JOURNAL TOPIC: ["Say What" by Stevie Ray Vaughan; "Say It Now (I'm Black and I'm Proud)" by James Brown; "Say It To Me Now" by Glen Hansard]
How does what we say relate to what we do? Does telling ourselves or other people what we think/feel/intend change our thought process and/or feelings? Does it make us more or less likely to act? Does it teach us anything about ourselves?
AGENDA:
1. Journal
2. Socratic Seminar: "The Performative Utterance in Hamlet" & vocab
[UPDATE: The agenda got hijacked. 0 finished Act V. 3&4 groups discussed major takeaways and questions from Hamlet. Please see HW #3.]
HW:
1. STUDY "The Performative Utterance in Hamlet"
2. Begin creating your PLN by searching out AP and university courses that include Hamlet. Review at least fifteen, pick the best five, and post links to your blogs (under the title "AP HAMLET PLN"). Include a brief paragraph for each in which you explain why the resource made the cut.
3. If you're in period 3 or 4: please comment to this post with your group's major ideas and questions.
4. Everyone: please reply to the group's questions with answers (credit per each).
Bailey Nelson, Conner Patzman, Erika Snell
ReplyDelete5 queations ideas:
Why did shakesphere kill gertrude?
How does hamlet know that roancranz and guildenstern betrayed him?
Why wouldn't the grave digger just tell hamlet who died?
Did Ophelia really kill herself or was it an accident, and what proof did they have to accuse her of milling herself?
Why was hamlet so sure that his friends would stick by his side and not think he is just covering up his " insanity" by saying he was pretending.
5 good ideas about the play:
Ophelia being accused of killing herself.
His methods of getting the truth out of the king.
Deaths in the end are are important and bring peace back to the thrown.
Lots of foreshadowing and symbolism
Getrude is a casualty of war. Simply put, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, a perfect way to conveniently tie up all loose ends. As John Irving quoted "Writing a novel is actually searching for victims. As I write I keep looking for casualties. The stories uncover the casualties.” Considering that everyone around the court was getting killed, it seemed almost inevitable that Getrude would be a victim. Perhaps she's a message from Shakespeare that anything and anyone can be a casualty, no matter how unrelated they are to the incident at hand.
Delete2. From what we can gather, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are not the brightest nor the most sly individuals. Couple that with the fact that they just magically show up to see Hamlet, and you too would be a little suspicious of their true motives. Hamlet, as evidenced by his accusation, is very sly and thus can quickly deduce that the King sent them. Also, when you start acting crazy, one of the first things that people do is see if your friends know anything, and if not, use the mutual trust to find out why.
3. Perhaps because he likes speaking in riddles, like Hamlet to Olric. Or perhaps because he has no real idea who died.
4. Ophelia killed herself. She was going crazy (due to her love, Hamlet, outright saying he was not interested, and then killing her father) and was not in a right place. As Getrude marked Ophelia was "incapable of her own distress" so why would she have a reason to live? She seems very depressed, if not downright delusional.
5. Because he trusts his friends. If Horatio was willing enough to tell Hamlet that he saw a ghost that looked like his father, then Hamlet would be willing enough to let Horatio know that he will go insane so as to create a ruse.
1) Possibly because right before Claudius dies, he gets to see one of the thing's that made him kill his brother finally slip out of his grasp.
Delete2) Hamlet could know that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betrayed him because he's looking for signs of betrayal amongst everyone since he found out of his uncle's deceit and treachery. Also, they could just be bad liars.
3) I think the grave digger didn't right away tell Hamlet who died, to both build the audience's suspense and to show that Hamlet is still sane (or sane enough) that he can carry on a long conversation and add in puns.
4) I think that Ophelia both killed herself and it was an accident. All her life she just went along with what her father wanted her to do, but when he suddenly dies she doesn't know what to do because he isn't telling her how to act. So I think she went to the river to stare at herself, a person she doesn't really know thanks to her father, and when she tries to get a closer look she accidentally falls in the river. The river kind of replaces her father at this point, and she just goes with the flow of it and drowns.
