Question #1
claudius: good ruler or poor ruler?
First of all, the character of Claudius is “betrayer”. He tricks people, kills the former king without commiseration to prayer, try to assassin Hamlet, uses poison in a duel match, wanting power and Gertrude. Very humane. Malicious. He represents all dark sides of a human. Not just a flat “villain”, but as an actual “dark-minded human”.
So does this make a bad ruler? Not really. Surely he is a bad person. But as a ruler, he might be right. A ruler rules people. In power, he or she has to be smart, courageous, talented, and confident. Looking in history, there are so many kings or queens that took over the throne by power or murder. It is not really a “bad thing” to do as a ruler.
Also, as a king, he does some ruling. In the story, there are some times the characters talking about preparing for war. He is great in diplomacy; “We shall with speed to England
For the demand of our neglected tribute” (p.142 L. 1169-170).
He uses his power well to make a nation agree. He did take the throne by power, but he isn’t a just fool-king.
Though, as a king, he sometimes lack of talents. His purpose of the throne, was partly for personal love, for Gertrude, and is very passionate about her, that he says “She’s so conjunctive to my life and soul” (p.258 L.14).
He doesn’t have a strong mind, he does feel sinful about the murder and pray to God. He keeps censoring himself but still, he does take more crime to kill Hamlet.
“Truly to speak, and with no addition,
We go to gain a little patch of ground” (p.230 L.16-17).
Lastly, he does make mistakes in ruling diplomacy, starting wars. But there is not much profit seen in this war, says Captain, and Claudius dies starting it, so in the last scenes Dane is very much in risk. Without king, Dane might have lost most of itself.
As a whole, thinking about his sins, Claudius is a “soso” ruler. His sin doesn’t make him bad, but his lack of skills as a king makes it. As a king, I don’t think he is wrong or anything.
So does this make a bad ruler? Not really. Surely he is a bad person. But as a ruler, he might be right. A ruler rules people. In power, he or she has to be smart, courageous, talented, and confident. Looking in history, there are so many kings or queens that took over the throne by power or murder. It is not really a “bad thing” to do as a ruler.
Also, as a king, he does some ruling. In the story, there are some times the characters talking about preparing for war. He is great in diplomacy; “We shall with speed to England
For the demand of our neglected tribute” (p.142 L. 1169-170).
He uses his power well to make a nation agree. He did take the throne by power, but he isn’t a just fool-king.
Though, as a king, he sometimes lack of talents. His purpose of the throne, was partly for personal love, for Gertrude, and is very passionate about her, that he says “She’s so conjunctive to my life and soul” (p.258 L.14).
He doesn’t have a strong mind, he does feel sinful about the murder and pray to God. He keeps censoring himself but still, he does take more crime to kill Hamlet.
“Truly to speak, and with no addition,
We go to gain a little patch of ground” (p.230 L.16-17).
Lastly, he does make mistakes in ruling diplomacy, starting wars. But there is not much profit seen in this war, says Captain, and Claudius dies starting it, so in the last scenes Dane is very much in risk. Without king, Dane might have lost most of itself.
As a whole, thinking about his sins, Claudius is a “soso” ruler. His sin doesn’t make him bad, but his lack of skills as a king makes it. As a king, I don’t think he is wrong or anything.
Question #2
hamlet & ophelia : is it love?
Hamlet and Ophelia. Basically the only loving-loving couple in the story. Claudius and Gertrude is rather flat as a couple. One sided. But Hamlet and Ophelia, they do have something to each other.
The story starts with a fair couple:
“My lord, he hath importuned me with love
In honorable fashion” (p.48 L.110-111).
Hamlet is a prince, with lots of burdens, but loves Ophelia fairly as a nobleman, for his future wife. As for Ophelia, also as a daughter of noble, she responds to him honestly, with love. They seem to be a young couple with a happy ending waiting for them.
But as Hamlet goes crazy, he starts to feel hatred toward all women, because of his mother who whored for Claudius, the murderer of the former king. Even toward Ophelia, he questions “Are you fair?” (p.142 L.107)., and mocks of her as being not honest, hiding things underneath her smile. At last, he even refuses Ophelia by this long saying:
“Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform
honestly from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty
can translate beauty into his likeliness. This was sometime a
paradox, but now the time gives it proof. I did love you
once”(p.142 L.113-122).
