Drama: Hamlet- Critics and my interpretations Flashcards
(20 cards)
Claudius
-A.C. Bradley argues that Claudius rarely gets from the reader the attention he deserves. He goes on to argue he isn’t cruel or malevolent (looking out for kingdom, UNTIL HE NEEDS TO).
-Jones argues that Claudius actions mirrored Hamlet’s own unconscious wishes as Jones believes the Oedipus complex is central to the plot.
-Royanian argues that commodification is clearly embodied in the character of Claudius. He is powerful and wealthy and tries to achieve his goals through using his money and power.
-Wilson Kinght aruges that Claudius’ plot has been devloped to make “Hamlet’s action easy and inevitable” and goes further by arguing that he “shows every sign of being an excellent diplomatist and King.”
Gertrude
-Feminist critics explore the dominance of male characters and the limited agency of female characters, such as Gertrude and Ophelia, are seen as reflections of gender inequality.
Gertrude through a feminist lens explores her agency and her struggle to maintain her position in a patriarchal society. Others explore her vulnerability and how she is often used as a pawn in the political machinations of the court.
-Garber supports the feminist position and discusses their role in the patriarchal osciety of Elsinore.
-French argues that Gertrude is a typical, transgressive ‘out law’ Jacobean woman.
-Adelman argues that Hamlet has to choose between two fathers and Gertrude places herself in the middle of the conflict.
-Bloom argues that Gertrude owes “no apologies” and is a woman of “exuberant sexuality”.
-Bamber argues that Gertrude’s innocence or guilt isn’t an issue for the play, and that she is character of ambigious morality who we can never fully know. Bamber goes on to argue that she is “her son’s mother” and a “worried, affectionate partner” to her husband.
-Lavery argues that “Hamlet’s reaction of digust at Gertrude’s marriage to Claudius appears less to do with family honour and more to do with disgust at her decision to enter into a sexual relationship at her age. In the closet scene, we see anxieties at the idea of a sexualised older woman explode in one of the most violent scenes in the play.” She also argues that “at a time when an aging Queen still sat on the English throne, projecting a sexualised image of herself in order to maintain politial power, one context for a reading of Gertrude’s character is Hamlet’s response to her sexuality as an aspect of her position in the political court.”
-Royanian argues that like her husband, Gertrude also gains profits from commodifying other people.
Hamlet
-The Romantic interpretation often highlighted the existential and moral dillemmas faced by the protagonist. They examined how Hamlet’s inner struggles, such as his grief, anger, and moral questioning, influenced his actions and decisions and concluded that his inner turmoil was his harmartia.
-According to Freud, Hamlet’s internal conflict arises from his unresolved Oedipal feelings, leading to hesitation and psychological turmoil. Freudian interpretations focus on Hamlet’s unconscious desires. Hamlet’s soliloquies, such as “To be or not to be” are seen as reflections of his introsepction and existential crisis. They explore how Hamlet’s psychological struggles reflect deeper questions about morality, desire and the human condition, particularly in the context of a corrupt court. Freud goes on to argue that Hamlet’s disgust and anger toward his mother’s marriage to Claudius reflect his unconscious wish to possess her himself.
-Postcolonial readings of the play explore themes of resistance and subversion. Hamlet’s quest for justice and his resistance against a corrupt court can be seen as a form of resistance against opressive power structures.
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge is fascinated with Hamlet as a character who grapples with philosophical and moral dilemmas. He noted Hamlet’s introspection and the play’s exploration of moral ambiguity.
-A.C. Bradley identified as a profound and all-consuming intellectualism. He argued that Hamlet’s tendency to overhink and analyse every situation, his obsession with philosophical and moral questions and his hesitation to take immediate action were all manifestations of this. He also saw his need for certainty, moral justification and his inner struggle with the consequence of violence.
-T.S. Eliot argues that Hamlet as a character lacks the necessary motivations and characteristics of a traditional tragic hero. His inability to take action is a significant flaw in the play.
-Janet Adelman portrays Hamlet as choosing between two fathers in her essay.
