Hamlet Nunnery Scene Analysis

In this essay, I am going to write just ab come out of the closet the themes and techniques in the Nunnery scene in William Shakespe atomic number 18s play ham permit. All of the points I am going to cover have been expressed through different mediums for example in film and televised prominent plays where the cin one casept of critical points anger or use of nunnery is perceived to be different through artistic licence and also I will public lecture about the themes raised during the scene same(p) corruption, imposition, passion and traitorousnessThroughout every the adaptations of the Nunnery scene, deception is a pivotal theme carried and sustained. The universal concept of deception in the scene is presented by three points. crossroads is being spied on, by Claudius and Polonius. The reason for this is that they both(prenominal) become highly suspicious of Hamlets current behaviour. They are convinced his new madness is not genuine. The way they go about spying by vi ctimisation Ophelia as a device to retr function information for their own soulfulnessal benefit is a way deception is conveyed.Ophelia is lying to him this is also a way the theme of deception is successfully carried through the scene, the fact that Hamlet himself lied to Ophelia as defence mechanism to catch out Ophelias lies and to reinforce the point that he has a distant superior intellect. An early(a) devices or technique that you could say that Shakespeare uses to create and maintain the deception in this scene is that, whenever Ophelia answers Hamlet, she lacks detail and tries to avoid and abetting questions and pretend as if the questions were never asked.An example of this is when Hamlet asks Ha, ha, Are you honest? Ophelia replies My lord . Again Hamlet asks Are you clean-living . And he receives this answer from Ophelia What mean you lordship. This is a clear example of her stalling or beating nigh the bush as it were, to find time to come up with an answer that wou ld bait her out as a spy and a liar. In every single Adaptation and dramatization of the play, the smell out of veneration and confusion in Ophelias voice is extremely apparent. In my opinion this fear she has originates from two viable scenarios.Firstly she is exposed as a liar. Secondly she fails to gain any conclusive information from Hamlet and this would target to the probability her suffer and Claudius wouldnt be too pleased with her seeing as they put far too more than effort in to this operation and its likelihood of success. I can say this because Claudius and Polonius both went to the extent of eavesdropping on Ophelia so no detail was missed and also to eliminate the possibility that Ophelia would invent some elements of her conversation/confrontation with Hamlet to protect him.Corruption and betrayal are two themes that tie in with each other sooner well. Corruption is far clearer and more apparent as it is carried throughout the social unit play. It is present b y the fact Claudius makes it his mission to destroy Hamlet, so he can keep the vest he longed for quite some time seeing as he killed his own brother to accomplish it. The only way he can find out what Hamlet is thinking is by using Ophelia as a makeshift operative to extract the information they need. They do this as Ophelia is only person other than his mother he can fully trust.However betrayal is more complex. It is displayed in the so-called act point of the Nunnery scene, there are several possibilities for this depending on the type of adaptation the main ones are when Hamlet asks Wheres you Father and also when a noise (A sound made by either Polonius or Claudius) is heard by Hamlet. In the Mel Gibson rendition of Hamlet there is no noise exactly a shadow seen by Hamlet, also in the contemporary Ethan Hawke Version when Hamlet approaches Ophelia for a hug he feels the wire planted on Ophelia to spy on him.However in the Kozintsev version this Turning point arrives much earlier it is not as climatic and chronic as the other adaptations. This discovery made by Hamlet in all its forms opens up the dormant suspicions and reservations of Ophelia thought up by Hamlet. The reason wherefore his suspicions were dormant was that Hamlet generally is a very melancholy young man who has been prevented from attending university, his father dead and he knows who killed him and hes now married to his mother as we all know. Hamlet always wears both black or unexciting dull colours like brown, grey and a very dark crimson in his clothing.The fact is, Ophelia is after all, his girlfriend and possibly a probable wife therefore she is a person of a great importance in his life. If Hamlet had let her in his life, he clearly would have never expect edto have been betrayed by her at all. seeing as Hamlet is an extremely complex and possibly insane character so This causes his unstoppable rabies which in itself is another theme in the Nunnery scene, which is carried t ill the end where he storms out while he shouts that he know he is subject to espionage and he is being lied to. God ath given you a face and you go and make yourself another. He isnt happy about it (evidently) and he menacingly tells Ophelia to go to a nunnery. To a nunnery go Love and Passion in a sexual/ family relationship context, are two other themes that drive both Ophelia and Hamlet to do things, react or act a certain way in the Nunnery. The truth is that they are both in love but because of the complications in the environment in which they live and also the constant interference of their relationship by other people, such as Ophelias father Polonius. No my good lord, but I did as you command, I repel his letters and denied his access to me. These are the instructions Polonius handed to Ophelia much before the Nunnery Scene in act 2 scene 1. Starting from Turning point Hamlet uses his love for Ophelia as a limb against her several times. An example of this is when he sa ys I love you not, I did love you once and I say we have no mo marriages.Hamlet does this because he has previously shown his inner character to Ophelia by trusting her and to show that he actually angry he must use a weapon that Ophelia can see through or expect and also a weapon that he has employ against her before especially his love for her as she never doubted. The theme of passion however is portrayed in Hamlets anger, his reaction shows his disappointment in Ophelia, by shaking her and gripping her tightly and in some adaptations e. g. the Branagh and Lawrence Olivier version Hamlet physical strikes her.This is the one of the clearest indications of the intensity of the love they both shared and the loved they were denied. The set and the setting play a major part in intensifying the themes explained above throughout the Nunnery scene. The generic setting or basis of all the setting in the scene for all the adaptations is Elsinore Castle, the locations that are most commonl y used are the court yard or a large hall. In the BBC version takes place in a very enclosed space, strangely this is one of the only version where visually it Hamlet shows absolutely no anger at all and show compassion rather to Ophelia and pities her.However in the other entire version I have seen the setting helps creates a hostile and thin environment, where hamlet is able do use the acoustic to project his voice and also ironically to guardianship Claudius and Polonius to eavesdrop. In most versions the Openness as space in which the scene takes place creates a sense of exposure and insecurity for both characters especially for Ophelia as she is trapped both physically by Hamlet and mentally/emotionally by her Claudius and Polonius because she has to complete her mission assigned to her. Another Technique used in the Nunnery scene is the dialogue and the conflict within it.These techniques are the main aspect of the theme of deception and betrayal this is what carries these t o themes through the scene and therefore the rest of the play. As mentioned the use of rhetorical questions and sarcasm especially in Hamlets tone. For example That is you be honest and fair your honesty should admit no converse to your beauty this is a clear example of Hamlets sarcasm and rhetorical question. The trigger for all this form of communication is the sudden addressing of Hamlet in a formal way when they never talk in that way.The conflict in the dialogue also helps to know Ophelia is lying. My honoured lord, you know right well you did .. betroth these again for the noble mind , rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind. The combination of vowel rhyme and alliteration in Ophelias line fails to make her spontaneous and genuine it rather makes it sound rehearsed and fake. besides after Ophelias failed attempt to deceive hamlet in think he gave the remembrances. His response Ha, ha are you honest? shows his far superior intellect.