Hamlet, Act 1, Scene V

[cesario]

Previous post:
Act 1, Scene I: The Crazy Occult Forays of Marcellus and Horatio.
Act 1, Scene II: Claudius is the villain, but he's still hotter than you.
Act 1, Scene III: Ophelia's virginity is a national treasure. Just ask her dad and brother.
Act 1, Scene IV: That a ghoooooooooost?

Comments

Purgatory?

[capnflynn]

I recently read a book called Shadowplay, in which the author (can't recall her name, unfortunately) theorizes that all the weird strange and impenetrable stuff in Shakespeare comes about because he was secretly a Catholic, and was writing in a sort of code that only other Catholics would understand and appreciate. I'm not sure if I bought the theory, but it was an interesting read.

So maybe Shakespeare and a big chunk of his audience did still believe in Purgatory?

Re: Purgatory?

[cesario]

Well, I'm not sure I'd go so far as to suggest anything as arcane as a code, because LOL DAN BROWN, but there are...symbols and themes that would make sense to another Catholic present I think.

I would (sorry) never suggest that Shakespeare as an adult had any real religious beliefs :-) But influences of that kind do linger.

Re: Purgatory?

[tree_and_leaf]

Yeah: Purgatory is a plot device. I don't think a devout Catholic would have the ghost come back to say "Take revenge!" And a devout Protestant wouldn't have put it in at all.

horatio!

[prof_pangaea]

HORATIO
There's no offence, my lord.

in the nicol williamson production from '69, this is one of the two or three moments that horatio actually gets to be interesting. for the most part gordon jackson wanders around reading books (i mean this literally -- wandering around the castle with a book in front of his face), smiling at everything hamlet does, and running whenever he's called (also literally -- just before the play hamlet calls "horatio!" and the man is question looks up [FROM A BOOK] and with a huge smile on his face runs up a flight of steps to hamlet).

anyway, he seems quite concerned for hamlet in this scene, and when hamlet seems to blow him off he turns away and delivers the line "There's no offense, my lord," with some bitterness and anger. to which hamlet turns back toward him, as though suddenly aware that he's hurt his friend, and gives him that hint of what has gone on. ...and then after hamlet says, "rest, perturbed spirit" he collapses into horatio's arms and delivers from them delivers the last few lines of

Re: horatio!

[cesario]

I suppose you could play the scene after the play as sincere and private---I've largely seen it played as taking place as a whispered conversation in a milling crowd, or the like.

"Give me that man
That is not passion's slave, and I will wear him
In my heart's core, ay, in my heart of heart,
As I do thee."

It is the dock from which the good ship Hamlet/Horatio is launched.

calling Hamlet the falcon...

[corbistheca]

In my text it is Marcellus who gets to do the Hillo-ho-ho-ing.

Also, I find it weird -- and maybe arguable as a sign of earlier and perhaps more actual madness -- that Hamlet is so very serious and intense while talking to the ghost, and through the little speech about memory after the ghost leaves, but then very suddenly when Marcellus and Horatio come on the scene becomes just flat out goofy about the whole thing. It's possible it's intentional and he has, in those few seconds it takes Marcellus and Horatio to find him, made the resolution "to put an antic disposition on" -- that all the quick reversals and basically meaningless statements (such as "there's never a villain dwelling in all of Denmark but he's an arrant knave" and "for every man hath business and desire, such as it is") and multiple swearings and clowning with the underground ghost is the start of the act.

But if he's already begun acting bizarre, why does he tell them he's planning to? Maybe Horatio saying "Hey, dude, you're acting a bit weird..." recalls Hamlet

Re: calling Hamlet the falcon...

[cesario]

But if he's already begun acting bizarre, why does he tell them he's planning to?

That's an excellent point, and I think the only answer to it is, in fact, that he's not entirely in control of himself in this scene.