Topic: Hamlet’s major scenes

Name: Jinal parmar B.

Roll no.:16

Sem.:1- M.A.

Paper no.:1- The Renaissance Literature

Submitted to.: Smt. S. B. Gardi

Department of English

M.K. Bhavnagar University

                      Introduction of William Shakespeare :-

               William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptized)-23 April 1616) was an English playwright and poet .William Shakespeare is one of the famous writer in English Literature. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and also dramatist. He is called as England’s national poet and the “bard of Avon”. He has wrote the famous 154 sonnet, two long narrative poems,38 plays and few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16^th century. Then he wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, like “King Lear”, “Othello”, ”Hamlet”, ”Macbeth” and “Romeo and Juliet” these works are considered as finest work of Shakespeare in English language. The Titular hero of one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Hamlet has probably been discussed more than any other Shakespearean character, especially for his famous soliloquy which begins “To be or not to be; that is the question”. It is believed that the play was first performed between 1600 and 1601. In the Elizabethan era there was a huge demand for new entertainment and the drama would have been produced immediately following the completion of the play.

o   The raw material that Shakespeare appropriated in writing Hamlet is the story of a Danish prince whose uncle has murder the father of a prince Hamlet. Claudius, the uncle of Hamlet and he marries to Hamlet’s mother Gertrude and claims the throne so for this reason Hamlet goes on taking revenge to the Claudius. In this play Shakespeare emphasizes that how Hamlet is taking revenge to his father’s murderer.

                    Major Scenes :-

          There are many important scenes in Hamlet, but the one there is vital part in understanding Hamlet’s character in Act-3, Scene-1. It gives us in depth look at Hamlet’s true character, that Hamlet is extremely melancholy and discontented with the state of affairs in Denmark and his own Family-indeed, in the world at large. How Hamlet thinks to the point of obsession, he also act rashly and impulsively, this is shown by how he behaves towards Ophelia, when she rejects him. It also shows how he is plagued by the “big question of life” like the wisdom of suicide and what happens after death. In Hamlet Shakespeare give some light on Hamlet’s character that how he behave with other character just because he wants to take revenge of his father’s murder. And for that some of the incidents are take place in the life of Hamlet and so it considered as the major scenes in the play Hamlet. In the play Hamlet there are five Acts and each Act contain several Scenes.

1.        The Ghost scene :--

           In Hamlet Ghost scene is one of the horrible scene. “Ghost” is the King Hamlet who was murdered by his own brother Claudius. The opening of Hamlet is highly imaginative and artistic with all the suggestion of mystery and unspoken horror. In the play Hamlet ghost comes four times during the entire play: in Act 1 Scene1, Act 1 Scene 4, Act 1 Scene 5 and Act 3 Scene 4. The ghost is a part of the machinery of the revenge play. The ghost is primarily connected with the motive of revenge; and so there is the justification of such convection. The first ghost scene occurs in beginning of the play to a duo of soldiers- Barnardo and Marcellus-and a visitor to Denmark, Horatio. The second ghost scene appearance, Horatio has talked Prince Hemlet into staying up with the guards to see if the ghost returns. At midnight, it appears, and beckons Hamlet to follow. Horatio and his friend beg him not to go alone, but he does anyway, driven by curiosity. Then ghost tells to the young Hamlet that he was poisoned and murdered by his brother, Claudius, the new king of Denmark, and tells to prince Hamlet to take avenge of his murder. He also expresses disgust at his wife, Gertrude, for marrying Claudius, but warns Hamlet not to confront her mother, but to leave that to Heaven. In the third appearance of ghost, Hamlet is confronted by the ghost in his mother’s closet, and is scolded for not carrying out his revenge and for disobeying in talking with Gertrude. Hamlet fearfully apologizes. In this scene, the ghost is described as being in his nightgown. In the Act-1, Scene-5 ghost reveal the mystery of the murder that while he was sleeping in his orchard, Claudius snuck over and poured poison in his ear.

