Junior Varsity English (Prep for AP, Humanities, and Big Time University): water and other fluids

Friday, April 13, 2007

water and other fluids

water and other fluids: 1.2.80-83, 1.2.133-134, 1.2.159-160, 1.4.11, 1.4.21, 1.4.77, 1.4.85, 1.5.69-77

6 comments:

Mr. J. Cook said...: This is a test.; April 24, 2007 at 9:39 AM
Bamaral said...: Act 1.2 80-83
"No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief"

Act 1.2 130-134
"Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,Or that the Everlasting had not fixed,His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God!
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world"

Act 1.2 159-160
"Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
155 Had left the flushing in her gallèd eyes"

In the first qoute Hamlet is talking to his mother about the death of his father his mother seems to be fine with the death of her husband which makes Hamlet upset. Then Hamlet expresses his grief to his mother. He refers to "the fruitful river in the eye" which is the first use of the motif of water & other fluids. The fruitful river of the eye may be refering to weeping where there is constant flowing of tears like a river.

This qoute is Hamlet speaking expressing thoughts of suicide but not so much as killing yourself but of melting away or "thaw and resolve itself into a dew". The motif there i think is used as Hamlet saying he wants to melt away and turn into something new.Maybe even to evaporate in the sense of floating away into nothing and letting go of all his pain in the process.

The metaphor of water and other liquids seems to compare water and tears as a way of releasing pain and suffering and possibly taking new forms as water deos.

Deos water and other liquids ever represent a state of mind or mood instead of a physical release?; April 24, 2007 at 8:14 PM
Erin Stockman said...: I deleted the other comment
Erin Stockman
April 23, 2007

Motifs: Water + Other Liquids

1.2.80-83 “’Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
Nor, nor the fruitful river in the eye,

1.2.133-134 O’ that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew,

In the first quote the character Hamlet is speaking to his mother the queen. These two characters are also in the presence of the king who is listening to Hamlet’s words. In the scene in which this quote appears the Queen is discussing her late husband’s death and that how eventually everyone must die. Apparently this idea is supposed to comfort Hamlet. Hamlet responds to his mother comments with a childish retort that translate to something like, “yes I know mom.” The Queen then asks Hamlet why he “seems” so upset about this death. Hamlet responds with a furious rhyme.
In this rhyme Hamlet says basically that he is depressed and there is more behind Hamlet’s depression than just the common responses to a death. The “inky cloak,” could refer to the color of ink or an image of liquid ink. This ink cloak could represent all the sorrows associated with actions of the living when there is a death. The ink could also mean Hamlet has been furiously writing and drowning his sorrows in these writings. “Suits of solemn black,” refer to the dark clothing worn to funerals. “Windy suspiration of forced breath,” is a person breathing heavily between sobbing. “The fruitful river in the eye,” is the most obvious reference to liquid water in this quote. The river in the eye could be a river of tears, or it could mean fruitful as in getting something from others when they see you crying. This quote reveals that water and other liquids (ink) can represent death and funerals. Tears and ink.
The second quote is the opening to one of Hamlet’s soliloquies. Hamlet says this quote in earnest after the other characters have exited the scene and is talking to himself; although with the large amount of spying going on Hamlet is probably being watched as he says this. Hamlet begins this soliloquy after the king has made, like the queen, a vain attempt to comfort Hamlet making Hamlet only more angry and depressed. Hamlet wish for his flesh to melt may mean that he wants to die, and perhaps be reborn as dew, something fresh. Maybe those who have lost their innocence are solid like ice and the innocent are liquid and moldable. “Resolve itself,” could mean Hamlet wants an outside force to fix his problems. The quote could also represent Hamlets wanting of his dirty or sullied hands to be cleansed of bad deeds and ideas. The dew could be precipitation, Hamlet could want his flesh to melt, evaporate, and then rain down on everyone. This quotation reveals that liquids represent different forms of matter, solid and liquid.

