Hamlet #6

            Despite their obvious differences, Claudius and Hamlet both share a certain reluctance to act. After the play, Claudius has a soliloquy in which he admits to murdering King Hamlet. Claudius is aware of the severity of his actions, likening his situation to the story of Cain and Abel and noting that “It hath the primal eldest curse upon ’t” (3.3.41). Realizing that his only possible means for salvation is through repentance, Claudius desperately tries to convince himself to pray. Channeling his inner Lady Macbeth, Claudius imagines his hand coated in his brother’s blood. He asks himself, “Is there not enough rain in the sweet heavens / To wash it white as snow?” (3.3.49-50). Claudius is attempting to reconcile contradictory views about forgiveness. On the one hand (the bloody one), Claudius can point to the fact that Cain was severely punished for murdering Abel, and he can expect similar repercussions. On the other hand, the Bible promises forgiveness for those who repent their sins. Claudius asks himself questions that logically lead him to the conclusion that he should ask for forgiveness from God: “Then I’ll look up” (3.3.54). However, he immediately regresses and begins to question his ability to repent. Not only does Claudius find it difficult to ask, “Forgive me my foul murder” (3.3.56), but he also finds himself reluctant to give up the gains he has since achieved. He may desire forgiveness, but he also desires his current power. Claudius points to corruption in the world in which people do benefit from their evil actions. However, he then reminds himself that God is not fooled by evasion. Claudius seems to work himself into a frenzy as he uses short questions and exclamatory sentences to convince himself to pray. He commands, “Bow, stubborn knees, and heart with strings of steel / Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe” (3.3.74-5). Claudius wants himself to want forgiveness, but he has difficulty bringing this desire to fruition.

            Claudius’ oscillation between thought and action remind the reader of Hamlet’s struggles throughout the play. Staying true to character, Hamlet has a soliloquy immediately following Claudius’ that talks himself out of taking action. Just as he is about to stab Claudius, Hamlet realizes that by murdering Claudius in prayer, “I […] this same villain send / To heaven” (3.3.83-4). Hamlet’s logic seems to be slightly lacking. As Claudius just pointed out, Cain was punished for murdering Abel; murdering a brother is not a sin easily forgiven. Shakespeare wants the audience to recognize that Hamlet’s justification for postponing the murder is flimsy at best. Here is Hamlet with the perfect opportunity, a perfect justification, and in a perfect state of mind, and he still convinces himself not to follow through with the murder. Fittingly, at the end of the scene Claudius admits that he was unable to pray. Both characters fail to follow through with their intended actions, and, for both of them, “This physic but prolongs thy sickly days” (3.3.101).

An Ode to Emily Dickinson

An Ode to Emily Dickinson

She sits in her Room—

The birds cannot Sing in a place so

Bare, and Empty—

Confined by alabaster Walls—

All that fill the Air

Are the Ideas, the Words

And she must Catch them, quickly—before—

They leave her, and Escape—

Through the open Window

Where the World waits—

Beckoning, Singing, Calling to the

Words. But she Calls them too—

And they heed her Voice—

For her Voice sings of Mystery

And Death, and the warm Winds

Of Time and Change—

She is a Mistress of the Words—

They use her to Come into the World—

Her Key can turn the Lock, and set them Free

But she is left Behind— 

Sound & Sense chp. 16 Poem

Mirror, Mirror

Young, innocent, and free

Unblemished by the tolls of time

Eager to experience the vast world around her

Untested, untried

Blessed in naivety

Wide eyes sparking, glistening

Hands reaching, grasping

Ever leaning forward, onward

Ready as she will ever be

Always ready to explore

She is flying, she cannot fall

Seeing no obstacles on the path before her

Looking in the mirror

She sees herself

She sees herself

Looking in the mirror

Obstacles she has overcome spread behind her

Her wings are worn, she is tired

Having traveled so far

Knowing she can never be truly ready

Still leaning, shoulders hunched

Hands holding, clutching

Crinkled eyes deep, peering

Blessed in wisdom

Tested, tried

Familiar with the seemingly infinite world around her

Wizened by the tolls of time

Aged, wise, but always free.

