For each word make a study card or sheet. Include the word in the middle in the top left place a definition, in the top right write a synonym (a word that means nearly the same thing), in the bottom left write (or draw) an example or write sentence with context clues, and in the bottom right write an antonym (a word that is the opposite of the word. (Not all words have antonyms.) Quiz on Monday, April 2. I'll check the study cards/sheets then.
B
balk (v.) to stop, block abruptly (Edna’s boss balked at her request for another raise.)
banal (adj.) dull, commonplace (The client rejected our proposal because they found
our presentation banal and unimpressive.)
bane (n.) a burden (Advanced physics is the bane of many students’ academic lives.)
bard (n.) a poet, often a singer as well (Shakespeare is often considered the greatest bard in the history of the English language.)
beguile (v.) to trick, deceive (The thief beguiled his partners into surrendering all of their money to him.)
behemoth (n.) something of tremendous power or size (The new aircraft carrier is
among several behemoths that the Air Force has added to its fleet.)
benevolent (adj.) marked by goodness or doing good (Police officers should be
commended for their benevolent service to the community.)
benign (adj.) favorable, not threatening, mild (We were all relieved to hear that the
medical tests determined her tumor to be benign.)
bequeath (v.) to pass on, give (Jon’s father bequeathed his entire estate to his mother.)
berate (v.) to scold vehemently (The angry boss berated his employees for failing to
meet their deadline.)
bereft (adj.) devoid of, without (His family was bereft of food and shelter following the tornado.)
beseech (v.) to beg, plead, implore (The servant beseeched the king for food to feed his starving family.)
bilk (v.) cheat, defraud (The lawyer discovered that this firm had bilked several clients out of thousands of dollars.)
blandish (v.) to coax by using flattery (Rachel’s assistant tried to blandish her into accepting the deal.)
blight 1. (n.) a plague, disease (The potato blight destroyed the harvest and bankrupted many families.) 2. (n.) something that destroys hope (His bad morale is a blight upon this entire operation.)
boisterous (adj.) loud and full of energy (The candidate won the vote after giving
several boisterous speeches on television.)
bombastic (adj.) excessively confident, pompous (The singer’s bombastic performance
disgusted the crowd.)
boon (n.) a gift or blessing (The good weather has been a boon for many businesses
located near the beach.)
bourgeois (n.) a middle-class person, capitalist (Many businessmen receive criticism for their bourgeois approach to life.)
brazen (adj.) excessively bold, brash (Critics condemned the novelist’s brazen attempt to plagiarize Hemingway’s story.)
brusque (adj.) short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain’s brusque manner offended the
passengers.)
buffet 1. (v.) to strike with force (The strong winds buffeted the ships, threatening to capsize them.) 2. (n.) an arrangement of food set out on a table (Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from our buffet and ate standing up.)
burnish (v.) to polish, shine (His mother asked him to burnish the silverware before
setting the table.)
buttress 1. (v.) to support, hold up (The column buttresses the roof above the statue.) 2. (n.) something that offers support (The buttress supports the roof above the statues.)
C
cacophony (n.) tremendous noise, disharmonious sound (The elementary school
orchestra created a cacophony at the recital.)
cadence (n.) a rhythm, progression of sound (The pianist used the foot pedal to
emphasize the cadence of the sonata.)
cajole (v.) to urge, coax (Fred’s buddies cajoled him into attending the bachelor party.)
calamity (n.) an event with disastrous consequences (The earthquake in San Francisco
was a calamity worse than any other natural disaster in history.)
calibrate (v.) to set, standardize (The mechanic calibrated the car’s transmission to
make the motor run most efficiently.)
callous (adj.) harsh, cold, unfeeling (The murderer’s callous lack of remorse shocked the jury.)
calumny (n.) an attempt to spoil someone else’s reputation by spreading lies (The local official’s calumny ended up ruining his opponent’s prospect of winning the election.)
camaraderie (n.) brotherhood, jovial unity (Camaraderie among employees usually
leads to success in business.)
candor (n.) honesty, frankness (We were surprised by the candor of the mayor’s speech
because he is usually rather evasive.)
canny (adj.) shrewd, careful (The canny runner hung at the back of the pack through
much of the race to watch the other runners, and then sprinted past them at the end.)
canvas 2. (v.) to cover, inspect (We canvassed the neighborhood looking for clues.) 1. (n.) a piece of cloth on which an artist paints (Picasso liked to work on canvas rather than on bare cement.)
capacious (adj.) very spacious (The workers delighted in their new capacious office space.)
capitulate (v.) to surrender (The army finally capitulated after fighting a long costly battle.)
capricious (adj.) subject to whim, fickle (The young girl’s capricious tendencies made it difficult for her to focus on achieving her goals.)
captivate (v.) to get the attention of, hold (The fireworks captivated the young boy, who had never seen such things before.)
carouse (v.) to party, celebrate (We caroused all night after getting married.)
carp (v.) to annoy, pester (The husband divorced his wife after listening to her carping voice for decades.)
catalyze (v.) to charge, inspire (The president’s speech catalyzed the nation and
resuscitated the economy.)
caucus (n.) a meeting usually held by people working toward the same goal (The
ironworkers held a caucus to determine how much of a pay increase they would
request.)
caustic (adj.) bitter, biting, acidic (The politicians exchanged caustic insults for over an hour during the debate.)
cavort (v.) to leap about, behave boisterously (The adults ate their dinners on the patio, while the children cavorted around the pool.)
censure 1. (n.) harsh criticism (The frustrated teenager could not put up with anymore of her critical mother’s censure.) 2. (v.) to rebuke formally (The principal censured the head of the English Department for forcing students to learn esoteric
vocabulary.)
cerebral (adj.) related to the intellect (The books we read in this class are too cerebral—they don’t engage my emotions at all.)
chastise (v.) to criticize severely (After being chastised by her peers for mimicking
Britney Spears, Miranda dyed her hair black and affected a Gothic style.)
chide (v.) to voice disapproval (Lucy chided Russell for his vulgar habits and sloppy
appearance.)
choreography (n.) the arrangement of dances (The plot of the musical was banal, but the choreography was stunning.)
chronicle 1. (n.) a written history (The library featured the newly updated chronicle of World War II.) 2. (v.) to write a history (Albert’s diary chronicled the day-to-day growth of his obsession with Cynthia.)
chronological (adj.) arranged in order of time (Lionel carefully arranged the snapshots of his former girlfriends in chronological order, and then set fire to them.)
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
SAT Prep: Vocabulary "A"
Source: Sparknotes' The 1000 Most Common SAT Words
For each word make a study card or sheet. Include the word in the middle in the top left place a definition, in the top right write a synonym (a word that means nearly the same thing), in the bottom left write (or draw) an example or write sentence with context clues, and in the bottom right write an antonym (a word that is the opposite of the word. (Not all words have antonyms.) Completing these study cards or sheets is your homework for Wednesday.
