Read Act I, Scenes I and II of Hamlet and post responses to the following questions. These will be recorded as homework grades...15 pts. each if you do them reasonably well, 0 if you have not posted by the beginning of class.
1. What portents appear in Act I Scene I? What does Horatio think these signs mean?
2. In his soliloquy, Hamlet uses the image of an unweeded garden. What is Hamlet comparing to a garden? What are the weeds? Who is responsible for tending the garden? If Hamlet were the chief gardener, how do you think he would go about restoring the garden?
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1. What portents appear in Act I Scene I? What does Horatio think these signs mean?
Marcellus and Banardo say that they have seen a ghost the night before, and again another time. This night is eerie and quiet. Not eaven a mouse has squeakedHoratio does not believe them and thinks they are imagining things. He is on their watch with them and says that nothing will appear
-shelby
2. In his soliloquy, Hamlet uses the image of an unweeded garden. What is Hamlet comparing to a garden? What are the weeds? Who is responsible for tending the garden? If Hamlet were the chief gardener, how do you think he would go about restoring the garden?
Young Hamlet is comparing Denmark to a garden that is not being tended. The new king, Claudius, is supposed to be taking care of the country but he is doing a poor job. Only weeds grow in the garden now, meaning that trouble is growing, such as his mother marrying Claudius, and the vagabonds that will be attacking the country. Hamlet would be more like his father. He would be a kind and brave ruler who protects his country like his father protected his mother. Hamlet said he tended to his mother so fell he even kept the wind from hitting her face, and he treated his country the same.
sorry it says trina... i cant remember my google account heh.
1. What portents appear in Act I Scene I? What does Horatio think these signs mean?
During their night watch, the Danish soldiers and Horatio, have seen a ghost appear for two nights and see it again during the course of the first scene. They determine that the ghost appears to be the spectre of the late King Hamlet. Horatio, who is filled with "fear and wonder," by these apparitions, says that in his opinion "this bodes some strange eruption to our state." Horatio fears that, given the death of King Hamlet, young Fortinbras of Norway will try to recover from them, the lands lost to King Hamlet by his father King Fortinbras. When he tries to speak to the ghost, he alludes to the idea that spirits often return for something that they have left behind on Earth ("Or if thou hast uphoarded in thy life extorted treasure in the womb of earth, for which, they say, you spritits oft walk in death, speak of it.")
2. In his soliloquy, Hamlet uses the image of an unweeded garden. What is Hamlet comparing to a garden? What are the weeds? Who is responsible for tending the garden? If Hamlet were the chief gardener, how do you think he would go about restoring the garden?
Hamlet is comparing Denmark to a garden that has not been properly tended since the death of his fater. The weeds are supposed to represent Claudius and his associates. The king is the one who is supposed to tend to the garden and ensure that it is properly taken care of. Given that it is the king's land and people, it is only right to expect him to take care of them. Hamlet would probably try to restore the garden to its former glory (its appearance during his father's rule). He would likely do this by purging the impurities, or weeds, that are intermingling with the once prosperous people of Denmark. We get the image of weeds running rampant and crossbreeding with the healthy vegetables that once existed there.
1. The indicators of omen revolve around the fact that they have seen a ghost who strongly resembles the now dead King Hamlet. The dead king is dressed in the same armor as when he fought king of Norway. Also, the ghost frowned just like the King did once when he attacked the Poles. Horatio thinks it means bad news for their country. He being dressed for battle is thought to be an omen that their country might go to war soon. He compares the situation of the ghost of Hamlet to that of Julies Caesar. He says that just before the emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated, corpses rose out of their graves and roamed the streets.
2. Hamlet is comparing Denmark, and the troubles that have risen with Claudius as king, to an unweeded, growing out of control garden. The weeds are “rank and gross” in nature, which is how he regards his uncle and his marriage with his mother. The King of the land is who is responsible for tending the garden of his country. He is thus referring to Claudius as the neglectful gardener who is responsible for Denmark being overrun by such contaminations. He says that his father, King Hamlet, was a great king and tender to the garden, and was a great protector of it and his mother, as he even protected the wind from her face. Hamlet would first and foremost kick out Claudius and his men and forbid such “incestuous” marriage as is going on between Claudius and his mother. He would try to rule as his father once did, as he places him on such a high pedestal. He would try to protect the country from all outside forces (weeds) penetrating it (King Fortinbras.)
1. What portents appear in Act I Scene I? What does Horatio think these signs mean?
The portent that appears in Act 1 Scene 1 is the sight of the dead King Hamlet. He is still wearing the clothes that the King used to wear and is still dressed in his battle armor that he was killed in. Horatio believes that this is a warning of something terrible that is about to happen to Denmark and that they could in fact be attacked militarily. He believes that if this really is the ghost of King Hamlet than the ghost will not refuse to talk to his own son, therefore getting Prince Hamlet to come.
2. In his soliloquy, Hamlet uses the image of an unweeded garden. What is Hamlet comparing to a garden? What are the weeds? Who is responsible for tending the garden? If Hamlet were the chief gardener, how do you think he would go about restoring the garden?
In his soliloquy Hamlet is saying that Denmark is like a garden that has not been tended. The weeds are the impurities that the new king, young Hamlet’s uncle, has allowed to “grow” after the death of King Hamlet, especially the way that the King and Queen run the country and the rules that they apply to their subjects. This could also mean the way that the King is abusing his powers. The person that is in charge of tending the garden is the king and therefore would fall on King Cladudius. If Hamlet was the “gardener” he would first go about restoring the garden by returning it to its former glory, that is the way that it was under King Hamlet.
