Re-read these lines from Act II Scene 1, then hypothethize an explanation for Hamlet's behavior on his visit to Ophelia's "closet" (and Polonius's response to it). Is this an example of his new "antic disposition?" Is Polonius in any way correct in his interpretation? Can Hamlet be serious? What does he mean to "say" to Ophelia?
LORD POLONIUS
How now, Ophelia! what’s the matter?
OPHELIA
O, my lord, my lord, I have been so affrighted!
LORD POLONIUS
With what, i’ the name of God?
OPHELIA
My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul’d,
Ungarter’d, and down-gyved to his ankle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell
To speak of horrors—he comes before me.LORD POLONIUS
Mad for thy love?
OPHELIA
My lord, I do not know;
But truly, I do fear it.LORD POLONIUS
What said he?
OPHELIA
He took me by the wrist and held me hard;
Then goes he to the length of all his arm;
And, with his other hand thus o’er his brow,
He falls to such perusal of my face
As he would draw it. Long stay’d he so;
At last, a little shaking of mine arm
And thrice his head thus waving up and down,
He raised a sigh so piteous and profound
As it did seem to shatter all his bulk
And end his being: that done, he lets me go:
And, with his head over his shoulder turn’d,
He seem’d to find his way without his eyes;
For out o’ doors he went without their helps,
And, to the last, bended their light on me.LORD POLONIUS
Come, go with me: I will go seek the king.
This is the very ecstasy of love,
Whose violent property fordoes itself
And leads the will to desperate undertakings
As oft as any passion under heaven
That does afflict our natures. I am sorry.
What, have you given him any hard words of late?OPHELIA
No, my good lord, but, as you did command,
I did repel his fetters and denied
His access to me.LORD POLONIUS
That hath made him mad.
I am sorry that with better heed and judgment
I had not quoted him: I fear’d he did but trifle,
And meant to wreck thee; but, beshrew my jealousy!
By heaven, it is as proper to our age
To cast beyond ourselves in our opinions
As it is common for the younger sort
To lack discretion. Come, go we to the king:
This must be known; which, being kept close, might move
More grief to hide than hate to utter love.Exeunt
32 comments:
Hamlet, after making his vow, realizes that he must cut off all ties to anything that may distract him from his duty, as well as make himself seem crazed to all around him who might otherwise realize his goals. Seeming to be driven mad by unrequited love is very useful in this case. Hamlet is saying both "I love you" to Ophelia, and "I'm looney". In the case of insanity he lies, but in love, he is telling the truth. Polonius believes only what Hamlet wishes him to believe, which makes the score Hamlet: 1, Claudius: 0.
Hamlet must say goodbye to Ophelia after making his decision to act like a mad man. I believe however that he truly loves her and does not wish to hurt her. What he says to her may be an apology for what he is about to do as well as a goodbye. He professes his love but must seem crazy, and cannot let Ophelia know what is going on, in order to begin and achieve his new purpose. Polonius is incorrect in thinking that Hamlet has gone mad after Ophelia has denied him. Hamlet, I believe, is devastated about what he has to do to her but we know that it his his own will that makes him crazy.
Hamlet, after being visited by the Ghost, makes a decision to follow his new found goal and duty. After the Ghost disappears, Hamlet is too full of anxiety and nervous energy and does not know what to believe. However, once Hamlet swears with Horatio and the others, he know he has to stay true to his word and block away all other distractions that may prevent him from achieving his goal. This, unfortunately for Hamlet, includes women. Although Hamlet seems to be able to wave away the other distractions, his behavior to Ophelia may signify his parting with her. Since Hamlet intends to feign insanity or madness, he realizes that he will have to part with Ophelia and his emotional scene shows the distress he feels in parting with her, on top of the fact that his mother's marriage with his uncle crumbled his opinion of women in general. Polonius incorrectly guesses that Hamlet has gone mad for Ophelia. Hamlet is merely faking his madness and at the same time, is conveying to Ophelia that he loves her and will miss her.
