I.TOPIC：Hamlet（Act3,Scene1,lines55-86）II.OBJECTIVES:A）IntroductionB）Themainideaof“Hamlet”anditsthemesC）Astudyofthetext1.ThemainideaofAct3,Scene12.Keypoints3.Stylisticfeatures4.Commenton“Hamlet”D）Assignment
Introduction*Asthegreatestdramatistintheworldliterature，Shakespeareisrememberedbytheentireworldforcenturiesandhisworksareread,putontothestage,lovedandmemorizedwithanintensepassion.
*“Hamlet”isthefirstofthegreattragedies,isgenerallyregardedasShakespeare’smostpopularplayonthestageandcanbereckonedasthesummitofallShakespeare’sworks.*Thestoryof“Hamlet”isabouttherevengeofPrinceHamlet,basedonanoldDanishlegendofthe13thcenturywidespreadinnorthernEurope.
1.thevengeanceofason2.todiesuddenly3.thewedding4.tobrood5.ghost’sappearance6.topretendtobemad7.toestrangehimselffromhisfriends8.theperformanceofaplaywithinaplay9.senthimtoEngland10.Ophelia'sdeath.11.afencingmatch12.todrinkthepoisonedwine13.tokillClaudiusThemainideaof“Hamlet”
Thechiefelements:1.Thestoriesofmurderandrevenge2.Theappearanceofaghost3.Theperformanceofaplaywithinaplay4．Whetherhewasmad
Themestorevealthepower-seeking,thejostlingforplace,thehiddenmotives,thecourteoussuperficialitiesthatveillustandguilt,tocondemnthehypocrisyandtreacheryandgeneralcorruption.
ThemainideaofAct3,Scene11.tofocusonthedeepconflictwithinHamlet.2.openamidagitationandgloom.3.Hamlet’sbrooding.4.father’sghost.5.tobetornbetweenthedemandsofhisemotionsandthehesitantskepticismofhismind.6.torevealthisconflictinseveralfamousandeloquentsoliloquies.7.The“Tobeornottobe”soliloquyiscentraltoHamlet’spersonality.8.anexcellentexampleofHamletnotdoinganything.9.tolooktoocloselyatourplans.10.asenseofutterworld–wearinessaswellastheauthor’sincisivecomments.
Keypoints1)“Tobe,ornottobe—thatisthequestion:/Whether’tisnoblerinthemindtosuffer/Theslingsandarrows…fortune/Ortotakearmsagainstaseaoftroubles,/Andbyopposingendthem.“Tobe,ornottobe—thatisthequestion”:toliveoninthisworldortodie;tosufferortotakeaction;totakeactionortodonothing;tobe：toexist.“inthemindtosuffer”:passivelytosuffer“slingsandarrows”:attacks.“totakearmsagainstaseaoftroubles”:totakeuparmsagainsttroublesthatsweepuponuslikeasea.The“troubles”ispicturedasadvancinglikesomeoverwhelmingtide.
Furtherexplanation：Hamletisdepressedanddisillusionedwhenhehearshismother’shastymarriagetohisuncleandhisfather’sbeingmurdering.Hefeelseveryoneandeverythingistaintedsothatheistornbetweenemotionsandthehesitantskepticismofhismind.ItcanrevealHamlet’spersonality—thecomplexdeepconflict.
2)“Todie—tosleep/Nomore;…Theheartache,andthethousandnaturalshocks/Thatfleshisheirto,…”:“Todie—tosleep”:Todieistosleep.“Nomore”:todieistobenomore.“Theheartache,…Thatfleshisheirto”:allkindsofsufferings(shocks)thatnaturallyoccurtohumanbeings(“flesh”—humanbody);“naturalshocks”:attacksmadebynature.
Furtherexplanation：Hamletheregivesthereasonswhyhewantstocommitsuicide.Thatishispersonalrevengeandthathecannotbearthesocialinjusticeandgrievance.
3)“Todie—tosleep./Tosleep—perchancetodream：ay,there’stherub!/Forinthatsleepofdeath…/Whenwehaveshuffledoffthismortalcoil,/Mustgiveuspause.”：“perchance”：maybe.“rub”：obstacle,impediment.Hereitreferstothedoubtordifficulty.“shuffledoffthismortalcoil”：endthislife;“mortalcoil”：turmoilofmortality,humanlife.“giveuspause”：makeushesitate.
Furtherexplanation：Hamletheregivesthereasonswhyhedoesnotwanttocommitsuicide.Hefeelshesitanttokillhimselfbecausehethinksthatsometerribledreamsmaytroublehimafterhisdeath.
