Blog Post #19: The Rainbow Essay & Reflection

Part I:

"She craved to achieve this higher being, if not in herself, then in her children." This woman, from Lawrence's The Rainbow, is in a state of questioning, questioning why the men of her family are not willing to branch outwards into a greater scope of freedom. In The Rainbow, D. H. Lawrence employs a mix of imagery and parallelism to convey the woman's longing to escape the struggles in the stagnation of her society which then shifts to a desperate wondering of the contrast between the vicar and common man through rhetorical questions.
To characterize the woman's struggle, Lawrence incorporates a heavy use of parallelism. The woman of this passage was not satisfied with her current position, "It was enough for the men... it was enough that they..." While the men were content to continue laboring on the farmland, the woman, in contrast, is hopeless in wanting more. She continues, "their senses full fed, their faces always turned..." to further display the men's toiling through the old, outdated concept of farming. In a stark compare/contrast of her disposition, "She stood to see the far-off world... She faced outwards to where men moved dominant." From this quote, the woman can see the potential of the outside world; she grasps the understanding that the "world of cities and government" is where greater freedom and opportunity is to be found. But then she also turns back to acknowledge the lack of pursuit of this "magic land" from the men in her society and reinforces the hopelessness that her place and role in the family and society ultimately entails. Through a repeated use of parallelism, Lawrence portrays the woman in a longing but hopeless state.
To characterize the woman's discovery into the deeper, more satisfying meaning of life, D. H. Lawrence uses personification and imagery to convey the world outside of creation availble to her. In addition to the "warmth and generating and pain and death," there faces were always exposed to "the heat of the blood, staring into the sun." This example of imagery and personification reveal the negative feelings that the woman views on the men in her farmland. She searched for a deeper meaning to life past "blood-intimacy," as "her house faced out from the farm-buildings and fields, looked out to the road and the village with church and Hall and the world beyond." The woman of this passage has not experienced what lies beyond her homeland, but she knows that this greater plan will bring her into a better state of life. Contrasting the "far-off world of cities and governments," the woman uses imagery and personification to describe what she already knows: "the pulsing heat of creation... the teeming life of creation, which paired unresolved into their veins." While the woman longs to enter into the heavenly world outside of her farm, she contrasts what she already knows about her house through personification and imagery with the longings and hopes that a change in labor and culture could bring, which is ultimately a deeper meaning in life.
In the final paragraph, the woman shifts her thoughts fro ma sheer longing to an admiration of the vicar and questioning of her own men. In admiration she observes the vicar, noting that he "spoke the other, magic language, and had the other, finer bearing, both of which she could perceive." Although this nature was "beyond her knowledge, she questioned why the other men in her society could not emulate the vicar's model. "Did she not know her own menfolk... What was it in the vicar, that raised him above the common man as men is raised above the beast?" These rhetorical questions demonstrate confusion of how there could be such a large difference between a vicar and men. She continues, " That which makes a man strong even if he be little and frail in body... why was it?" The vicar is a mystery to her, a person of admiration, a person different from the stagnant men of her society. The vicar was better than all the men around her; why? "She decided it was a question of knowledge."

Part II:

1. My initial score was a six, given to me by Nick Martin. He was convinced that I gave a "reasonable analysis" of Lawrence's literary devices but did not offer enough to make my essay "persuasive," a requirement for a score of 8-9. In such a surprising situation and time crunch, my ability to employ a "consistent command of the elements of effective composition" was reduced severely. Nick also highlighted how I was able to demonstrate a "sustained, competent reading of the passage" and how I often referred "to the text for support." After reading over my essay a couple more times and norming the essays in class, I now disagree with the score Nick assigned me. I think I should have received a 5, as I found that much of my passage contained areas of "summary or paraphrase." While I used multiple examples of literary devices as well, I felt that my details in analysis tended "to be superficial or thin in their discussion" due to a great deal of rambling and repetition of the same point. Also my thesis was quite wordy and awkward, failing to address the complexity of the work as a whole. In the future, I must improve.

2. In order to improve my essay, I need to spend more time pre-writing and planning my essay. While I saw the "blood" motif and references to "knowledge" in my initial readings, I neglected to make a specific point about their importance in the piece as a whole. While I highlighted the importance of rhetorical questions, parallelism, and imagery, I was unable to clearly articulate that while the woman wants knowledge, she cannot attain it. The tension created by the metaphors and specific images could have been weaved into my essay if I had more carefully considered the complexities in my thesis. In order to better identify these deeper meanings of the passage, I need to be able to view the writing through different perspectives. From "5 steps to a 5", I could have incorporated both a sexual level of interpretation as well as a social level of interpretation. Also, while I hurried through my body paragraphs, the "5 Steps to a 5" workbook instructed me to avoid a summarizing ending, freeing me from the extra time I always dedicated to craft a nifty rewording of the thesis. In the future, I will definitely think twice before writing a final conclusion paragraph, asking myself whether I really have some more important to contribute in my body paragraphs. If the AP readers will not learn anything new from my final paragraph, then sometimes - when time is limited - it is not worth writing.