Hamlet doubts all women between honesty and beauty, neglecting loving Ophelia. Ophelia is very confused, announces him mad toward Claudius and Polonius. At last, in sadness of her father killed, Ophelia kills herself in water. Hamlet, coming back from a ship, knew her death and realizes he did love Ophelia, that he could have done anything for her, as Laertes did.
“I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers
Could not with all their quantity of love
Make up my sum”(p. 296, L. 255-257).
Although then he ends up in death after killing Claudius, in the very last scene, in the grave, fighting Laertes, he did say he loved Ophelia more than anything.
Revenge did mix up everything, all the hatred and troubles Hamlet had. But if that did not happen, Hamlet and Ophelia would have survived alive, and made up a happy ending.
They did love each other.
The story starts with a fair couple:
“My lord, he hath importuned me with love
In honorable fashion” (p.48 L.110-111).
Hamlet is a prince, with lots of burdens, but loves Ophelia fairly as a nobleman, for his future wife. As for Ophelia, also as a daughter of noble, she responds to him honestly, with love. They seem to be a young couple with a happy ending waiting for them.
But as Hamlet goes crazy, he starts to feel hatred toward all women, because of his mother who whored for Claudius, the murderer of the former king. Even toward Ophelia, he questions “Are you fair?” (p.142 L.107)., and mocks of her as being not honest, hiding things underneath her smile. At last, he even refuses Ophelia by this long saying:
“Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform
honestly from what it is to a bawd than the force of honesty
can translate beauty into his likeliness. This was sometime a
paradox, but now the time gives it proof. I did love you
once”(p.142 L.113-122).
Hamlet doubts all women between honesty and beauty, neglecting loving Ophelia. Ophelia is very confused, announces him mad toward Claudius and Polonius. At last, in sadness of her father killed, Ophelia kills herself in water. Hamlet, coming back from a ship, knew her death and realizes he did love Ophelia, that he could have done anything for her, as Laertes did.
“I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers
Could not with all their quantity of love
Make up my sum”(p. 296, L. 255-257).
Although then he ends up in death after killing Claudius, in the very last scene, in the grave, fighting Laertes, he did say he loved Ophelia more than anything.
Revenge did mix up everything, all the hatred and troubles Hamlet had. But if that did not happen, Hamlet and Ophelia would have survived alive, and made up a happy ending.
They did love each other.
Question #3
polonius : good father or bad father?
Polonius is Ophelia's and Laertes’s father. He does a lot for his daughter, doubting Hamlet, for love troubles but also about his madness. His foremost purpose is for his daughter, and nothing else. Is he a good father?
Well, he isn’t a good person, first of all. He tries to trick Hamlet, backbites on him, and spies, hating him for Hamlet and Ophelia was loving each other. “Still on my daughter” (p.118 L.393)., he often shows negative feeling toward Hamlet, for his love affairs with Ophelia. He even forbid Ophelia to write back to Hamlet sometimes, doubting the prince’s madness.
At the end, he gets slain by Hamlet, when he was spying on him: “Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain”(p.214 L. 213).
Hamlet really doesn’t care about Polonius, he mocks him by acting mad, and after killing him, even dishonor the man by dirtying the corpse. He is sure that Polonius the father of his loving girl, but don’t take any importance in him. In the story, he is kinda like a mouse: spying around, moving a lot, talking a lot, simple-minded, and isn’t important to anyone. Well, maybe to some. Only his children cares.
Ophelia and Laertes cares a lot of their father. When he is killed, Ophelia falls mad and kills herself. Laertes in hatred of Hamlet, duel match him for honor, and kills himself. Both of them is a very well-grown character.
“That is Laertes, a very noble youth, mark”(p.292, L. 207).
Laertes is a very noble and honest man. In the whole play, I felt like him and Horatio was the most moral character. Laertes, in the play, have hatred toward Hamlet about his father and sister, for both death is caused by the young prince. Contrasting with Hamlet, at the last scene, he admits Hamlet is a fair man, that he doesn’t need to kill him for vengeance. So just in honor, he fights with Hamlet, and with the fairly used poison sword, dies. Very noble. Compared to Hamlet, he is a “good” person.
So is Ophelia: she is fair to her love, a very nice girl. Even though Hamlet mocks her of her honesty and beauty, she is confused and fears Hamlet but never rejects him.
Polonius, in raising his children, is excellent. Just when he spies on Laertes on how he does in Paris is indirect and irritating: “Marry, none so rank
As may dishonor him”(p. 76, L. 20-21).,
but both of his children is a very fair character.