Abate (v.) to reduce, lessen (The rain poured down for a while, then abated.)
Abdicate (v.) to give up a position, usually one of leadership (When he realized that the
revolutionaries would surely win, the king abdicated his throne.)
aberration (n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won
the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and the Red Sox
have not won a World Series since.)
abhor (v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up kicking himself in the head
when he tried to play soccer, Oswald began to abhor the sport.)
abjure (v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the President abjured the evil
policies of his wicked predecessor.)
abscond (v.) to sneak away and hide (In the confusion, the super-spy absconded into the
night with the secret plans.)
absolution (n.) freedom from blame, guilt, sin (Once all the facts were known, the jury
gave Angela absolution by giving a verdict of not guilty.)
accentuate (v.) to stress, highlight (Psychologists agree that those people who are
happiest accentuate the positive in life.)
accost (v.) to confront verbally (Though Antoinette was normally quite calm, when the
waiter spilled soup on her for the fourth time in 15 minutes she stood up and accosted
the man.)
acerbic (adj.) biting, bitter in tone or taste (Jill became extremely acerbic and began to
cruelly make fun of all her friends.)
acquiesce (v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Correlli wanted to stay outside
and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner,
he acquiesced to her demands.)
acrimony (n.) bitterness, discord (Though they vowed that no girl would ever come
between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their
friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.)
acumen (n.) keen insight (Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure
out in minutes problems that took other students hours.)
acute 1. (adj.) sharp, severe (Arnold could not walk because the pain in his foot was so
acute.) 2. (adj.) having keen insight (Because she was so acute, Libby instantly
figured out how the magician pulled off his “magic.”)
admonish (v.) to caution, criticize, reprove (Joe’s mother admonished him not to ruin
his appetite by eating cookies before dinner.)
adroit (adj.) skillful, dexterous (The adroit thief could pick someone’s pocket without
attracting notice.)
aesthetic (adj.) artistic, related to the appreciation of beauty (We hired Susan as our
interior decorator because she has such a fine aesthetic sense.)
affable (adj.) friendly, amiable (People like to be around George because he is so affable
and good-natured.)
aggregate 1. (n.) a whole or total (The three branches of the U.S. Government form an
aggregate much more powerful than its individual parts.) 2. (v.) to gather into a
mass (The dictator tried to aggregate as many people into his army as he possibly
could.)
agnostic (adj.) believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven
(Joey’s parents are very religious, but he is agnostic.)
alacrity (n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother
whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table he did so with
alacrity.)
allay (v.) to soothe, ease (The chairman of the Federal Reserve gave a speech to try to
allay investors’ fears about an economic downturn.)
ambiguous (adj.) uncertain, variably interpretable (Some people think Caesar married
Cleopatra for her power, others believe he was charmed by her beauty. His actual
reasons are ambiguous.)
anachronistic (adj.) being out of correct chronological order (In this book you’re
writing, you say that the Pyramids were built after the Titanic sank, which is
anachronistic.)
analogous (adj.) similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn (Though they are unrelated
genetically, the bone structure of whales and fish is quite analogous.)
anathema (n.) a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an
anathema to me.)
anecdote (n.) a short, humorous account (After dinner, Marlon told an anecdote about
the time he got his nose stuck in a toaster.)
annex 1. (v.) to incorporate territory or space (After defeating them in battle, the
Russians annexed Poland.) 2. (n.) a room attached to a larger room or space (He
likes to do his studying in a little annex attached to the main reading room in the
library.)
annul (v.) to make void or invalid (After seeing its unforeseen and catastrophic effects,
Congress sought to annul the law.)
anomaly (n.) something that does not fit into the normal order (“That rip in the spacetime
continuum is certainly a spatial anomaly,” said Spock to Captain Kirk.)
antipathy (n.) a strong dislike, repugnance (I know you love me, but because you are a
liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you.)
antithesis (n.) the absolute opposite (Your values, which hold war and violence in the
highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs.)
apathetic (adj.) lacking concern, emotion (Uninterested in politics, Bruno was
apathetic about whether he lived under a capitalist or communist regime.)
apocryphal (adj.) fictitious, false, wrong (Because I am standing before you, it seems
obvious that the stories circulating about my demise were apocryphal.)
approbation (n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.)
arboreal (adj.) of or relating to trees (Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits.)
arcane (adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcane
Lithuanian literature.)
archaic (adj.) of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated (In a few select regions
of Western Mongolian, an archaic Chinese dialect is still spoken.)
archetypal (adj.) the most representative or typical example of something (Some
believe George Washington, with his flowing white hair and commanding stature,
was the archetypal politician.)
ascertain (v.) to perceive, learn (With a bit of research, the student ascertained that
some plants can live for weeks without water.)
ascetic (adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious (The
priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures.)
assiduous (adj.) hard-working, diligent (The construction workers erected the
skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.)
assuage (v.) to ease, pacify (The mother held the baby to assuage its fears.)
atrophy (v.) to wither away, decay (If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will
soon atrophy and die.)
avarice (n.) excessive greed (The banker’s avarice led him to amass a tremendous
personal fortune.)
For each word make a study card or sheet. Include the word in the middle in the top left place a definition, in the top right write a synonym (a word that means nearly the same thing), in the bottom left write (or draw) an example or write sentence with context clues, and in the bottom right write an antonym (a word that is the opposite of the word. (Not all words have antonyms.) Completing these study cards or sheets is your homework for Wednesday.
Abate (v.) to reduce, lessen (The rain poured down for a while, then abated.)
Abdicate (v.) to give up a position, usually one of leadership (When he realized that the
revolutionaries would surely win, the king abdicated his throne.)
aberration (n.) something that differs from the norm (In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won
the World Series, but the success turned out to be an aberration, and the Red Sox
have not won a World Series since.)
abhor (v.) to hate, detest (Because he always wound up kicking himself in the head
when he tried to play soccer, Oswald began to abhor the sport.)
abjure (v.) to reject, renounce (To prove his honesty, the President abjured the evil
policies of his wicked predecessor.)
abscond (v.) to sneak away and hide (In the confusion, the super-spy absconded into the
night with the secret plans.)
absolution (n.) freedom from blame, guilt, sin (Once all the facts were known, the jury
gave Angela absolution by giving a verdict of not guilty.)
accentuate (v.) to stress, highlight (Psychologists agree that those people who are
happiest accentuate the positive in life.)
accost (v.) to confront verbally (Though Antoinette was normally quite calm, when the
waiter spilled soup on her for the fourth time in 15 minutes she stood up and accosted
the man.)