In this scene, Hamlet looks awful. Ophelia describes him “[a]s if he had been loosed out of hell.” If his goal is to appear a madman, he clearly looks the part. I believe this is an example of his new “antic disposition” as Duncan put it. Hamlet acts this way intentionally so that Ophelia will think he is crazy, tell her father, and finally her father would tell Claudius. His plan thus far works exactly as he wants, with Polonius believing that Hamlet has gone mad with his love for Ophelia: “Come, go with me: I will go seek the king/This is the very ecstasy of love/Whose violent property fordoes itself/And leads the will to desperate undertakings.” I believe that Hamlet really does love Ophelia and desires to be with her. I think this is shown in the way he looks back at her as he leaves. But for the sake of his revenge plot, he cannot be with her, and he must fool her as he does others. She would be too much of a distraction, and he needs to focus in order to follow through with the promise he makes to Horacio. I agree with Josh that the emotional distress that Hamlet endures by letting go of Ophelia most likely plays a part in his act of insanity. In other words, perhaps he didn’t have to try too hard. I am not in any way saying that he is crazy, but simply that he is under other emotional tensions. With Polonius’ simple conclusion that Hamlet’s madness is a result of his lovesickness, Hamlet’s plot starts off successful.
I'll admit, reading this section I had an expression on my face similar to the expression I had when I found out Conan O'Brien would rather go off the air than start his show at 12:05. Then I read Sarah's post and it was like the cogs lined up, the government was staying out of health care, and the world made sense. Duh! Hamlet is freaking out because he realizes this path he's compelled to trod will leave him either a disinherited traitor or an antisocial murderer, neither of which is on the top 10 list for desired fiance occupations. He recognizes that this may be his last chance to look upon Ophelia without seeing accusation staring back at him. He also recognizes he can't move any closer to her because the actions he's about to take may place her in jeopardy. True love for Ophelia forces him to distance himself from the one person he so desires to be near. If that's not tragedy I don't know what is. Actually I DON'T KNOW WHAT TRAGEDY IS. We talked about it so much that I don't ever remember coming to a definite conclusion of what tragedy is, that's really sad, yeah, really really sad. Tragedy is a loaded word. Dropping that bomb!
In order to convey completely the insanity he feigns, Hamlet must first convince one he knows and loves the most, Ophelia, of his "antic disposition." Once Hamlet can perfect his "crazy act," as I would call it, before those whom he cares about, he proves to further to himself that he is ready to fool the "wise" men of the council, Polonius and ultimately King Claudius. This initial act of insanity is to Hamlet the most difficult of all. Appearing half-naked before his lover, he nearly has second thoughts as he "falls to such a perusal of [Ophelia's] face." In the quiet pause that follows, Hamlet releases a sigh "so piteous and profound/As it did seem to shatter all his bulk/And end his being." He must give up one he holds dear to fulfill his supposed father's decree, and at once he realizes this. He wants to say "goodbye, I still love you, and there's something else going on here," but he knows he cannot for fear of his plans' exposure. The glance he casts upon Ophelia's fair face as he leaves conveys this resigned, morose emotion, and finally, the first deed has been done.
Polonius, ever-so-wise as usual, declares that "this is the very ecstasy of love," nothing more, nothing less. He does not know the full dimensions, every angle, of the situation at hand. Hamlet, skillful manipulator of both words and actions, has fooled even the "wisest" man into believing his insanity.
