Act 1, Scene 5

What happens?

Hamlet follows the Ghost who tells him that Claudius was the one who killed him

“Unfold” x2

Tell the truth

Reveal the secrets

“Like stars start from the spheres” / “like quills upon the fretful porpentine”

Similes

“Harrow”

Anaphoric reference

Emphasises fear that Ghost creates

“Mark me.

I will.

My hour is almost come”

(Shared lines)

Shows connection between Old King Hamlet and his son even after death

Confirms it is truly Old King Hamlet

Short lines = tension

Speech is intimate and focuses on Hamlet —> Pronouns —> Active speech

“So art thou to revenge”

Ghost’s first command is revenge

“Foul” is heavily repeated

Claudius is referred to as a serpent

Adam + Eve —> Devil

“Lethe”

River in Hades, the world of the dead; drinking the river’s water caused forgetfulness

HAMLETS SECOND SOLILOQUY

Punctuation

Chaotic, panic, fear, on edge

HAMLETS SECOND SOLILOQUY

“O all you host of heaven!”

HAMLET’S SECOND SOLILOQUY

“In this distracted globe”

Hamlet’s head is messed up and Denmark is corrupt

Pun on the Globe Theatre

HAMLET’S SECOND SOLILOQUY

“Table of my memory”

Saying he’ll remember just the Ghost because he’ll create a blank slate in his mind

“That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain”

Hamlet writes it down about Claudius

Appearance vs reality

Repetition, specifically of “Lord”

Stichomythia - characters doing quick, alternating lines often with the same language

Desperate and emotional

Formal language

“Thou” = formal

“You” = informal

“Wild and whirling words”

• Alliteration

• Emphasis on wind from w

• Wind carries secrets

“There are more things in heaven and earth”

Horatio needs to broaden viewpoint

Horatio went to Protestant college. Do not believe in purgatory and think that after death you go straight to heaven

Hamlet tells Horatio he needs to open his mind because his father is in purgatory