5) I think that Hamlet grew up with his friends, so they've known each other for years and probably know what makes each other tick. Hamlet could have really gotten into another project before the whole revenge thing (because he's smart and probably likes to figure things out and not be bored), and so they've seen him do things that so others appear crazy or unrelating to the subject at hand but later on it all makes sense. They trust him.
1. We are not sure why Gertrude drink the poisned wine. It might be to help out her son, or she was just really thirsty. But,through out the play, it is hard to say that she really cares about Hamlet that she can sacrifice herself for her son.
DeleteMegan Hardisty, Conor McNamara, Brady Redman
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
1. Do you think that Hamlet knew he might, and was willing to, die to avenge his father's murder?
2. Did Hamlet have any idea the amount of casualties he would cause?
3. Did Hamlet change after his father's death?
4. Is there any over symbolism in the play?
5. Aside from reflecting his inner thoughts, are Hamlet's soliloquies a foreshadow of future events?
Ideas:
1. "Alas, por Yorick", is a soliloquy on Hamlet contemplating the value of life.
2. "Hamlet", the play, is one big internecine.
3. "To be, or not to be", is Hamlet contemplating action and suicide.
4. Ophelia not setting a proper burial only spurs on Hamlet to kill Claudius and Laertes to kill Hamlet.
5. No morals or values between family members.
1. Yes, i doubt he was aware of inevitable death of course. Hamlet's lust for revenge was insatiable nearly making him genuinely mad by the end of the play, subsequently his thought probably lacked any caution for his own well being.
Delete2. Again i doubt he had prescience butttt, as suggested above, Hamlet's desire for revenge blinded any and all critical thinking/morality by the climax so killing a few obstacles was not only necessary to him by that point but...efficient.
3. We have little to no inkling of how Hamlet was before his father (the play was in media res) so we cant truthfully analyze a change. BUT, over the course of the play you could say he became more an more obsessed with revenge/existentialistic contemplation, trapped in an endless loop of cognitive paralysis.
4. "over"? Yes there was symbolism present in the play. EXAMPLE: Yorick's skull symbolizes the ineluctable mortality of life, "when the game ends even the king goes in the same box as the pawns".
5. You could argue his many soliloqouies, particularly "to be or not to be", have a looming je sais quoi, sense of dread forecasting the climactic conclusion/Hamlet's ultimate demise by the end of the play.
I don't think Hamlet cared whether or not other people died. It seemed he was so straight forward with his feelings of revenge and being the reason for the death of Claudius, he slowly lost a reason to care for people who did not believe him or stick around.
Delete1) Yes, I do believe Hamlet was willing to die for his father's murder. The revenge that grows throughout the play get to a breaking point, when Hamlet just couldn't hold back anymore. He didn't think before he acted or care what the outcome was he just wanted to avenge his father.
Delete2) I don't believe that Hamlet new he was going to cause so many deaths through his quest to seek vengence on Cladius. But, I do believe he new that there were going to be bumps along the way that he would just have to deal with in order to finish what he had started.
Ryunhee Kim, Travis Knight, Reed Conforti, Devon Tomooka, Nathan Oh
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
1)What reason does Hamlet have for not stopping when his revenge plans started hurting others?
2)What causes Gertrude to be unfriendly towards Hamlet?
3)Does Hamlet actually have feelings for Ophelia?
4)Did Hamlet actually see his father's ghost?
5)What is the significance of the scene with the clowns digging the graves?
6)Why deos Laertes think Hamelt caused the Ophelia's death?
7)Why did Hamlet take so long killing Claudius?
8)Did Fortinbras end his attack when he found out Hamlet died?
Themes/Ideas
1) Revenge as motivation is never good.
2) The mystery of death, Hamlet was never sure of it.
3) Hard to trust any characters in the play.
4) The Complexity of relationships.
5) No values between family.