acerbic (adj.) biting, bitter in tone or taste (Jill became extremely acerbic and began to
cruelly make fun of all her friends.)
acquiesce (v.) to agree without protesting (Though Mr. Correlli wanted to stay outside
and work in his garage, when his wife told him that he had better come in to dinner,
he acquiesced to her demands.)
acrimony (n.) bitterness, discord (Though they vowed that no girl would ever come
between them, Biff and Trevor could not keep acrimony from overwhelming their
friendship after they both fell in love with the lovely Teresa.)
acumen (n.) keen insight (Because of his mathematical acumen, Larry was able to figure
out in minutes problems that took other students hours.)
acute 1. (adj.) sharp, severe (Arnold could not walk because the pain in his foot was so
acute.) 2. (adj.) having keen insight (Because she was so acute, Libby instantly
figured out how the magician pulled off his “magic.”)
admonish (v.) to caution, criticize, reprove (Joe’s mother admonished him not to ruin
his appetite by eating cookies before dinner.)
adroit (adj.) skillful, dexterous (The adroit thief could pick someone’s pocket without
attracting notice.)
aesthetic (adj.) artistic, related to the appreciation of beauty (We hired Susan as our
interior decorator because she has such a fine aesthetic sense.)
affable (adj.) friendly, amiable (People like to be around George because he is so affable
and good-natured.)
aggregate 1. (n.) a whole or total (The three branches of the U.S. Government form an
aggregate much more powerful than its individual parts.) 2. (v.) to gather into a
mass (The dictator tried to aggregate as many people into his army as he possibly
could.)
agnostic (adj.) believing that the existence of God cannot be proven or disproven
(Joey’s parents are very religious, but he is agnostic.)
alacrity (n.) eagerness, speed (For some reason, Chuck loved to help his mother
whenever he could, so when his mother asked him to set the table he did so with
alacrity.)
allay (v.) to soothe, ease (The chairman of the Federal Reserve gave a speech to try to
allay investors’ fears about an economic downturn.)
ambiguous (adj.) uncertain, variably interpretable (Some people think Caesar married
Cleopatra for her power, others believe he was charmed by her beauty. His actual
reasons are ambiguous.)
anachronistic (adj.) being out of correct chronological order (In this book you’re
writing, you say that the Pyramids were built after the Titanic sank, which is
anachronistic.)
analogous (adj.) similar to, so that an analogy can be drawn (Though they are unrelated
genetically, the bone structure of whales and fish is quite analogous.)
anathema (n.) a cursed, detested person (I never want to see that murderer. He is an
anathema to me.)
anecdote (n.) a short, humorous account (After dinner, Marlon told an anecdote about
the time he got his nose stuck in a toaster.)
annex 1. (v.) to incorporate territory or space (After defeating them in battle, the
Russians annexed Poland.) 2. (n.) a room attached to a larger room or space (He
likes to do his studying in a little annex attached to the main reading room in the
library.)
annul (v.) to make void or invalid (After seeing its unforeseen and catastrophic effects,
Congress sought to annul the law.)
anomaly (n.) something that does not fit into the normal order (“That rip in the spacetime
continuum is certainly a spatial anomaly,” said Spock to Captain Kirk.)
antipathy (n.) a strong dislike, repugnance (I know you love me, but because you are a
liar and a thief, I feel nothing but antipathy for you.)
antithesis (n.) the absolute opposite (Your values, which hold war and violence in the
highest esteem, are the antithesis of my pacifist beliefs.)
apathetic (adj.) lacking concern, emotion (Uninterested in politics, Bruno was
apathetic about whether he lived under a capitalist or communist regime.)
apocryphal (adj.) fictitious, false, wrong (Because I am standing before you, it seems
obvious that the stories circulating about my demise were apocryphal.)
approbation (n.) praise (The crowd welcomed the heroes with approbation.)
arboreal (adj.) of or relating to trees (Leaves, roots, and bark are a few arboreal traits.)
arcane (adj.) obscure, secret, known only by a few (The professor is an expert in arcane
Lithuanian literature.)
archaic (adj.) of or relating to an earlier period in time, outdated (In a few select regions
of Western Mongolian, an archaic Chinese dialect is still spoken.)
archetypal (adj.) the most representative or typical example of something (Some
believe George Washington, with his flowing white hair and commanding stature,
was the archetypal politician.)
ascertain (v.) to perceive, learn (With a bit of research, the student ascertained that
some plants can live for weeks without water.)
ascetic (adj.) practicing restraint as a means of self-discipline, usually religious (The
priest lives an ascetic life devoid of television, savory foods, and other pleasures.)
assiduous (adj.) hard-working, diligent (The construction workers erected the
skyscraper during two years of assiduous labor.)
assuage (v.) to ease, pacify (The mother held the baby to assuage its fears.)
atrophy (v.) to wither away, decay (If muscles do not receive enough blood, they will
soon atrophy and die.)
avarice (n.) excessive greed (The banker’s avarice led him to amass a tremendous
personal fortune.)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
"To be or not to be" 3.1
Re-read Hamlet’s famous soliloquy.
* Below you'll find the speech.
* Then notes on the speech.
* Then three prompts we'll do together in class (1-3)
* Then a fourth prompt (#4), comparing three different versions of Hamlet & deciding which one you think is best. You will respond to the fourth prompt in the comment box.
To be, or not to be: that is the question (3.1.64-98).
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer (65)
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks (70)
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, (75)
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, (80)
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life, (85)
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of? (90)
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry, (95)
And lose the name of action.-- Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.
NOTES: [Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/od/studentresources/a/tobeornot.htm Amanda Mabillard, B.A. (Honors) is a freelance writer specializing in Shakespeare, Renaissance political theory, theatre history, comparative literary history, and linguistic topics in Renaissance literature.]
slings ] Some argue that "slings" is a misprint of the intended word, "stings". "The stings of fortune" was a common saying in the Renaissance. But in the context of the soliloquy, "slings" likely means "sling-shot" or "missile". This seems in keeping with the reference to "arrows" - both can do great harm.
outrageous fortune ] Fortune is "outrageous" in that it is brazenly defiant.
And by opposing end them ] If you cannot suffer the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" then you must end your troubles with suicide. [Mr. Cook’s note: other critics read this phrase more broadly.]
consummation ] Final settlement of all matters.
rub ] Impediment. The term comes from bowling, where the "rub" is any obstacle the pushes the ball off course.
shuffled off this mortal coil ] To separate from one's body (mortal coil = body).
respect ] Consideration.
of so long life ] So long-lived.
time ] Time = temporal life.
his quietus make ] Settle his own account.
bare bodkin ] A "mere dagger". Bodkin was a Renaissance term used to describe many different sharp instruments, but it makes the most sense here to assume Shakespeare means a dagger.
fardels ] Burdens.
