Allie+Sisson

Hank Fisher: You Just Gotta Love Him ** ** Hamlet Blog #4: ** ** 02/18/12 ** ** Love Overcomes All...Even Insanity? ** ** What really confused me about Hamlet's actions throughout the play was how he was able to change his emotions and his feeling towards those around him so easily, especially towards poor Ophelia. First, he is completely in love with Ophelia and showering her with affection. Then he goes completely stark raving mad and starts attacking her as shown below. **

**But what befuddles me even more than that, is what happens at the scene of her funeral. After realizing that corpse is actually his beloved Ophelia, he quickly ditches the crazy talk and begins to mournfully claim his undying love that he had for her. I find it extremely interesting that all of a sudden Hamlet is snapped out of his crazed haze he's been living under in order to express his true love for Ophelia. I'm not sure if this is just another level of crazy, or if Hamlet feels remorse for the way her treated her, or he just simply loves her.**

**HAMLET**


 * I loved Ophelia: forty thousand brothers**


 * Could not, with all their quantity of love,**


 * Make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her?**


 * Fourty thousand brothers? That's a lot of love. I believe that Hamlet's realization during the funeral was that he really did love Ophelia, and her death made him realize that he shouldn't have acted crazy towards her if her really wanted to be with her. Death changes his perception, and made him see that his actions might have been a contributer to her death. He feels shame and remorse and guilt, and he feels that be expressing his love for her he can let her know that he meant no harm. I find it really interesting that death shaped Hamlet's perception and lifted the haze of insanity that had been surrounding him. It made him realize that he had been acting like a jerk. Death made him realize his love; and consequently, see himself in a different light.**

^ SO CUTE.

** 02/12/12 **   **Hamlet & Gertrude: Insane & Incestuous** **^ Hamlet acting crazy. Again. Nothing new.** **I've always felt that Hamlet actually is crazy. It could just be me, but I feel like Horatio was always playing along and then the guards who "saw" the ghost the first night were either drunk or just imagining things. Anyway, the point of that comment is that in scene 3.4 my feelings of Hamlet's insanity seem entirely justified when the ghost appears on the scene and only Hamlet can see it. There are two possibilities, either the ghost just wants to be seen only by Hamlet, or Hamlet is just plain crazy. The fact that Gertrude doesn't even sense anything either seems a big fishy. I feel like if the ghost actually existed and just wanted to be hidden from his ex-wife then she'd still sense that something was different even if she couldn't see or hear the king. Instead, she's just completely oblivious. Which makes me think that Hamlet is just one mad fool.**     ** ^I'd be ok with seeing this cute little ghost... **  ** QUEEN GERTRUDE ** Alas, how is't with you, Whereon do you look? ** HAMLET ** On him, on him! Look you, how pale he glares! To whom do you speak this? ** HAMLET ** Do you see nothing there? ** QUEEN GERTRUDE ** Nothing at all; yet all that is I see. ** HAMLET ** Nor did you nothing hear? ** QUEEN GERTRUDE ** No, nothing but ourselves.
 * Hamlet Blog #3: **
 * QUEEN GERTRUDE**

**Hamlet's reality has become so twisted and confused thanks to the apparition popping up all the time that even his poor own mother thinks he has gone crazy. And mothers usually tend to be tolerant of these things. The old king really messed with Hamlet's head when he showed up (or Hamlet's head was just messed up to begin with). Either way, Hamlet's mental state and his perception of what is real and who he can trust can really only continue to go down hill. ** **^ Now that's a legitimate question.**  ** Hamlet Blog #2: ** ** 02/05/12 ** ** The Reality of the Ghost: Father to Feared Apparition **  What struck me when I was reading through this text was how much the memory of the deceased Hamlet faded and changed after his death. Both Marcellus and Horatio seemed horrified at the prospect of young Hamlet following his father's ghost, and even Hamlet seemed slightly fearful when his father spoke to him. It was as if even though the king looked the same, he had turned into a monster after his death. What confused me is how their perception of the king could be altered so drastically? Yes, he was back from the dead. But does that mean he turned evil in that process? I don't think so. Death really does change things and alters the memory of the living - for better, or for worse in this case.

Also, after viewing the pictures that we saw in class on Friday I realized how the perception was changed by the authors as well. They made the ghost become a strange and fearsome god who could, at any moment, turn his wrath on his even faithful son. It is interesting how the apparition changed from a loving father and stable king into something much darker. Maybe it was the new he bore, I'm not sure. Anyway, something interesting to think about at least.  ** HORATIO ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">It beckons you to go away with it, <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">As if it some impartment did desire <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">To you alone. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: center;">** MARCELLUS ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">Look, with what courteous action <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">It waves you to a more removed ground: <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">But do not go with it. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: center;">** HORATIO ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">No, by no means. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: center;">** HAMLET ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">It will not speak; then I will follow it. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: center;">** HORATIO ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">Do not, my lord. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: center;">** HAMLET ** <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">Why, what should be the fear? <span style="color: black; display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 10pt; text-align: center;">It waves me forth again: I'll follow it.

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Hamlet Blog #1 <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">01/29/12

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Horatio's Reality, and the ghost's dominating role in Hamlet.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** B ERNARDO ** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">Looks it not like the king? mark it, Horatio. <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">**HORATIO** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">Most like: it harrows me with fear and wonder. <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">**BERNARDO** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">It would be spoke to. <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">**MARCELLUS** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">Question it, Horatio. <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">**HORATIO** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">What art thou that usurp'st this time of night, <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">by heaven I charge thee, speak! <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">**MARCELLUS** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">It is offended. <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">**BERNARDO** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">See, it stalks away! <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">**HORATIO** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 10px;">Stay! speak, speak! I charge thee, speak!

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">After looking back at Horatio's lines in Act. 1 Scene 1. I realized that not only does Horatio not believe in the ghost, he doesn't even "see" the ghost until prompted by Marcellus to speak to it and acknowledge its presence. Horatio's reality is therefore changed by Marcellus when the ghost is pointed out to him. This whole concept of reality is both intriguing and extremely frustrating. In the modern version of Hamlet with Ethan Hawk, the ghost of the king is tangible. If it can touch its own son, why can't it get its own revenge? Reality in Hamlet is constantly changing. With Horatio, it changes when one person points out the impossible to him. The whole existence of the ghost is really what shapes and changes the entire play. The ghost creates a new reality - one where the supernatural dominates the plot. Now that's interesting. <span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">To me at least...

<span style="color: #800000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Horatio, a.k.a Karl Geary. The only semi-redeeming part of the modern version of Hamlet.

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