Hamlet
Ratings771
Average rating4
‘'Not a whit. We defy augury. There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come—the readiness is all. Since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is 't to leave betimes? Let be.''
The definition of masterpiece. The exposure of the depth of human nature. The uncertainty that gnaws our souls and weakens our will. The despair. The injustice. The madness, real or not. The struggle. The regrets and the retribution. The readiness.
Hamlet. The greatest written work produced by humankind.
everybody genuinely die at the end no jokes
enjoyable , perhaps need a reread to grasp the nuances
To be or not to be - that is the question. I have literally memorized Hamlet's soliloquy, and that might be the proudest achievement of my life.
This play is truly the dearest classic to me. It is the only one I genuinely enjoyed reading every step of the way. I read this and watched the movie with Kate Winslet simultaneously, so I was getting the best of both worlds, really.
To read Hamlet, you don't have to live Shakespeare. I hated reading Caesar by Shakespeare, and I found Romeo and Juliet quite boring. Hamlet, on the other hand, is a thrilling tale.
NO SPOILERS
In short, it is the story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, avenging his father who has been murdered. Throughout the play, the audience gets an insight into the royal court that Hamlet is surrounded by and Hamlet himself.
It's a simple story with comedy and tragedy in equal parts. The characters are written with such depth that I found extremely fascinating given that some of these characters were only in a few scenes. Hamlet is my favorite character, and no one can say anything different. He is such a complex character with multiple layers.
I read this book for English class, and I had so much fun writing it. Analyzing words and the actions of characters (Ophelia's flowers) was just so incredibly fun for me. Kudos to my English teacher who decided that our class couldn't handle Macbeth so taught Hamlet instead.
I'd highly recommend reading Hamlet, but not alone - read it while watching the movie (1996 version with Kate Winslet & Kenneth Branagh). While reading, I'd also suggest taking notes, so you can conduct some analysis here and there - or to just geek out.
If you need someone to geek out with tho, HMU. I wrote multiple papers for Hamlet so it is seared into my memory :)
4.25★
anyone: the king-
hamlet: OH! you mean my UNCLE? the BROTHER of my FATHER? my FATHER, who DIED, because he KILLED him? and then took his place? and decided to MARRY my MOM? his BROTHER'S WIFE?
this was so good, hamlet as a character is so entertaining, so funny. i can't even write a real review about this, because how dare i write anything even remotely serious about this play? it was just great!
También en: El Extraño Gato del CuentoShakespeare y yo siempre hemos tenido una relación conflictiva, no me gusta nada su obra más conocida, mientras que el Sueño de una Noche de Verano, podría decirse es mi obra de teatro favoritas, me gustan las hadas.Pensé que Hamlet se me haría fácil de leer, tengo cierta experiencia leyendo obras de teatro, además de un placer al representarlo sola al leerlo. Hamlet es una idea que sea llevado al cine y la televisión muchas más veces de las que puedas creer ¿viste el Rey León? Bueno, está basado en Hamlet.Lo que me hace preguntarme ¿por qué no pude terminarlo? Me aburrí horrores en las primera páginas, tenía la completa seguridad que lo leería rápido, pero lamentablemente no fue así.Twitter Blog Pinterest Tumblr Instagram
Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince;And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
This is my favorite play of Shakespeare. I doubt of anything will top it. Hamlet (the protagonist) is so much fun to read about. I just love his angsty tantrums and twisted monologues.
If we didn't listen to an audio book and also have a teacher explaining what was happening I would be so confused but it was infinitely better then Romeo and Juliet and I actually like Shakespeare now???? Wow slay (haha get it haha)
I'm convinced that Shakespeare was really mad to write sth like this... It's kinda cool but mostly just... weird!!!
Honestly, not my favorite Shakespeare from this year. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but I didn't love it. I think my biggest problem was that I had trouble relating to Hamlet. Having never lost someone dear to me myself, it was difficult to sympathize with a character who could be so cruel in his grief. Sorry, Adria, but this one just wasn't for me.
Really interesting to contrast the Q1 and F1 versions of the play and consider the improbability of knowing the ‘definitive' Hamlet.
The rest is scilence.
Never ceases to amaze me. Shakespeare is one of those rare gems who compells you to think about your own experiences, when reading his work.
Not only is Hamlet a tragedy, its the only play of his where the central character goes through such indecisiveness and internal turmoil, that it makes him human and easy to relate to.
No matter how many times I read this, I discover hidden meanings and understand the prose at a deeper level.