4)“There’stherespect/Thatmakescalamityofsolonglife./Forwhowouldbearthewhipsandscornsoftime,…/Theinsolenceofoffice,andthespurns/Thatpatientmeritofth’unworthytakes,/Whenhehimselfmighthisquietusmake,/Withabarebodkin?”:“Thatmakescalamityofsolonglife.”:Thatmakescalamityofsolong-lived,lasting.“thewhipsandscornsoftime”:thesufferinginourepoch.“contumely”:contempt,insolence.“Theinsolenceofoffice”:thehaughtyandcontemptuousbehaviorshownbyholdersofhighgovernmentalposts./thecontemptheldbythepeopleofhighrank.“spurns”:insults,contempt,disdain,indignity.
“Theinsolenceofoffice”:thehaughtyandcontemptuousbehaviorshownbyholdersofhighgovernmentalposts./thecontemptheldbythepeopleofhighrank.“spurns”:insults,contempt,disdain.“That…takes”:thepeopleofendureatthehandsoftheunworthy.“quietus”:thefinalsettlementofanaccount.“fardels”:burdens.“grunt”:groan.
Furtherexplanation：Thelinesrevealthecalamityandinjusticeoftherealityofthesociety.Evenundertheconditionsthesuffererswouldpreferendurancetocommittingsuicide.
5)“Whowouldthesefardelsbear,/Togruntandsweatunderawearylife,/Butthatthedreadofsomethingafterdeath—/Theundiscover’dcountry,fromwhosebourn/Notravelerreturns—puzzlesthewill,/Andmakesus…thosewehave//Thanflyto…weknownotof?”：“quietus”:thefinalsettlementofanaccount.“fardels”:burdens.“grunt”:groan.“Theundiscover’dcountry”:theunknownplace/wherewegoafterdeath.“bourn”:boundary.“ills”:harms,disaster,calamity.
Furtherexplanation：Hamletfurthertalksaboutthemorereasonswhyhewantstolive.Thatis,thepresentlifeisintroublesandsufferings,butdeathisunforeseen,sothesamethingwillhappen.Thelivingcanchoosedeath,butthedeadcannothaveanychoices.Therefore,asfarastheunknownplaceofdeathisconcerned,thepeoplewillneverreturntotherealworld,whichisveryterrible.
6)“Thusconsciencedoesmake…greatpitchandmoment/Withthisregard…thenameofaction”：“conscience”:reflection,consciousness,seriousthought,contemplation,meditation.“thenativehueofresolution”：naturalcolour.Itmeansdetermination/action.“sickliedo’er”：coveredwithasicklycolour.“thepalecastofthought”：thepalelookofmelancholy.Thereferenceistotheruddycolorassociatedwiththesanguinetemperamentascontrastedwiththetingeofmelancholy.
“pitch”:significance,importance.“withthisregard”:inconsiderationofthis,onthisaccount.“theircurrentsturnawry”:turnawayfromtheiroriginalpurpose.“losethenameofaction”：failtobeputintoaction.“Thusconsciencedoesmakecowards…withthepalecastofthought”:Anaturaldecisionbecomesweakenedbymelancholythought.
Furtherexplanation：Theselinessuggestthattoomuchthinkingorconsiderationmakesactionimpossible.HereHamletisnotonlytalkingaboutactualsuicide,he’salsotalkingabout“lifelongsuicide”bydoingnothing,choosingtheeasypassiveapproachtolife.Whatismore,theysuggestHamletwouldbedeterminedtotakeanactionregardlessoflifeanddeath.
StylisticfeaturesMetaphor:“Theslingsandarrowsofoutrageousfortune”:ItisametaphorbywhichShakespearecomparesmisfortune/adversitytopoisonousarrows—avividportrayalofmisfortuneanddeath.
Rhetoricalquestions:1.Whether’tisnoblerinthemindtosuffer…Andbyopposingendthem?2.Forwhowouldbear…abarebodkin?3.Whowouldthosefardelsbear…notof?Therhetoricalquestionsbringthereaderstodeeperconsiderationoftheproblems,thusleavingdeepimpressionuponthereaders,emphasizingthetheme.
Examples1.Isthatareasonfordespair?Itstronglynegatesthereasonfordespair.2.Isnoonegoingtodefendme?Thespeakerissurethatsb.isgoingtodefendhim.3.IfWintercomes,canSpringbefarbehind?cf.Ifwintercomes,springwillnotbefarbehind.
