Hamlet quotes mixed Flashcards
(46 cards)
“Started like a ______ upon __________ summons”
“Started like a guilty thing upon fearful summons” - 1.4 (Hamlet) - theme of supernatural, suggestion that the ghost is a demon from hell rather than Old Hamlet
“Bring with thee ____ from heaven or _______ from hell”
“Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell” 1.4 - (Hamlet) -Use of antithesis conveys ambiguity around the true nature of the ghost
“Fast in _____”
“Fast in fires” 1.5 - (the ghost/old hamlet) - links the ghost to ideas of purgatory - reflective of Elizabethen conflicts between Protestant and catholic beliefs surrounding ghosts
“O, cursed _____/ That I was ever ____ to set it right”
“O, cursed spite/ That I was ever born to set it right” - 1.5 (Hamlet) -Apostrophe shows Hamlet’s extreme sense of entrapment in his filial responsibility to avenge his father, link to ‘my fate cries out’ (1.5). Hamlet presents a spiritual duty to his Father - link to Von Goethe: ‘All duties seem holy to Hamlet’
“The spirit I have seen/ May have been a _____, and the devil hath _______/ _______ a pleasing shape”
“The spirit I have seen/ May have been a devil, and the devil hath power t’assume a pleasing shape” (Hamlet) (2.2) - AO3: According to Laveter, Elizabethen’s often believed ghosts could transform into guises. Further ambiguity about the nature of the ghost - suspense.
“Do you not come your _____ son to _____?”
“Do you not come your tardy son to chide?” (Hamlet) (3.4) - Question conveys Hamlet’s projection of his worries onto the presentation of the ghost, suggesting it is ‘the very coinage of [his] brain’
“My _______, in his _____ as he liv’d”
“My Father, in his habit as he liv’d” (Hamlet) (3.4) - (pious and humble clothing), Faustus projects his elevated view of his father onto the presentation of the ghost, suggesting it is ‘the very coinage of [his] brain’
“______ as black as ______”
“Bosom as black as death” (claudius) (3.3) Simile contrasts ‘Is there rain enough in the sweet heavens…to wash it white as snow’, Claudius desires absolution but is too engrossed in the fruit of his sin to wholeheartedly repent.
“The _______ prize itself// Buys out the ___”
“The wicked prize itself// Buys out the law” (3.3) Claudius admits to the corruption in the court of Elsinore.
“Bow, _______ knees”
“Bow, stubborn knees” (3.3) - imperative, appears as ‘rhetorical pageantry’
“Be soft as _______ of the newborn _____” (3.3)
“Be soft as sinews of the newborn babe” (3.3) - Simile, appears as ‘rhetorical pageantry’ (too much craft)
“My ______ fly up, my _______ remain below// words without thoughts to _______ never go” (3.3)
“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below// words without thoughts to heaven never go” (3.3), rhyming couplet, appears as ‘rhetorical pageantry’, shows lack of sincerity and attempt to fool God. Smiles at the audience in the 2008 Gregory Doran/Tennant version.
“All occasions do ______ against me, and spur my dull _______!”
“All occasions do inform against me, and spur my dull revenge!” (4.4) - exclamation conveys Hamlet’s frustration towards his lack of action
“Though which, ________ hath but one part ________ and ever 3 parts _______”
“Though which, quartered hath but one part wisdom and ever 3 parts coward” (4.4), metaphor emphasises Hamlet’s criticism of his own character as he views his inaction to be a consequence of his cowardly tendency to overthink. Reflects ‘conscience does make cowards of us all’ (3.1)
“Led by a _______ and _______ prince”
“Led by a delicate and tender prince” (4.4) - Hamlet projects hsi insecurities onto his description of Young Fortinbras, suggests he is insecure as a result of his desire to have the capable, medieval mindset of YF - who is ‘unimproved mettle hot and full’
“Honour…a father _____ , a mother ______ “
“Honour…a father kill’d, a mother stain’d” (4.4) - Parallel, Hamlet sees his filial duty to avenge his father and save his mother as an obligation of honour. He fears the loss of his honour should he fail to take these actions.
“O, from this time _____ , my thoughts be ______ , or be nothing ______ !”
“O, from this time forth , my thoughts be bloody , or be nothing worth!” (4.4) - Apostrophe and motif of blood = overtaken by desire to replace his tendency to overthink with medieval-style action against Claudius. Rhyming couplet solidifies his resolution to take proper action, but this is structurally contrasted by his lack of action as he is sent to England immediately after.
“Too _______ flesh would melt”
“Too sullied flesh would melt” (1.2) - metaphor conveys Hamlet’s desire for a death as a melancholic consequence of his despair surrounding the corruption of Denmark and Gertrude by Claudius
“___________ garden”
“Unweeded garden” (1.2) - Hamlet, semantic field of corruption, conveys how Denmark has bee corrputed by Claudius
“Like _____, all tears”
“Like Niobe, all tears” (1.2) Hamlet, intertextual reference presents Gertrude’s grief as so overly exaggerated that it is superficial and feigned. Suggestion that her grief is insincere.
“I’ll wipe away…all ____ of ______”
“I’ll wipe away…all saws of books” (1.5) - Hamlet views renaissance knowledge as incompatible with medievial actions of revenge. He is willing to sacrifice learning to become more capable of vengeance.
“O most _______ woman!//O ______, _______”
“O most pernicious woman!//O villain, villain” 1.5 - apostrophe emphasises Hamlet’s heightened anger towards Claudius and Gertrude, structural placement of reference to Gertrude above reference to Claudius conveys Hamlet’s preoccupation with his anger to his mother’s sexuality, which ultimately delays his action of vengeance against Claudius.
“_________ does make cowards of us all”
“Conscience does make cowards of us all” (3.1)
“To ___, to sleep; to _____ perchance to _______”
“To die, to sleep; to sleep perchance to dream” 3.1 - Hamlet’s melancholy, longing for death is cast over by the fear of the uncertain outcome of the afterlife.
