1.2.129-159--+Hamlet

shuchun liu Hamlet 1.2 soliloquy by Shakespeare Publish around 1599-1601 after Julius Caesar and before Othello 　 during the Shakespearean tragedy period. During this time Hamlet is still upset about his father's death and Claudius just became the new king of Denmark. Claudius told Hamlet stop being upset over his father's death and it's pass and Hamlet needs to overcome the death of his father. At this point Hamlet hasn't talked to the Ghost yet. This passage is important because it's the first time that Hamlet talks to himself, since Hamlet often put up antic disposition it's hard to tell his true nature when he is talking to someone else. Thus the best way to examine his character is by examine his talk to himself. The speech is structure in a way that first, he is talking about his disappointment with the world. He began to criticize his mother for marrying his uncle a month after his father’s death. Theme Corruption decay – “Unweeded garden that grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely” 137 Not living up to a man’s responsibility- “His canon gainst self- slaughter!”- Hamlet is a prince and all he think about is killing himself and being angry Woman – “as if increase of appétit had grown” – Frailty, thy name is woman Appearance and reality- “Like Niobe, all tears, why she, even she O God, a beast” 150 Character development Hamlet is suicidal-“His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter!” line 131 Hamlet is unhappy-“how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world!” 134. Hamlet have problem with woman- “Frailty, thy name is woman,” 146 Allusions His father to Hyperion- the sun god Hamlet himself to Hercules His mother to Niobe Queen of Thebes Claudius to Satyr This passage is first time that Hamlet talking to himself, so for the first time audience were able to see what hamlet think and such.