1ST SOLILIQUY
Dramatises the idea of a
man wrestling with his
thoughts and feelings
The first thing he expresses is the
grief he feels for the loss of his
father- and the love he bore for
him
'Heaven and Earth/
Must I remember?'
Disjointed rhythm show his
inner turmoil- The
spontainaiety of his speech
contrasts to Claudius'
flowing lines. Thinking out
loud- stopping and starting
in pain and confusion
'Hyperion to a
satyr
Compares OKH to a god- of the
sun- sustainer of life- reliability-
beauty- to a creature- repulsive-
insignificant, pestering and
diseased. Bigger contrast.
It becomes Clear
his grief is so
overwhelming that
he is suicidal
'Weary, stale, flat, unprofitable'
Listing stresses each word
showing his disgust and
his exhaustion
'It that the Everlasting
had not fixed/ His cannon
'gainst elf slaughter'
God forbids suicide and revenge- Still
religious but loyalty to his father?
introduce s the moral struggle he has
between God and his father
He also expresses his hatred for
his uncle- biasing the audience.
'most wicked
speed...incestuous
sheets'
Explaining his isolation- hissing
sibilance- anger at this- laying the
foundations of the plot and Hamlets
feeling toward Claudius- building
protagonist and antagonist
Exposition.
'Break my heart for I
must hold my tongue'
Struggling in silence- reiterates
the turmoil he faces- Feels
trapped- audience sympathises
with him- he is simply a grieving
son who is alone in his troubles.-
Justification for his bitterness.
2ND SOLILIQUY
Angry that he hasn't
taken action yet-
(2.1)
He starts of angry
at himself- and
disgusted.
'O, what a rogue
peasant slave am I'
Giving himself the
lowest place in
society- Hyperbollic
phrase-Exclamtory
sentences show his
desperation and
turmoil
'remorseless,
treacherous,
leacherous,
kindless;
Repitition of 'less'-
focusing on all the things
he lacks- sibilance-
spitting- building of
anger- drags out word
Then describes
the sheer
power of the
players- to tell
himself what he
should be doing
'For Hecuba?/ .. What
would he do/ had he the
motive... That I have?
Ceasura and gap- break in the
line- emphasises his sudden
change from anger and
distress to
confusion-Rhetorical Q's show
upset and doubt-low self
esteem & vulnerability
heightens our sympathy-
'make mad the guilty
and appal the
free/confound the
ignorant'
Again hyperbolic-
juxtaposed phrases- implies
the sheer power of players-
ability to manipulate
feelings.
He considers it a
bad thing he is
not raging with
anger
Ceasura builds uncomfortable
atmosphere- drags out and
emphasises this negative section-
vivid violent imagery- gone from
disappointment to violence.
'prompted to my
revenge by heaven
and Hell'
Idea that both want
him to take revenge
even though they are
complete
opposites-convincing
himself revenge has
good consequences as
well as bad.
Feel very vulnerable-
and recognises
perhaps the ghost
was only playing on
this.
Out of.. my melancholy .. As he is
very potent with such spirits'
Devil may have taken
advantage of his sorrow and
sadness-Isolation- cannot
trust anyone-This shows he
is questioning his whole
purpose for living-
APPEARANCE VS REALITY.
'Am I a Coward?
Towards the end he
begins to plan and
becomes more resolute
'For murder, though it
have no tongue, will
speak'
Personifying-
real significance
'The play's the thing,/
Wherein I'll catch the
conscience of the King'
Again- decideds to test the
Ghosts words for himself-m
Shows he ios being logical about
the situation-rhyming couplet-
Hamlet appears in less disarray-
and regained his motivation to
avenge hois father- He too is
setting up a trap- massively
contrasts to chaos and confusion-
more resolute.
Love for his father
remains continuous even
though his thoughts and
feelings are changing.
'most dear
life'
using superlatives-
continuously elevates
his father.
3RD SOLILIQUY-
Contemplating living
and facing troubles
Begins very alienated from a
world that causes him great
pain- carries his philosophical
student character.
'To be, or not to be-that
is the Question'
immediatley see his suicidal
melancholy- detatched-no use of
posessive pronounsfelective-mral-
his mind makes huim unlike
other-simple-minded heroic figures.-
calm and philosophical
modern audience-
more hard to engage
as it is so well known
in literature- directors
must try and think of
differnt approaches.
'Nobler in the mind to suffer
the slings and arrows of
outrageous fortune .. take
arms against a sea of troubles'
Semantic field of abttle-opposing
forces- wounded-pain-tragedy
-Shows he feels attacked-fight or
accept- either way it is dooming.
Describes his troubles as a 'sea'
showing how big he thinks they
are- drowning- visual helplessness.
Imagery of what an overpowering
force he is facing- sense of futility-
all encompassing- endless
'To die: to
sleep...To die:
to sleep'
Repetition intensifies his
obsession- putting them
side by side- Both are a
state of unconsciousness-
seemingly relaxation-
wants relief from his
thoughts shown by
ceasuras- slows rhythm-
drags out lines- sleepy
He starts to think
logically about life
after death- more a
psycological issue
than an ethical one.
'For in that sleep
of death what
dreams may
come'
Catch of suicide- it is an endless
nightmare- Shows that this is the
on;ly thing stopping him- truly
feels he has nothing to live for-
reflections relate to his reluctance
to commit murder
'Bear the whips and
scorns of time'
'bear'- shows how
he is struggling
through life and
'time' suggests each
moment longer is
more painful and is
a burden.
Suggests his
conscience is a
bad thing
'Thus conscience
does make u
cowards'
His hesitation and therefore
his thinking and reasoning is
making him careful-which he
sees as cowardly- watching a
man tell himself he does not
need to think-dangerous
consequences- build tension
as he begins to allow himself
to lose conttrol.
'native hue of
resolution .. sickled
o'er with the pale
cast of thought
Visual imagery-
compares it to a
complexion- makes
thought seem like a
disease- stops him frm
being resolute and so
the turmoil he is left
him makes him want
to ditch it
4TH SOLILIQUY
REeinding
himself not to
physically harm
his mother'
There is semantic field of
danger and darkness
'withcing .. churchyards
.. hell .. contagion .. hot
blood'
Semantic field of
danger/darkness- sinsiter
vulgarity- showing his
intentions-
'churchyards
yawn'
Personification- vivid imagery-
had to be because less
stagecraft. Indicates ghosts
emerging from graves.
'Bitter business'
plosive alliteration-
harsh sounds-
emotive language
He then talks about
the conduct
towards hos
mother'
'Soft now to my
mohter'
Tone changes- wants to be
gentler- links to Ophelia-
could be because of affection
or because he feels women
cannot handle anything else
'I will speak daggers to
her but use none'
Doesnt want to hurt her
physically- wants her to feel
his upset- sounds very in
control and clear of what
he wants- but ends up
triggering a chain of events
over which he has no
control.
'my words somever
be shent .. To give
them seals never, my
soul consent'
Ends in a rhyming couplet- to show clearly
and decisively how he does not want to
harm his mother- Polonius is all the more
foolish for thinking he would