Masterpiece: The Next Step

Describe your topic.
My topic is reading. Any and all types of reading. It also includes getting others interested in reading. In a way I want to link my previous ideas to this one. Communication: all reading materials attempt to communicate a message, and idea, a story. Learning about animal cruelty: get my hands on articles, understand the concepts thoroughly, get involved somehow.  

Explain how you came to be interested in your topic and why you care about it so much.

Reading has always been something immense in my life. As a child, my mom would always read me a bed time story, I basically asked and forced her to read to me until I could do it on my own. Reading was literally my life. (Past tense because I no longer have the liberty to read as much as I would like.) I could read a Harry Potter book in one sitting, I sped through that series, and eagerly searched for others like it, getting a hold of texts such as The Series of Unfortunate Events, or the Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath series, and the list goes on and on, and continues to grow. Reading has always been an interest, hindered only by the "free" time I have available.
My other two sub-topics came about because I have always had an interest in helping. Communication, mostly an interest in sign language came about when I was unable to understand a woman asking me and my friend bus times. My mind searched for a way to understand but I couldn't , but my inability led me to my first attempt to learn ASL. As mentioned in a previous post, I have failed multiple times, second and third attempts being sparked by the TV show "Switched at Birth." The fourth attempt was sparked by this class, although I have failed again. I care because I want to be able to understand, I want to be able to help, and in some way I want to make it up to that woman who probably missed the bus that day.
My second sub-topic is learning about animal cruelty and finding a way to help, I care about this because of the fact that I had an odd pet at age 11. At this age I was given the responsibility of caring for a Dorking chicken that I named Katalina. (I have no idea why I chose this name.) I don't exactly remember what I was searching for online, but I came across undercover, factory farming, animal cruelty videos. Well, my love for my chicken led me to keep searching, but my love for one animal soon turned to a love for all animals that are simply meant to be eaten, or that are used for some other product.

Predict how learning about this topic will enrich your life and provide value for learners and others in your community who read/see what you do.
How doesn't reading enrich my life? It builds vocabulary, it allows the reader to exercise the brain, it aids the reader in reading and comprehending faster. Not reading hinders the brain and its capacities. Reading has already enriched my life, it aided my learning of a second language, English, and it continued to help me in learning. I honestly don't know what my project completely is, all I know is that I want to read. And I also know that one of my goals has always been to start a reading program at my local library, getting kids into reading at a young age, encouraging them to read more difficult, larger, and more intellectual books.
My other two topics would show the value about learning or reading up on something. If I continue to attempt to learn sign language, I could possibly show its value through work that I do. Sign language would allow us to tear down another barrier. Doing research and posting information about animal cruelty will aid in educating my fellow classmates and others in what really occurs in farms, even the so-called free range farms. But the information I post is not to force or gross people out into being vegetarian or even vegan, rather for them to truly look at the company they purchase their meat, eggs, etc. from.

List the academic disciplines and/or skills the topic requires (for example, game development requires an understanding of psychology, math, coding, literature, music, history/social studies, and many others).
Skills required: Reading does not require any skills except for the desire to read and the ability to understand and follow a story line. All other knowledge and skills will only come in useful, for example, music (rhythm for poetry), historical/social studies (historical allusions, also valuable when reading articles), psychology (understanding character thoughts/actions).


Map out how you will begin learning about your topic (it's OK if you don't have a formal plan yet-- in fact, learning how to make a plan in this area may well be your first step).
I wanted to start off with a book that Dr. Preston recommended, being unable to get ahold of the book I began to simply read - so far I have only read three books, The Fault in Our Stars, and Water for Elephants, and Angela's Ashes. Regarding the second part of my masterpiece, I hope to speak to the librarian at my local library to see whether I could start a Saturday reading program or something similar. Maybe throughout this process a book club could be started. Maybe this will include writing as well or tutoring small children (I kind of just want to aid my community in educating our children and younger generations.)
Regarding my other two topics: Communication (sign language) - pick up where I left off and continue to learn, try to get my friend or someone to learn with me.
Learning about animal cruelty (meat, poultry, food items) - Look for recent news, articles, videos on the topic, cover the entire topic, post on it.
*find a way to combine and bring all this together in one presentation type of thing


Describe the resources you will need (wave the magic wand I just handed you and imagine for a moment that time, money and access are not obstacles. Who do you want to meet?  What materials do you need?  What types of experiences will you seek?).
Materials that I need are books, articles, poems, reading material meant to be intellectual, materials meant to entertain, materials meant to stir one emotion from the reader, I need a variety of reading materials. But for that I have the public library and other such resources. The experience I seek the most is just being able to immerse myself in the world of reading as I once did as a kid. I want to create those same experiences for other children, show them the wonders of a novel and the messages hidden in a poem..
I will attempt to seek only positive experiences, but I would also like to experience anything negative that comes along with any of my topics. In example, if I could, I would convey my own research or undercover investigation regarding animals, which would not be a pleasant experience.
Who I want to meet - anyone related to any of my topics, ex: anti-animal cruelty spokesman, authors (I met four authors once, not any I knew, but I met them at an "Author Go Round"), sign language teachers (contact the ones at Righetti and others not from Righetti), etc.

Consider which tools you will use to tell your story.  Will you continue posting on your course blog?  Will you start a new blog, and if you do, will it be on Blogger, or WordPress, or Tumblr, or another platform?  Will you use other media and collaborative tools to curate, remix, and share your learning?  Do you have ideas about what would be cool but you're not sure what's out there? 
Course blog. It seems like the most sensible choice. I don't really know how I will present what I am doing, but I am going to be reading a lot, hopefully, and it will be knowledge I want to share with my classmates without having them look somewhere other than the blog I already have. It seems easier to continue on my current blog and keep a tab (like I already do) for my masterpiece work. Although I do hope that I can create a remix of some sort, I will figure out a way to include images, videos, etc. to show my thoughts and share my story with reading.
It is also much simpler to post my findings and information on animal cruelty and such on my course blog.
For the sub-topic of communication + sign language, I hope to post videos of my progress onto this here same course blog. Videos of songs in sign language, videos of me giving lessons, videos of SIGN LANGUAGE.


I kind of rambled on these questions and seemed to go off-topic a lot, but I expressed my thoughts and ideas, and that was the point, right?

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Happy Winter Break!

One year ago I was engulfed in happiness. One year ago, my two week stay in Mexico was almost over. One year ago, I despised the idea that time could move so quickly, and that the phrase "Time flies when you're having fun," or rather when you're immensely happy could be true. This year I came face to face with reality, I wasn't able to go to the one place where I felt completely welcomed, where I was loved unconditionally and more than I could ever imagine, the one place where I was ecstatic and overjoyed 24/7. Because although I was sick for 1/3 of my stay in Mexico, and even though I was sick on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I had the time of my life.

This year, I got to spend Christmas Eve/Christmas Day with my siblings, with my parents, with my boyfriend, and with a mix of strangers because of the posada. (A posada is done for 9 days before Christmas, it consists of praying, singing, singing + walking, knocking on doors + singing, and of course, FOOD.) I'm just glad that this year I have some of the people I love the most around. To celebrate with, to laugh with, to eat with, and to create a lovely Christmas memory with. I love the holidays, and all the family time that comes along with it!

Happy Holidays from my family to yours. (:

(I am holding air in the bottom picture.)

