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Which Hamlet, the Political Hamlet?

1/24/2017

2 Comments

 
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​Bronce is working on the character analysis essay with a focus on the political Hamlet and he is spot on. The issue of succession was "the elephant in the room" during the time this play was written (around 1600), and considering how explosive discussing the future of the throne could have proven during the waning years of the Tudor dynasty, it is easy to figure out why Hamlet does not openly opine on his dashed dream of ascending to the throne. What evidence do you find that, when read against the grain, reveals Hamlet's political ambition? 

For example, waiting for the play-within-the-play to begin, Claudius greets Hamlet and Hamlet responds in a quizzically ambiguous way: "Excellent, i'faith, of the chameleon's dish. I eat the air, promise-crammed. You cannot feed capons, so" (3.2.86-87). He describes how he is fed with chameleon's dish, air, and promise just as a capon (a castrated rooster) will be fed for tender and fatty meat. Earlier in Act 2 Scene 1, Claudius promised that Hamlet would be the next king and once the reader is reminded of this promise, he or she will easily associate "air" with "heir." This pun helps the reader to see the "elephant in the room," that is, Hamlet's dashed and delayed dream of becoming the king.  

 
2 Comments
Raquel B.
2/17/2017 17:45:33

Hamlet was a king, the king we never had. In Act 5 Scene 2 Hamlet confessed to Horatio how he saw and rewrote the King’s instruction. Hamlet wrote new instructions to England, he asked for peace and ordered to kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet sealed the letter with his father’s ring and made the “royal seal of Denmark”, by Hamlet having his father’s ring and it symbolizes his kingship.

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Roxanne Flores
2/21/2017 23:35:49

Hamlet never mentioned of his desire to become king but it is something that can be revealed. Maybe deep down Hamlet envy's Claudius for have taking the throne before him. Naturally Hamlet would act as a king without being a king sometimes through out the play. By making a play within a play we could see that he wanted to discover Claudius and uncover his reaction of the murder that happened in the play. I think Hamlet uses technique to solve his problem that he had with the king, therefore I think that is a political ambition Hamlet has towards the king. Because he wants to disrupt the kings position. Claudius attempted to avoid what happened in the play but Horatio and Hamlet had their eyes on Claudius.

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