Hamlet - Dramatic Effects and Shakespeare's Intentions

Act 1 Scene 1: Overarching themes?

Apparition, fear, impending doom

1.1 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Subversion of Natural Order

Suggests to audience that something has upset the balance of nature - atmosphere of suspense

1.1 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Ghost

• The audience are shocked by this ghostly apparition - feel scared and also anticipate the ghost as a forboding presence - signals tragedy

• Gives physical form to the fearful anxiety that surrounds the transfer of power after the king’s death - implies that the future of Denmark is a dark and frightening one.

• Internal foreshadowing - implying tragedy not only to the audience but to the characters as well.

1.1 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Introduction of Horatio

• Establishes that Horatio is good-humoured, educated and skeptical of ghost

• When he sees the ghost, he does not deny its existence—on the contrary, he is overwhelmed with terror. Horatio’s ability to accept when he’s proven wrong signals his trustworthiness

• His reaction to the ghost functions to overcome the audience’s sense of disbelief - audience becomes scared of what the ghost may mean for Denmark

Act 1 Scene 2: Overarching Themes?

Appearance vs reality, grief, betrayal

1.2 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Appearance vs Reality

• Contrast between dark opening scene and jovial court - makes audience suspicious

• The king, the queen, and the courtiers desperately pretend that nothing is out of the ordinary

• Establishes the superficiality of the court but also suggests to the audience that they’re trying to hide something - makes audience even more suspicious

• The scene also furthers the idea that Denmark is somehow unsound as a nation

1.2 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Claudius as Suspicious and Manipulative

• Laertes and Polonius as highly deferential - audience made uncomfortable by Claudius’s control over the court

• Claudius’s speech is full of contradictions - gives audience uncomfortable first impression

• Claudius trying to affect a fatherly role even though Hamlet doesn’t want his advice - audience obviously realsie that Claudius has ulterior motives since Claudius has usurped Hamlet - makes audience sympathetic to Hamlet?

1.2 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Hamlet’s Soliloquoy - Sets up Hamlet as political challenger to regime

• First impression of Hamlet for the audience - the only character unwilling to play along with Claudius’s attempts to establish normalcy

• This could either suggest to the audience that he is the only honest and uncorrupted character at court, or that he is malcontent and refuses to fall in line for the greater good of the court

• Either interpretation thus invites the audience to preemptively view Hamlet as an heroic figure capable of bringing down the regime

1.2 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Hamlet’s Soliloquoy - Sets up Hamlet’s hatred of women

• Mother’s hasty marriage has shattered his opinion of womanhood - foreshadowes his unravelling relationships with women

• The audience becomes increasingly uncomfortable with Hamlet’s growing disdain towards his mother - forces the audience to question as to whether they can wholly sympathise with Hamlet

1.2 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Hamlet’s Soliloquoy - Introduction of theme of suicide and moral quandries

• Already, the audience are left with the impression that the world Hamlet inhibits is a harsh one and also are able to sympathise with Hamlet profoud suffering.

• On the other hand, do they think he is pathetic for even contemplating suicide?

• Audience are forced to contemplate whether suicide can ever be justifiable

• Already, in this first soliloquy, religion has failed him, and his warped family situation can offer him no solace. Perhaps audience feels a sense of affection bc of his vulnerability?

• Audience are also reminded of how isolated Hamlet is - given they already know the predatory nature of this court, do they worry that Hamlet could potentially be manipulated and exploited bc of his fragile mental state?

Act 1 Scene 4: Overarching Themes?

Corruption and omens

1.4 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Sets up audience expectations for dramatic climx/confrontation

• The scene blends together elements of different settings - the sounds of Claudius jovial court leaks into the atmosphere of terror outside

• Further highlights to the audience that the whole court is corrupt - warns that this corruption could infect the whole country

• Audience further become disgusted with Claudius - sets up the audience’s sympathies firmly in favour of Hamlet even before Claudius’s ‘evil’ is revealed

1.4 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Ambiguity about the ghost

• Reintroduction of themes of spirituality, uncertainity and truth - audience further uncomfortable

• Foreshadowes how Hamlet’s uncertainity about the ghost will lead Hamlet to further contemplations of moral truth - sets up the moral quandries Hamlet will battle

• Audience become worries for Hamlet’s safety

• Perhaps they become even more sympathetic to Hamlet as they witness how Hamlet’s affections for his father override his trepidations

Act 1 Scene 5: Overarching Themes?

Revenge, Deception, Madness

1.5 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Appearence vs Reality

• Hamlet doubts whether he can trust the ghost

• the audience too worry as to whether they can believe the ghost’s claims - makes them uncomfortable

1.5 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Filial Piety

• Ghost’s control over Hamlet raises tension for the audience but also makes them nervous - manipulation of Hamlet

• Hamlet’s despair about the responsibility placed on him - audience become suspicious as to whether the ghost acc cares about Hamlet

• Audience are invited to consider how this revenge only really benefits the Ghost .

1.5 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Retributive Justice

• Audience introduced to revenge as primary motivator for action

• Through this demand for revenge Shakespeare causes the audience to consider if this will help Hamlet and give him purpose and direction or whether the burden will be too great for him to bear

• Ghost’s recounting of the murder - shocks the audience and makes them even more suspicious of Claudius - are they more inclined to see Hamlet’s revenge as justified?

1.5 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Madness

• We have already seen that Hamlet, though thoughtful by nature, also has an excitable streak, which makes him erratic, nervous, and unpredictable - in this way the audience consider whether Hamlet’s decision to feign madness is indicative of intelligence or rather his deeply unstable mental state

• It also fosters a more intimate connection between Hamlet and the audience as they, like Horatio, become the only people who are privy to Hamlet’s true personality and thoughts

• However, Shakespeare also raises tension for the audience as they worry about whether Hamlet will be able to keep up his madness and whether Claudius will find out the plot

• In this way, Shakespeare forces the audience to pick sides as he sets up both characters on two opposing sides

Act 2 Scene 1: Overarching Themes?

Spying and manipulated appearances

2.1 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Polonius’s Character

• Polonius can be interpreted as either a doddering fool or as a cunning manipulator - the audience are torn about which one of these he is

2.1 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Appearance vs Reality

• Polonius’s conversation with Reynaldo reminds the audience how words can be used to alter the truth - reminds them that the moral corruption extends further than just Claudius

• In this way, the audience becomes worried as to Polonius’ motivations and are also forced to consider how these words may affect Laertes

2.1 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Madness

• Illustrates how Hamlet has made good on his promise to Horatio and is behaving as a madman - immediately the audience realise Hamlet’s determination to obtain his revenge

• His emotional scene with Ophelia may stem in part from his general plan to feign insanity, and in part from real distress at seeing Ophelia

• In this way the audience feel ambiguous about Hamlet’s mental state - Shakespeare planting seeds of Hamlet becoming increasingly more violent

• Can the audience view this intrusion as the means justifying the ends or is this indicative of Hamlet using his ‘antic disposition’ as a means to enact revenge on others he feels to have wronged him as well?

2.1 Shakespeare’s Intentions: Ophelia’s Restriction

• Audience worried for Ophelia - how much autonomy does she have? Feel sympathetic towards her - does this reduce their sympathies for Hamlet

• Introduces idea of Hamlet being lovesick

• Raises tension for the audience - they obviously know the true reasons behind Hamlet’s behaviour but they are also curious as to how Polonius’s ideas may influence the response of Claudius - sense of forboding?