Hamlet: Close Reading - Henry Edition

Henry Poeng

William Shakespeare, master of his craft, often has many hidden meanings in his plays. This is exhibited in one of his more famous works, Hamlet. To portray these meanings, he uses tones and various other literary devices to get the messages across.  A remarkable example is Hamlet’s little ‘State of the Union Address’ just before his encounter with the ghost. Hamlet expounds on the state of Denmark, and his portrayal screams with emotion. The anger hidden within starts to trickle out, building ever so slowly. 

“As in their birth (wherein they are not guilty since nature cannot choose his origin),(1.4 / 28-29). A fitting ending to a monologue that touches on everything that Hamlet stands for. He realizes that people, himself in particular, are born with things they can’t control. This can be a disease, a quirk or a position of power. At this point in the monologue, Hamlet isn’t too happy. “As in their birth”- is a reference to a social stature. This includes being poor, rich, part of the royal family or some other class. In this case, Hamlet is the Prince of Denmark and part of the royal family. The royal family is the face of Denmark. Each action they do or do not do affects their reputation. “Wherein they are not guilty since nature cannot choose his own origin”- otherwise read as not their fault, compares Hamlet’s position to those of his peers. He doesn’t want to be in this position nor does he have the choice. Life is like a gamble in this regard.

“And to the manner born, it is a custom.” (1.4 / 17). As the Prince of Denmark, Hamlet has to act as befits a prince. “it is a custom” or commonly practiced, meaning he must partake in these actions regardless of personal interest. It can be deduced that Hamlet is a troubled man with a lot on his plate. To make matters worse, he has to deal with King Claudius and his tomfoolery. Prior to this monologue beginning, it was stated that King Claudius was heavily drinking. To drink and have fun is a privilege that only a country in a position of power can have simply because they can afford it. This isn’t the case with Denmark. “They clepe us drunkards and with swinish phrase soil our addition.” (1.4 / 21).” They clepe us drunkards” quite literally means, they call us drunks. “With swinish phrase soil our addition.” - Hamlet then proceeds to call those other countries cowards and pigs. The actions of the King are not held in high regard with Hamlet, although he can do nothing about it, furthering his anger. 

“And indeed it takes our achievements, though performed at height.” (1.4 / 22-25). - These acts are putting shame to all our accomplishments, even though we worked so hard to acquire them, it continues to lessen our reputation. “And indeed it takes our achievements” - this is in reference to King Claudius’ acts of carelessness. “Though performed at height” -  a hint at the past, this bit of line shows the struggle and the pain that it took for the royal family to get to where it is. It’s quite possible that they were of a lower social stature and climbed the ladder of hierarchy. Maybe they made rose Denmark to glory. The possibilities are endless, however, Denmark was better when King Hamlet was on the throne. 

Family and Honor are one of the many key themes in William Shakespeare’s  Hamlet. Emotional turmoil follows each theme and comes crashing down on Hamlet all at once. These emotions, when discovered takes the themes to another level of entertainment. Emotions weave hidden meanings in and out of the lines creating a more dynamic play. When used correctly, emotions can pluck strings in the reader’s/viewer’s heart, causing for a better experience. William Shakespeare, ace of language, is a true puppeteer of emotions.