No traveller returns ] Since Hamlet has already encountered his father's ghost, and thus proof of the afterlife, this line has raised much debate. There are four major current theories regarding this line: 1) Shakespeare made an egregious error and simply failed to reconcile the appearance of the ghost and Hamlet's belief that human beings do not return; 2) Hamlet has earlier revealed that he doubts the authenticity of the ghost and, therefore, he does not believe his father has truly returned; 3) Hamlet is referring only to human beings returning in the flesh and not as mere shadows of their former selves; 4) the entire soliloquy is misplaced and rightfully belongs before Hamlet has met his father's ghost. In my estimation, theory #4 seems the most plausible.
bourn ] Limit or boundary.
native hue of resolution ] Natural. Here Hamlet refers to the "natural color of courage".
pale cast of thought ] Sickly tinge of contemplation.
great pitch and moment ] Of momentous significance. The "pitch" was the name given to the highest point in a falcon's flight before it dives down to catch its prey.
With this regard their currents turn awry ] A reference to the sea and its tides: "Because of their thoughts, their currents become unstable".
Soft you now ] "But hush!". Hamlet hears Ophelia begin to pray and he must cut short his private ponderances.
Nymph ] See commentary below.
orisons ] Prayers.
1. Explication (We will discuss this in class.)
Write an explication of this soliloquy. Pay especial attention to Hamlet’s use of metaphorical imagery—“slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” “a sea of troubles,” “this mortal coil,” “the whips and scorns of time,” “the undiscovered country from whose bourn / No traveler returns,” “the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,” “enterprises of great pitch and moment / With this regard their currents turn awry, / And lose the name of action,” etc.
2. Pronouns (We will discuss this in class.)
Hamlet uses “I” more than a dozen times in his “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!” soliloquy, but no first person singular pronouns are found in this soliloquy. Instead, he uses “we” three times and “us” once. Think a bit about his pronoun use. How does the change of pronouns help explain the change in tone between the two speeches? (Think about which speech is angrier—both towards himself and others—and which speech is more thoughtful and philosophical. Explain how the tone shift is related to the shift in pronouns.) How might the change in pronouns also help explain why this soliloquy is the most remembered of Hamlet’s speeches? (Think about which speech is more particular to Hamlet’s circumstance. Think about which speech is more universal and more applicable to others, including us.) The shift in pronouns helps explain both the shift in tone between the two soliloquies and why the second soliloquy is the more famous of the two. Explain.
3. Blank Verse (We will do this in class.)
Much of Hamlet is written in blank verse meaning most lines do not rhyme but they do follow a particular meter (a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables). The meter is called iambic pentameter. “Iambic” means unstressed syllables are followed by stressed syllables: “And makes us rather bear those ills we have”. Pentameter means there are five iambs.
a. Practice yourself. Use “/ ” to mark stressed syllables and an elongated “u” to mark unstressed syllables
“…And makes us rather bear those ills we have,
than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all…”
***
But notice the meter can often be ambiguous. Many actors deliver the first line of this famous soliloquy by varying the rhythm:
“To be, or not to be, that is the question” or “To be, or not to be, that is the question”
But it is possible without doing any violence to English language to read the line iambically:
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
Notice that the beginning of the line (before the caesura or pause) follows the iambic pattern: unstressed syllable then stressed syllable. Then many actors change the rhythm for emphasis. Where the audience expects an unstressed syllable he places a stressed syllable. Shakespeare puts extra emphasis on the word “that”. The variation in the rhythm makes the stress even more noticeable.
b. Is a slight difference in meaning conveyed by the variation? Explain.
***
Further notes about rhythm.
• A few more points: Notice that Hamlet’s soliloquy ends with the line:
“Be all my sins remembered.”
Then notice that Ophelia’s first words are indented.
“Be all my sins remembered.
Good my lord.”
Her line is indented to indicate that her words complete the iambic pentameter.
If you combine Hamlet’s last line and Ophelia’s first line you’ll find a perfect iambic line:
“Be all my sins remembered. Good my lord.”
You’ll notice this throughout the play!
• Finally flip back to act two scene two.
Notice that the writing changes from blank verse poetry to prose (regular writing) and then back again. Not all of Hamlet is written as blank verse poetry.
As you read on look for both prose and blank verse.
4. Three Hamlets and three Hamlets (*Do this.*)
After watching many interpretations of the 3.1 soliloquy in Hamlet—three from class directed by Kenneth Branagh with Branagh as Hamlet (1996), directed by Franco Zeffirelli with Mel Gibson as Hamlet (1990), and directed by Michael Almereyda with Ethan Hawke as Hamlet (2000) and perhaps the Laurence Olivier and Alexander Fodor versions found at gallagherseniorhonors.blogspot.com—decide which film best conveys the full meaning of the text.
Begin with the text: the meaning of the text and the language in the text. Then, consider how the director’s and actor’s choices influence the meaning and the effectiveness of the speech. Consider the actor’s portrayal of Hamlet. Consider his movements and the delivery of the lines. Consider the director’s choices of props, setting and images, lighting, editing, music and other sounds.
(Think, for example, about Branagh’s hall of mirrors (which creates double meanings and makes the speech not a soliloquy), Zeffirelli’s catacombs (which seems to emphasize Hamlet’s meditations on death), and Almereyda’s Blockbuster video store (which highlights Hamlet’s obsession with action.). Which depictions are most effective?)
Make sure you provide support using both textual details and visual details. Convince me and your peers that you are right.
* Below you'll find the speech.
* Then notes on the speech.
* Then three prompts we'll do together in class (1-3)
* Then a fourth prompt (#4), comparing three different versions of Hamlet & deciding which one you think is best. You will respond to the fourth prompt in the comment box.
To be, or not to be: that is the question (3.1.64-98).
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer (65)
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks (70)
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, (75)
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, (80)
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life, (85)
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of? (90)
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry, (95)
And lose the name of action.-- Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.
NOTES: [Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/od/studentresources/a/tobeornot.htm Amanda Mabillard, B.A. (Honors) is a freelance writer specializing in Shakespeare, Renaissance political theory, theatre history, comparative literary history, and linguistic topics in Renaissance literature.]
slings ] Some argue that "slings" is a misprint of the intended word, "stings". "The stings of fortune" was a common saying in the Renaissance. But in the context of the soliloquy, "slings" likely means "sling-shot" or "missile". This seems in keeping with the reference to "arrows" - both can do great harm.
outrageous fortune ] Fortune is "outrageous" in that it is brazenly defiant.
