Hamlet Outline

Hamlet Outline

Thesis: Hamlet sees it fit to assume multiple roles of divine justice through his punishment of several characters but punished himself for his hubris. 

1. Although Hamlet is angry about Ophelia acting falsely in order to please the King and her father, Hamlet acts as a minister for God when he attempts to lead Ophelia down a virtuous path. 

a. Hamlet hints that Ophelia should stray from the corruption of Claudius and her father when he says, "Get thee to a nunnery" (III.i.123)

b. Angry with Ophelia, Hamlet uses his fake insanity to publically embarrass the young woman through inappropriate and crude comments: "Lady, shall I lie in you lap? [...] I mean, my head upon your lap? [...] Do you think I meant country matters? [...] That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs" (III.ii.103-108).

c. Although Hamlet did not intend to lead Ophelia to her death, Ophelia becomes insane after Polonius is murdered and commits suicide: "[She] fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide,/And mermaid-like a while they bore her up [...] But long it could not be/Till that her garments, heavy with their drink,/Pull the poor wretch [...] to muddy death" (IV.vii.174-182).

i. Ophelia is not able to receive a traditional religious funeral because she committed suicide. Laertes asks the priest if he can perform traditional ceremonies of a religious funeral but the priest responds, "No more be done./We should profane the service of the dead/To sing a requiem and such rest to her/As to peace-parted souls" (V.i.218-221)

ii. Hamlet is punished for his hubris through Ophelia's death because he loved her: "I loved Ophelia" (V.i.255).

2. Hamlet views murdering Claudius as morally sound, but Hamlet will not settle for anything less than eternal damnation for the murderous King and acts as a scourge for God in his quest to take down his uncle. 

a. When presented with the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, Hamlet chooses not to act because Claudius is praying and Hamlet wants to guarantee an afterlife in the depths of hell for his uncle: "Now might I do it pat. Now he is a-praying. [...] No./Up sword, and know thou a more horrid hent./When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,/Or in th' incestuous pleasure of his bed,/At game a-swearing, or about some act/That has no relish of salvation in't–/Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,/And that his soul may be as damned and black" (III.iii.74-95)

b. After Laertes confesses his plotting with Claudius, Hamlet finally murders the murderer and sends the King to hell. Hamlet forces Claudius to drink his poisonous brew and says, "Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane,/Drink off this potion. Is thy union here?/ Follow my mother" (V.ii.326-328).

c. Hamlet is briefly successful in his original mission to kill Claudius but he his punished for his additional and uncalled for inflicted punishments when he dies moments after killing Claudius: "Horatio, I am dead" (V.ii.339)

3. Hamlet boldly assumes that his form of punishment for Polonius is in line with what God would see fit.

a. Hamlet insults Polonius after he has just murdered him with little justification: "Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell./I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune./Thou find'st to be too busy in some danger" (III.iv.32-34).

b. "For this same lord,/I do repent. But heaven hath please it so" (III.iv.175-176). The crime does not fit the punishment, and it is unlikely that heaven would approve of Hamlet's hasty murder of an undeserving victim.

c. Maybe use Hamlet losing Ophelia as punishment her?

Hamlet #7

After learning about his father's death, Laertes returns to Denmark to seek revenge for the murder. Claudius is made the original target for Laertes' revenge plot, but the King is quick to change the young man's mind. Claudius informs Laertes that Hamlet killed Polonius and the two men plot to kill the Prince. They plan to stage a recreational duel between Hamlet and Laertes where Laertes will "choose/A sword unbated, and in a pass of practice/Requite him for [his] father's murder" (IV.vii.137-139). The plotters assume that Hamlet will want to participate in a match against the renown Laertes, but they fail to realize that Hamlet does not trust anyone. He has been betrayed by everyone close to him: his mother, his best friends, and especially his uncle. It is not reasonable to assume that Hamlet will simply cooperate and duel a master swordsman when the suggestion to fight comes from someone who has already betrayed him. Additionally, Hamlet is already suspicious of Claudius because he knows that the King has been spying on him. Hamlet is wiser than any other character in the play, and he is not likely to fall for Claudius' set up.