Is Polonius a good father? Kinda like Claudius. Both of them isn’t a good “person”, but for their role, as ruling a nation or growing and protecting their children, they weren’t so bad.
Well, he isn’t a good person, first of all. He tries to trick Hamlet, backbites on him, and spies, hating him for Hamlet and Ophelia was loving each other. “Still on my daughter” (p.118 L.393)., he often shows negative feeling toward Hamlet, for his love affairs with Ophelia. He even forbid Ophelia to write back to Hamlet sometimes, doubting the prince’s madness.
At the end, he gets slain by Hamlet, when he was spying on him: “Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain”(p.214 L. 213).
Hamlet really doesn’t care about Polonius, he mocks him by acting mad, and after killing him, even dishonor the man by dirtying the corpse. He is sure that Polonius the father of his loving girl, but don’t take any importance in him. In the story, he is kinda like a mouse: spying around, moving a lot, talking a lot, simple-minded, and isn’t important to anyone. Well, maybe to some. Only his children cares.
Ophelia and Laertes cares a lot of their father. When he is killed, Ophelia falls mad and kills herself. Laertes in hatred of Hamlet, duel match him for honor, and kills himself. Both of them is a very well-grown character.
“That is Laertes, a very noble youth, mark”(p.292, L. 207).
Laertes is a very noble and honest man. In the whole play, I felt like him and Horatio was the most moral character. Laertes, in the play, have hatred toward Hamlet about his father and sister, for both death is caused by the young prince. Contrasting with Hamlet, at the last scene, he admits Hamlet is a fair man, that he doesn’t need to kill him for vengeance. So just in honor, he fights with Hamlet, and with the fairly used poison sword, dies. Very noble. Compared to Hamlet, he is a “good” person.
So is Ophelia: she is fair to her love, a very nice girl. Even though Hamlet mocks her of her honesty and beauty, she is confused and fears Hamlet but never rejects him.
Polonius, in raising his children, is excellent. Just when he spies on Laertes on how he does in Paris is indirect and irritating: “Marry, none so rank
As may dishonor him”(p. 76, L. 20-21).,
but both of his children is a very fair character.
Is Polonius a good father? Kinda like Claudius. Both of them isn’t a good “person”, but for their role, as ruling a nation or growing and protecting their children, they weren’t so bad.
Question #4
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern : Did they deserve their fate?
“That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead”(p. 334, L. 375)
Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are the childhood friends of Hamlet, who is called to supervise Hamlet going crazy, serving for the king Claudius. They are treated unimportantly, mocked and fooled by Hamlet, and at last, their mission in futile, trapped in the tricks Hamlet and Claudius played for each other, they die in England.
They are kind of a puppet, fooled around everywhere, and die in misery. Maybe, compared to all other characters who dies in dramatic scenes or with honor, they are the most miserable death in the play.
Did the two deserve that kind of death? I say no. They don’t deserve it. But that just was their fate. Inevitable. Not really “deserve” it, but “suited” them.
“‘Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes
Between the pass and fell incensed points
Of mighty opposites”(p. 304, L.62-65).
The two long-name childhood friends of Hamlet, dies in tricks. Serving for Claudius, they have the mission to kill Hamlet, although in contrary, Hamlet used them to go kill themselves. Powerless people, fooled around in power games. Hamlet says, those kind of people should not come into these mighty games, since they will just get used and thrown away.
Hamlet, comparing to his friend Horatio, does not care much about those two. Rather Horatio pities them of their death, but Hamlet just cruelly says “Why, man, they did make love to this employment.
They are not near my conscience. Their defeat
Does by their own insinuation grow”(p. 304, L. 60-61). He says it was their fate, what they deserved. Seen from Hamlet, the feeling that they betrayed him for the king is stronger.
“He hath borne me on his back a thousand times, and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it”(p.288, L.170-171).
Close to Hamlet, Horatio is a university classmate. But Guildenstern and Rosencrantz is only a childhood friend, who weren’t so close to Hamlet. As a spy, they were in between the prince and the king. The unclear position, the powerless status, made them get to their fate.
Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are the childhood friends of Hamlet, who is called to supervise Hamlet going crazy, serving for the king Claudius. They are treated unimportantly, mocked and fooled by Hamlet, and at last, their mission in futile, trapped in the tricks Hamlet and Claudius played for each other, they die in England.
They are kind of a puppet, fooled around everywhere, and die in misery. Maybe, compared to all other characters who dies in dramatic scenes or with honor, they are the most miserable death in the play.