And by opposing end them ] If you cannot suffer the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" then you must end your troubles with suicide. [Mr. Cook’s note: other critics read this phrase more broadly.]
consummation ] Final settlement of all matters.
rub ] Impediment. The term comes from bowling, where the "rub" is any obstacle the pushes the ball off course.
shuffled off this mortal coil ] To separate from one's body (mortal coil = body).
respect ] Consideration.
of so long life ] So long-lived.
time ] Time = temporal life.
his quietus make ] Settle his own account.
bare bodkin ] A "mere dagger". Bodkin was a Renaissance term used to describe many different sharp instruments, but it makes the most sense here to assume Shakespeare means a dagger.
fardels ] Burdens.
No traveller returns ] Since Hamlet has already encountered his father's ghost, and thus proof of the afterlife, this line has raised much debate. There are four major current theories regarding this line: 1) Shakespeare made an egregious error and simply failed to reconcile the appearance of the ghost and Hamlet's belief that human beings do not return; 2) Hamlet has earlier revealed that he doubts the authenticity of the ghost and, therefore, he does not believe his father has truly returned; 3) Hamlet is referring only to human beings returning in the flesh and not as mere shadows of their former selves; 4) the entire soliloquy is misplaced and rightfully belongs before Hamlet has met his father's ghost. In my estimation, theory #4 seems the most plausible.
bourn ] Limit or boundary.
native hue of resolution ] Natural. Here Hamlet refers to the "natural color of courage".
pale cast of thought ] Sickly tinge of contemplation.
great pitch and moment ] Of momentous significance. The "pitch" was the name given to the highest point in a falcon's flight before it dives down to catch its prey.
With this regard their currents turn awry ] A reference to the sea and its tides: "Because of their thoughts, their currents become unstable".
Soft you now ] "But hush!". Hamlet hears Ophelia begin to pray and he must cut short his private ponderances.
Nymph ] See commentary below.
orisons ] Prayers.
1. Explication (We will discuss this in class.)
Write an explication of this soliloquy. Pay especial attention to Hamlet’s use of metaphorical imagery—“slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” “a sea of troubles,” “this mortal coil,” “the whips and scorns of time,” “the undiscovered country from whose bourn / No traveler returns,” “the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,” “enterprises of great pitch and moment / With this regard their currents turn awry, / And lose the name of action,” etc.
2. Pronouns (We will discuss this in class.)
Hamlet uses “I” more than a dozen times in his “O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!” soliloquy, but no first person singular pronouns are found in this soliloquy. Instead, he uses “we” three times and “us” once. Think a bit about his pronoun use. How does the change of pronouns help explain the change in tone between the two speeches? (Think about which speech is angrier—both towards himself and others—and which speech is more thoughtful and philosophical. Explain how the tone shift is related to the shift in pronouns.) How might the change in pronouns also help explain why this soliloquy is the most remembered of Hamlet’s speeches? (Think about which speech is more particular to Hamlet’s circumstance. Think about which speech is more universal and more applicable to others, including us.) The shift in pronouns helps explain both the shift in tone between the two soliloquies and why the second soliloquy is the more famous of the two. Explain.
3. Blank Verse (We will do this in class.)
Much of Hamlet is written in blank verse meaning most lines do not rhyme but they do follow a particular meter (a pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables). The meter is called iambic pentameter. “Iambic” means unstressed syllables are followed by stressed syllables: “And makes us rather bear those ills we have”. Pentameter means there are five iambs.
a. Practice yourself. Use “/ ” to mark stressed syllables and an elongated “u” to mark unstressed syllables
“…And makes us rather bear those ills we have,
than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all…”
***
But notice the meter can often be ambiguous. Many actors deliver the first line of this famous soliloquy by varying the rhythm:
“To be, or not to be, that is the question” or “To be, or not to be, that is the question”
But it is possible without doing any violence to English language to read the line iambically:
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
Notice that the beginning of the line (before the caesura or pause) follows the iambic pattern: unstressed syllable then stressed syllable. Then many actors change the rhythm for emphasis. Where the audience expects an unstressed syllable he places a stressed syllable. Shakespeare puts extra emphasis on the word “that”. The variation in the rhythm makes the stress even more noticeable.
b. Is a slight difference in meaning conveyed by the variation? Explain.
***
Further notes about rhythm.
• A few more points: Notice that Hamlet’s soliloquy ends with the line:
“Be all my sins remembered.”
Then notice that Ophelia’s first words are indented.
“Be all my sins remembered.
Good my lord.”
Her line is indented to indicate that her words complete the iambic pentameter.
If you combine Hamlet’s last line and Ophelia’s first line you’ll find a perfect iambic line:
“Be all my sins remembered. Good my lord.”
You’ll notice this throughout the play!
• Finally flip back to act two scene two.
Notice that the writing changes from blank verse poetry to prose (regular writing) and then back again. Not all of Hamlet is written as blank verse poetry.
As you read on look for both prose and blank verse.
4. Three Hamlets and three Hamlets (*Do this.*)
After watching many interpretations of the 3.1 soliloquy in Hamlet—three from class directed by Kenneth Branagh with Branagh as Hamlet (1996), directed by Franco Zeffirelli with Mel Gibson as Hamlet (1990), and directed by Michael Almereyda with Ethan Hawke as Hamlet (2000) and perhaps the Laurence Olivier and Alexander Fodor versions found at gallagherseniorhonors.blogspot.com—decide which film best conveys the full meaning of the text.
Begin with the text: the meaning of the text and the language in the text. Then, consider how the director’s and actor’s choices influence the meaning and the effectiveness of the speech. Consider the actor’s portrayal of Hamlet. Consider his movements and the delivery of the lines. Consider the director’s choices of props, setting and images, lighting, editing, music and other sounds.
(Think, for example, about Branagh’s hall of mirrors (which creates double meanings and makes the speech not a soliloquy), Zeffirelli’s catacombs (which seems to emphasize Hamlet’s meditations on death), and Almereyda’s Blockbuster video store (which highlights Hamlet’s obsession with action.). Which depictions are most effective?)
Make sure you provide support using both textual details and visual details. Convince me and your peers that you are right.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Hamlet's Second Soliloquy (2.2): Write comment by class time on Tuesday, March 16
Hamlet’s second soliloquy (2.2)
Now I am alone. O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! (555)
Is it not monstrous that this player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit
That from her working all his visage wann'd,
Tears in his eyes, distraction in's aspect, (560)
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
With forms to his conceit? and all for nothing!
For Hecuba!
What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her? What would he do, (565)
Had he the motive and the cue for passion
That I have? He would drown the stage with tears
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech,
Make mad the guilty and appall the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed (570)
The very faculties of eyes and ears. Yet I,
A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak,
Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
And can say nothing; no, not for a king,
Upon whose property and most dear life (575)
A damn'd defeat was made. Am I a coward?
Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across?
Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face?
Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' the throat,
As deep as to the lungs? who does me this? (580)
Ha!
'Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be
But I am pigeon-liver'd and lack gall
To make oppression bitter, or ere this
I should have fatted all the region kites (585)
With this slave's offal: bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!
O, vengeance!
Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,
That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, (590)
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,
And fall a-cursing, like a very drab,
A scullion!
Fie upon't! foh! About, my brain! I have heard (595)
That guilty creatures sitting at a play
Have by the very cunning of the scene
Been struck so to the soul that presently
They have proclaim'd their malefactions;
For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak (600)
With most miraculous organ. I'll have these players
Play something like the murder of my father
Before mine uncle: I'll observe his looks;
I'll tent him to the quick: if he but blench,
I know my course. The spirit that I have seen (605)
May be the devil: and the devil hath power
To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me: I'll have grounds (610)
More relative than this: the play 's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
rogue ] Useless vagrant.
peasant ] A person of little integrity (see The Taming of the Shrew 4.1.113).
player...Hecuba ] This passage is often very difficult for students, and standard annotations leave them wanting. So it is best paraphrased:
Is it not horribly unfair that this actor, pretending to feel great passion, could, based on what he has conceived in his own mind, force his own soul to believe the part that he is playing, so much so that all the powers of his body adapt themselves to suit his acting needs, so that he grows agitated ("distraction in's aspect"), weeps, and turns pale ("wann'd")? And why does he carry on so? Why does he pretend until he truly makes himself weep? For Hecuba! But why? What are they to each other?
Hamlet wishes he could arouse his passions so.
Hecuba ] Trojan queen and heroine of classical mythology. Earlier in 2.2 Hamlet asks the First Player to recite a monologue retelling Hecuba's response to the death of her husband, King Priam. The Player tells us that Hecuba's grief was profound and "Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven/And passion in the gods" (505-6). The contrast between Gertrude and Hecuba should be noted. To Hamlet, Hecuba has responded appropriately to her husband's death, while Gertrude has not.
cue for passion ] The reason for strong feelings.
Make mad the guilty ] "By his description of the crime he would drive those spectators mad who had any such sin on their conscience, and would horrify even the innocent" (Kittredge 68),
amaze ] Plunge into confusion.
muddy-mettled ] Dull-spirited.
peak ] Moping about; languishing, unable to act.
John-a-dreams ] A nickname for a dreamer.
unpregnant ] "Pregnant" here does not mean "with child", but rather, quick or ready. Thus to be "unpregnant" is to be unable to act quickly.
pate ] Head.
swounds ] God's wounds.
pigeon-liver'd ] In the Renaissance, the gentle disposition of the Dove was explained by the argument that it had no gall and thus no capacity to feel resentment or to seek revenge. The liver also was seen as the body's storehouse for courage.
region kites ] The birds of prey in the region, circling in the sky, waiting to feed. If Hamlet were not "pigeon-liver'd" (583) he would have long ago fed Claudius to the hawks.
kindless ] Unnatural.
drab ] A whore.
scullion ] A kitchen helper, either man or woman but usually a woman. It was a term used to show contempt. One should note that in the second quarto, scullion was actually "stallyon", which means a male whore. Scholars are still undecided on the matter, but scullion is the more generally accepted of the two.
proclaim'd their malefactions ] Announced their evil deeds.
blench ] Flinch.
Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/library/weekly/aa061500b.htm
2.2 Soliloquy Response
Write an explication (one page, 300 words) of this soliloquy. An explications is not a paraphrase or a summary, but explains and explores a text thoroughly. You will explain what Hamlet is saying and how he says it.
When explaining “what Hamlet is saying,” remember that the soliloquy is a tool that Shakespeare uses to show Hamlet’s mind at work. Ask yourself “what does this reveal about Hamlet?” and “how does what he says fit into the work as a whole?” Deal with the surface and the depths.)
When explaining “how he says it,” pay close attention to the language (particular word choices, sentence structure, etc.) and imagery (including figurative language, such as metaphors). Ask yourself “what does how he speaks and the language that he uses reveal about Hamlet?”
Now I am alone. O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! (555)
Is it not monstrous that this player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit
That from her working all his visage wann'd,
Tears in his eyes, distraction in's aspect, (560)
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
With forms to his conceit? and all for nothing!
For Hecuba!
What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her? What would he do, (565)
Had he the motive and the cue for passion
That I have? He would drown the stage with tears
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech,
Make mad the guilty and appall the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed (570)
The very faculties of eyes and ears. Yet I,
A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak,
Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
And can say nothing; no, not for a king,
Upon whose property and most dear life (575)
A damn'd defeat was made. Am I a coward?
Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across?
Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face?
Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' the throat,
As deep as to the lungs? who does me this? (580)
Ha!
'Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be
But I am pigeon-liver'd and lack gall
To make oppression bitter, or ere this
I should have fatted all the region kites (585)
With this slave's offal: bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!
O, vengeance!
Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,
That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, (590)
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,
And fall a-cursing, like a very drab,
A scullion!
Fie upon't! foh! About, my brain! I have heard (595)
That guilty creatures sitting at a play
Have by the very cunning of the scene
Been struck so to the soul that presently
They have proclaim'd their malefactions;
For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak (600)
With most miraculous organ. I'll have these players
Play something like the murder of my father
Before mine uncle: I'll observe his looks;
I'll tent him to the quick: if he but blench,
I know my course. The spirit that I have seen (605)
May be the devil: and the devil hath power
To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me: I'll have grounds (610)
More relative than this: the play 's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
rogue ] Useless vagrant.
peasant ] A person of little integrity (see The Taming of the Shrew 4.1.113).
player...Hecuba ] This passage is often very difficult for students, and standard annotations leave them wanting. So it is best paraphrased:
Is it not horribly unfair that this actor, pretending to feel great passion, could, based on what he has conceived in his own mind, force his own soul to believe the part that he is playing, so much so that all the powers of his body adapt themselves to suit his acting needs, so that he grows agitated ("distraction in's aspect"), weeps, and turns pale ("wann'd")? And why does he carry on so? Why does he pretend until he truly makes himself weep? For Hecuba! But why? What are they to each other?
Hamlet wishes he could arouse his passions so.
Hecuba ] Trojan queen and heroine of classical mythology. Earlier in 2.2 Hamlet asks the First Player to recite a monologue retelling Hecuba's response to the death of her husband, King Priam. The Player tells us that Hecuba's grief was profound and "Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven/And passion in the gods" (505-6). The contrast between Gertrude and Hecuba should be noted. To Hamlet, Hecuba has responded appropriately to her husband's death, while Gertrude has not.
cue for passion ] The reason for strong feelings.