“Thus was I sleeping, by a brother’s hand

Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch’d :

Cut off even in the blossom of my sin,

Unhousel’d, disappointed, unaneled;

No reckoning made, but sent to my account”

           Hamlet promises to avenge his father’s death but he warns Hamlet not to do anything to Gertrude, his mother. Then Hamlet decided that he wants to take revenge of his father’s murder.

 2. To be, or not to be:--

“To be, or not to be” is one of the soliloquy of Hamlet. In the play this soliloquy occurs in Act-3, Scene-1.

When Hamlet utters the pained question,

“To be, or not to be: that is the question

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles”

 There is little doubt that he is thinking of death. Although he attempts to pose such a question in a rational and logical way, he is still left without an answer of whether the “sling and arrows of outrageous fortune” can be borne out since life after death is so uncertain. The meaning of the “to be, or not to be” speech in Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been given numerous interpretations, each of which are textually, historically, or otherwise based. In general, while Hamlet’s famous “to be, or not to be” soliloquy questions the righteousness of life over death in moral terms, much of the speech’s emphasis is on the subject of death even if in the end he is determined to live and see his revenge through. At this point in the plot of Hamlet, he wonders about the nature of his death and thinks for a moment that it may be like a deep sleep, which seems at first to be acceptable until the speculates on what will come in such a deep sleep. After posing this complex question and wondering about the nature of the great sleep, Hamlet then goes on the list many suffering men are prone to in the rough course of life, which makes it seem as though he is moving toward death yet again. By the end of this soliloquy, however, he finally realizes,

“But that dread of something after death

The undiscover’d country, from whose bourn

No traveler returns-puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have”

Although at this last moment Hamlet realizes that many chose life over death because of this inability to know the afterlife, the speech remains a deep contemplation about the nature and reasons for death.

3. The Nunnery Scene:--

         This “Nunnery scene” occurs in Act-3, Scene-1 in the play Hamlet. This is one the heartbreaking scene where Hamlet expresses the emotion he has and we see him acting on his anger. In the play of Hamlet the nunnery scene is a very important part of the the plot. In this scene “Get thee to a nunnery” is a play on words. Although a nunnery is a place for pure women who give themselves body and soles to god. A nunnery also means a whore house. Nunnery has double meaning. Essentially Hamlet is telling Ophelia that she is unpure and a whore, and he calls Polonius a “fishmonger” is de facto a slang term for agent of prostitutes.

         In the “Get thee to a nunnery” scene, Hamlet exercises his abilities to play act. Hamlet begins this scene with adoration and heartfelt happiness to see Ophelia. But, being in a crucial position not to trust anyone, Hamlet becomes skeptical and quizzes Ophelia’s reactions and honesty. Hamlet has used this tactic with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. By saying “are you honest” and “are you fair”, he watches her stumble over her answers, and in a split second, knows that she playacts as much as he. Hamlet uses this to his advantage by quickly acting mad. Through his "lunacy," he rants and raves to her, convincing her that his madness comes from her. He leads her through one more trap when asking about her father .Ophelia fails this last test miserably, and he knows that she lies to him willingly and her father locates himself within spying distance. Hamlet then falls farther into his playacting of lunacy and puts on a terrific display, leading Ophelia, Claudius, and Polonius to think that his madness sprouted from Ophelia.

But end of the play Hamlet proclaims his love for Ophelia at her funeral. During this scene, Ophelia plays her part poorly. She acts as a setup for Claudius and Polonius to judge Hamlet through his actions and his words. And then Gertrude ready to accept Ophelia as Hamlet’s wife. Through this scene readers can imagination Hamlet’s tragic condition that how he suffers a lot.