For question number 2, I was wondering the same thing. How can Queen Gertrude be so cold hearted toward Hamlet (from the beginnig) when she is the one that is with Hamlet's uncle.. (Gertrude's brother-in-law) I did not like her throughout the play for the reason that she seemed to not care what Hamlet did, she only cared about Claudius and herself.
DeleteGood questions by the way!!
3) In a way I would say that Hamlet imagined the ghost, to help give him an excuse to suspect the man he hated the most.(Claudius)The ghost helped Hamlet make generalization of what happened to his father and who may have killed his father.
Delete1. Well at that point in the play, Hamlet is "crazy" and so seeing that people seem to believe him, Hamlet has sorta in a way let go of all connections to his life as a prince. Hamlet basically has nothing to lose, and plus the ghost (his father) gave him a task and since Hamlet is loyal to his father, revenge becomes Hamlets only purpose in the play.
Delete2. After Hamlet mistakes Polonius for a rat and stabs him (with his mother right in front of him), Gertrude complete believes in the fact that Hamlet is now a different person and the real Hamlet is now dead in the eyes of his mother.
3. Its hard to establish Hamlets true feelings for Ophelia because I feel like he pretended to go crazy right before we could make an absolute decision of whether or not Hamlet loved her, but once Hamlet goes crazy, he just gets really weird. In one scene he will be complete dissing her but at the funeral scene, Hamlet throws himself on her. Which could have meant one of two things, he was actually sad or that was an act too.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1.Why does Hamlet respect Fortinbras so much but at the same time says he wants to protect his father's honor?
2.Is the act of not saving yourself from death suicide and if so did Ophelia commit suicide?
3.Why does Shakespeare not make Hamlet swear to avenge his father?
4.Did Hamlet act like he loved Ophelia in the end and if he didn't why did he show this love all of a sudden?
5.Is their any symbolism in Ophelia's death and if so what kind?
Big Ideas
1. Hamlet is a very dynamic character with a lot of confusing elements about him.
2.Hamlet may not be "insane" but his situation has made him unstable in some areas ("talk" with his mother).
3.It takes Hamlet a long time to actually get revenge and this has to do with his own insecurity.
4. Horatio does the least in the play but is at the same time the most important character.
5.Hamlet's revenge cost him more than just his life.
Here's a prezi for the vocab quiz tomorrow. Don't trust these definitions and please comment if you find something completely different. Hope it helps.
Deletehttp://prezi.com/k6ul9u1ruug7/vocab-10/
haha forgot the group names. Kris Green, Josh Ng, and Justin Thompson :D
Delete2. Allowing death to come could qualify as suicide depending on what you know of the situation. Ophelia's was an accidental suicide considering she only fell into water and could likely have tried to escape. Maybe her clothes weighed her down in the end but that doesn't change her acceptance of drowning.
Delete3. The answer to this one probably has to do with indirect characterization and how the audience would immediately come to perceive Hamlet. When you swear to avenge somebody, you become an antagonizing force. Hamlet's careful consideration would have been interpreted as deliberation or, today, methodical observation by a serial killer.
4. I think he loved Ophelia, considering his "lunacy" was exaggerated while she was near, but was too consumed by his plan, grief, and contempt.
5.The lauds, songs to be sung in religious context, were symbolic of the purity or innocence she held. She was an innocent bystander and death was both healing and spiritual for her.
Good thinking questions by the way!
Justin, I feel like I can trust your knowledge... haha Why is Horatio so important? It's been coming up a lot in most of the groups posting their questions... Fill me in?
DeleteTo Matt:
Delete2. I agree it was an accident and I also think she was indifferent about drowning.
3. Ok that makes sense.
4.So i guess his vengeance kind consumed his life.
5.ha nice interpretation. It's like she was drowned by the very thing that kept her up at first, Hamlet.
To Chanel:
haha thnaks, he is important because without him we have no story. Hamlet asks him to not kill himself so Horatio can tell everyone what truly happened. Without him there would only be rumors and made up stories that don't explain Hamlet's side of the story (because everyone thought he was mad).
