Skip to main content

What are some moments in Hamlet that show us what it means to be a true man?

One such moment occurs in Act 1, scene 1, when Horatio and Barnardo discuss young Fortinbras of Norway. Horatio provides some exposition about old king Hamlet's having won some land from old king Fortinbras. Now, however,


"young Fortinbras, / Of unimproved mettle hot and full, / Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there / Sharked up a list of lawless resolutes [...] / [...] to recover of us, by strong hand / And...

One such moment occurs in Act 1, scene 1, when Horatio and Barnardo discuss young Fortinbras of Norway. Horatio provides some exposition about old king Hamlet's having won some land from old king Fortinbras. Now, however,



"young Fortinbras, / Of unimproved mettle hot and full, / Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there / Sharked up a list of lawless resolutes [...] / [...] to recover of us, by strong hand / And terms compulsatory, those foresaid lands / So by his father lost" (1.1.107-116).



This son responds quickly and decisively to a perceived loss of honor. He is unafraid to be violent when he feels that the situation calls for it. Compared with the way Hamlet behaves later, when he learns that his father has been wronged, Fortinbras acts more like a loyal son and true man.


Likewise, when Laertes returns from France after his father's murder and hushed-up funeral, his behavior also shows what a true man was supposed to act like. When Gertrude tells him to be calm, he says, "That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me / bastard, / Cries 'cuckold' to my father [...]" (4.5.130-132). In other words, he has—appropriately—rushed home to avenge his father's death. He believes that if he were to be calm, he would not be a good son. A good son, a real man, behaves as Fortinbras did: decisively and definitively, without hesitation or weakness. Again, this is the opposite of how Hamlet behaves.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more