Nicholas+Kallas

Nicholas Kallas Period 5A 2011/12

. Hamlet Week Four. February 13th-20th 2012.



The end of the play was brought together quite nicely. I enjoyed the added touch of pretty much all of the characters dieing because it made it so no one one. It is interesting that the Claudius didn't try and stop Gertrude from drinking the poison because that implies that he valued the death of Hamlet over the life of his own wife.
 * How I Felt:

What is insanity and how do we know if it's real? Who has the right to judge madness?
 * Essential Question:

After all is said and done I am under the impression that none of the characters in the play were insane except Ophelia. Hamlet was not insane, just blinded by anger and a strong desire for revenge. On the other hand Claudius was not crazy he just merely wanted Hamlet dead because Hamlet wanted to expose his wrongdoings. It is safe to say that all the characters actions were rational but also skewed by emotion at the same time.

Laertes to Hamlet:
 * Passage: Act Scene:

It is here, Hamlet. Hamlet, thou art slain. No medicine in the world can do thee good.In thee there is not half an hour of life. The treacherous instrument is in thy hand,Unbated and envenomed. The foul practiceHath turned itself on me. Lo, here I lie,Never to rise again. Thy mother’s poisoned.I can no more. The king, the king’s to blame.

This passage is very stylistically interesting because Laertes uses hyperbole and repetition to prove his very distinctive points of him killing hamlet, there being no way to avoid death, and the king being at fault.

. Hamlet: Week Three. . February 6th-12th 2012.

This week was an interesting one because we started the group presentations of scenes from Hamlet. Personally I found myself paying much more attention to what my fellow classmates were doing or wearing while reciting lines from the front of the room than actually listening to what they were saying and understanding what that meant. Due to this I have a hazy understanding of the acts that we watched this week and dont have much to say. As the play progressed Hamlet seemed to be getting closer to his revenge and farther away from anyone in his life. Through his feigned insanity and his hate for his uncle he alienated his mother, friends, and Ophelia. > What is insanity and how do we know if it's real? Who has the right to judge madness? At this point I almost feel like the traumatic events in his life made Hamlet loose at least a tiny bit of his sanity. By this I mean that before his fathers death he would never have done such out of the ordinary things as killing a man or pretending to be crazy. This real madness is juxtaposed with his fake insanity that he is using to fool those around him make for a very interesting character. Soliloquy: King Claudius O, 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.
 * How I Felt:
 * Essential Question:
 * Passage: Act 3 Scene iii

I chose this passage because it was the first section of the play where we get to hear Hamlet's Uncle's point of view on the whole affair and where he also admits to guilt for killing his brother. He is saying that the guilt is overbearing to the benefits he received from killing his brother. Shakespeare used a simile to compare his guilt and pleasure to a man with conflicting businesses. Ultimately Claudius ignores his guilt and his acquired pleasures and remains on the fence.

Fe

Hamlet: Second Week January 30th-February 5th 2012 Scenes 1.2-1.5

The four scenes that we read this week were pretty intriguing and the last one seemed to set the course for the rest of the play. After viewing film versions I was confused on the matter of Hamlets Father's death but after Hamlet speaks to his father's ghost it is clear that his uncle deliberately killed him by dripping poison in his ear while he slept in his orchard. After hearing this news that it was not a literal snake but a snakelike uncle that killed his father I felt like Hamlet was very distraught and now had the motivation to do his father justice and avenge his death and the taking of his queen, Hamlets mother.
 * How I Felt:

What is insanity and how do we know if it's real? Who has the right to judge madness? I find it interesting and thought provoking to pose the question; is Hamlet really insane and just imagining his fathers ghost? I feel like this question has probably been asked before but for a good reason. Hamlet's mothers marriage to her brother in law so soon after his fathers death could have had an effect on Hamlets mental state during his troubled time of mourning. Seeing his fathers spirit and having it justify killing his uncle could have just been Hamlets madness justifying the murder of his kin. Soliloquy O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn’d longer,—married with mine 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!
 *  Essential Question:
 * Passage : Act 1 Scene ii

I chose this passage because it was stylistically interesting and provided insight into how Hamlet felt about his uncle and Mother's wedding. In the passage Hamlet compares his mother to a beast who has contempt for reason. He does this because of his anger at the haste of the marriage after such a short period of mourning.

**Hamlet: First week** January 23rd-29th 2012

Pretty good. The guards who are on watch are startled by the sight of an apparition that is possibly their recent king; their shock is understandable. In order to quench their curiosity they decide to ask that kings son, the main character, Hamlet. Their logic seems sound because what kind of ghost father would not speak to their own flesh and blood son? This scene was quite interesting because it added another element to Hamlets already troubled psyche, the possibility that his father is attempting to contact him from the spirit realm.
 *  How I Felt :

What is insanity and how do we know if it's real? Who has the right to judge madness? In this scene of Hamlet Insanity could prove detrimental. If the guards are actually crazy and not seeing the ghost of their deceased king then there is no need to bother the grieving prince Hamlet anymore soon after his fathers death. I believe Hamlet is the only person who has the right to judge whether Marcellus and Bernardo are insane by attempting to speak to the apparition.
 * Essential Question:

Stylistically interesting. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**MARCELLUS** : It is offended. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> **BARNARDO**: See, it stalks away! <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> **HORATIO** : Stay! speak, speak! I charge thee, speak! <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> //Exit Ghost.// <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> **MARCELLUS**: 'Tis gone, and will not answer. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> **BARNARDO** : How now, Horatio! you tremble and look pale: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is not this something more than fantasy? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> What think you on't? <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> **HORATIO** : Before my God, I might not this believe. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Without the sensible and true avouch <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Of mine own eyes. Such was the very armor he had on When he the ambitious Norway combated; So frown'd he once, when, in an angry parle, Tis strange.
 * <span style="background-color: #000000; color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">Passage : Act 1 Scene i
 * MARCELLUS** : Is it not like the king?
 * HORATIO** : As thou art to thyself:

//I chose this passage because it related to our essential question and it provided insight into the guard's thoughts.// In the passage the idea that they might be in a fantasy and should not believe what they see is juxtaposed with evidence which further confirms that it could be the king. This element provides the audience with a more convincing image that it is indeed Hamlets father's ghost that they are seeing.

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