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From Hamlet what does when sorrows come they come not single spies but in battalions mean?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Spies come one at a time. When you are attacked by a battalion of soldiers a whole bunch come at once.
Claudius means that their troubles are crowding in on them. He lists, if you continue reading this passage, five troubles that they have at this point. Some scholars think he is also thinking of a sixth--that Gertrude is not as affectionate to him as she used to be, because of what Hamlet said in the closet scene.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
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What are Rosencrantz and Guildensterns relation to Hamlet?
Hamlet does not reveal much to these two. They go to him in order to find out about where Polonius has been buried, but they do not get many answers.
Gertrude and Ophelia also fully accept spying as a legitimate practice?
Yes. They are both completely privy to the plot to spy on Hamlet in Act III Scene 1. Gertrude is also privy to the plan to set Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Polonius as spies on Hamlet.
How does Hamlet justify his counterfeit command that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are to be murdered by the English?
"They made love to this employment." Hamlet says that R & G chose to be spies, so he is not responsible if they meet a spy's death. It's a bit of sophistry, really, since even were that true, Hamlet didn't have to add "no shriving time allowed" so their souls would have to go to Purgatory rather than Heaven.
Why does Hamlet stab and kill Polonius?
Before Hamlet enters his mother's chamber, Polonius is having a discussion with Hamlet's mother Gertrude. As Hamlet enters the room, Polonius conceals himself behind a tapestry hanging from the wall. When he hears Gertrude begin to feel threatened by Hamlet, he cries out for help, thinking that he would kill them both. Hamlet hears Polonius, and believes him to be a rat/spy (possibly even King Claudius, but it is unclear if he truly believes this). Hamlet stabs through the tapestry killing Polonius, who remarks "O, I am slain".
Are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern willing spies for Claudius and Gertrude in the play Hamlet?
This is open for interpretation, as much of the Hamletplay is. One can assume that it could have been for the glory and reward that they may have expected from the King and Queen.
When trouble comes it comes not as soldiers but as legion?
The quote may be from Shakespeare's Hamlet, in which King Claudius says, "When sorrows come, they come not single spies / But in battalions." It means that sorrows don't come one by one, like "spies" [advance scouts for an army], but all at once, battalions of an army.
'When trouble comes they come not in single spies but in battalion form' is from which of Shakespeare's writings?
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions" is from Hamlet. I think you're confounding this quotation with one from Jean Rhys's novel, Wide Sargasso Sea, which begins with the reflection, "They say when trouble comes, close ranks..." But it's painful to think Billy Shakespeare would have written the mangled version in the question!Famous quote by William Shakespeare, as it appears in Act IV, Scene V; Jean Rhys, "Wide Sargasso Sea."This "mangled" form is also quoted verbatim in the movie Young Guns II by Jose Chavez Y Chavez. He attributes it to his friend and fellow gang member Doc Scurlock. Upon hearing it, Doc finally comes clean and tells Chavez he didn't write it, William Shakespeare did.
Who were the spies on Hamlets movement employed by king claudius?
The spies were Hamlet's best friends Rosencrantz & Guildenstern (R&G)
Who are Hamlet's not-to-be trusted friends?
These would be Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are actually spies for the king.
What is polonius's plan for testing his theory that Hamlet is mad because Ophelia has rejected him?
Have someone who is close to Hamlet engage him in conversation where there are spies listening in. He does this first with Ophelia and later with Gertrude.
What are Rosencrantz and Guildensterns relation to Hamlet?
Hamlet does not reveal much to these two. They go to him in order to find out about where Polonius has been buried, but they do not get many answers.
What are the three instances of spying that occur in act 2 or 3 of Hamlet?
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spy on Hamlet, Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet while he is talking to Ophelia, and Polonius spies on Hamlet when he is talking to Gertrude. On the other hand, Hamlet and Horatio spy on Claudius during the play-within-a-play. And in a completely unrelated bit of spying Polonius gets Reynaldo to spy on Laertes.
What is Shakespeare suggesting about women through Hamlet's disposition towards his mother overall?
Hamlet's varying disposition toward his mother tells us a lot about Hamlet but not a lot about women. Yes, he says "Frailty, thy name is woman!" but that's just Hamlet being steamed off by his mother's remarriage. We shouldn't conclude as a result that Shakespeare thought that women were frail. On the contrary. If you want to get an idea of what Shakespeare thought about women, you are better advised to look at what they do, rather than what the men around them think of them. Othello may have been persuaded that Desdemona is immoral and incapable of monogamy, but we know that on the contrary she is incredibly faithful to him, even when he mistreats her. Ford may have been jealous of Mrs. Ford, but she and Mrs. Page are both levelheaded and morally true, although mischievous. If you look at Gertrude through Hamlet's eyes you may see a monster, but if you look at what she does, she is not a bad person. She genuinely cares for Claudius (as he does for her), and married him in good faith, not knowing what he did to get her. She also genuinely cares for Hamlet, and is interested in his well-being. She does not betray him to Claudius (although Claudius has figured out what is going on) and although it is not clear, she may also have agreed to Hamlet's suggestion to stop having sex with Claudius. (Some have said that this is why he says, "Oh, Gertrude, Gertrude, when sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions"--the first sorrow is that their love life has tapered off). A further example of her kind and loving nature is her treatment of Ophelia. At the same time she feels guilt (that spills itself in fearing to be spilt), although it is not clear why. That will tell you much more about what Shakespeare might think about women than everything that Hamlet says.
Gertrude and Ophelia also fully accept spying as a legitimate practice?
Yes. They are both completely privy to the plot to spy on Hamlet in Act III Scene 1. Gertrude is also privy to the plan to set Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Polonius as spies on Hamlet.
When does gertrude marry claudius?
She appears to be completely loyal to him up to the point where Hamlet says (in the closet scene) "Almost as bad, dear mother, as kill a king, and marry with his brother." Hamlet is accusing his mother of the murder of his father, but Gertrude is astonished and horrified by the suggestion. As the conversation goes on, she realizes that Claudius has murdered Hamlet Sr. for her.As a result of this insight, she is more cautious with Claudius from this point on. When Claudius asks what has happened, she feeds him the line that Hamlet has taught her--that Hamlet was crazy when he killed Polonius. That's not strictly the truth and she knows it, but her loyalty is shifting from Claudius to Hamlet. Some commentators have said that Claudius' line "Oh, Gertrude, Gertrude, when sorrows come they come not single spies but in battalions" refers among other things to his knowledge that Gertrude is more distant than she was.In some productions, Gertrude drinks the poisoned drink knowing it to be poisoned, thus protecting Hamlet, foiling Claudius' plan and redeeming herself from her part in her husband's murder in one stroke.
Why are rosencrantz and guildenstern hesitant to admit that they are in elsinore because the king and queen sent for them?
They were sent for specifically to spy on Hamlet and report to the king and queen. Spies generally do not like the people they are spying on to know it. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would have an easier time getting unguarded admissions from Hamlet if they were not "outed".
How does Hamlet justify his counterfeit command that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are to be murdered by the English?
"They made love to this employment." Hamlet says that R & G chose to be spies, so he is not responsible if they meet a spy's death. It's a bit of sophistry, really, since even were that true, Hamlet didn't have to add "no shriving time allowed" so their souls would have to go to Purgatory rather than Heaven.
