Hamlet Blog #2

This week in AP Lit we completed Act I in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and analyzed some of the major themes that were consistent throughout the scenes. In Act I we are introduced to the ghost in the very first scene, which already sets the play in uncertainty and negativity. Along with the ghost representing a bad omen in Denmark, it is also revealed that Denmark is under political turmoil; Norway is threating to invade Denmark and the king of Denmark, King Hamlet, has just died and in the beginning of Scene two we are introduced to his successor, his brother Claudius, not his son Hamlet. In scene II it is revealed that Claudius has married his late brother’s wife Gertrude, which back in Elizabethan age is a huge no no.  In Scene II we finally meet the main character of the story, Hamlet and he is not happy about his mother’s marriage and the fact that she hasn’t mourned her husband’s death as long as she should have. In Scene III we meet Laertes, Ophelia, and Polonius and we find out that Hamlet has a romantic interest in Ophelia, but Polonius warns Ophelia not to get involved with Hamlet because the relationship won’t lead to marriage. In Scene 4 Horatio takes Hamlet to see the ghost of King Hamlet, but when the ghost appears Hamlet runs after it, ignoring the warning that Horatio gives him about losing his mind. When Hamlet talks to the Ghost, it is revealed that Claudius murdered King Hamlet. Scene 5 is about Hamlet making the decision to avenge his father’s death by murdering Claudius.
Throughout Act I one of the consistent themes is seem vs. is. Many of the characters introduced in Act 1 have two sides to them, there is a reoccurring question are they who they seem they are? Letts take the queen, is she really in love with Claudius and has she really gotten over her husband’s death? There are different views that there can be on Gertrude, one being that she and Claudius had an affair before her husband died or another being that Claudius forced her into his bed after her husband died. There are many elements that dictate the answer to this question, one of them being is we don’t have information to really know who Gertrude is. The openness of the characters, allows a director to portray them as he/she wants which should help answer some questions.
Act I we also need to take longer look into what the ghost represents. Obviously he is supposed to be Hamlet’s father, but is he really there to avenge his death. When we take a closer look into Hamlet’s first soliloquy, Hamlet obviously had a great admiration toward him, he even compares him to the sun god. If he is this great guy then why has he not gone to heaven? One of the biggest questions is what kind of ghost is he? Is he a ghost that is sent to help Hamlet take his righteous thrown or is he there to send Hamlet over the crazy cliff and force him into temptation?