DRJ 3: Hamlet, Act 3
Initial Reaction:
My mind couldn’t bring up a movie that reminded me
of Act 3 and I don’t know anyone who acts like the characters. However Act 3
was full of surprises. Such as Hamlet’s change of heart towards Ophelia and
Polonius getting stabbed by Hamlet.
Character Analysis:
I would like to talk about Ophelia for this
character analysis because I think this is where she started going crazy
(before she found out her father died). I see Ophelia as a supporting character
because she is Hamlet’s love interest and the fact that Polonius and Laertes
use her to spy on someone she loves shows that she has a certain affect on
Hamlet that can make or break him. I think Ophelia brings the good and hope out
of Hamlet but he believes those values are for cowards. In Act 3, Hamlet realizes that in order to
become inhumane person he must forget all the emotions that make him human,
such as love. Ophelia tries to oppose his rejection but she is to no avail. Her
heart is broken after Hamlet says all these cruel things to her and professes
that he fell in a trap when he met her. “Oh, woe is me, T’ have seen what I
have seen, see what I see!” (3.1.161)
Theme Analysis:
I think the main theme in this Act is guilt and
Shakespeare uses denouement to unravel the guilt that his characters are
feeling and start to portray to others around them. For example, the play that
Hamlet set up for the King and Queen was meant to find out the truth of who
killed his father. “One scene of it comes near the circumstance which I have
told thee of my father’s death. Observe my uncle…” (3.2.69-73). Claudius’
reaction to the play solves the assumption to Hamlet and he is ready to get
revenge. Hamlet has a talk with his mother and calls her out for wrongdoings as
well. “Mother, you have my father much offended.” (3.4.11) Gertrude was not
expecting Hamlet to make her come clean about her adultery and it gave Hamlet a
justification to kill her. Polonius is guilty of so many things but mainly for
being a busybody. Hamlet resolves that problem by stabbing him on mistake
thinking it was Claudius behind the curtain. Hamlet also feels guilt about
waiting to take revenge when he sees his father’s ghost again while talking to
Gertrude. “Do you not come your tardy son to chide…” (3.4.108). Even the ghost
is watching Hamlet as he prolongs the resolution to his father’s death and it
makes Hamlet feel guilty that he has not already taking his place.
I also think that Ophelia starts to show an emotional unraveling in Act 3. Before then she certainly seems sensitive, but nothing hints at her thorough descent into insanity until later. There IS a lot of guilt in this act (and the play overall, of course). And many characters that don't feel guilt probably should, like Polonius for being meddlesome, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for being disloyal to their friend Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting how you think Ophelia is going crazy before Hamlet kills her father. I also felt that she was trying to maybe catch Hamlets attention by playing hard to get but it wasn't working out for her the way she wanted. I think she might have been one of the only characters where we did not see her true self. We saw her obeying her father and brother but not her truly thinking for herself.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with you on how Hamlet sort of denies his feelings for Ophelia. He is trying to put on this "murderous" type of appeal on and being in love with Ophelia doesnt fit that type of persona and Hamlet knows that.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Ophelia has a softening effect on Hamlet, and that he feels he has to refuse her because of that. I think this has more of an impact on her mental state than her father dying in a way.
ReplyDeleteOphelia seemed to be taken advantage of from her brother and father. I found it to be quite puzzling that hamlet would treat her like dirt until I began to think about Hamlet's internal conflicts he faces through out this play. I didn't see Ophelia making decisions for herself, because of the pressure from the fam fam. I couldn't help but feel sorry.
ReplyDelete