What's so significant with the phrase "Who are they?" It's overused in the play and I don't know why they keep repeating it. I know some of the characters have trust issues, but I'd like a detailed explanation as to why.
Thanks in advance.
2 answers
You are correct, it is overused, and I have never noticed it. Perhaps it is used that way to heighten one of Shakespearé's themes: appearance vs reality.
Also keep in mind the political and military threads running through this play:
~~It starts out with references to making weapons round the clock and getting ready for war. This is because Hamlet's father (Hamlet the King, now dead) had killed Fortinbras's father, who had been King of Norway, and thereby Denmark had the right to take all of Norway to add to his own lands.
~~But then Hamlet the King died (was murdered, as we learn), and Claudius (Hamlet's uncle, now King of Denmark and presumably Norway, too) must now defend all his lands against the son Fortinbras, who has gathered a large army of young men from Norway who want their lands back.
Is that confusing enough?
An unasked question (but undoubtedly thought of by many readers) is why Hamlet did not inherit his father's crown. Why did Hamlet's uncle (Claudius) become king instead?
There is also the section in the play which is termed "a play within a play" during which Hamlet hopes to unmask his mother's and uncle's knowledge of his father's death/murder.
At the end of the play, after all the main characters have been killed off, only Horatio and Fortinbras are left -- Horatio, to tell Hamlet's story; Fortinbras, to assume the monarchy of both Denmark and Norway.
This whole plot is very "twisty and turny"! And there is much distrust deceit all around, in many more places than I've named above.
It's a fun play to analyze because there's just SO MUCH!!
=)
~~It starts out with references to making weapons round the clock and getting ready for war. This is because Hamlet's father (Hamlet the King, now dead) had killed Fortinbras's father, who had been King of Norway, and thereby Denmark had the right to take all of Norway to add to his own lands.
~~But then Hamlet the King died (was murdered, as we learn), and Claudius (Hamlet's uncle, now King of Denmark and presumably Norway, too) must now defend all his lands against the son Fortinbras, who has gathered a large army of young men from Norway who want their lands back.
Is that confusing enough?
An unasked question (but undoubtedly thought of by many readers) is why Hamlet did not inherit his father's crown. Why did Hamlet's uncle (Claudius) become king instead?
There is also the section in the play which is termed "a play within a play" during which Hamlet hopes to unmask his mother's and uncle's knowledge of his father's death/murder.
At the end of the play, after all the main characters have been killed off, only Horatio and Fortinbras are left -- Horatio, to tell Hamlet's story; Fortinbras, to assume the monarchy of both Denmark and Norway.
This whole plot is very "twisty and turny"! And there is much distrust deceit all around, in many more places than I've named above.
It's a fun play to analyze because there's just SO MUCH!!
=)
2 answers