HAMLET SENTENCE

Ok donc je comprends absolument rien de ma phrase donc je fais de mon mieux :)

Act 2, Scene 2

Yet I,
A dull and muddy- mettled rascal, peak
Like John-a- dreams, unpregnant of my cause

In this passage, Act 2, scene 2 of Shakespeare's Hamet, Hamlet is alone, lamenting after having watched a play portraying what he is going through. He is especially drawn to one character in particular to whom he sympathizes, yet envies. He wishes he could be as moved and feel the same way as one of the actor he saw. He doesn't understand why an actor could be so touched by a story whereas he cannot convey his emotions to anyone. The actor not only feels the pain of the part he is playing but he has the power to "drown the stage with tears." In parallel, Hamlet can only express these feelings when alone but he is mostly frustrated that he cannot do anything about them. He claims that he is a "muddy- mettled rascal," unable to express his emotions in order angry the guilty. He indeed that he is a dishonest man, yet he wishes to feel the emotions of an actor. The actor is portraying superficial sentiments since he did not actually live the events he is portraying on a stage. Hamlet believes he is a rascal while comparing his feelings to superficial sentiments. He is traumatized by the actor's performance which is putting his self- esteem in question and asks " Am I a coward?".

In addition, Shakespeare uses the metaphor of Hamlet being "unpregnant of his cause". His cause is the fact that he should be the heir to the throne. It is the natural order of things that since his father was King, he should inherit the title. A pregnancy is the most natural experience that belongs to the order of things as well. Titles such as King are passed through generations because of pregnancies that have given birth to heirs. Hamlet's cause is also avenging his father which is supposed to be natural but the fact that he has to think everything through makes him unpregnant. The fact that he is unable to act and have the passion that he should have toward his cause emphasizes the fact that his is "unpregnant." In addition, Shakespeare underlines how unnatural Hamlet's situation is to explain that we are not in a logical state where things are in order. Indeed, men cannot get pregnant, here, by saying that Hamlet is unpregnant of his cause, it makes it seem as if he should be pregnant of his cause which would still not belong to the order of things. Also, the actor Hamlet has seen is unpregnant of his cause because he does not have any cause, he is just playing the role of someone who does have a cause, yet, Hamlet still wishes he could feel what he feels. Earlier in the passage, Hamlet states that the player, "in a dream of passion" touched the audience. He then compares himself to John-a-dreams which means that he dreams too, but it is not passionate, it is not with the same power and emotion that the actor has shown him. Overall, Hamlet is frustrated of his cause and his lack of action and passion towards it.