Hamlet's visit to Ophelia certainly qualifies as an "antic disposition" that he warned Horatio he might have to display. This act allows him to kill two birds with one stone. First, while Hamlet may still love Ophelia, their relationship, especially with her father's ties to the King, will only threaten his quest to avenge his father. By severing his ties to the ones he loves, he can continue with his/his father's plans uninhibited. Also, by feigning madness in front of Ophelia, Hamlet ensures that Polonius will fall for his act as well and inevitably tell Claudius. Labeled a lunatic, Claudius will underestimate the threat Hamlet poses to him, even if he discovers that Hamlet knows he killed his brother. With Hamlet's parting glance, he is able to convey that, despite his shocking appearance and apparent insanity, he still loves Ophelia. Whether or not Ophelia picked up on this gesture, her father wastes no time in jumping to the false conclusion that Hamlet's love has driven him mad, playing right into Hamlet's plan.
Hold on a minute everybody!! While Hamlet does indeed love Ophelia, he holds a very poor opinion of women as we have seen before (Frailty, thy name is woman!) However, as part of his act, he needs to convince the people nearest to him that he actually is going insane. While Polonius and Claudius may chalk the change up to a mental breach over the death of his father, he insinuates himself among their deepest thoughts as they try to decide what to do with him. Whether to keep him at court where they can hire a babysitter, or send him on a boat to England, they now have a very capable actor/murderer on their hands. I feel awful for Ophelia, for although we know her to be extremely dutiful to her family (coughKennethBranaughcough) we know from her previous remarks to Laertes that she does feel something for him. To have her White Knight plummet from his high horse must have been excructiating for her.
In Act II Scene I, Hamlet "feigns" a mad love for Ophelia. I think that he is acting in a way to fake "lovesickness" because of the statement he made to Horatio, "how strange or odd some'er I bear myself...that you know aught of me-- this do swear..." I think that the situation with Ophelia may be due in part because of his new "antic disposition," however, at the same time it is a handy incidence to disguise his behavior. I believe that a part of Hamlet is thrown off by the fact that Ophelia basically gave him the "cold shoulder," albeit because of his father. I find it interesting that despite the Ghosts wishes that Hamlet "leave her to heaven," (his mother), one of the first thoughts Hamlet expresses is "O most pernicious woman." I then looked up pernicious and found it meant "causing insidious harm or ruin." It is interesting that Hamlet reacts to his mother before his uncle and in the very next scene he expresses his antic disposition. The coupling of Hamlet's reaction towards women in both of the scenes expose Hamlets bitter and changed feeling towards women so far in the play.
Hamlet forces Horatio and Marcellus to never disclose what they saw no matter “how strange or odd some’er [he] bear[s] [him]self.” He has promised to his father’s ghost that he will avenge his death and the perfect way to get to his uncle is to feign craziness to seem incapable of posing a threat. Hamlet knows that Claudius trusts Polonius and that Ophelia has a big mouth and tells her father everything. He knows that in order to enact his scheme of revenge he has to give all of his focus to it. This means sacrificing his relationship with Ophelia even though he really does love her. He goes to her disheveled as he was to portray that he has gone mad and to say his last goodbye. He glances back at her one last time to tell her that he truly loves her. I also believe that Hamlet went to her because it might be easier to let him go if she thought he was a lunatic. Polonius interprets Hamlet’s behavior as “the very ecstasy of love” and his interpretation is completely wrong, although Hamlet is in love with his daughter that is not the reason for his actions.
Trevor, one thing I remember about our discussions about tragedy is that it is often a story about someone in a high position falling from that place. At least, this is what I remember with Oedipus.
Polonius is worried about Ophelia, and he should be in some way. Due to Hamlet's actions in Ophelia's bedroom I would be a little frightened myself. I mean, as Ophelia described him he looked like a crazy. But you have to give Hamlet some credit; his family life has been out of control and he just talked to a ghost. I think he has true feelings for Ophelia but is having so much going on it is hard to start bring something else into his life that is unstable. He also needs to focus on the Ghost's wishes.
I have a quick question: how much time has lapsed since Hamlet saw the ghost to the time he appears to Ophelia?
