Towards his mother and uncle, he acts rather peculiar. He acts as if he doesn't respect them, but he acts polite and as if he respects them to not be rude. He seems to be almost over them because he is angry that they aren't mourning over his father's death and how they are blowing it off as no big deal. Hamlet tells Horatio how "the funeral baked meats/ did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables"(1.2.179-180). He is mad how they moved on so quickly and didn't even take the time to mourn and remember his father. They just blew it off as no big deal and how "Thou know’st ’tis common. All that lives must die/
Passing through nature to eternity" (1.2.72-73). She says how death is common, and it happens all the time. He wants to mourn about his father with his widow mother who should be crying her eyes about. But, for some reason, she isn't. Hamlet doesn't understand it, and therefore it angers him that his deserving father is not getting the recollection and mourning. It also bothers Hamlet how his mother would just remarry right after the death of her husband. She acts as if he wasn't special to her, but Hamlet knows he was.
To his new parents, Hamlet acts very nonchalant, not too caring, and willing to obey. For example, when they tell Hamlet not to leave, but to instead stay with here with them, he does not fight it. He just simply says"I shall in all my best obey you, madam" (1.2.120).Although it seems like he lost some respect for them, he still acts polite and obeys their orders as his parents. Overall, my first impression of Hamlet is a person who really loved his father and is very sad about his loss. He seems like a grudge may come to form against his parents who didn't mourn over their loss and remarried right away without shedding one tear about Hamlet's father dying.
Jacob, this is exactly what I was thinking when I was reading this! I completely agree with most everything you are trying to say here. In your post you say that he acts “very nonchalant, not too caring, and willing to obey” I would like to see how you feel these relate to each other. I also would like to know if you feel like he was able to contain his excitement at the news of his father’s ghost, if he was showing it, or if he was excited at all. Maybe do you think he was worried instead of excited?
ReplyDeleteYou’re spot on Jacob. I completely agree with your interpretation of “Hamlet” Act 1, scene 1/2. Your integration of quotes is done so well, and vissual really shows me how Hamlet must feel right now. Hamlet is sad and greiving and his parents don’t care and mock him. Your points are well stated throughout the post and well supported by quotes. However, to make this post even better, you could try and cut down repedative points such as the dearth of mourning by Hamlet’s parents over Old Hamlet’s death. In addition, if you’re quoting more than one line of poetry, you do not need to start a new line, just a “/” is fine. Overall, your Hamlet First Impression is a well thought out and well supported post with a few minor changes needed to make it even better.
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