A Level English literature Hamlet Theme Appearance and reality

Question 1

State the five headings under appearance and reality

Answer 1

1. In hamlet appearances can be deceptive
2. The audience are reminded that they’re watching a play
3. The audience is watching hamlet watch the king watch a play
   4 hamlet is worried everybody is keeping up fake appearances
   Hamlet doesn’t know who to trust

Question 2

State point 1 under heading 1

Answer 2

Hamlet values truth and spends most of the play searching for it - in his search he’s consistently frustrated by the inconsistencies between appearance and reality

Question 3

State point II under heading one

Answer 3

To try and understand their uncertain reality many of the characters in Hamlet want visual proof of things
Horatio has a rational approach to the truth saying “ I might not this believe without the sensible and true avouch of mine own eyes”

Question 4

State point iii under heading one

Answer 4

This preoccupation with seeing things makes a lack of sight even more disconcerting

Question 5

State point IV under heading one

Answer 5

The play opens with anxiety caused by the darkness when asked is Horatio there ? Horatio. Answers “ a piece of him”

This suggests there is so little visibility that Bernardo and Marcellus who are employed to “ watch” can only just make out his hand ( act 1 scene 1)

Question 6

State heading two

Answer 6

The audience are reminded that they’re watching a play

Question 7

State point I under heading two

Answer 7

References to the stage highlight the blurred line between drama and life and appearance and reality

Sometimes the audience are separate observers and sometimes they’re addressed directly as if the characters know they are there

Question 8

State point ii under heading two

Answer 8

Hamlet uses metaphorical language to describe the earth and heavens as a theatre
He even refers to the globe theatre where Shakespeareperes company performed
The play is self. Onscious,y theatrical and this opens the space of the theatre out into the world

Question 9

State point iii under heading two

Answer 9

The line “ look you this brave oerhanging firmament this majestically roof fretted with golden fire” may refer to the roof of the globe which was decorated with stars and planets ( act 2 scene 2)

Question 10

State point IV under heading two

Answer 10

Hamlet says that “ memory holds a seat in this distracted globe “

This has a triple reading of the “ globe “ as the earth as a reference to the audience at the globe theatre or the globe as hamlets own head full of distracted thoughts and memories ( act 1 scene 5)

Question 11

State point v under heading two

Answer 11

These reminders mean that the audience is constantly aware that they’re watching a performance

Question 12

State heading three

Answer 12

The audience is watching hamlet watch the king watch a play

Question 13

State point I under heading three

Answer 13

Hamlet is full of scenes where characters are watching / spying on each other
The fact that the audience are watching from afar adds another level of observation

Question 14

State point ii under heading three

Answer 14

This complicates the way the audience watches the play because they’re caught up in a network of people looking at each other
Shakespeares audience in the globe would have been physically close to the stage so the separation of the audience and actors was less obvious than its modern theatres

Question 15

State point iii under heading three

Answer 15

Sight is also described as a way to control or catch another person

Question 16

State point IV under heading three

Answer 16

Hamlet hopes that he might be able to “ catch” a look of guilt on Claudius face when he watches the murder of gonzago “ the plays the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscious of the king “ ( act 2 scene 2)

Question 17

State point V under heading three

Answer 17

When Claudius and polonius spy on Ophelia and hamlets conversation in act 3 scene 1 they describe themselves as “ seeing unseen “ to “ gather “ their views on Hamlets behaviour

Question 18

State point VI under heading three

Answer 18

Claudius asks hamlet to “ remain here in the cheer and comfort of our eye” the collective eye of the court wants to control his behaviour so it’s unlikely it would be full of “ cheer “ or “ comfort “ ( act 1 scene 2)