What does Hamlet mean by the following? Please comment to this post with your interpretation.
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah fie! 'tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two:
So excellent a king; that was, to this,
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth!
Must I remember? why, she would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on: and yet, within a month--
Let me not think on't--Frailty, thy name is woman!--
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she follow'd my poor father's body,
Like Niobe, all tears:--why she, even she--
O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason,
Would have mourn'd longer--married with my uncle,
My father's brother, but no more like my father
Than I to Hercules: within a month:
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not nor it cannot come to good:
But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue.
I think Hamlet is frustrated and wants to kill himself out of his frustration but he knows that suicide goes against the word of God so he curses the fact that he cannot without sending himself to eternal damnation. The world has no meaning to him anymore. He is angry with his mother for marrying so quickly after the death of his father. He compares Claudius and his father to Hyperion and a satyr, he means his father was such a great man that by comparison Claudius, is nothing more than a hedonistic forest spirit. Also he expresses strong dislike, even hatred, towards his mother for her actions. She married too early, she was faking her grieving, he is basically calling her a whore.
ReplyDeleteWelp obviously Hamlet is extremely angry for many reasons. He starts with believing this world is plan disgusting and he doesn't want to be in it anymore, then he compares how his true father was who he admired very much to his wannabe "father" who he knows does not have his best at heart. Then he's angry as his mother for marrying so fast believing that she is slutty. So this kid obviously isn't oblivious to what's going on around him. He knows that something needs to be done.
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ReplyDeleteHamlet is irritated about several things: King's death, his relationship with Claudius and his mother (queen)'s marriage with Claudius. He is angry about the fact that he cannot change everything back to how it used to be. He shows his anger through his tone and diction; Hamlet mentions that there is no purpose of him living because the world doesn't mean anything to him anymore. Through this monologue, Hamlet is trying to express his feelings about the changes that has been going on with him for two months and wants them to be fixed.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first point in the story where Hamlet fully shows his emotions - disgust, contempt, anger, sorrow, despair, etc. towards his mother and "father" - Claudius. Hamlet talks about how his father, King Hamlet, and his love for Gertrude, his mother. He also says that the only reason that Gertrude married King Hamlet is because of her own lust and greed. He's angry that instead of showing care and mourning for King's death, Gertrude remarried and that too - with King's own brother. Finally, he thinks to hold his emotions in and not say anything anymore.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is frustrated and irritated which is why he wishes to kill himself-out of anger. He finds the world to be gross and doesn't want to be here anymore. Hamlet is disgusted that his mom remarried, especially to his uncle, so quickly following his father's dead. He thinks that if she really loved King Hamlet like he loved her, she wouldn't have remarried so quickly. He compares his father and Claudius and how great of a man King Hamlet was. In Hamlet's soliloquy, he is enraged, especially towards his mother and her lack of grieving.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an important moment because we get to learn how Hamlet really feels. Before he was limited in what he could say because he was in front of everyone. You can tell that he is frustrated with what is going on. He thought well of his father and is disappointed people think nothing of his father's death (especially his mom and uncle). I feel that that Hamlet is more frustrated and angry then he is full of sadness and thought for himself. I think that the play with Hamlet being more outward does a better job then the play where he directs attention to himself. Even though he is frustrated or sad he does know that he must be quite for now.
ReplyDeleteIn this first soliloquy, Hamlet openly discusses his disgust at seeing his mother re-married so soon, his disgust toward his newfound "father" Claudius(who comes nowhere near to the man his father was), and his disgust at the world he resides in. Within the first few lines Hamlet angrily earns for an escape out of this world and situation, mentioning death briefly in his distress, but seeing that it is against God, he quickly forgets the idea. In the last two lines Hamlet seems to foreshadow that dreadful things are to come, and that his mother's new marriage is nothing but trouble. In the last line he seems to understand to be quiet about his true thoughts and feelings when others are around, and to simply show nothing personal.
