jinsungjun
Dec 1, 2014
Book Reports / How does Hamlet use wit via an extended metaphor to show his rancor and hurt? [2]
Prompt: How does Hamlet use wit via an extended metaphor to show Rosencrantz and Guildenstern his rancor and hurt? (During the recorder/flute/pipe scene in Act III, scene II, lines 353-379)
As a forlorn, melancholic Hamlet is called to avenge his father's most unnatural murder, he is abandoned and betrayed by those dearest to him, thought to be entangled in his own madness. In this strange plight, Hamlet's once closest companions-inept Rosencrantz and dubious Guildenstern-function as henchmen to Hamlet's incestuous, murderous uncle, Claudius, and ultimately as traitors willing to end Hamlet's life. By using a mere recorder as a metaphor to deal a direct slap in the stunned faces of Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, Hamlet reveals their unfaithfulness with bitter wit to portray his malice toward and pain from his once close companions.
Following a sly, scholarly ploy to affirm his uncle's guilt in his father's heinous death, Hamlet immediately seizes a recorder from one of the players, intending to cunningly tongue-lash at his friends for their disloyalty. However, Hamlet first questions Guildenstern's proximity, subtly noting his broken trust: "why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you drive me into a toil?" (III.ii.376-377). Similar to a hunter and their prey-"recover the wind", a method used to force quarry into a trap or "toil"-Hamlet's expressive language progressively emphasizes Guildenstern and Rosencrantz's selfish betrayal as he feels cornered like wild game, portraying his shattered faith and crushed confidence in his friends. No longer does Hamlet find comforting asylum in the presence of his faithless companions; rather, similar to the lone, abandoned antelope sacrificed by its herd as prey, he only senses their desire to satiate their own ambitions by forsaking him. In accordance with such clever wit, Hamlet, cunningly and artfully, pleads Guildenstern to "play upon... [the] pipe", comparing its ease to that of "lying"-an act even toddlers are capable of committing (III.ii.381,387). In doing so, Hamlet ingeniously links their deceitful, fraudulent betrayal to playing the recorder-their very arrival to Denmark was based on a devious plot by the incestuous King Claudius to spy on Hamlet, instead of what they originally had told him (to merely visit). Of course, Hamlet persists in stressing the "discourse [of] most eloquent music" (III.ii.389) from the recorders by their mere breaths; here, "discourse" can refer to the utterance of musical sounds, but concurrently hints at the oral communication or converse that Guildenstern and Rosencrantz so desperately desire by "playing" upon Hamlet. Indeed, Hamlet's bitter attitude-a common trait amongst those who feel betrayed-towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's true, traitorous motives portrays his broken trust in his once closest companions, ultimately leading to contemptuous disdain for the lives of his friends.
Although Hamlet's crafty comparisons served to indirectly illustrate the correlations between a faithless betrayal and the elementary recorder, he soon bluntly reveals his melancholic, scornful feelings towards the traitorous Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. After repeated attempts at persuading a stubborn Guildenstern to play the recorder, Hamlet finally bursts in sarcastic rage as he reveals the true motive behind the recorder: "You would play upon me, you would seem to know my stops, you would pluck out the heart of my mystery, you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass" (III.ii.393-397). With contiguous, repetitive syntax-"would play upon me"; "would know my stops"; "would pluck out"; "would sound me"-Hamlet underscores the relative similarities between him and the recorder; here also, through the use of "would", Hamlet clearly accentuates Guildenstern and Rosencrantz resolute intent to use Hamlet for their benefit rather than them aiding him. Abandoned and forsaken, Hamlet candidly conveys his pain from their deception by comparing it to "plucking out" his heart-an act that figuratively would leave him empty and hollow, but consequently take his life. As with most instances of deep hurt, Hamlet's heavy pain also manifests itself when he sarcastically mocks Guildenstern and Rosencrantz for their insolent arrogance-their belief that they could "play" Hamlet for information. Hamlet even taunts his friends, revealing that there is an "excellent voice, in this little organ" (III.ii.399); in this regard, Hamlet ridicules Guildenstern by referring to the treasured information that his friends so desperately want, yet claiming they will never be capable of making "it [Hamlet] speak" (III.ii.399). Looking for revenge against his unfaithful companions, Hamlet's ultimate insult comes in as he merely brushes them off as insignificant, powerless tools: "though you <can> fret me, you cannot play upon me" (III.ii.401-402). "Fret", in this context, directly refers to those on an instrument, but in tandem suggests annoyance; as a result, Hamlet bluntly states that although his friends may annoy him, they will never play him. With this final slap to the face, Hamlet degrades his friends as inferior, incapable of and untalented enough to "play upon" him. Without a doubt, Hamlet suffers from the betrayal of his once dearest companions as he wittingly insults them for their cocky attitude, stripping them of their friendship and any tangible chance they had of pleasing King Claudius.
Skillfully using his bitter wit-comparing his friends to hunters and himself to prey, likening playing a recorder to lying, juxtaposing a recorder and himself, and ultimately bashing his friends through adept word choice-Hamlet harshly addresses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's betrayal as he scornfully taunts them, revealing his spite towards and hurt from his companions. Through these hardships, Hamlet not only identifies those harmful to him, he also acquires insight on what makes a friend truly a friend.
I'm having some trouble ending this essay on a thought-invoking note. I'm hoping you guys can help me catch any grammatical errors and any areas where the essay does not analyze / flow. Thank you!
