13. Hamlet: Act V
Quotes from the final act, and my commentary.
“Alas! poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen?” (194-203). Hamlet reflects here on how changed the man he once knew and loved is in death, and in doing so considers the thin line between life and death. The is a continuation of the theme of his “Do be or not to be” speech – Hamlet is definitely fascinated by death and mortality, almost morbidly!
“I lov’d Ophelia: forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum (482-484). This was interesting to me, for although Hamlet’s love for Ophelia is talked about in the play, you don’t actually see any true proof of it – in fact, in the interactions between the two that are seen, he is filled with hate and animosity towards her. Admitably, he is a bit preoccupied with his father’s death and the revenge he hopes to attain, but it seems that the love he proclaims in these lines is less than sincere. Also: ONE brother, Laertes, seemed to be much more distraught at hearing of her death than Hamlet is.
“There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will” (10-11). A quote that has to do with the theme of fate – Hamlet says here that he believes in the existance of some higher force that drives our actions – was his revenge fated to come at a lethal price, both to himself and the people around him?
“Not a whit, we defy augury. There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all. Since no man has aught of what he leaves, what is’t to leave betimes? Let be.” (224-229). Basically what Hamlet is saying in this quote is that if it is his time to die, then there is nothing he can do about it, and as no man can predict when that time might be, worrying about it is a waste of time.
“I’ll be your foil, Laertes” (260). We just talked about Laertes as Hamlet’s foil in class! This is Hamlet having fun with double-meanings and puns again. A foil is “a contrasting background for a bright jewel,” as our book tells us in the footnotes, a weapon used in fencing, and contrasting characters that help us analyze the two!
“The rest is silence” (363). This quote by Hamlet is definitely one of my favorites. Great last words, in my opinion.
“Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince; and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest” (354-365). This is a famous line – I’m sure I’ve heard it before reading the play. Another line from Hamlet that has become an recognizable part of our literary lexicon… also proof of Horatio and Hamlet’s major bromance.
12. Hamlet: Act IV
I thought that this act was very interesting, not only because the play is reaching the end and things are happening quickly, but because there seemed to be some important shifts in character. King Claudius has shifted from a mostly passive individual as far as Hamlet is concerned to intensely plotting his death. After his failed attempt to have Hamlet killed in England, Laertes is now set to finish the job. Laertes is now in almost the same position as Hamlet in the beginning of the play – destroyed by the death of his father and seeking revenge. This is interesting because I remember comparing the two characters in class when we first started the play!! Although the two young men seem initially to differ in character, their lives are becoming increasingly parallel.
Another significant shift is in Ophelia – driven from misery to madness by the loss of her lover and the death of her father. Ophelia, who was the first to be convinced of Hamlet’s insanity, is now the one who is truly mad. Yet although she has descended into “ecstacy,” she seems to have gained more inner strength and resolve, and perhaps takes refuge in her madness – after being so trapped by the constraints of her family and society, perhaps insanity is her only form of escape? In her ramblings in this act, she finally speaks her mind, despite it being jumbled and uncomprehensible, and in her death shows unexpected rebellion and even a sort of fortitude: “As one incapable of her own distress/Or like a creature native and endued unto that element.” Hmmmm.
A side note: I hope that Fortinbras makes a more lengthy appearance in this last act… look how intense he is. He wants to take over Denmark, you can see it in his eyes.
11. Hamlet: Act III
In Act III, the action truly comes to a climax, as the play that Hamlet has written for the players reveals King Claudius’ guilt and Hamlet resolves anew to revenge his father. Scene i opens with Hamlet’s most famous speech, as he questions the value in life, asking himself whether he should end his suffering with suicide: “To be or not to be: that is the question.” He weighs the pain and heartbreak of life against the mystery of death and what comes after, and eventually comes to the conclusion that he is too afraid of what awaits him if he was to commit suicide. After this reflection, he meets Ophelia, who has been placed there by a scheming Polonius and Claudius, who listen to their conversation, hidden from Hamlet’s sight. When Ophelia attempts to return the tokens of love he has given to her, he flies in to a rage, and rails against both her and all mankind. This outburst convinces Ophelia that he is truly mad, and beyond all help.