ReplyDeleteHamlet expresses his exasperation with his mother's decision to wed so early after Hamlet Sr.'s death. He is disappointed in her for choosing to be with his Uncle Claudius, whom Hamlet says is nothing like his father. Hamlet believes his mother should have waited a little longer to move on from his father, because this “move” happened too soon, merely one month after his father’s death. He is also upset/angry because he knows that his opinion is invalid and that he can’t do much about this situation.
ReplyDeleteIn this key scene of the play, Hamlet is exposing his anger and resentment towards his mother and her too soon marriage to Hamlet Sr.'s brother. Not only is the marriage almost immediate after his father's death, but it is between two closely related family members which makes it more drastic for Hamlet. He has kept his emotions from the cruel, vulnerable society he is surrounded by all up until this scene in which he lets it all go. He bashes on his own mother for her lack of grieving for her loving husbands death and accuses her of not loving his father like she had said she did. This marriage occurred uncomfortably quickly for Hamlet and he opposes every aspect of it. He is shut down and shunned by his society who ridicules his perspective on the situation which enhances his enraging.
ReplyDeleteAt first, Hamlet considers suicide to escape what is going with Claudius and not because he wants pity or feels too weak to carry on without his beloved father. He then goes on to question everything in this world and why his father had to die. Hamlet then compliments and admires his father for the strong, brave, and caring man that he was as well as his commendable successes as a king. Due to the fact that he felt his father was such an astonishing man, he questioned his mother's quick marriage to his uncle shortly after his father died. Hamlet feels like something horrible will arise from their marriage but recognizes that his feelings are irrelevant and thus keeps them all to himself, but wants to grieve just so that he can get back at Claudius for what he did.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is mortified and embarrassed by his parents' actions. Just as us teenagers get embarrassed by what our parents do that is similar to Hamlet's situation. He doesn't approve of what is going on and so he "bashes" and takes his anger out, whether that be internally or externally. It's hard to accept something you don't believe in and this is true in Hamlet's and other more modern teenagers lives. When we see something we don't like we just shake our heads and look the other way or go in our room and scream in a pillow because we are so frustrated. I think Hamlet has no outlet to let his emotions go and he holds them back for so long that when he is alone that is the time he can finally be free and let go because he isn't being judged. When you are mortified you want to kill yourself but you don't actually mean it and I think that is where Hamlet is misinterpreted. He is seen as this kid who is emotional and mentally unstable but he is just embarrassed that others will see his family and think that they themselves have no morals and in a situation like that I think every teenager would have the same ideas. He says things out of emotion and not thinking. It's stream on consciousness and a reader or audience can get a better understanding of what is going on in Hamlet's mind.
ReplyDeleteApart from the aside, this is the first time the readers get to delve into Hamlet's thoughts, frustrations, anger, betrayal, and revulsion towards the Queen and King. The soliloquy begins with the expression that Hamlet doesn't really want to be where he's at right now. Unlike the first time when the reader was introduced to a regal/diplomatic prince, we see Hamlet essentially breaking down. His body curves in to himself as if to portray an internal struggle, then shifts to an outward, external show of emotions (dramatic flares; increase in voice). He is angry at the betrayal of his mother, calling her promiscuous for basically getting it on with her brother-in-law a month or so after her husband died. Cursing them with all his might, Hamlet reacts to their marriage by calling it "fake love" (that something must be going on for them to have hitched so quickly).
ReplyDeleteI feel like Hamlet is really developing as a dynamic character in this first soliloquy. He is expressing a lot of emotion towards his situation in life and has one of those moments when he goes a little hysterical because the pressures of the world are suffocating him. He's angered with his mother for marrying so quickly, and to his father's brother nonetheless. He is also angered that Claudius is irking him so much and he has to do everything in his power to constrain it. I think a lot of us teenagers could relate to this moment that he has.
