Saturday, April 23, 2011

Hamlet begins and ends with reference to Norway, Denmark's enemy. How is this conflict affected by what happens in the royal bedroom in Hamlet?

References to Norway may frame Shakespeare's
Hamlet, but the conflict between Norway and Denmark is not in any
way central to the play.  The references provide background information in Act I (the
king of Norway's death at the hands of King Hamlet, the threat of invasion, etc.), and
catharthis and cleansing in Act V (the evil is destroyed and Fortinbras will stabilize
the political situation in Denmark).  Fortinbras also serves as a foil to Hamlet, of
course.  But, again, this political and military conflict is not central to the
play.


Thus, you should probably think in terms of what this
conflict contributes to the play as a whole, rather than think of what occurs in the
royal bedroom contributing to this conflict.    


That said,
the one event that occurs in the royal bedroom that does affect the conflict between
Denmark and Norway might be Hamlet's killing of Polonius.  This moves Claudius to send
Hamlet to England and order Hamlet's execution.  The conflict between Claudius and
Hamlet is in the "feeling out" stage before Hamlet kills Polonius.  In other words,
Claudius is not sure Hamlet is out to get him until Hamlet kills Polonius.  The killing
gives Claudius the excuse he needs to get rid of Hamlet, and the opportunity to have him
executed away from Danish soil.  The killing of Polonius might also lesson the high
opinion the Danish people have of Hamlet. 


In turn, Hamlet
discovers the assassination plot and overtly returns to avenge his father.  Thus, the
king is preoccupied.  He is worried about Hamlet, not Fortinbras.  Claudius appears
politically astute in the early acts of the play, but later he never considers that
Fortinbras will disobey his orders and invade Denmark anyway.  By the time Fortinbras
invades, Denmark offers little resistance. 


Other than
that, the unseen sex between Claudius and Gertrude and the appearance of the Ghost
probably do not directly affect the conflict between Denmark and Norway.  Hamlet also
berates his mother in her royal bedroom, but this has nothing to do with
Norway. 


If you must connect the royal bedroom with Norway,
Polonius's death is probably your best bet. 

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