Hamlets Sixth and Greatest Sense

Connor Kucharic                                                                Wednesday, March 26, 2014

        Known as one of the most famous soliloquies of our time, Hamlet is seen by an audience contemplating his death. As he is saying his speech, readers examine the lines to determine wether he was aware of Polonius and Claudius watching him or he was not aware. I believe he had knowledge that he was being watched. If we compare Hamlet’s soliloquies in the acts before this scene he always referred back to an event that occurred. Hamlet also does not go into detail of what he is going to do, but rather just contemplate suicide. His actions before and after the soliloquy give hints to the audience that he is not alone. 

        We all have all had a feeling of a presence that someone is near us. You have the urge to turn around after getting that sense of knowing someone is near. As you look behind you or off to the side only to see no one by you. Some say it is a sixth sense, others may be more sceptical of its existence. From the moment Ophelia began talking to Hamlet, I could tell something was off. Ophelia said to him “My lord, I have remembrances of yours/ That I have longèd long to redeliver.”(III.i.95-96). This is the first indication showing that Ophelia knew he would be in the courtyard at that exact time. Why else would she be carrying around the mementoes of love, if she was not expecting him? 

        This soliloquy is quite different from Hamlet’s soliloquies in the previous two acts. The soliloquy in Act 1 (I.ii.131-159) Hamlet speaks of his mother disrespecting Hamlet Sr. Hamlet showed his love towards his father and mourned, while his mother, Gertrude, moved on quickly and married his uncle, Claudius. His anger was directed towards his mother. In Hamlets second soliloquy (I.v.92-103) he speaks of the supposed ghost of his father and how he will revenge his uncle. “So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word.”(I.v.110). Once again Hamlet is in rage and grief of his fathers death and what is occurring around him. In Hamlets last soliloquy leading up to the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy, he is determined to trap Claudius into admitting he was the man who murdered Hamlet Sr. In all three of these soliloquies leading up to this soliloquy speak in detail of his plans to commit an act of Hubris in revenge of his father, where as in this soliloquy he contemplates if it is worth dying now and bearing the after world or not. “Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer…/ And by opposing end them?”(III.i.57-60). I also noticed that Hamlet did not use ‘I’ or ‘me’ in his soliloquy in Act 3. He used ‘I’ and ‘me’ in the other soliloquies we have read so far, but this one which could mean he had a sense of knowing someone was near, leading me to conclude that he was directing his soliloquy at Claudius, for the most part. 

        The actions of the play leading up to this soliloquy indicate that Hamlet was being watched. In Act 2, Hamlet was overseen by Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, by request of Gertrude and Claudius. He asked them “But in the beaten way of friendship, what make you at Elsinore?” (II.ii.265-266). Indicating he knew they were not here for just pleasure as Hamlet refers to Denmark as a prison. To reassure Hamlets thoughts he asks who sent them to him “Were you not sent for?”(II.ii.270). Even though he already knows that they were sent by his mother and uncle, “I know the good king and queen have sent for you.”(II.ii.277). This confirms my thoughts that Hamlet was able to recognize the way Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were acting and determined they were watching him. In comparison to Ophelia, she acted in a different way then normal. When giving the mementos to Hamlet she had no feelings, even though she can be emotional. Also Hamlet asks Ophelia “Where’s your father?”(III.i.130) in attempt to catch her in a lie and she responds saying he is at home. The comment Hamlet makes next, I interpreted as a warning to Polonius that he knows he is there. “that he may play the fool nowhere but in’s own house.”(III.i.132-133). I don't see any reason to why he would be telling Ophelia that line, but to warn whom may be standing behind the walls of the courtyard. 

        After reviewing Hamlets soliloquies, past events that have taken place and emotions shared before the “To be or not to be” soliloquy I have determined that Hamlet has somewhat of a sixth sense. He is very intelligent, even more intelligent than Ophelia (sorry Rachel). If Claudius and Gertrude tried spying on him once, there is no doubt they would do it again. Even if Hamlet was not completely sure that he was being watched he took into consideration there may be more then his and Ophelia’s eyes in the courtyard. In reality, unless we can go back to the late 1500’s/early 1600’s we will never know the truth of what Shakespeare thought when writing this soliloquy. “The human brain is a complex organ with the wonderful power of enabling man to find reasons for continuing to believe whatever it is that he wants to believe.” —Voltaire.

Comments:

RE: Rachel Labonte's Post

        I agree with Rachel, you bring up some very valid points. Not to be completely bias of thinking that Hamlet was aware of Claudius’s and Polonius’s presence in the courtyard, but you have some interesting views on it, that I would not have thought of. Hamlet is known to be a trickster, so it would only be evident that he is playing a trick on Claudius. Hamlet is very unemotional in this soliloquy and impersonal. I thought “these expressions break up the iambic pentameter of the act 2 soliloquy it seems more natural and emotional”(Rachel Labonte), was a very interesting way of looking at the soliloquy as a way to trick Claudius. His emotional detachment makes it very hard to believe that he is being serious about committing suicide.  

RE: Suryna Said's Post

I agree and disagree with what Suryna states. Hamlets character is very inconsistent in the play, but his intelligence of knowing his surroundings at all times can be argued. When you said “I believe he is speaking from his heart and is again questioning his motives” (Suryna Said), I don’t get that thought from him. He does not use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘me’ in his soliloquy, where as he uses them in the soliloquies of previous acts. In the previous soliloquies he used the pronouns at he was true to his heart with what he was saying. On the contrary I agree with what you said about how Hamlet stops when Ophelia walked in, knowing he is not alone anymore. Then I question why would he ask Ophelia where her father was, if he knew he was alone.

RE: Charlene Rhemtulla's 

Good points Charlene! (I thought he was from Oedipus Rex oops. It's good you cleared that up haha). What if he changed and stopped being a trickster?? :o All in real, I think that Ophelia did give it away a bit to Hamlet, almost like reassuring him that he is being watched by Polonius and Claudius. Hamlets love for Ophelia is unbearable. It is not likely for it to change that quickly without a serious event happening. His loss in love with her can also indicate hew knew that he was being watched and did not want to reveal their true love in front of Claudius and polonius.