Words like Daggers

Hamlet is talking to his mother while Polonius is listening to their conversation behind a curtain (arras).

Act III Scene 4: The Queen's closet

hamlet: Now, mother, what's the matter?

queen: Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.

hamlet: Mother, you have my father much offended.

queen: Come, come, you answer with an idle¹ tongue.

hamlet: Go, go, you question with a wicked² tongue, 5

queen: Why, how now, Hamlet!

hamlet: What's the matter now?

queen: Have you forgot me?

hamlet: No, by the rood³, not so.

You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife; 10 And - would it were not so⁴! - you are my mother.

queen: Nay⁵, then, I'll set⁶ those to you that can speak.

hamlet: Come, come, and sit you down; you shall not budge⁷;

You go not till I set you up a glass

Where you may see the inmost part of you. 15

queen: What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me?

Help, help, ho!

polonius: [Behind] What, ho! Help, help, help!

hamlet: [Draws⁸] How now! A rat? Dead! for a ducat, dead!

[Makes a pass through the arras.]

polonius: [Behind] O! I am slain⁹. [Falls and dies] 20

queen: O me! What hast thou done?

hamlet: Nay, I know not. Is it the king?

queen: O! what a rash¹⁰ and bloody deed is this!

hamlet: A bloody deed! Almost as bad, good mother,

As kill a king, and marry with his brother. 25

queen: As kill a king!

hamlet: Ay, lady, 'twas my word.

[Lifts up the arras and discovers polonius]

Thou wretched¹¹, rash, intruding fool, farewell!

I took thee for thy better; (...)

Leave wringing¹² of your hands. Peace; sit you down, 30

And let me wring your heart; for so I shall,

If it be made of penetrable stuff¹³ (...)

queen: What have I done that thou dar'st wag¹⁴ thy tongue

In noise so rude against me?

hamlet: Such an act

That blurs the grace and blush of modesty¹⁵; 35

Calls virtue hypocrite; takes off the rose

From the fair forehead of an innocent love,

And sets a blister¹⁶ there; makes marriage vows¹⁷

As false as dicers' oaths¹⁸.(...) 40

queen: Ay me, what act

That roars¹⁹ so loud, and thunders²⁰ in the index²¹?

hamlet: Look here, upon this picture, and on this,

The counterfeit presentment²² of two brothers.

See, what a grace was seated on this brow²³ – 45

Hyperion²⁴’s curls, the front of Jove himself;

An eye like Mars, to threaten²⁵ and command;

A station²⁶ like the herald Mercury

New lighted on the heaven-kissing hill²⁷;

A combination and a form²⁸ indeed 50

Where every god did seem to set his seal²⁹,

To give the world assurance of a man.

This was your husband. Look you now, what follows:

Here is your husband, like a mildew'd ear³⁰

Blasting his wholesome³¹ brother. Have you eyes? 55

Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed,

And batten on this moor³²? Ha! Have you eyes?

You cannot call it love, for at your age

The hey-day in the blood is tame³³, it's humble³⁴,

And waits upon the judgement³⁵; and what judgement 60

Would step from this to this?

queen: O Hamlet, speak no more!

Thou turn'st my eyes into my very soul;

And there I see such black and grained spots³⁶

As will not leave their tinct³⁷. 65

hamlet: Nay, but to live

In the rank sweat³⁸ of an enseamed³⁹ bed,

Stew'd⁴⁰ in corruption, honeying⁴¹ and making love

Over the nasty sty⁴² –

queen: O, speak to me no more; 70

These words, like daggers⁴³, enter in my ears;

No more, sweet Hamlet!

hamlet: A murderer and a villain!

A slave that is not twentieth part the tithe⁴⁴

Of your precedent lord; a vice⁴⁵ of kings; 75

A cutpurse⁴⁶ of the empire and the rule

That from a shelf the precious diadem stole,

And put it in his pocket!

queen: No more!

[Enter the ghost in his night gown.]

hamlet: A king of shreds and patches⁴⁷ - 80

Save me, and hover⁴⁸ o'er me with your wings,

You heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure⁴⁹?

queen: Alas, he's mad!

hamlet: Do you not come your tardy⁵⁰ son to chide⁵¹,

that, laps'd in time and passion⁵², lets go by⁵³ 85

The important acting of your dread⁵⁴ command?

Oh say!

ghost: Do not forget: this visitation

Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose⁵⁵.

But, look, amazement⁵⁶ on thy mother sits. 90

Oh, step between her and her fighting soul -

Conceit⁵⁷ in weakest bodies strongest works -

Speak to her, Hamlet.

hamlet: How is it with you, lady?

queen: Alas, how is't with you, 95

That you do bend your eye on vacancy⁵⁸,

And with the incorporal air do hold discourse⁵⁹?

