Talk:BM1 - Introduction to Literature - Assignment 2: Hamlet
How 'bout this time we start a discussion on our assignment. why not give some possible answers to each question. As we read Hamlet in our course, I can only give suggestions on that, but I think the questions are more or less the same. Of courst everybody can ask whatever question he/she has. I bet our profs may even give us a few hints, but lets not count on that.
Since I didn't wright down much yet I will add the other question and answers on them later. Would be great if ppl comented on my answers and maybe even wrote down what they think.
Let make this work and we all get a great mark :) --Sebastian Henatsch 17:19, 1 June 2007 (CEST)
Once more, here are the questions (for Hamlet): 1.Analyse the communicative situation in this dialogue. Concentrate on form, length of individual speeches, interruptions and the domination of one speaker or idea. Do the differences between Q1 & Q2 produce differences in the respective characerisation?
In this excerpt Hamlet (H) and Ophelia (O) are talking about their intimate situation giving us hints about their inner state of mind. In the first quarto the text is written in verse whereas in the second quarto we have a prosetext. H clearly inherits the dominant part of this conversation. He is speaking over 80% of the words used in this excerpt. Also he uses imperatives (L20) and accuses O (of beeing dishonest (L47–50)), which underlines his dominant role in this conversation. O on the other side is the “defensive” character. (Of course this communicative situation is not only fixed by the text, but also by their roles: Hamlet as prince and Orphelia “only” as a high-status citizan.) A first indicator is the addressee “My Lord” (L.2). Additionaly in the 2nd half of this scene (L19ff) she only respondes to a clear question (“Wher's thy father?”L31), asks an unanswered rethorical question (L41) or bids god to bring H on the right track (L30,36,45), but doesn't really communicate with him. This textexcerpt can be devided into three parts: 1st L1 – L10: H introduces a discourse about beauty and honesty. Their dialoge is even – O is able to state a question, which H refers to - and unpersonal, meaning that O could be substituted by any other charming lady. 2nd L11-L19: With the words: “I never gave you nothing” (L11), the dialog becomes personell. It´s a intimate discourse about H feelings to O, where O is the contentleading person, charging him of loving her (“My Lord you know right well you did”L12). 3rd L20-L55: Here starts a dialog with monological tendencies. H clearly dominates the content of the “conversation”. At the beginning he defines himself as unworthy for her (“..., why shouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? L20ff). Further he warns her (L33ff) and states his opinion on marriages (L37ff). In line 42ff he starts accusing her (“You fig, and you amble, and you nickname Gods creatures”L49) and further he even insults her (“Making you wantonnesse, you ignorance, a pox, t'is scuruy...”L50f).