ReplyDeleteObviously Hamlets is quite sufficiently suggesting that he should commit suicide because life has nothing to offer him if this world can have so many unhospitable atrocities but because it go goes against god he can’t and he also thinks that there must be another conceivable way. Hamlet then goes on with the comparison of great things that his father represented in comparison to his heinous uncle who is a borderline satyr. Then Hamlet discusses how he much he hates his mother for her quickness to marry his father’s uncle and comes to the conclusion that all he can do about that is to not speak of it even though it hurts him so relentlessly.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is extremely shocked about his mother's remarriage and is absolutely disgusted by it.He keeps emphasizing how fast his mother remarried and that her love for the King was fake. He was already outraged by King Hamlet's murder, and on top of that he lost his trust for the queen. The father he so respected was lost, and he despises King Claudius. He doesn't exactly know where or who to release his anger to, but his rage is too much for him. This soliloquy is important since it shows Hamlet's true inner emotions for the first time. His emotions had built up and was released all at once.
ReplyDeleteIn his soliloquy, Hamlet describes the shock he has in his mother's actions. He feels as if he was misled on everything he thought he once knew, like how his mother could have loved his father so much yet she was able to marry his own brother a month or two later. Hamlet's internal conflict is revealed in his lack of understanding and grasp on the current situation.
ReplyDeleteAs a young man, Hamlet takes in all the frustration within himself and then releases his thoughts about the situation with his mother and King Claudius. He was not expecting things to move on too quick after his father's death and can't bare the thought that his own mother married his uncle within a month. Its outrageous for Hamlet to feel calm after the new changes around Elsinore. In this soliloquy, Hamlet's deepest concerns will soon later affect his decisions within himself and face the ever so transforming world that he used to know. He'll let his emotions and mentality overcome him for now, but in the end will build his strength to make his own rightful choices. Anger for Hamlet in this scene is strongly directed to his mother because of how reassuring she is after a month, which signifies a shifting mood when he spoke so.
ReplyDeleteThis first soliloquy is an essential aspect in allowing the readers to et to know Hamlet as a more complex reader. Now, not only have we seen that how diverse he can make himself in regards to what situation he is in, but now the audience gets an insight on how he really feels about what is happening around him. From what is displayed it is apparent to see that not only is Hamlet angry at his mother and Claudius but he is also incredibly angry at the universe for taking his father from him. Hamlet questions his reason for living and it seems that the only reason Hamlet hasn't takin his own life is due to the fact that he knows that it's a sin.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is very emotional and angry. Some of the things he says here are not to be taken literally- he is just expressing his emotions. This soliloquy is basically the equivalent of a modern blog post. Still grieving over his father's death, Hamlet grows increasingly angry with his mother and uncle. He may not know that they were behind his father's death yet, but he is beginning to suspect it.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is very frustrated and upset with the situation in which he is in: accepting his father's recent death while his mother marries his uncle within such a short time. The thought of suicide crosses his mind at first because of his abomination. He resents his mother for favoring power over "love" being so quick to move on. He also mentions what a great king his father was in comparison to his uncle who he detests also.
ReplyDeleteHamlet means many things by this Soliloquy. One being that he is frustrated and does not understand how his mother can first mourn so quickly over his fathers death and second that she can betray his father after being with him for so long. He shows his frustration, which seems unusual because people would expect sadness and depression, rather Hamlet is angry. He considers suicide for just a moment, but then realizes that society will see him as crazy and sad about his father and he wanted to show that he was frustrated with the situation that came after the death. Hamlet is also showing his resentment towards his mother for her acts of betrayal and following the power. This soliloquy is a result of anger and sadness built up inside of him, which is finally being released.
ReplyDeleteIn this soliloquy, Hamlet conveys his innermost thoughts and feelings towards the audience about the situation he is basically stuck within He expresses the feelings of rage and anger with many obstacles that are occurring simultaneously from the sudden death of his "noble" father and the quick marriage of his mother (Queen Gertrude) with his own uncle (father's brother). He complains on how the world has transitioned into a more disgusting setting and that no one cares about anything anymore, especially after the death of the man he respected the most. He strongly despises how his mother quickly remarried because it shows how much she cares about her position as "queen" and in Hamlet's eyes, seen as an action of being plain weak. The greatest eruption of anger I felt is Hamlet's feeling of having no say or opinion in the situation, which results him on keeping all his emotions inside and save them to be expressed at certain times like this soliloquy.
