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

mirrors and likenesses

mirrors and likenesses: 1.1.48-51, 1.1.69-75, 1.1.120-124...for the many references to likenesses that are unrelated to the ghost's appearance scan the text for the word "like". This word is everywhere!
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5 comments:

willie norris said...

The idea of mirrors and likenesses is a motif seen nearly everywhere in the text, accompanying in many times, the word "like." Many times during the first two acts, this motif is seen most strongly in the ghost, who is thought to be the father of Hamlet. In 1:1:48 Bernardo speaks of a ghost that is "in the same figure like that of the King that's dead. Based on pure appearance, he was not suggesting a similar persona or anything- only a figure. Could Bernardo be suggesting a unique figure for every man living, or has he just recognized the outline of the King so much that he noticies their likeness? The king and "likeness" combination is again seen in 1:1:121-122, with bernardo again saying, "Well may it sort that this portenteous figure, Comes Armed through our watch so much like the king." This is an interesting passage, because it suggests a life of "ghost like apperance," for the king when he was alive, and Bernardo is associating that with likeness of the ghost. Again mentioning the "figure," I have to wonder whether the king was rather skinny or rather large. The motif of mirrors is crucial to the relationship between the ghost and Hamlet. Could Hamlet have been so easily persuaded because he sees himself in the ghost? Is he consciousley protecting himself through avengance for the murderer of his father? The motif of mirrors and likeness can be seen on almost any page, with the word "like" acting as a comparison between one idea,person,thing, to another of the such.

Do actual mirrors appear in Hamlet,or is it just similarities seen such as the ghost and hamlet?

April 25, 2007 at 6:39 AM
Unknown said...

There are several references to actual mirrors within Hamlet: 3.2.23 " Both at the first and now, was and is to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure"
3.4.24 " You go not till i set you up a glass where you may see the inmost part of you"
both quotes support the figurative meaning of the mirrors and likeness as well. They both talk about holding a mirror to yourself and looking within.
Which contrasts with Hamlet's putting on a face of crazy

May 1, 2007 at 3:14 PM
Unknown said...

Mirrors and Likenesses is a common theme throughout Hamlet highlighting the deceit and disguises appearing often. Of course likenesses can also be used as a comparision to enforce a point or express an idea which the speaker could not otherwise find the words to express.
" Like Niobe, all tears--why she even she
(O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourned longer!), married my uncle
My fathers brother, but no more like my father than i to Hercules" 1.2.53-57
This is a part of Hamlet's first soliloquy addressing his feelings towards his mother. He compares her to Niobe, a figure from greek mythology who losses her children and could not stop crying so she turned to stone. He calls Niobe a monster, but says even she would not have married again so quickly, this quote clearly indicates his anger and frustration Hamlet feels towards his mother. Hamlet cannot understand why she would do this. Does she really love Claudius? This is a question never fully answered. This also shows what Hamlet thinks of Claudius; he hates him and idolizes his father. Hamlet also does not think very much of himself, indicating a possible inferiority complex. Maybe Hamlet has always compared himself to his father and found his own actions to be shadowed or inadequate, which could be a reason Hamlet is so reluctant to act. In this cases the "mirrors" Hamlet is looking in at himself is twisted, and this theme shows up several more times within this motif.
Another quote refering to likenesses is
" Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine, HImself the primrose path of dalliance treads
And recks not his own rede." 1.3.53-55
In this quote Ohpelia is telling Laertes to not be a hypocrite. Similies are often used in literature to illustrate a point. This line could indicate that Ophelia has already slept with Hamlet and may love him.
The motif of mirrors and likenesses is a constant throughout Hamlet, usually used as a comparision figurative or literal as with the likeness in appearance of the ghost and the late King Hamlet.
How exaclty does Hamlet know of all this ancient greek mythology? a little off topic yes, but, it perked my interest.
So for another question, Does Hamlets twisted view of himself influence his perception of others? Does he see others through a twisted mirror?

May 9, 2007 at 7:11 PM
willie norris said...

