The Coronation scene

York/Bolingbroke -- want him to resign as king

Nothumberland -- wants him to list all of his crimes
Richard II -- wants a formal decoronation ceremony to hilite the fact that this is patently against Gods
will
in the end Richard is the most powerful, but York wins out
Wednesday, Oct 27 - Lecture 3
much more of a history play than Richard III (it was mostly melodramatic villainy) -- this play is much
more political and historical
ones first response could be that this is about a lyrical king who does himself in and falls
Leading Characters
Bolingbroke
he is not a cardboard character like Richmond or Egeus -- but he is rather opaque -- difficult to get into
-- he is not fully exposed
a silent King -- he is silent at crucial moments -- most of his talk happens at the beginning or end -at the critical moments of power transfer he restricts his statements to official things -- he doesnt tell
us when he decides to go for the crown -- nor does he tell us what he thinks
The mind of the usurper is closed to us -- we have no soliloquy or conversation with his confederates
-- three possibilities:
1) really only came for his own rights, Richards collapse drives him to feel he needs to take on the
King -- he had just wanted to get enough leverage to get his own property back -- he didnt mean to
get into this position
2) he is an uncertain and dangerous politician who does not have a clear plan and just takes it a step at
a time
3) he has some hidden agenda from the beginning -- even before he is banished (since Watergate)
You can find something in the text to support all of these views -- in the next plays he is also
ambiguous about why he got there
Result: all the psychological force falls on Richard because Bolingbrokes mind is not open to us
Richard II
This is his fall -- he is the subject of the tragedy -- Richard is extrinsically extraordinary (as a King)
and from that greatness he falls
How does he fall?
Of his own accord -- he throws away his own power or weakens it so much.
He throws away his moral power in the death of Gloucester -- you remind others that they are killable
-- they teach bloody instructions and that is what happens -- opening and closing: both have Kings
with royal blood on their hands
He throws away his economic power through waste -- York talks about how much he wastes: his riot
of living --Richard is driven to farming the land because of this
This economic waste would have impressed people as Elizabeth had brought the crown out of debt
He also throws away his legal power by seizing the Lancastrian land -- interfering with inheritance
will upset every Lord -- York asks him how he can call himself a King if he does this -- historically it
scared everyone -- Richard did contribute to his own destruction in this manner -- what Richard throws
away Bolingbroke picks up
Historically Richard was plagued by desertions -- also, Richards capture of Bolingbroke was by
swearing on the sacraments -- Shakespeare changes things so that he has more honorable surroundings
to make his own destruction seem to stem more from himself
Language of Richard
His power is reflected in his speech -- the only history play without a battle -- it all depends on what
gets said
(1.3 p. 958) -- the challenging and battle of the two combatants -- an extended preparation for action -and then the process is stopped -- the conflict is frustrated -- it is almost comic -- we dont have the
clash we expected -- words take the place of action -- the doom is pronounced instead of being worked
out
His words are so powerful that they deprive Mowary of his words in his Aria on the English language

After Mowary departs Richard reduces the length of Bolingbrokes exile for Gaunts behalf -- his
impulses become reality the moment he says it -- the power of one word
The Kings word has extraordinary power -- his words make reality -- Gaunt supplies a limit that he
will die during his sons exile, that the King can not extend his life
This scene establishes the importance of words -- Richards are extraordinarily powerful
Richard realizes that he is losing his power as soon as his words lose their authority -- he loses this
when he ceases to be the King (4.1.254) deposition -- he realizes that the power of the words is
extrinsic to the position of King, not himself -- If my face is sterling let a mirror be brought forth... -but his word is not worth anything -- Bolingbroke has to make it real -Richard is bankrupt of the extrinsic power of the words -- intrinsically he can really talk -- his tongue
is golden -- when he says something it is really said -- when he gets back from Ireland and is speaking
-- Mark Vandoren, suggests that Richard fails as a king because he is really a poet, but it is really only
Shakespeare
In the middle of the play (p. 981) when he returns from Ireland -- we get 23 moving lines of greeting
the earth, 27 lines about the great king, 11 noble lines to mutability, then more on the deaths of Kings
-- hes still got 2.5 acts left to go! -- the excess creates in us a complex response: a mixture of
sympathy and impatience -- he is suffering and he can tell us about it so accurately about his sorrow
and pain, but at the same time he goes on and on and on -- there comes a point where we want him to
shut up and do something -- sense of sympathy mixed with exasperation -- we must sympathy with
him, but also see the frustrations of the men who are obliged to remove him -- he is invoking this state
in order to do justice to the awkward state he imposes on the others -- exquisite verbal power when
action is needed
What is he doing in this speech? -- he is creating roles for him to play -- earth: parental guardian of the
realm, but he isnt really doing it: he would need military and fiscal policies -- king to the son: he is