Hamlet #5

            The play-within-a-play in Act 3 Scene 2 gives the audience some insight into how Hamlet interprets his father’s death and the events that have since unfolded. When reading the play, it is important to keep in mind the intended audience: Claudius and Gertrude. Hamlet is trying to elicit a strong response from Claudius, so he obviously will try to emphasize the moral reprehensibility of the king’s murder in the play. However, he also places a large focus on the queen’s knowledge and opinions. The play begins with an interaction between the king and queen in which they express their joy and love for each other.  Unlike Hamlet, this play follows the typical form of a tragedy in which the epitome of joy sets the standard from which the characters will fall. The king says that it has been thirty years “Since love our hearts and Hymen did our hands / Unite commutual in most sacred bands” (3.2.180-1). Before his father’s death, Hamlet seems to have thought his parents’ love came across as infinite and true. Their marriage, Hamlet believes, was sacred. However, knowing what he knows now, Hamlet inserts in the king’s lines, “The world is not for aye, nor ‘tis not strange / That even our loves should with our fortunes change; / For ‘tis a question left us yet to prove / Whether love lead fortune or else fortune love” (3.2.223-6). The king suggests that if the queen’s luck were to change, she may not love him as she does now. Essentially, he insinuates that if he were to die, the queen may retract her love in order to improve her fate. The queen refutes his claim, swearing, “Both here and hence pursue me lasting strife, / If, once a widow, ever I be a wife” (3.2.245-6). Although not absolving her of blame, Hamlet does seem to concede that Gertrude may not have intended to betray old Hamlet before his death. However, Hamlet adds in her vow to never marry if her husband dies, or else she will be pursued by “lasting strife.” Hamlet may believe that Gertrude did not plan to marry Claudius before old Hamlet died, but he also believes that she must pay the consequence for her actions. Whether or not Hamlet’s interpretations of his parents’ attitudes are correct, his representation of their attitudes succeeds in eliciting strong responses from Claudius and possibly Gertrude.    

Hamlet #4

How Everyone in Hamlet Would Benefit From a Family Chat

            Lack of communication and honesty threatens to continue causing problems for Hamlet and those around him. Rather than make assumptions about what others are thinking, each character should take it upon himself to directly address the issues at hand. For instance, Claudius and Gertrude should perhaps take initiative with Hamlet and explain their actions. The King seems to display profound concern for Hamlet when he asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to essentially spy on him, commenting, “What should it be, / More than his father’s death, that thus hath put him / So much from th’ understanding of himself / I cannot dream of” (2.2.7-10). Perhaps if the King had put a little more thought into the situation, he may have realized that his nephew-son feels a little confused and angry about the relationship between his “uncle-father and aunt-mother” (2.2.399). Hamlet is bound to make assumptions (as he already has), and if those assumptions lead him to believe that Claudius murdered his father (which they have), then everyone may benefit from some clarification about the events leading to King Hamlet’s death. Even if Claudius did murder Hamlet’s father, admitting the truth now will save him from the repercussions of allowing the idea to fester and twist itself in Hamlet’s mind. At the same time, Hamlet also needs to take on some responsibility and approach Claudius with his concerns. Acting crazy has thus far served no other purpose than to convince Polonius that Hamlet is madly in love with Ophelia. Through his deception, Hamlet is perpetuating the spread of false interpretations of his actions which is ironic given his supposed contempt for fake appearances. Indeed, Hamlet is disgusted with himself when he realizes that the actor conveyed deeper emotions than he has been able to express in response to his father’s supposed murder. Rather than try to directly address the problem, however, Hamlet decides to “have these players / Play something like the murder of [his] father / Before [his] uncle” (2.2.623-5). He believes that observing his uncle at the play will provide more conclusive evidence than just the ghost who may, Hamlet admits, be a devil playing on his emotions. Unfortunately, appearances can be deceiving, so Hamlet’s plan may result in another misunderstanding. Only honesty and communication can help avoid tragedy.

An example of a heart-to-heart chat circumventing some problems:

“Hey Hamlet, you seem to be acting a bit crazy lately. Is there anything particularly bothering you that I can help clear up?”

“Actually uncle-king-dad, there is. See, the ghost of my father came and told me that you poisoned him, stole his wife, and took the throne. It’s been bothering me a bit lately.”

“Well Hamlet, I must admit that this is an unforeseen problem. I wasn’t banking on Hamlet coming back from the grave. However, the answer is yes, I did in fact murder your dad. I understand that you are probably a bit angry right now.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty upset. However, I appreciate your honesty. Now I know that if I kill you, I won’t find out later that there was some miscommunication.”

“Yes. However, you should also consider whether the ghost was your dead father or the devil. It may make a difference to you if you are seeking to avoid eternal damnation.”

“That’s a good point. Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“No problem. I think these chats are good for us. Provided that you decide not to murder me anytime soon, I think we should make this a regular thing.”

Unfortunately, this would not make for a good Shakespearean tragedy.