| commoners = | comic relief (gravediggers) |
| what do the gravediggers do that offends hamlet | they are making jokes/singing/dancing while digging the grave |
| gravediggers were also called | clowns |
| crowner | coroner |
| what are the two ways to drown | either you dive into the water and let it kill you (suicide; you go to hell) or the water comes to you and attacks you and you die (not suicide; you get to go to heaven) |
| what are the three things to an act | to act, to do, to perform |
| argal | ergo = therefore |
| what are the two reasons why ophelia gets a christian burial even though she most likely killed herself | she is a ‘”gentlewoman” (wealthy), and the kings said it was nota suicide |
| why does claudius’ decision about ophelia’s death matter so much | what the king says go; royals are above the law |
| one gravedigger said “adam bore arms” | had a coat of arms; adam was the very first “gentleman” |
| why is the other gravedigger not understand this | if adam was the first man, he had no lineage to trace back and therefore could not possibly have had a coat of arms |
| the gravedigger then says that adam was the first to dig, how could he dig without arms | by saying he “bore arms” he simply meant he had arms (this is just a really bad dad joke) |
| gravedigger says, “what is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?” | other first answers “the gallows-maker; for that frame outlives a thousand tenants” |
| when the gravedigger repeats his question again, what is the real answer | “a grave-maker; the houses he makes lasts till doomsday” |
| what does the gravedigger do that upsets hamlet | he is just tossing skulls around like they’re nothing |
| to whom does hamlet refer to when he is talking about how the gravedigger tosses the skulls around | “like it is cain’s” |
| in what way does the gravedigger speak that annoys hamlet at first | very literally; but then hamlet starts going along with it since that’s how he’s been speaking to people for a while |
| equivocation | equivocation defense – refers to the intent – usually to kill (gunpowder plot) |
| bunghole | hole on barrel of beer |
| when did the gravedigger get his job | the day king hamlet killed old fortinbras |
| why does the gravedigger say hamlet got shipped off to england | he was crazy; and he’ll fit in b/c everyone in england is crazy too |
| who is yorick | hamlet’s childhood friend; the gravedigger supposedly gives his skull to hamlet |
| how do hamlet and horatio know that something is wrong at the funeral | there aren’t very many people, it is not like a state funeral |
| what does laertes get upset with the priest about | ophelia not getting very many last rites; the priest believes she killed herself, so he doesn’t give her the rites that people of natural death get |
| what does the priest say they should be throwing on ophelia’s grave | rocks, shards of clay, bad things instead of flowers |
| “may violets spring from her grave” | laertes; violets were a sign of young death |
| what does laertes say to the priest | “a minist’ring angle shall my sister be when thou liest howling” — he is saying that the priest will be howling in hell when he dies but ophelia will not be there with him |
| “sweets to the sweet, farewell!” | gertrude says this when she tosses flowers on ophelia’s grave |
| what doe hamlet and laertes argue about at the funeral | who loved ophelia more |
| eisel | wine vinegar; tastes really bad, mixed with narcotics (usually opium) |
| “hear you, sir, what is the reason that you use me thus? i loves you ever. but it is no matter. let hercules himself do what he may, the cat will mew, and the dog will have his day.” | basically saying that every dog will have his day; if you treat people badly, it will come back to bite you in the booty (karma biotch) |
| “there is a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will-“ | god sees everything that is going on, and whether or not you realize it, god has a plan for everyone and no matter how well or badly you perform, you will get to/through that plan |
| what has happened to rosencrantz and guildenstern | while on the ship, hamlet sneaks into their room and steals the letters that the king has given them, opens them, sees that the king is going to have england kill him. hamlet gets out some paper, changes the orders, seals it, and puts it back |
| what does hamlet change the orders to | execute the two men that deliver this letter immediately, do not even give them last rites or anything |
| how does hamlet seal the letters | he has his father’s old ring and uses it to seal the papers |
| does hamlet feel bad about what he’s doing to rosencrantz and guildenstern? why? | no, he says they are getting what they deserved; they knew when they started working for the king what they were getting into; they were going to have him killed so why should he feel bad about having them killed? |
| who is osric | a courtier; looks like a modern day pimp; wears a big gaudy hat |
| what does hamlet call osric | lapwing |
| what is a lapwing | a baby bird that has just hatched – still has part of the eggshell on top of its head |
| why is osric there | to tell hamlet about the fencing challenge |
| what are the odds that osric tells hamlet | the king has bet that in 12 rounds of fencing b/t hamlet and laertes, hamlet will have to strike laertes only 3 times (winning on the fourth), and laertes will have to strike hamlet 9 times |
| what is the wager on the match | 6 french horses against 6 rapiers and daggers |
| what are rapiers and daggers | these are what the men will fence with; each will have a rapier and a dagger in their hands; a rapier is a fancy fencing sword |
| fall of a sparrow | refers to the lines from matthew in the bible: “are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father?” |
| augury | omens |
| “if it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. the readiness is all. since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is ‘t to leave betimes? let be.” | hamlet is saying that you can’t put off what is most definitely going to happen; god is watching, and god knows even the fall of the sparrow; hamlet has resigned to his fate (king or not; die or not) he knows you can’t decide what is going to happen to you, only god can. you just have to be ready for anything |
| how does the king deliver the poison to the cup | with a pearl |
| how does gertrude die | she drinks the poisoned cup of wine |
| how does laertes die | in a tussle with hamlet, they switch swords and hamlet stabs laertes with the poisoned tip |
| how does claudius die | after laertes tells hamlet about the poisoned drink, hamlet gets pissed b/c claudius just killed his mom after already killing his father; he forces claudius to drink the poisoned wine as well |
| how does hamlet die | before getting sword switched up, laertes had cut hamlet with the poisoned tip of his rapier |
| how do rosencrantz and guildenstern die | they are beheaded |
| who is the only main character of the story left | horatio |
| what are hamlet’s dying wishes of horatio | to make sure young fortinbras becomes king and that horatio live to tell the story of what happened there |
| what does horatio try to do before hamlet wishes this of him and why | he tries to drink the poisoned wine; he didn’t want to outlive his commander (hamlet) |
| for how long is hamlet king | about 30-40 seconds |
| who is the new king of denmark | fortinbras |
| what kind of burial service does fortinbras give hamlet and why | a military one; he said that hamlet was an honorable man and he would have been a great king |
hamlet act v
August 28, 2019