Katy+Cook

Funny Posting! :)   Hamlet Blog Post #4 2-18-12    The finale is over, and now everyone is dead- Ophelia, Laertes, Polonius, the Queen, Claudius, and Hamlet... that's a large death count for one play! Personally, I liked the end, just because Hamlet's character became more relatable and I feel like he accepted reality and was in, for the most part, the right state of mind. Hamlet's death was not heroic or shameful, which is different from a lot of the books we've read so far. Also, I feel like it was good for Hamlet to revenge his father's death by killing Claudius before he himself died. I found these lines from Act 5, Scene 2 interesting:   **LAERTES** > 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 envenom'd: the foul practise > Hath turn'd itself on me lo, here I lie, > Never to rise again: thy mother's poison'd: > I can no more: the king, the king's to blame. > > I thought that Laertes admitting to the plan, while Claudius continually hiding it, says a lot about their characters. Maybe Claudius is the insane one in the play, not Hamlet. I feel like with Laertes telling the truth, readers are able to become more sympathetic towards his death. Claudius refuses to reveal his evil scheme even when his wife is about to drink the poison. He obviously could have stopped it, but he didn't want to give himself up.

 Hamle t Blog Post #3 2-9-12 The first thing I have to mention is how much I'm enjoying watching all of the performances! They are really funny and entertaining which makes everything easier to understand. Also, the different ways people choose to interpret and act out the scenes makes me think about what was originally intended and new ways to analyze the play as well!

This week, we finally came to analyze Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" speech. After facing one of his first major dilemmas, Hamlet weighs his options and decides not to take his life. Although through numerous metaphors and symbolic references, he figures that the fear of the unknown, death, could be far worse than what he is going through now. Shakespeare fills this soliloquy with figurative language. For example life is "a sea of troubles" and filled with "heartache and the thousand natural shocks" while death is "sleep" or "the undiscover'd country". There is also a lot of repetition of things related to sleep and dreaming. This could be because Hamlet is trying to convince himself that it would be the same as death, and better than living, but in the end, no traveller returns.

Hamlet: To be, or not to be, that is the question:  Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer   The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,   Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,   And by opposing end them? To die, to sleep--  No more-- and by a sleep to say we end   The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks...

Essential Question: At this point in the play, many characters have started to become suspicious about Hamlet and what has caused his madness. Maybe they're judging/pointing fingers at him in order to shift the focus off of themselves (King Claudious especially). It does seem, however that Hamlet has become obsessed with revenge. In Hamlet's 3rd soliloquy he says "And that his soul be damned and black as hell, where to he goes." The tone is dark and scary, which implies some sort of madness or insanity.

Hamlet Blog Post #2 2-2-12 I feel like this week I'm really starting to get into the play- things are starting to get interesting (Hamlet stating his true feelings and learning about his father's ghost) and understanding the language of Shakespeare is becoming easier after doing the paraphrasing activity! One scene that really stuck out to me these past few days was Hamlet's first soliloquy. Although it might be a bit long for a blog post, here it is from Act 1, Scene 2: //"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! O God!// //How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable// //Seem to me all the uses of this world!// //Fie on't! O 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 followed 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 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!// //It is not, nor it cannot come to good;// //But break my heart, — for I must hold my tongue!"//

You can view it below:

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An important aspect to think about when it comes to a soliloquy is that the audience knows that the character speaking is telling the truth, because they have nothing to hide. This is the first time Hamlet's true thoughts and feelings are revealed which explains his depressing attitude and his reasons for it. At this point, he becomes a more relatable character. When thinking back to the essential question "What is insanity and how do we know if it's real?", many connections can be made. His obvious suicidal thoughts when he talks about "self-slaughter" are alarming, but at the same time, they are understandable. This doesn't excuse the fact that he still might be on the brink of insanity, however. The sad part is the last line, because it reveals that Hamlet can't share his feelings with anyone, and everyone knows that this is very unhealthy! I guess we'll have to wait to see what happens...  Hamlet Blog Post #1 1-28-12

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Here goes my first attempt at writing a blog! After reading and watching the first scenes this week, I am looking forward to developing a deeper knowledge of the play. It seems to be mostly about the complex associations between the characters, and interpreting their actions and motives. Hamlet and his mother seem to have a unique relationship, as seen in the second scene. Hamlet is obviously bitter and has not moved on from the loss of his father. His mother tries to comfort him, but she doesn't seem sincere in any way. King Claudius jumps in, and says the following below:

**KING CLAUDIUS** 'Tis sweet and commendable in your nature, Hamlet,

To give these mourning duties to your father:

But, you must know, your father lost a father;

That father lost, lost his. . . but to pe rseve r

In obstinate condolement is a course

Of impious stubbornness; 'tis unmanly grief;

We pray you, throw to earth

This unprevailing woe, and think of us

<span style="color: #ce2ee5; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">As of a father. . . For your intent

<span style="color: #ce2ee5; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In going back to school in Wittenberg,

<span style="color: #ce2ee5; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">It is most retrograde to our desire:

<span style="color: #ce2ee5; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">And we beseech you, bend you to remain

<span style="color: #ce2ee5; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Here. . ..

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<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">King Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, has a condescending tone, and enforcing the fact that Hamlet must move on, because everyone's father has to die at some point. He is very unsympathetic to his feelings. I chose this passage because it highlights the relationship between Hamlet and Claudius, which is vital to the message of the play. Describing Hamlet as "unmanly" is a major dis to Hamlet, and if I were him, I would probably go insane too!

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">My class's essential question is: What is insanity and how do we know if it's real? Who has the right to judge madness? <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The first scenes in the play, and especially the above passage demonstrate just a few factors the might lead Hamlet to become "insane". His uncle clearly will be one character who tries to judge his mental state, or madness.