AP Lang/Comp November 19 th 2008 5 th Period Hamlet: Act I “… Fear it, my dear sister, and keep you in the rear of your affection, Out of the shot of danger and desire.” Laerates He is speaking to Ophelia in regards to her feelings towards Hamlet . He wants her to be careful with her feelings and not give in to Hamlet’s sweet talk because he is royalty and can only do what his states wants him to. “ The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.” Ghost The ghost of Hamlet’s father lets Hamlet know that he was not killed by a true serpent. He tells him that he was killed by the person that is now wearing his crown, in other words, Hamlet’s uncle. “ A little more than kin, and less than kind.” Hamlet He is mumbling under his breathe when Laerates asks the King if he can go back to France. He says there are too many family ties for him because Laerates must ask his father for permission before going to France as well as the Kings. “ O that this too sullied flesh would melt/ thaw and resolve itself into a dew.” Hamlet He is basically saying that he wishes he were dead. Life, to Hamlet, has no meaning now, because his father is dead and his uncle has taken his place completely. He took his throne and his mother. “ Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister,/ And keep you in the rear of your affection/ Out of the shot and danger of desire.” Laerates SAME AS FIRST Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,/Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel.” Polonius He is saying goodbye to Laerates who is on his way to France. He tells him to hold onto friends that he feels are trustworthy. “ For the apparel oft proclaims the man…” Polonius He is still saying goodbye to Laerates but in this line he is telling him to spend his money wisely on clothes since clothes make the man in France. “ This above all: to thine ownself be true.” Polonius This is also in the same quote of Polonius to Laerates. He wants Laerates to above all things stay true to himself that way he cannot be fake to anyone else. “ Angels and ministers of grace defend us!” Hamlet Hamlet is asking the angels to protect him from the ghost of his father who keeps reappearing without saying anything. “ Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Marcellus He is saying that something has gone or will go wrong in Denmark because of the death of the King and the constant appearance of his ghost. “ There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,/ Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” Hamlet Hamlet is assuring Horatio that there are more things on earth and in heaven that he never even imagined. He assures him that the ghost was real and that he should not tell anyone about it. “ The time is out of joint. O cursed spite,/ That ever I was born to set it right.” Hamlet He is saying that times are strange right now and it's a shame that he is the one that has to fix it all. RESOURCES http://www.clicknotes.com/hamlet/SceneTextIndex.html http://nfs.sparknotes.com/hamlet/