Directions: Attend to one or more of the following questions using 2-3 direct quotations/passages from the text. If the question is merely asking you about a plot point, please go further and think about the how and why attached to the question. Further, make psychological and metaphorical connections to the ideas we expressed in class. When you come into class, we will read each other's responses, respond on the blog and discuss as a class. I look forward to your thoughts and insights.
Study Questions for Exploration
Summarize the ghost's description of the murder.
What does Hamlet write in his journal ("my Tables") after his conversation with the ghost?
To what does Hamlet (and the the ghost) make the others swear?
What does Hamlet tell the others he may do if he thinks it meet?
How do Hamlet's last sentences serve to diminish the sense of resolve with which he seems to approach the obligations he has assumed in the rest of the act?
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the ghost presents himself as he steps forward to Hamlet in Act I Scene V. The ghost displays himself as he is the spirit of Hamlet's father. He starts off by warning Hamlet that the information that he is about to aquire is going to want him to seek revenge. The ghost expresses to Hamlet that his father’s death was not a product of a serpent stinging his father while he was asleep.
ReplyDelete“Now, Hamlet, hear.
'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark
Is by a forgèd process of my death
Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth,
The serpent that did sting thy father’s life
Now wears his crown.” (pg. 24).
His father's death was induced by his uncle Claudius pouring the juice of a cursed hebona in a vial into his ear. He expresses to Hamlet that despite what everyone believes, his father’s death was induced by his uncle. As a result, Hamlet feels the urge to seek revenge on his uncle. As it can be assumed in the play, Claudius seemed to be portrayed to do this as a way to have the throne. This seemed to be an easy result for him to gain control of the throne.
“Sleeping within my orchard
My custom always of the afternoon,
Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole
With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,
And in the porches of my ears did pour
The leperous distilment, whose effect
Holds such an enmity with blood of man” (pg. 24).
- Adriana DeSantis
When Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?:
ReplyDeleteHamlet is surprised to see his father, who had been dead for almost two months. He is also afraid because it is a ghost, but he is resolved to follow it and to hear what it has to say.
Summarize the ghost's description of the murder.:
Hamlet's uncle killed King Hamlet while he was asleep in his garden by injecting him with poison.
Kate Lyons
ReplyDeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?
Hamlet isn't scared when he sees the ghost, he wants to talk to the ghost even though Horatio and Marcellus tell him not to follow the ghost. Hamlet wants to hear the ghost speak to hear what his father has to say about what is going on in his kingdom.
HORATIO
It beckons you to go away with it,
As if it some impartment did desire
To you alone.
MARCELLUS
Look, with what courteous action
It waves you to a more removed ground:
But do not go with it.
HORATIO
No, by no means.
HAMLET
It will not speak; then I will follow it.
HORATIO
Do not, my lord.
HAMLET
Why, what should be the fear?
I do not set my life in a pin's fee;
And for my soul, what can it do to that,
Being a thing immortal as itself?
It waves me forth again: I'll follow it.
Hamlet is desperate for some advice on how to deal with all the change that is going on around him. He wants to hear his father tell him what to do and how to change things back to normal.
Michael Dutton
ReplyDeleteThe way Hamlet reacted was very interesting he was eager to figure out why he was there and you can tell he is hesitant to trust the ghost, “HAMLET
Where wilt thou lead me? Speak, I’ll go no further. GHOST
Mark me. HAMLETI will. GHOSTMy hour is almost come
When I to sulfurous and tormenting flames
Must render up myself.” As you can tell Hamlet is really interested but scared since how is he supposed to trust him as he says he needs to speak alone. I think overall he is really overwhelmed by the news his father did tell him. The new king his uncle killed his father. I believe he will definitely try to seek revenge since he seems to be the only one who cared so much for him.
Summarize the ghost's description of the murder.
ReplyDeleteGHOST
“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.”
“’Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
A serpent stung me.”
The ghost explains that the serpent (Claudius) put poison in his ear while he was sleeping to kill him.
“But know, thou noble youth,
The serpent that did sting thy father’s life
Now wears his crown.”
The ghost explains that Claudius murdered him to take his crown. I believe that the ghosts fate is put into Hamlets hands to expose the truth. He calls him “thou noble youth” because obviously he is royalty but I think it shows that the ghost sees Hamlet as a smart, young, strong man who can know this information and go forth with it to accomplish what is right.