Favorite bit of the play is when Hamlet is crushed because his friends think they can get away with using lies to control him and spy behind his back :
HAMLET: It is as easy as lying. Govern these ventages with our fingers and thumb, give it breath with your mouth, and it will discourse most eloquent music. Look you, these are the stops.
GUILDENSTERN: But these cannot I command to any utterance of harmony. I have not the skill.
HAMLET: Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me! You would play upon me, you would seem to know my stops, you would pluck out the heart of my mystery, you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass, and there is much music, excellent voice, in this little organ, yet cannot you make it speak. ‘Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me.???
Favorite soliloquy, he as a rollercoaster of emotions in this one :
O, What A Rogue And Peasant Slave Am I
Till we meet again, adieu sweet prince.
On the face of it, Hamlet is about a Danish prince taking revenge for his father's death at the hands of his uncle. Or rather, struggling to take revenge. Thinking about it, pondering it, and pretending to go mad. Then going mad, falling in love and a lot more besides. This in a play that, uncut, runs for more than four hours. Hamlet is a revenge drama, but it consists of Hamlet's inability to take revenge. The character's beautiful, desperate reflection on his situation have given rise to many interpretations of the tragedy. Is it a political, psychological or family drama? Is Hamlet a madman, genius, narcissist or revolutionary?These are the themes I noticed as I watched, read and listened to the play:The Difficulty of CertaintyHamlet's desire for revenge conflicts with the religious norms and the codes of society. Enacting his desire for revenge means that Hamlet's soul could be in danger. His reasons for revenge and justice become conflicted and confused. There is no certainty as to what will happen if he follows his heart.So, Hamlet does not commit to action until he convinces himself that what he's doing is definitely correct. It's difficult to take rational action when there is a need for certainty in an ambiguous world. Hamlet does not give an answer to what is best: taking action, or not. Rather he suggests that no matter which one you choose the end result is the same: death.Perspectives on DeathFollowing on from the death of his father, Hamlet obsesses over mortality and death. He looks at it from many different angles and poses lots of questions. Do kings have a free pass to heaven? Is there an afterlife? If you're murdered will you go to heaven? Will answers to these questions bring Hamlet peace? Maybe not, as death is the result of his desire for justice and revenge. It is also the cause of it too.Hamlet describes the world as an “unweeded garden”. He only seems comfortable with things that are dead. He reveres his father and claims to love Ophelia once she's dead. He believes that death isn't too bad. He obsesses over the idea of suicide. But the uncertainty of the afterlife pushes Hamlet away from taking his own life. And in Act V after seeing Yorick's skull he realises that death levels any differences between people.As the play progresses the quantity of bodies pile up. Even though eight of the nine main characters die, questions of mortality are not answered. The play provides an exploration without any definite conclusion.Hamlet argues that death is the one true reality. He seems to view all life as “appearance” doing everything it can, from desiring power, to hiding the truth, to murder, to hide from reality.The Nation's HealthPower transfers from one King to another. This causes anxiety and political turmoil; how morally legitimate is the ruler? And how healthy does this make the nation, if the ruler himself is rotten? Denmark's national health is failing.When Marcellus says, “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (Act I, Scene IV), he's suggesting that something evil is afoot. It refers to political unrest which links to Hamlet's mental state.Reality and DeceptionEach character ponders what other characters are thinking. Deception is rife. Hamlet is unable to act because of his search for reality. He initially feigns madness. This is to convince others that he is harmless while investigating his father's death. He builds on this appearance of insanity and discovers the closer he looks the more false reality becomes. As the play progresses, Hamlet's deception of playing mad seems to cause him to lose his grip on reality. In other words he becomes insane. Or so it appears.In ConclusionI think the play is so enduring because of Hamlet's delay. He has an inability, or refusal, to go ahead and avenge his father. And his habit of stepping out of the plot to reflect on how the working of the mind might explain his inaction. For me, it is these aspects of the play that has kept it fresh and modern. Each generation in turn interprets Hamlet in light of the way we explain our own lives.Resources I Used[b:”Hamlet” 861451 “Hamlet” (York Notes Advanced) Jeffrey Wood https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348151013s/861451.jpg 846881] (York Notes Advanced) by Jeffrey WoodChop Bard podcast; episodes 21 to 39 inclusive. Chop Bard podcast Hamlet (1990) movie, starring Mel GibsonChop Bard podcast Hamlet (2009) movie, starring David Tennent