Hamlet Critics

Question 1

What does Johnson (18th century) say about Hamlet’s role?

Answer 1

Hamlet is […] rather an instrument than an agent.

Question 2

How does Rosenburg describe Hamlet’s struggle?

Answer 2

Hamlet’s control of wrestling with his passion.

Question 3

What is AC Bradley’s view on Hamlet’s mental state?

Answer 3

Hamlet is suffering from melancholic depression.

Question 4

What does GW Knight (20th century) say?

Answer 4

It refers to the element of evil in the state of Denmark

Question 5

What does Johnson say about Hamlet’s madness?

Answer 5

Of the feigned madness of Hamlet there appears no adequate cause.

Question 6

What criticism does Johnson make about Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia?

Answer 6

He treats Ophelia with so much rudeness, which seems to be a useless and wanton cruelty.

Question 7

How does Goethe characterize Hamlet?

Answer 7

A lovely, pure, noble, and most moral nature, without the strength of nerve which forms a hero.

Question 8

What does AC Bradley (19th century) say about Hamlet’s gifts?

Answer 8

His highest gifts, instead of helping him, conspire to paralyse him.

Question 9

What struggle does Bloom attribute to Hamlet?

Answer 9

The prince seems to struggle also with the spirit of evil in heavenly places.

Question 10

Who was the first critic to comment on Hamlet’s inaction?

Answer 10

Hanmet (18th century).

Question 11

What anguish does Jones attribute to Hamlet?

Answer 11

Hamlet is plunged into anguish at the thought of his father being replaced in his mother’s affection by someone else.

Question 12

How does Samuel Johnson (neo–classist) describe Ophelia?

Answer 12

The young, the beautiful, the harmless and the pious.

Question 13

What does West say about Ophelia’s character?

Answer 13

Ophelia was a disreputable character: not scandalously so, but still disreputable. We have put Ophelia into the wrong category and wrong century

Question 14

What is Salter’s view on Ophelia’s role?

Answer 14

An innocent pawn who is sacrificed

Question 15

What does Neely (1991) say about Ophelia’s context?

Answer 15

The context of her disease is sexual frustration, social helplessness and enforced social control over women’s bodies.

Question 16

What does Showalter say about the representation of Ophelia?

Answer 16

The theatrical representation of Ophelia depends on attitudes towards women and madness … There is no ‘true’ Ophelia.

Question 17

What does Edwards (1979) argue about Ophelia’s story?

Answer 17

We can imagine Hamlet’s story without Ophelia, but Ophelia literally has no story without Hamlet.

Question 18

What does Wyandotte argue about Ophelia’s death?

Answer 18

One could argue that Ophelia’s death is the true tragedy of Hamlet.

Question 19

What does Showalter say Ophelia is deprived of?

Answer 19

Ophelia is deprived of thought, sexuality and language.

Question 20

What does Watts say about Old King Hamlet’s influence on Hamlet?

Answer 20

OKH attempts to impose a stereotype of a dedicated revenger; but Hamlet repeatedly [shows] resistance to that stereotype.

Question 21

What does Prosser (historicist) say about the perception of ghosts in Shakespeare’s time?

Answer 21

The deep caution and scepticism.

Question 22

How does McEvoy describe Claudius?

Answer 22

Strength, dynamism and humanity.

Question 23

What does McEvoy say about Claudius as a ruler?

Answer 23

Claudius can be seen to be an effective, modern ruler.

Question 24

How does McEvoy contrast Claudius’ love for Gertrude with Hamlet’s feelings for Ophelia?

Answer 24

Claudius genuinely loves Gertrude in a manner which contrasts greatly with Hamlet’s feelings for Ophelia.

Question 25

What does Sagar say about Claudius' first speech?

Answer 25

Uses the language of a hypocrite and a villain.

Question 26

How does GW Knight describe Claudius?

Answer 26

Good and gentle king.

Question 27

What does Altick say about Claudius' evil?

Answer 27

The cunning and lecherousness of Claudius’ evil has corrupted the whole kingdom of Denmark.

Question 28

How does Scofield characterize Claudius?

Answer 28

Claudius is morally empty.

Question 29

What does GW Knight say about Claudius' skills?

