hamlet modern critical quotes

Question 1

Freud about Hamlet

Answer 1

‘the play is built upon hamlets hesitations over fulfilling the task of revenge that is assigned to him”

‘[hamlet] is literally no better than the sinner whom he is to punish’

1900

Question 2

Bradley about Hamlet

Answer 2

‘melancholia is at the root of hamlets problems’

‘the tragedy is that this involves the waste of good’

‘nothing stands between hamlet and suicide expect religious awe’

1904

Question 3

Edwards about Ophelia and Hamlet

Answer 3

‘we can imagine Hamlet’s story without ophelia but Ophelia literally has no story without Hamlet’

1979

Question 4

Hawkes about the ghost

Answer 4

‘the ghost dominates even in his absence’

‘at the end the results are the same as if it had’ (war breaking out)
- talk about how this was all for nothing (all the deaths could’ve been prevented realistically)

‘claudius redirects his revenging energy’

1986

Question 5

Traub on Ophelia’s death and masculine parties alike

Answer 5

‘Laertes and Hsmlet fight over the right to Ophelia’s chasity and the right and rite of sexual possession’
- talk about this idea being made and stationed on her grave in act 5:1
- link the idea of the brothers in the dom being the exact same over the duchess
1988

Question 6

Neely about Ophelia

Answer 6

‘ophelia becomes alienated, acting out the madness hamlet only plays at’

1991

Question 7

Jardine about Ophelia and Hamlet

Answer 7

‘her closet was the sole place which she ostensibly exercise total control… he encounters her as a sexualised object’

1996

Question 8

Kerrigan about Hamlet

Answer 8

‘hamlet is surrounded by people and places that remorselessly remind him of the dead king’
- disagree with this as if they reminded him he would’ve acted quicker than he had done as he’d kept getting promoted

‘spontaneous retaliation not long-nurtured vengeance ’
- link to the weapons used to kill Claudius

‘the audience can’t even tell if Hamlet is thinking about his father during these critical minutes’

1996

Question 9

Greenblatt about the ghost

Answer 9

‘the ghost initiates a nightmare’

2002

Question 10

Ingram about Ophelia’s femininity

Answer 10

‘the ophelia figure was a kind of feminine ideal; totally passive, sexualised and defined by her romantic relationships’

2005

Question 11

McEvoy on psychoanalysis and mental illness

Answer 11

‘the medieval conception of madness as divine or demonic possession was being replaced by the idea that insanity was medical condition’
- link to modern viewers
perspectives of Hamlet’s madness vs. contemporary viewers

‘he cannot kill claudius because he identifies with him’

2006