My initial reaction was relief. I was glad that Hamlet had gotten his answer about Claudius with the play, happy to see him call out his mother with harsh words, relieved to see him have the initiative to kill the mal behind the curtain, for at the time, could have been anyone. I was especially glad to see Hamlet come forward with his distrust for those who seemed closest to him, the trust is being revealed.
I chose to analyze Gertrude because although Hamlet promised his father, (the late Hamlet) he would not hurt her in anyway, it seems that all he has done this scene is destroy her emotionally. But this scene especially shows her thoughts, feelings, and actions being controlled. Throughout the play the role of the woman has been put down, but in Act 3, Scene 4 it stands out; no matter how Hamlet had acted she had followed by him, and was so quick to see his point of view and accept it for truth.
The theme that stood out for Act 3 was definitely revenge and forgiveness. Hamlet’s plans are finally beginning to unravel and at this point everybody involved can only watch. Since he had viewed the reaction of his uncle to the play revenge seems to be the only thing in mind. He brought out his dagger and planned to kill him, but only refused with the sight of Claudius praying. He was eager to kill whoever stood behind the curtain, and Gertrude was eager to forgive her son for whatever he may have done, and the murder she saw him commit.
I also felt that this act relieved a lot of tension that was happening. We learn a lot about a few of the characters that we had not previously known I feel this helps us to get a better understanding of what is going on. I like how you pointed out the fact that Hamlet was going against the ghost's words and was being pretty hurtful to his mom. It seems like Hamlet has truly gone mad and is forgetting about the promises he made and the people he may be hurting.
ReplyDeleteWhen you were mentioning hoe relief you were I hadn't thought about all the truth that was revealed. I bet it was a burden lifted off Hamlet to know he wasn't crazy and the ghost was telling the truth. As for Gertrude I'm glad see is not closing herself from Hamlet but is hearing what he has to say.
ReplyDeleteI too, was relieved to see that Hamlet's plan for the play came to fruition. I was glad to see him have " it out " with his mother. Although, I have to admit I actually felt bad for her. I think this Act showed us for the first time some of the insights into the other characters. It made them more relatable and more human and thus I was able to feel sorry for Gertrude in all her patheticness. I wonder if she felt she had to marry him as women did not have many choices. I wonder if she really knew Claudius was a murderer and felt she needed to go through with the marriage to protect Hamlet's succession later on? We will never know but Shakespeare does do a good job of making women seem so horrible.
ReplyDelete-Taryne