Moving on: This scene shows the true genius of Hamlet. He could have gone to anyone to “feign” his insanity, but he chooses Ophelia, the girl who he loves but has given him “the cold shoulder” (alphabitten/Megan) and indirectly to Polonius, who seems at times to be quick to action. This characteristic of Polonius plays in Hamlet’s favor. Hamlet has only has one goal in his mind, revenge, and his will power is tested when “he falls to such perusal of my [Ophelia’s] face” but needs to stay “unmixed with baser matters.” In short, I do believe this is just the beginning of his “antic dispositions.” Hamlet is in a way professing his love to Ophelia at the same time letting her go, because he has bigger fish to fry. As for Polonius’s interpretation, I don’t believe that he sees the whole picture. In his world, and in Laertes’s, Hamlet doesn’t love anyone completely, but in this scene Hamlet’s actions depict otherwise and Polonius acts as an overbearing father, trying to nip the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet at the bud. This narrow scope may hurt him in the future; this is, don’t forget, a Shakespearean tragedy, thus death will come upon many of the characters.
Hamlet has decided that the best avenue to initiate his revenge plan and get to Claudius is to make them believe he has gone mad, throwing everyone off from his murderous intentions. He has been greatly affected by the recent events, and is disillusioned with women as a whole. Disgusted by his mother’s actions of marrying her brother-in-law, Hamlet calls her “ Omost pernicious woman!” I agree with Keli and the previous post-ers that Hamlet is trying to tell Ophelia goodbye that he loves her, but I also feel like his newfound sentiment about womankind plays a role. He seemingly gave up on women, and is moving on from her. Ophelia, visibly upset from the encounter, immediately goes to Polonius with the story. I think that Polonious’s explanation too simple: he confidently proclaims that Hamlet has gone mad because Ophelia rejected him. Letting Ophelia go was difficult for Hamlet, but his motives are much more complex than that. He is now a man on a mission, and isn’t letting anything distract him.
It seems that Hamlet has succeeded in killing two birds with one stone in this scene. First, since he knows women are such "frail" creatures, he must depart from Ophelia in a manner that would not completely destroy her (like saying "i'm going to kill the king and we can never be together"). Hamlet also notices that he must portray himself as distraught by the death of his father to the point of a mental breakdown so that he falls very far down the list of people to watch in the kingdom to portray any kind of violence. He hints at this strange behavior when he tells Marcellus and Horatio not to pay any attention to his strange behavior. So by having some sort of lovesick breakdown in Ophelia's room he has succeeded in driving away Ophelia and portraying himself as mad to all who hear the story (which he knows Claudius will).
Ophelia is the first to misunderstand Hamlet’s approach: “truly I did fear it” (95-96). Hamlet approaches Ophelia because he is shaken and confused having seen a ghost and made a difficult vow. She lets him down in her fright; what he needs is solace. On an unconscious level, Hamlet is expressing inner conflict over his mother’s incestuous relationship. He admires Ophelia, with “perusal of [her] face” but what he finds just “shatter[s] his bulk” (101; 106). He sees the beauty in Ophelia he wishes to find in his mother, but all he can recall is “frailty thy name is woman”. In visiting Ophelia, he is behaving naturally – he believes he loves her. But also in his vow pronounced after visiting the ghost he promises keep only “thy [the ghost’s] commandments” to avenge his father’s death (I, V, 108).
Polonious is correct in that Hamlet is in love, but ordering Ophelia to avoid Hamlet has not “made him mad” (122). I did not see the evidence that Hamlet was purposefully portraying himself as insane, as to scare away Ophelia. First, this plan – should it be Hamlet’s plan – is not working because Polonious believes it is a sign of devout love. Also, when a man sees his world crumpling around him, he goes to the one he loves first. He wants this meaningful contact with another person and Ophelia lets him down. Hamlet could have mussed his clothes for dramatic effect, but could it simply be the next day and that he has not cleaned up from his all-nighter to spot the ghost? I see a homogeny of interpretation that makes me concerned in that, must we believe that everything Hamlet does is insanity or himself enacting insanity? Either of those two options provides very little room for subtext.
