Wednesday, January 19, 2011

My Notes on Part of Act II:

Fishmonger = pimp! (motif of prostitution.)

"Ay sir. To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand." - theme of corruption.

"For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion-- Have you a daughter?" - Hamlet = sun, Ophelia = dead dog. "Let her not walk i'th' sun. Conception is a blessing, but as your daughter may conceive-- friend, look to't." - As if Hamlet knew what Polonius had been thinking. (connection to garden motif and theme of death.)

"Slanders, sir... For yourself, sir, shall grow old as I am-- if like a crab you could go backward." - Hamlet making fun of Polonius.

"--a happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of."

"You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will not more willingly part withal--except my life, except my life, except my life."

"As the indifferent children of the earth." - I just love that phrase.

"O most true, she is a strumpet." - Hamlet talking about Fortune (motif).

"None, my lord, but the world's grown honest." - themes of corruption and humanity.
"Then is doomsday near."

"What have you, my good friends, deserved at the hands of Fortune that she sends you to prison hither?... Denmark's a prison." "Then is the world one." "A goodly one, in wich there are many confines, wards, and dungeons, Denmark being one o'th' worst... Why, then 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison." - themes of corruption and humanity.

"A dream itself is but a shadow." - motif of dreams.

"Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs and outstretched heroes the beggars' shadows." - motif of dreams, theme of humanity.

"Anything but to th' purpose." - Hamlet knows what Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are up to. (motif of spying, theme of corruption.)

Lines 289-306: probably the most beautiful monologue (or anything) I have ever read. - theme of humanity.

Themes -
Revenge: Hamlet planning to get revenge on Claudius, and showing him the play.
Death: the sun (i'th'garden) can cause both good and bad, life and decay.
Humanity: the world, especially the race of men, is composed of beautiful creatures, yet Hamlet takes no joy in them.
Corruption: honesty is a rare attribute; Denmark's a prison; the sun is both good and evil.

Motifs -
Dreams: dreams of ambition from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; Hamlet's bad dreams; dreams are shadows (monarchs and heroes are but shadows of beggars).
Garden: Ophelia is a dead dog, Hamlet is the sunlight that breeds maggots; Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Polonius are weeds; Ophelia is also a flower, Hamlet is also a worm; Claudius is a serpent; Old Hamlet is the sun.
Prostitution: Polonius = fishmonger, selling Ophelia for own recognition; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern selling their friendship and loyalty; Fortune is a strumpet that uses men.
Spying: Gertrude and Claudius spying on Hamlet and sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; Polonius spying on Laertes and Hamlet; Hamlet acting mad to gain information; Norway spying on Denmark.

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