(this is willie)

THe motif of mirrors and likenesses is seen mostly not with the actual word "mirror," but rather with the word "like," and situations involving the use and idea of mirrors; reflections. As Alisha pointed out before me, the quote, /3.4.24/ " You go not till i set you up a glass where you may see the inmost part of you," shows Hamlet's particular interest for seeing the true persona of a person. This case with Gertrude is particularly interesting, because it is showing the fact that Hamlet doesn't, and has never, known the true person that his mother is. Is this suggesting that Claudius is acting as a catalyst for Hamlet to reevaluate the relationship with his mother/ her persona? I think the "glass," is being used as a tool of reflection so Gertrude can learn who she is by her outside apperarance. Through this, Hamlet is suggesting that one can only truly know another if the other person knows themself.

In the midst of Hamlet's crazyness, he and Polonius ponder over the appearance of a cloud, of which seems to posess various shapes. In 3/2/406, Hamlet proclaims that one cloud looks as though it is three different animals- a weasal, camel, and a whale. The cloud looks "like" all of them, but they "aren't" them. No matter how much posess the trait and similarities of another something, it can never truly be the same as the thing being compared.

In one of Claudius's most famous lines of speech, he names Halmet as the reason for why his blood rages. In 4/4/75, Claudius says, "For like the hectic in my blood he rages," Hamlet is like that Claudius has. Could this be drawing a link for outside sources causes internal harm?

***
Alisha brings up a good question when she asks about twisted mirrors. Though this is not directly in the text, one of the movie versions uses a mirror when Hamlet recites his "to be or not to be " soliloquy. However, it is not just a regular mirror, rather a two-way mirror: one can see out, but one can not see in. I would call this twisted. However, strictly-text-based, I think that Hamlet's perception of himself offsets that of others. He spends so much time thinking about his actions, or lack thereof, that he sometimes over-analyzes things, or has too many thoughts to keep up with.
***

Motif-References

3/1/12
3/1/123
3/1/171
3/1/178
3/2/253
3/3/1
3/3/16
3/3/44
3/4/23
3/4/46
3/4/74
3/4/108
3/4/137
3/4/185
4/1/22
4/1/26
4/2/17
4/5/102
4/5/136
4/5/168
4/7/21
4/7/123
5/2/45

May 13, 2007 at 3:56 PM
Unknown said...

I, like Willie (ha--thats a pun on the motif...its prob not funny i guess) found the passage 3.2.406-412 where Hamlet and Polonius observe the clouds naming it with three different animals, to be very interesting. As Willie pointed out, the cloud only appeared to look like these animals, yet as it is a cloud, is none of them, appearances are decieving, there many be many different faces, different perspectives. Is something, or someone (Hamlet), crazy merely because it appears that way? It is also noteworthy, that each time Hamlet proposes a new shape for the cloud to take on, Polonius agrees with him. Is this becuase once something is said, others see it too? or does it go deeper than this, is this support for Polonius being an obvilious fool? this follows the motif of mirroring also.
When talking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern 4.2.17 Hamlet says "He keeps them like an ape an apple in the corner of his jaw, first mouthed, to be last swallowed." This put a very funny visual in my head and made me laugh. Also directing following this he also calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sponges. Hamlet is saying the King is just using them to get to Hamlet, which we know to be true. I am not sure this quote has any deeper meaning other than the motif appearing and showing Hamlets mastery of language but its one of my favorite quotes; is it not a hilarious picture?
Also the Play Hamlet puts on is itself a mirror of the scenerio of his fathers death and his uncle's seduction of the Queen. 3.2.176-252 Hamlet uses this likeness and mirror to evoke a reaction from Claudius, more deception and false imagery.
When Ophelia goes mad and starts singing, one of her poems 4.5.53-68 mirrors her relationship with Hamlet. This is significant because it show the possibility that they had slept together and another reason for Ophelia's confusion and madness.
The motif of likenesses and mirrors does not necessarily have to be found with "like" in the quote, there are other ways to make comparisions and likenesses. Here are a list of motif references, to add to Willie's lsit:
3.2.23
3.2.40
3.2.176-252
3.2.408-412
3.3.71
3.4.34
3.4.67-75
3.4.100
3.4.216
3.4.226
4.1.7
4.1.22
4.2.12
4.2.17
4.3.5
4.5.53-68
4.7.22
4.7.204
5.1.285
5.2.151
5.2.347
5.2.442

May 14, 2007 at 6:02 PM

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