ReplyDeleteHamlet's true feelings are shown in this brief moment. He is overcame with hatred and filled with sorrow by his mother's hasty marriage to his uncle, Claudias. Hamlet shows disgust in this by stating that his mother barely showed any signs of grieving over her husbands death, and by the fact that she married her own brother in law. This drives Hamlet to the point of apparent suicide, but his ability to cope outshines his will to die.
ReplyDeleteFor anyone around Hamlet's age it would be really frustrating, confusing and heartbreaking to have a parent move on so fast. To view this from the mother's side, she could be trying to block out the pain that she's feeling by occupying herself. However from a teenagers point of view it doesn't look that way. In our world today, marriage has a lesser value than it did back then. If someone were to move on that fast today it wouldn't be that hard for the family to hide their disappointment. Since marriage back then had a stronger bond and a higher value, it hit the family harder. Hamlet has the right to be frustrated and sad but his understanding of how suicide would affect the royal image and his dedication to faith help him to make the decision against it. However, having his uncle calling him son is not helping the issue and adding to the anger that's building up inside.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is a normal teenager for back then, but the way society was constructed made things more difficult for him to deal with. People weren't encouraged to talk about what they felt; up until recently, you were expected to keep your problems, family problems included, to yourself. He had no one to talk to so he had to keep everything bottled up inside of him and he was looking for a destructive way to release it, possibly suicide. I agree with the version of Hamlet where his anger is directed outwards, not inwards. He wants to do something about what's going on because he believes it's unacceptable. He can't understand why his mother, who loved his father so much, could move on so quickly and to her own brother-in-law. Plus he sees right through his uncle's actions. I think he doesn't believe his uncle's "sincerity" when he tries to get along with Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteTo go along with everyone elses ideas, this is the first big verse that Hamlet says. He is obviously angered that his mother remarried so soon and is convinced that his mother never even came close to loving his father. And he's even more mad knowing that his father would do anything to protect his mother. Also, the fact that Claudius tell Laertes that he could go back to school and tells him that he should stay instead of going back to Wittenburg ticks him off. This first soliliquoy gives us one of the many interpretations of Hamlet's personality. This one, obviously, is anger by the way that Hamlet is talking about homicide and not wanting to be where he was. This verse is a result of him being simply fed up with everyone and he's finally letting it all out.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is angry. He wishes that suicide might not be a sin so he could kill himself out of pure anger and frustration. His anger is not only at Claudius, for seeming to move on so fast from King Hamlet's death, but also at his mother, Gertrude, for taking up another spouse just 2 months after the death of her previous one. Hamlet talks about his father and his greatness as a king and husband. I think when Hamlet mentions the "unrighteous tears" from his mothers eyes, he is saying her tears were not of sorrow, but of something else. He also mentions her "galled" eyes. I quickly looked up the definition of the word and I think Shakespeare was creating a double entendre. In one meaning, he is referring to the literal gall in her eyes after wiping her tears repeatedly, though I found that "gall" can also refer to someone bitter of spirit, or rancorous. Towards the end of the soliloquy Hamlet acknowledges that he can't let Claudius or his mother become aware of his feelings.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is at his breaking point. His father's dead, his mom is in his words jumping from bed to bed to keep her power, ad now he has a fake uncle that wants to keep him close because keeping your enemies close is always better. With all this going on, Hamlet is damning the world for his problems. How could this happen to him? This is a dramatic moment for the audience as well because they begin to see the utter hatred and rage Hamlet hold within. Maybe this soliloquy is introducing how Hamlet grieves over his father's death through fervid anger.