[Line numbers by themselves refer to Act II, Scene 2, otherwise the order is (act, scene, line).]
my bad: Act II, Scene 1
The nature of Hamlet’s visit is twofold. First, Hamlet has been told that he must not allow distractions to interfere with his father’s revenge, Ophelia being one of them. The heavy sigh he breaths shows his regret at not being able to pursue her, for more important matters are at hand. He wishes to tell her how he feels, but at the same time does not think highly of women because of his mother. However, his overly disheveled state doesn’t seem in character for a man such as Hamlet, no matter how distraught he is after seeing his father. It, however, fits with “How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself/(As I perchance hereafter shall think meet/To put an antic disposition on),” in that is seems so over the top that part of it must be an act he will exploit to avenge the king. In this light, Polonius’ old guess as to Hamlet’s motives are more correct than his new ones, in that Hamlet is exploiting his relationship with Ophelia and is not completely consumed by passion.
It does seem as if Hamlet is attempting to cut Ophelia off from his life. He has just made this vow to the ghost and must end any relationships he was previously building. I think by the shock of what the ghost has just told him about his father's death he is obviously distraught (according to how Ophelia describes his appearance). It's possible he is just going crazy and the truth is tearing him up emotionally and physically. He was most likely going to Ophelia to cut her out of his life but then she is probably the one he wishes to seek comfort from and instead his vow holds strong and his emotions keep him from saying anything and he must just leave. He needs her but can not continue a relationship because of the duty he has just committed himself to and this causes him to act rather absurd.
Hamlet's father has recently died. His hated uncle married his mother (incestuously, in the mind of Hamlet) within two months of the King's death. Quite distraught already, he finds the ghost of his father who tells him to avenge his murder and rid himself of all distractions. Hamlet’s new antic disposition might simply be real, not a rouse to trick people into thinking he has gone mad. When he separates himself from Ophelia, it is difficult to give up the woman he loves. However, Hamlet knows he must distance himself from her to prevent their association from affecting her status after he plans to murder his uncle. The raw emotion of the situation may be the cause of his transformation. Also, although Hamlet is very intelligent and witty, I doubt he is devious enough to pretend he has become crazy in some scheme to kill his uncle.
I appreciate Bryn’s observation of Hamlet’s physical appearance. I agree with her that he is looking the mad man part, whether this is for the purpose of deceit or due to the fact that he has had a crazy time with a ghost, I have not yet decided.
I think Hamlet comes to Ophelia to offer a final good bye. As he imparts on a quest that falls way out of normal bounds, he knows the little teeny tiny ounce of love or perhaps lust Ophelia and Hamlet shared will diminish to dust. So, he makes a good bye before the whole city is made aware of his feigned madness. A smart move on his part to avoid the accusing eyes of Ophelia he might have faced later (as Trevor mentioned).
Question: Multiple people have mentioned Hamlet’s promise to Horatio; however, I can’t locate/identify said promise! Anyone know where or what this promise is?
Hamlet's appearance to Ophelia seems to be, as many others have said, his first attempt to "feign" his madness. He had swore to avenging his father after the late king's ghost swayed him to do so. Physically, Hamlet embodies a mad man, disheveled and unlike himself - "as if he had been loosed out of hell to speak of horrors" and it is by no coincidence that he would show up suddenly to his lover this way. The facade of his madness works to initiate his plan of revenge by distancing himself from any obstacles who may get in the way, namely Ophelia and her father. At the same time, as he was already reluctant of seeking revenge, he may also be starting to realize the full implications of his plan and this appearance to Ophelia may be one of farewell to his beloved and to the life he had before. Polonius, on the other hand, mistakes Hamlet's debut of his new "antic disposition" as an endeavor to ravage Ophelia, telling his daughter that "I fear'd he did but trifle, and meant to wreck thee". In turn, Polonius wants to bring to light Hamlet's actions to the King, which works to further Hamlet's plan.