Make mad the guilty ] "By his description of the crime he would drive those spectators mad who had any such sin on their conscience, and would horrify even the innocent" (Kittredge 68),
amaze ] Plunge into confusion.
muddy-mettled ] Dull-spirited.
peak ] Moping about; languishing, unable to act.
John-a-dreams ] A nickname for a dreamer.
unpregnant ] "Pregnant" here does not mean "with child", but rather, quick or ready. Thus to be "unpregnant" is to be unable to act quickly.
pate ] Head.
swounds ] God's wounds.
pigeon-liver'd ] In the Renaissance, the gentle disposition of the Dove was explained by the argument that it had no gall and thus no capacity to feel resentment or to seek revenge. The liver also was seen as the body's storehouse for courage.
region kites ] The birds of prey in the region, circling in the sky, waiting to feed. If Hamlet were not "pigeon-liver'd" (583) he would have long ago fed Claudius to the hawks.
kindless ] Unnatural.
drab ] A whore.
scullion ] A kitchen helper, either man or woman but usually a woman. It was a term used to show contempt. One should note that in the second quarto, scullion was actually "stallyon", which means a male whore. Scholars are still undecided on the matter, but scullion is the more generally accepted of the two.
proclaim'd their malefactions ] Announced their evil deeds.
blench ] Flinch.
Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/library/weekly/aa061500b.htm
2.2 Soliloquy Response
Write an explication (one page, 300 words) of this soliloquy. An explications is not a paraphrase or a summary, but explains and explores a text thoroughly. You will explain what Hamlet is saying and how he says it.
When explaining “what Hamlet is saying,” remember that the soliloquy is a tool that Shakespeare uses to show Hamlet’s mind at work. Ask yourself “what does this reveal about Hamlet?” and “how does what he says fit into the work as a whole?” Deal with the surface and the depths.)
When explaining “how he says it,” pay close attention to the language (particular word choices, sentence structure, etc.) and imagery (including figurative language, such as metaphors). Ask yourself “what does how he speaks and the language that he uses reveal about Hamlet?”
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Hamlet's First Soliloquy -- Due Pumpkin time Wednesday
Re-read Hamlet’s first soliloquy and answer the questions that follow.
SOLILOQUY
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt (1.2.131-61).
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, (135)
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two: (140)
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? why, she would hang on him, (145)
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on: and yet, within a month --
Let me not think on't -- Frailty, thy name is woman! --
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she follow'd my poor father's body, (150)
Like Niobe, all tears: -- why she, even she --
O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,
Would have mourn'd longer--married with my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules: within a month: (155)
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not nor it cannot come to good: (160)
But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue.
NOTES
too too ] The duplication of "too" intensifies Hamlet's feelings of regret. Repetition of this kind was a popular literary device in the Renaissance.
solid ] Many scholars ask whether Shakespeare intended "solid" to be actually "sallied", a form of the word "sullied". The second quarto of Hamlet contains "sallied", but the First Folio prints it as "solid". Modern editors have been quite divided on the issue. Editors of The Arden Shakespeare have chosen to use "sullied", while editors of The New Cambridge Shakespeare have decided upon "solid". The reasoning for the use of "solid" is fairly evident, as it logically corresponds to "would melt" (131). However, there are good arguments to support the claim that Shakespeare did mean "sullied". With "sullied" we have the "suggestion of contamination" (Jenkins 437), which is apparent throughout the soliloquy. Some critics stress "sullied" as the "contrast to 'self-slaughter' the resolving of the baser element into the higher, whereby Hamlet might return from melancholy to normal health, or, if to become dew is to die, then from 'misery' to 'felicity'. But there is surely no thought here of being restored to health or happiness, only of being free of the 'flesh' whether through its own deliquescence or through suicide." (Jenkns 187).
canon ] divine law; the Church regards "suicide" or "self-slaughter" forbidden by the Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill".
flat ] Spiritless.
unweeded garden ] A well-tended garden was symbolic of harmony and normalcy.
in nature/Possess it merely ] Although Hamlet accepts weeds as a natural part of the garden (and more generally a natural part of life), he feels that the weeds have grown out of control and now possess nature entirely (merely = entirely).
Hyperion ] {hy-peer'-ee-uhn} One of the Titans and the father of Helios, the sun-god.
Satyr ] {say'-tur} A grotesque creature, half-man and half-goat, symbolic of sexual promiscuity. Hamlet's reference to his dead father as Hyperion and to his uncle Claudius as a satyr illustrates Hamlet's contempt for Claudius. His father is godlike while his uncle is bestial.
beteem ] Permit. In anguish, Hamlet remembers the way his father would treat Gertrude with such gentleness and care. His father would not permit the wind to "visit her face too roughly".
ere ] Before.
Niobe ] {ny'-oh-bee} Symbolic of a mother's grief. Niobe, Queen of Thebes, boasted that her fourteen children were more lovely than Diana and Apollo, the children of Latona (Leto). Because of her arrogance, Niobe's children were slain by Latona's children, and Zeus turned Niobe to stone - yet still her tears flowed from the rock.
a beast, that wants discourse of reason ] Hamlet believes that even a creature incapable of speech would have mourned longer than Gertrude mourned for Hamlet's father (here wants=lacks). "The faculty of reason was traditionally recognized as the crucial difference between man and the beasts. This lends further significance to the Hyperion-Satyr comparison above. It was through his reason that man could perceive the relation of cause and effect and thus connect past with future, whereas the beast, precisely because it lacks reason, must live largely in the present moment. Hence the axiom that its mourning would be brief." (Jenkins 438).
Hercules ] {hur'-kyoo-leez} A Greek hero renowned for his super-human tasks. Having a father so strong and noble intensifies Hamlet’s feelings of inadequacy.
unrighteous tears ] See commentary below.
flushing ] Flushing refers to the redness in Gertrude's eyes from crying. She did not wait until the redness disappeared from her eyes before she married Claudius.
galled eyes ] Irritated and inflamed eyes.
dexterity ] One could take "dexterity" in this context to mean either speed or nimbleness.
incestuous ] Even though Claudius and Gertrude are related only through marriage, the union between a woman and her husband's brother, even if the brother was deceased, was considered incest (see Leviticus 16:20), and was explicitly forbidden by the Catholic and Anglican religions.
But break, my heart ] Hamlet's heart is heavy because he must keep his anguish to himself. "The heart was thought to be kept in place by ligaments or tendons (the heart-strings) which might snap under the pressure of great emotion" (Edwards 91).
Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/library/weekly/aa061500a.htm#niobe
RESPONDING TO SHAKESPEARE’S/HAMLET’S RHETORIC
1. If you were hired as the editor of a new edition of Hamlet would you choose “solid” or “sullied”? Write a focused paragraph defending your answer.