Whereon do you look?

hamlet: On him, on him! (...)

queen: To whom do you speak this? 100

hamlet: Do you see nothing there?

queen: Nothing at all; yet all that is I see.

hamlet: Nor did you nothing hear?

queen: No, nothing but ourselves.

hamlet: Why, look you there! Look, how it steals away⁶⁰! 105

My father, in his habit⁶¹ as he liv'd!

GLOSSARY

1. idle: lazy

2. wicked: bad, cruel

3. rood: crucifix

4. would it were not so; I wish it was not true

5. Nay: no

6. set: send (Polonius and Claudius)

7. budge: move

8. draws (his sword): takes his sword out

9. slain: killed

10. rash: foolish, stupid

11. wretched: worthless

12. Leave wringing: stop twisting (from discomfort or anxiety)

13.I shall, If ...stuff: this I will do if I can penetrate it

14. wag: shake, move

15. blurs... modesty: makes your grace and pale colour of modesty disappear

16. blister: thin watery swelling under the skin

17. vows: solemn promises

18. dicers' oaths: promises made by gamblers

19. roars: makes a loud noise (like a lion's)

20. thunders: makes a loud noise (like that of thunder)

21.index: list (of crimes)

22. counterfeit presentment: portrait (not real presentation)

23.brow: upper part of a face, above the nose

24. Hyperion: in Greek mythology, a giant-sized god with superhuman powers

25. threaten: say menacing words

26. station: posture

27. New lighted on the heaven-kissing hill: newly, freshly arrived on the high hill

28. A combination and a form: a combination of qualities and physical presence

29. seal: official mark in a document

30.mildew'dear: diseased ear of corn

31. wholesome: healthy

32. Could you ... moor: you abandoned Old Hamlet (fair mountain) and chose Claudius (moor: desolate land; batten: become fat)

33. hey-day ... tame: your sexual drive should have diminished

34. humble: unimportant

35. waits upon the judgement: puts rational thought first

36. grained spots: ingrained marks

37. leave their tinct: lose their colour, fade

38. rank sweat: smelly perspiration

39. enseamed: lurid

40. Stew'd: immersed

41. honeying: sweet talking

42. nasty sty: disgusting pig's den

43. daggers: knives

44. tithe: tax of ten percent given to support the local church

45.vice: clown (in Morality plays 'vice' impersonated human vices and wore the multicoloured clothes that would later become typical of clowns)

46. cutpurse: thief

47. shreds and patches: badly dressed

48. hover: stay in the air

49. would your gracious figure: what is your wish?

50. tardy: hesitating

51. chide: reprimand

52. laps'd in time and passion: guilty of letting time pass and the passion of revenge cool

53. go by: pass

54. dread: terrifying

55.but to whet... purpose: only to spur you into action

56. amazement: great surprise

57. Conceit: imagination

58. bend ... vacancy: look into an empty space

59. hold discourse: talk

60. steals away: disappears

61. habit: clothes

COMPREHENTION

1. When the queen speaks of 'thy father' (line 2) and Hamlet speaks of 'my father' (line 3), are they referring to the same person?

2. When Hamlet says that the queen will see 'the inmost part of you' (line 15), is he speaking literally or figuratively? Does the queen understand what her son wishes to do?

3. Who does Hamlet think is hiding behind the curtains?

4. What does Hamlet mean when he says that he wants to 'wring' the queen's heart? (Line 31)

5. When the queen asks Hamlet what she has done to anger him (lines 33-34), does he answer her question directly?

6. From line 43 to line 57 Hamlet compares his father and his uncle Claudius. In which lines does he describe his father? In which lines does he describe his uncle?

7. At what point in the text does the queen seem to admit that she has done something evil?

8. What overcomes the queen's judgement according to Hamlet in lines 59-61 ?

9. Hamlet thinks that the ghost has come to reprimand him. For what?

10. Does the ghost want Hamlet to take revenge on his mother? Refer to the text in your answer.

11. Underline the sentences in the text that suggest that the queen cannot see or hear the ghost.

ANALYSIS

1. In the opening lines of the text Hamlet uses the queen's own words to point the finger of accusation away from himself and towards her. Find two examples.

How would you describe Hamlet's attitude towards his mother in these opening lines?

•Provocative •Mocking

•Sympathetic • Respectful

• Loving • Other:..................................

2. Focus on lines 20-29. Hamlet thinks that he has killed Claudius when in fact he has mistakenly murdered Polonius. Underline sentences that convey Hamlet's dispassionate indifference to his crime. How would you explain his lack of emotion?

• He feels his actions are justified because he is avenging his father's death.

• He is close to madness and no longer able to feel emotions.

• He has little interest in killing and revenge; he is more passionate about saving his mother's soul.

3. Find an example of personification in lines 37-42. Referring to the text, complete the following metaphors:

The crime committed by the queen:

-makes modesty lose ...............................................................

- makes virtue become ............................................................

- replaces a rose with ...............................................................

-transforms marriage vows into ..............................................

What do the metaphors have in common with each other and with the queen's actions?

