Just out of pure blatant curiosity, what do you all think is the climax of Hamlet and why? Defend your answer so that I can't rebuttle.......which I will......and fiercely.....
Just out of pure blatant curiosity, what do you all think is the climax of Hamlet and why? Defend your answer so that I can't rebuttle.......which I will......and fiercely.....
Hmmm- Interesting question! Ok; in my opinion, the climax of Hamet is in this particular speech in the last scene:
HAMLET :
Not a whit, we defy augury: there's a special
providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now,
'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be
now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the
readiness is all: since no man has aught of what he
leaves, what is't to leave betimes?
Now I'm going to be very clever, I've given you my answer, tell me if you disagree and if so why and THEN I'll defend my opinion.
I'm nobody, who are you?
Are you nobody too?
There's a pair of us, don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know!
How dreary to be somebody!
I think that the climax is the murder of Polonius. It is the first time in the play that Hamlet shares his suspicions of Claudius. The dialog before and after the murder is intense, as is the rest of the play from that point onward. It's also the first time that Hamlet tries to actually do somthing about his fathers murder, rather than just talk about it.
...Also baby duck hat would be good for parties.
Eadaoin, you're gonna scare everyone away talkin' like that. :P
Originally Posted by Eadaoin
Just out of pure blatant curiosity, what do you all think is the climax of Hamlet and why? Defend your answer so that I can't rebuttle.......which I will......and fiercely.....
ok....according to Freytag's analysis of the plot interpretation, the climax is the focal point at which there is high intensity, but more importantly, the point at which the outcome is made clear to the reader.
It is also quite apparent that in Shakespeare's work everything is all about parallelism....he devotes approximately the same amount of his pieces to the inciting incident and rising action as he does to falling action and resolution...Ergo, we know that the climax will be found in the third act (by the by, I'm so proud that noone answered when Hamlet dies)
and as for IWilKikU.....Hamlet's entire character does create a complete reversal, but it's before he even enters his mother's chamber
Stephen Greenblatt would disagree.
Hamlet seems to make reversals before, he promises his father's ghost that he will avenge his death, and so on and so on, but even after he verbally reverses he is presented with an oppertunity to kill Claudius. Rather than jumping at it, he makes an excuse of why he can't. I'ts just another example of his indecision and inability to act. Until he physically tries to actually do somthing about it, I don't think that he has made a reversal of character.
...Also baby duck hat would be good for parties.
I'll post later to "defend" my choice
Are you nobody too?
There's a pair of us, don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know!
How dreary to be somebody!
Now, now. I might have said that.
Sure! Of course you would- I'm only surprised you managed to resist the impulse!
Are you nobody too?
There's a pair of us, don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know!
How dreary to be somebody!
well, the only reason that I had the incling that people might reply "when Hamlet dies" is that so many guidance sources (Cliffsnotes, Sparknotes, and even teachers) believe that that is the climax.....sad really....
"but even after he verbally reverses he is presented with an oppertunity to kill Claudius. Rather than jumping at it, he makes an excuse of why he can't."
well Iwilkiku......he's not really making an excuse...it's the truth...if Claudius would have been repenting, as Hamlet assumed he was, then Claudius would have gone to Heaven, which would not have avenged Old Hamlet's murder......Argal (haha sry, I love the clowns in V.i) Hamlet's not making an excuse, he's trying to stay true to his mission....it's just bitterly ironic that Caludius wasn't really repenting....but Hamlet didn't know that...
and Sindhu, I look forward to hearing your rational.....I've never heard someone defend something from act five......I'm much intrigued
Just to say that I haven't forgotten- it's only that I want to post in detail and I don't have the required time right now. But will be back.
and Sindhu, I look forward to hearing your rational.....I've never heard someone defend something from act five......I'm much intrigued
Are you nobody too?
There's a pair of us, don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know!
How dreary to be somebody!
Of course Hamlet explains to the audience that that's why he doesn't do it. But, if he really was intending to kill Claudius right than and there, why not simply disturb him from his prayers, or wait until they were finished and challenge him like a man instead of lurking in the shadows like a coward?
...Also baby duck hat would be good for parties.
not to be rude, but are you at all familiar with Christian beliefs of that time period IWilKikU?....as I already explained, if Claudius would have been repenting, as Hamlet assumed he was, then Claudius would have gone to Heaven, which would not have avenged Old Hamlet's murder making Hamlet's vengeance in vain----it wouldn't have been vengeacne at all
Just because Hamlet isn't to the point of complete irrationality yet doesn't mean that his charcter hasn't already undergone it's dynamic contrast. Hamlet is just warming up to his active, rash self which fully permeates in his mother's closet.
Besides, all of that Hamlet has already shared his suspisions of Claudius, making your first point inaccurate.
The religeous point we will have to agree to disagree on. I understand the whole bit about. What I'm saying is I dont think Hamlet was really that concerned about what happens to anyone beyond the grave. If he was, would he have gone on to murder, without remorse I might add, Ros-and-Gil. None of his behavior in the play suggests any religeous concern except for that one scene. I still say he uses it as an excuse.and so he goes to heaven; and so am I reveng'd
When does Hamlet share his suspicions with anyone else? That could have just been my oversight.
But honestly, is his little soliliquey before all this goes down really more emotional or intense than the closet? When he kills Polonius, Everyone is totally shocked and taken by surprise. Hamlet acts out of character and does somthing rash. It's the real changing point in who he is. So there :evil:
...Also baby duck hat would be good for parties.
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