Hamlet (2 Viewers)

[trololo]

Hey, guys!

After talking to a few friends, there were two main ways people tackled the Hamlet question. People either explored time and place in the actual play and others took a look at time and place in regards to Shakespeare's context. I pretty much bombed out big time and wrote a bunch of random points down investigate each element separately so gah. Anyways, I'm interested to see how everyone else answered the Hamlet question.

All the best boys and girls.

 

[Mr Hippopotamus]

In the last TWO MINUTES (no exaggeration) I added stuff about CONTEXT with an asterisk....

The rest...I kept talking about corruption/audience....i.e. Hamlet's corruption (corrupted to put an antic disposition...corrupted to delay) and Elsinore's corruption (king's murder, claudius takes over)

I ran out of time then....

 

[ocatal]

I talked about the complexity of choices and how Gertrude's choice to commit incest in order to satisfy Denmark's desire for a warrior king is representative of the corruption of her religious path, especially in a time where religion was the focal point of society.

 

[trololo]

I did not grasp this question at all then. I was making vague references to aspects of time and place but I don't think I would've answer the question as a whole adequately. Oh well.

 

[mrbananaman]

I talked about time and place in the actual play in terms of fate/divinity, revenger role imposed and in terms of corruption- Claudius/Gertrude. + more on how corruption leads to Hamlet's 'noble' revenge and disillusionment. I also talked about context in my paragraphs, however not explicitly referring to 'time and place'. Talked more on how Shakespeare constructed his play using time and place to create events, and action taken by individuals which then led to corruption etc.

 

[hope14]

I talked about the corruption of society due to Claudius' accession and linked that to temporal context due to the Elizabethan belief in the natural order / chain of being etc then just talked about how the corruption of individual identities of some characters meant we couldn't determine the truth (wasn't any time/place in that one I dont think :S). Then I made a completely irrelevant argument about how the context of Shakespeare was also used to shape the argument about fate or something ? Last one felt very irrelevant but ah well.

Never have to write Shakespeare or Hamlet again

 

[studyhappy]

talked about: Corruption of the individual (Hamlet) by his surrounding environment, due to the fact that he is a 'prototype of the modern man' (Freud), and thus a man beyond the time and place of the play

 

[xxcc]

I related the elements in Hamlet to the context of Shakespeare (Elizabethan Era).

 

[zara1996]

I wrote about how Hamlet was a brave and heroic character, but his corrupted circumstances led to the degradation of his sanity - showed his transformation/how the corruption had affected him
Is that wrong?

 

[ocatal]

I wrote about how Hamlet was a brave and heroic character, but his corrupted circumstances led to the degradation of his sanity - showed his transformation/how the corruption had affected him
Is that wrong?

Not necessarily. How did you relate time and place though?

 

[CM07]

I talked about how his corrupted society led to the corruption of his mind (appearance vs. reality) --> his inability to make decisions during the Age of Reason and how it transcends place and time to remain relevant to society today.

Overall it was very badly answered.

 

[spresto]

I talked about the corruption of the state of Denmark and how it acts as a microcosm for Shakespeare's time and place (context). How during his time the throne was still values, but treasonous acts were regular occurrences, and the renaissance cults were regaining power.
I also talked about the corruption of even the most virtuous of characters in the play (Ophilia) with "get thee to a nunnery", and the "antic disposition" that Hamlets adopts in order to shield himself from the world of appearances and corruption. I discussed the concept "be true to thine self" and how hamlet couldn't avenge his fathers death as he would be being disloyal to his Humanist values, and how it forces the audience to comprehend how corruption can come from not being loyal to ones morals.
Finally I talked about the corruption of the chain of being with god at the top. the concept of the "quintessence of dust" (which is the 5th element which only divine bodies can experience) -shakespeare is spitting on this idea as he is attempting to show that man should not elevate themselves above the rest because they are corrupt. "like maggots" feeding off the goodness in the world. But because act 2 scene 2 wasn't in prose it displays the potential of man to still do good.

Generally I believe you were suppose to discuss the issues that were present in Shakespeare's quasi-world, but also how those ideas have lingered across time as they are timeless and thus continue to vex humanity till the end of it's existence (thus the relate to the audience) and then finally how is it portrayed in the text.

 

[pHyRe]

That's pretty goood spresto! if you did it well, 18+ not impossible

Personally, I tackled it through Hamlet's transition as a character of the course of the play (time) which in the end allows him to cleanse Denmark of corruption (place and corruption).

First para about the blur of truth/illusion, rosen and guildenstern/Gertrude/Claudius so that insinuates corruption and results in his melancholy state

next was about the dilemma he faces caused primarily by a clash of ideals, Old Hamlet with his medieval stuff, Hamlet with the rennaissance and Claudius with his machiavellan (kill everyone) attitude. That creates discord and thus corruption in the place.

Finally, hamlet sees he should just follow God like Old hamlet did and this transition allows him to cleanse denmark. Leading to Fortinbras coming along and taking over.

that alright? it was argued very well i reckon, but not sure if they're gonna rip me up for moulding my pre prepared essay plan.

 

[MarccAnthony]

i spoke about the timing of the final scene, structure of the play etc and use of religious places in which corruptions occurs. not sure if correct but we will see

 

[andrew29223]

I spoke about Elizabethan context, disruption of the natural order/chain of being with claudius' regicide. Talked about the questionable origins of the ghost emerging from catholic purgatory in a post reformation world - hinting at corruption. Language used - imagery related to disease and corruption etc. Gertrude's infidelity + closet scene exposing her corruption as well as claudius' - mocking of the hierarchical divine right of kings through the o'erhasty marriage

 

[ChrisMueller]

For me...

Time: Shakespeare's context but also the timelessness of the play itself

Place: Setting.

Best argument, in my view, was the play within a play stuff. Talked about how the incest stuff reflects Shakespeare's context with it being a sin in the Christian view, thus corrupting the natural order.

 

[_BD]

I approached Hamlet by looking at:
1. Polonius' place in society. It demonstrated that corruption and pretension are reduced to naught (because he died) supported by Michael D Bristol's critical reading, "His replies are so pregnant" "Brevity is the soul of wit" and "Where's Polonius?" "At supper" "At supper? Where?" etc etc, and Bakhtin's carnivalesque.
2. Ophelia's place in society/corrupt treatment of women by Laertes. As the modern responder is in a different time/context, they can read Hamlet with respect to the representation of women in light of the rise of feminism supported by the exchange between Ophelia and Laertes talking about her "treasure chaste" and his hypocrisy.
3. Claudius' place in his family and with religion. He was excluded from the sub plot of the father-son revenge-loyalty theme and distanced from heaven because of his 'rank offence'/corruption. "Hamlet thou hast thy father much offended" "no mother you have my father much offended"
4. Hamlet's place in the play as he struggles between his father and himself and all in the second soliloquy.

I think I stretched 'time' 'place' and 'corruption' a bit but I hope they just see it as very insightful or something :/ aha

 

[lovehateHSC]

Regardless of what everyone did I have to agree with my teacher, who has been teaching for 30 years, the Hamlet question was complete bullshit. Shakespeare can't even answer that question. In addition the question difficulty varied greatly between the texts. Meaning it was far harder to answer the Hamlet question over the other questions in the same section.