Find a moment in Hamlet in which Shakespeare uses a pun to build on the possible meanings of what is being said. Make sure to use a dictionary to explore the multiple meanings of the word (there might be a meaning that existed in Shakespeare's time and does not exist in ours).
A pun is an often humorous use of a word/phrase that has more than one possible meaning
Examples:
Examples:
“The pigs were a squeal!”
“Those scientists should date. They have chemistry!”
"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." -Groucho Marx
"Kings worry about a receding heir line."
If you're stuck, you may discuss one of the following puns in Hamlet:
p. 38: "sun"
p. 60: "tenders"
p. 112: "privates"
p. 114: "beggar"
Please explain how Shakespeare uses the pun, what different meanings he is playing with, and what the effect of the pun is.
*Please post your answer as a COMMENT to this post!
King: "How is it that the clouds still hang on you" (I.ii.67)
ReplyDeleteHamlet: “Not so, my lord, I am too much i'th'sun” (I.ii.68).
The play with words here is the with the use of the word "sun." Te king refers to Hamlet's depressing attitude by comparing it to clouds and Hamlet responds that he is actually too much in the sun. "Too much in the sun" is not referring to the literal sun. He uses this pun to convey that he dislikes the new role as being Claudius' son. Hamlet feels that this situation should have never occurred because he considers it to be incest and he was the one who should have succeeded his father. Hamlet uses "sun" as a family term but the King and Queen use it to refer to the sun in the solar system. She suggests that he should "cast thy nighted coulour off," but it is clear to the audience that the only thing Hamlet wants to "cast off" is Claudius.
Very nice Janelle! I love your last line!
ReplyDelete(Oh, and to cite next time you can just do one citation for both pages. Write:
(I.ii.67-8)
Ophelia: "He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders/ of his affection to me." (I.iii.105-6)
ReplyDeleteIn this line Shakespeare plays with two of the multiple definitions of tenders. In it's more simple context, this is a simple defensive statement made by Ophelia explaining to her father her relationship with Hamlet. In its second context Shakespeare uses Hamlet's economic background, as prince of Denmark, to satisfy the second meaning of tenders; money.
"By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me." (1.4.95).
ReplyDeleteAfter Horatio and Marcellus try to keep him from following the Ghost, Hamlet basically says, "I'll kill anyone who prevents me from the Ghost." This is a play on words because anyone would assume that "let" meant allow. In this case it actually meant hinder.
King: "But now, my cousin Hamlet,and my son-"(I.ii.65)
ReplyDeleteHamlet: [aside]"A little more than kin, and less than kind."(I.ii.66)
The play with words here is the word "kind." Hamlet says to the audience that Claudius is more than "kin", more than a counsin because now he is a step father to Hamlet since Claudius murdered his father and took over his thrown and took his wife. "Kind" in this situation refers to being natural. Clearly it is unnatural for a brother to kill his own sibling for incest. Not only is Claudius to Hamlet unnatural,but inconsiderate as well.
King: How is it that the clouds still hang on you?
ReplyDeleteHamlet: Not so, my lord, I am too much i' th' sun.(I.ii.38)
When Hamlet is speaking about the "sun" he really means "son". Hamlet's Uncle who is now the king keeps on calling Hamlet "son". You can tell that Hamlet doesn't really trust or like his uncle and so he doesn't like the fact that he is calling him son. So when he says "...I am too much i' th'sun." He really means something like "you are calling me son to much and I don't like it." Shakespeare uses the puns in his writing as an ironic message.
King: "How is it that the clouds still hang on you" (1.ii.67)
ReplyDeleteHamlet: “Not so, my lord, I am too much i'th'sun” (1.ii.68)
When I first read Hamlet's line, I thought he was literally talking about the sun. But Ms.Lewkowicz said,"it is a pun." Hamlet is actually talking about "sons." Hamlet is using the image of the "sun", to basically tell readers how he dislikes being Claudius' new son. I wonder if Claudius has figured that out yet?
Laertes: If with too credent ear you list songs, or lose your heart, or your treasure chaste open to his unmastered opportunity... (I.iii.54)
ReplyDeleteLaertes speaks on how Ophelia should "back away" sort to speak away from Hamlet. He fears that her "treasure" may be taken from someone who he feels isn't eligible to take it. When Laertes speaks of her treasure, he speaks of her virginity. Treasure is defined as "precious" or "highly valued" So we see here Laertes is pretty much saying that Ophilias virginity is extremely prized. wow.
In the play the word "tender" is first used by Ophelia to mean offer, as to say hamlet offered/showed his love to her. Later on Polonius also uses the word tender to refer to money "legal tender" while him and Ophelia talked about Hamlet's financial background. Polonius also uses the word “tender me a fool” by trying to say to Ophelia make him a fool.
