HamNun+Yura+Jung

4/12/10 Yura Jung AP Literature D

After finding out that his uncle murdered his father, Hamlet is suspicious of his environment. Moreover, his innocence is lost. In an earlier act, Hamlet marches into Ophelia’s room looking rough and she does not tolerate his presence in her room because of what she had heard from her father and brother—to stay away from Hamlet and to ignore his “love.” Despite Ophelia’s interest in Hamlet, she refuses him and feel uncomfortable with him in her room. The change in Ophelia’s actions is as evident in the eyes of Hamlet as in the eyes of the audience. Therefore, he is well cognizant that something is different; that something is wrong. Unless a person is dull or perhaps blind, how can he not know that there is a sly scheme behind his “private” meeting with a woman who refused to be with him just a few days before? Moreover, her attitude is different towards him. She is eager to learn about his feelings for her and perhaps ready to confess her own. In addition, from her tone in the dialogue, it is obvious that she is somewhat nervous, as if she is doing something wrong or pretending to be someone she really is not. In the dialogue between Hamlet and Ophelia, it is undeniable that one of them is carrying on the conversation. Ophelia has a lot to ask and say to her fair lord, but the only words that she gets in return are just terse answers; he saves his words. His scanty use of words divulges that he is not normal and he is acting differently because he knows that he is //being watched//. Why else would he suddenly change his manners and tone towards Ophelia? It is evident that Ophelia is trying to bring up the past memories when they had pleasant times together to trigger words of honesty from his mouth, “My lord, I have remembrances of yours that I have longed long to re-deliver” (3.1.94-95). Yet, the only response she gets from a well-thought out speech is not exactly what she had expected, “No, no, not I. I never gave you aught” (3.1.97). Hamlet is not saying the words she wants to hear because he knows that there are others in the room who want hear certain words from him. The evidence of his awareness of the whole situation is even more substantiated when he brings up Polonius out of the blue. Ophelia’s father has nothing to do with their conversation but he pauses her intended direction to drag in a third person to their dialogue. Why would he do this? Why would he ask her, “where’s your father?” (3.1.131). more importantly, why does his emotions arouse as he speaks about Polonius? “Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the fool nowhere but in’s own house. Farewell” (3.11.133-134). These two lines seem to directly speak to Polonius hiding behind the scene, secretly listening to his daughter and Hamlet speak. And Hamlet seems to cleverly deliver these lines in order to let Polonius know that he is above the crafty plans formulated by Polonius. Furthermore, these two lines seem to serve as a stimuli, Hamlet’s formula to see whether Ophelia and someone behind the scenes react to his bitter words.