Act 1. Scene II:
O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon 'gainst (self-slaughter!) O God, God,
How (weary,) stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on 't, ah fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden
That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come (to this:)
But two months dead--nay, not so much, not two.
So excellent a king, that was to this
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth,
Must I remember? Why, she (would) hand on him
As if an increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on. And yet, within a month
(Let me not think on 't; frailty, thy name is woman!)
A little month or ere those shoes were old
With which she followed my poor father's body,
Like Niobe, all tears--why she, (even she)
(O God, a beat that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourned longer!), married with my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing of her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.
But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.
The misery Hamlet seems to be indulging himself in seems to be a very human response. As an individual, the people that he believes should be in mourning or supporting him are instead going off to carouse and indulge themselves, and so he feels as if he as if has no one to turn to. In addition, he is a male, and as such is not encouraged to express emotion, but rather withhold it so as to not bother others. Earlier, Hamlet's uncle had called him "unmanly", and I believe Hamlet receives this critique as being told to remain silent and not speak his mind. His gender, social position, and social environment all seem to be contributing to his depression.
That he considers the world so foul is another sign that he has no one to confide in. In my experience, the most pessimistic individuals are those who do not have a safe haven, and in Hamlet's world of espionage and treachery, there is no such thing as a safe haven. The pressures of Hamlet's life, though he is said to be in his thirties, seem to be reflective of teen angst, as there are many issues that are addressed by Hamlet that have counterparts in such. Hamlet's view of the world is so limited, narrow-minded, and self-centered that he cannot step back and accept the factual occurrences of the world.
He raises his father up on a pedestal, and makes a martyr of him. He seems to consider himself the only one that feels pain, and since no others seem to be experiencing it, he feels as though he must compensate to show his father how much he was loved in life, and how much he is missed in death. The flip side of the matter is that he condemns his mother and uncle for marrying soon after. Hamlet, of course, does not dare speak his mind on such matters, however neither does he seem to question the reasons for such hasty marriage. His naivete speaks of youth and self-importance.
There are a few things that I would like to make note of, for better or for worse, in this post.
ReplyDeleteThe first being: I fully support your comparison between Hamlet's emotional outburst and teen angst. This comparison is also backed up by what we have said in class, that Hamlet is emotionally young due to his privileged upbringing and aloof tendencies.
The second being: I partially agree with what you have said about is lack of a confidant. Horatio is his best friend whom undoubtedly serves as his confidant and supporter throughout this play. Your interpretation, in my opinion, is still valid because, yes, he is urged, by social pressures and the nature of his knowledge, to keep quiet, which must be taking an epic toll on his psyche.
The third being: I do not necessarily agree with what you have said about Hamlet's opinions about the marriage. It is not that he doesn't question it, it is that he believes he already knows what has motivated it already: greed, lust, and deceit. The line between selfless avengement (the computer tells me this isn't a word but I'll use it anyway), making right the deeds done to his father, and selfish gratification, in the form of verbally tormenting his mother and the others whom have played a part in deceit and the murder, has grown very faint, which backs up your decision to label Hamlet's "naivete" and actions as self important.
P.S. I think you might have too many commas
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ReplyDeleteJacob,
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you have chosen a stance which seems to defend Hamlet's thoughts and actions, as many seem to prefer to call him out as a weakling or a weirdo. I agree that many of Hamlet's actions are merely products of his age and the time period in which the story is set - but I do have to wonder if developmentally he is a bit off course, at least from an emotional standpoint (that is not to defend the actions of those around him - shrugging off a loved one's death is inexcusable). I believe that this emotional deficiency of sorts may also be to blame for Hamlet's lack of confidence which you touched upon. Another contributing factor to that might be the fact that, being as privileged as he has been, Hamlet has never really had his opinions or ideas questioned in the way they are before. I do have to say I agree with Chris on his point about the marriage: I think that Hamlet's beliefs as to the motivation behind Claudius marrying his mother are certainly the strongest factor in his perspective on the event. While he may be trying to stretch his role as a betrayed family member a bit far, I do not believe that that role is the main motivator for his actions.