54 Hamlet Poetry of the late 16th Century Lyric Poetry o accompanied by a lyric o undefined speaker o highly personal o emotional

l o contemplative Sonnets o 14 lines o iambic pentameter o 2 types: o Italian Petarchian named after Petrarch best sonnet writer octave set up in pattern: abbaabba sestet different direction: cdecde always feature unrequited love Petrarchs love is Lara blond, blue eyes, beautiful, chaste = ideal women Astrophelenes Stella o English Shakespearean 3 quatrains: set up situation ABAB, CDCD, EFEF couplet: resolution GG sequence written, but may stand alone or fit together

Shakespeare Born in 1564 April 23rd or 24th? in Stratford on Avon appears in London is 1581 Lord Chamberlains Men 1599 Globe Theater build o became actor, playwright, owner, and writer Works o Chronicle History Plays (1592-1598) like Richard II, III, Henry IV, ect. social warning of consequences of war o Tragedies (1592-1598) Romeo and Juliet

55 Hamlet o o o o o Comedies (1592-1598) Comedy of Errors Romantic Comedies (1598-1602) Much Ado About Nothing Great Tragedies (1602-1610) Hamlet, Macbeth, ect. Romances (Tragic Comedy) (1610) Tempest First Folio published after death very popular playwright, so he never published works b/c of stealing some felt he would be lost if not published, so employees/actors published first folio Sonnets Subjects 1-126: Young Man unknown person 127-154: Dark Lady degrading object of desires One Basic Metaphor third quatrain, first quatrain, then second quatrain key to understand poem is unlocking meaning every sonnet = different metaphor Beginning Tool Imperative, Proverbial Statement, Reminiscence helps reader understand monkey wrench Situations ideal of eternal love shaken by age suspicion jealousy shame lust betrayal Resolution power of love power of friendship permanence of poetry

56 Hamlet Hamlet prince of Denmark mid 20s fathers funeral Hamlet Sr. mom marries uncle Claudius Hamlet was close to his mother becomes very depressed encounters ghost of father o ghosts tells Hamlet that Claudius kills him o also tells Hamlet to avenge his death if this is true: Hamlet cant tell anyone he quickly killed off Hamlet Sr., what could stop him from weak little Hamlet Jr. We need to: o examine roll of the Ghost o examine Horatio o examine Ophelia Topics to be discussed: o Heroic code vs. Christian code heroic code = kill uncle Christian code = forgive 7 times 77 socially acceptable behavior? kill him and take over vs. turn the other cheek and forgive o man of action vs. man of intellect o dysfunctional family roles see book for annotations important parts o Fortinbras threat and not even considered half the time o Is the ghost real? yes: why doesnt mom see it? no: then why even mention it? o Hamlet doesnt like fact that mom and Claudius are fornicating so often o principle: do your job, if not, should be overthrown o Hamlets character flaw: cant make up his mind o Fortinbras = Hamlets foil o Is Gertrude good/bad? does exactly what she is expected to do (job) = good o Ophelias death o Act 5 Scene 1