tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7136593454417242564.post6695265116711335899..comments2023-02-27T03:53:34.869-05:00Comments on New Paltz Shakespeare: Hamlet: the Agent Fool Cyrus Mulreadyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07949993053589030711noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7136593454417242564.post-87834014093185646502012-11-10T16:47:13.715-05:002012-11-10T16:47:13.715-05:00You make a very interesting point at the end of th...You make a very interesting point at the end of the post, Josh, that Hamlet must find an alternative to Danish society in which to operate. Following the cue of your title, I wonder if we could identify the as the theater itself? It's notable that Hamlet uses a play to reveal the guilt of Claudius. Also, he compares himself to a "rogue" and "petty slave," language that might point to the lower class status of actors.Cyrus Mulreadyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07949993053589030711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7136593454417242564.post-28835823711287335932012-11-08T17:35:07.386-05:002012-11-08T17:35:07.386-05:00Your analysis of the history in Hamlet is very int...Your analysis of the history in Hamlet is very interesting. I agree with the vagueness of how Claudio even became king to begin with, instead of Hamlet. It is quite odd for this play to start off with such a disorder. But, I think that is what makes this play one of the most unusual of all of Shakespeare’s plays. This is a nice crossover between reality and his play. Realistically, Hamlet should have ascended to the throne, but failed to do so, and so the play is in disorder. During the time in which Hamlet was written, King Phillip and Mary I was married, but produced no children, furthermore, King Philip is from Spain and did not know how to read in English. In addition to these unnatural factors, Mary I was not supposed to be queen because her younger brother Edward IV named Lady Jane Grey to take the throne after his death. However, a council usurped this decision and had her executed at the age of 16, prompting his two sisters to eventually take the throne through unnatural lineage, demonstrating the cross between reality and fiction. Hamlet’s insane antics are one of the smartest plays that he can make to kill Claudio. Again, as we discussed in class he cannot speak out without being executed. If he is caught conspiring, he is dead. Acting crazy and grief-stricken is a smart way to not be caught, but most importantly get to the bottom of the truth in which he needs to kill Claudio. I may not like Hamlet all too much because of his selfish and somewhat annoying, brattish attitude, but I still want him to Claudio just to have the natural order back. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02039715654364101726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7136593454417242564.post-7288684026700505682012-11-08T14:58:58.246-05:002012-11-08T14:58:58.246-05:00Being a lover of history, I will tell you that pri...Being a lover of history, I will tell you that primogeniture was not always the way that a new king was chosen in all European countries. In fact, often the King was chosen because he was the strongest. Having said that, I never got the impression that Hamlet felt he should have been King, his angst comes from the thought that his mother has been incestuous with his uncle and therefore disrespecting his father. You are correct in seeing young Hamlet and young Fortinbras as foils. This is a political play as well and although Fortinbras has not yet said much, his actions are always in the background, yet Hamlet doesn't concern himself with Fortinbras, his only concern is to revenge his father's murder. I think also that his friends have to swear not only that they have seen the ghost of old Hamlet but also that they won't say anything about Hamlet's "antic disposition." Again, I don't think its a strategy that Hamlet is using to gain the throne (as Fortinbras will more than likely do) but as a way to show Claudius for the murderous villain that he is. What Hamlet doesn't seem to imagine is what will happen to Denmark when he does that. He doesn't yet mention how he will rule, for instance. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16646715175449056665noreply@blogger.com