-Filroy argues that Hamlet is not a tragic hero, but an ‘everyman’.
-Jones argues that Hamlet’s delaying was a result of the complex osychodynamics of his relationship with his mother and his uncle, and that the Oedipus complex is central to the plot. He goes on to argue that Claudius actions mirrored Hamlet’s own unconscious wishes. He goes further and argues that because Claudius has stepped into the role as Hamlet’s new father, he therefore is the new target of Hamlet’s rage and destructive impluses.
-West argues that Hamlet show traces of “a perverse determination to kill the soul as well as the body”.
-C.S. Lewis aruges that “the world of Hamlet is world where one has lost one’s way. The Prince also has no doubt lost his, and we can tell the precise moment at which he finds it again.”
-Wilson Kinght aruges that Claudius’ plot has been devloped to make “Hamlet’s action easy and inevitable”.
-Devlin, Kerrigan, Lee, and Shaughnessy all maintain in different ways that Hamlet finds himself in the play’s final scene, and fulfils his destiny and achieves some sort of transcedence.
-Johnson argues that Hamlet is used throughout the play as an instrument rather than an agent.
Horatio
-Hull argues that Horatio is “the most unappreciated character in the play.”
-Bloom argues that Horatio is “Shakespeare’s instrument of suborning (bribing) the audience.”
-Hudson argues that Horatio is “one of the very noblest and most beautiful of Shakespeare’s characters.”
-D.G. James believes that Horatio has “steadiness and tenor that Hamlet does not possess” and that he “is one who suffers everything and nothing.”
-Weiss argues that Horatio is “The only domain in Denmark that is not honeycombed with pitfalls.”
Polonius
-The first essay ever written on Hamlet called Polonius a “Buffoonish Statesman”.
-William Hazlitt though Polonius “acts very foolishly”.
-Diane Dreher describes “by far the most reprehensible father”.
-Elaine Robinson describes Polonius’ death as “a symbol of Shakespeare’s attack on patriarchy”.
-Marxist critics argue that Polonius represents a proletariat trying to improve his status.
-Healey argues that against his faults, Polonius and his cliches constitute sound advice and his observations reveal the nature of a weak but ruthless politician.
-Warburton argues that the strokes of humour in his speech are admirable
Ophelia
-Feminist critics explore the dominance of male characters and the limited agency of female characters, such as Gertrude and Ophelia, are seen as reflections of gender inequality. Feminist critics have also explored how Ophelia’s caracter represents the vulnerability of women in society that dictates their roles and expectations.
-Garber supports the feminist position and discusses their role in the patriarchal osciety of Elsinore.
-French argues that Ophelia is a typical ‘in law’ Jacobean woman.
-Bradley argues that her whole character is that of simply unselfish affection.
-Showalter argues that Ophelia is deprived of thought, sexuality and language..she represents the strong emotions that the Elizabethans thought womanish
Laertes
-Prosser argues that ‘Laertes is not a whiff of fresh air. He is a hurricane. He rushes into the palace in an uncontrolled rage, roaring for blood, having no idea whom he seeks but ready “swoopstake” to smash all in his way. He defies his sovereign King, his conscience and his God’.
-Chan argues that “Laertes behaves in exactly the opposite way to Hamlet and compared to Hamlet, Laertes fares even worse.”. He goes further to state that “Laertes virtually acts without fore fought and becomes a naive and willing tool of Claudius, the villain himself.”
-Taylor argues that “Laertes is soon reduced to a pawn in Claudius’ game.”
-Magnus argues that Laertes is “Fiery, self assured, and impetuous. Laertes cuts a dashing figure, though one much colder and more distant than that of his soulful sister.”
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
-Siddall describes them as “Manipulators and agents” and that they are “Prepared to become instruments in furtive purposes”.
Osric
-Gardiner says of Osric “Comic illustration of the mindless servitude that enables Claudius to remain in power”.
-Sutcliffe calls Osric a “Time-server”.
Fortinbras
-Knight asserted that “Fortinbras brings peace and order to Denmark”.
