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Summary Critical quotations and Directors Interpretations of 'Hamlet' by Shakespeare
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Critical quotations and Directors Interpretations of 'Hamlet' by Shakespeare, organised by theme.
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Theme Critical QuotesDeath Leverenz on Ophelia’s death - "Ophelia's suicide represents the male world's
banishment of the female"
Gabriel on Ophelia's death as courageous – “Ophelia's choice (suicide) might
be seen as the only courageous death in Shakespeare's bloody drama”
Snyder on Polonius’s death - "His pathetic death becomes a turning point in
the play's action"
C.S Lewis on Hamlet fear of death – “Hamlet is haunted, not by a physical fear
of dying, but of being dead”
A C Bradley on Hamlet being affected by Polonius’s death – “the death of
Polonius sobers Hamlet” (20th century)
A C Bradley on Hamlet disliking life – “Hamlet is disgusted by life and
everything in it.” (20th century)
A C Bradley on Gertrude dying a better woman - 'She dies a better woman
than she had lived' (20th century)
Appearance vs Smith on Polonius being a good parent - "Polonius seems to love his children;
reality he seems to have the welfare of the kingdom in mind. His means of action,
however, are totally corrupt"
Latham on Claudius hiding his real self - 'Claudius masks his real self with a
false face of kindness'
Women Ernest Jones on misogyny - 'misogyny, as in the play, is the inevitable result.'
Carl Thomas Neely on Ophelia and oppression - 'her disturbed language
sounds a lot like patriarchal oppression'
Showalter on Ophelia being deprived - "Ophelia is deprived of thought,
sexuality and language...she represents the strong emotions the Elizabethans
thought womanish"
Eli Hamana on Ophelia suffering oppression - "[Ophelia] suffers a series of
patriarchal oppressions" (20th century)
Elaine Showalter on Ophelia’s madness - 'Ophelia's madness stands for the
oppression of women in the Elizabethan era'
Elaine Showalter on Ophelia being powerful - "for many feminist theorists,
the madwoman is a ... powerful figure"
Lilla Grindlay on Ophelia being nothing - "the trouble with Ophelia is that she
is nothing"
Jane Knott on Gertrude supressing herself - She "has been through passion,
murder, and silence ... suppressing everything inside her"
Smith on a negative view of Gertrude - 'soft, obedient, dependent,
unimaginative'
Adelman on Gertrude being disobedient - 'she shows unusual determination
in disobeying Claudius' command not to drink the poisoned cup'
David Leverenz on Hamlet’s hatred for women - "Hamlet's disgust at the
feminine passivity in himself is translated into violent revulsion against
women."
Religion Von Goethe on Hamlet being holy – “All duties seem holy for Hamlet"
Bradley on Hamlet not being able to kill - "Hamlet is unable to carry out the
sacred duty, imposed by divine authority, of punishing an evil man by death"
Barker on Hamlet losing faith - "Despite the obsession throughout Hamlet
with what happens to humans after death - a central Christian concern - by
the end Hamlet no longer maintains any faith in an afterlife, let alone
redemption or salvation."
, Cantor on Hamlet's Christianity explaining why he does not act in the prayer
scene – “Hamlet's religious beliefs intervene... as to ensure, not just the
destruction of Claudius' body, but the damnation of his soul”
Revenge Belsey on justice - "Revenge is not justice. It is rather an act of injustice on
behalf of justice"
Kate Flint on Hamlet being as bad as the sinner – “He himself is literally no
better than the sinner whom he is to punish”
James Calderwood on Hamlet’s revenge being good or bad - "Hamlet's killing
of Claudius is an act of restorative destruction"
Mallarme on Hamlet as a fundamental killer – “He is a killer; he kills without
concern”
Hunt on why Hamlet needs to change his character – “In order to act the part
of revenger he must become the bloody villain himself”
Kerrigan on Hamlet not promising to revenge - 'Hamlet never promises to
revenge, only to remember' (20th century)
Madness Amy Licence on Ophelia imbalance in her mind causing death - 'her death is
(none) other than a tragic accident resulting from the imbalance of her mind'
Elaine Showalter on Ophelia not being able to control her own life - explores
Ophelia's madness in relation to the dysfunctional relationship between
Ophelia and Polonius. Argues that madness is caused by an inability to control
one's life. believes Ophelia's madness is caused by her inability to balance her
own desires with those of her father.
Neely on Ophelia protesting - 'Ophelia's madness is a protest and rebellion, a
way of getting out of the patriarchal order'
Kate Flint on Hamlet’s madness giving him benefits - 'it gives him the license
to speak cruel truths'
Crawford on Hamlet faking madness - 'there is much evidence in the play that
Hamlet deliberately feigned fits of madness in order to confuse and disconcert
the king and his attendants.'
William Hazlitt on Hamlet being paralysed – “Hamlet is paralysed by his
thoughts” (18th century)
Bradshaw on Claudius knowing Hamlet is not mad – “There is, as Claudius
quickly realises, method in his madness”
Megan on the Ghost symbolising turmoil - 'The ghost is an illusion
representative of Hamlet's inner turmoil and grief'
Relationships Dawson on Claudius being loving – “He loved Gertrude deeply and genuinely”
Bradley on Hamlet being loving - ‘Hamlet was at one time sincerely and
ardently in love with Ophelia'
Steve Henderson on Hamlet being self-centred - 'he is much too
overwhelmed with his own sorrow to have any compassion to spare for
others.'
Schelgel on Hamlet not having compassion due to his own sorrow – “he is
too much overwhelmed with his own sorrow to have any compassion for
others" (19th century)
Brown on the death of surrounding male characters killing Ophelia –
“Ophelia depends so entirely upon this relationship to male characters that
beyond she cannot think or act for herself”
Delay Kieran Ryan on Hamlet causing tragedy - 'The main cause of the whole tragic
train of events is Hamlet's compulsion to postpone'
Belsey on Hamlet’s delay benefitting him - 'Hamlet's delay is to his credit'
Lawrence Mazzeno on Hamlet being cautious - "Hamlet's inaction [in the
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