taking all the glory without doing any of the administration required
He is making up roles for himself
Richard is a player King like Richard III -- Richard IIIs acting was designed to accomplish particular
goals -- Richard II devises roles to satisfy his own ego at the time -- he is not the sort of actor who
wants to find truth -- he just wants to stand there in a gorgeous costume
Speech at the castle -- compares himself to a Greek gods child -- what he says doesnt have to do
anything with the state of affairs -- he pulls out a story of falling from the heavens rather than trying to
negotiate his way out -- this is the sort of thing Bolingbroke will not do: he would not imagine his
exile is a vacation
It is hard to get the balance between liking him as a brilliant man and a King and a theatrical in the bad
sense -- the problem is that he half knows he is having this effect on people (3.3.142 p. 989) -- what
must the king do now, must he submit? -- starts off like a reasonable submission speech -- hes got the
whole list worked out (clothes, jewels, house) -- but it is all quite imaginary -- hes going to be a
prisoner -- this is actually moving Aumerle -- he goes onto an elaborate fantasy about how they will
dig their own graves with their tears -- later on Aumerle is trying to hide a smile at how absurd
Richard is being
his favorite is Jesus Christ -- when he thinks that Bushy, Bagot, and Green went over to Bolingbroke
he thinks of them as Judas -- in the deposition (4.1.158 p.966) -- he mentions Judas as only 1 in 12
against Christ -- now he finds 12 thousand betrayers -- this is not only offensive to Christians, but it is
not true -- the Bishop of Carsilse was just arrested for defending him -- it is just too much -- but there
is a grain of truth, he is King through God and he is being deposed
In act 4 he is no longer called a King and Richard wonders if there is anything left -- without an
identity he will desperately manufacture an identity -- if he is not a king then he is nothing
He calls for the mirror to see what (p. 999, 276) has changed along with the change in name -- he sees
no change and shatters the mirror --a brilliant theatrical effect, but Bolingbroke answers that the
shadow of his sorrow destroyed the shadow (reflection) of his face -- Bolingbroke says he is just
acting but that nothing has altered (both the mirror and England) -- stops Richard cold and he realizes
that all this is useless and that his grief is within -- he realizes that he is embarrassed -- this whole
linguistic web is gone -- he asks to be taken away
When he is in prison he gets his first soliloquy -- (5.5) he is using words to explore himself -- Richard
has never had trouble with metaphors before, but here he is having a very hard time -- 38 -- were

never satisfied with life -- only death can ease us of our desires and itches -- or maybe that not until we
realize that there is some kind of nothingness within ourselves that we can understand ourselves -anagnorosis -- it isnt a very full recognition -- he didnt just waste time (also money, loyalty) -- he is
trying to come to terms with himself -- he is trying to establish some real humanity
He then tries to enter for the first time into a real relationship with a humble stable boy -- Richard has
nothing to offer except love -- this is a Richard who genuinely exists -- he can die with some degree of
intrinsic nobility -- for the first time in his life he does something -- he fights off two of his murders -ironically he becomes human just before he dies
Hamlet
Introduction
Hamlet is a play with too many questions and uncertainties
The text itself is questionable as it is unclear which version is more accurate
Hamlet himself is constructed around an unseen and unknown core -- odd for a play character
All the characters and indeed the audience are trying to figure out just what is in Hamlets mind
Hamlets speech allows him to show us his inner psyche -- this is the first time this has been done in a
play
There are numerous other Hamlet-like plays, but it is not clear if they sprang from the first folio or if
they came from another source
It is clear, however, that the basic story did exist before Shakespeare
the play assures him of the ghosts story
revenge is considered to be a private necessity and not a wrong when the authorities are corrupt
the inward uncertainty of all his relationships and being cut-off from the rest of the world haunts all of
Hamlets relationships
Persons of the Play
Ghost of Hamlet - the late King of Denmark
King Claudius - his brother
Queen Gertrude of Denmark - widow of King Hamlet, now wife of Claudius
Polonius - a lord
Laertes - son of Polonius
Ophelia - daughter of Polonius
Roynaldo - servant of Polonius
Horatio - friend of Prince Hamlet
Rosencrantz - friend of Prince Hamlet
Guildenstern - friend of Prince Hamlet
Fancisco - Soldier
Bartardo - Soldier
Marcellus - Soldier
Coreliues -Courtier
Osric - Courtier
Gentlemen - Courtier
A sailor
Two Clowns, a gravedigger and his companion
A priest
Fortinbras - Prince of Norway
A Captain in his army
Ambassadors from England
Players - who play the parts of the prologue, player King, Player Queen, and Lucianas, in The
Mousetrap
Lords, messengers, attendants, guards, soldiers, followers of Laertes, sailors
Act 1
1.1 - The night watch changes and Horatio is there to see this ghost they have seen for the past two
nights. He sees it but it will not speak to his demands. It leaves and they discuss the fact that the
country is arming to deal with the young Fortinbras of Norway who wants to revenge his fathers

fair loss of land to Hamlets father. The ghost then returns and is about to talk when the rooster
crows. It leaves and they decide to tell Hamlet to come see it.
