Hamlet Condensed Notes

Hamlet

Death

• Feature of a revenge tragedy- everyone ends up dying

Thought v. Action

• After he arrives back in Denmark the soliloquies stop
• Sense of inaction with the deaths he causes
  • Polonious through an arras 
  • Laertes by accident

Madness

• Hamlet's "antic-disposition" acting as a fool so he can gather intel 
• The Ophelia subplot reflects themes explored in the main plot. Madness is central to both; but whereas Hamlet’s is feigned, Ophelia’s is tragically real.
• "this very exsctacy of love"
• A2S2 soliloquy legitmises his madness as he goes through a frenzy of emotions from "am i a cowards" and "I'll have these players ... I'll observe ... I'll tent ... I'll catch"
• his attitude towards Ophelia "i did love you once" to "i loved you not"
  • CRITIC Dover wilson says this is a theatrical performs 'intende for the ears of Polonius and Claudius whom he knoes to be behind the arras'

Corruption

• Ghost opens with a unsettling tone
  • "bodes some strange corruption in our state"
• Hamlets' comparrison of his dad to his uncle
  • "like a hyperion to a satyr
• Hamlet rails against his uncle’s deception/corruption
  • “one may smile, and smile, and be a villain”
• "O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain"
• …