Analyzing and Interpreting Literature / Unit 13 AIL 1228 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Why Claudius Speaks Last
Captions available
The idea
The order is deliberate. If Claudius admitted the prayer's emptiness first, the audience would spend Hamlet's speech waiting. Placing it after makes the revelation retrospective and turns the whole speech, on a second reading, into a mistake being made in front of us.
In practice
The order makes it retrospective.
Where people slip
Sequence is a writer's choice.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
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