Scene ii begins the play, and an anxious Hamlet talks to the actors on how to properly portray his words. Upon Horatio’s arrival, Hamlet pinpoints him as the only character that he trusts, and proves this trust by revealing to him what the ghost of his father has said. He enlists Horatio’s help in watching the King carefully throughout the play, in order to discover his guilt and the truth in the ghost’s words. When the scene in which Hamlet’s father’s murder is acted out, Claudius cries out for light, and flees the scene. Hamlet and Horatio agree that the king’s behavior solidifies his guilt, and Rosencrantz and Gildenstern come and bid Hamlet to his mother, who has asked for him.
Shaken by the play, Claudius instructs R & G to take Hamlet on a voyage to England immediately. Once the king is alone, he speaks of the incredible guilt he is wracked with, and begins to pray. Hamlet enters, sight unseen, and plans to kill Claudius - before realizing that in doing so, he would be guaranteeing him easy passage into heaven, due to his prayer. Hamlet decides to wait until he can catch Claudius in a more sinful act.
In the final scene of Act III, Hamlet comes to his mother and confronts her on her sinful behavior, viciously attacking her for her actions against her husband and his father. When she cries out, Polonius calls for help, and hearing him, Hamlet stabs through the tapestry he hides behind. Hamlet believes he has killed the king, but after pulling back the tapestry, he discovers his folly. He continues the rail against his mother, until the ghost of his father appears before him again. The apparation reminds him of his duty and the revenge he has not carried out. Gertrude cannot see it, and as Hamlet speaks to him, she believes that he is truly mad. Hamlet attempts to convince her otherwise, revealing to her that he has only been pretending to be so. As he leaves with body of Polonius, he begs her to keep his secret, and tells her that in his trip to England with R & G, he will not trust them, but will assume they are working for the evil Claudius.
10. Hamlet: Act II
Here are some interesting quotes from Act II and my commentary.
“Marry, sir, here’s my drift-” (37). Here’s a great cliche courtesy of Shakespeare, like “catch my drift?”
“What was I about to say? By the mass, I was about to say something!” (50-51). I think this quote is hilarious, and perfectly describes Polonious’ character – so extremely verbose that even he forgets where he is going with things sometimes.
“That it might please you to give quiet pass through your dominions for this enterprise” (77-78). This quote, about Fortinbras’ new plan, seems like bad news to me. He may say it is just “quiet pass” but I think it might prove otherwise. Young Fortinbras should probably not be trusted, despite what his uncle says.
“Brevity is the soul of wit” (90). Another great cliche.
“Doubt thou the stars are fire; doubt that the sun doth move; doubt truth to be a liar; but never doubt that I love” (115-118). I love this quote… and in the beginning of Shakespeare in Love (excellent movie), when Henslowe asks Will if he has been working on his play, he replies with these lines!
“You are a fishmonger” (173). It seems strange to me that this is a slang term for “pimp” – does that make the prostitutes fish?
“Words, words, words” (192). Another line quoted in Shakespeare in Love!
“A happiness that often madness hits on” (212). Even in his well-chosen replies, Hamlet’s “act” of madness shines through – how is one to distinguish between madness and sanity?
“You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal – except my life” (218-219). Hamlet is SUCH a jokester. This is a pretty foreboding quote, though.
“This majestical roof fretted with golden fire” (311-312). I agreed with you, Mrs. Hazle, I love this part, and Shakespeare’s language. I especially like the idea of the stars as “golden fire.”
“What a piece of work is a man!” (314). My dad calls people “a piece of work” all the time.
“Sblood” (377). Not really a quote, but I thought this was an interesting expression, so I looked it up: it is a shortened version of “God’s blood” and is an expression of anger or wonder. According to Wikipedia:
“In medieval times, people would curse on God’s body parts rather than breaking the third commandment [and] in this case, the exclamation refers to Christ’s blood shed during the crucifixion and commemorated by the drinking of wine during communion.”
“It shall to the barber’s with your beard!” (511). More cleverness from the Prince. What a guy.
09. Hamlet: Act I
I am very excited to be reading Hamlet, as I LOVE Shakespeare and this is one of his major plays that I have yet to read. So far I am very intrigued and I love the mysterious/eerie feeling that surrounds the action. I think that Hamlet is a fascinating character (although I find Kenneth Branagh’s version of him slightly funny) and I’m excited to get further into the story and Hamlet’s persona. I am curious as to the direction in which his “revenge” will take, but because this is a Shakespearean tragedy I’m sure by the end all main characters will be dead, including the evil Claudius. My favorite scenes so far are the dialogue between Claudius and Hamlet in which he says “A little more than kin, and less than kind” – Oh Hamlet you are so witty – and Polonius’ advice to his son before he leaves for France. Many of the phrases he uses are ones that I hear all the time, which is great. Kind of like finding literary allusions… life imitates art!
