Laura+Winslow

3/29/12 FUNNY POSTING **A young boy walks into a barber shop and the barber whispers to his customer, “This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you.”** **The barber puts a dollar bill in one hand and two quarters in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, “Which do you want, son?” The boy takes the quarters and leaves. “What did I tell you?” said the barber. “That kid never learns!”** **Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store. “Hey, son! May I ask you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar bill?” The boy licked his cone and replied, “Because the day I take the dollar, the game is over!”**

2-20 Stay, give me drink.—Hamlet, this pearl is thine. Here’s to thy health. //Drums, trumpets sound, shot goes off// Give him the cup. I’ll play this bout first. Set it by a while. Come. Another hit. What say you? A touch, a touch, I do confess ’t. Our son shall win.
 * CLAUDIUS**
 * //CLAUDIUS//** //drops pearl into cup//
 * HAMLET**
 * //HAMLET//** //and **LAERTES** play//
 * LAERTES**
 * CLAUDIUS**

alright, so here's my issue with Claudius in act 5. i discussed his dilemma last week, and it strongly ties into this little scenario. Claudius goes on and on for a looong time about how he feels really guilty about killing his brother and he wishes he could be forgiven and get rid of that guilt. He knows it was wrong to murder, and he admits it to himself. And then, the very next act, he's right back at it. He tries to kill Hamlet by poisoning him. Unfortunatelly Gertrude drinks the wine instead and dies a horribly painful death, and Claudius just gets to look on. Karma sometimes bites even royal butts... My question at the end of the play was, 1. what was the point? and 2. Why did Shakespeare add in that soliloquy about feeling guilt. i know he was using it to give the audience assurance that Hamlet is right, but it seems a little strange that a little bit later, Claudius goes on as if he never had his little breakdown...seems a little strange for Willy to just go against his character's shift...

2-12 So far in the play, i still think the really interesting thought is whether or not Hamlet really did see the ghost, and if he really did talk to it. Did Claudius kill his brother? Was his mom sleeping around? but here's the exciting part: we hear Claudius confess. Hamlet still only has the ghost's words. Now we have a testimony from the killer himself: Oh, my offence is rank. It smells to heaven. It hath the primal eldest curse upon ’t, A brother’s murder. Pray can I not. Though inclination be as sharp as will, My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent, And, like a man to double business bound, I stand in pause where I shall first begin, And both neglect. What if this cursèd hand Were thicker than itself with brother’s blood? 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?

In this speech to himself about prayer, Claudius admits he's wrong for killing his brother, and goes on and on about the guilt, but then, in a kind of sudden tone shift, he cries out (at least in my mind that's how it sounds), 'so what if it have my brother's blood on my hand??? Isn't it God's job to forgive me and let the heavens wash away it away? It's particularily interesting that Shakespeare keeps Claudius' personality so intense in this soliloquy. It makes us pitty him less, and almost think he deserves it. Before we were doubting Hamlet and his lunacy was just irritating, but now we are completely on his side, and we look at Claudius with the same disgust that Hamlet does too.

2/5/12 Okay, so since i've switched classes, i've switched essenstial questions too. So I'm going to first respond to this new question. The whole idea of suicide is to me very confusing. I mean, it's not like i've really done it myself...so it's not like i really tried it. But just thinking about it, i don't understand. What kind of a situation can you get into that's so bad that you just want to end your life? Now, don't get me wrong, i guess to an extent i can see why someone who is entangled with all these gangs and will probably be shot dead anyways... and still, it just seems so... extreme. When Hamlet does his speech about whether it's easier to live or just to dies, i think it adds in another touch to make you wonder whether Hamlet is crazy or not.

So, to the section we've read. The scene in which Hamlet talks to the ghost of his dad, and he is told about his dad's murder by his power hungry uncle. The exciting thing about this one is that this is where the questions start. Is it true? Did he really kill him? Did he really talk to the ghost? So throughout the play, i think it's "fun" to have that thought in the back of your mind, is the ghost telling the truth...because the two answers lead to two completely different stories. That's what makes this play unique. And i believe this scene, contrary to most citics' love of the "to be or not to be" speech, is what makes this play unique.

1/30/12 I've seen Hamlet at the Idaho Shakespeare theater and I've read the play before, and i'll be honest...it's not my favorite play (I know, it's Danish and all that, but still). I like the whole idea of Hamlet; of different characters being on the verge of insanity, all in different forms, and some of them definitely going crazy, and the question of who is right and what is reality? That stuff is all fascinating, but the storyline isnt my favorite. It's like Shakespeare felt like he had to make the play fit a certain time frame, like it absolutely had to be around 3 or 4 hours, so the story has been stretched over it like cellophane. Look, if the play was like half as long, it'd be awesome.

Essential Question: Where do we draw the line between the sane and the insane, and to what extend can we trust the insane?

Okay, so the question isn't really "to be or not to be" it's, what is wrong with Hamlet?!?!?! Sticking to just what we've read in class, Hamlet hasn't really been defined much yet, except that we've talked about his relationship to his mom, but he's weird. Granted, his mom is weirder, and his uncle/stepdad is a jerk. But Hamlet is weird. He sees the ghost that the guards have told him about, but then he frantically forces them to swear that they won't tell anyone else. I know that's a little further in the play. But I think that's where our essential question starts. What does Hamlet actually see, what do the guards actually tell him? It's like //A Beautiful Mind//, we don't really know who's real and who isn't real.



Laura Winslow AP Lit and Comp per 3