1. The portent is the ghost of the deceased King Hamlet who has appeared in the last two nights. He never says anything, only disappearing whenever the sailors try to make contact. The king is wearing his war armor, as if going to war. Horatio believes that the king's appearance is a portent of disruption of the state, comparing the imminent destruction to that of Julius Caesar.
2. Hamlet is comparing the kingdom to a garden. The king is fully responsible for tending the garden; to prevent the weeds from growing and spreading outward. The weeds are Claudius's seduction of late King Hamlet's former wife. Hamlet hates the fact that his mother quickly gave up his father for his uncle a little while after his death. If Hamlet were chief gardener, his first act would be to remove the weed that is his uncle by its roots. In order to protect the kingdom, the royal family must first be in peace. If the people do not have anyone to look up upon, they will fall into disarray.
1. What portents appear in Act I Scene I? What does Horatio think these signs mean?
Horatio, Barnardo, and Marcellus see a ghost that resembles the late King Hamlet. According to the latter two, this is the third night that the spirit has appeared. He is clad in armor he once war to battle. Horatio speaks of young Fortinbras rounding up a group of men to reclaim the land his father lost to King Hamlet. Horatio believes the ghost is a harbinger which acts as a prologue to the omen yet to come.
2. In his soliloquy, Hamlet uses the image of an unweeded garden. What is Hamlet comparing to a garden? What are the weeds? Who is responsible for tending the garden? If Hamlet were the chief gardener, how do you think he would go about restoring the garden?
Hamlet is comparing Denmark to a garden. The weeds are issues such as the impending invasion of Fortinbras and his followers. The king is the garden's caretaker, in this case Claudius. He would emulate his father since he was such an "excellent king." This would involve the removal of "things rank and gross in nature" like Claudius from the royal court and steps to ensure Denmark's survival/prosperity.
1. What portents appear in Act I Scene I? What does Horatio think these signs mean?
Shakespeare immediately sets an eerie tone for the play. It is the very heart of night at 12 am and silent as "not a mouse (is) stirring" (11). Francisco is cold and "sick at heart" (7-8)The guards have also seen the ghost two nights before making this the third appearance of the ghost and typically the third appearance of anything is telling and important.
The soldiers are also on guard all the time, people seem to be preparing for something and people work all week with no break on Sunday. Horatio believes that these tangible preparations and happenings foretell war and the supernatural elements of Shakespeare support this supposition.
1. An apparition in the image of the late King Hamlet appears before Horatio, Marcellus, and Barnardo, the two latter fellows having seen it twice before. It is dressed in a full suit of armor does not speak when Horatio attempts to communicate with it. Horatio fears the ghost is an omen of war (130-135), warning them that Norway is coming to reclaim the territory it lost to King Hamlet during his reign.
2. Hamlet is comparing the image of an unweeded garden to his kingdom of Denmark. The "weeds" represent the issues Hamlet has with the hasty marriage of his mother and his uncle, Claudius, and with the new King's assumption of the role of Hamlet's father figure (167-168). Hamlet vehemently disapproves of the new marriage, so much as to label it "incestuous" (162), and does not understand what brought his mother to quell her despair by marrying her widow's brother. He seems to be wary of a plot deeper than a simple marriage and coronation of a new King. The leader of the realm is responsible for 'tending the garden', and if Hamlet were 'chief gardener', he would likely banish Claudius and do his best to imitate his father's rule, protecting the 'garden' from outside attack and conquering other gardens for their precious vegetables.
2. In his soliloquy, Hamlet uses the image of an unweeded garden. What is Hamlet comparing to a garden? What are the weeds? Who is responsible for tending the garden? If Hamlet were the chief gardener, how do you think he would go about restoring the garden?
Hamlet is referring to the Denmark as the unweeded garden. It has only been two months since his father died and Denmark has fallen from it's glory because its problems haven't been attended to. The weeds are the issues Denmark is facing with Fortinbras and Norway and the uprising not being taken care of. The King is responsible for taking care of the garden, but the reigning King is not doing his job. If Hamlet were the chief gardener he would immediately attend to the problems growing in the garden and prune out the bad things like Fortinbras and the rebels.
1. During the night Horatio and the Danish soldiers see a ghost, who has been said to be seen once before. By a closer encounter, they discover the the ghost's appearance is closely compared to that of the recently deceased king, Hamlet. Horatio finds it hard to believe at first, but knows the ghost cannot be a coincidence and must be real. He also believes that appearance of such a ghost cannot be a good sign and that ghost often walk the earth looking for something they have left behind. After failing to communicate with the ghost, Horatio believes it is a sign of something bad to come.
2. Hamlet is comparing Denmark itself to an unweeded garden. When you usually think of a garden you think of vegetables, herbs, and other nutritious plants growing from the soil, but in Hamlet's case it is only weeds. The weeds represent turmoil and neglect in Denmark, particularly the threat of violence and suspiciously early wedding of the newly widowed queen. The king, queen, and soldiers of Denmark are responsible for “tending” to the garden, but with the threat of violence, death of a king, and quick wedding of the queen's, the job is not really being done. If Hamlet were the “gardener” he would take matters into his own hands. He would do as his father once did and lead his country away from war, and “plant seeds” of “growth” for Denmark (the garden) to once again become weed free.
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