We're going to look now at Act 3, Scene 1. We're going to pick it up sort of halfway
through the scene so this also has, quite famously 'to be or not to be' speech which...or
soliloquy...well it is a soliloquy and then we have Ophelia enters, whether she's been
around hearing or not but it feels like this is the second sort of half of the scene. And
we've already had Ophelia enter with the gifts she means to return to Hamlet and we're going
to look at what the reaction is to that in this little moment.
It's very complex, the ideas that you're structuring but when I first read it it kind of felt like
it was either a lecturing or it felt like there was something quite oppressive about
his language, trying to put an idea into her mind, or to change something like that.
Although she only has three lines I think it's important the way that she responds.
So, he speaks in a way that's actually quite aggressive, verbally aggressive to her, and
I think it's really interesting that actually she doesn't take, in the moment, she doesn't
act defensive or take it personally, or kind of insult him back, but actually what she
does care about, is him.
Go thy ways to a nunnery, quickly too, farewell.
Heavenly powers restore him.
I've heard two of your paintings, well enough. God hath given you one face and you make yourself
another.
She says 'help him', 'restore him', so I think it's actually interesting that she doesn't
verbally, she's not verbally aggressive back towards him and I think that actually says
a lot about her character.
But Ophelia in this, actually only has three lines.
She has three in this second section, yes.
So maybe we could look at playing it so in one instance Hamlet does have the kind of,
the control, or he's driving it because he has the majority of the language.
We are arrant knaves all, believe none of us, go thy ways to a nunnery. Where's your
father?
At home, my lord.
Let the doors be shut on him that he may play the fool nowhere but in his own house, farewell.
O help him, you sweet heavens.
And if thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry, be thou as chaste as
ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, farewell.
Or, if thou will needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters
you make of them. Go thy ways to a nunnery, and quickly too, farewell.
O heavenly powers, restore him!
I have heard too of your paintings, well enough; God
has given you one face, and you make yourselves another: you jig, you amble, and you lisp,
and nick-name God's creatures, and make your wantonness
your ignorance.Go to, I'll no more on't; it hath
made me mad.
And then we could look at it, flip-reverse it, that actually, he is less in control because
he's speaking so much. It doesn't mean you're necessarily dominant because you're speaking
a lot.
We are arrant knaves all, believe none of us, go thy ways to a nunnery. Where's your
father?
At home, my lord.
Let the doors be shut on him that he may play the fool nowhere but in his own house, farewell.
O help him, you sweet heavens.
And if thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry, be thou as chaste as
ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, farewell.
Or, if thou will needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters
you make of them. Go thy ways to a nunnery, and quickly too, farewell.
O heavenly powers, restore him!
I have heard too of your paintings, well enough; God
has given you one face, and you make yourselves another: you jig, you amble, and you lisp,
and nick-name God's creatures, and make your wantonness
your ignorance.Go to, I'll no more on't; it hath
made me mad.
It's quite a long scene, quite a lot of text and it's quite difficult to just play that
constantly, constantly, constantly, without having any change or taking anything from
Ophelia.
Yes, it's finding the moments where actually you do less and then finding the moments where
maybe you don't so that it becomes a more realistic conversation and there's a much
more understandable journey.
Go thy ways to a nunnery. Where's your father?
At home, my lord.
Hamlet laughing
Let the doors be shut on him that he may play the fool nowhere but in his own house, farewell.
O help him, you sweet heavens.
And if thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry, be thou as chaste as
ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, farewell.
Or, if thou will needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters
you make of them. Go thy ways to a nunnery, and quickly too, farewell.
O heavenly powers, restore him!
I have heard too of your paintings, well enough; God
has given you one face, and you make yourselves another: you jig, you amble, and you lisp,
and nick-name God's creatures, and make your wantonness
your ignorance.Go to, I'll no more on't; it hath
made me mad.