The ghost
-Greenblatt argues that the Ghost is not simply a plot device. He argues it goes far beyond it’s function as a plot catalyst. Instead, the ghost expresses a widespread fear among the living being forgotten after death and bereavement for those already dead. The ghost has been used to fill the space after the Reformation and emobides it. The primary imperative of the ghost is to “remember” not to “revenge”.
Time period: The 17th Century
-Hamlet was viewed primarily as a revenge tradegy.
-Early interpretations of the play ofen explored it’s exploration of moral and political themes:
-As Elizabethan/Jacobean England was a period marked by political intrigue and power struggles, the themes of upsurpation, regicide and the moral responsibilities of leaders resonated with the political climate of the time.
Time period: The 18th Century
-The Romantic interpretation of Hamlet often highlighted the existential and moral dillemmas faced by the protagonist.
-Hamlet’s sense of alienation and his struggle with existential questions about the meaning of life were seen as reflections of the Romantic fascination with individualism and the human psyche.
-Romantic critics explored the dichotomy between Hamlet’s inner turmoil and the external conflicts of the play. They examined how Hamlet’s inner struggles, such as his grief, anger, and moral questioning, influenced his actions and decisions.
-Romantic interpetations of the play often drew connections between Hamlet’s inner world and the natural and supernatural elements in the play. Hamlet’s soliloquies, for example, were seen as moments of unity with nature, reflecting the Romantic reverence for the natural world.
Time period: The 20th Century
-According to Freud, Hamlet’s internal conflict arises from his unresolved Oedipal feelings, leading to hesitation and psychological turmoil.
-Freudian interpretations focus on Hamlet’s unconscious desires, particularly his desire for his mother and his ambivalence about his father’s feath.
-Critics explore how these repressed desires create a sense of guilt and conflict within Hamlet’s psyche, causing him to struggle with the moral and psychological implications of revenge. Hamlet’s soliloquies, such as “To be or not to be” are seen as reflections of his introsepction and existential crisis.
-Freudian interpretations also touch on broader societal and moral issues. They explore how Hamlet’s psychological struggles reflect deeper questions about morality, desire and the human condition, particularly in the context of a corrupt court.
Time period: The 21st Century (New Historicist)
-A New Historicist interpretation places the play within it’s historical and cultural context. It explores how these themes relate to the political climate of Shakespeare’s time.
-This approach allows for an understanding of the play as a text deeply embedded in it’s time and culture. For example, the play can be seen as reflecting concerns about the succession of monarchs, the shifting dynamics of power and the role of a ruler in society.
-New Historicists are also interested in how literature can both reinforce and subver dominant ideologies. In the play, characters like Hamlet can be seen as challenging the status quo, subverting authority and questioning the established norms.
-The end of feudalism and emergence of capitalism is reflected in the play.
Time period: The 21st Century (Feminist)
-Feminist interpretations of the play often examine the power dynamics within the play’s patriarchal society.
-The dominance of male characters and the limited agency of female characters, such as Gertrude and Ophelia, are seen as reflections of gender inequality.
-Gertrude through a feminist lens explores her agency and her struggle to maintain her position in a patriarchal society. Others explore her vulnerability and how she is often used as a pawn in the political machinations of the court.
-Feminist critics have also explored how Ophelia’s caracter represents the vulnerability of women in society that dictates their roles and expectations.
Time period: The 21st Century (Postcolonial)
-Postcolonial interpretations of Hamlet examine the play in the context of colonialism, imperialism, and the broader issues of power, domination and resitance.
-Critics explore how Hamlet reflects the cultural and political dynmaics of Shakespeare’s time and the impact of colonialims on literature.
-Postcolonial readings of the play explore themes of resistance and subversion. Hamlet’s quest for justice and his resistance against a corrupt court can be seen as a form of resistance against opressive power structures.
Other view: Lavery
The play reflects contemporary concersn about ‘national security and loyalty to an aging monarch’.
Other view: Marxist critics
All relationships in the play are commodified, reflecting the emergence of capitalism.
Other view: Robinson
Males in the play represent Shakespeare’s attack on the patriarchy.
