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