Hamlet Four Blog

Hamlet Four Blog

In act II scene ii a group of actors arrive at the palace. Hamlet approaches one of the actors and requests that he perform a speech. When asked which one, Hamlet relies, “’Twas Aeneas’ talk to Dido and there- / about of it, especially when he speaks of Priam’s slaughter” (II.ii 377-379). Hamlet claims that he loves this speech, almost certainly showing that he respects and idolizes Aeneas. The epic hero Aeneas is know for his great loyalty and piety and is revered as a fighter. After the Trojan War, he led the Trojans from their destroyed city and brought them to Italy, where his descendants later established Rome. Since Hamlet idolizes Aeneas, he wants to be like him and have many of the same traits. Hamlet is loyal and devoted to his father, even after his father’s death, and will do whatever the man asks of him; he plans to kill Claudius, which will most likely be attempted during some sort of confrontation when Aeneas-like fighting skills would be helpful; he wants to be a great leader and the King of Denmark, which he thinks is his rightful position, so that he can rule the country like his father did. Hamlet either possesses or wants to possess many of the qualities of Aeneas. However, being exactly like Aeneas would prove to be dangerous as well. Aeneas was hated by the goddess Juno, who planned his death and downfall throughout the entirety of the Aeneid. He lacked mental strength and resolve, which can be seen when he cries out for death during a terrible storm. In addition, Aeneas leaving his lover Dido led to her committing suicide. If Hamlet wants to be like Aeneas, he will suffer heavenly damnation, lack the will to continue on his quest, and unintentionally kill the ones he loves. Hamlet’s idolization of Aeneas and his characteristics foreshadows many of the struggles he will face throughout the rest of the play. After making his reference to Aeneas, the actor knows what speech Hamlet speaks of and recites it for him. The actor describes the death of the Trojan King Priam: “And never did the Cyclops’ hammers fall / On Mars’s armor, forged for proof eterne, / With less remorse than Pyrrhus’ bleeding sword / Now falls on Priam” (II.ii. 419-422). This section of the speech is supposed to be reminiscent of King Hamlet’s death. Like Priam, an innocent Old Hamlet was cruelly struck down and was helpless to do anything to stop it. Aeneas, the speaker in the actor’s speech, laments the death, even though at this point a great deal of time has passed since it, similar to how Hamlet continues to mourn his father’s passing. Hamlet then encourages the actor to hasten to the part of the speech about Priam’s wife Hecuba, which the actor does: “But who, ah woe, had seen the moblèd Queen … Run barefoot up and down, threatening the flames / With bisson rheum” (II.ii. 432-436). At this point, Hamlet becomes pale and teary. He is upset that even though his father was much like Priam, their wives acted completely differently towards their deaths. Hecuba ran about crying hysterically and “Would have made milch the burning eyes of Heaven / and passion in the gods” (ii.ii. 447-448). On the other hand, Old Hamlet’s wife hardly mourns him and marries his brother a month after the death. Hamlet’s breakdown also leads to him questioning his own resolve because a mere speech has caused such a dramatic reaction within him, relating back to Aeneas’s own lack of resolve. In addition to mentioning specific characters, the overall reference to the Trojan War, caused by the actions of the city’s prince, and the downfall of Troy foreshadows that Prince Hamlet’s actions could lead to turmoil within Denmark and potentially its downfall, or at least it becoming unstable. Act II scene ii has many references to the Trojan War and the Aeneid. The purpose of this is to emphasize that this play is a tragedy with many deaths, foreshadow that fate of Hamlet and Denmark, and compare the similarities and differences between parallel characters.