Act I.
Act I shows us Hamlet's grief, which is because his father has died. Another tragic element is the marriage of Hamlet's mother and uncle, which is held shortly after the death.
Since these two things have happened in a short amount of time, Hamlet's state of mind is unstable and at some points we can clearly see his craziness, he feels as though his father has been forgotten. Hamlet meets a Ghost, who says that he is the dead father and reveals that he has been killed by his brother, Hamlet's uncle, the new king of Denmark. The Ghost asks Hamlet to revenge his death and Hamlet together with Marcellus and Horatio swear that they will not tell anyone about what they had seen. At the end of Act I, Hamlet is left wondering whether the Ghost he had seen really is his father or maybe it's a devil's trick. Hamlet writes down some things the Ghost says so we are thinking "Why is he doing it?"
Since these two things have happened in a short amount of time, Hamlet's state of mind is unstable and at some points we can clearly see his craziness, he feels as though his father has been forgotten. Hamlet meets a Ghost, who says that he is the dead father and reveals that he has been killed by his brother, Hamlet's uncle, the new king of Denmark. The Ghost asks Hamlet to revenge his death and Hamlet together with Marcellus and Horatio swear that they will not tell anyone about what they had seen. At the end of Act I, Hamlet is left wondering whether the Ghost he had seen really is his father or maybe it's a devil's trick. Hamlet writes down some things the Ghost says so we are thinking "Why is he doing it?"
Act II.
This act introduces us to Hamlet's plan for revenge, which turns out to be tricky because he wants to kill the uncle but doesn't want to hurt his mother. Even though Hamlet still doubts whether the Ghost had told the truth, he is planning to make a play reflecting the way his father died. He is hoping that the uncle starts acting strange while seeing the play, suggesting that he isn't feeling comfortable and is the one to blame.
Hamlet is acting mad at some points, but this is probably a part of his plan. He also feels a bit relieved because of his plan.
The tragic element in this act, as well as the rest of the play, is the lack of trust between the characters. The only person Hamlet can trust is himself.
Hamlet is acting mad at some points, but this is probably a part of his plan. He also feels a bit relieved because of his plan.
The tragic element in this act, as well as the rest of the play, is the lack of trust between the characters. The only person Hamlet can trust is himself.
1 comment:
The fact that H has 'lost' his mother as well as his father is a strong point. Also, you are aware of H's dilemma. How much does he change by the end of Act 2? Is H partly to blame for how the tragedy is unfolding?
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