Junior Varsity English (Prep for AP, Humanities, and Big Time University)

This a blog for Mr. James Cook's eleventh grade honors English class at Gloucester (MA) High School. Remember what Northrup Frye writes in _Fearful Symmetry_, "No one can begin to think straight unless [she or] he has a passionate desire to think and an intense joy in thinking."

Friday, April 13, 2007

life and death and the afterlife

life and death and the afterlife: 1.2.133-136, 1.4.73, 1.5.15-128
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3 comments:

kathleen said...

Life, Death, and the Afterlife

1.2.133-136
“O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into dew, / Or that the Everlasting had not fixed / His canon ‘gainst {self-slaughter!} O God, God,”

This quotation is taken from the beginning of one of Hamlet’s soliloquy. King Claudius and the Queen call Hamlet unmanly for grieving and so not permit him to go back to Wittenberg. This quotation expresses how Hamlet feels about his situation. He wishes that his skin would melt away, his uncle and mother had not married, and that suicide wasn’t unholy. This quotation is related to the death theme in the motif, life, death and the afterlife. “Self-slaughter”, and decaying flesh refer to death. Through this quotation Shakespeare expresses death as a way out, an escape from Hamlet’s troubles.

1.4.73
“I do not set my life at a pin’s fee.”

Hamlet is again the speaker of this quotation. He speaks to Horatio who begs him not to follow the ghost but Hamlet dismisses his warning and says, “Why, what should be the fear? / I do not set me life at a pin’s fee / And for my soul, what can it do to that.” As for the main quote Hamlet means he will not put his life in danger or at the cost of a pin. Both the themes life and the afterlife are expressed in the quote. The afterlife is expressed through the appearance of the ghost of King Hamlet to Hamlet. Life is valued in this quote; Hamlet is saying he will not make poor decisions that result in the cost of his life.

Question
Hamlet thinks about suicide before he found out that his uncle was the one who murdered his father, so does that make Hamlet more suicidal or more apt to take revenge not because that is what he wants to do but what the ghost of his father tells him to?

April 24, 2007 at 4:52 PM
Unknown said...

1.2.133-136
“O, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into dew, / Or that the Everlasting had not fixed / His canon ‘gainst {self-slaughter!} O God, God,”

1.4.73
“I do not set my life at a pin’s fee.”

The first quotation is from the first few lines of Hamlet beginning to talk to himself. These few lines are his mixed reactions to his fathers death and the news that he will not be allowed to go to Wittenburg. The news was brought to him by his mother and his new father. The quotation expresses the sorrow that he is feeling within himself. "this too,too sullied flesh would melt," reveals that he wants to die because nothing seems to be going right. The quote shows that he is having a hard time dealing with death and rejection. I believe that Hamlet is very depressed and talks about death because Wittenburg was his escape away from the reality at home. By not being able to leave the sight of his mother and new father together, puts Hamlet in a suicidal state. When he says, " O God, God" he seems confused and unassured of what to do.

In the second quotation Hamlet is holding a conversation with Horatio. Hamlet has been informed of the ghost and now wishes to see it. Horatio asks Hamlet to not interact with the ghost. Hamlet wants to have contact with the ghost. This quote is reassuring Horatio that nothing will happen to Hamlet. He will not risk his life "at a pin's fee" Hamlet also tells Horatio that the ghost can do nothing to his soul, therefore nothing bad will come from this meeting. This quote relates to the motif about life. It shows that Hamlet values his life and won't risk it. In contrast to the first quotation Hamlet shows that he will not put his life in danger.

Question?
In the first quotation Hamlet discusses the thought of dying and suicide, but in the second he shows that he will not put his life in danger. Why do Hamlet's thoughts jump from sucide to not putting his life in danger?

April 24, 2007 at 5:53 PM
Unknown said...

3.1.72-73
To die, to sleep/ To sleep, perchance to dream.

In this quote, Hamlet has just begun his, "To Be or Not to be" Speech. This quotation shows Hamlet's thoughts and what he thinks about when he is alone. AS this quote begins, Hamlets is thinking about dreams and death, how they are related, and other things pertaining to that. Hamlet is saying that when one dies they go into an eternal sleep. When we sleep we dream. What do we dream when we are dead. This quote is probably in reference to the ghost that Hamlet sees. Does his father dream about revenge? Is that why the ghost came to Hamlet. This quote is related the motif of death and afterlife. The question Hamlet asks is what happens in the afterlife and what do you dream about, if you dream.

3.1.160-161
Those that are married already,/ all but one, shall live.

In this quotation Hamlet is speaking to his mother, Gertrude. Hamlet is speaking to her about marrying his Uncle and how it is not right. The final line that Hamlet speaks to his mother before he exits is the quotation. He is expressing to his mother, that when a husband dies the wife should remain as she is. Then she will go to a nunnery where she will never marry again. Hamlet is showing his anger and dislike toward his mother marrying his Uncle, Claudius. This quote has to do woth the life aspect of the motif. It shows how a life should be lived after the death of a spouse. The life of one person need to remain the same and have no change in it after their husband dies.

5.1.216-219
Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander/ returneth to dust; the dust is earth; of earth/ we make loam; and why of that loam whereto he/ was converted might they not stop a beer barrel?

In this quote Hamlet is having a converstation with Horatio. Hamlet is explaining to Horatio that know matter how famous one is, once they are in the ground they are no one. Alexander was famous but he died and was turned to dust. The dust id part of the earth which they used to stop the beer from coming out of the beer barrels. In the ende he is no better than anyone else. In the quote Hamlet could be talking about his father who was always supperoir to him. Now that he is in the ground he seems no better than Hamlet. This quote connects back to Hamlets thoughts on death and his curiosity of what happens in the afterlife.

Question: Why is Hamlet obsessed with thinking about what happens to one in the afterlife?

3.1.68, 3.1.72, 3.1.74, 3.1.86, 3.1.161, 3.1.134, 5.1.230-260

May 9, 2007 at 6:14 PM

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