Why Does Hamlet Make Horatio And Marcellus Swear?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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He tells them further that he may pretend to be a madman, and he makes them swear not to give the slightest hint that they know anything about his motives .

Why does Hamlet make Horatio and Marcellus swear secrecy?

Amid the spectral atmosphere, Hamlet obliges his friend Horatio and the guards to maintain about the ghost because he does not want any knowledge of its appearance to reach anyone in the court of Claudius; in addition, Hamlet does not know at this point if the ghost is honest with him.

What do Horatio and Marcellus swear on Hamlet's sword?

He first makes Horatio and Marcellus swear never to make known what they have seen . Then, on shifting his ground, he makes them swear never to speak of what they have heard. Then, moving again, he makes them swear that, if he should think fit to play the antic, they will give no sign of knowing aught of him.

What does Hamlet ask Horatio swear?

Hamlet swears Horatio to two things. What are they? It's a bad sign for the country. Something bad is going to happen.

Who swears Horatio and Marcellus to secrecy?

Hamlet swears Horatio and Marcellus to secrecy and garners further support from his audience.

On what does Hamlet make his companions swear not to tell?

Intensely moved, Hamlet swears to remember and obey the ghost. Horatio and Marcellus arrive upon the scene and frantically ask Hamlet what has happened. Shaken and extremely agitated, he refuses to tell them, and he insists that they swear upon his sword not to reveal what they have seen.

What does Hamlet warn them not to worry about when they see him next?

what does hamlet warn them not to worry about when they see him? because he may act weird now because of what has happened and he doesn't want them to give it away.

Who does Hamlet tell that he is only pretending to be crazy?

The most obvious evidence is that Hamlet himself says he is going to pretend to be mad, suggesting he is at least sane enough to be able to tell the difference between disordered and rational behavior. Hamlet tells Horatio and Marcellus that he plans to “put an antic disposition on” (I.v).

Why is King Hamlet in Purgatory?

According to the Catholic tradition, because he did not have a chance to repent his sins before he died , the Ghost's soul is in Purgatory until those sins are purged. ... He appears to Hamlet in Gertrude's bedroom immediately after Hamlet passed up the chance to kill Claudius and says, “Do not forget!

Why does Hamlet call the ghost an old mole?

Shakespeare uses the “Old Mole” to represent the ghost of Hamlet's father who keeps speaking from under the stage , despite Hamlet and Horatio shifting their ground seeking a secret place to swear their oath. Hamlet says: “Well said, old mole!

Does Hamlet say the F word?

Now THAT's bard language! Benedict Cumberbatch shocks fans by ‘using the f-word' during performance of Hamlet after a trap door jammed. Benedict Cumberbatch shocked theatre-goers when he reportedly swore in frustration during a performance of Hamlet marred by technical difficulties.

What is the main cause of death in the play Hamlet?

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the deaths of all of the characters you mention are the result of Claudius' murderous conniving . Claudius talks Laertes into killing Hamlet to avenge Polonius' death.

Does Horatio think Hamlet is mad?

He has no obvious reason to fake insanity, and Horatio, at least, seems to think that Hamlet is already behaving strangely : he describes Hamlet's words as ‘wild and whirling' (I.v.132). Hamlet's ‘antic disposition' is one of the play's great mysteries.

Why does the ghost say swear?

When the Ghost speaks, many critics believe that only Hamlet hears the Ghost and that he is so agitated by this point that the Ghost saying “Swear” is an aural hallucination . Read this scene closely, finding evidence that only Hamlet hears the Ghost.

What does the ghost say about Gertrude?

The Ghost explains that “ Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother's hand, / Of life, of crown, of queen, at once dispatch'd ;” (thus as I was sleeping, by my brother's hand was I murdered and deprived of my life, my crown and my wife, Queen Gertrude), (Line 74).

What does Hamlet demand of Marcellus and Horatio?

Hamlet answers the worried calls of Horatio and Marcellus, telling them nothing specific but demanding that they both take an oath to tell no one what they have seen and heard . In confidence, Hamlet tells Horatio that he will pretend to be mad so that he may spy on his mother and uncle.

Maria Kunar
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Maria Kunar
Maria is a cultural enthusiast and expert on holiday traditions. With a focus on the cultural significance of celebrations, Maria has written several blogs on the history of holidays and has been featured in various cultural publications. Maria's knowledge of traditions will help you appreciate the meaning behind celebrations.