Answer 29

Claudius shows every sign of being an excellent diplomatist and king.

Question 30

What does AC Bradley say about Hamlet's desire regarding Gertrude?

Answer 30

Hamlet’s chief desire…is to save Gertrude’s soul.

Question 31

How does Smith (20th century) describe Gertrude?

Answer 31

Soft, obedient, dependent, unimaginative woman.

Question 32

What does Klett (21st century) say about Ophelia and Gertrude?

Answer 32

They can be seen as frustratingly one-dimensional.

Question 33

What does Mabillard (21st century) say about Gertrude's character?

Answer 33

Gertrude is shallow, and thinks only about her body and external pleasures.

Question 34

What does Mabillard say about Gertrude's sexuality?

Answer 34

Gertrude is also a very sexual being, and it is her sexuality that turns Hamlet so violently against her.

Question 35

What does AC Bradley say about Gertrude's heart?

Answer 35

The Queen was not a bad-hearted woman.

Question 36

What does Graf argue about Gertrude's marriage to Claudius?

Answer 36

Instead of marrying Claudius because of her lack of self control, Gertrude is in fact protecting her son from the man who murdered her husband.

Question 37

What does Smith say is Gertrude's main interest?

Answer 37

Pleasing men is Gertrude's main interest.

Question 38

What does Heilbrun (20th century) argue about Gertrude?

Answer 38

Other critics fail to see Gertrude for the strong-minded, intelligent, succinct and sensible woman that she is.

Question 39

How does A.C. Bradley describe Gertrude?

Answer 39

Very dull and very shallow.

Question 40

What does A.C. Bradley say about Gertrude's love for Hamlet?

Answer 40

She loves her son, and does not betray him.

Question 41

How does Pennington describe Polonius?

Answer 41

A bad parent made palatable by the fact that he is funny.

Question 42

What does Hartwig say about Polonius?

Answer 42

A Machiavellian schemer who takes his plotting to absurd proportions.

Question 43

How does Bate (21st century) characterize Polonius?

Answer 43

A scurvy politician who does not practice the integrity he preaches.

Question 44

What does Hazlitt (19th century) say about Polonius?

Answer 44

Polonius is not a fool but he makes himself so.

Question 45

What does Marshall say about Polonius' view of the king?

Answer 45

In his eyes the king could do no wrong.

Question 46

How does Stewart (20th century) describe Laertes' grief?

Answer 46

Laertes’ grief over Ophelia was genuine while Hamlet was performing for Laertes. Hamlets mood is not one of sorrow or of love for Ophelia, but purely of rage at Laertes

Question 47

What does Prosser (20th century) say about Laertes' character?

Answer 47

Laertes is like a hurricane. He rushes into the palace in an uncontrolled rage, roaring for blood.

Question 48

How does Magnus describe Laertes?

Answer 48

Fiery, self assured, and impetuous.

Question 49

What does Jorgensen, a Psychoanalytic critic say about melancholia?

Answer 49

distinguishing mental features of meloncholia are profound painful dejection, self-reporaches and self-reviling

Question 50

How does Jeremy Collier, a 17th century critic alive during the English Civil War, attack Shakespeare's representation of Ophelia in 1698?

Answer 50

sully her Reputation, and discover the Rankness of her Breath, was very Cruel.

Question 51

How does Carolyn Heilbrun defend Gertrude in her 1957 'Hamlet's Mother' Feminist Essay?

Answer 51

Gertrude has the 'ability to see reality clearly, and to express it' 'intelligent, penetrating, and gifted with a remarkable talent for concise and pithy speech'

Question 52

In Carolyn Heilbrun in 1957 'Hamlet's Mother' Feminist Essay, what does she admit is Gertrude's flaw?

Answer 52

'Gertrude's flaw of lust made Claudius' ambition possible, for without taking advantage of the Queen's desire still to be married, he could not have been king.'

Question 53

What does Maynard Mack say about Hamlet's Madness in Hamlet's World?

Answer 53

madness is within ih him

Question 54

What does Freud says in his 'Interpretation of his Dreams' in 1899 about the contradiction of his play?

Answer 54

'the play is built up on Hamlet's hesitations over fulfilling the task of revenge that is assigned to him; but its text offers no reasons or motives for these hesitations'