Hamlet Soliloquy: Act 3. Scene 2.
'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself (breaths)
out
Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot
blood
And do such (bitter) business as the day
Would quake to look on. Soft, now to my mother.
O heart, lose not they nature; let not ever
The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom.
Let me cruel, not unnatural.
I will speak (daggers) to her, but use none.
My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites:
How in my words somever she be shent,
To give them seals never, my soul, consent.
In this moment, Hamlet has to face a very harsh reality. While he has known for a long time the true cause of his father's death, it hasn't been confirmed until this moment, and now he has to confront his mother about her lies and her participation in the death of his father. For Hamlet, the fact that the time of night this is occurring in is felt to be cursed, is only magnified by the horrible knowledge he has about his father's murder.
The knowledge of what his mother did to his father, and how cold and fake she was led Hamlet to distrust all women; and destroy his relationship with Ophelia. Yet, despite how hurt and angry he feels, Hamlet is prevented from killing his mother because of the promise he made to the ghost, as well as his own conscious. His desire for revenge is even more directed at his mother than at Claudius, because his mother is the one he trusted and loved most, making the betrayal all the more painful. This disconnect between what he feels, and what he knows he can't actually do, cause him great psychological distress and cause him to feel like he is being fake and untrue to what he really feels. In many ways, it is at this witching hour where Hamlet is forced to enter the adult world where actions can almost never reflect one's true feelings, and justice is almost never achieved.
Jenny,
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Hamlet's mother married so soon and turned her back on her husband seems like it would be a very difficult thing for Hamlet, so I certainly agree with your statement concerning how betrayed Hamlet is by his mother. I find it interesting that you say Hamlet is entering the adult world while it seems that he yet lives in a boyish world, restricted by his guardians and resentful of them. His attitude towards those around him, casting away Ophelia, verbally abusing his mother, believing he can take matters of life and death into his own hands are the actions of a child throwing a tantrum. He, for all his insight and status, fails to reason through his actions. He is a creature of id, of emotion, and as like to stereotypical adolescents as is imaginable. Your post had some very good points that gave me the chance to analyze more of Hamlet's character: thanks!