and saintly girl's innocence is sacrificed.

~~ The Play Scene :-

                                Hamlet is a scholor and an intellectual person. He wants to heck hes uncles misdeed. He is eagerly waiting to know whether. Hes uncle feels guilt about killing of his own brother. This side the kingdom wants Hamlet to get well gertrude was anxious for his well-being. The news comes to Hamlet about the arrival of the team who would perform. Hamlet meets them and tells them to perform the play in the way he wants. They argued to give the performance accordingly. Hamlet, Claudius with queen gertrude, Courtiers ophelia, Horotia and others are watch the play. The stage is well-equipped. In the center side Horatio, ophelia. Horatio is to watch the gesture and experession of the king. Hamlet as stage manager, is seen standing in the middle with the pretendence of mad man. Hamlet does mischief with ophelia so that he may dessect claudis changing facial expression. The scene in the play shows the killing of one brother by another. Claudius could not tolerate the scene.

King: " I shall leave you soon, clear my active powers are failing, and you will outlive me in this fair world."

          "Purpose is but the slave to memory...."

          "OF violent birth but poor validity,....."

          " Where joy most revers, grief doter most lament."

                   Claudius gets up and goes out. Behind him queen, polomius and courtiers also left. Hamlet could realize that his uncle is guilty. As far as the revenge tragedy is concerned this play is of great signifiance. Hamlet wanted proof he got it. Yet, he doesn't take revenge. He should have taken.

~~ The Prayer Scene :-

                                Hamlet, the tragic hero of the play goes to kill his uncle to revenge of his father's murder. He held his sword out. When he enters the room he finds his uncle praying god. Though he was determined to revenge he could not act mercilessly. He thought that if he kills him while doing prayer he would directly enter heaven. Previously, He showed the weakness in his charecter of lack of derermination. Once more he exhibits the same.

" Why this is hire and salary, not revenge"

          Hamlet solioquy. He decied that if he kills cladius at prayer, he'll be acting like nothing more than a hired assassin. If claudius goes to heaven, his punishment will be thought and Hamlet's revenge will be incomplete.

" Then trip him that his heels may kick at heaven and that his sould may be damned and black at hell where to he goes"

           Hamlet solioquy. He resolves to wait untel he is certain that claudius will go to hell, by killing him when he's committing a sin.

          In this scene the king is show kneeling down. After his solioquy, and before he rises, Hamlet enters the audience chamber. He sees the king at prayer, draws his sword, soliloquized and return the sword to the scabbard. He missed one more chance to revenge.

          In Javerchand Megahni's books we find many revenge stories but no one can be suck weak as the character of Hamlet. He seems very kind to kill any body. He takes time in thinking and taking actions.

* Hamlet's meeting with Gertrude, where he accidentally kills polonius :-

                        [ Act-3 , Scence 4 ]

" Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended"

Gurtrude to Hamet.

"Mother, you have my father much offended"

 Hamlet to Gurtrude.

Hamlet refuses to allow his mother to lecture him on correct behavior.

"You are the queen,  your husband's brother's wife and would it were not so, you are my mother"- Hamlet.

Gertrude, Shocked by his lack of respect, askes it he has forgotten that he is speaking to his own mother. Hamlet's disgust springs from the religious belief that the marriage of suck close relative as gertrude and claudius is wrong and incestuous.

"A bloody deed-almost as bad, good mother, as Kill a king and marry with his brother"

Hamlet to Gertrude. Hamlet's response to his crime is cold and unemotional. He is so obsessed with the crimes of his uncle and mother, that he feels his own. He has just killed polonius into insignificance. He seems to think that his mother was involved in olot to kill his father Hamlet.

"Thou wretched, rash, intruding fools, farewell ! i took thee for thy better"

Hamlet's major emotion following his murder if polonius is disappointment because he hoped it was cludius  hiding behind the arras. He seems unaffected by the face that he has murdered a innocent man, and suggests that polonius get what he deserved for being a meddlesome fool !

" Have you eyes? you cannot call it love, for all your age , the heyday in the blood is tame, it's humble and waits uplon the judgment, and what judgment would sleep from this to this?"

Hamlet forces his mother to look at two portraits of her lovers- one of his father, one of  claudius. He cannot understand how she could be satisfied with the pathetic replacement she has found.

"Do you see nothing there?"

Hamlet is amazed that gertrude cannot see the ghost. She becomes convinced that he is truly mad.

"For this same lord i do repent; but heaven hater pleased it so To punish me with this, and this with me that i  must eb their scourge and minsied"

Hamlet realized that he will eventually be punished for his crime, but he is also convinced that it is the will of god that he be their instrument of vengeance and punishment. Polonius deceit has been what is right and wrong. he has convinced himself that getting revenge is what god wants him also.

"I esentially am not in madness but mad in craft !"