ReplyDeleteHamlet doesn't understand why he has to stay alive and endure the hardships put on him due to his fathers death, but it isn't out of sorrow but out of anger. He believes people are not truely mourning his father's death, who Hamlet considers almost god like. He believe they have replaced a god with a sex driven, forest goat. Who is now with Hamlet's mother, as she is hopping from brother to brother, bed to bed for power and wealth. Hamlet shows his inner anger at everyone who is around him, showing us he is very emotional but can bottle his emotions so no one else know.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is expressing his frustration, desperation, anxiety, and ultimately, his disgust with the events that are occurring in his life. The disgust Hamlet feels towards his mother, Gertrude, remarrying only two months after Hamlet Sr.'s death to his uncle, Claudius, (to make matters worse) is explicitly shown throughout the text. He is idolizing his father as a noble and successful man (So excellent a king; that was, to this...) while bashing Claudius and deeming him as a vile creature who will never live up to the legacy and standard that Hamlet Sr. has set forth (Hyperion to a satyr...). Hamlet also lashes out on his mother’s shameful actions: marrying her late husband's brother merely two months after his death. This is seen by him as a slutty act, so he's embarrassed by his mother because he thinks that she's pretty much a whore by sleeping around very soon after her husband’s death. Hamlet is also ashamed that she has no respect for those who are still mourning the loss of Hamlet Sr. by deciding to remarry as quickly as she did (which also associates her with being weak by not being able to be self-sufficient as a once-again single women "Frailty, thy name is woman!"). He also thinks that his mother only remarried to protect her status as Queen , which tells the reader that Gertrude cared more about her social rank than about the man she married which she planned to spend the rest of her life with...oh well. His frustration and overall sadness of the situation is bluntly stated at the end of the soliloquy when Hamlet said, "But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue." which tells that reader that Hamlet was frustrated and upset at the fact that he couldn't share his emotions or feelings with anybody. The possibility of change was not in his own hands, he (unfortunately) had to just deal with it.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is showing/expressing his thoughts,anger, intense emotions, desperation, anxiety, and disgust about the scenario he now finds his family in. He hates his father, is disgusted by his mother, and is grieving for his father.Hamlet doesn't understand why he has to stay alive and endure the hardships of his life and his seemingly unescapable situation. He is at his breaking point and wishes that suicide might not be a sin so he could kill himself out of pure anger and frustration.
ReplyDeleteHamlet, full of despair and anguish, shares with the reader just the how dire the situation he has been put in is. At first, Hamlet was only a bit snappy when chatting with his uncle/step dad, but his lengthy speech following has a full range of emotions. He is quiet at first then the crescendo builds until he is screaming and yelling at nothing but an empty room; Hamlet lets go of all his inner thoughts of betrayal and frustrations that he has let build up inside of him. It reminds me of the movie Pride and Prejudice, when Elizabeth is yelling at Darcy when he proposes to her in the rain, and nothing holds her back from expressing her opinion on the matter. Her reaction is NO, but in the end, they get married, so maybe Hamlet will soften up towards the newly crowned man who has turned his Mom's faithful sheets incestuous, or not.
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ReplyDeleteHamlet has a growing hatred for his uncle and his mother and releases his vast emotions during this soliloquy. As you can see through his actions in this soliloquy he is still in writhing in agony over his father's death since he can't believe his mother would remarry just after 1 month since the death of his Father. We really don't see any of this till everyone leaves the room since for the most part he would only mumble a few phrases to his mother and uncle showing that he was confused why they are attempting to move on so soon. Prince Hamlet is basically suffering from a variety of feelings and is extremely upset that he can't really speak up against his uncle's actions.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is still mourning the loss of his father who he sees a great man, who did many great things for his country. He is angered by his mother that so little after walking down the aisle behind his fathers dead body, did she walk down the aisle again only to be married to Claudius, his uncle. He feels that he grief wasn't genuine and that it was only a façade. He can not express his anger to either his mother or Claudius.
ReplyDeleteI believe Hamlet shows a lot of emotion in this piece. He is still mourning the lost of his father and is anger with his mother for bouncing back for his father's death and marrying his father's brother. He did not express his feelings to his mother and uncle in person but when they leave if breaks down.
ReplyDeleteI believe Hamlet is extremely emotional in this piece. With everything that has occurred and occurring in his life he has every right to break down and react the way he did. His father's death had a huge burden on him and to the kingdom but it sickens him that his mother is not grieving and decides to betray him and his husband and marrys his brother. Hamlet has every right to break down and react emotional like he did in this soliloquy.