Hamlet’s visit to Ophelia’s closet marks the last time he will ever be able to show any sort of affection towards Ophelia—the moment he decides to cut off all ties to distractions that will prevent him from carrying out his mission. He peruses her face “as he would draw it”, as if it’s the last time he’ll look at her. Then he “raised a sigh so piteous and profound/As it did seem to shatter all his bulk”. As others have said before me, this is a profession of love, an apology, and farewell all in one. At the same time, he acts like a mad man, so as not to give away his plans—which tricks Poloneus into thinking that Hamlet is mad with love for Ophelia. But Poloneus isn’t totally wrong: Hamlet MUST be frustrated that he can’t tell anyone what’s going on—especially Ophelia—for fear that his plan will be exposed. So, in a way Hamlet has gone mad because of Ophelia.
When the distraught Hamlet enters Ophelia's closet, he wants to tell her the truth of his father's death, but unable to muster up the courage, he ends up heaving a piteous sigh. Instead, he opts to memorize his face before sadly leaving, knowing that this might be the last time the two of them are alone while he tries to complete his mission of revenge. Hamlet is also pretending to be mad so that Claudius doesn't suspect anything about his plotting to kill him. Could he be plotting to make her fall first since he thinks that "frailty, thy name is women" (line 150)?
Polonius is excited that Hamlet appears mad. Since Ophelia has spurned all of his advancements, he thinks this is evidence that Hamlet really does like Ophelia. Polonius assumes that he is mad and desperate to get attention from her. However, Polonius is in no way correct;Hamlet is not deeply in love with Ophelia.
At this point, Ophelia is the only one that Hamlet can turn to. After making the vow to his "father," Hamlet isolates himself in a state of madness. This state is referred to as Hamlet's "antic disposition" which includes everything he's feeling towards his current dilemma. (i.e: confusion, anger, sadness.)
Although Polonius sees the "closet" incident as a typical result of fake love without promises, he doesn't realize how complex the situation Hamlet's knotted into is. Polonius denies toe see the good intentions of Hamlet and his sincere love for Ophelia. Despite the deed he's about to commit, Hamlet hopes to receive acceptance from Ophelia. Aside from this, Hamlet encounters an internal struggle where he debates whether the ghost is a good spirit or a cursed demon. By doing so, he is only wasting time.
I believe that Hamlet's madness is feigned to protect Ophelia from any association with his vengeance on Claudius, like Evan said. He knows that his task is a dangerous one, and because HE LOVES OPHELIA (ahem, Jennifer), he does not want to harm her. So he tries to extinguish the love that Ophelia has for him in order for her to drive her away from him (and permanently too... quite sad).
Although, I'm conflicted with what this part of the scene is trying to depict of Hamlet. Tess made a very good point that this exemplified his chauvinistic self where he says, "Frality, thy name is woman!" and when he condemns his mother for her alledged love for Cladius (during her marriage), "O most pernicious woman!" Ophelia's description of Hamlet's antic diposition can also be a way of telling the audience that he has given up on women altogether, thinking that they are all evil and inferior.
So I'm not sure. It seems like both could work. Or maybe, he's torn between both, and the best way to go about things is to delude Ophelia's love for him by making him seem undesirable. Killing two birds with one stone, I guess?
Also, Jennifer. Hamlet loves Ophelia. I'll argue with you later. I'm off to the wonderful world of Calculus :(
P.S. Sorry. My post got messed up.
I think that it is one of two things.
Either Hamlet is so completely freaked out by seeing the ghost and by making his vow that he is just distraught and a bit out of control, or he is pretending to be out of his mind so that Ophelia will no longer want to associate with him, and will be protected by separating from him. If this is true, then he actually cares about her a great deal more than Laertes previously thought, as it probably takes a lot of effort to distance one's self from a loved one, and even more to let that loved one think the person in question has been driven insane by love.
