Jenny+Kim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCdmiZyyGjQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCdmiZyyGjQ[|Top 60 Ghetto Names] Just why is the scene of Hamlet holding up the skull so famous? My group recited 5.1, the scene of the graveyard, but I don't see what's so great about it. He says: **Hamlet** Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest... The first thought that came to mind was how does the grave-maker know that the skull is Yorick's? Wasn't it just a random skull that he came across while digging Ophelia's grave? Secondly, why does Hamlet care so much about the skull and Yorick? What is the meaning behind this scene? I don't understand what the significance of this scene is, and definitely don't understand why it's so famous. This brings up the significance of Hamlet in society today. It obviously is a very famous play. But based on what scenes are popular, it is evident that people have heard about the play and certain parts of it, but have not read it or do not actually know what the play is about. They only care about what is already known, even if these things are falsely spread. For example, Hamlet examining the skull is rather one of the more humorous parts of the play, but is really not significant. What //IS// significant is what follows: Ophelia's funeral. But how widely known is Ophelia's funeral, and what Hamlet claims, that his love for her was greater than the love 40,000 brothers could ever have? Not widely known. <-- Gibson doesn't hold the skull up, as traditionally done. <-- That's more like it. Go Branagh. Classy fella. <-- Tennant, too. To address, 4th period's question, How does our perception of reality change reality?... Now that we have finished the play, I think that our perception of reality readily changes reality. > Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows. > The Queen carouses to thy fortune, Hamlet. 3940  Gertrude believes that Claudius is genuinely cheering Hamlet on in the match between Hamlet and Laertes. She is very happy because Hamlet has just won two matches. She drinks to Hamlet's victory, unaware of the poisoned wine. Because she believed that Claudius loved Hamlet, she was not wary of poison. She waved away Claudius' warning to not drink - after all, what should concern her? The casual tone Shakespeare gives Gertrude elevates the dramatic irony of this scene. She has absolutely no clue about what's going on, yet we know that she will die. After she drinks, reality is much changed for everyone important. Everyone. Dies. The. End. **2/12/12 Hamlet Blog #3: ** I just found this quite amusing... I wish Hamlet could be as decisive as the stereotypical Asian parent. He has so many moments where he can't decide between two options. Let's not forget his HUGE speeches, romanticizing over relatively two simple options. He's over-analytical about everything little tiny thing. Paranoia, much? At this point, I have no doubt that Hamlet is really crazy. Especially because in the scene where Hamlet is with his mother, Gertrude cannot see the ghost, but Hamlet can. Anyways, to elaborate on Hamlet's indecisiveness, to be or not to be. If you already know you're going to live, is it necessary to elaborate over the mysteries of death for like 20 lines?? I think the more and more I read Hamlet, the more frustrated I am becoming. Can his dilemma of life and death be shortened to this, please:<-- This is clean and simple. Yay!
 * 0/12 Hamlet Blog #4: ****2/2 **
 * ** [|Gertrude] .** He's fat, and scant of breath.
 * ** [|Hamlet] .** Good madam!
 * ** [|Claudius] .** Gertrude, do not drink.
 * ** [|Gertrude] .** I will, my lord; I pray you pardon me. Drinks.
 * ** [|Claudius] .** //[aside]// It is the poison'd cup; it is too late.

We also did a close reading of King Claudius' dilemma. He struggles between praying and not praying, extended over at least thirty lines. (Why do all the dilemmas in Hamlet seem to be over such trivial matters?) ^ Again. Much more simplified, yet delivers the same message with punch and simplicity. The King asks several rhetorical questions in his speech:  "Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens to wash it white as snow?" "Whereto serves mercy but to confront the visage of offence?" "What form of prayer can serve my turn?  "May one be pardon'd and retain th' offence?"   "What then? what rests? Try what repentance can: what can it not? Yet what can it when one can not repent?"  Because Shakespeare designs Claudius' speech with multiple questions, he gives the tone of absolute hopelessness of Claudius' state of mind. Claudius is constantly questioning himself; doubts always follow resolutions for him. In the end, his doubts overshadow his want of forgiveness through prayer, and he gives up prayer all-together. His perception of reality is very real. Here, we have an example of a clear-minded (yet greedy) person. He is facing his situation realistically. Even though he seeks forgiveness, he knows that murder is something not easily forgiven. Therefore, he decides that having his wife and wearing the crown is indeed, the Elsinore way. This is an evident contrast between Claudius and Hamlet. Hamlet is rather lacking in facing reality, whereas Claudius is. However, it is because of Claudius' initial seek of prayer that leads to the clever plot full of dramatic irony that Shakespeare devises. **2/3/12 Hamlet Blog #2: ** In class this week, we saw several interpretations of Hamlet meeting his father's ghost in video and picture form. I thought it was really interesting to see how Mel Gibson's film didn't try to portray Hamlet's father as a "ghost" but just a person who appeared. Contrarily, a play version of Hamlet was rather ridiculous; there was a person dressed in white drapes, swaying his arms about... Then, the David Tennant version was sort of normal, as he met the ghost in a dark, intimidating corridor. The ghost was solid in form, but seemed much scarier as he was dressed in armor. Reading the text in which Horatio and Marcellus are trying to hold off Hamlet, it is evident that Horatio and Marcellus are much more afraid of the spirit than is Hamlet. Hamlet's friends are wary of nearing the ghost. They beg Hamlet to stay and not approach the ghost. However, Hamlet seems much more daring. He neglects Horatio and Marcellus and is firm in his decision to talk to his father's spirit.     