Act I, Scene ii

"It is not, nor it cannot come to good./ But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue."

-Hamlet (I.ii.159-58)

This quote gives the reader an in depth glance at the feelings of Hamlet, during this complicated situation in his life. He reveals that he does not believe that it will work out, and that no good will come from it. However, he knows that it is not his place to speak about it, so he decides to mourn in silence. It foreshadows the thematic concerns of disgust and feelings of uncertainty towards his mother and uncle.

• Rewrite a significant speech in your own words 

 I chose to rewrite Hamlets soliloquy (I.ii.129-60). 

I wish my dirty flesh would melt away and turn into a dew

Or that god had not made a law against suicide. God, God!

Life seems so meaningless and useless

It is like a unweeded garden that no one takes care of

I cant believe it's come to this!

Being dead for only two months, not even two months

He was such an excellent king, such a good husband

He did the impossible, went to the ends of the earth for her

Why do I have these memories, even she could not get enough of him

Yet, within a month of my fathers death she has moved on

In less time than that of an animal mourning the loss of its mate

She has married my fathers brother who is completely opposite of my father

Without even time to mourn she has moved on unbelievably fast

It is like incest

There can be no good from this, 

but I must mourn alone for it is not my place to speak about it. 

• Comment on Shakespeare’s 2-3 literary devices you see

In Hamlets soliloquy, in line 149, he refers to Niobe's weeping. Hamlet is alluding to the myth of Niobe's sorrow after her children were all killed. He is saying that Gertrude wept as much as Niobe, yet she got over her sorrow in such a short period of time. It adds to the theme of appearance versus reality, and how it is unknown the true meaning of people.

In lines 77-83, Hamlet uses metaphors multiple times. He refers to his "inky cloak", "windy suspiration of forced breath", and "fruitful river in the eye" as comparisons to his grief. It adds to the depth of Hamlet's despair in a more meaningful way, to show how much the situation affects him. This adds to the plays theme of corruption and loyalty, to prove how Hamlet remains loyal to his father even amidst the marriage between his mother and uncle.   

• Discuss the relationship between two characters

  Hamlet and his mother Gertrude have a very complicated relationship. It is implied that before his fathers death, Hamlet lived a fairly normal, happy family life. However, suddenly, this is turned upside down with his mothers new marriage.

When Hamlet is grieving, she says "Do not forever with thy vailed lids/ Seek for thy noble father in the dust (I.ii.70-72). Gertrude is telling him to get over his fathers death, to stop looking back at it forever. She continues on to say "Thou know'st 'tis common. All that lives must die,/ Passing through nature to eternity (I.ii.73-74). She is insensitive to him, and acts as though he is being overly dramatic, rather than acknowledging her own faults and betrayal.

Although he is respectful to her, he does not tell her his true feelings. His true feelings only come out in his soliloquy. It appears that Gertrude has chosen Claudius over Hamlet, which further adds to Hamlets grief.