ipl-logo

Hamlet's Dichotomy In A Poison Tree

772 Words4 Pages

Hamlet's dichotomy can also be shown through Blake's poem ‘A Poison Tree'. The poem is made up of four quatrains illustrating the act of revenge, and can be seen as Hamlet's need to take revenge on Claudius. Since Hamlet is a spontaneous character but with a methodical approach, he represses his ability to take action until he is certain. This is similar to the poem as the person did not confront the problem ‘And I sunned it with smiles, And soft deceitful wiles.' The lexical choice ‘sunned' presents the image of a plant which has been nurtured, suggesting that the ‘smiles' have allowed a stronger hatred to develop. Likewise, the plural noun ‘wiles' shows a deceitful and manipulative approach which also adds to the desire to take revenge, …show more content…

The poem itself is about a hidden relationship which is therefore not open but based on an unnatural passion that ultimately causes devastation. ‘The invisible worm, that flies in the night', this quote suggest that Claudius managed to get into Gertrudes bed while everyone was oblivious to it, including Gertrude. This is demonstrated when Hamlet holds up the mirror to Gertrude actions ‘Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul… O, speak to me no more… No more!' Here Gertrude has realised the damage of that she has caused and it is her accepting she has done wrong. However, her actions took place in ‘the howling storm' suggesting it was after her husband's death when she was vulnerable. This correlates with Hamlet, ‘frailty, thy name is woman!'. Blake also manages to demonstrate that love leads to devastation by the use of rhyme, ‘joy' and ‘destroy'. Furthermore, the use of enjambment throughout creates a fast tempo to the poem mirroring the duration of a relationship based on a ‘dark secret'. The lexical choice of ‘dark secret' suggests deception which we are lead to believe is present in Claudius and Gertrude relationship as she is unaware he poisoned Hamlet.
In conclusion, the actions carried out by Shakespeare's characters revolve around their love and, in extension, their duty toward each other. Similarly, Blake depicts love as an overwhelming emotion

Show More
Related

How Is Juxtaposition Used In Hamlet

1033 Words | 5 Pages

The ghost describes his previous love for Gertrude as being “of that dignity” that would validate his “vow… in marriage” that he once had with her, placing his devotion to Gertrude on high grounds. In the very next line, he quickly brings up a “decline” to the “wretch” that Claudius is. Claudius has “natural gifts” that have the “power” to seduce Gertrude, suggesting that there is no genuine love between the two of them; there is only “shameful lust” that Claudius executed with this “power.” The ghost emphasizes this “decline” further by relating to young Hamlet how Gertrude quickly went from a “radiant angel” and a “seeming-virtuous queen” attaining satisfaction in a “celestial bed” to a lustful being preying on “garbage.” Referring to Gertrude as an angel implies that she and King Hamlet had a heavenly bond that soon turned to garbage when Claudius came around.

Read More

Gertrude Hamlet Ignorant Quotes

477 Words | 2 Pages

Queen Gertrude is the Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, the widow of Old Hamlet and the wife of Claudius, brother of her dead husband. Gertrude is ignorant and a woman who means no harm but because of her actions it contributes greatly to the terrible events that occur throughout the play. In this play there’s many conflicts, one of the first conflicts was when Gertrude married King Claudius two months after Old Hamlet’s death. Gertrude is ignorant because she’s not aware of anything happening. For example she’s not aware that King Hamlet’s murder was by his own brother Claudius, even though they were some hints out there to show that it was King Claudius who killed Old Hamlet.

Read More

Gertrude Speech On Ophelia's Death

856 Words | 4 Pages

Gertrude’s Speech on Ophelia’s Death Analysis This passage is from Act 4, scene 7, lines 163-183 of Hamlet. Laertes, hearing of his father’s death, storms the palace seeking revenge. Claudius, in an effort to calm Laertes’ rage, conspires with him on how to effectively kill Hamlet shortly before Gertrude interrupts with the news of poor Ophelia’s death. Laertes, heartbroken after hearing that his sister has died, seeks to mourn in peace, but Claudius insists that he and Gertrude follow him so that he can keep an eye on his temper.

Read More

The Symbolism Of Gertrude's Honor In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

314 Words | 2 Pages

Also, Hamlet displays his anguish at the Queen for dishonouring his dead father since “Almost as bad, good mother, as killing a king and marrying his brother” (Shakespeare, pg. 121). In this statement, Hamlet expresses how, through the marriage to her husband’s murderer, Gertrude is a symbol of dishonor and damaging her relationship with the prince. Hamlet is disgusted by Gertrude’s actions and recognizes her not as his mother but the queen and wife of Claudius, the murderer. The respect revered by children to their mother is not evident between Hamlet and Gertrude. In Gertrude’s death scene, Hamlet screams to his mother “Wretched Queen, adieu!”