Look, with what courteous action  It waves you to a more removèd ground. But do not go with it. **HAMLET **      Hold off your hands.  ** HORATIO **  Be ruled. You shall not go. <span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> **<span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> HAMLET ** <span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">     My fate cries out <span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> And makes each petty artery in this body As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve. Still am I called.—Unhand me, gentlemen.// (draws his sword) // By heaven, I’ll make a ghost of him that lets me. I say, away!—Go on. I’ll follow thee. The differences between Horatio and Marcellus, and Hamlet are very obvious because Horatio and Marcellus speak with a pleading tone, while Hamlet speaks with a defiant and declamatory tone. I think that the biggest problem with Hamlet is that he goes into the situation assuming the ghost is real. Based on what he has heard from Horatio and Marcellus, he doesn't really doubt the ghosts' fidelity. Also, in regard to his mother's incestuous acts, I think Hamlet is over-thinking it. He is way too absorbed in the situation. I mean, it's not that big of a deal is it? To call his mother (and women in general) easy creatures and all the foul things he says, seems absurd. Just because he has gone into shock from his father's death and his mother's sudden marriage, he shouldn't be making these claims. His perception of reality is blurred a bit, which causes him to act irrationally. EQUALS **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 140%; text-align: left;">1/29/12 Hamlet Blog #1: ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;">So far, we have read Act I, Scene I, in which Hamlet's dead father's spirit appears. Hamlet sees this apparition and is essentially "freaked out" by it. Instead of trying to act sensibly, he is immediately intent on seeking revenge for his father. While we may have doubts about this ghost's appearance, we can be somewhat assured that the ghost was really there because Hamlet's friends Horatio, Marcellus, and Barnardo saw it too. Although in the Cliff Notes video we watched in class portrays Hamlet as pretending to be mad at first only to really become mad, from what I have seen in Mel Gibson's Hamlet, Hamlet seems to be mad from the start. It was also quite interesting to see that Hamlet's mother can so easily marry her dead husband's brother, and be so happy so soon. Speaking of incest, Hamlet and his mother had a very peculiar relationship in Gibson's version... <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;">To address P.4's essential question "How can our perception of reality change reality?"...  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;">Hamlet's perception of reality is based on what his friend Horatio tells him. After Horatio tells Hamlet that he has seen an apparition of his father, Hamlet doesn't for a second doubt it. He believes Horatio; when he himself sets out to see his father's ghost, Hamlet enters the situation expecting a ghost. Perhaps he never saw a ghost, but because his perception of reality was that a ghost should be there, he sees one. In Gibson's movie, there is a scene where Hamlet is with his mother during which Hamlet sees the ghost but Gertrude does not. This brings in the questioning of the validity of the ghost. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;">It is also interesting to take note that Gibson's version of Hamlet omits the entirety of Act I, Scene I. It begins with Hamlet's father's burial and quickly moves on to Gertrude and Claudius' marriage. Soon after, it is the scene in which Gertrude and Hamlet are talking <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Nor customary suits of solemn black, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,  <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">That can denote me truly. These indeed “seem,” <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">For they are actions that a man might play. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> || <span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: left;">Here, Gertrude is deceived by Hamlet's outer wear. Her perception of reality is that Hamlet grieves for his father. However, Hamlet confesses that the grief Gertrude sees is only very shallow. His sorrow runs much deeper than what is visible to the eye. Perhaps Gertrude's perception of Hamlet's grief drove Hamlet to show his grief even more, which was why he turned mad. His reality became one to fulfill an expectation above and beyond. After seeing his mother's unhindered happiness, he felt hatred for her, for so easily forgetting his father and her late husband. Thus, he saw reason to pretend to be crazy, maybe to make up for his mother's lack of grief.
 * <span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"> MARCELLUS **
 * “Seems,” madam? Nay, it is. I know not “seems.” <span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left;">'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,

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