Barnardo and Horatio and Marcellus relieve Fransisco of his guard duty -- it is midnight
20 - Horatio is there so that if the thing which appeared twice before comes back he can witness it -he is educated
40 - Just as they are telling him about the Ghost the Ghost enters and they wonder at how much he
looks like the dead King -- Horatio asks him who he is and why he takes the dead kings form -- but
the Ghost just leaves
65 - Horatio comments that the ghost has twice come thus and he is sure it bodes some calamity to
come upon the state
70 - Marcellus asks why the country is preparing in such haste for war -- Horatio answers that the dead
King had defeated Fortinbras of Norway and won much of his land in the combat -- but now the son of
Fortinbras the old King wants to take it back by force
100 - the ghost returns but then leaves again at the crowing of the cock
150 - they agree to tell Hamlet as they believe it will talk to him
1.2 - Claudius opeaks of his mourning and marriage and then asks why Hamlet is still mourning
so. He replies that he should be and is upset with his mother. Claudius allows Laertes to go back to
school. Horatio tells Hamlet about his fathers ghost.
Claudius speaks of his mourning for his brother and his joy in marrying Gertrude and then goes on to
talk about how Fortinbras has been sending ominous messengers about the land Hamlets father had
won
30 - he sends Valtemand and Cornelius off to talk to Fortinbras uncle and try and get him to exert
influence on Fortinbras
45 - Lartes has some suit of which he wants to speak -- he asks to go back to France now that he has
come back to mourn
65 - Hamlet -- starts off really harshly with a comment that he is less than kin and less than kind -- he
comments that he is truly mourning for his father not that he seems to be mourning
90 - Claudius tells him to stop mourning and that he should stay rather than going back to school -- he
agrees to and the King says oh good! now i can go off and drink
130 - Hamlet doesnt want to live and regrets that suicide is illegal -- he is angry at his mother for
having married so quickly
175 - Horatio comes to Hamlet and tells him that he has not left for school either -- he questions why
he came up and accuses him of coming to see his fathers wedding -- he denies it and then goes on to
tell him about his having seen a ghost last night -- they agree to have Hamlet go meet tonight
1.3 - Laertes tells Ophelia that Hamlet is a passing fancy and that she should be weary of him. She
responds that she will as long as he does the same with women, which he (honestly) responds he
will. The Polonius gives him advice before he leaves for scholl again and then tells Ophelia that she
should never trust a man. He also forbids him from speaking to Hamlet again.
Laertes tries to tell Ophelia that Hamlet is only a passing fancy
10 - ** Laertes goes on to say that the reason Hamlet may be unfaithful is that his will is not his own
-- he must do what is befitting his high position and keep the concerns of the state above all else ** -he warns her to keep her chastity and that youth rebels -- she tells him she will listen to his advice but
that he had better follow it as well!
35 - Polonius gives Laertes advice to keep good friends close, be wary of upstarts, not to enter into an
argument, get good but not gaudy clothes, and be true to thine own self
85 - Ophelia says that what he said to her is locked in her mind and that he himself shall have the only
key -- is she implying that she herself will not take it out to think upon it?
95 - Ophelia tells Polonius of Hamlets giving her tender affections and he responds that she is unwise
to the dangers of such advances -- He tells her outright that all Hamlet wants is sex and that he forbids
her to speak with him.
1.4 - On the battlements they hear the cannon of the Kings drunken revels and Hamlet comments
that he does his country a disservice through such debauchery. The ghost then appears and Hamlet
implores it to speak to him but it just beckons him. He follows it against the protests of the others
saying he does not value his life and they follow after.