The contrast between men and women were necessary to craft a good essay, as the woman in Lawrence's passage is continuously questions the men in her society and how they are perfectly content with staying stagnant. She, as a woman in her time, has almost no right to question them into moving out of the working class. In a novel that was banned for obscenity because of its references to sexual desires, the juxtaposition between men and women, farmland and industry, create the complexity of the piece. Also, I could have compared how the woman looked outward into the industrial society while the men looked inward towards their land and sun as the source of generation. The irony in the sun, as discussed in class, lies in the fact that while the sun is scene as a source of life and generation, it is preventing the men from moving out of their social class and into a potentially more rewarding industrial business. Any of these complexities would have been a solid addition to my dry, repetitive essay. Once again, a better planned outlined would have prevented my lack of a deep analysis into the literary devices.

After norming the essays, I have found the higher scoring essays are always the longer ones, as they demonstrate a better control of language in addition to an obviously well-planned pre-write. If I know what I want to say, then saying it would be easier. It is as simple as that. One of the topics I addressed, but not to a full extent, was the comparing and contrasting between complacency and desire. The more the woman rambles about the complacency of the men in her life, the stronger the desire for her to escape. She eventually moves on to address the vicar, a decision that begins her search of knowledge. She rhetorically questions how the vicar was different from the common man, struggling to see how the owner of the Tom Brangwen's farmland could pass beyond her own knowledge. Again, comparing my essay to this in-depth analysis, I am almost there. I identified change in style into the use of rhetorical questions but could not quite convincingly convey how this related to the repeating motif of knowledge. Overall, my largest problem lies in connecting the final dots. I can handily locate the devices and the main themes of the passage, but connecting the two is where the most improvement must be aimed toward.

Blog Post #18: Final Portfolio Reflection

After a challenging trimester of AP Lit, it is somewhat refreshing to reflect on the accomplishments and growth that I have achieved before proceeding to the second half of the course.

                The first assignment that I was most proud of was my creative project. In this project, I created a diary of Adrian’s theorems, based off The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, and shared some of my philosophical findings with the class. This diary was encased in an evidence bag, representing both the extreme value and secrecy that this diary had. This was a proud moment for me because I know I am not very creative. I know my presentation skills are not spectacular. I know I have a very monotone voice. Even with practice, improvement only comes slowly. I have learned however, that I have to work harder than other students on my projects and assignments in order to counteract these obstacles and flaws. This project was extremely special, as I found a way to connect literature to something I love much more: math. In doing so, this offset my creative handicap and allowed me to explore a different avenue and perspective of the book, a humorous, logical, and thoughtful take on the essence of the novel. I discovered that this type of project was the perfect opportunity for me to harness the limited creativity within. It surprised me how easy things became once I made the connection between the novel and high school level arithmetic. Not only was my presentation and project humorous and creative, but I enjoyed the process of finding connections between the polar opposite subjects of math and literature. The weaknesses of my project, in my opinion, revolved around my spontaneity in writing the diary. I did not prewrite anything, so the entries in Adrian’s journal were quite sloppy and sometimes unorganized. Nevertheless, in reflection of my effort put into this project, I can still confidently declare that my diary of Adrian’s theorems was truly unique and something that I am definitely proud of.

                The second assignment that I take great pride in was the American play group project. In this assignment, we were tasked to pick groups and essentially act out the thesis and evidence that would normally be on an argumentative paper. Also careful mis en scene choices had to be made in order to create a fully attractive and appealing film. This project was one of my favorites because I had a group of very diverse people. I detest acting because I know I struggle at it, and my group helped make accommodations to support my request to not have a major role in the acting portion. Ultimately, my decision to refrain from being a main actor was to better the success of my team. The other three of my group members all were fantastic actors and made the process of filming smooth and simple. I, in carrying my fair share of the project, took extra measures to write the script, organize the documents and requirements, and type up the majority of the synopsis and justification—all of which I consider myself to be decent at. I learned that in order to achieve the best final product in any group project, you must identify the strengths of each of the group members and work according to those strengths. I thought that my group carried this out extremely conveniently and efficiently; we finished all our filming in school and never had to get together outside of school. We worked at a rigorous pace, but I was extremely comfortable because we did this project in stages—it was not a “pull-an-all-nighter-to-finish” type of endeavor on the last night. The final product was a well-acted and coordinated video and synopsis sheet that addressed all parts of the AP prompt and requirements of the rubric. The weaknesses I identified in this project were the lack of fancy props/settings and at certain times, a lack of communication. Certain measure could have been taken to avoid these small shortcomings, but for the most part, I was quite satisfied.