Did the two deserve that kind of death? I say no. They don’t deserve it. But that just was their fate. Inevitable. Not really “deserve” it, but “suited” them.
“‘Tis dangerous when the baser nature comes
Between the pass and fell incensed points
Of mighty opposites”(p. 304, L.62-65).
The two long-name childhood friends of Hamlet, dies in tricks. Serving for Claudius, they have the mission to kill Hamlet, although in contrary, Hamlet used them to go kill themselves. Powerless people, fooled around in power games. Hamlet says, those kind of people should not come into these mighty games, since they will just get used and thrown away.
Hamlet, comparing to his friend Horatio, does not care much about those two. Rather Horatio pities them of their death, but Hamlet just cruelly says “Why, man, they did make love to this employment.
They are not near my conscience. Their defeat
Does by their own insinuation grow”(p. 304, L. 60-61). He says it was their fate, what they deserved. Seen from Hamlet, the feeling that they betrayed him for the king is stronger.
“He hath borne me on his back a thousand times, and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it”(p.288, L.170-171).
Close to Hamlet, Horatio is a university classmate. But Guildenstern and Rosencrantz is only a childhood friend, who weren’t so close to Hamlet. As a spy, they were in between the prince and the king. The unclear position, the powerless status, made them get to their fate.
Question #5
Hamlet’s Revenge : Justified or Not?
First of all. Can vengeance be ever justice?
Vengeance is endless. Most kind of person is loved by someone else, family or lover or friend or mate, you kill one, it can depend on degree but by most of times you’d be a target of vengeance. Vengeance is very daily for us. You mock one you get mocked. You take something from someone’s lunch, you’d be taken something from your lunch. You punch someone, that someone would probably think of doing something back to you. But really, you get that something back, you’d want something back to them. Most of the times, we don’t really get to do vengeance. Those kind of things are forbidden in our age, as a crime. Maybe we did when we were kids. But as we grow older, we give back by something else, like laughing it out or just forgetting it, as a social animal. We keep peace.
There was once a law in medieval Japan: vengeance can occur only one time. Most of the times this was used as a feudal system: if a master was killed in a dishonored, dirty way, his follower could work vengeance and attack into the enemy. But here, revenging back from a vengeance was forbidden. So the chain stops there.
In the play, Hamlet tries to justify himself.
“Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon--
He that hath killed my king and whored my mother,
Pepped in between th’ election and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life
is’t not perfect conscience
to quit him with this arm?”(p.304, L. 67-72).
He thinks of all sins Claudius did to him, and accuses of himself being so slow to be violent. And with too much stress, bit by bit, he becomes unable to control himself:
“O most pernicious woman!
O villain, villain, smiling damned villain!” (p.66 L.105).
“Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain” (p.214 L.34).
Even though the Ghost stopped he vengeance toward his mother, he still acts cruel toward women, and also, kills Polonius. Needless violence.
Another vengeance in this story is Laertes. But his vengeance of father and sister, toward Hamlet, is done when Laertes accepts Hamlet as a nobleman. He died in honor.
Hamlet ends his vengeance by killing Claudius, with all hatred he got when all his loving people was poisoned. He dies in misery, compared to Laertes. He can’t do anything about his death, caused by Claudius, and in his last words, he says “Let it be”.
Hamlet rather regretted all his past few weeks that all he caused. Laertes was happy. Hamlet wasn’t.
A vengeance can not be justified. If it’s not stopped, it can not be a justice. No one is happy ending vengeance.
Vengeance is endless. Most kind of person is loved by someone else, family or lover or friend or mate, you kill one, it can depend on degree but by most of times you’d be a target of vengeance. Vengeance is very daily for us. You mock one you get mocked. You take something from someone’s lunch, you’d be taken something from your lunch. You punch someone, that someone would probably think of doing something back to you. But really, you get that something back, you’d want something back to them. Most of the times, we don’t really get to do vengeance. Those kind of things are forbidden in our age, as a crime. Maybe we did when we were kids. But as we grow older, we give back by something else, like laughing it out or just forgetting it, as a social animal. We keep peace.
There was once a law in medieval Japan: vengeance can occur only one time. Most of the times this was used as a feudal system: if a master was killed in a dishonored, dirty way, his follower could work vengeance and attack into the enemy. But here, revenging back from a vengeance was forbidden. So the chain stops there.
In the play, Hamlet tries to justify himself.
“Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon--
He that hath killed my king and whored my mother,
Pepped in between th’ election and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life
is’t not perfect conscience
to quit him with this arm?”(p.304, L. 67-72).
He thinks of all sins Claudius did to him, and accuses of himself being so slow to be violent. And with too much stress, bit by bit, he becomes unable to control himself:
“O most pernicious woman!
O villain, villain, smiling damned villain!” (p.66 L.105).
“Hamlet in madness hath Polonius slain” (p.214 L.34).
Even though the Ghost stopped he vengeance toward his mother, he still acts cruel toward women, and also, kills Polonius. Needless violence.
Another vengeance in this story is Laertes. But his vengeance of father and sister, toward Hamlet, is done when Laertes accepts Hamlet as a nobleman. He died in honor.
Hamlet ends his vengeance by killing Claudius, with all hatred he got when all his loving people was poisoned. He dies in misery, compared to Laertes. He can’t do anything about his death, caused by Claudius, and in his last words, he says “Let it be”.
Hamlet rather regretted all his past few weeks that all he caused. Laertes was happy. Hamlet wasn’t.
A vengeance can not be justified. If it’s not stopped, it can not be a justice. No one is happy ending vengeance.
Question #6
Hamlet in the 21st Century : Does the Play Have a Role?
Hamlet is an old play. It’s been 400 years since it was written. That’s four century. About 5 times my life. Pretty long.
Since then, earth has changed a lot. We developed a lot, we fought a lot, and we found many stuff, and we reproduced a lot, we changed a lot. We have different standards than what Hamlet used to have:
“Treason, Treason!”(p. 330, L. 324).
We usually won’t call a vengeance match for justice, nor
“But in my terms of honor
I stand aloof, and will no reconcilement”(p. 320, L. 233-234).
Die for honor. But even if their action is not acceptable in our age, many of their core idea, quotes can apply to ourselves.
“Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay,
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away”(p.290, L.196-197).
Anyone who dies, becomes ash, and there is no difference in that. This is what Hamlet says. In the last scenes, pretty much all important character of this play dies. Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, Hamlet, and Ophelia, Polonius, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. There are many contrasts in all characters, as Hamlet and Claudius, Hamlet and Laertes, but when they die, they all became ash, unable to do anything for themselves.
Another quote is this:
“You that look pale and tremble at this chance,
That are but mutes or audience to this act,
Had I but time,
O, I could tell you--
But let it be”(p. 330, L. 335-339).
From Hamlet, in his last words, he mentions “Let it be”. As we all know, this is a title of a famous song sang by Beetles. It is a moral word, quote, that any one of this age can think, accept of deny, either way understand its meaning, taking it with importance.
Anything from old age, can resemble very unrelated to us, but it’s core idea are basically the same forever. This is why a quote would last for years: human don’t change. Conflicts doesn’t change. Even if we don’t take vengeance, there are many thoughts and emotions that we can connect to Hamlet in the play, that we have in our everyday life.
Since then, earth has changed a lot. We developed a lot, we fought a lot, and we found many stuff, and we reproduced a lot, we changed a lot. We have different standards than what Hamlet used to have:
“Treason, Treason!”(p. 330, L. 324).
We usually won’t call a vengeance match for justice, nor
“But in my terms of honor
I stand aloof, and will no reconcilement”(p. 320, L. 233-234).
Die for honor. But even if their action is not acceptable in our age, many of their core idea, quotes can apply to ourselves.
“Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay,
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away”(p.290, L.196-197).
Anyone who dies, becomes ash, and there is no difference in that. This is what Hamlet says. In the last scenes, pretty much all important character of this play dies. Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, Hamlet, and Ophelia, Polonius, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. There are many contrasts in all characters, as Hamlet and Claudius, Hamlet and Laertes, but when they die, they all became ash, unable to do anything for themselves.
Another quote is this:
“You that look pale and tremble at this chance,
That are but mutes or audience to this act,
Had I but time,
O, I could tell you--
But let it be”(p. 330, L. 335-339).
From Hamlet, in his last words, he mentions “Let it be”. As we all know, this is a title of a famous song sang by Beetles. It is a moral word, quote, that any one of this age can think, accept of deny, either way understand its meaning, taking it with importance.
Anything from old age, can resemble very unrelated to us, but it’s core idea are basically the same forever. This is why a quote would last for years: human don’t change. Conflicts doesn’t change. Even if we don’t take vengeance, there are many thoughts and emotions that we can connect to Hamlet in the play, that we have in our everyday life.