Hamlet and company are on the battlements awaiting the ghost when the cannon goes off for the
Kings drunken party -- Hamlet goes on about how the King slanders his country through such revels
20 - the Ghost appears and Hamlet implores it to speak but it beckons him on -- the others tell him not
to follow but he does -- Horatio warns him that it might beckon him towards madness, but Hamlet
says he doesnt value his life and his soul is immortal and cannot be touched by it
they try to hold him back but he insists they let him go -- they decide to follow him "something is
rotten in the state of Denmark"
1.5 - The ghost tells Hamlet of the murder, that he must avenge it, and that he must leave his
mother alone. He says he will. The others return and wish to know what he has learned. He will not
tell them and instead makes them swear upon his sword not to say a word (the Ghost tells them to as
well). He then makes them swear not to tell anyone if he feigns madness.
the ghost tells him that he must shortly return to the torments of hell to have his sins burned out of him
-- and that Hamlet must revenge his fathers murder! Hamlet says he will revenge it quickly
He tells him that his uncle poured poison in his ear and he died without a deathbed confession and
now he suffers greatly -- he tells Hamlet not to do anything to his mother, to leave that to heaven
115 - the others catch up with Hamlet and want to know what happened but he wont tell them as he
fears they will let it leak out -- he makes them swear on his sword that they will never reveal any of
this to anyone else and the ghost cries out at them to swear -- he makes them swear that if he feigns
madness they will not say anything
Act 2
2.1 - Polonius sends Reynaldo off to check that Laertes is behaving properly. He tells him to make
slight accusations to find out the truth about him. Ophelia then enters and tells him that Hamlet
came to her all disheveled and he says that is the madness of Love and that they must go tell the
King.
Polonius is sending Reynaldo off to find out how Laertes is doing -- he tells him to inquire into his
behaviors and habits -- he tells Reynaldo to suggest to people that Laertes has been doing bad things to
get a more accurate response from them about his behavior -- "by indirections find directions out"
75 - Ophelia comes in and tells Polonius that Hamlet visited her in a very disheveled appearance and
held her arm and looked at her for a long time, sighed, and then left -- she doesnt know what to make
of this -- Polonius says this is true love and the madness of it and that they must go tell the King
2.2 - The King tells Rosencrantz and Guilderstern to try and find out whats wrong with Hamlet as
they are his friends. He then hears from Polonius who says he knows why Hamlet is acting mad
and that the ambassadors from Norway have returned. The ambassadors tell that Norway was
shocked to hear of Fortinbras actions and made him stop and turn his forces against the Poles. He
then requested passage through Denmark. Polonius then tells the King that Hamlet is in love with
his daughter Ophelia and he plans to listen to them when they meet.
Rosencrantz and Guilderstern talk to Hamlet and he asks them who sent them. They deny that
anyone did, but he tells them it was the King and Queen. Then come in the players and Hamlet
welcomes them and puts on a show of being very moved by one of their speeches for Polonius. He
then asks them if they can do a certain play and if he may insert a few lines.
In his soliloquy Hamlet says he is very good at acting mad and that he is having doubts about the
ghosts story and will prove it with the play.
the King asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to go talk with Hamlet and find out if they can cure this
change which has come over him.
40 - Polonius comes in -- he tells them that the ambassadors from Norway have returned and that he
thinks he knows why Hamlet is acting so strange -- he tells them to listen to the ambassadors first
60 - Valtemand tells that Norway was shocked to hear that Fortinbras was up to threatening Denmark
and rebuked him, ordered him to cease, and to swear not to threaten them again -- all of which he did.
Norway was so pleased that he gave him a lot of money and told him to use the troops against the
Poles -- he asks for safe and free passage through Demark.
85 - Polonius goes on at great length saying nothing even though he says brevity is good -- he reads
them a love letter from Hamlet -- they ask him how he had Ophelia respond -- he says he told her that
Hamlet is above her position and that she should not accept his advances -- he proposes that he and
Claudius hide behind a curtain while Hamlet talks to Ophelia so that they might find out what is going
on.

