hamlet paintings Flashcards
(6 cards)
Hamlet and His mother - the closet scene (-)
Dadd
1840
G has her hands clasped together and face looks very frightened, she’s inching away from Hamlet
H has his hands raised and his face looks stern and like stone - anger filled
in contrast to Delacroix 1849 depiction where Hamlet looks to be protecting her mother from the unknown person behind the arras
Ophelia’s death
Delacroix
1844
in a lake trying to hold onto a branch - metaphorical imagery for her holding on to nature = she’s trying to hold onto her life as well as her sanity
depicted less as a suicide in comparison to Millais (1851)
“muddy death”
“fell”
“clambering to hang”
Ophelia’s suicide
Millais
1851
she’s lying in a river
nature is around her and she’s also holding nature in her hands - instead of using nature to keep her alive she’s using it as an only way of escape (in comparison to Delacroix (1844)
“mermaid-like”
“till her garments, heavy with their drink pulled …. her melodious lay” - pictured to be in a heavy dress in comparison to Delacroix where she is pictured in her undergarments again showing it was less of a suicide - she didn’t want to be pulled down
link to Goolds 2025 adaptation - she’s on a ship the only way to get into the water was jump or “fall”
Hamlet and Ophelia
Rossetti
1858
O is looking away from H with her chin turned up whilst H is outstretched his neck to look at her, wanting her look
link to Goolds where H asked “may i lay in your lap lady” and she says no and gets up and moves to the other side of the stage
stands up to him more and isn’t presented as “passive”
Hamlet and His mother - the closet scene (+)
Delacroix
1849
H is holding a sword and is making sure his mother is behind him whilst he’s in front of the arras about to kill
may link to his un remorseful behaviour “i’ll lug his guts to the neighbour room” because he was protecting his mother (his fathers wish - “leaver her to heaven”)
Hamlet and The ghost
no matter whether it’s Fuseli 1775 painting or Blake’s 1806 painting - the ghost is over powering and dominating (link to Paapa Esiedu adaptation where his father is in the light and the smoke and he’s on the floor)
Fuseli - he looks a lot larger physically than Hamlet and is standing in the light enhancing his spiritual being
Blake - there’s a high difference due to H being on his knees and G looking down on him
marxist lens - hierarchical power between a tyrant and a prince rather than a father and son - psychoanalytical lens - claudius is the only father figure he has in his present life therefore ‘he cannot kill claudius because he identifies with him’ McEvoy (modern)
“ghost dominates even in his absence” - Hawkes (modern)
“the ghost initiates a nightmare” - Greenblatt (modern)