Hamlet reveals to his mother that his madness is nothing more than an act, but warns her not to reveal his fact to her husband claudius. Hamlet is lack of respect makes us wonder if his remark was genuine.

~~ Bedchamber Scence :- (Closet Scene)

                        In the globe theater of shakespeare's time the bedchamber of queen was arranged in suck a way where males were usually not allowed to go or if they are in the chamber they also usually not shown. Hamlet meets his mother. He rebukes his mother for marriging quickly this scene. He interferes in the personal matters of his mother's life. Poloniys is shown watching them outside the glass chamber. Queen gertrude is sorry for here behaviour. The ghost of dead king appears. He reminds him to take revenge for his death. Hamlet suspects his uncle, claudius listning them behind the curtains. He immediately rushes out opening the door. without looking at the person he kill polonius. this scene shows the craziness and haste of Hamlet. Hamlet thought Polonius to be claudius. After knowing what he has done, he again goes to the chamber of Queen gertrude. They talking for a while. He told gettrude not to reveal that Hamlet  is not mad to the king. Gertrude loved her son, she told the king that Hamlet does this in madness. This scene shows a mother's love for her son. We have scene a mother's sacrifice for her child in many indian legends.

~~ The Graveyard Scene :-

                        This scene is one of the important scenes of the play. It shows the naked reality of life which is death. Hamlet's philosophy is notworthy. This scene deals with two diggers talking about the burial of ophelia. They discuss whether she should be given christian burial or not. One says that she may not be giving is it was not sure whether she died naturally or ended her life intentionally. The other says she was gentle women and should be given the christian burial. At this time one goes to buy liquor and the other keeps digging ophelia's grave. He keeps singing joyful songs of youth while digging. There is black humour in this scene.

                             Where Hamlet muses on the nature of life and death, accidentally comes across ophelia's funeral, and fights with laertes.

                             [Act -5 , Scene- 1]

"Get you to my Lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint on inch thick, to this favour she mush come"

However she paints her fce, a lady will end up looking no more attractive than this skull the irony of this thought liesin his ignorance of the fact that the grave is bring dug for ophelia. He again muses on the pointlessness of our wordly conserns, as none of us can avoid death. He later muses that many great leaders, like Alexander and caesar, also ended up in the grace, just as the king, claudius enters.

"I loved ophelia, Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up the sum"

Hamlet feels that nature and quality of his love was more powerful than Laertes. It is possible that his attack on laertes is motivated by utter shock that ophelia is dead and a combination of guilt and rage. When Leartes implies Hamlet may be partially to blame. He cannot bear the thought that he may have contributed to the death of this women he loved and so lashes out.

Learning of ophelia's death Hamlet could not control himself and mouns his beloved's deatg. Hamlet and laertes starts fight, boter jump in the pit of coffin, both are stopped by the attendents. This scene develops the future events in the play.One can predict the duel between laertes and Hamlet and the vicious king would get benifit. Ophelia's death weakens Hamlet his love for her is revealed here. He gains the sympathy of audience thought scene. Ophelia is mourned by the audience through too. Also audience's hearts are full of pity for her fate as well as her brother.

~~ The Fight Scene :-

                        The graveyard scene swoed the seeds of the fight scene. Claudius wants to clear his way and throw Hamlet out of his way. Laertes; anger was the best weapen for him. The fight was arranged between Laertes and Hamlet. Laertes and claudius decided to kill Hamlet with the help of poisoned weapen. The king, the queen, Horatio and the courtiers gathered to watch this scene. Both of them fight, Laertes is injured. He smashed the poisoned sword into Hamlet's body, by mistake the sword is exchanged, the same poisoned sword is smashed to Laertes. They both forgive each other Laertes dies. Hamlet wins. In Joy and celebrating mood the queen drains poisoned wins which was placed there by claudius for Hamlet as a plan if he dosent die by injury he would die of drinking wine.

                             [Act -5 , Scene-2]

KIng : Our son shall win.

Queen: He's fat, and scant of breath.

Hamlet: Good madam !

King : Gertrude, Do no drink

Queen: I will, my lord ; I pray you, pardon me.

King:[Aside] It is the poison'd cup: it is too late.

Hamlet: I dare not drink yet, madem; by and by

Queen: Came, let me wipe thy face.

Queen before dying reveals the plan. Hamlet could not see his mother's death and kills cludis. This scene brings an end to the lived of important characters. First dies laertes revealing the kings plan to Hamlet. Then dies the Queen. Next Claudius is Killed. the last person to die is Hamlet as the poison is spread in his body.

=> Horatio Says,

->"Good night sweet prince and Flights of angels sing thee to thy rest".

->"Dear hamlet like a soldier to the stage; for he was likely, had he been puton, To have proved most royal".

No more can be said to of Hamlet-the rest is silence.

=>               The important scenes are unforgetable. The make the play and the characters memorable. There is a deep philosophy of life behind these scenes.

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