1.2.1-37+--Claudius

Christopher Leis

Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief and our whole kingdom (Although the memory of the old king’s death resides in the minds of the Danes, and we all wish to continue to morn for him. Green represents life or living, also youth indicating a new or recent event. Befitted-means to linger on) To be contracted in one brow of woe, Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature That we with wisest sorrow think on him Together with remembrance of ourselves. ( This means that although we wish to moan, nature will not allow time to stand still (indicating something important is happening), thus it would be better to not just morn but also think about the wellbeing of our future.) Therefore our sometime sister, now __ our(the royal our) __ queen, Th' imperial jointress to this warlike state, Have we—as ’twere with a defeated joy, With an auspicious and a dropping eye, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In equal scale weighing delight and dole— <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">With this affair along. For all, our thanks. <span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(So I will say my previously known as sister in law, now my wife, and your queen, to whom I have married although we have a clash of emotions- sadness and happiness to balance [ All the previous lines are a huge use of metaphors to simply say we must find a reason to be happy now in this time of sadness.] I have taken your advice and listened to your thoughts and married with your wisdom in mind. I thank you for the help) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Now follows that you know. Young Fortinbras, <span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(Now I will get down to business, and I am addressing the young Fortinbras) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Holding a weak supposal of our worth <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Or thinking by our late dear brother’s death <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Our state to be disjoint and out of frame, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Colleaguèd with the dream of his advantage, <span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(He underestimates us and thinks that we are weak because we are morning, distracted, and disorganized.) <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">He hath not failed to pester us with message <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Importing the surrender of those lands <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Lost by his father, with all bonds of law, <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">To our most valiant brother. So much for him (He succeeded in demanding from us the surrender of our land and all control of it which was what his father lost to my brother the old kind in the past. So much for him.) Now for ourself and for this time of meeting (Now we must think about ourselves and what needs to be said at this meeting.) Thus much the business is: we have here writ To Norway, uncle of young Fortinbras— Who, impotent and bedrid, scarcely hears Of this his nephew’s purpose— (This is what is going down: I have written a letter to Fortinbras’ uncle in Norway-who because he is ill and is stuck in bed and has not heard of his Nephew’s plans of action and war.) to suppress His further gait herein, in that the levies, The lists, and full proportions are all made Out of his subject; (To stop Fortinbras from continuing on, which entices the removal of all the soldiers. which actually belong to his uncle, from under is control.) and we here dispatch You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand, For bearers of this greeting to old Norway, Giving to you no further personal power To business with the king more than the scope Of these dilated articles allow. (And this letter will be given to our trusted Cornelius and Voltemand, who will be the ones to speak with the king of Norway, but are not allowed to do anything but speak with the king. [Meaning they can’t dillydally or be side tracked) Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In that and all things will we show our duty. <span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 9.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(Now leave without further words, for instead of showing your loyalty and dedication to us with fancy words, show it with completing the task a.s.a.p.)

When Claudius says “we” he is referring to the queen also. However, in Japan’s past, often a ruler or a person of strong power or stand, such as a son or daughter of a ruler, would refer to themselves in a plural tense. Such as when they said “I,” then would instead us the pronoun “we.” However, not every time Claudius says we, he is not indicating himself. Other times he says our which means literally everyone’s brother but yet is really meaning my brother. He says “our” because he wishes to indicate the king was dear to everyone.

Author= Shakespeare Time= written in 1599 to 1601 Context= Act one Scene two. This is the morning after the ghost has made its appearance. This scene is important because it introduces new characters and identifies the main plots of the play. It also explains the relation between the figures of Claudius the queen and Hamlet.

Synopsis= the Old king of Denmark has passed away and his Brother has married his wife, and succeeded to the throne. Claudius is speaking to the country of Denmark and establishing his place on the throne as well as addressing the ever growing threat of Fortinbras and his attack.

Claudius has a sort of noble and ruling air about him and is talking about life and death and how often it is second nature of humans to morn about death, but that the country of Denmark cannot give in to the impulse of sadness. SISEMORE: Be sure to note the antithesis or paradoxical statements of discretion vs. nature; auspicious vs. dropping eye; mirth - dirge analyze syntax - first two sentences are long and elaborate -- show great thought -- six purposes for this speech -- introduces sub-plot of Fortinbras