4. The Play within a play:--

       This scene “play with in a play” occurs in Act-3, Scene-2. This is one of the scene where Hamlet comes to know about the guiltiness of Claudius who has poisoned King Hamlet. This scene is pivotal scene in the play because it provides Hamlet with the evidence to fulfill his father’s request, but his sense of morality and his careful nature haven’t allowed him to act impulsively. He knows that the ghost may have been in a devil in disguise, so he felt obligated to find proof of Claudius’s guilt. While this scene “play with in a play” Hamlet has give a running commentary on the action and makes sure that both Gertrude and Claudius are tuned into the action. Claudius is suspicious and feeling uncomfortable while watching a play that so closely matches his own life’s circumstances, he even asks Hamlet about the title of the play. Once the poison is poured in the ear of king Hamlet. Claudius abruptly leaves the stage, the trap had been set, and it sprung on Claudius. The actual title of the play is “The Murder of Gonzago”, Hamlet changes the title to “The Mousetrap” because that is what the play really is a trap to catch a mouse–cats like to play with their prey before they kill it kind of like Hamlet is behaving here.

           After the play, Hamlet is a new man. His sense of energy and enthusiasm for the task of vengeance are renewed. He now knows that is a very freeing feeling for him. Unfortunately, circumstances get in the way of action, and ultimately, Hamlet ends up a victim of Laertes and Claudius’s deadly duel plan. In this scene where Hamlet discovers Claudius is feeling guilty is the main plot of the play. In this Act of the scene is the climax of the play. 

5. Confession of Claudius:--

             This scene occurs in Act-3, Scene-3 in the play. In this scene Claudius confess his sin in front of god. Hamlet is satisfied that the play has proven his uncle’s guilt. When Claudius prays, we come to know that Claudius is murderer of his brother. This only heightens our sense that the climax of the play is due to arrive, but Hamlet waits because he don’t want to send Claudius to heaven.

“O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven;

It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t,

A brother’s murder. Pray can I not,

My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent

And like a man to double business bound,

I stand in pause where I shall first begin,

And both neglect.”

          Hamlet wants to kill Claudius, but it seems that he waits because he wants a more radical revenge. Critics such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge have been horrified by Hamlet’s words here-he completely oversteps the bounds of Christian morality in trying to damn his opponent’s soul as well as kill him. But apart from ultraviolet posturing, Hamlet has once again avoided the imperative to act by involving himself in a problem of knowledge. Now that Hamlet is satisfied that he knows Claudius’s guilt, he wants to know that his punishment will be sufficient.

“Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid bent :

When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,

Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed ;

At game, a-swearing, or about some act

That has no relish of salvation in’t;

Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven

And that his soul may be damn’d and black

As hell, where to it goes.”

           In this scene, at this point Hamlet has gone beyond his earlier need to know the facts about the crime, and he now craves metaphysical knowledge, knowledge of the afterlife and of God, before he is willing to act. Through this scene we come to know guiltiness of Claudius where he feels repentance his sin while, he was praying to the god.

6. The Closet Scene:--

 

This scene occurs in Act-3, Scene-4 in the play Hamlet. In this scene the play turns into twist and it is the subplot of the play. Spying is a recurring theme in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet as it creates an abundant amount of dramatic intensity throughout the play. It causes the death of Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and it reveals significant characteristics of major characters. Shakespeare specifically incorporates spying into certain scene known as observation scene dramatically enhances the dimatic moments of the play and develops the complex reasoning behind many major characters such as Hamlet.

                The most important observation scene in the play is that as Hamlet discusses his true feeling to Gertrude while Polonius overhears the conversation behind the tapestry. Where she tells Hamlet has badly offended his father, meaning Claudius; Hamlet answers that she has badly offended his father, meaning King Hamlet. Hamlet intimidates Gertrude, and she cries out that he is trying to murder to her. Then Polonius reacts from behind the curtain and yells for help and so Hamlet thought that behind the curtain there is Claudius, then Hamlet draws his sword and by mistakly thrusts it through the tapestry, killing Polonius. When Hamlet lifts the wallhanging and discovers Polonius’s body, he tells the body that he had believed he was stabbing the king.