Felicitas Ruiz, Mattew Patel, and Valerie Gonzalez
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
1) Was telling the actors to act out the play, Murder of Gonzago, and Hamlet's entire plan the best way to carry out his revenge?
2) Did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deserve to die?
3) How has Hamlet changed throughout the story?
4) What was Fortinbra's character's purpose?
5) Do you think it was smart for Claudius to want to kill Hamlet?
Main Ideas:
1) Value of family and friends is absent
2) Evil-doers get their come-uppance
3) There is always collateral damage
4) Death is alive in ghost. Skull foreshadows imminent deaths
5) Societal pressures for a prince
View Feli's post because there is an audio discussion on third period's discussion. audio is really low but still check it out!
DeleteI would like to build on number 1 and to go as far as to ask, if Murder of Gonzago is a real play, do you think Claudius used it as the basis of his murder?
DeleteI feel like Claudius wanting to kill Hamlet was just to make himself feel better. He seemed to only care for himself throughout the play and all he wanted was the throne and power. With Hamlet out of the way, he wouldn't have any major aspect to worry about, therefore killing Hamlet may be a "smart" decision from his point of view.
Delete1) It wasn't the best way, but it was certainly the most effective judging by how much the King reacted to it.
Delete2) I think Rosencrantz and Guildenstern deserved to die because they were part of this whole revenge thing. Even if they didn't want revenge they were the henchmen who tried to glean enough information so that they could be more comfortably situated.
3.Its kind of hard to say because i really don't understand what kind of character Hamlet is. I can't really point out any changes that he goes through except that he maybe becomes more secure of a person the more he talks to himself and tries to figure himself out.
Delete4.I think his main purpose is to be a foil to Hamlet and be a conclusion to the story. Fortinbras seems like a very confident man that has a plan and executes without wasting time unlike Hamlet. He is also the one to inherit the thrown the kingdom can continue.
5.I think it was smart he just executed the plan wrong. Hamlet was going to kill him anyways so the only real option that he had was to kill him first and in a way he did but not fast enough.
1) The play move really exposed Hamlet to Claudius and basically gave him away. It showed that he knew what Claudius did and this essentially activated Claudius as a player in their revenge game. The play was the turning point and as you can see with the ending, Hamlet didn't make the best choice.
Delete3) How has Hamlet changed throughout the story?
I think Hamlet was much more princely and formal before his father's death and he acted more like royalty. But once it all began, Hamlet "pretended" to be crazy but I think he was crazy, a more controlled crazy and I think he loved this break from his princely reality, it was probably a fresh air.
Taelor Griego, Will Boerger
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
1. In Act V, what did Osric to that made him significant enough to have a name?
2. Were the clowns/gravediggers in Act V only in the play for comedic purposes?
3. What were Hamlet's feelings towards Ophelia before his fathers death?
4. Why couldn't Getrude see the ghost in her room when she was talking with Hamlet?
5. What happened to the ghost after Hamlet enacts revenge on the king?
Major ideas:
1. Shakespeare allowed Horatio to live, in order to have a character explain to Fortinbas of Hamlet's acts and his his reasons for them.
2. The play felt really fast paced because people were doing from left to right. Only when Hamlet performed his soliloquies did it feel like the play wasn't so abrupt and fast paced.
3. Laertes' reaction towards the queen's death was surprising because after that moment he realized that the king was the real enemy but, by then it was too late, he was already a dead man walking.
4. Laertes death from his own blade is ironic because he planned on killing Hamlet with it but in the long run it only helped lead to his own death.
5. The values in Hamlet's culture differ greatly from modern-day culture and values specifically, marriage related actions such as, the Queen marrying her dead husband's brother.
I've got an answer to number 2, I think. No, the gravediggers aren't there purely for comedy. Their presence and apparent callousness toward their jobs facilitates the sharing of Hamlet's thoughts on death. To the gravediggers, who have obviously had their jobs for some time, bones are just bones. To Hamlet ,however, a skull is a grim reminder that in death everybody is equal. The entire scene is also pretty foreboding, given the mass violence that soon follows (as pointed out in Period 3).
