Close Reading Annotations:
1. “Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,/ nor customary suits of solemn black, / nor windy suspiration of forced breath, / No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, / Nor the dejected havior of the visage, / Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, / That can denote me truly” (I.ii.77-83).
Hamlet explains to his mother and Claudius that nothing can truly encapsulate the emotions he feels following the death of his father. Shakespeare’s use of “’Tis not alone” sets up a list of symbols of grief, such as “inky cloak,” “solemn black,” and “dejected havior of visage.” Through his use of each of these phrases, Shakespeare employs rhetoric to convey the somber timbre of Hamlet’s emotions in the aftermath of …show more content…
Thus, Shakespeare is mirroring the Bible’s suggestion that God is involved in even the smallest occurrences in life. Shakespeare’s use of Biblical allusion in this section communicates that Hamlet believes his fate to be set for him with the vigor of a devout man. The quote continues with Shakespeare’s use of anaphora to aid in the layout of a logical flow of ideas. He explains that events that are supposed to happen do so, and that if the event is not meant to be “yet it will come.” Shakespeare’s use of this logical sentence structure alternates the placement of “now” and “come,” which balances out the ideas and further emphasizes that everything is controlled. So, with his final statement that “readiness is all,” Shakespeare conveys to the audience that Hamlet accepts the tribulations of life as they come due to his faith in his predetermined …show more content…
As I read, I am starting to recognize that Shakespeare portrays women as existing on the lowest rung of society because of their susceptibility to domination by men. This is an important idea to explore, for it is suggestive of Shakespeare’s views on society. Apart from extras, Gertrude and Ophelia are the only two female characters in the entire play, and are both treated lowly. When Ophelia seeks advice from Polonius in regards to Hamlet, he continually belittles her, saying “you speak like a green girl” (I.iii.100) and “Think yourself a baby” (I.iii.104). Both these statements convey the message that Ophelia is naïve and unlearned, due to the idea of youth that carries over between them. Ophelia herself is a capable woman, yet Shakespeare portrays her as childish, thereby placing her on a rung far below the men who stand above her. Gertrude too is victim of this condescension. After killing Polonius in Gertrude’s bedchamber, Hamlet unleashes his wrath upon her, despite the cautions of his ghostly father against it. Why? This might be Shakespeare’s way of suggesting that men will not hesitate to criticize women even if they intend to refrain from doing so. In the scene, Hamlet calls his mother “stewed in corruption, honeying and making love” (III.iv.93). Shakespeare’s choice to imbue the conversation with such disdain and hate for Gertrude demonstrates the level of suffering that she is subjected to by men, even if they are many years her junior. Through his portrayal
1. “Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,/ nor customary suits of solemn black, / nor windy suspiration of forced breath, / No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, / Nor the dejected havior of the visage, / Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, / That can denote me truly” (I.ii.77-83).
Hamlet explains to his mother and Claudius that nothing can truly encapsulate the emotions he feels following the death of his father. Shakespeare’s use of “’Tis not alone” sets up a list of symbols of grief, such as “inky cloak,” “solemn black,” and “dejected havior of visage.” Through his use of each of these phrases, Shakespeare employs rhetoric to convey the somber timbre of Hamlet’s emotions in the aftermath of …show more content…
Thus, Shakespeare is mirroring the Bible’s suggestion that God is involved in even the smallest occurrences in life. Shakespeare’s use of Biblical allusion in this section communicates that Hamlet believes his fate to be set for him with the vigor of a devout man. The quote continues with Shakespeare’s use of anaphora to aid in the layout of a logical flow of ideas. He explains that events that are supposed to happen do so, and that if the event is not meant to be “yet it will come.” Shakespeare’s use of this logical sentence structure alternates the placement of “now” and “come,” which balances out the ideas and further emphasizes that everything is controlled. So, with his final statement that “readiness is all,” Shakespeare conveys to the audience that Hamlet accepts the tribulations of life as they come due to his faith in his predetermined …show more content…
As I read, I am starting to recognize that Shakespeare portrays women as existing on the lowest rung of society because of their susceptibility to domination by men. This is an important idea to explore, for it is suggestive of Shakespeare’s views on society. Apart from extras, Gertrude and Ophelia are the only two female characters in the entire play, and are both treated lowly. When Ophelia seeks advice from Polonius in regards to Hamlet, he continually belittles her, saying “you speak like a green girl” (I.iii.100) and “Think yourself a baby” (I.iii.104). Both these statements convey the message that Ophelia is naïve and unlearned, due to the idea of youth that carries over between them. Ophelia herself is a capable woman, yet Shakespeare portrays her as childish, thereby placing her on a rung far below the men who stand above her. Gertrude too is victim of this condescension. After killing Polonius in Gertrude’s bedchamber, Hamlet unleashes his wrath upon her, despite the cautions of his ghostly father against it. Why? This might be Shakespeare’s way of suggesting that men will not hesitate to criticize women even if they intend to refrain from doing so. In the scene, Hamlet calls his mother “stewed in corruption, honeying and making love” (III.iv.93). Shakespeare’s choice to imbue the conversation with such disdain and hate for Gertrude demonstrates the level of suffering that she is subjected to by men, even if they are many years her junior. Through his portrayal