Anyway, overall I am really liking this play, and I’m sure I’ll continue to enjoy it as the twists and turns that I love so much about Shakespeare’s work are revealed.
08. Poem In the Key of Ginsberg
I dreamt of you last night, Allen Ginsberg -
the song of your generation’s America rang in my ears and left me
feeling bereft and ignorant, quiet in my white sea of a bed,
surrounded by hardwood floors and area rugs,
suffocating in days of artifical sweeteners and the click-clack of heels on linolium.I looked out upon the rain-slick streets
framed by non-lead-based painted window sills,
and I imagined your New York City, holy and
alive with neon amphetamines, electric stanzas,
loud unsleeping uneating hums of inspiration-battered skeletons -
with nothing but brittle ladders for nerves to scale, do still they climb?Now, coddled in flowered sheets,
my fever dreams tell me of your glory and your
blood-shot wide-eyed jazz-tongued heroes and madmen,
who rattle their cages and scream through the pages of your verse
while we pray the Metta Bhavana.
And finally I wake, exhausted, electrified -
poetry-heavy in the suburbs of my sleepy midwest.
In order to capture the feeling of Ginsberg’s poetry I utilized long lines of imagery, many descriptive words, and the idea of looking back on a writer who has been an inspiration – just as Ginsberg talks to Whitman in “A Supermarket in California,” and about T.S. Eliot in “Feb. 29, 1958.” I also compared my own reality to his by writing about my surroundings and the picture I get about his life from his poetry.
07. My Experience / Comments
I really enjoyed this Spring Research project, despite my initial concerns. When I heard about the blogging idea, I felt that it would be harder to communicate my ideas in blog form, rather than on paper. But I found that this experience has been educational, rewarding and far more fun than a regular written research paper. Being able to link my poet to my classmates’ poets made my analysis seem more relevant, and I enjoyed the creative freedom that the blogging format allowed for. Overall, I feel that the Spring Research blog was a unique and interesting way to break the monotony of writing English papers all year.
My Comments: 1. , 2. , 3. , 4. , 5. , 6. , 7.
06. Gary Snyder
Although Ginsberg was closely connected to several contemporary writers of the Beat generation, including Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac, Gregory Corso, and William Burroughs, one of his most influential relationships was with the poet Gary Snyder. The two literary giants met in San Francisco in 1955, and later studied Buddhism at Berkeley together. Ginsberg and Snyder continued their relationship through written correspondence throughout their lives, discussing their careers and their writing, and providing encouragement and inspiration. When asked to describe Snyder’s influence upon him as a writer, Ginsberg replied,
“When you see the intelligence of somebody reacting to the phenomenal world, you learn by imitation. You see beauty and you want to share it.” Ginsberg, Finding the Words, 1981.
The similarities between the two can be seen in their emphasis on spirituality and consciousness of “Buddha-nature,” as they were both fascinated by the ideas of Zen and Eastern religion. This interest can be clearly seen in their work, such as Snyder’s poem “Regarding Wave:”
The voice of the Dharma
the voice
nowA shimmering bell
through all.Every hill, still.
Every tree alive. Every leaf.
All the slopes flow.
old woods, new seedlings,
tall grasses plumes.Dark hollows; peaks of light.
wind stirs the cool side
Each leaf living.
All the hills.The Voice
is a wife
to
him still.
and in Ginsberg’s multiple spiritual references throughout his work: Mohammedan angels, Zen New Jersey, Plotinus Poe St. John of the Cross, visionary Indian angels, etc.
Sexuality is something often expressed or contemplated in Gary Snyder’s poetry, just as Ginsberg’s sexual orientation and ideas of sexuality played a large part in his own work. Ginsberg was conscious of the continuity between great nature and the human body, and explored these ideas in his poetry, and similiarly, Sydner often linked sexuality, gender, and the inspiration he drew from nature.
A third similiarity in subject matter is the fervent political standpoint that can be seen in many of their poems. In “America,” Ginsberg bemoans the rampant and lethal combination of immense consumerism and apathy that defines contemporary American culture (“America I’ve given you all and now I’m nothing”), while Snyder was deeply involved in sociological and political thought, as seen in this 1960 observation:
“Nobody can straighten American politics out because the people won’t stand for it – how can the internal economics be put in order when everybody wants everything? Any sane monetary policy or farm policy doomed to ruin. Ditto by logical extension foreign policy.”