Act II Scene I reveals some interesting things about Hamlet. I agree with Emelia about Hamlet's lower opinion of women, and I believe that, as well as having his "antic disposition", does not trust Ophelia with the knowledge of what has happened to him. In this state of mind he can only try to let her know that he loves her. When Hamlet sighs, "He raised a sigh so piteous and profound", I believe he is acknowledging all this and is fighting a mental battle with himself about what he should do.
Sorry about this much belated post... I will make up for it with a box of tissue on Wednesday.
I think, as Zack said in the very first post, that in this scene Hamlet is in part acting and in part telling the truth. The appearance of madness with which Hamlet enters is feigned, but the “piteous and profound” sigh he utters expresses his real grief. In light of the sonnet that we read today in class, Hamlet is hampered by his greater obligations from expressing his love for Ophelia, and in this he is overcome with frustration and grief. He peruses Ophelia’s face with such care because he is preparing to leave her, against his will. Even though Hamlet has unfairly accused of all women of fickleness of heart, even though his rational mind tells him to believe so, his soul is still drawn to Ophelia and would not willingly part with her. After he “lets go” of Ophelia, he walks out the door with his eyes fixed upon her, as if his body (his outward mask) is forcing his mind away from her, rather than the other way around. Hamlet is more rational in his behavior than Polonius thinks, but Polonius is not wrong in perceiving the sincerity of Hamlet’s love and changing his mind about Hamlet's character.
Hold on… just one more thing: I don’t think that Hamlet is feigning madness in order to extinguish Ophelia’s love for him, as a number of bloggers have pointed out in previous posts. He only wants Ophelia to believe that he is mad so that she can pass that rumor onto Polonius and into the court. Although Hamlet is also sending Ophelia a personal message, the message is not that he should no longer be loved, but that he still loves her. Hamlet does not need to approach Ophelia with a desperate countenance to convince her of his madness; he could have approached her like a completely ignorant madman, or a spiteful one, so that she could give up all hope for him without having to ponder about his meanings. I think that Hamlet, with his veiled expressions, is trying to tell Ophelia that there is a reason—which he cannot disobey according to his will—that he must leave her. In his meeting with Ophelia, Hamlet is trying to confirm his love, not to deny it.
I feel Polonius is incorrect in his interpretation. This is not Hamlet without “better heed and judgment” in the “very ecstasy of love”. I feel this is Hamlet in quite the opposite state, confused and frightened, running to Ophelia as the only person he could reach out to, even if in a not fully sane. After all, Hamlet has just seen and talked to his Father’s ghost, informed his Uncle, the present king, is a murderer. This is not easy information to process. Before Hamlet was grieving for his Father, unhappy about his incestuous Mother, but now Hamlet sees the man upon the throne as his Father’s very murderer. Now, Hamlet will never accept his Uncle as King. No, this is not Hamlet as antic. This is Hamlet with his world turned upside down.
But Hamlet is also saying good-bye to Ophelia in this scene. He knows their relationship will never be what he may of wanted it to be, and he may hurt her, deeply, in his new emotional state.
Wow! I am really impressed by all of your thinking my fellow classmates. I hope you are enjoying Shakespeare as much as I!
Hamlet's decision to avenge his fathers death requires that he act like a complete nut-case in order to keep others away from his vengeful plot. I believe Hamlet is saying goodbye to Ophelia, and is doing so because he knows that in acting mad and seeking his revenge he will truly become mad. Hamlet is clearly in love with Ophelia and only wants the best for her. He knows that a half-crazed prince with a chip on his shoulder will be no good for her at all. He leaves her so that she can have a chance at a happy, normal life with someone who can be a good man for her. I don't think Hamlet had any idea that his leaving would cause Ophelia's madness and eventual suicide. He thought leaving her would be the best option for both of them, when instead it caused vast unhappiness for everyone around them.
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.
You can also follow any responses to all entry through the RSS Comments feed.