Elissa+Johnson

Funny Post

  I suggest watching it over and over for a little while...  Hamlet Blog #4 2/20/2012

In all honesty I felt that our essential question was less a question and more a tidbit of common sense that's hard to dispute. It is the nature of people (and living in general) to be unique in this uniqueness lends itself to everyone having different perceptions of the world. I don't think it takes a play like Hamlet to illustrate this phenomenon, though it does quite well. The entire time each character really has no idea what is going on with all the other characters and has a very different idea of what is going on. Claudius thinks he has gotten away with killing his brother and has gained the crown and a lovely bride in the mix. Hamlet learns that Claudius killed Hamlet Senior and has no idea whether his mother was in on it or not. Gertrude may be the victim of a cruel and charming Claudius, or she may have has a hand in the murder of King Hamlet, we will never know. Ophelia, Claudius, and Gertrude think that Hamlet has gone insane. Horatio and Hamlet himself know that this is not actually the case....the list goes on and on. It is this disparity in understanding the nature of the situation at hand that led to the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and also the deaths of all the major characters in the final scene.

 **HAMLET** O villany! Ho! let the door be lock'd: Treachery! Seek it out. **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: 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 it was interesting to note that Hamlet is so concerned about his Mother's death. Throughout the play he seems to kind of hate her...but I suppose it is hard to hate a mother so much as to not be angry and upset if she died. I also thought it was interesting that he just jumped to the conclusion that someone had murdered her, and she didn't die of some sort of...weird cause. Perhaps he knew something like that might happen? Laertes is not the most noble character in my opinion. His final, dying words are "the kind, the king's to blame," and though I understand why someone might not want to die while freely admitting that they basically just murdered the Queen and her son, it seems a little strange. He admits that he had conspired with Claudius and yet would prefer that he not be blamed for anyone's deaths. Perhaps he just wanted to go to heaven. Hamlet is also very quick to forgive Laertes. Maybe he felt like they were both victims of Claudius' cruelty. I personally don't think that Claudius is the only villain in this play. Hamlet's father, Gertrude, and Laertes all play a part in causing, in my opinion, in the tragedy at the end of the play.

Hamlet Blog #3 2/11/2012

I found this painting a long time ago and Ophelia's death reminded me of it:

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: center;">While I was searching for it, I found out it's actually called Ophelia. Go figure.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The scenes from this week are some of my favorite in the entire play. Though they are tragic, they are also hilarious. My absolute favorite scene from the play is when Claudius is trying to get Hamlet to divulge the location of Polonius' body:

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **KING CLAUDIUS:** Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HAMLET:** At supper. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **KING CLAUDIUS:** At supper! where? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HAMLET:** Not where he eats, but where he is eaten: a certain <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **KING CLAUDIUS:** Alas, alas! <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HAMLET:** A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **KING CLAUDIUS:** What dost you mean by this? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HAMLET:** Nothing but to show you how a king may go a <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">progress through the guts of a beggar. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **KING CLAUDIUS:** Where is Polonius? <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HAMLET:** In heaven; send hither to see: if your messenger <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">find him not there, seek him i' the other place <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">yourself. But indeed, if you find him not within <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">this month, you shall nose him as you go up the <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">stairs into the lobby.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">One of the main reasons I personally don't think Hamlet is actually insane is because when he goes on weird tangets, like this one, they always seem to actually mean something and reflect his opinion. His 'joke' (if you can call it that) of how Polonius is at supper, though not for himself but for worms, is quite clever; and when he talks of how "...a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar," it could possibly be a jab at Claudius - but also it illustrates how disenchanted he has become with life. He is saddened, frustrated, and has succumbed to the knowledge that death is the final master. And in knowing that everyone will die eventually, by his hand or not, he has become complacent and does not care to take action. It is odd, though, that when he finally DOES take action he kills Polonius. Perhaps he drops in and out of insanity...

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 24px;">Hamlet Blog #2

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The scenes we read this week were mostly concerned with the Ghost of Hamlet's father. I thought it was somewhat entertaining to look at the different interpretations of the ghost. I looked up a couple more when I got home and this one is my favorite:

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I'm not exactly sure what the artist was going for there...

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Anyways, here's my passage from Act 1 Scene 5:

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**Ghost:** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">[Beneath] Swear. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HAMLET:** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">Come on--you hear this fellow in the cellarage-- <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">Consent to swear. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HORATIO:** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">Propose the oath, my lord. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HAMLET:** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">Never to speak of this that you have seen, <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Swear by my sword. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **Ghost** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> [Beneath] Swear. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HAMLET:** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **Ghost:** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">[Beneath] Swear. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> **HAMLET:** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: small;">Rest, rest, perturbed spirit!

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I thought it was really intriguing how the ghost helps his son to make Horatio and Marcellus swear. I think it reveals a less benevolent King Hamlet, one that isn't to be trusted or considered a saint as the young Hamlet would have you believe. This scene also reveals, perhaps, some desperation on the dead King's part. It is obvious now that his greatest desire is for Hamlet to exact revenge on Claudius and it will become apparent later that the King doesn't care how many people die, or lose their sanity, along the way. I think that perhaps the real villain in Hamlet might be the ghost of King Hamlet, not Claudius.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">1/26/12

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 140%;">Hamlet Blog #1
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Our question: How does our perception of reality change reality?



<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">This man from the internet lives in a place where cats are usually accompanied by witty captions. This is his 'reality' even though he isn't from the 'real world' that we are all familiar with <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">I don't necessarily think that 'reality' is quantifiable. Since no one is able to say exactly what reality is, it can't really be changed. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">That being said, I do feel like if someone's perception of events does change the events for them - changes their reality, and thus changes their actions. In the first two scenes of the play, it becomes obvious that all the characters have different perceptions of what's going on. Hamlet now knows the Claudius murdered his Father, but Gertrude is oblivious to this and adores the new King. Meanwhile, Claudius believes he has gotten away with murder.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Line from Act 1 Scene 1: Marcellus: Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy,

Therefore I have entreated him along

With us to watch the minutes of this night;

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">When Marcellus says "Horatio says 'tis but our fantasy..." it is reveals that Horatio doesn't believe what Marcellus and Barnardo have told him. It's somewhat ironic that Horatio doesn't believe Marcellus and Barnardo, even though the two of them can corroborate each others' stories. At this point, we don't know that Marcellus and Barnardo are talking about a ghost, but his willingness to go with them suggests he doesn't believe the guards are just making the story up.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Here are some awesome videos:

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<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Also, if you're still not familiar with Honey Badger you need to see this. But if you can't handle dirty words then you don't need to see this: media type="youtube" key="4r7wHMg5Yjg" height="315" width="560"

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