Hamlet: Themes and Actions
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Questions and Answers

The poem seeks a relationship between the soul and the material universe that is kindred to ______.

nature

Whitman aims to integrate two halves of the American soul: measureless pride and ______.

love

Early readers found Whitman's celebration of ______ to be offensive.

sex

E.F. Carlisle noted that Whitman virtually ignores ______ and suffering.

<p>evil</p> Signup and view all the answers

Whitman's vision of transcendence involves being immersed in ______ reality.

<p>physical</p> Signup and view all the answers

Whitman was seen as a first ______ theorist of democracy in America.

<p>Jacobin</p> Signup and view all the answers

Whitman's chief problem in the calamus poems was to speak affirmatively about a subject considered ______.

<p>unspeakable</p> Signup and view all the answers

For Whitman, the individual was not in conflict with the state; rather, ______ was the state.

<p>the individual</p> Signup and view all the answers

Hamlet's madness in front of Ophelia is a way of protecting her from his ______.

<p>true feelings</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Joe Keener, Hamlet employs ______ to understand how to live in his world.

<p>drama</p> Signup and view all the answers

John Gillies suggests that Hamlet's hesitation in seeking revenge is due to his ______.

<p>religious doubt</p> Signup and view all the answers

Vincent Petronella states that 'to be' signifies taking arms against Claudius, while 'not to be' indicates ______.

<p>inaction</p> Signup and view all the answers

Arthur Kirsch argues that Oedipal echoes cannot be disentangled from Hamlet's ______.

<p>grief</p> Signup and view all the answers

Charles Forker describes Polonius as an actor in the world of ______.

<p>hypocrisy</p> Signup and view all the answers

K.R. Eisler notes that Fortinbras is the one character whose hands will remain free of ______.

<p>murder</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to K.R., all chief characters in the play, except for Fortinbras, die ______ deaths.

<p>violent</p> Signup and view all the answers

Ophelia's tragic fate is more caused by the pangs of despised ______ than the death of Polonius.

<p>love</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Richard Brucher, artful murder presents a conflict between moral failure and aesthetic ______.

<p>triumph</p> Signup and view all the answers

The gravedigger reveals Hamlet's tragic flaw in his inability to recognize how a major way of knowing restricts his ______ and philosophy.

<p>love</p> Signup and view all the answers

Whitman's 'Leaves of Grass' expresses the hopefulness of the plain ______, reflecting the potential of the American spirit.

<p>man</p> Signup and view all the answers

The gravedigger's ridiculous equivocation acts as a foil to Hamlet's serious making of ______.

<p>distinctions</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Sandra Fischer, Ophelia's voice is repressed, juxtaposed against Hamlet's noisy soul-wrenching ______.

<p>soliloquies</p> Signup and view all the answers

Fortinbras is inferred to be related to the ______ Royal Family according to William Lawrence.

<p>Danish</p> Signup and view all the answers

Whitman was content to feel and to chant his feelings, without justifying them to the ______.

<p>intellect</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Eissler's Conflict

Eissler's dramatic conflict arises when the captivating beauty of murder clashes with its inherent moral wrongness.

Fortinbras's Connection

In Hamlet, Fortinbras is likely connected to the Danish royal family.

Ophelia's Tragic Fate

Ophelia's tragic downfall isn't solely caused by Polonius' death, but primarily by the pain of unrequited love.

Ophelia's Paradox

Ophelia is often portrayed as an object of desire and possession, mirroring her lack of agency and voice in the play.

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Ophelia's Silent Suffering

Ophelia's silent suffering is highlighted by Hamlet's loud and emotional outbursts.

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Whitman's Hope

Whitman's Leaves of Grass celebrates the potential of the ordinary person in America.

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Whitman's Emotional Expression

Whitman embraced his emotions and expressed them through his poetry, without seeking intellectual justification.

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Grave Digger's Role

The gravedigger's humor and Hamlet's serious reflections highlight contrasting views on death and mortality.

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Hamlet's Feigned Madness

Hamlet's feigned madness, while appearing to be a way to protect Ophelia, is a complex strategy that serves numerous purposes and raises questions about his motives and sanity.

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Hamlet's Moral Dilemma

Hamlet struggles with his duty to avenge his father's murder, facing internal conflict between his desire for justice and his fear of taking action.

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Hamlet's Use of Drama

Hamlet uses dramatic actions and language to understand the truth about Claudius and his own world, creating a play within the play to unveil the King's guilt.

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The Power of Appearances

The play explores the power of appearances, as characters manipulate their outward behavior to create a false impression while hiding their true intentions.

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Polonius as a Hypocrite

Polonius, characterized as a hypocritical politician, acts as a player in the world of deception, masking his true nature.