DeleteFor number 5, It is a pretty common belief that a spirit cannot rest is a pressing matter is binding them to this world, so i would assume [since being murdered by his brother was the reason he stays] that once Claudius died, Hamlet Sr. was at peace.
Deleteif*
Delete4. I think Shakespeare wrote it that way so Gertrude would still think he's crazy and to leave the option open that maybe Hamlet is kind of crazy (at least emotionally).
Delete5. To build off of Owen, the whole reason he was still here was because he was in purgatory and the only way for him to get out was for Hamlet to avenge his death (not sure how the purgatory thing works but its still needed to be done). I don't think the play tells us what happened to the ghost but its assumed he was freed basically after Claudius's death
SO here are some notes and questions I took from class today:
ReplyDelete- Revenge is the main concept of Hamlet that leads the whole play to end in complete tragedy.
- Hamlet is a very dynamic character (Very bipolar)
- Friendships and relationships are not valued in this story at all... For example Hamlet's mother who portrays an uncaring, neglectful mother. Also Rosencrantz and Guildenstern two of Hamlet's "closest friends" whom Hamlet sent of to death.
(What does this say about Shakespeare and his view on relationships/love?)
- Symbolism: Dying by the sword (revenge characters) Laertes and Hamlet,Sword with Poison (Karma) Claudius,Poison Drink (More mellow death) Queen Gertrude. Open for interpretations as to if it is or is not symbolism or a sheer coincidence
Questions
- Was using the play really a logical way for Hamlet to begin his revenge or should he have approached it differently?
- Do you think Hamlet knew he would end up hurting so many people in the process of his revenge(seeing as he is quite a smart and logical person)?
- Why do you think Hamlet respects Fortinbras so much?
- Why do you think that all of a sudden, now that Ophelia is dead, Hamlet comes out and confesses his love for her?
- Do you think that in the retelling of this story Horatio could have been bias/changed anything different from the original story?
Answers!
Delete-The play was a logical approach because it assured Hamlet that King Claudius was guilty of the murder.
-I feel that Hamlet wouldn't of cared either way, He just wanted Claudius dead.
-Hamlet respects Fortinbras so much because Fortinbras is willing to do anything for his country, even if it means fighting over a pointless piece of land.
-Hamlet wasn't expecting her death, even if it was a form of so called suicide.
-Horatio was just there to say "My Lord" a lot of times. He could of been completely removed from the play in my opinion.
We sort of discussed this in class and people came to the conclusion that Horatio was a very important character because he knew all the insights of what was happening and he was one of the only ones who could tell the story of what happened to someone like Fortinbras. Which is why Hamlet told him not to kill himself. So if he was completely removed don't you think Hamlet would have been more likely to commit suicide since he had no one close enough to him who he could share all his secrets with.
DeleteI don't think Hamlet would commit suicide, but as to today's journal, talking something out with someone could help you realize things you previously didn't notice, if there was no Horatio, i think Hamlet would have been much more hasty in killing Claudius.
Deleteto answer question number 4, I feel Hamlet confessed his love because since she was dead no one could do anything about it.
DeleteQuestions. Period 4. Iliana G, Dylan S, Elizabeth H.
ReplyDeleteWe asked questions based on the Reading from last night and Hamlet itself.
1.What is a Dramatic Arc?
2.What drives Hamlet to finally act?
3.What is Ophelia's role?
4.Why did the ghost only talk to Hamlet? Why not Claudius or Gertrude?
5.What was going on at the time, that drove Shakespeare to write Hamlet?
Me/Chanel Yamaguchi/ Jason Reinwald
ReplyDeleteHamlet Questions:
1. Why would Hamlet "Accidentally" kill Polonius even if he had an idea that it wasn't Claudius behind the curtain?
2. Was the ghost somewhat a 'trigger' for Hamlet to take action in his revenge against Claudius? And was the ghosts' words a figment of his imagination? because Hamlet was the only one that ever heard the ghost talk.
3.Why didn't Claudius just hide his reaction to Hamlet's indirect accusations in the play?
4.Why does Claudius feel the need to poison the tip of his sword?
5.What is the purpose of the clowns digging the grave?
Ideas/Main Points:
1.Everybody dies and it makes the throne peaceful again.
2.Hamlet seeking revenge came back to bite him in the but.
3.Hamlet is a dynamic character, but also indecisive. It took him basically the whole play to decide if he wanted to take action, and he showed emotion towards only certain things.
4.There's always collateral damage by Hamlet.
5.Ghost is a foreshadowing of death, because whoever was associated with him ended up dying.
Like our group discussed... We think Claudius might lack some confident or fear or soe kind of emotion is dwelling through him to where he needs the help of a poisoned tip. Why not just kill him in his sleep? Why does he want it to be public?
DeleteI was also wondering, since it came up amongst many other groups, what the significance of Horatio is in this play...?
I think the significance of Horatio in the play (besides him being able to tell everyone else what took place) is that with all of this subterfuge going on around him, he remained pure. He helped out Hamlet because he was one of Hamlet's good friends, but he never actually did anything malicious. In my mind, Horatio was just someone that gave the audience hope for humanity because he had no guile.
DeleteMy group consisted of Elizabeth P., John H., and Eddie P.
ReplyDeleteHere are our 5 "takeaways":
1. Art and culture greatly influenced the play and the play within the play. Hamlet refers to theater and productions in the industry.
2. Family is a huge part of the play while being the center focus. Hamlet's father's death sets the play to begin and from then on Hamlet reacts to his mother's decision to marry his uncle.
3. Revenge is never the answer
4. "Keep your friends close but your enemies closer." It is apparent that sometimes your friends can turn out to be your worst enemy. When being so involved in ones life as a friend, the friend knows much about you and can use it against you at any point in time.
5. Irony is a huge part of the play. I noted that it was ironic how Hamlet talked of suicide yet never committed it and yet Ophelia committed it and never once spoke of it.
Questions:
1. Looking at the play from different perspectives, how would the play have been different if King Hamlet had not been killed? Would the play still have existed?
2. Why does Shakespeare kill off the most important people in the play and not the minor characters? Is this what defines Shakespeare's style?
3. How could the death of Hamlet's father been handled differently? Could it have been handled under more reasonable terms or was that not common back then?
4. Why was it allowed for Hamlet's mother to marry his Uncle? When was that accepted by society and when did that change? Today, marrying your brother-in-law is not allowed nor very common.
5. What fascinates Shakespeare about death?
1) I think that if Hamlet Sr. hadn't been killed, Claudius would still be trying to kill him. Hamlet Jr. would figure out what was going on, but since he knew that he would have to get more proof about it first, he keeps it to himself, and tries to catch Claudius in the act.
Delete2) Shakespeare pretty much kills everyone he can. He also kills off the semi-minor characters of Ophelia, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. I think he does it though to show that no matter how "important" someone may be in life, we're all going to end up six feet under. I think it is Shakespeare's style because he likes to, figuratively speaking, rip the band-aid off of things.
3) The death of Hamlet's father could have been handled differently by instead of Gertrude marrying Claudius because she couldn't rule herself, having Hamlet just inherit his title of King right then.
4) Back then it was common (or at least acceptable) for an unmarried male relative to marry a widow who had come into his family by marriage. (I kind of confused myself there.) It was all about taking care of the women, because they were thought to not be able to take care of themselves. I'm not sure when this started to become unacceptable.
5) Shakespeare is so fascinated by death because once you enter into the realm of the dead, you can't come back from it. (Not accounting for anomalies or modern-day miracles.)
To answer the last question, I feel that Shakespeare was a disturbed person. I feel he had major psychological issues as well as sexual frustration.
DeleteMichelle Crosby, Christa Weston, and I had a very powerful discussion that is hard to put into words. Here is the best way to put it.