Do liquids always refer to the body, (tears, cloak, and flesh)? Are liquids ever just part of the scenery?; April 25, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Ben T. said...: Act 1.2 159-160
"Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
155 Had left the flushing in her gallèd eyes"

Act 1.2 133-134
O’ that this too, too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew,

In the first quote, Hamlet is talking about how his mother mourned his father's death. In context, he is expressing that he feels his mother didn't mourn long enough. She released big salty tears, but as soon as she did, she moved on and married Hamlet's uncle. The liquid is a physical release that signifies an emotional release as well.

In the next quote, Hamlet is begging for his body to dissolve. In class, we've talked about this quote quite a bit and I feel like I've developed a fairly clear idea on this quote. In dissolving, Hamlet will cease to exist. What exactly he wants to dissolve into is a mystery. Perhaps he wants to dissolve into the primordial ooze of existance and become reborn. Either way, the melting of flesh signifies a desire for change.

Question: Do fluids always signify a change?; April 30, 2007 at 4:46 PM
Erin Stockman said...: a. 3.1.108 “My honored lord, you know right well you did, And with them words of so sweet breath composed As made the things more rich. Their perfume Lost…”

4.7.199 “Unto that element. But long it could not be Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pulled the poor wretch from her melodious lay To muddy death.”

5.2.352 “The point envenomed too! Then, venom, to thy work.”

In the first quote Ophelia is speaking to Hamlet regarding the gifts that Hamlet has given to her. In this scene Hamlet refuses to acknowledge that he gave the gifts to Ophelia. In a desperate attempt to get rid of all objects that remind her of Hamlet Ophelia tries to return the gifts. In the quote the opening statement, “My honored lord, you know right well you did,” Ophelia disagreeing with Hamlet’s statement that the gifts did not come from him. To refresh his memory Ophelia continues to say, “And with them words of so sweet breach composed…” This statement is a description of Hamlet when he gave the gifts. “Sweet breath composed,” are probably flirtatious words of love that Hamlet spoke to Ophelia to convince her of his attraction to her. The next line, “As made the things more rich,” suggests that Hamlet used his “sweet words” to make the gifts sound more valuable then they were. The gifts may have been very inexpensive and Hamlet tried to distract from this fact by using clever descriptions. The perfume in the final sentence is the reference to water. Perfume is generally in liquid for, the saps of plants condensed. “Their (the gifts) perfume Lost…” This statement could have a literal or figurative meaning. The perfume smell may have literally dissipated from the gifts, or the perfume could be Hamlet’s “sweet breath.” Ophelia believes the perfume has gone now that Hamlet no longer has affections for her.

The second quote refers to Ophelia’s death. The queen is breaking the news to Laertes and King Claudius regarding Ophelia death. The first line is the queen trying to justify Ophelia’s cause of death, “unto that element.” Ophelia was of the water, she was meant to die in water, her natural element. The line suggests that Ophelia may have even enjoyed her time in the water, until her clothing waited her down. This idea further clouds the clarity of whether or not Ophelia committed suicide. “But long it could not be Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pulled the poor wretch…” Ophelia cloths soaked up the water and waited her down; Ophelia was not strong enough to keep herself afloat. This leads to “muddy death.” Ophelia sank to the bottom of the muddy brook.

The third quote from act five includes the pun on venom. Venom generally refers to the liquid poison that comes from an animal bight, for example snake venom. To envenom is to make poisonous. In this scene Hamlet discovers that the king is to blame for the death of the queen and his own impeding death. “The point envenomed too,” could refer to the point of the sword that Hamlet just stabbed the king with or the plan the king had made to kill Hamlet. The plan is poisoned because it backfired, Laertes was poisoned as well as Hamlet, and the queen is dead as well. The “point” or purpose of the king’s plan has been lost. “Venom to thy work,” is Hamlet getting revenge on King Claudius for poisoning him and the queen. Claudius’s responsibilities as king have ended, they are poisoned.