-Jussy Reppucci
DeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?
ReplyDeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost he's surprised to see his father but isn't really scared, he wants to talk to him to see what he has to say so he follows the ghost even though Horatio and Marcellus tell him not to. He is shocked when he hears what his father has to say to him about his death and is told that his uncle poisoned his father.
HAMLET
It will not speak; then I will follow it.
HORATIO
Do not, my lord.
HAMLET
Why, what should be the fear?
I do not set my life in a pin's fee;
And for my soul, what can it do to that,
Being a thing immortal as itself?
It waves me forth again: I'll follow it.
Summurize the ghost description of the murder
ReplyDeleteIn the play of Hamlet, by William Shakesphere, when Hamlet first sees the ghost, he gets startled but he is not scared of it and he tries to the ghost. But Hamlet was surprised to hear about his father's death from the ghost. The ghost said “Now, Hamlet, hear. 'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark is by a forgèd process of my death rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown”. So basically it was Hamlet's uncle killed his father. He poured hebenon in his ear which is a juice that is considered to be cursed. The ghost goes on to say, “Sleeping within my orchard my custom always of the afternoon, upon my secure hour thy uncle stole with juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, and in the porches of my ears did pour the leperous distilment, whose effect holds such an enmity with blood of man”. This is how the ghost described the murder.
How Does Hamlet React to the Ghost?
ReplyDeleteBefore Hamlet spends a night in the castle, Horatio exclaims to Hamlet about the apparition of his father that he saw as a watchman. Hamlet seems in shock by this message by Horatio and continues to ask questions about his father’s complexion such as “what’d, look frowningly”, and “pale or red”. When he actually witnesses his father’s spirit appear, Hamlet feels pity for his dad as he describes to him his life in “tormenting flames”. After he introduces himself, his father then tries to convince to seek revenge against his uncle, who now holds the crown after his death. “Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, with juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, and in the porches of my ears did pour the leprous distillment”. Hamlet is horrified by his uncle and wants to seek this revenge on uncle because he murdered his father.
John Marshall
DeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?
ReplyDeleteWhen Hamlet first sees the ghost he is intrigued by it as it waves him forward to speak alone. Even though Marcellus and Horatio brought brought Hamlet to see the ghost because they thought it would speak to him, they now don’t want him to go. Horatio was afraid that the ghost would tempt Hamlet to kill himself because he was already in a questionable mental state and tried to restrict Hamlet by holding his arms back but Hamlet brushed him off and walked with the ghost anyways because of how much it meant to see his father and figure out why he is back.
-Regan Grygiel
When Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?
ReplyDeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost,instead of being scared he is almost intrigued. He also is surprised to see his dads face and wants to hear what he has to say.
Summarize the ghost's description of the murder.
The ghost says he was sleeping in his orchard when he was stung by a serpent and died. However, he was actually killed by his own brother, who put poison in his ear.
-Nolan Brezinski
King Hamlet's ghost description of the murder to Hamlet was horrofic as his own brother killed him and took his wife. Some of the ghosts first words were, “ that adulterate beast” showing the pain that this causes the late king to see his own brother take the throne from him and marry his wife so nearly after his death. The ghost wishes for actions to be taken and we see this when he tells hamlet, “Let not the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damned incest” King Hamlet is saying this cannot go on any longer and as long as it does he is doomed to hell until the sun goes down. Overall the ghost sounded completely and utterly disgusted with this act of malice, as he should and he wants his son to avenge him by killing his uncle. - Sean Healey
ReplyDeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?
ReplyDeleteWhen Hamlet first sees the ghost he is scared; "and we fools of nature / So horridly to shake our disposition"(p. 21) but once he accepts what is going on he wants to know what the ghost has to say. He even says that "I do not set my life at a pins fee"(p.21) meaning that even if the ghost intends to harm him he doesn't care.
Hamlet tells the ghost that since he has the appearance of his father "a questionable shape", he will speak to it no matter what. That being said Horatio and Marcellus warn Hamlet not to follow the ghost, but Hamlet is determined to hear the ghost speak. it looks so much like his father that he is overwhelmed with the desire to talk to it. He wants to know why his father's body, quietly buried, has been cast up again to walk on the earth. As we know, he deeply misses and mourns his father and seeing his form again fills him with an overwhelming desire to have a moment with he.