Despite Hamlet's wit and intelligence, his character slowly changes as the play progresses. After encountering the rash Prince of Norway and learning about his pointless plan to attack Poland, Hamlet wonders why he cannot be driven like the Norwegian Prince. He is angry that he has not killed Claudius yet and declares, "My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!" (IV.iv.65). Hamlet hopes to be more violent and emotionally driven in his actions in order to defend his honor. His declaration could prove to be problematic when he returns to Denmark because of Claudius' plan. Hamlet's orginial character would not fall into Claudius' trap, but an emotionally driven Hamlet could  easily be tricked. Hamlet's determination to become more rash could ultimately be the source of his downfall.

Hamlet #6

As Hamlet's antics grow more drastic, Claudius becomes more outwardly frustrated with his "son's" actions. In an attempt to avoid embarrassment of the royal family, Claudius plans to send Hamlet back to England with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz: "I like him not, nor stand it safe with us/To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you./I you're commission will forthwith dispatch,/And he to England shall go along with you" (III.iii.1-4). Although Claudius' initial reasoning for sending Hamlet away is somewhat superficial, he can't be considered evil for his decision. As the King of Denmark, Claudius must protect the reputation of the country, his family, and himself, so his decision to remove Hamlet from Denmark appears justified. Claudius' acceptable reasoning ends when he announces the real reason he is sending Hamlet to England. Left on stage alone, Claudius addresses England and says, "If my love thou hold'st at aught–/[...] Pay homage to us–thou mayst not coldly set/Our sovereign process, which imports at full,/By letters congruing to that effect,/The present death of Hamlet" (IV.iii.60-67). Claudius does not want to deal with Hamlet's outward insanity because it is causing him severe inconvenience. Claudius' attendance to Hamlet's play causes the King to feel guilty about murdering his brother, and Claudius is finding it hard to cope with his sin. Additionally, Hamlet is causing problems that are difficult to explain to the public, like the accidental slaying of Polonius. Claudius wishes to exterminate Hamlet for convenience, because he does not appreciate a constant reminder of his sins, and he does not want to be burdened with reputation issues.

Claudius' order to kill Hamlet would not be surprising if he had not just given a lengthy speech about  wanting to be forgiven by God. After seeing Hamlet's play, Claudius confesses to murdering King Hamlet when he is left alone on stage: "Oh, my offense is rank. It smells to heaven./It hath the primal eldest curse upon't,/A brother's murder. Pray can I not./Though inclination be as sharp as will" (III.iii.37-39). Claudius knows that he will be sent to hell for his murderous actions without repentance, but he knows that he cannot justifiably repent. He is still reaping the benefits from his brother's death and does not want to give up his throne and his wife. Although Claudius is a hopeless case for heaven, he makes a desperate speech in an attempt to display that he is sorry. Claudius' action of physically getting down on his knees to ask for forgiveness from God directly contrasts his order to murder Hamlet. Obviously Claudius is not drastically affected by his guilt from the murder of his brother because he wants to kill another person standing in his way.

Hamlet #5

In our last class we discussed possible reasoning for why Hamlet makes the decision to act insane. Throughout the beginning of the Act 3, another possibility for Hamlet's intentional insanity becomes clear. As the first scene of the third act comes to a close, Polonius' and Claudius' planned meeting for Ophelia and Hamlet occurs. Ophelia takes further steps to distance herself emotionally from Hamlet, returning gifts that he had previously given to her. Although Hamlet's reaction is taken as symptoms of his supposed insanity, it appears to the audience that Hamlet grows annoyed with Ophelia's emotional rejection. Hamlet becomes outwardly cynical and says, "I say, we will have no more/marriages. Those that are married already, all but one, shall/live. The rest shall keep as they are" (III.i.147-149). Hamlet's proposal for no more marriages is a partial reaction to Ophelia's rejection but also a reaction to his mother's recent marriage. He is upset that the girl he loves is distancing herself from him, and he is angry that Gertrude betrayed King Hamlet through her relationship with Claudius. If there were no more marriages, Hamlet would never be able to marry Ophelia, and his proposal suggests that he does not love her anymore. Although Hamlet says all marriages can remain after his suggestion is adopted, he makes the point to add that one marriage will end. His exception addresses Gertrude's marriage to Claudius. Hamlet does not believe that his mother should have married his uncle in the first place, which is why he does not believe they should be permitted to remain married. Although Hamlet calls for the outlaw of marriage, he is being dramatic and does not truly want what he requests. If Hamlet was thought to be sane, his diatribe would be seen as inappropriate. Hamlet's ranting provides another possible reason for his false insanity. He is able to complain openly and honestly about whatever he would like without criticism and judgment from others. Although this reason lacks valid justification, Hamlet could be tired of complaining about his life only to himself. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet would often be alone and complaining about his problems and his pretend insanity allows him to publicize his personal issues.