          Throughout the play, Hamlet display hostility towards his uncle Claudius due to the marriage between him and Gertrude. This is especially evident in the closet scene as Hamlet berated his mother with many sexual and incestuous references. In order to explain the relationship between Hamlet and his mother, Sigmund Freud’s theory the Oedipus complex identifies this situation as a male’s unconscious sexual desire for his mother. Freud believes that these sexual desire are repressed unconsciously which in turns creates a lasting effect in a boy’s life. An example in this scene is when Hamlet says,

“But to live

 In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed

 Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love

 Over the nasty sty!”

         Here in this scene Hamlet is furious with his mother’s sexual relationship with Claudius and his sexual desire emerges in his sexual allusions.

7. The Gravedigger Scene:--

        This is the one of the painful scene for prince Hamlet. This scene occurs in Act-5, Scene-1 in the play Hamlet. In this scene two clowns are discuss the burial for which they are digging. An inquest has declared the corpse fit for Christian burial. The first clown argues that the dead woman deserves no such indulgence, because she drowned herself and is not worthy of salvation. The second clown explain that she deserve defending.  This how there is discussion between grave diggers. Then Hamlet comes with Horatio and both Hamlet and Clown Questioning and answering to each other. The gravedigger tells him the skull belonging to Yorick, the King’s jester.

         Hamlet and Horatio observe that the Queen, King and Laertes arrive among a Group of mourners escorting a coffin. He observes that the funeral is not a full Christian rite but that the body is being interred in sacred ground. Laertes argues with the priest that, grant her all the rites of a Christian burial then priest replay that because she has committed suicide, he must deny Ophelia the requiem mass and other trappings of a Christian burial, even though Ophelia will be buried on sacred ground. Then Hamlet and Horatio comes to know about the death of Ophelia and after that Hamlet and Laertes argue over who loved Ophelia best. Hamlet says that I love Ophelia; forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love. Here in this scene Hamlet express his feeling for Ophelia and he feels very sorrow for Ophelia.

8. The Duel Scene:--

             This scene comes at the end of the play. This scene occurs in Act-5, Scene-2 in the play. In this final scene, the violence, so long delayed, erupts with dizzying speed. This is duel between Hamlet and Laertes but other characters drop one after the other, poisoned, stabbed, and, in the case of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, executed, as the theme of revenge and justice reaches its conclusion in the moment when Hamlet finally kills Claudius. Before this fight Claudius has mixed the poison in to the cup of wine and says that if Hamlet wins the first or second hit. He will drink to Hamlet’s health and give the wine to Hamlet. When Hamlet hits Laertes again than Gertrude rises to drink from the cup. In an aside, Claudius murmurs, “It is the poison’d cup: it is too late”. Then she calls out to Hamlet, and dies.

 “Does it not, think’st thee, stand me now upon-

He that hath kill’d my King, and stained my mother;

Popp’d in between the election and my hopes;

Thrown out his angle for my proper life,

And with such Cozenage-is’t not perfect conscience,

To quit him with this? and is’t not to be damn’d’

To let this canker of our nature come

In further evil ?”

 Hamlet takes revenge of his father and mother’s death and kills to Claudius. After that Hamlet tells Horatio that he is dying and exchanges a last forgiveness with Laertes, who dies after absolving Hamlet. This is the final scene of the play Hamlet.

“It will be short : the interim is mine ;

And a man’s  life’s no more than to say ‘one’,

But I am very sorry, good Horatio

That to Laertes I forgot myself;

For, by the image of my cause, I see

The portraiture of his ; I’ll court hig favours;

But sure, the bravery of his grief did put me

Into a towering passion.”

           

              The story of Hamlet based on a Danish revenge story first recorded by Saxo Grammaticus in the 1100s. In these stories, a Danish prince fakes madness in order to take revenge on his uncle, who had killed the prince’s father and married his mother. But Shakespeare modified this rather straight forward story and filled it with dread and uncertainty Hamlet doesn’t just feign madness; he seems at times to actually be crazy. This play Hamlet is one the famous play in English Literature and in the play Shakespeare has describe some of the scenes and Soliloquies which are very famous.  So, these are the major scenes of the play Hamlet.