4. Make a list of the gods Hamlet mentions in describing his father (lines 46-55). What do these allusions to Greek and Latin mythology suggest about Hamlet's view of his father? In the image that follows (lines 54-55), Hamlet's father and his brother Claudius are compared to 'two ears of corn'. Why is Hamlet's father 'wholesome' while Claudius is 'mildew'd'?

5. Complete the following table which analyses the metaphor in lines 56-57.

tenor	ground	vehicle
Hamlet’s father ………………. love lust	wholesome, beautiful lowly, ugly, barren healthy, dignified ………………………	…….. moor ……... batten

6. Examine lines 66-69. What in Hamlet's opinion is the relationship between Claudius and the queen based on? Which words in particular convey Hamlet's disgust?

7. What aspects of Claudius's character does Hamlet underline in the metaphors in lines 73-78?

8. Focus on the apparition of the ghost (lines 88-93). Does his attitude towards the queen confirm or contrast with Hamlet's?

The ghost is often considered to be a figment of Hamlet's imagination, an extension of his mind and conscience. If this is the case, what does the ghost's attitude towards the queen suggest about the relationship between Hamlet and his mother?

• That Hamlet despises his mother and cannot forgive her.

• That Hamlet is caught between wishing to avenge his father's death but not wishing to punish his mother, whom he loves.

9. What purpose does the appearance of the ghost serve?

- It heightens tension by introducing a potentially frightening supernatural element.

- It helps the audience to follow the plot of the play.

- It makes the audience more sympathetic towards the queen.

- If the ghost is interpreted as an extension of Hamlet's thoughts, it shows the more forgiving side of his nature.

10. Focus on the character of the queen. What is her attitude towards Hamlet? Find evidence in the text that suggests that:

- in the past her relationship with Hamlet was positive; line........

- she is afraid of what Hamlet might do in his current state: line........

- she loves Hamlet and knows the gentle side of his nature: line........

- she thinks that Hamlet is suffering from some form of mental disorder:

line ........

- she is concerned about Hamlet's well-being: line........

11. The queen speaks primarily in questions and exclamations. Find some examples in the text. What does her form of speech convey about her state of mind? Do you feel sympathetic or angry towards the queen in this scene?

12. Consider the aspects of Hamlet's character that emerge from this text. Which of the following adjectives would you choose to describe him on the basis of this scene?

• Passionate

• Rational

• Forgiving

• Hysterical

• Confused

• Heartless

• Mad

• Righteous

Are they the same adjectives that you would use to describe Hamlet in this scene?

WRITER’S WORKSHOP

Figure of speech ◊ A figure of speech is any use of language which deviates from the obvious or common usage in order to achieve a special meaning or effect. We use figures of speech in everyday conversation when we say, for example, 'money talks' (personification) or 'it's raining cats and dogs' (metaphor) or 'they are like two peas in a pod' (simile).

In literature, figures of speech are used to create a stronger intellectual or emotional impact on the reader or spectator and to add a range of depth of association. For example, when Hamlet describes his father and Claudius he uses striking figures of speech which make the descriptions stronger and more memorable. When a writer's work is rich in figures of speech we describe his style as figurative. The text from Shakespeare's Hamlet that you have just read is an excellent example of highly figurative writing.

Task

Choose two figures of speech form the text that you find striking and explain why you think they are particularly effective.

Over to you ◊ Re-write lines 41-53 in non-figurative style. Try to reduce what the characters say to its essentials and avoid the use of figures of speech. When you have finished, read the original figurative version and your new literal version aloud. Comment with your classmates on how the impact of the text changes.

STAGING THE PLAY

Suspense ◊ One way of incorporating suspense into a play is by giving the audience more information than the characters themselves have, and allowing them to see dangers that the characters are unaware of. The anxiety created in this situation is similar to what we feel when, in real life, we can see that an accident is about to occur but we are unable to warn the person who will be the victim.

Over to you ◊ Examine the scene you have just read from three different perspectives: Hamlet's, the queen's, and the audience's. Use the table below to determine what each of them knows () or does not know (X).

Hamlet	The queen	The audience	knows that...
……… ……… ……… ………	…………… …………… …………… ……………	……………….. ……………….. ……………….. ………………..	Polonius is hiding behind the curtain. Hamlet wishes to avenge his father’s death. The Queen has been Claudius accomplice. Hamlet is taking to a ghost.

Do the characters and the audience share the same information?

Who has most information - Hamlet, the queen or the audience?

When a character and the audience do not share the same information it is important that the playwright and the director draw attention to it. In the scene you have just read the queen shares little of the information that the audience has. Go through the text and underline the statements in which the queen's partial understanding of the situation emerges. Choose some of the lines and discuss what facial expressions and movements should accompany what the queen is saying, and in what tone of voice the lines should be delivered.

OUT

Hamlet criticises his mother for marrying her brother-in-law Claudius. He is like other sons and daughters who find fault with their parents and are not afraid to say it. What annoys young people about their parents? Examples: they never listen to what we have to say. They think they know everything. Add others.