The usage of water and liquids in this quote reveals that many characters die as a result of liquid. Ophelia drowns; King Hamlet, King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Laertes, and Hamlet are all poisoned. Even the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern can be related to water, they traveled by ship to England. They are all “unto” the water. Water and liquid are foreshadowing of death.

Is the death of Polonius somehow related to water?

b. Do water and other liquids ever represent a state of mind or mood instead of a physical release?

Yes, water/liquid can represent a state of mind. In Act 5 Scene 1 the gravedigger makes a reference to water leaving a dead body and the king’s jester pouring wine (Rhenish) on the gravedigger’s head. After this is said Hamlet picks up the skull and becomes very serious.

c.
3.1.108
3.2.151
3.2.288
3.2.330
3.2.399
3.2.406
3.2.422
4.1.7
4.2.15
4.7.108
4.7.200-215
5.2.95
5.2.297
5.2.307
5.2.316
5.2.320
5.2.340
5.2.352
5.2.355
5.2.375; May 9, 2007 at 5:31 PM
Ben T. said...: a.

3.1.64-68
"To be or not to be -- that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
or take arms against a sea of troubles
and, by opposing, end them.

This excerpt from one of Hamlet's best known soliloquies is a perfect example of water usage. Hamlet is comparing problems and conflicts to a sea. He wonders whether taking arms against a sea is nobler than just letting yourself be overcome. However, one knows that an ocean or sea is an incredibly difficult thing to fight, some would argue that it's impossible. Maybe Hamlet is trying to explain how impossible his troubles feel to overcome. When you lose a fight with the sea, you drown. That goes back to Hamlet's original statement of "O that this too too sullied/solid flesh would melt...". If one's body is to melt or dissolve instead of fighting a sea, the body would just become part of the sea and, essentially, disappear. All of this alludes to Ophelia's death in the following Act.

4.7.186-221 (All the news of Ophelia's death)

The queen comes to tell Laertes and Claudius that Ophelia has drowned. Prior to this happening, it is made known that Ophelia has gone a little out of her mind and seems to be dealing with pain by pushing it aside with flowers and songs. Those actions do not, in fact, make her situation any better and eventually lead to her death. She is busy picking flowers and falls in. Then, when she is drowning, she does nothing but sing a song until her clothes "drink" the water and she sinks. This was a metaphor for Ophelia's choice of inaction versus "taking arms" against her "sea of troubles". She was incapable of making a decision and her troubles overtook her and drowned her in mind and then body.

4.6 (all)

As ludicrous as this scene may seem, it holds true to the fluids theme. It is learned that Hamlet boarded a pirate ship and is on his way to Denmark. Now, while this may seem like sort of a cop-out, it is still true that he traveled on water, which also represents change. When it seemed like things could not come back together, an ocean brings Hamlet home. Going back to the idea of taking arms against a sea of trouble, it could be believed that this is the first real time Hamlet actually does that. He literally travels across the sea, having fought (with words) to get back so he can finally complete his original purpose: avenge his father's death. Again, even though this is a ridiculous idea that is thrust upon the reader/viewer, it really is a turning point in Hamlet's paralysis.

b.

Do liquids always refer to the body, (tears, cloak, and flesh)? Are liquids ever just part of the scenery?

Well, after reading the entire play, we do find out that liquids refer to the body quite a bit, but there are also oceans and poisons that take on different meanings, too. Since it was our job to rip apart this play trying to find evidence of meaning in liquids, I guess that liquids are never just part of the scenery.

c.
3.1.67
3.1.95
3.1.146
3.2.54
3.2.73
3.2.177
3.2.287
3.2.423
3.4.34
3.4.148
4.1.7
4.6 (all)
4.7.108
5.2.95
5.2.307
5.2.316
5.2.355
5.2.375; May 10, 2007 at 7:57 PM