THE CLOSET SCENE

In this document I am going to analyse the second part of  “The Closet Scene” from line fifteen to line thirty-six.  “The Closet Scene” is part of “Hamlet” written by William Shakespeare.

In this particular scene Hamlet wants to make his mother understand his uncle’s (the new king’s) faults. Since he belongs to the aristocratic social class, he uses a high register to express himself. As a matter of fact, to underline his disappointment about his uncle he makes a comparison between his father (the old king) and the other man.

In line fifteen Hamlet stresses the fact that no other man will be such great as his father and remarks his mother. (Ha! have you eyes?).

Hamlet keeps on saying his mother that she should not consider the relation with her new husband as a love relationship. As a matter of fact, since she is not a young woman anymore, the excitement in the blood is tame, as a consequence she cannot fall in love in an easy way. Since the old king is death two months before, it is impossible that she fell in love again so easily. (You cannot call it love; for at your age /The heyday in the blood is tame, it's humble). The main character carries on telling his mother that at her age every emotion is linked to the use of judgement, as a consequence he wonders what judgement had her to step from one men to the other. (And waits upon the judgment: and what judgment/Would step from this to this?).

Hamlet keeps on remarking his mother about her sense. He says that surely she has the capacity to choose and to distinguish, however this skill must be paralysed since the madness would not err.  (Sense, sure, you have,/ Else could you not have motion;but sure, that sense/Is apoplex'd for madness would not err).

Hamlet carries on saying that his mother’s sense was probably totally enslave by her madness so that she was not able to distinguish anymore even the clearest situations. (Nor sense to ecstasy was ne'er so thrall'd /But it reserved some quantity of choice, /To serve in such a difference).

In the following line, he wonders what was the moment in which the devil blinded his mother’s sense.  (What devil was't /That thus hath cozen'd you at hoodman-blind?).

He believes that even if the mother had had just one sense, she would have taken any kind of decision in such a better way. (Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight, /Ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans all, /Or but a sickly part of one true sense /Could not so mope).

In the following verse Hamlet draws his attention on his mother’s shame. He underlines the fact that his mother’s cheeks are not red for the shame, even if they should be because of what she had done. He highlights the fact that even if she is not young anymore the consequences of the emotion of shame remain the same. (O shame! where is thy blush? Rebellious hell, /If thou canst mutine in a matron's bones).

Hamlet concludes saying that if his mother’s emotions lead her to wrong decisions and enslave her like she was a young girl, let her virtue to melt like wax. There should not be proclaimed any shame about this, since just her emotions enchained her sense.(To flaming youth let virtue be as wax, /And melt in her own fire: proclaim no shame /When the compulsive ardor gives the charge, /Since frost itself as actively doth burn /And reason panders will).