ReplyDeleteim pretty sure this is mine - jacob mini
DeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost he is shocked and amazed. He is also very eager to approach is dead father."Angels and ministers of grace defend us! He also says, "Thou com'st in such a questionable shape That I will speak to thee: I'll call thee Hamlet, King, father; royal Dane, O! answer me!" He made it very obvious that he was amazed yet looking forward to speaking and listening to his past father.
ReplyDeleteWhat does Hamlet's reaction to the story of the ghost reveal about his courage and willingness to take action?
ReplyDeleteIn act I Hamlet agrees to keep watch with Marcellus and Bernardo for a night in hope that he will be able to speak to the ghost. They tell him they saw a ghost which appeared to be a spirit of his father. Hamlet is courageous in doing so. Hamlet was devastated by his father's death and felt betrayed by his mother's marriage. My father's spirit in arms! all is not well;
I doubt some foul play: would the night were come!
Till then sit still, my soul: foul deeds will rise,
Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes.
Hamlet knows he must remain calm despite what might occur if he sees the ghost of his father. Hamlet is willing to take action in the situation and keep watch for the night.
-Natalie Brennen.
ReplyDeleteWhen Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?
When Hamlet sees the ghost he is intrigued and wants to talk to it. Horatio and Marcellus warn Hamlet not to follow the ghost, but Hamlet wants to hear the ghost speak; he is determined to hear it speak. Hamlet does not care if its dangerous, he needs to speak to the ghost. Hamlet calls the ghost ' father, Hamlet senior, king, royal dane.'
He then tells the ghost to answer him, he says they buried him and wants to know why he left there to haunt the castle.
Sophia Moheban
To what does Hamlet (and the ghost) make the others swear?
ReplyDeleteHamlet make them swear by his sword to never make it known that they know what he knows for Hamlet spoke to the ghost of his father, the king and knows how he was killed. The ghost, so spooky, pressures them to swear, as well.
Hamlet at first his amazed when he sees the ghost and follows it, "Angels and ministers of grace defend us! He also says, "Thou com'st in such a questionable shape That I will speak to thee: I'll call thee Hamlet, King, father; royal Dane, O! answer me!". Hamlet cannot wait a first, but by the time they depart, his attitude has changed. The king initially states, “I am thy father's spirit, Doomed for a certain term to walk the night And for the day confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. But that I am forbid to tell the secrets of my prison house, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood, Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres, Thy knotted and combinèd locks to part, And each particular hair to stand on end,Like quills upon the fretful porpentine. But this eternal blazon must not be. To ears of flesh and blood.” King Hamlet shares a common fear amongst us: being forgotten after death and that he is stuck in a purgatory. What he then explains will free him is the murder of Hamlets uncle who killed the king to gain the throne. Hamlet’s initial reaction is a bit skeptical because in the bible, someone in purgatory doesn’t free when revenge happens against someone who wronged them and he knows this. He also thinks that this ghost could be telling him this to lead him astray so instead of going out and killing Cladius, he devises a plan to try and get the truth out of him.
ReplyDeleteMichael Long
DeleteThe ghost seems to state that his brother murdered him with a poisoned drink when he was relaxing in his orchid. He also describes him as a snake, most likely referring to him being sneaking and going behind everyone’s backs to get himself the crown.
ReplyDelete(ghost) But know, thou noble youth,
ReplyDeleteThe serpent that did sting thy father’s life
Now wears his crown...
thy uncle stole
With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,
The Ghost or Hamlet's father says that the serpent that poisoned him while he was sleeping was actually his brother and not an actual snake. He says he was poisoned with a vial of hebenon because his brother wanted to take over for him.
When Hamlet sees the ghost, how does he react?
ReplyDeleteSummarize the ghost's description of the murder.
Hamlet reacts Hamlet is appalled at the revelation that his father has been murdered, and the ghost tells him that as he slept in his garden, a villain poured poison into his ear, the very villain who now wears his crown, Claudius. Hamlet’s worst fears about his uncle are confirmed. “O my prophetic soul!” he cries. Hamlet finds out it is his uncle who killed his father for the realm and power, he is not too happy at all and is looking to seek revenge on his own blood.
-adam theeb