HAMLET

The Renaissance Movement

Italy

Religious devotion Human’s place on Earth

England

The English Renaissance: 1485-1660

Tudor Period: 1485-1558-King Henry VIII-Edward I-Mary I

Elizabethan Age/Period(High Renaissance):

1558-1603

Jacobean Age/Period: 1603-1625

The Elizabethan Age/Period: The High Renaissance: 1558-

1603 Reign of Queen Elizabeth I

arts

The theatre becomes extremely popular

William Shakespeare emerges as a playwright and poet Starts as an actor Eventually becomes a

financiallysuccessful playwright who ownsa controlling interest in his own theatre (The Globe)

Elizabethan Theatre I If you were a writer during this period and

wanted to tell a story, you either: wrote a long narrative poem wrote plays

Shakespeare did both, but hemade his real money investingin the theatre

The majority of plays were writtenmostly in verse (poetry)

Plays appeared in many genres

Tragedy Comedy

History Romance

(adventure)

Day performances, bearbaiting

Roles were played by male actors, which means boys were taking on the parts of women

Little scenery was used; plays were not concerned about realism or consistency

Elizabethan Theatre II

Jacobean Theatre Theatre continues much the same as it was in the

Elizabethan Age Revenge tragedies like Hamlet become very

popular

The Tragedy of Hamlet, I A revenge tragedy, possibly

written in 1602 & published in 1624.

Characters: Prince Hamlet Ghost of Old Hamlet – Former

king, Hamlet’s father King Claudius – Hamlet’s

uncle and stepfather, Gertrude’s husband

Queen Gertrude – Hamlet’s mother, widow of Old Hamlet, married Claudius just before the start of the play

Gertrude and Claudius

Hamlet

Hamlet and Ghost

The Tragedy of Hamlet, II More Characters:

Polonius – Advisor to King Claudius

Laertes – Son of Polonius, attends university in France, returns home for a funeral

Ophelia – Daughter of Polonius, probably somewhere between 14 and 19 years of age

Horatio – Hamlet’s best friend, visiting from university

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – childhood friends of Hamlet

Laertes

Ophelia and Polonius

Hamlet: Important Plot Points

Imagine you are Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, maybe just 16 years old… Your father is an

incredible king, a military hero whom you adore.

You are closer to your mother Gertrude, a beautiful queen who raised you herself, than to anyone.

Hamlet: Important Plot Points, I

When you are away at school the King suddenly dies… Arriving home for the

funeral, you discover that your uncle Claudius, the new king, has married your mother!

Soon, a ghost appears who looks just like your father and says that your uncle killed him! The ghost, your late father, demands that you avenge his murder.

Hamlet: Important Plot Points, II But your uncle is now the King and

it is medieval times…

The King is the government No courts, attorneys- no legal

options! Mother can’t help- wives must

obey their husbands Claudius is not a bad king: he’s

popular among the people. Devil = force out in the world

ready to deceive and tempt one to sin. Is the ghost a devil, a demon sent from Hell?

Hamlet: Questions to Consider, I

Why does Hamlet not succeed his father on the throne? In Denmark at this time, the

government is not a hereditary monarchy but an elective one. A council selected Claudius as

successor,not Prince Hamlet.

While Hamlet seems to have accepted this situation, we can imagine it could cause friction between Hamlet and his uncle.

Hamlet: Questions to Consider, II

How old is Hamlet? Prince Hamlet has been recalled from

university in Wittenberg (Germany) for his father's funeral. Is Hamlet somewhere between sixteen and twenty (the appropriate college age for a male noble of his time),or is he thirty (a graduate student)?

This age question presents a problem: Is Hamlet more of an adolescent, teenager? That age makes some of his behavior make more sense.

Hamlet: Motifs(Repeated Ideas, Words, Images, Symbols)

Revenge Poison Suicide/Death (Dust/Dirt) (Violent) Sexual Imagery and Oedipus Myth (Incest) Imagery of Weeds/Compost & Sterility Thinking/Contemplation (Inaction) vs. Acting/Action (Philosopher vs.

Warrior) Appearance/Illusion vs. Reality Certainty vs. Uncertainty Vs. Trust vs. Distrust Honesty/Truth vs. Dishonesty (Deception/Spying) Misogyny (Note: Hamlet’s hateful attitude toward women as

exemplified in his treatment of Ophelia and Gertrude)

Uncertainty, Insecurity, Change, I

Hamlet raises these existential questions: In a world of uncertainty, in a world where

things are not often what the appear to be, what & whom can I trust?

Who am I?

What is my purpose? How can I know?

Religious Turmoil, uncertainty The division of the church in England divided the

people into Catholics & Protestants. Assassination attempts on Elizabeth & James

resulted in cruel and brutal retaliations.

Uncertainty, Insecurity, Change, II