Prose Practice #1

Thesis: Through the use of literary techniques such as tone, point of view, and language, Edgeworth displays Clarence Hervey as an outwardly arrogant and self centered individual.

In the first sentence of the passage, Edgeworth reveals Hervey's self centered nature. Edgeworth writes, "Clarence Hervey might have been more than a pleasant young man, if he had not been smitten with the desire of being thought superior in every thing, and of being the most admired person in all companies." Edgeworth's description of Hervey is contradictory. A person seeking to prove their superiority over everyone else is typically not likable, but Hervey hopes to be "the most admired person in all companies." Hervey's aspirations are impossible to achieve together, but his arrogance won't allow him to strive for just one goal. In correlation with his desire to be superior to all, Hervey's partnered goals displays that he want to do the seemingly impossible because no one else can.  

Hamlet #4

Worried about Hamlet, Claudius and Gertrude ask Hamlet's friends from school to come and visit. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bring Hamlet's favorite players along with them when they come to Denmark. After greeting the players, Hamlet requests a short performance when he says, "Come, a passionate speech" (II.ii.415). Although Hamlet is not specific in his original request, it does not take long to discover what Hamlet really wants to hear. Hamlet wishes to hear a speech about Pyrrhus, the notorious Greek hero. Pyrrhus took down the city of Troy and brutally murdered their king to avenge his father's death. The players speech includes gory details about the king's murder: "[The queen of Troy] saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport/In mincing with his sword her husband's limbs"(II.ii.493-494). Hamlets request to hear the violent story of the downfall of Troy connects back to his intentions to kill his uncle. Like Pyrrhus, Hamlet hopes to kill the man who killed his father. The violent nature of the speech reveals the depth of Hamlet's hatred for his uncle. The inclusion of Pyrrhus cutting Priam into pieces suggests that Hamlet wants to do something similar to his uncle. Although Hamlet hates Claudius, Hamlet wants further proof that his uncle actually killed King Hamlet. At the end of the scene Hamlet devises a plan to determine Claudius' guilt.

Sound & Sense Chapter 5

Anne Bradstreet's The Author to Her Book, shares the feelings of an author towards a book she has written. Throughout the poem the speaker uses personification to compare her book to a child. The metaphor begins at the beginning of the poem when the speaker refers to her book as her "offspring" (1) and discusses what happens to her book "after birth" (2). Rearing children takes an incredible amount of time and work, and the speaker is expressing the effort she put into the production of her book. Since the speaker obviously spent a substantial amount of time on her book, it would make sense that she is attached to her creation, similarly to how a mother would be attached to her child.

The metaphors continue as the speaker begins to discuss the flaws of her book. She expresses her dissatisfaction with her time-consuming project and explains, "I cast thee by as one unfit for light,/Thy visage was so irksome in my sight;/Yet being mine own, at length affection would/Thy blemishes amend if so I could" (9-12). Although the speaker is frustrated by the imperfections of her book, she still cares for what she has written. The speaker's statements can be compared to a rebellious teenager. Although the teenager embarrasses his parents by his foolish actions or appearance, his parents will still love him because he is their child. A rebellious teenager's parents would try to fix the imperfections in their child but would be unsuccessful due to the teenager's unexplained need to resist authority. The speaker explains her book's inability to change with "They blemishes amend if so I could," referencing the stubborn nature of her book. Although the author wishes to alter her book in the quest for perfection, she is unable to get a favorable result.

At the end of the poem the speaker says, "And for they Mother, she alas is poor,/Which caused her thus to send thee out of door" (23-24). The speaker's statement references a time in a child's life where it is time to leave their parents and live an independent life. Often times a child does not feel ready to leave, but parents decide that it is time. The speaker has spent an incredible amount of time and effort on her book and believes that it is time to publish. She unable to further improve her book and feels that it is time to release her book out into the world.