Bear up, heart and Sinews -- Great Books II

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, [6], 7 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 17:20:38 02/19/08 Tue
Author: Joel Gehrke
Subject: Bear up, heart and Sinews

When Claudius goes through the process of repentance, he he closes his prayer with a plea to angels, and then says: "Bow, stubborn knees, and heart with strings of steel, / be soft as sinews of the new-born babe." (3.3.69-71)

This language mirrors Hamlet's speech from Act I:

"Hold, hold, my heart, / And you my sinews, grow not instant old, / but bear me stiffly up." (1.5.92-94)

Hamlet, trying to resolve to kill Claudius, asks that his knees and heart take on the characteristics of Claudius' members, only, a Claudius who has already committed murder. Hamlet is trying to overcome his nature so that he will not listen to his conscience. Claudius attempts to overcome his nature so that he may repent, or cross back into the realm of men ruled by their consciences.

At the same time, the fact that Claudius feels any guilt at all demonstrates the power his conscience has on him. Thus, he is not only considering his murder of King Hamlet, but I argue, his imminent murder of Prince Hamlet.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]