Read More

Depression And Anger In Hamlet

948 Words | 4 Pages

King Hamlet loved Gertrude with all his heart that he “might not beteem the winds of heaven visit her face too roughly” this represents true unforgettable love. Hamlet is exasperated about his mother’s hasty marriage that he claims a “beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer”. Gertrude’s hasty marriage with Claudius seems to Hamlet as done with “wicked speed to post with such dexterity to incestous sheets” showing Hamlet is disgusted with this relationship and aggressively disapproves to this action. Further into the play Act 3 Scene 2, Hamlet is having a conservation with Ophelia when he mentions “look you how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within two hours” showing anger towards the happiness of his mother. Throughout the play Hamlet uncovers horrible deeds his uncle has committed, which were “Remorseless, Treacherous, lecherous”.

Read More

Internal Events In Hamlet

1410 Words | 6 Pages

Gertrude is Hamlet’s mother and the Queen of Denmark. When King Hamlet is murdered by Claudius, she didn 't seem to daunt her and shortly thereafter got married to Hamlet 's Uncle Claudius. This gives a suspense in this point of the play because it makes the audience think about if Gertrude had anything to do with the murder of her husband or if she helped plan the murder with Claudius. When Gertrude married the person that killed her husband, Hamlet takes it personal and she basically loses her son because he 's so upset with her.

Read More

How Does Shakespeare Create Suicidal Love In Romeo And Juliet

983 Words | 4 Pages

At the story’s end confusion and blind love founds their unfortunate and suicidal love. Throughout the play, Shakespeare constantly creates a theme of love creating a self-destructive personality through the words of many characters. Shakespeare represents this theme through Friar Lawrence, first foreshadowing

Read More

The Poison Of Facades In Shakespeare's Hamlet

869 Words | 4 Pages

The poison of facades. It has become human nature to react to the elements that surround you, whether physical or emotional in value, and due to this reason, in William Shakespeare's Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, poison spread- starting with King Claudius until it affected Denmark in its entirety. “That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain” (1.5.105-109 ). Even the nicest of people can easily have an ulterior motive, deception plays a major theme in Hamlet. Take, for example, King Claudius; Claudius murders his own brother, who has become the King and Hamlets’ father.

Read More

Misogyny In Hamlet And Ophelia

651 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet is speaking his dagger-like words to Gertrude which confirms of her adulterous acts and Gertrude responds: “O Hamlet, speak no more. / Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul, / And there I see such black and grained spots” (3.4.88-90). Gertrude uncovers that she has morality and she is guilty of her sins. The references to the ‘black and grained spots’ are metaphors that alludes to her incest and her obedience with Claudius’ murderous act.

Read More

Example Of Betrayal In Hamlet

1327 Words | 6 Pages

Gertrude’s betrayal of her son was caused by Claudius, as he comforted her after her husband’s unfortunate demise, and later married her, this was betrayal to Hamlet because he had a very high opinion of his father and thought very little of his uncle, Hamlet said “-married with my uncle, / My father’s brother, but no more like my father / Then I to Hercules; within a month” [I, ii, 151-153] showing that he believes that his mother betrayed him and his father’s memory by marrying his uncle, it also

Read More

Essay On Gertrude A Victim In Hamlet

848 Words | 4 Pages

Her dilemma of having to choose one man over the other is driving her to insanity because she can’t pick just one of them. Certainly she loves both of them or at least that’s what she thought, but Hamlet’s father is her true love while Claudius is the brother of her husband that just so happened to become king after his brother died. In short, she doesn’t know her true feelings for either person. Gertrude feels confused and overwhelmed by everything that just unfolded in front of her. It causes her an undesirable grief that she shouldn’t have had to deal

Read More

Gertrude's Treatment Of Women In Hamlet

360 Words | 2 Pages

Hamlet speaks to himself about Gertrude: “By what it fed on, and yet, within a month - let me not think on’t. Frailty, thy name is woman! … O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer! - married my uncle, my father’s brother, but no more like my father than I to Hercules.

Read More

Hamlet's Tragic Flaw Analysis

810 Words | 4 Pages

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the protagonist, Hamlet, dies in an effort to revenge his father, the King of Denmark, who was murdered and usurped by Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet’s tragic flaw, the cause of his downfall, is the reason why the play concluded with his own death. Ruled by his intelligence, Hamlet examines ideas and plans from many different angles before putting them into action. Although his thoughtfulness is an admirable trait, due to the circumstances, his thoroughness led to the inability to make and commit to decisions, the cause of his doom. This indecisiveness is physically manifested on the PostSecret the forms of text and visual cues.

Read More

Essay On The Role Of Women In Hamlet

1338 Words | 6 Pages

Contextually, Gertrude is Hamlet's mother and the wife of Claudius, brother of her late husband. His stage presence is reduced because it appears that in nine out of twenty scenes and its appearance is often had to his royal status. In addition, Gertrude is a woman represented as being inert, does undertaking any real action during the play. Indeed, it does not come to the aid of his son Hamlet all throughout history and finds deleted before men dominate the work. Gertrude is a dependent character of men, especially Claudius.

Read More

Exploitation Of Women In Hamlet

178 Words | 1 Pages

Gertrude whose husband passed away recently in the beginning of the novel, she quickly married her brother-in-law. Hamlet in deep sorrow over his father death but even more heard broken over his mother re-marriage which drove

Read More

More about Hamlet's Dichotomy In A Poison Tree

Related Topics

Open Document