A final idea?

After Thursday's buffet and questioning by Dr. Preston, I have come to realize that in its entirety classroom 608 is not just a small gathering of people with nearly nothing in common, but a small family. All of my classmates coincide. We all want to see diversity, individuality, a spread of culture, and overall acceptance and peace.

And so when I shared my simple idea of (learning about) animal cruelty and/or communication stuff as a masterpiece out loud, I was already quite unsure. After everything was said and done, I realized that this isn't a separate project, it isn't something I have to see as a burden or an extra activity. Dr. Preston keeps saying "It's something you've always wanted to learn about, something you've always wanted to do in a classroom," and such other similar comments. So then I thought "What's the only thing I love to do, the thing I have always loved?" Well that's an easy question, READING.
The one thing I have always disliked about school is that it takes away any free time that used to be available. Especially this year I have found myself with a lack of free time, with AP classes, college apps, weekly (or twice a week) church reunions, and attempting to maintain a slight social life and human interaction. However, especially this year, I have tried extra hard to create "free" time for reading.

I'll just end this post and say that reading is my top choice for a masterpiece. Reading and not books because that limits my scope, reading includes articles, novels (of all genres), poems, journals, etc. etc.

If you are reading this Preston, I rather much like when you speak to us, and not necessarily at us.

Major Choices

As a kid, I always had the idea that I would be a teacher. Throughout elementary school and the beginning of Jr. High I constantly had that goal and that specific path in mind. However, when my mom had a miscarriage I quickly shied away and turned to nursing. I didn't realize until now, how much of an influence that event had on me. I immediately turned to a child prone job (pediatric nursing), as well as beginning to volunteer with CHILDREN. As a matter of fact, in my year of major transition, the point where I still wanted to be a teacher, I went from Jr. High teacher, to preschool or elementary teacher. It wasn't until Mrs. Karamitsos asked me "Why nursing?" in order to fill out my Supplamental application for UCLA, that I realized this. 

P.S. I was accepted to San Francisco State today. (: 

"Everything is Going to be Alright" ~ Poem Remix/Video

 

 

 

Group: Yesenia, Jisu, Millicent, Edgar, Sophia and Lupita

Literature Analysis #3 ~ The House on Mango Street

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

Exposition: The first four vignettes show-case Esperanza, her family, and Mango Street. The first story speaks about the family and how they ended up at Mango, after moving several times, in a run-down, less-than-perfect home, a house they hadn't imagined would be theirs. The story 'Hairs' talks about the families type of hair, yet it is much deeper than that, actually identifying each person's personality with their hair type. The third story tells about the clear separation between boys and girls, which will later turn into a large hiatus between men and women. Esperanza then introduces her name, herself, as wanting to be like her grandmother, a wild-horse, but she would never let a man carry her off and make her miserable. Esperanza also depicts the difficulties being stuck between two cultures, in one she is hope, in the other sadness, waiting, and bad luck.

Inciting Incident: Moving to the less than beautiful house on Mango Street. Their very own house, but not the house they imagined, not the ideal house, not the house their parents always promised.

Rising Action: Esperanza begins to grow up. The book takes a big shift, from talking about hips and jumping rope, to Esperanza getting her first job to pay for private school, to comforting the man of the house, her papa, but overall she feels as though she cannot handle adulthood. She sees everything that is wrong in her neighborhood.

Conflict: Esperanza notices the struggle of women on Mango Street. Some of her women neighbors being abused, some getting pregnant and then abandoned, others being locked up by overprotective husbands, and her friend Sally being beaten by her father for being 'too beautiful.' The struggle of the  women is rooted within Esperanza, being raped (suggested by the vignette 'Red Clowns') while waiting for Sally at a carnival.

Climax: Sally gets married young and early to escape one prison, but enters another. Esperanza wants her freedom though. At a funeral Esperanza meets three women, las comadres, and they read her palm and tell her to make a wish. The woman, as if reading her mind, reassure her that one day she will leave Mango Street, but only if she promises to return and help the others. The comadres tell her that she must complete the circle, not forget who she is, not forget where she came from.

Falling Action: Esperanza accepts that her 'home' is Mango Street, Alicia makes her realize that she is Mango Street, just like Alicia will always be Guadalajara. Esperanza once again gets told that she must return and help the others, she must help Mango get better.

Resolution: Esperanza hopes that she will soon packs up her things and build a career in writing, but she will always remember to return to Mango Street and help those who cannot escape.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
The theme of the novel is growing, growing into adulthood, maturing, and leaving the negative of life behind and creating or evolving into something better.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
The tone of the book is hopeful. Their is always hope in Esperanza's heart that she will leave Mango street for good one day. There is also hope for the rest of the inhabitants of Mango Street, Esperanza promises she will return and aid the others. The book always remains hopeful that Esperanza will be one of the few to get out of Mango, to escape the chains of the typical women's role, and the ignorance that surrounds her.

• "She does not hold me with both arms. She sets me free. One day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me forever. One day I will go away. ...They will not know I have gone away to come back. For the ones I left behind. For the ones who cannot."
• "When I am too sad and too skinny to keep keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so many bricks, then it is I look at the trees. When there is nothing left to look at on this street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be."
• "In English my name means hope."

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

1. Flashback: "We didn't always live on Mango Street. Before that we lived on Loomis on the third floor, and before that we lived on Keeler. Before Keeler it was Paulina, and before that I cant remember. But what I remember most is moving a lot." Pg 3
2. Personification: "It's small and red with tight steps in front and windows so small you'd think they were holding there breath." Pg 4 OR "I think diseases have no eyes. They pick with a dizzy finger anyone, just anyone." Pg 59
3. Repetition: "Where do you live? she asked. There, I said pointing up to the third floor. You live there? There. I had to look to where she pointed- the third floor, the paint peeling, wooden bars Papa had nailed on the windows so we wouldn't fall out. You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing. There. I lived there. I nodded." Pg 5
4. Characterization: "But my mother's hair, my mother's hair, like little rosettes, like candy circles all curly and pretty because she pinned it in pin curls all day, sweet to put your nose into when she is holding you, holding you and you feel safe, is the warm smell of bread before you bake it, is the smell when she makes room for you on her side of the bed still warm with her skin, and you sleep near her..." Pg 6
5. Metaphor: "Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor." Pg 9
6. Alliteration: "Cathy who is queen of cats has cats and cats and cats. Baby cats, big cats, skinny cats, sick cats. Cats asleep like little donuts. Cats on top of the refrigerator. Cats taking a walk on the dinner table. Her house is like cat heaven." Pg 13
7. Simile: "It's like drops of water. Or like marimbas only with a funny little plucked sound to it like if you were running your fingers across the teeth of a metal comb." Pg 20
8. Hyperbole: "The Eskimos got thirty different kinds of snow, I say. I read it in a book. ... There are a million zillion kinds, says Nenny. No two are exactly alike." Pg 35
9. Synesthesia: "The yellow pillow, the yellow smell, the bottles and the spoons. Her head thrown back like a thirsty lady. My aunt, the swimmer." Pg 58
10. Allusion: "I took my library books to her house. I read her stories. I liked the book The Waterbabies. She liked it too." Pg 60
11. Symbol: "When I am too sad and too skinny to keep keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so many bricks, then it is I look at the trees. When there is nothing left to look at on this street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be."

 CHARACTERIZATION

1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
INDIRECT

1. "I want to be like the waves on the sea, like the clouds in the wind, but I'm me. One day I'll jump out of my skin. I'll shake the sky like a hundred violins." (Esperanza's poem)
2. "That's right, I add before Lucy or Rachel can make fun of her. She is stupid alright, but she is my sister."
3. "Shame is a bad thing, you know. It keeps you down. You want to know why I quit school? Because I didn't have nice clothes. No clothes, but  had brains. Yup, she says disgusted, stirring again. I was a smart cookie then." (Esperanza's mother)
4. "...but I have decided not to grow up tame like the others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain. ...I have begun my own quiet war. Simple. Sure. I am one who leaves the table like a man, without putting back the chair or picking up the plate."

DIRECT

1. "Her name was Guadalupe and she was pretty like my mother. Dark. Good to look at. In her Joan Crawford dress and swimmer's legs. Aunt Lupe of the photographs."
2. "Sally is the girl with eyes like Egypt and nylons the color of smoke. The boys think she's beautiful because her hair is shiny black like raven feathers and when she laughs, she flicks her hair back like a satin shawl over her shoulder and laughs."
3. "Ruthie, tall skinny lady with red lipstick and blue babushka, one blue sock and one green because she forgot, is the only grown-up we know who likes to play."

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?
Diction changes when a child is speaking, the vocabulary is not extensive and smaller, sillier phrases are used. The diction when an adult is speaking is slightly different, often times opening a window to their past, or to their feelings.
 

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
Esperanza is dynamic and round. Esperanza, despite all the things against her, defeats the negatives and aspires to become a great author, not to be stuck by some abusive man, not be limited by gender, race, or class. Throughout the book we see her constant growth, she goes from a playful and cheerful child, to an unsure adolescent, to a mature and wishful young lady. Through the stories we also witness Esperanza's full character, she depicts emotion, anger, fear, isolation, etc., as well as the thoughts and characteristics of a child growing up.
 

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction. 

The person seemed real, Esperanza completely encased all the emotions and turns of growing up. At the beginning we see her skipping rope, playing games, then we see the awkward transition of puberty, wanting the physical aspect but not yet being able to stop playing with the children. Esperanza then eases into maturity, wanting to better herself, coming to peace with where she comes from, and aspiring to be an author. Esperanza has goals, she has ambition. She also reminds me of many of the kids I grew up with, and those that I continue to grow with, which made her seem very real.

Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot

QUESTIONS FOR US TO CONSIDER:
1. What is the role of Time in this poem?
The role of time is to show how quickly life goes, how quickly life can end, how easily we forget that we do not have forever, that we must do all we can ASAP, not wait and keep putting things off. At the beginning, the narrator kept saying "there will be time, there will be time," but by the end he wonders where all the time went, he questions his decision to measure out his life "with coffee spoons." It also seems to say, "Oh, a minute is time," but that minute may not be enough for revisions, decisions, or to wonder "if you dare."  

 2. What is the significance of Eliot's allusions to Hamlet and the "eternal Footman"?
The importance lies in that Prufrock is like Hamlet, Prufrock faces an inability to act or make decisions. "No, I am not Prince Hamlet!," is an ironic line, meant to show his indecision, as he promptly returns to questioning what he will do in his old age. The "eternal Footman," represent just that, death. An allusion is made to death to show Prufrock's fear at dying without accomplishing much in his name.

 3. Choose a moment in which Eliot uses figurative language and:

• interpret the image
• explain how the image and its meaning contribute to your understanding of the theme of the poem

"I have seen them riding seaward on the waves

Combing the white hair of the waves blown back

When the wind blows the water white and black.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea

By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown

Till human voices wake us, and we drown."

 

The image that comes to mind is Prufrock, wallowing in sin and desperation, his inability to

make choices leading him to follow the voice of others, or the sea-girls, which can also be

identified as temptation. Human voices represent reality, Prufrock is forced to awaken and

realize that he drowns in a wasted existence. This contributes to my understanding of time

because it took Prufrock so long to realize that his entire life he spent questioning himself,

never acting, considering what he would do every minute of every day but never actually

achieving anything.

Intro to the poem from Dante's Inferno
"If I believed that my reply was
A person who never returned to the world,
This flame staria no longer shock.
But because of this never end
I do not return alive any, s'i'odo true,
Without fear of infamy I answer."


Questions: 

Why is there a description of how he looks at an older age? 

"So how should I presume?" What does this line mean? 

Why is there a repetition of "And I have known..." (Evenings, mornings, eyes, arms) 

Why does he mention that he is no prophet? 

What do the mermaids represent? Why does he believe they won't sing to him in particular? 

Poem Essay

Write an essay in which you compare your poem with one of the others on the adoption list.

The structure, the style, the devices used in two poems may not be identical, yet they may still be able to transmit the same message. The poems 'Working Together' and 'Everything is Going to be Alright,' are not composed in the same way, but they give off a message of hope, of optimism, and of working together to accomplish great things. There are obvious differences within the two, but both authors speak about bettering ourselves, bettering our world, and bettering our perspective.

'Everything is Going to be Alright' written by Derek Mahon emits the message of hope, even when things get difficult and dark. It transmits the idea that obstacles should not impede brighter days. This poem asks one to forget the bad, to focus purely on the good and move forward. This poem tells us that "the sun rises in spite of everything," it tells us that we should rise as well, that we should look for the bit of good in all the bad, and that we should always have hope. The sun always rises, therefore hope must never cease to exist. The poem continually delivers the message that one should "lie here in a riot of sunlight," letting the sun shine into every crevice of our life, allow the good to be the main prospect of life, allow happiness to prevail, no matter the circumstances.

Working together and having hope for a better world and a better 'us' are the main themes depicted in the poem 'Working Together' by David Whyte. We must work for the common cause of creating and finding our individuality. The poem hopes that we will find the "true shape of our own self." The poem states the optimism in one day stopping the cycle of individuals conforming to the world, then being shaped once again by the world. The optimistic perspective goes as far as to hope that every person will be formed, regardless of the shaping going on around them.

(To be continued...)

Remix of a Poem

Our remix can be found here. We all contributed pictures for the post, and the song (Bob Marley- Three Little Birds) was agreed upon during class.

Group: Yesenia, Jisu, Millicent, Edgar, Sophia and Lupita Pliego

Introduction to Poetry

Everything's Going to be Alright - Derek Mahon

 How should I not be glad to contemplate
the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window
and a high tide reflected on the ceiling?
There will be dying, there will be dying,
but there is no need to go into that.
The poems flow from the hand unbidden
and the hidden source is the watchful heart;
the sun rises in spite of everything
and the far cities are beautiful and bright.
I lie here in a riot of sunlight
watching the day break and the clouds flying.
Everything is going to be all right.

 

 

 

Questions:

1. What is the significance of the title? The title explains what the entire poem is going to be about, speaks for itself. The title is partially the poem's theme. 
2. What is the tone of the poem? The tone is happy, optimistic, prosperous even.
3. What is your mood as you read it? Gives a sense of calm, motivation to keep going, hopeful.
4. Is there a Shift?  Where?  From what to what? Yes, there is a shift found in these lines: "There will be dying, there will be dying,/but there is no need to go into that." Before this point the poem is questioning, unsure, but after these two lines, the poem seems confident that things will be okay.
5. What is the theme of the poem? Everything's going to be alright. Facing reality in a positive way, with a positive perspective. 

Group: Yesenia, Jisu, Millicent, Edgar, and Sophia

Hamlet Essay

In an essay that demonstrates your wild brilliance and for Pete's sake avoids plot summary at all costs, please explain how this quote (To thine own self be true) contributes to your understanding of the tone and theme of Hamlet.  Specifically: Which character speaks the line/s?  At what point in the play/plot?  How do the words affect the character's own understanding, the other characters' understandings (if applicable), and the audience's understanding?  Top shelf responses will include definitions of these literary elements, demonstrated understanding of the play's central message, tone, and characterization, and application of the concept of Performative Utterance.

"To thine own self be true"

 

 

"To thine own self be true," a phrase that was derived from the play Hamlet, a phrase that has gained mass popularity in the last years, now means more to hundreds of people than it did to whom it was spoken to. The phrase spoken by Polonius was directed at his son Laertes in the play as last minute advice before his son departs on a trip. It is the last, and most pertinent piece of advice Polonius delivers, following up with "And it must follow, as the night the day,/Thou canst not then be false to any man." This phrase, however, also affects other characters, as well as audiences (even today's readers), and aids in setting the tone and theme for this tragic play.

Laertes himself is quite unaffected by the advice his father prompts. What Polonius means by his famous line was that Laertes live up to his name, to not go around doing what he usually does, and act decent. Polonius himself has described his son as a gambler, someone who will borrow money and not pay back, someone who will act as a man with word of honor, yet never have the decency to actually act with honor. Laertes is never true to his name, he is although, true to the identity he has given himself with his actions, and true to his reputation. At the end of the play, when fighting for his father is where he becomes true to himself, the way his father truly wished, he fights for his name, he fights for the honor of his family. What Polonius intended to do was create a locutionary force,  by hoping that his son will remain true and not tarnish their last name, the desired perlocutionary action from Laertes.

Hamlet, although not having been given the advice in the same words, is also told by the ghost to not lose himself, to not lose his head. Unlike Laertes, he actually tries to follow this advice throughout the play, and constantly struggles. Was he himself when he pretended to act mad, did he portray his true self according to others? Was he true to himself when he failed to avenge his father's death? Or when he lost the kindness he used to show Ophelia, the love of his life, was he true then? Hamlet purposefully struggles with being true to others, but he knows who he is. Many readers now attempt to do just that, to be true to themselves, not worrying about how they are seen by others. "To thine own self be true," a phrase that most people wish to apply to their own lives. The audience at the time of Shakespeare may have missed the importance of this line, but generations now have definitely picked up its meaning and have run with it. Many readers attempt to apply this famous phrase to their individual lives, and even attempt to live by it. If this phrase was typed into a search engine millions of 'tumblr' accounts, countless posts, and a multitude of profiles would appear, all advertising this little Shakespeare-ian saying. The phrase has had an immense impact on many readers, and even people who have not had the opportunity to read the play in its entirety.

The tone, as set forth by the author seems vengeful, depressing, and yet questioning. The quote helps Shakespeare and the play set forth a more understanding tone, as though the play itself is seeking vengeance, and questioning everything that occurred in young Hamlet's life, yet it asks of Hamlet and Laertes to remain conscious, to avoid transforming into something dreadful because of the murder of their fathers.  The theme returns to the forces of locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary and the complexity of words and actions. The theme is set forth by the countless phrases Hamlet disguises with double meanings, and the fact that his words make others believe things, such as him being lunatic, and his actions only add to the complexity that he is. His words, his actions, they all remain true to the character that Hamlet is.

"To thine own self be true," many wish to live by this, and Polonius only wished his son would. The quote affects more than just the characters, adding a second dimension to the tone. The entirety of Hamlet encompasses the complexity of actions and words, easily seen with many pairs of characters such as, Polonius and Laertes, Polonius and Ophelia, Hamlet and his father, etc. etc. Be true to yourself, to your name, to who you are, the best advice Polonius could deliver to his son.

Hamlet Notes ~ Act V Scene II

Scene II:

• (Hamlet tells about how he escaped and is now back) > found Claudius' commissionaire (the one that told the English to kill Hamlet) and forged a new one
• New commissionaire > instead of killing Hamlet, kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern > "He should the bearers put to sudden death."
• Hamlet finally realizes the distress, his once friend, Laertes must be under > wants to explain the situation to him > Hamlet does not know how far off Laertes is
• Osric > hat situation > stuck between showing respect for Hamlet as prince, or following orders from Hamlet as prince ~> REAL MISSION: invite Hamlet to his death, to the fencing match
• Hamlet agrees, casually, knowing that Claudius has placed a bet on him> then has second thoughts knowing that his relationship with Laertes is not good at this time > Horatio wants to say Hamlet is sick > Hamlet tells him to "let it gooo"
• King, Queen, attendants come in with Laertes
• Hamlet shakes hands with Laertes and apologizes, blames his "madness" for his action > Laertes accepts but says he wants to defend his honor
• Hamlet does not check the protection on the swords, accepting any, while Laertes makes sure he gets the correct one > Claudius setting up the backup plan: says he will drink to Hamlet
• They battle, Hamlet being a better fencer > Claudius throws the poisoned pearl in Hamlet's cup and tells him to drink for the two matches he has won, Hamlet refuses and instead Gertrude drinks
• Claudius did not intend to stop Gertrude from drinking, allowed her to swallow her death
• Laertes takes advantage of the moment that Gertrude wipes Hamlet's brow to stab him > Hamlet takes his sword and repays him the cut
• Gertrude collapses and admits it was the drink > Laertes also confesses about the poisoned sword, blaming the King
• Hamlet attacks the King, wounds him and forces him to drink the poison
• In their final minutes Laertes and Hamlet forgive each other
• Hamlet stops Horatio from drinking the poison (BRAVE, unlike Claudius), and tells him that he wants his story to be told
• Fortinbras returning from his victory in Poland > Hamlet says he will probably (should be) King
• Horatio is to tell Fortinbras what occurred
• Horatio tells Fortinbras to put the bodies high on a stage > Fortinbras agrees to pay Hamlet the highest tribute, that of a soldier, cannons to be shot off

Hamlet Notes ~ Act V Scene I

Scene I:

• "to act, to do, to perform"
• clowns - dig so many graves that they are accustomed to it and can make jokes about it and death
• "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow/ of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy:"
• Laertes > says Ophelia will go to Heaven, while Priest is condemned to Hell (Priest was not allowing Ophelia to be buried on holy ground because of her assumed suicide)
• Hamlet (watching from afar) is shocked to see that the grave is for Ophelia (who he actually DID love) > jumps into the grave along with Laertes and begin to fight

Hamlet Notes ~ Act IV Scene IV, V, VI, VII

Scene IV:

• want internally drives us (Captain)
• Hamlet soliloquy > "How all occasions do inform against me,/And spur my dull revenge!" >> all circumstances against his ability to act; also a motivating force
• God did not give us such capability (of learning, of understanding/comprehension, of conscience) to go unused and to waste > experience of learning, conscious learning > Hamlet wonders if he exhibits a flaw which causes him to overthink and not act
• Fortinbras > orders yet he never risks himself >> Soldiers > honored, risk lives for a penny because they simply follow orders without questioning
• "O, from this time forth,/My thoughts be bloody, or nothing worth."

Scene V:

• Polonius' death wasn't really covered > Ophelia has gone loony (traumatized)
• Ophelia wonders why her father was buried backwards > incorrect and without proper ceremony
• Ophelia may also be crazy because of Hamlet and unrequited love
• "My brother shall know of it." > Ophelia threatens Claudius > Claudius attempts to monitor Ophelia > Laertes will cause problems
• Laertes attacks with Danes
• "That drop of blood that's calm proclaims me bastard." (Laertes) > calm derived from someone else other than his father
• Laertes blames Hamlet for his father's death

Scene VI:

• Hamlet escaped, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are still heading to England, Horatio was notified by Hamlet that he escaped and to meet him for an important conversation

Scene VII:

• Laertes set on revenge > kill Hamlet (Claudius is okay with that)
• Claudius + Laertes > set up Hamlet's death > Laertes will murder Hamlet, but an excuse will be given so that it doesn't seem cold-blooded
• Letter from Hamlet arrives
• Laertes will kill Hamlet also to prove his love for his father
• Plan to kill Hamlet : Fencing match, Laertes will have an unbated sword > Laertes then suggests to put some sort of poison on the end > Claudius then says he will give Hamlet poisoned wine
• Queen Gertrude comes in with the news that Ophelia has drowned > Laertes begins to weep for his sister and departs, followed by Claudius

Hamlet Notes ~ Act IV Scene I, II, III

Scene I:

• Ophelia reveals to Claudius that Hamlet has killed Polonius in an act of lunacy
• Claudius fears of the consequences, what will people say, he should have kept Hamlet under control
• Ophelia lies to Claudius saying Hamlet was sorry for what he had done, and that he shed a tear after the deed
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are told to bring back Hamlet and take Polonius' body to the chapel, Claudius will attempt to get Hamlet out of town quickly > conference with advisors to see what they can do next

Scene II:

• Hamlet is found by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern> refuses to reveal the burial area of Polonius
• insults Rosencrantz, referring to them as sponges, used only when needed, soaking up all the rewards from the king, but when no longer needed they will be squeezed and nothing will remain with them
• Hamlet fools them when he says they should take him to Claudius, afterwards running off (Hide fox, and all after.)

Scene III:

• Hamlet brought in and questioned about the body by Claudius > 3 responses

1. At supper > not where he eats, but where he is being eaten
2. In heaven > insults Claudius and tells him to go search for him in the other place if he cant find him here (Go to hell.)
3. Upstairs > he will begin to stink, able to smell him as one goes upstairs (calls after attendants that their is no need to hurry as he isn't going anywhere)

• Hamlet told he is going to England, understands that the reasoning behind it is not good
• Claudius after all exit > England must obey the orders that go along with Hamlet, to execute him once he arrives "By letters congruing to that effect,/The present death of Hamlet."

HAMLET (THE MADMAN?) Essay

Prompt: Do you think Hamlet's nuts?  After our discussions today I reflected back on all the commentary and all the productions I could remember, and it seems like the overwhelming majority talk about Hamlet being mad.  But I still wonder whether his ability to see the ghost is commentary on Gertrude's blindness to the truth and Hamlet's ability to see right and wrong.  In fact, I wonder if it's the sanest thing in the world to be freaked out by feeling obliged to kill someone, and I also still wonder about Hamlet's ability to plan and say the right things (with double meanings!) under pressure.  I guess he could be an endearingly fiendish sociopath, but he seems too self-critical for that.  What do you think, and what is your evidence?  Especially curious about your perspectives after you read DeBoer's paper. 

The character Hamlet has been described in multiple instances as a 'madman,' and as a man who 'cannot make up his mind,' while in reality he is a very meticulous and calculating person, with an ability to create a sub-persona. Throughout Act I, II, and III, Hamlet clearly depicts his abilities, not only at being precise with his words and actions, but at his ability to masquerade his thoughts and intentions. Hamlet in no instance has ever seemed 'nuts,' rather in scenes where he seems crazy, he has simply unleashed an intense and deep anger, rooted to the murder of his father. Hamlet has complete control of his mind, scared only by the presence of his task and his mother's participation or inability to see reality as shown in the first three acts.

Madman is not the correct term for the young Hamlet, rather he is a man who wishes to control his future. From the day he saw the ghost of his father and was told of the true events of his death, Hamlet has schemed to act mad, going as far as letting his two companions know that he would act strange. Hamlet has a reason behind his every action, unlike someone who if lunatic would act irrational. Hamlet's first plan of tricking those around him to conclude that he is crazy worked because of his commitment to a character, his sub-persona. His anger fueled this action, the first part of his major scheme to murder Claudius. In scenes where Hamlet seems completely lunatic, such as the scene in Gertrude's closet, Hamlet is only releasing his immense anger. In this particular scene Hamlet allows his intense feelings to overtake him, for a moment seeming irrational. However, if analyzed correctly it is easily noticeable that Hamlet is releasing his bottled up emotions, while also attempting to figure out his mother's participation in Old Hamlet's death. All of Hamlet's movements and actions are calculated, except for Polonius' death. The death of this man was simply an accident, Hamlet mistook him for Claudius, and seizing the opportunity to turn his words into actions, Hamlet struck.

Hamlet's task to kill a man would drive any normal person insane. Hamlet handles the task, of keeping his intentions and thoughts secret, quite well. To some he may seem like a sociopath, or guilty of premeditated murder, but he only wants to correct the unfair instances that have occurred. His inability to kill Claudius at first shows his sanity. Hamlet realizes that his actions are not morally correct, which may have fueled his idea to act mad. This realization shows his sanity, his unwillingness to kill Claudius, no matter what the ghost said or told him to do, depicts that he has not been crazed with anger.

Hamlet is not a cold-blooded killer, rather he seeks revenge for his father's life, a man who was his idol, he seeks retribution for the mistakes his mother made towards his father, and overall, he hopes to end the life of the man that completely ruined and destroyed his. Although the death of his father caused him trauma, and the quick remarriage of his mother furthered it, Hamlet is not crazed, not by anger nor by love. Hamlet is simply a young boy angered by the unfair cards he has been dealt, especially with the perfect life he used to have.

Hamlet Notes ~ Act III Scene IV

• Polonius hides behind the thick curtain as Hamlet approaches 
• Gertrude begins with telling Hamlet that he has offended his father, this upsets him and he reproaches and throws her words in her face repeatedly > his father and Claudius are very distinct people, Hamlet was actually a true man unlike the villainous Claudius
• Gertrude feels threatened and asks if Hamlet will murder her, then begins shouting for help, to which Polonius joins in
• Hamlet stabs at the curtain, killing Polonius yet hoping it is Claudius
• Hamlet also accuses his mother in part taking in the murder of his real father
• Hamlet attacks his mother viciously, paying no heed to her feeble attempts at defending herself
• Ghost enters and as Hamlet speaks to it, Gertrude calls him insane
• Ghost gives him two tasks > keep Gertrude from going mad, and avenge him
• "How is it with you, lady?" > Gertrude asks what he speaks to, trying to calm him
• Hamlet attempts to show the ghost to his mother, failing, the ghost exits
• Hamlet returns to his former attack, his mother saying that her heart is cleft (deeply troubled) > but what could be troubling her, other than Hamlet's sanity?
• Hamlet asks of his mother to refrain from laying in bed with Claudius and asks her to become virtuous
• Hamlet repents having killed Polonius, only for the fact that his death will cause much trouble
• Hamlet asks his mother if she knows of his departure to England, the answer is yes, which she seems saddened by, Hamlet says he will have his "trustworthy" friends by his side and they will enjoy themselves
• Hamlet says his final goodbye and drags out the body of Polonius

Hamlet Notes ~ Act III Scene III

• "I like him not" > King Claudius doesn't like Hamlet, and does not like where this current situation is heading > Claudius plans with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to send Hamlet off with them to England, in order to protect his name and the state
• Polonius enters and tells the King that Hamlet is about to speak with his mother, he also tell the King that he will spy on them while he rests
• King Claudius' soliloquy: alone with his conscience, hopes that none but God know of his deeds, attempts to pray but fails, cannot repent and be forgiven because he is still reaping the rewards and riches of his sin, asks the angels to aid him so that "All may be well."
• Hamlet overhearing Claudius' prayer refuses to take his life when he is clean of sin, Hamlet wants his soul to go to heaven blackened, without having a chance to repent, as his father was forced to leave this mortal world
• King's prayer was useless >> "[Rising] My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:
  Words without thoughts never to heaven go."

Hamlet Notes ~ Act III Scene II

• Hamlet speaking to the players about "his lines" and reminds them to keep it natural and refrain from over-acting or over-gesticulation
• Hamlet, truly seeing a friend in Horatio, asks him to watch Claudius throughout the play and to see if he witnesses any guilt, after they will compare observations
• Hamlet continually uses puns with the arrival of the Queen, King, Polonius, Ophelia > "Lady, shall I lie in your lap?"  "No, my lord."  "I mean, my head upon your lap"  "Aye, my lord."  "Do you think I meant country matters?"
• Hamlet also repeats the idea that his mother is merry when her husband hasn't been gone for so long, only about 2 months have passed
• "dumb show" > mime play about a loving Queen and King, King murdered, and Queen won over by the villain
• the real play resembles the situation of old Hamlet and Gertrude, Hamlet asks his mother about the play and she responds with an irrelevant comment, Claudius however asks if their is some offense (there is, obviously) > Hamlet reveals excess information such as the Lucianus poisons the King in the garden while he sleeps, etc. >Claudius refuses to keep watching and decides to leave, taking his entourage with him, only Hamlet and Horatio remain
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Hamlet that the King is very upset, and that Gertrude wishes to speak with him in her closet
• Rosencrantz is still pushing for answer about Hamlet's well-being, but Hamlet uses the recorder brought by the players to create a metaphor >

"Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of
me! You would play upon me; you would seem to know
my stops; you would pluck out the heart of my
mystery; you would sound me from my lowest note to
the top of my compass: and there is much music,
excellent voice, in this little organ; yet cannot
you make it speak. 'Sblood, do you think I am
easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what
instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you
cannot play upon me."

• Hamlet is now assured of his father's murderer and plans to seeks revenge, even if it includes his mother

Hamlet Notes ~ Act III Scene I

• scene opens with the questioning of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern by Claudius and Gertrude > they have no satisfying answers about Hamlet, only that he has invited King and Queen to the play
• Gertrude continues to wonder if Hamlet acts lunatic because of his love for Ophelia, and they hope to conclude the answer with their meeting > belief that Ophelia can "save" Hamlet
• the famous soliloquy occurs moments before Hamlet encounters Ophelia, strategically placed and posed with a book
• Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner
  transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the
  force of honesty can translate beauty into his
  likeness: this was sometime a paradox, but now the
  time gives it proof. I did love you once.
• Hamlet responds to Ophelia's love as never having felt it, he tells her to go to a nunnery, where she will be protected from all men
• When Ophelia lies about her father being at home, Hamlet is outraged and insults her, twice saying farewell and returning to heap on insults
• I say, we will have no more marriages:
  those that are married already, all but one, shall
  live; the rest shall keep as they are. > Suggesting the approximating death of King Claudius "all but one, shall live"
• After Hamlet's exit, Claudius wants to send him far, feeling as though Hamlet has an idea about the murder, but Polonius still believes in the despised love idea and forms a second scheme involving Queen Gertrude

"The Performative Utterance in William Shakespeare's Hamlet" Notes

• "a play about a man who could not make real what was found in his mind"
• he knew from the start what his task was, Hamlet waivers in committing the physical action of his duty
• "Hamlet, a character of almost unique vocal power--aesthetic power, descriptive power, artistic power, dramatic power-- " always has the ability to speak but not do
• performative language acts > "How to Do Things with Words (1962) [J. L. Austin], how certain language does not merely describe action but acts in being spoken."
• three main forces: locutionary force: deliver a message, the force of mutual intelligibility the illocutionary force: what is done in being said and the perlocutionary force, what is achieved by being said, the consequences of one's utterance, such as an order being followed (or refused).
• Technically, Hamlet only swore to remember his father, not to seek his revenge
• connection between "performative" and "performance" >> "simple connection of physical demonstrations of emotion to belief in the presence of that emotion to belief in the authenticity of the speaker's words."
• to over-do a self-performance is to risk all further opportunities for performative utterances (Hamlet's advice to the first player, as well as his own act of lunacy, emphasizes the need to act natural and real "hold a mirror up to nature")
• "Hamlet's antic disposition is not merely a tool to confuse and evade those around him, but an opportunity to cast off the constricting dictates of a preformed identity." > as well as an opportunity to explore himself
• "all of us create "utterly different yet self-consistent" visages of ourselves every day." > "creating utterly different yet self-consistent voices for his more than one hundred major characters"
• "Contrast this again to Claudius, who sees in his powerlessness to properly repent only the despair that comes from such a lack of agency, saying "What then? What rest?" (3.3.64). For Hamlet, the admission of his own inability to determine his fate is instead a moment of peace, a falling into faith, with the credo of acceptance, "Let be""
• "a man who uses that performative power in the unending task of the realization of the self."

Day of the Dead Rally!

"Let's spread cultural awareness and diversity at Righetti. Come to the Day of the Dead Rally tomorrow! With performances from the Thunder Drumline, Marimba Band, and Ballet Folklorico! Presented by the Latinos Unidos Club! We meet every Thursday at lunch in Room 323, join our community. (:" -President of Latinos Unidos, Edgar Rodriguez 

Come and join this cultural celebration! 💀💃🎶 Dance, music, and fun! 

Hamlet Notes ~ Act II Scene II

• Hamlet is "transformed" in the eyes of those who surround him
• King Claudius asking Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to ask Hamlet questions (very similar to the Polonius and Laertes situation)
• Voltimand and Cornelius > nephew wanted to attack Denmark but was imprisoned by Voltimand and instead told to attack Poland (needs to go through Denmark to attack Poland)
• "brevity is the soul of wit" - Polonius
• Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude what is "wrong" with Hamlet> says to cut his head off if he is wrong
• Gertrude figures that he is still grieving his father's death, and is angry about the fast marriage> changes her mind after Polonius' evidence (letter)
• Hamlet calls Polonius a 'fishmonger' > acts crazy as well as insulting him> Hamlet toying with Polonius
• "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't."
• "For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." - Hamlet
• Hamlet + Rosencrantz + Guildenstern = fooling no one, Hamlet knows his friends are being paid to get information about him, knows they are being fake
• Men admit to being sent for by the Queen and King
• What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason!
  how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how
  express and admirable! in action how like an angel!
  in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the
  world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me,
  what is this quintessence of dust?
• Polonius returns, Hamlet calls him a big baby, Rosencrantz says that "an old man is twice a child"t,
• "O Jephthah, judge of Israel, what a treasure hadst thou!" > Polonius would sacrifice his own daughter for his own advantage, just like Jephthah did
• I'll have these players
  Play something like the murder of my father
  Before mine uncle: I'll observe his looks;
  I'll tent him to the quick: if he but blench,
  I know my course. The spirit that I have seen
  May be the devil: and the devil hath power
  To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps
  Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
  As he is very potent with such spirits,
  Abuses me to damn me: I'll have grounds
  More relative than this: the play 's the thing
  Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
• Above statement> Hamlet is going to give 12 lines to 'First Player,' something similar to the death of his father, Hamlet will watch his uncle and his reaction to know his conscience> also the first time that Hamlet questions whether the ghost was his father or the devil in disguise

Hamlet Notes ~ Act II Scene I

• Polonius seems to be sending monetary gifts as well as word to his son Laertes through Reynaldo > also asks Reynaldo to bring news about his son, to see whether his son is being unruly > Reynaldo is told to question Laertes' friends and say things such as "isn't he wild" and report back their reactions
• "That's not my meaning: but breathe his faults so quaintly" > Laertes faults being "Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, quarrelling, Drabbing: you may go so far."
• Polonius also wants to know what other Danes are in Paris
• Characterization: way Polonius operates, he plays tricks, thinks he is very smart (although he loses his train of thought)
• "bait of falsehood takes this carp of truth."
• "By indirections find directions out."
• Reynaldo departs, and Ophelia enters
• Ophelia runs in scared, Hamlet seemingly crazy (as he claimed he would act) entered her room, clothes loosened and practically falling off; he grabbed her by the wrist, sighed profoundly and then exited
• Polonius immediately wishes to tell the King that Hamlet is "deeply in love" with Ophelia, and that her rejection has driven him mad > other reasons for Hamlet's actions: all part of his plan, Ophelia is lying, Hamlet is feeling the pressure of his revenge
• "More grief to hide than hate to utter love." 

Hamlet Notes ~ Act I Scene V

• Old Hamlet is presently in limbo > never had the opportunity to atone because of his sudden death
• Young Hamlet is "bound to hear" as well as seek revenge
• DIRECTIVE: "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder."
• story to justify king's death > bit by a snake in the apple orchard > truly killed by Claudius
• Claudius first seduced his Queen, then poisoned King Hamlet (life, crown, queen stolen)
• Old Hamlet tells Young Hamlet to avoid falling into his feelings, always keep his honor, always have a straight head
• "taint not thy mind" > don't go crazy thinking about revenge
• directions are to kill his uncle, Gertrude will be handled by God and her own guilt
• Young Hamlet knows exactly what he has to do; knowing & doing are two separate things
• "O, wonderful" - Hamlet has confirmed the murderer > doesn't take the men into confidence because he is a calculating guy
• Hamlet makes men swear that they will say nothing
• "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." > Hamlet is addressing Horatio, as well as the audience
• "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right!"
• Hamlet tells the men that he may be acting odd, reminds them to say nothing, and that he wants people to think that he is a bit lunatic

Hamlet Notes ~ Act I Scene IV

• Claudius celebrates his coronation ~ festivities make the royal family look "swinish" and irresponsible
• "Shall in the general censure take corruption
  From that particular fault: the dram of eale
  Doth all the noble substance of a doubt
  To his own scandal.
• Claudius adds to suspicion with the above, should still be grieving the loss of the king
• Ghost arrives > Hamlet recognizes his father
• Image: A crypt opening and releasing his father
• WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE FATHER?
• Ghost beckons Hamlet & he wants to follow, Horatio thinking the ghost is a threat will not allow it
• "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

Hamlet Notes ~ Act I Scene III

• Laertes is Ophelia's brother
• "let me hear from you"; Laertes departing but wants word often on his sister
• Ophelia seems to want to marry Hamlet, but Laertes warns her that she is not a princess and may not be fit for a wife in the eyes of King Claudius
• Ophelia seems to suggest that Laertes isn't as perfect or pristine as he believes
• Lord Polonius - gives Laertes last minute advice; above all he says to stay true to himself
• Laertes exits, Polonius turns his attention to Ophelia and her relationship with Hamlet
• Polonius questions his daughter, she responds that Hamlet has importuned her with love > Polonius believes that Hamlet is only tricking his daughter and therefore forbids her from seeing him, which she obeys

To be, or not to be

(From Hamlet Act III Scene i)

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
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.--Soft you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.

LITERARY FICTION & EMPATHY

Guiding Questions: How can reading fiction help you understand others?  Use Hamlet as an example to explore your own thinking process and reactions to a character's innermost thoughts/struggles.

 

Literary fiction can aid readers in understanding others by putting them directly into the characters mind, putting them in their position, and making it real to where they feel the pressure or range of emotions that the character is feeling. When a reader is forced to make connections and feel what a character is feeling, it allows them to build a skill that they can use with people, that being to successfully read others emotions. Being exposed to someone else's emotions, even a characters, builds empathy and understanding.

 

“Frankly, I agree with the study,” said Albert Wendland, who directs a master’s program in writing popular fiction at Seton Hill University. “Reading sensitive and lengthy explorations of people’s lives, that kind of fiction is literally putting yourself into another person’s position — lives that could be more difficult, more complex, more than what you might be used to in popular fiction. It makes sense that they will find that, yeah, that can lead to more empathy and understanding of other lives.”

 

When characters, such as Hamlet, reveal their innermost thoughts, it allows the reader to make a connection to their own lives. For example, Hamlet's anger towards his mother's lack of grievance, any child would be mad at the lack of respect their mother has for their deceased father. Although I read more popular fiction, than literary, I feel as though when I am exposed to a character's thoughts, I tend to feel as they do. If the character experiences a situation such as Hamlet's, being accused of willingly grieving, called a coward and unmanly, and being too diplomatic and disciplined to respond, then I definitely feel the fueled anger rising and welling up to the point of exploding. And when Hamlet is finally able to release his thoughts in his first soliloquy, I formed a connection, as that is what I do when I am angered by a situation where it was impossible for me to respond. I must also say that when I feel a character is being over dramatic with their range of emotions or their level of emotion, then I just feel disgusted and extremely non-empathetic, as it may all be just an act, and I merely set the book down. (This rarely occurs though.)  

Hamlet Notes ~ Act I Scene II

*6 major monologues found in Hamlet

• King Claudius: mentions that Hamlet just died ("memory be green"); says that life is for the living & people need to move on; Gertrude is Queen once again (continuity of the state, Queen of Hamlet, remarried Claudius to become Queen again)
• cognitive dissonance: putting two different ideas together, although they don't match or go together
• Hamlet: "A little more than kin, and less than kind."

>above statement roughly means: Yes, we are cousins, but do not call me kin or son.

• Hamlet is very disciplined, never loses his cool with all of Claudius' insults (asking why he still grieves his father, telling him to get over this willing sadness, calling him unmanly, etc.)
• Gertrude backs up Claudius, Hamlet responds that it isn't what you see on the outside, rather what one cannot see > Hamlet implies that anyone can act like they are grieving, such as Claudius and Gertrude, but it doesn't necessarily make it real
• Hamlet is told he will not attend school by Claudius > Larateas is given permission to further his education (Claudius wants to keep a close eye on Hamlet "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer")
• Hamlet allows us into his innermost thoughts and feelings > speaks of "self-slaughter" because of anger and everything off about the world > refers to Old Hamlet as a TITAN > considers his mother weak and insincere ("Frailty, the name is woman.")
• Horatio and co. approach Hamlet and tell him about his father's ghost > Hamlet commences to ask straightforward questions
• Hamlet changes based on the situation he is in: 3 Hamlets

3 Hamlets:

1. diplomatic (veiled, uses many phrases with double meanings) - used when talking to Claudius and his mother, Gertrude
2. outburst, personal feelings/thoughts - used when alone, or even with asides
3. very direct - used when questioning Horatio about the ghost

Other Learning Communities + Hamlet

I emailed 3 teachers that have an AP English Literature and Composition class and have asked them to share any specific methods they use with teaching Hamlet, as well as asking them how they use blogs and the Internet as a classroom tool instead of a nuisance. In the email I also included the opportunity to collaborate with an AP classroom in California (one of the teachers was from Georgia) by mentioning Dr. Preston and Open Source Learning.

Now I am just waiting for replies, this post will be updated if I get anything back.

*A mistake I made was not including a link to my blog or to the course blog, that could have been very useful.
**I corrected my mistake in the third email I sent. (:

Update: One of the high school teachers did get back to me, but she said she would give me a later reply as she is busy at the moment with what seemed like very big projects. :)

Hamlet Notes ~ Act I Scene I

• Bernardo relieves Fernando of his guard position; Horatio & Marcellus are also guards this night
• Bernardo & Marcellus have seen a ghost the last 2 nights, Horatio doesn't believe, ghost that resembles a king reappears, Horatio believes now that he has seen it for himself
• ghost looks like old Hamlet
• Fortinbras of Norway- murdered by old Hamlet and forfeited lands and his life; Fortinbras' son formed an army of irregulars, so that he can win back the lands that his father lost.
• Allusion to Julius Caesar's death ~ ghost is a reminder of the warning signs seen in Rome before his murder

"A mote it is to trouble the mind's eye.
In the most high and palmy state of Rome,
A little ere the mightiest Julius fell,
The graves stood tenantless and the sheeted dead
Did squeak and gibber in the Roman streets:
As stars with trains of fire and dews of blood,
Disasters in the sun; and the moist star
Upon whose influence Neptune's empire stands
Was sick almost to doomsday with eclipse.."

• ghost returns, men think it is a bad omen for Denmark > decide to tell Hamlet of what they have seen, and figure that the ghost will speak to Hamlet as well

Vocabulary #6

abase - verb cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
abdicate - verb give up, such as power, or duties and obligations
The new teacher, unable to control his classroom, abdicated his power to the students.

abomination - noun  an action that arouses disgust or abhorrence; a person who is loathsome or disgusting; hate coupled with disgust
Many people who follow the Indian culture find the eating of cow meat an abomination.

brusque - adj. marked by rude or peremptory shortness
The man pushed past me brusquely.

saboteur - noun someone who commits sabotage or deliberately causes wrecks
The saboteur turned out to be a double secret agent.

debauchery - noun a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity
The debauchery full of teens was stopped by a concerned neighbor.

proliferate - verb cause to grow or increase rapidly; grow rapidly

anachronism - noun an artifact that belongs to another time; something/someone located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred
In the movie The Great Gatsby (the new version) there is said to be an anachronism.

nomenclature - noun a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline
The Dewey decimal system is a nomenclature

expurgate - verb edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
The principal made his speech more concise by expurgating some items.

bellicose - adj. having or showing a ready disposition to fight
The big bully was bellicose.

gauche - adj. lacking social polish
The poor street boy, when put in a social situation, seemed gauche.

rapacious - adj. excessively greedy and grasping; devouring or craving food in great quantities
The gluttonous man ate rapaciously.

paradox - noun (logic) a statement that contradicts itself
Big little shrimp is an advertisement paradox.

conundrum - noun a difficult problem
The monkey faced a conundrum when his banana fell out of his reach.

anomaly - noun  a person who is unusual; deviation from the normal or common
Luna Lovegood is seen as an anomaly in the Harry Potter series.

ephemeral - adj. lasting a very short time; noun anything short-lived

rancorous - adj. showing deep-seated resentment
The rancorous old man threw a chess piece at his archenemy.

churlish - adj. having a bad disposition; surly; rude and boorish
The churlish child threw a tantrum in the middle of the store, kicking and screaming his little head off.

precipitous - adj. characterized by precipices; extremely steep; done with very great haste and without due deliberation
The precipitous activity led by the teens turned out much better than they expected.

Remix/Transmedia Representation of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

How do Geoffrey Chaucer's inspirations and use of literary techniques 

in Canterbury Tales suggest the importance of both honoring and questioning 

literary and social traditions?

 

Thesis: Chaucer's inspirations and use of literary techniques serve to suggest the importance of honoring of social status and traditions, as well as questioning their role, by exposing how some characters may represent a group incorrectly, and how their actions could create a bad impression or reputation for a social group. Through the use of literary techniques such as irony, satire, and humor, Chaucer depicts the misrepresentations of a multitude of groups. The inspiration of the religious Canterbury journey to the cathedral serves to show how people can be hypocrites, how people have ulterior motives, and how -again- people can incorrectly represent a group of people.



The journey of CA to Canterbury Cathedral in London.

                 

 "Canterbury, a town 50 miles southwest of London, was a major destination for English pilgrims. The cathedral in Canterbury was the site of Archbishop Thomas à Becket's murder in 1170. Days after the murder, and three years before Becket was made a saint, people began to flock to the cathedral to pay their respects."

 

Chaucer's satirical representation of a motley of social groups, characters:

Monk: supposed to be a hard worker, and giving
to the people, prefers to take the easy way and
indulges in worldly pleasures.

Cook: an ulcerous man, although he does
make the best food.



Knight: truth, honor, generous, going on this spiritual journey
to thank God for allowing him to live and win his
many battles and wars.



Squire: son of the knight, has been in few battles,
has fallen in love, and defines his father's role
(his future) as a loving journey instead of a crusader 

 

Friar: absolves people's sins easily,
looks to find some gift, or silver for his
services, attempts to avoid the poor,
sees them as lepers, instead he is well-
known in the taverns and with the ladies.

Nun/Prioress: was very mannered, resembles
the behavior of a lady of court, she put a lot of
love into her work, did it gracefully

 

• The characters presented in the prologue are all first characterized by their good traits, they're good hunters, they give penance, they have good manners, etc., but the narrator then goes on to show how corrupt they can be, the narrator begins to show their bad side, they indulge too much in the world, they're lazy, they only do their job because of the gifts and money they acquire, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJsiNnf7X58