2. Write a paragraph answering the following questions. What is Hamlet’s attitude toward his own life? Why does he feel this way? Given his circumstances is his attitude justified? Why or why not? If not what do you think his attitude should be? Dig below the surface. Have empathy. Put yourself in his shoes. Don’t just answer the questions create a cohesive paragraph (or paragraphs).
3. Write a paragraph or answering the following questions. What imagery does Hamlet use to describe his feelings about the world? Is this imagery—and the feelings expressed by this imagery—appropriate given the circumstances of his life? Why or why not? What other images might be appropriate (or even more appropriate) in conveying his feelings about the world? Why? Dig below the surface. Have empathy. Put yourself in his shoes. Don’t just answer the questions create a cohesive paragraph (or paragraphs).
4. How does Hamlet feel about his mother? Why? In your paragraph, use at least two quotations from the speech to support your answer.
5. In a paragraph write about Hamlet’s attitudes towards his father and Claudius. In the paragraph you should explain the two contrasts Hamlet uses to show that his father (King Hamlet) is superior to King Claudius. (The notes will help you with these contrasts.)
SOLILOQUY
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt (1.2.131-61).
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, (135)
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two: (140)
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? why, she would hang on him, (145)
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on: and yet, within a month --
Let me not think on't -- Frailty, thy name is woman! --
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she follow'd my poor father's body, (150)
Like Niobe, all tears: -- why she, even she --
O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,
Would have mourn'd longer--married with my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules: within a month: (155)
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not nor it cannot come to good: (160)
But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue.
NOTES
too too ] The duplication of "too" intensifies Hamlet's feelings of regret. Repetition of this kind was a popular literary device in the Renaissance.
solid ] Many scholars ask whether Shakespeare intended "solid" to be actually "sallied", a form of the word "sullied". The second quarto of Hamlet contains "sallied", but the First Folio prints it as "solid". Modern editors have been quite divided on the issue. Editors of The Arden Shakespeare have chosen to use "sullied", while editors of The New Cambridge Shakespeare have decided upon "solid". The reasoning for the use of "solid" is fairly evident, as it logically corresponds to "would melt" (131). However, there are good arguments to support the claim that Shakespeare did mean "sullied". With "sullied" we have the "suggestion of contamination" (Jenkins 437), which is apparent throughout the soliloquy. Some critics stress "sullied" as the "contrast to 'self-slaughter' the resolving of the baser element into the higher, whereby Hamlet might return from melancholy to normal health, or, if to become dew is to die, then from 'misery' to 'felicity'. But there is surely no thought here of being restored to health or happiness, only of being free of the 'flesh' whether through its own deliquescence or through suicide." (Jenkns 187).
canon ] divine law; the Church regards "suicide" or "self-slaughter" forbidden by the Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill".
flat ] Spiritless.
unweeded garden ] A well-tended garden was symbolic of harmony and normalcy.
in nature/Possess it merely ] Although Hamlet accepts weeds as a natural part of the garden (and more generally a natural part of life), he feels that the weeds have grown out of control and now possess nature entirely (merely = entirely).
Hyperion ] {hy-peer'-ee-uhn} One of the Titans and the father of Helios, the sun-god.
Satyr ] {say'-tur} A grotesque creature, half-man and half-goat, symbolic of sexual promiscuity. Hamlet's reference to his dead father as Hyperion and to his uncle Claudius as a satyr illustrates Hamlet's contempt for Claudius. His father is godlike while his uncle is bestial.
beteem ] Permit. In anguish, Hamlet remembers the way his father would treat Gertrude with such gentleness and care. His father would not permit the wind to "visit her face too roughly".
ere ] Before.
Niobe ] {ny'-oh-bee} Symbolic of a mother's grief. Niobe, Queen of Thebes, boasted that her fourteen children were more lovely than Diana and Apollo, the children of Latona (Leto). Because of her arrogance, Niobe's children were slain by Latona's children, and Zeus turned Niobe to stone - yet still her tears flowed from the rock.
a beast, that wants discourse of reason ] Hamlet believes that even a creature incapable of speech would have mourned longer than Gertrude mourned for Hamlet's father (here wants=lacks). "The faculty of reason was traditionally recognized as the crucial difference between man and the beasts. This lends further significance to the Hyperion-Satyr comparison above. It was through his reason that man could perceive the relation of cause and effect and thus connect past with future, whereas the beast, precisely because it lacks reason, must live largely in the present moment. Hence the axiom that its mourning would be brief." (Jenkins 438).
Hercules ] {hur'-kyoo-leez} A Greek hero renowned for his super-human tasks. Having a father so strong and noble intensifies Hamlet’s feelings of inadequacy.
unrighteous tears ] See commentary below.
flushing ] Flushing refers to the redness in Gertrude's eyes from crying. She did not wait until the redness disappeared from her eyes before she married Claudius.
galled eyes ] Irritated and inflamed eyes.
dexterity ] One could take "dexterity" in this context to mean either speed or nimbleness.
incestuous ] Even though Claudius and Gertrude are related only through marriage, the union between a woman and her husband's brother, even if the brother was deceased, was considered incest (see Leviticus 16:20), and was explicitly forbidden by the Catholic and Anglican religions.
But break, my heart ] Hamlet's heart is heavy because he must keep his anguish to himself. "The heart was thought to be kept in place by ligaments or tendons (the heart-strings) which might snap under the pressure of great emotion" (Edwards 91).
Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/library/weekly/aa061500a.htm#niobe
RESPONDING TO SHAKESPEARE’S/HAMLET’S RHETORIC
1. If you were hired as the editor of a new edition of Hamlet would you choose “solid” or “sullied”? Write a focused paragraph defending your answer.
2. Write a paragraph answering the following questions. What is Hamlet’s attitude toward his own life? Why does he feel this way? Given his circumstances is his attitude justified? Why or why not? If not what do you think his attitude should be? Dig below the surface. Have empathy. Put yourself in his shoes. Don’t just answer the questions create a cohesive paragraph (or paragraphs).
3. Write a paragraph or answering the following questions. What imagery does Hamlet use to describe his feelings about the world? Is this imagery—and the feelings expressed by this imagery—appropriate given the circumstances of his life? Why or why not? What other images might be appropriate (or even more appropriate) in conveying his feelings about the world? Why? Dig below the surface. Have empathy. Put yourself in his shoes. Don’t just answer the questions create a cohesive paragraph (or paragraphs).
4. How does Hamlet feel about his mother? Why? In your paragraph, use at least two quotations from the speech to support your answer.
5. In a paragraph write about Hamlet’s attitudes towards his father and Claudius. In the paragraph you should explain the two contrasts Hamlet uses to show that his father (King Hamlet) is superior to King Claudius. (The notes will help you with these contrasts.)
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