Prompt: How does Hamlet use wit via an extended metaphor to show Rosencrantz and Guildenstern his rancor and hurt? (During the recorder/flute/pipe scene in Act III, scene II, lines 353-379)
As a forlorn, melancholic Hamlet is called to avenge his father's most unnatural murder, he is abandoned and betrayed by those dearest to him, thought to be entangled in his own madness. In this strange plight, Hamlet's once closest companions-inept Rosencrantz and dubious Guildenstern-function as henchmen to Hamlet's incestuous, murderous uncle, Claudius, and ultimately as traitors willing to end Hamlet's life. By using a mere recorder as a metaphor to deal a direct slap in the stunned faces of Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, Hamlet reveals their unfaithfulness with bitter wit to portray his malice toward and pain from his once close companions.
Following a sly, scholarly ploy to affirm his uncle's guilt in his father's heinous death, Hamlet immediately seizes a recorder from one of the players, intending to cunningly tongue-lash at his friends for their disloyalty. However, Hamlet first questions Guildenstern's proximity, subtly noting his broken trust: "why do you go about to recover the wind of me, as if you drive me into a toil?" (III.ii.376-377). Similar to a hunter and their prey-"recover the wind", a method used to force quarry into a trap or "toil"-Hamlet's expressive language progressively emphasizes Guildenstern and Rosencrantz's selfish betrayal as he feels cornered like wild game, portraying his shattered faith and crushed confidence in his friends. No longer does Hamlet find comforting asylum in the presence of his faithless companions; rather, similar to the lone, abandoned antelope sacrificed by its herd as prey, he only senses their desire to satiate their own ambitions by forsaking him. In accordance with such clever wit, Hamlet, cunningly and artfully, pleads Guildenstern to "play upon... [the] pipe", comparing its ease to that of "lying"-an act even toddlers are capable of committing (III.ii.381,387). In doing so, Hamlet ingeniously links their deceitful, fraudulent betrayal to playing the recorder-their very arrival to Denmark was based on a devious plot by the incestuous King Claudius to spy on Hamlet, instead of what they originally had told him (to merely visit). Of course, Hamlet persists in stressing the "discourse [of] most eloquent music" (III.ii.389) from the recorders by their mere breaths; here, "discourse" can refer to the utterance of musical sounds, but concurrently hints at the oral communication or converse that Guildenstern and Rosencrantz so desperately desire by "playing" upon Hamlet. Indeed, Hamlet's bitter attitude-a common trait amongst those who feel betrayed-towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's true, traitorous motives portrays his broken trust in his once closest companions, ultimately leading to contemptuous disdain for the lives of his friends.
Although Hamlet's crafty comparisons served to indirectly illustrate the correlations between a faithless betrayal and the elementary recorder, he soon bluntly reveals his melancholic, scornful feelings towards the traitorous Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. After repeated attempts at persuading a stubborn Guildenstern to play the recorder, Hamlet finally bursts in sarcastic rage as he reveals the true motive behind the recorder: "You would play upon me, you would seem to know my stops, you would pluck out the heart of my mystery, you would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass" (III.ii.393-397). With contiguous, repetitive syntax-"would play upon me"; "would know my stops"; "would pluck out"; "would sound me"-Hamlet underscores the relative similarities between him and the recorder; here also, through the use of "would", Hamlet clearly accentuates Guildenstern and Rosencrantz resolute intent to use Hamlet for their benefit rather than them aiding him. Abandoned and forsaken, Hamlet candidly conveys his pain from their deception by comparing it to "plucking out" his heart-an act that figuratively would leave him empty and hollow, but consequently take his life. As with most instances of deep hurt, Hamlet's heavy pain also manifests itself when he sarcastically mocks Guildenstern and Rosencrantz for their insolent arrogance-their belief that they could "play" Hamlet for information. Hamlet even taunts his friends, revealing that there is an "excellent voice, in this little organ" (III.ii.399); in this regard, Hamlet ridicules Guildenstern by referring to the treasured information that his friends so desperately want, yet claiming they will never be capable of making "it [Hamlet] speak" (III.ii.399). Looking for revenge against his unfaithful companions, Hamlet's ultimate insult comes in as he merely brushes them off as insignificant, powerless tools: "though you <can> fret me, you cannot play upon me" (III.ii.401-402). "Fret", in this context, directly refers to those on an instrument, but in tandem suggests annoyance; as a result, Hamlet bluntly states that although his friends may annoy him, they will never play him. With this final slap to the face, Hamlet degrades his friends as inferior, incapable of and untalented enough to "play upon" him. Without a doubt, Hamlet suffers from the betrayal of his once dearest companions as he wittingly insults them for their cocky attitude, stripping them of their friendship and any tangible chance they had of pleasing King Claudius.
Skillfully using his bitter wit-comparing his friends to hunters and himself to prey, likening playing a recorder to lying, juxtaposing a recorder and himself, and ultimately bashing his friends through adept word choice-Hamlet harshly addresses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's betrayal as he scornfully taunts them, revealing his spite towards and hurt from his companions. Through these hardships, Hamlet not only identifies those harmful to him, he also acquires insight on what makes a friend truly a friend.
I'm having some trouble ending this essay on a thought-invoking note. I'm hoping you guys can help me catch any grammatical errors and any areas where the essay does not analyze / flow. Thank you!