Regarding form, both poets made use of innovative punctuation. Ginsberg often poses questions in his poems, combined with a marked use of exclamation points. Snyder also ultilized exclamation points and unorthodox rhythms. An example of this can be found in these lines of ”Civilization:”
I quit typing and watch him through a glass.
How well articulated! How neat!Nobody understands the ANIMAL KINGDOM.
Both Ginsbery and Snyder were exceedingly prominent figures in the Beat world, and also in the wider scope of the entire literary canon. Regarding their incredible influence, Bruce Cook said it best: “If Allen Ginsberg is the Beat movement’s Walt Whitman, then Gary Snyder is its Henry David Thoreau.”
AN INTERESTING FACT: both Ginsberg and Snyder were fictionalized by Jack Kerouac in his novels- Ginsberg was Carlo Marx in On the Road, and Snyder was Japhy Ryder in The Dharma Bums. (both excellent books, btw)
(CREDIT: HERE)
05. William Carlos Williams
The poet with perhaps the largest influence upon Ginsberg was William Carlos Williams. Williams wrote the foreward to Ginsberg’s breakthrough work, “Howl,” was his writing mentor for many years, and was credited by Ginsberg with freeing his poetic voice. Williams concrete wording and directness of speech vastly influenced Ginsberg, and helped him to fully express his own experiences and simultaneously glorify the beauty of the ordinary.
Through the two poets’ correspondence, Ginsberg gained the apprication and wisdom needed to truly realize his poetic ambitions. Ginsberg’s early poems are very different from the ones that he is well-known for, as William’s comment, “In this mode, perfection is basic” changed his writing style from one defined by its difficult and obscure style to one of precise, startling imagery. When one thinks of Ginsberg, one is reminded of ground-breaking, unconvential poetry, yet his early work was very influenced by the rhyme and meter ideas that had been ingrained in him since childhood. Williams is an example of a poet creating a sense of the eternal by observing the details of everyday reality, and with his help, Ginsberg was able to break free of the literary trappings he had been chained by in order to find the importance and beauty in the ordinary aspects of life that surrounded him.
Ginsberg discusses the huge impact that Williams had upon him by saying, “I always had based [my poetry] on elements of William Carlos Williams elemental observations. I [had] to take refuge in WIlliams’ ‘No ideas but in things.’” Ginsberg refers to “Williams downright homely doctor’s talk as so real it was surrealistic,” and it is this “homely” vernacular that can be seen reflected in Ginsberg’s writing. While the simple pattern of Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow” differs from the wide, sweeping arch of Ginsberg’s “Howl” or “America,” the simplicity of subject is the same in both.
“When Williams said ‘so much depends,” he means all human consciousness depends on direct observation of what’s in front of you.” Ginsberg, Partisian Review, 1971
The mutual rejection of the “iambic high school rhythmic structure” allows for new, visionary creation, a vision that Williams helped Ginsberg become open to.
Another poem of Williams’ that reverberates in the work of Ginsberg is “Danse Russe,” a celebration of both his unorthodox style and his rejoicing in the seemingly mundane and often stranger aspects of life. Ginsberg’s often irreverent style and subject matter is reminiscent of Williams’, particularly in this poem, as Williams’ takes an almost childish delight in the forbidden pleasure of dancing “naked, grotesquely.” Despite or perhaps because of his actions Williams declares himself the “happy genius of [his] household,” just as Ginsberg maintains that even the lowliest dregs of life should be celebrated, as mentioned in my previous analysis as present in ‘Howl:’
Everything is holy! everybody’s holy! everywhere is
holy! everyday is in eternity! Everyman’s an
angel!
The bum’s as holy as the seraphim! the madman is
holy as you my soul are holy!
Something interesting: here’s a few audio clips of Ginsberg teaching a class on WCW.
WORK CITED:
Carter, David, ed. Allen Ginsberg: Spontaneous Mind. New York: HarperCollins, 2001.
Portugés, Paul. The Visionary Poetics of Allen Ginsberg. Santa Barbara: Ross-Erikson, 1978.
04. Ginsberg movie!
An Allen Ginsberg biopic is currently in production, with James Franco set to play the poet as a young man. I AM VERY EXCITED, because a. I love Ginsberg, obviously b. I love James Franco and c. Gus Van Sant is producing it. The film will focus on the obscenity trial surrounding the 1957 American publication of Ginsberg’s most famous poem, “Howl.” I think that Franco will make a great Ginsberg, take a look:
