nunnery scene

Nunnery Scene Notes

·         Act 3, scene 1

·         Ophelia is sent by Claudius and Polonius to check on the condition of Hamlet. 

·         Hamlet demanded Ophelia to go to a nunnery in sense of protection

·         Repetition of the instruction:

o   “Get thee to a nunnery” (1) “Go thy ways to a nunnery” (10) “to a nunnery, go” (21)

§  Thee refers to Ophelia

§  This phrase is used numerous times to illustrate that Hamlet is playing antic-disposition, as he adheres to his sense of protection (over Ophelia)  

·         Rhetorical questions:

o    “Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?” (1)

§  Taking a Christian slant – everybody is born a sinner, therefore, he tries to protect Ophelia from giving birth to sinners (which will make her a sinner) by sending her to a nunnery

§  This rhetorical question is used to illustrate that Hamlet does care for Ophelia and that he is not mad

§  Hamlet is directly stating that Ophelia is a sinner and making her feel guilty  

·         “What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven?” (8)

·         “Between earth and heaven” refers to Purgatory

·         Hamlet criticizes himself purposely saying “ What should such fellows as I”

·         This device is used to show that Hamlet is playing antic-disposition because he exaggerates the fact that he is not well 

·         Listing:

o   “I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious,” (5)

§  Shakespeare used listing to emphasize that Hamlet is mad as a result of his father’s murder and his uncle taking over his position

§  As he uses the three descriptive characteristics which symbolize

·         Proud: education

·         Revengeful: father’s death

·         Ambitious: to take the throne    

·         Simile:

o   “As chaste as ice, as pure as snow” (17)

§   Hamlet is saying to Ophelia that if she does get married she should not engage in sexual acts

§  Ophelia’s beauty overpowers honesty when looking for a guy – therefore, Ophelia needs to be careful (this causes Hamlets paranoia, demanding her to go to a nunnery)   

·         Caesuras:

o   “Get thee to a nunnery, go; farewell.”

o   Shakespeare wanted to show a sense of haste – showing true madness

·         Metaphor:

o   “What monsters you make of them”

§  Hamlet is criticizing not only Ophelia, but the woman race (misogyny) as a whole – saying that she will make her groom a ‘monster’

§  Hamlet is pretending to be mad

·         Biblical Reference:

o   “God has given you one face, and you make yourself another” (25) and “God’s creatures” (27)

§  Shakespeare uses biblical references to highlight Hamlets misogyny and his true madness

§  Hamlet is mad at Ophelia and the woman race; accusing ‘them’ that they change their personality and behavior to please others

·         Personification:

o   “Noble mind”

§  Part of Ophelia’s soliloquy

§  She is showing respect for Hamlet, however, she does believe that he has is truly mad