ReplyDeleteBetter late then never I figure. Hamlet can finally exhale once the room clears, revealing to the audience his true colors. He is infuriated with his mother for being so quick to remarry. He compares his father to his new stepdad and basically says it like a Greek god to a goat. Hamlet swears he would kill himself if it weren't a sin which shows how big of a deal the situation is to him. Hamlet has lost respect for his mother calling her very nasty and unladylike things.
ReplyDeleteThere's not much to say without repeating what has been said above, but I believe that based on the reading of this soliloquy, you would get a different interpretation of Hamlet's true feelings. As seen in the videos, the different portrayals of Hamlet as angry vs broken are the direct result of interpretation by the director/actor of these on-screen renditions. What doesn't change, however, are the fundamental ideas you get from his speech. He obviously is disgusted with his mother, and hurt by the entire situation at hand. Through this intense expression, we gain some powerful insight on Hamlet's thoughts and feelings on the matter of his mother's remarriage to his uncle within such a short period of time.
ReplyDeleteThe world is giving up on Hamlet and he isn't having that. Hamlet is thinking everything has been going wrong that he is going to eventually die very miserable with what's going on in his world (but i don't think he is suicidal). Everything seems to have been a huge burden, being useless and possessive towards Hamlet lately and it has led up to his mother marrying Hamlet's uncle after her husband was dead for a mere month. Hamlet's mother also wasn't having it with mourning for her husband and her eyes were tiresome of crying which is a factor of her re-marrying. But after all this, Hamlet believes he can't say anything or do anything that will change or make things better for him. He must suffer angrily and miserably.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel as though Hamlet literally would like to take his own life like some of these other comments suggest, instead I interpret this soliloquy as expressing Hamlets frustration in the most relatable way to the reader. Essentially Hamlet is saying "oh my god I'd rather stab myself than deal with this" rather dramatically, duly so, but nontheless a harmless notion to the actuality of suicide. This dramatic response appeals the immense emotion Hamlet feels ranging from his intense rage at his mother, and step father, to his extreme sadness from the death of his father-and everything I between. This soliloquy is a anger filled cry out for help, for someone to understand all that he is feeling broiling inside of him, and to help him understand and find peace with his mother, with his uncle, with his father, and most of all, with himself.
ReplyDeleteIt is apparent that Hamlet is furious, indignant, and disappointed. He claims to no longer want to live however does so only out of the frustration he feels confronted with his situation. His respect for his mother has vanished, his hatred for his uncle is growing, and his grief over his father’s death is still fresh. This moment is imperative for it allows us insight to his true feelings and portrays Hamlet as a human being who, like everyone else, is vulnerable to the evils of life. However we are also able to see just how clever and disciplined he actually is. He knows that it will do no good to lash out publicly against his uncle and calculates his moves carefully.
ReplyDeleteIn Hamlets first soliloquy he expresses extreme dislike for his uncle and mother and sadness for his father. The text shows us a mixture of emotions that unfold before us in a straighter tone, but the films show different takes on how the word were said. Although we don't know exactly the tone of Hamlets words; we do know that any which way he said them, his meaning came through his close connections to the subject. I feel that it gave direct insight into the character and how he deals with his problems. Including the first aside to the audience, I gathered that he is one of intelligence in which he knew not to speak in front of company in the manner he wanted to.
ReplyDeleteHamlet starts out by expressing his frustration and distraught mindset in this time in his life. He contemplates committing suicide but goes against it because it would go against God and his soul would go to hell. He goes onto compare his father to Claudius and how great of a king he was. He briefly compares Claudius to a satyr and then goes onto express his feelings about his mother. Then he shows resentment towards his mother for not taking a long enough grieving period and marrying her dead husband's brother. Hamlet expresses his hatred and anger with both Claudius and his mother. His emotions for his mother are apparent because he references her the most and can't believe the choices she's made if she truly loved her husband, she wouldn't have betrayed him in the way Hamlet sees it.
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