ReplyDeleteHamlet--"For if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a god kissing carrion--Have you a daughter?...Let her not walk i' the sun: conception is a blessing: but not as your daughter may conceive-friend, look to't(2ii)"
ReplyDeleteThere's a double meaning to Hamlet's words in this dialogue. Hamlet is saying that the Sun can give birth to horrible things--which in Polonius' eyes that nasty thing is Hamlet--and that makes Polonius a hypocrite, because Polonius doesnt want Hamlet to date Ophelia, all the while Polonius is one of the Sun's creations himself. Also, Hamlet says that if Polonius wants to keep Ophelia from Hamlet in fear of her getting pregnant, then Polonius might as well keep her from the Sun. Another thing, the word conception also means "an abstract or general idea inferred or derived from specific instance," so Hamlet is not necessarily talking about birth, but rather a weird outcome to a certain situation.
Guildenstern:"Faith, her privates we."(II, ii.238)
ReplyDeleteGuildenstern, Hamlet, and Rosencratz seems like they are discussing a woman's body part.It's kind of comic how they are joking about being a certain part of her body. Hamlet saids "Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favours?" Guildenstern then says "...her privates we," meaning that they are her private area. When I read this I thought that they considered themselves as her bodyguard or someone who is watched highly over the person. I was surprised when I finally read it and discovered that it was actually way deeper than that.
To Ramdat and Kim: Perhaps Shakespeare was also trying to refer to Hamlet's being "too much in the sun" in terms of being too much caught up in his role/duty as his real father's son. He is, after all, quite obsessed with his father's death, even before he comes to believe that his father was murdered. What do you think? Am I crazy or on to something here?
ReplyDeleteKing: "How is it that the clouds still hang on you" (I.ii.67)
ReplyDeleteHamlet: “Not so, my lord, I am too much i'th'sun” (I.ii.68).
This is an example of Hamlet showing his uncle that he is not too fond of him. He does not like the fact that his uncle calls him "son" so much but shakespeare uses "sun" to create the pun. I wonder though, how people who saw hamlet when it was being acted reacted to this line because "sun" and "son" sound exactly alike, at least when i say it.
"Hamlet: Then are our beggars bodies, and our monarchs outstretched heroes the beggars' shadows..." (II.ii.264)
ReplyDeleteBeggar means 1.a poor person, 2.someone who begs, 3.to make somebody very poor, and 4.to be beyond belief. The first time this word is used, Shakespeare meant the definition to be the one we often assume-one. The second time this word is used, Shakespeare meant the definition to be four. The monarchs are beyond belief at the bodies of the poor.
Hamlet: ". . . I'll make a ghost of him that lets me!"
ReplyDeleteHamlet says this to , Horatio and Marcellus,they try to keep him from following the Ghost. So he's saying, "I'll make a ghost of anyone who keeps me from the Ghost." other words he will kill anyone that stops him. And "let," which meant "hinder," now means the opposite, "allow."
Hamlet: "I'll have these players play something like the murder of my father..." (II.ii.583-584)
ReplyDeleteHamlet is talking about acting out his fathers murder in the play in this Soliloquy. The pun is really on the fact that the "players [will] play" the murder scene, they will act it with passion and with convinction. However, Hamlet can not bring himself to act upon the knowledge that his father was murdered. Even though he's uncertain on whether or not to believe the Ghost's words the effect of the play on words are these actors uninvovled in the situation will play the role better than Hamlet who is so wrought with indecisiveness about taking action about it.
"Now, mother. What's the matter?" (iii. v)
ReplyDeleteI found out that Matter is a latin word for mother. Shakespeare refers to this word several times in the text. He uses it in the context of describing Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. As we can see the inferiority of women is a theme in this play. As soon as the closet scene starts Hamlet refers to his mother in this way. We know that Hamlet is disappointed with his mother for not truley taking the time to mourn his father's death and to top that off, she marrys his brother, Claudius. When Hamlet says "what's the matter?" I believe there is an underlying meaning to this, he's asking her whats going on in her mind.Hamelet doesn't believe her decisions are rational. By using matter, he refers to things that are not as they should be.
King: "How is it that the clouds still hang on you" (I.ii.67)
ReplyDeleteHamlet: “Not so, my lord, I am too much i'th'sun” (I.ii.68).
REVISED
This is an example of Hamlet showing his uncle that he is not too fond of him. He does not like the fact that his uncle calls him "son" because of his suspicion that his uncle killed his father. So this is how he is letting him know but i guess shakespeare uses "sun" to create the pun and make his writing richer. This also shows that hamlet is a pretty smart guy and that his uncle is quite gullible because this is not the first time that hamlet speaks to him in a "disrespectful" way but his uncle just doesn't get it. I wonder though, how people who saw hamlet when it was being acted reacted to this line because "sun" and "son" sound exactly alike, at least when i say it.