... Gertrude about his melancholy appearance Hamlet says, "Seems, madam! nay it is; I know not seems.- (I, ii, 76) This is to say that I am what I appear to be. Later he makes a clear statement about his thoughts of mind when he commits himself to revenge. Hamlet says, " I'll wipe away all ... trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and observation copied there; And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume ... revenge. Seeing the opportunity, Hamlet says, "Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; And now I'll do't: and so he...

• Word Count: 1433
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... father's murder. Now that Hamlet is aware of the situation, he beats himself up for not acting on his Father's words to seek revenge. He says "A damn'd defeat was made! Am I a coward? Who calls me a villain? Breaks my pate across?" (Act II ii 567 - 568). Hamlet is not sure whether it is right to seek revenge, and he often thinks about ... killing him when he catches him in the act of doing something horrific, ensuring he goes to Hell. "And now I'll do't: and so he goes to heaven: And so I am revenged. That would be scann'd: A villain kills my father; and, for that, I, his sole son, do t...

• Word Count: 1089
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... quote allows the reader to follow Hamlet's train of thought in regards to his role as student, mourning son, and Prince to the throne: "I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain ... illustrated by his statements to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, "I know not-lost my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises..." (1071, line 282). Hamlet then admits he is merely feigning insanity with, "I am but mad north-north-west. When the w...

• Word Count: 2118
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... quote allows the reader to follow Hamlet's train of thought in regards to his role as student, mourning son, and Prince to the throne: "I'll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain ... illustrated by his statements to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, "I know not-lost my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises..." (1071, line 282). Hamlet then admits he is merely feigning insanity with, "I am but mad north-north-west. When the w...

• Word Count: 3068
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... origin of the play to be a man of "virtues pure as grace" and clear intelligence. Yet as the play develops, Hamlet is shown to be feigning madness "I am but mad north-north west" as he himself recognises. Shakespeare uses an antic disposition in Hamlet to explore the realities of the corrupted place around him, a technique that attempts ... , "the pretended madness of Hamlet causes much mirth." Over time Hamlet becomes increasingly mad as he goes from certain action "ill wipe away from all trivial fond records" in Act 1 to describing his previously certain action as "mad in craft." This ...

• Word Count: 782
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... murder immediately. Hamlet initially meets his challenge with zeal, promising the Ghost he will produce quick results, "Yea, from the table of my memory I"ll wipe away all trivial, fond records...And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain, Unmixed with baser matter. Yes, by heaven" (II. I. 111). Yet despite this stirring vow of ... . Now failing to act on the matter, Hamlet demonstrates the negative effect of his impractical reflections. As the play continues, Hamlet ironically reflects upon his hesitance. "Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave, T...

• Word Count: 810
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... that he must stay, but as this scene is set in the palace court he is unable to come out straight with it. The underlying subtext of this and what I am about to quote from Gertrude and Hamlet is a forced compliance by hamlet into saying in Denmark, while surly what would be best for his mental state would be to leave ... starts to think more about his fathers murder and he wants that to become his sole proviso. " Yea, from the table of my memory I"ll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and observation copied there, And thy com...

• Word Count: 2522
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School