Thank god for “No Fear Shakespeare,”
that’s what I want to say first off. I’m
actually enjoying reading this, which I never thought I would have. I remember when I was a kid; my sister and I
would think that we saw ghosts in this house we used to live in. They ended up being nothing of course, but
the first scene here reminded me of that.
I got sort of pissed off at
Gertrude throughout this act. I thought
it was a little cold of her to just move right on to her brother-in-law after
Hamlet Sr. died. First of all it’s her
brother-in-law, and second it’s only been a month since her ex-husband
died. According to the ghost however,
she has a lustful personality and for that she’s off the hook from his
wrath. I don’t think Gertrude causes
conflict intentionally, because of what the ghost said, but her son is pretty hurt
that she could just do something like that, and I think it’s bullshit.
Shakespeare is using the idea of loyalty to demonstrate
how easily people can be manipulated in times of grief. Hamlet Jr. is mourning his father, and doesn’t
think to highly of his mom and new dad, is ready to explode.
“Why she, even she—
O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourned longer!—married with my uncle,
My father’s brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her gallèd eyes,
She married. O most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not nor it cannot come to good,
But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.”
All that the ghost has to
do is rile him up a little bit and he’s ready for action.
“Haste me to know ‘t, that I, with wings as swift
As meditation or the thoughts of love,
May sweep to my revenge”
When emotions are running wild people are easily susceptible to
suggestion. Maybe that’s why Gertrude is
off the hook from Hamlet Sr.? Do you
think people are vulnerable and easily coerced in times of grief?
I feel the same way ! "Thank God for "No Fear Shakespeare"!" Yeah I thought is was pretty hoe-ish of Gertrude to jump in the bed with her late husband's brother less than month of him dying. I thought it was hoe-ish to mess with his brother period. Obviously times were different back then. It was ok to keep it all in the family somewhat. Hamlet and the ghost did not look at it that way though. It was betrayal to them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the ghost doesn't blame Gertrude because it wouldn't be acceptable for a queen to be single? Obviously, she feels guilty about it later on, but it is hard to imagine her motives for doing such a disrespectful thing.
ReplyDelete