I need to know how motifs such as Rotten/corruption Revenge/Fate Entrapment Madness, Balance of Opposition Death God (mainly the first few) PLEASEEE SOMEONE HELP!!!!

-- rashmi smeth (shmeedejamoo@hotmail.com), December 14, 2002

Answers

How these motifs ... what? Seriously, we can probably help, but the question needs to make sense. Please explain - maybe just type in exactly what you've been given?

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), December 15, 2002.

Well, Rashmi emailed me, and it seems I was able to help. But a note in general for the desperate: guys, if your teachers ain't taught you in some detail how to plan and write essays, go ahead and yell at them. They really oughta do that.

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), December 17, 2002.

A motif is a repetetive image throughout the play. Blood, Nature, poison, and spying are some of the motiffs of Hamlet

-- M.C. Smith (schoellman1@yahoo.com), February 06, 2003.

one motif in Hamlet that is often missed but important is the disease motif. Shakespeare uses this motif in MacBeth as well. In Hamlet, the madness plays into this. Madness is a disease of the mind. There is also a line, "there's something rotten in the state of Denmark..." Revenge is a common theme and motif in Hamlet as well. One that most people miss is Fortinbras of Norway. He is in the play because he wants to conquer Denmark. Why he wants to do this is to avenge his father, who died at the hands of Hamlet's father. The other two are more obvious, Laertes to avenge his sister and father, and Hamlet to avenge his father throughout the play, but when he finally kills Claudius, he has avenged his mother as well, he forces Claudius to drink of the cup and says join my mother. Madness -- throughout the play Hamlet's madness is questioned. We know that he is melancholy, but at the same time he constantly debates suicide. These are aparent in Act I, scene 2 (i think) he is alone in the throne room and speaks "O, self slaughter...." and also Act III, Scene 1, the famous..."to be or not to be...." siloloquy. Well, I'm not sure when you posted this so you may have already done your report but I hope this helps.

-- Eris Antigone (eris_antigone@hotmail.com), February 25, 2003.

the motifs we used for hamlet in our english class were : military, beasts/animals, gardens/plants, prison, painting/colored up (fakeness), corruption/sickness, stars/celestial, music, and blood.

-- jessica miller (rainydaydancing@aol.com), November 11, 2003.

i'm writing a summative essay on hamlet right now. it's a theme essay on decay. my one developmental paragraph is on political decay which is supported by the rotting garden motifs. i have 2 examples the "rotting in the state of denmark" motif and Act 3, Scene 4, Line 150.... if you guys could help me out by telling me where i could loacte one more quotation taht would be awesome. this is worth 15% of my grade.... i just need this last quotation

-- Kristen Welburn (kristenwelburn@hotmail.com), January 21, 2004.

Hope this isn't too late. Have a look at III.iii.8-23 (finishing: 'Never alone/ Did the King sigh, but with a general groan').

-- catherine england (catherine_england@fastmail.com.au), January 28, 2004.

Im writing an essay on the theme of entrapment, and I have 2 out of 3 examples I need... I have Claudius/others entrapping Hamlet, and Hamlet entrapping Claudius... If I could get any help it would be great. It's Feb. 2nd and the essay is due on the 4th. Email me quick!

-- John Hedges (dumfounded86@grandecom.net), February 03, 2004.

Hamlet trapping Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

-- catherine england (catherine_england@fastmail.com.au), February 04, 2004.