170 - Hamlet enters -- it is not clear if he overheard Polonius plan or not -- he is mad and says that he
knows Polonius as a fishmonger -- he then talks of his daughter and tells him to keep her locked away
-- Polonius comments in an aside that he was once almost this mad with love
210 - Polonius comments that there is a method in this madness
220 - enter Rosencrantz and Guilderstern -- they say life is going well for them -- Hamlet asks them
why they are then in this prison of Denmark -- Hamlet is amused that they dont find it a prison -- he
then asks why they are here and they say just to see him but he suspects that they were sent by the
King and says as much -- they at first deny it but when he asks them on the bond of their friendship to
tell him if they were sent they admit it -- he then tells them why they were sent lest they have to break
their oaths to the King and Queen
305 - Rosencrantz denies it and tells Hamlet of the players coming to the castle -- Hamlet knows these
players -- they have moved out of the city as boy-theaters are now more popular -350 - enter the Players -- Hamlet welcomes them -- Polonius comes in and tells Hamlet that the
players (the best around) have arrived
405 - enter the players -- Hamlet welcomes them happily and asks for a speech -- he recites the
beginning of a speech from Dido and Aeneas and asks them to finish it -- one of the players does and
enters into a long speech which Polonius interrupts saying it is too long -- Hamlet tells Polonius to
house the players well and then asks them if they can perform the murder of Gonzago with a few lines
he wishes to insert
520 - Hamlets soliloquy -- he goes on about how he has had to do such great acting and how amazing
it is that he can pull it off so -- he notes that if he were on stage he would be able to bring the audience
to tears -- he comments that the ghost may have been the devil and so hell set up the players to do a
play wherein he will be able to observe the reaction of the King -- when did he think of this?
Act 3
3.1 - The King hears from Rosencrantz and Guilderstern that Hamlet will not let them know why he
is acting so. They stage the meeting with Ophelia and he says he loves/loved her not and that men
are horrible creatures and women deceitful. The King decides this is not due to love and fears what
may be brewing in Hamlets mind so he resolves to send him off to England. Polonius tells him
instead to have his mother try to talk to him after the play and he will listen, and if that doesnt
work then send him to England.
The King asks if Rosencrantz and Guilderstern have found out why Hamlet is so mad and they say he
will not tell them. The King tells them to try harder.
Claudius, Polonius, and Ophelia prepare for the meeting with Hamlet -53 - Polonius makes a comment about Ophelias virtue and how they may catch Hamlet with it and
Claudius comments in an aside how those words do touch his conscience of his crime
57 - Hamlet enters: to be or not to be -- Hamlet regrets the fact that the unknown of the afterlife forces
man to suffer the miseries of life rather than just commit suicide
110 - Hamlet comments that it is easier for beauty to make one seem honest than it is for honesty to
make one seem beautiful -- he tells her he does not love her anymore and that he never did, but merely
deceived her -- he tells her to get to a nunnery because he is a relatively good man and yet he is a great
sinner and that the rest are worse
135 - he says how cruel women are to so transform men and he lists the ways they do it: through
makeup, feigned ignorance, silly speech -- he then says marriage is dead for all those not married,
those who are, all but one my live
162 - The King says that he doesnt think this was love and that he fears that there is something evil in
his mind and so fearing the outcome of it he will send him to England to demand their tribute -Polonius tells him to first have his mother try to talk to him after the play and he will hide and listen,
but if that fails then send him off to England
187 - "Madness in great ones must not unwatched go."
3.2 - Hamlet sets up the players and tells Horatio to be watch the King very carefully to see if the
play brings out guilt in him. He then sits by Ophelia to watch and makes very clever but obscene
remarks to her. The King is outraged at the murder scene and leaves -- Rosencrantz and
Guilderstern return and tell Hamlet his mother wishes to see him. He argues with them about how
they are trying to play him like a recorder. Polonius then tells him to come to his mother presently.
In his soliloquy he hopes that he will be harsh in words but not in actions with his mother.

Hamlet tells the players to be careful with their parts in the play
Hamlet tells Horatio to watch the King very carefully to see if he is guilty
Hamlet goes and sits next to Ophelia and asks if he may lie in her lap and then makes some sexual
comments
The play progresses -- 162 "none wed the second but who killed the first" -- the player queen and king
discuss the horrible idea that she might remarry after he dies and she denies it vehemently -- he tells
her that once he is dead such strong feelings will melt away
** Man is not true to himself, so cannot be so to others **
212 - Claudius is beginning to get pissed at the subject of the play
When the talk of poisoning comes up the King storms out leaving Horatio and Hamlet alone to discuss
his guilt
263 - Hamlet says he will gladly take the ghosts word now
270 - Rozencrantz and Guilderstern come in and tell him that he has thoroughly upset the King and
that his mother wishes to see him before he goes to bed -- he agrees -- Rosencrantz then asks him
outright what the source of his madness is
335 - Hamlet tells Guilderstern to play the recorder, he cannot -- Hamlet then says that he is much
mistaken if he thinks playing Hamlet is much easier than playing the recorder!
Polonius comes and beckons him to his mother and he says he will come -- but he also comments that
he is becoming sick of all this pretending