Acta Litteraria Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 12. (1970)
1970 / 3-4. szám - Hankiss Elemér: Shakespeare's Hamlet
Shakespeare’s Hamlet 299 1st Act 2nd Act 3rd Act 849 lines 727 lines 908 lines to the respective lines notions like: Death, Beauty, Compassion, Excitement, and so on. After summing up their answers and ruling out peripheral, and synonymous notions, we got a list of 66 elementary impulses. We, then, reread the play several times raking it over and over for these 66 impulses. The same analysis was repeated by a team of five undergraduates. Adding up the scores, we obtained the following frequency list: Dramatic moment, crisis (99 occurrences); Pain (94); Human greatness, integrity (89); Disgust (76); Human weakness, inner division (72); Wit, brilliance in expression (67); Suspicion, investigation (66); Attack, aggressivity (66); Madness (60); Lie (58); Treachery, depravity (54); Gentleness, goodness (51); Secret, mystery (49); Irony (48); Nostalgia (48); Death (46); Sudden shift in attitude or mood (45); Friendship, love (44); Cruelty, brutality (41); Value destroyed (40); Struggle, antagonism, tension (40); Melancholy (39); Disease (38); Fear, fright, anxiety (37); Nobility, solemnity (37); Transitoriness (35); Intelligence, clearsightedness (33); Value created (31); Pathos (30); Revenge (29); Grim humour (29); Compassion (26); Alertness, quick reactions (26); Activity (25), Uncertainty, suspense (25); Corruption, rottenness (24); Hopelessness (23); Superiority (23); Stupidity (23); Servility (21); Agony, dispair (20); Esteem, reverence (18); Faithlessness (18); Virtue, innocence (17); Hate (17); Contempt (17); Victory (16); Hesitation (16); Bad omens, danger (14); Self-reproach (13); Self-defence Faithfulness Tension dissolved - Honesty — Loneliness — Cynicism Self-murder Longing for death Hope - Humility, obedience - Beauty Darkness - Vanity — Light Splendour, pomp Trap (144 occurrences altogether). Total of impulses registered: 2.117 This is, of course, only a rough-and-ready list of elementary impulses emitted by the play and registered by some of its readers. It is far from being a complete and unbiassed catalogue of all the information units emitted and we have to design methods to step up its accuracy and authenticity. But before doing so, let us examine this provisional list as it may furnish, even in its present form, some useful particulars. 4. Impulse Density The 2.117 impulses registered do not spread evenly all over the play. 497 impulses 0.584 imp./line 299 impulses 0.411 imp./line 555 impulses 0.611 imp./line Acta Litteraria Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 12,1970