Commenton“Hamlet”Hamletisthecentralfigureofthetragedyandmuchofthedramaticimpactoftheplayderivesfromthecomplexityofhisnature.Heis,atoneandthesametime,gentleandcruel,lovingandvengeful,adeeplyreflectiveintrovertandamancapableofactingonimpulse.
Asanidealman,heisforthrightandhonestbynature.Heisareasonablygoodjudgeofcharacter;hehascourage(e.g.inthebattleatseaheledthefightagainstthepirates);andheiswelllikedbytheDanes,whichisindeedoneofthereasonswhyClaudiusdidnotpunishhimforkillingPolonius.
AcrucialbutcontroversialissueintheconsiderationofHamlet’scharacteriswhetherhewasmad.Bothpositiveandnegativeinterpretationscanbesupportedwithevidencefromtheplay.Hamletiscapableofcalculatedcruelty.HerefusestokillClaudiuswhentheKingisatprayerbecausehewantstopunishhimbothinthisworldandthenext.
Hamletisanintriguingcharacter.Hepreferstobeathinkerbutiscastintheroleofanavenger.Heisintelligentandsensitive,deeplydisturbedbytheevilandthefaithlessnesswithwhichheissurrounded.Hissuddenswingsfrominactivitytoimpulsiverashnessmaynotmakehimaneasycharactertoclassifybuttheymakehimoneofthemostperenniallyinterestingcharactersinliterature.
Thetragicgreatnessofthecentralcharactertryingtoresolveconflictsinternalaswellasexternal,theluminousinsightintohumanmotivesandpassions,andtheterriblesweepofforcesruthlesslycrushingtheinnocentwiththeguilty—allthesegive“Hamlet”aplaceamongtheworld’sgreatestdramas.
Hamletasahumanist:●Hislearning,wisdom,noblenature,aswellaslimitationandtragedyareallrepresentativeofthehumanistsattheturnofthecentury.●HamletmayberegardedasahumanistofShakespeare’age.Likeotherhumanists,heseestheuglyreality,dreamsofhealthfulhumanrelations,andyetisunabletorealizehisdream.Andthebrighterthedream,themoregloomybecomesforhimthesurroundingreality,andthemoreacutearehismentalconflicts.
●Hamlethasthequalitiesofa“blood-and-thunder”thrillerandaphilosophicalexplorationoflifeanddeath.
Abriefcommentonthesoliloquybeginningwithline“Tobeornottobe…”Themonologue,apsychologicalexplorationoflifeanddeath,revealsthecharacterofHamletasamanofcontemplationratherthanaction.Withtheintolerableburdenofthedutytorevengehisfather’sdeathandthechallengeofevilforces,Hamletseemstowithdrawintoamentalworldwhichisthrownintoaconflictorachoicebetweenlifeanddeath.
Thephilosophicalspeculationmixedupadeeppessimisticoutlookresistsagainstactionatfirst,butawakenstheherooutofhismelancholytoasenseofthe“enterpriseofgreatpithandmoment”,indicatingthatheistodosomethingforwhatheconcernshimselfwith.
AbriefcommentonthethemeofShakespeare’s“Hamlet”ShakespearedepictstheimageHamletasaRenaissancehumanisttoembodythedramatist’sownideals,personalideal,andsocialandpoliticalone.
InHamlet’scase,firstandforemostishisownpersonalideal,thatoffilialpietyandastrongsenseofjusticethatdemandsrevenge,buthehashissocialandpoliticalidealstoo.Ontheonehand,heeulogizestheinfinitecapabilitiesofman:“Whatapieceofworkisman;hownobleinreason!Howinfiniteinfaculty!”
Ontheotherhandheseesandhopestogetridofthesocialevilsbesettinghumanbeings,ashespeaksof“aseaoftroubles”.SoHamletengageshimselfinpersonalrevengebutatthesametimeintendstosetrightthe“time”thatis“outofjoint”.
TheburdenofthesedutiesmakesHamletamanofcontemplationratherthanofaction,whichleadstothesoliloquiesrevealingtheinnerworkingofhismind.Then,thestrugglebetweengoodandevildominativelycontrolsthesceneofHamlet’stragedy,atragedyofahumanistwhoisalwaystoseeandconstructabetterworld.
Assignment1.DiscussthecharacterofHamlet.2.WhyisHamletunabletotakepromptaction?3.GiveAbriefcommentonthesoliloquybeginningwithline“Tobeornottobe…”.4.PreviewSonnet18withthefollowingquestions:1）Whatisthemainideaofthesonnet?2）Whatisthethemeofthesonnet?
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