The closet scene

    The extract belongs to Act III, scene IV of the Tragedy. Hamlet goes to Gertrude’s closet and here he shows her his father’s and uncle’s portraits.

    Hamlet’s exchange of dialogues is very long. There is a very frequent use of imperative forms (Look, see etc.): Hamlet is very angry with his mother and he uses a very aggressive tone in his speech; in addition Hamlet exploits the structure of a list to collect and compare the differences between two characters.

    He also use a climatic effect ending the description with the clear expression: This was your husband. In presenting the different figure of his mother’s new husband Shakespeare doesn’t use climatic effect of the previous presentation. To tell the truth/Indeed he starts with the expected expression: Here is your husband.

    All the features Hamlet makes his mother notices are negative (blusting, this moor: in contrast with the fair mountain).

  The use of rhetorical question (Have you eyes?) he underlines/highlights/brings to surface Hamlet’s idea about his mother’s inability to distinguish the real qualities of two men.

    In addition Hamlet cannot accept the love (from Claudius’ point of view: opportunistic love) between his mother and Claudius. Besides being an adolescent he thinks that at his mother’s age the passion should have disappeared (for at your age).

    In this extract the intelligent reader/audience can be notice another aspect of Hamlet’s behaviour and attitude. His madness and disdain lead him not to observe and examine the situation through the reason, but on the contrary he lets his negative feelings overcome his ability to watch reality objectively.