ReplyDeleteMajor ideas:
1. There could be a possibility that Shakespeare wrote this play based on what he observed around him or that maybe he had his own life problems tangled up in the play and just turned them into a more dramatic and thought out story.
2. Laertes being away set him in a disadvantage because most likely he could have not been in his same routine of being on top of things when it comes to staying in shape and what not. This could have given Hamlet the confidence that he so desperately wanted but most importantly needed in order to put up a good fight.
3. The asides the were in the play were funny because it was like “Haha…situational irony.”
4. The scene that Ophelia is singing shows to us that she has lost it and that everything that has happened caused her to become this way. Her singing foreshadows that suicide that she later does. Rest In Peace Ophelia…
5. Gertrude holding the cup while Hamlet was having a duel was where Gertrude dies because she gets poisoned. We don’t really know the real reason why she took a drink. It could have been that she was taking a drink for Hamlet doing great in the fight or she was stressed with what was happening she decided that maybe she could get a quick buzz to numb herself.
Now here are the questions we came up with.
Questions:
1. Why didn’t Shakespeare include more details on the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet?
2. Why don’t we know more about Ophelia’s character?
3. How crazy was Ophelia? Is she making sense or isn’t she?
4. Why did Horatio live?? Out of all the characters in the play, why Horatio? Could it be that it is because he was some what of a “pure” character?
5. Why did the play start with after the death of Hamlet’s father?
To put everything in a nutshell here, Shakespeare's deaths are very popular among the main characters in his plays. He must have found it interesting to end a play with death rather than a happy ending where the main characters live and the minor characters suffere horribly and nobody cares becuase they're minor characters. But, really, I believe minor characters are what keep the play together and move the plot along. (This is out of experience). Anyhow, Hamlet, I believe, would have still existed had Hamlet not died, but I also think that Hamlet would've been facing consquences with his actions in killing Claudius. Regardless, I think Hamlet would've been killed even if not at first but later on if the plot had continued. Killing was of a noble and loyal act back then and it was all about playing fair or giving a sporting chance before one kicks the bucket. Hamlet, in his case, was not cooperative with reasonable terms when in dealing with the death of his uncle. No, he really wanted to finish him off and send him to the lowest part of hell. Anyone willing to wait that long in completing vengeance must have one serious grudge and a dedication to really wanting to finish someone off for good.
ReplyDeleteOr a really bad temper... Claudius DID kill Old Hamlet.... It could've been just another day, Hamlet was prepared to leave town and let it go till Fortinbras stepped in. It was all just anger fueled up and ready to let loose.
Delete5 important ideas:
ReplyDeleteDeath (8 main characters died)
Subserviance is recognized
Betrayal by family and friends
Stength of love/guilt
Secrets, lies, and false disguises
5 questions:
Why did Hamlet send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to there deaths despite their history? Did he hate King Claudius so much that he was willing to kill anyone who was associated with him?
Which characters developed and changed over the course of the story?
What can be learned from Hamlet's attempts at revenge?
How did Hamlet act before his father's death?
What are Shakespeare's views on death? Is there an afterlife?
Sorry this is so late, I have been baking things for club day since one and just got home!
I worked with Alex, Ming,and Isiah
DeleteI was partnered with Alicia Hernandez:)
ReplyDeleteQuestions:
1. Looking back on the play, how do you think the play may have differed had the ghost of King Hamlet been an active character throughout the play?
2. Do you think Hamlet would have pursued revenge had he not met the ghost of his father?
3. Do you feel Gertrude was acting as if she wasn't sure what was wrong with Hamlet to avoid conflict, or do you feel she was actually that stupid?
4. Do you feel that the ending of the play was the best choice?
5. How do you feel the plot would have changed had Claudius not been King Hamlet's brother?
Important points:
1. Characters die around the same time.
2. Seeking revenge plays a large role in the play.
3. Only one man lived because he had to tell the story of how the others died.
4. Hamlet contemplated suicide, but didn't because it was unholy, yet committed a murder.
5. He was merely acting insane.