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Fortinbras as a Contrast

Fortinbras, unlike other main characters, avoids violence and bloodshed, creating a contrast with the play's pervasive theme of death and revenge.

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Hamlet's vs Claudius's Masks

While Hamlet and Claudius both employ masks to navigate their situations, their motivations and methods differ significantly.

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The Smell of Corruption

The kingdom of Elsinore is permeated by a sense of corruption, represented by a foul odor symbolizing Claudius's sin and its impact on the environment.

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Whitman's concept of democracy

Whitman's unique blend of individualism and democracy. He believed that the individual was the state, not the other way around. He saw a strong connection between the liberty of the individual and the principles of democracy.

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Whitman's radicalism

Whitman rejected traditional notions of morality, challenging societal norms and embracing themes like sexuality and the natural world. He celebrated these aspects within his work.

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Whitman's concept of transcendence

The idea that Whitman explored the human condition and individual experience within the context of the physical world, going beyond just spiritual or supernatural themes

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Whitman's poetic voice

Whitman's focus on the raw emotions and experiences of people, particularly the working class, and their contribution to society. This contrasted with the more traditional, refined poetry of his time.

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Whitman's poetry and social change

Whitman's use of poetry to challenge societal norms and create a new form of expression. His work celebrated sexuality and individual freedom, breaking away from traditional themes. He explored the beauty of the mundane and the struggles of the ordinary.

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Whitman's exploration of the 'self'

Whitman's use of poetry to explore the complexities of individual expression and the idea of the 'self' in relationship to the world and society.

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Whitman's focus on the commonplace

Whitman's use of poetry to explore the beauty and power of what is often unseen, ignored, or considered ordinary. He embraced the natural world and its impact on humanity.

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Whitman's vision of democracy

Whitman's use of poetry to celebrate the power of the individual and their ability to create a society based on love and equality.

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Study Notes

Hamlet

  • Hamlet's actions are a commentary on the unreliability of appearances. A way of protecting Ophelia
  • Hamlet's feigned madness is a method of protecting her, potentially a way to conceal his true thoughts or motivations
  • Hamlet may not be fully aware of those around him observing his actions
  • His actions, while seemingly random, may have specific, hidden purposes
  • The play explores Hamlet's struggle with revenge and moral dilemmas, reflecting on a religious doubt or moral horror
  • Oedipal themes exist within the play mirroring a son's conflict and suffering towards his father.
  • Hamlet's actions are motivated by a desire to understand how to live or the darkness of human nature within his world
  • The play questions whether Claudius is evil or not
  • The play explores contrasting concepts of appearance verses reality.
  • The play explores the conflict between moral failure and aesthetic triumph regarding murder or taking revenge.
  • The play highlights the idea that acts of murder or revenge may be difficult to carry out given certain ethical or moral considerations.
  • Fortinbras contrasts with Hamlet's indecisiveness; his actions are clear and decisive, in contrast to Hamlet's inaction or moral dilemma.
  • Fortinbras is a member of the Danish royal family, and a potential threat.
  • Ophelia's character is explored in contrast to the noisy, soul-wrenching soliloquies of Hamlet.
  • The repression of Ophelia's voice, is contrasted against the noisy ramblings of Hamlet
  • Ophelia's suffering is explored by the pangs of despised love and the death of Polonius.
  • Ophelia is presented in a paradoxical light, both as a victim and an object.

Grave Diggers

  • The gravediggers in the play offer a way to understand identity, by contrasting the knowledge between a skull with a person, who is dead, and those who are alive.
  • The gravediggers offer insight into how major ways of knowing restrict both love and philosophy
  • The gravedigger's portrayal highlights Hamlet's complex character and his inner turmoil

Whitman

  • Whitman's poetry celebrates the ordinary person and the natural world.
  • Whitman's poetry often expresses a connection between the soul and nature
  • Whitman’s poetry expresses hopefulness and feelings.
  • Whitman's poetry explores the challenges and complexities of the human condition, such as concepts of love, and the human spirit.
  • Whitman's views on the integration of the individual and society are deeply ingrained in his poetry
  • Whitman challenges traditional societal norms, by celebrating the common man and individual expressionism; ignoring the idea of suffering, and evil, while exploring universal themes of life and humanity.
  • Whitman often explores the dichotomy of pride and love.
  • Whitman’s work directly confronts the issue of how a person should cope with the realities of life, and death in different forms of expressionism.

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Hamlet and Whitman Analysis PDF

Description

This quiz delves into the complex themes and actions within Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. Explore Hamlet's struggle with morality, the nuances of appearance versus reality, and the psychological implications of his feigned madness. Discover how these elements reflect broader themes of revenge and human nature.

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