                 In the classroom setting, I have never been the eager one who raises my hand—unless I know the answer for sure. In this advanced literature class, oftentimes in class discussions, the things that were being said were far beyond my previous education in the topic matter. Many of the areas we discussed were completely new ideas for me, and my share of class participation in this sense revolved around listening, taking notes, and absorbing all the information that was being presented. Whenever we were assigned a piece of literature to read, I put in the effort to read and reread because I had difficulty comprehending many of the concepts being presented with the initial reading. Through a development in active reading (taking notes on all aspects of a novel/work), I learned how to break down a piece of text. I believe at this stage, I am much better at finding the deeper meaning of the work and how diction and syntax decisions contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole. In my individual papers, I asked a wealth of questions. Whether to clarify the requirements of the rubric or to get a thesis evaluated, I was never hesitant to ask for help. I remember, during the huge compare/contrast essay we had to write about our novel and its film depiction, I got my thesis checked four or five times before I found one that was satisfactory. In the midst of all the talk and rumors about each element of the rubric, I directed a fair share of time each day in class to clarifying every inquiry I had, whether it was a small issue or a legitimate concern. Also, when we were peer editing the paper, I had a group of about five students edit my paper while I provided my personal feedback on each of their papers. Not only did this provide each of us with better papers, but it provided me opportunities to read other writing styles and elements of analysis that I had not encountered before. With such a large and crucial paper due, I made sure I did everything in my power to have as many eyes look over it before it was turned in. I also did my best to help out my classmates with their papers, frequently answering their questions about concerns I had previously inquired about already.

                This trimester, collaborative group efforts were extremely enlightening, especially within all the stress of senior year. In my original literary presentation group, I was luckily assigned to a group with people who I did not know relatively well beforehand. Because of this, as we progressed through each of the presentations (literary period, literary theory, fairytales, etc.), it was comforting to acquaint myself to others who were stressing as much as I was. For these presentations, we usually rotated the sections that we chose to complete, providing each of us an understanding of the importance of each section of the presentation. Once we finished each Google Drive or SkyDrive presentation, we made sure to evaluate and edit each person’s individual part and generate transitions to allow for a coherent delivery. This practice with giving presentations as a group gave me opportunities to overcome my weak presentation skills. I believe I contributed my fair share to each of these presentations; as a group, I feel that we did a good job of not having one person “carry” all of the responsibility—we divided and completed work evenly. For our American Play group project, I believe that everyone in my group (a group very similar to my original literary presentation group) did not have the same role(s), but we shared an equal amount of work. In this project specifically, I learned the importance of planning out what we will accomplish each day before we actually proceed to working on the project. Although no formal calendar was made, I set deadlines on our Google Docs group page and most of them were met with relative ease. Overall, while contrary to the groups of many of my friends, I believe that my experiences with collaborative group assignments this trimester were extremely positive and provided growth in my personal knowledge and my ability to work with others.

            When I set the goal to analyze one poem every two to three days at the beginning of the year, I did not anticipate how unrealistic that goal would be. For the most part, I was unable to keep up with these goals because they were way too rigorous and seemed unachievable right from the start. Therefore, I have set new goals that I think are much more realistic and will benefit me more as second trimester begins.

                

                 I do not want to lose the knowledge I have gained this trimester on poetry analysis. I know the poetry analysis essay and multiple choice questions will both require an astute understanding on how to interpret a poem, look for symbols, address literary devices, analyze structure and meter, and ultimately communicate how each of these contributes to the work as a whole. As similar to my first goal that I set at the beginning of the year, I want to close read and analyze an AP style poem once every month to keep renewing my previously learned techniques. Once I finish fishing out all there is in the poem, I want to create a basic outline for how I would draft my essay, consisting of topic sentences and a thesis. In addition to this personal work, I would like to look up past essays for the AP prompt and practice norming those student produced responses in order to know how the evaluators would have scored each essay. This is similar to the activities and analyzing techniques we did in class throughout the first trimester, and I thought it was helpful in my preparation to take on the poetry section of the AP exam. I will start this monthly ritual in December and conclude in May, the month of the AP exam. This goal can only truly be measured by my performance on the AP exam, and while poetry is not the only section that the exam covers, it is one of the sections that students tend to struggle the most on. I think my new goal of analyzing one poem per month and outlining a paper is more practical for the workload I am prepared to bear next trimester.

                Another goal I want to set for second trimester is time management. Oftentimes, I found myself spending three or more hours doing an assignment for AP English & Literature! Doing this regularly is quite outrageous and is cutting deep into my sleep and personal time, but most of it is my fault. I am often too wordy in my papers; I often get distracted; I often lose track of how much time has been spent. But there are also times when I see it necessary to spend more than the customary amount, and on occasion, I think this is okay. I know at this point in the trimester that most of the work I produce is of reasonably high quality; I need to learn to produce this same quality without spending so much time working. Basing this estimation off the work load that I received this trimester, I want to spend no more than 12 hours per week or three hours a day on AP Lit homework next trimester. I will time myself every time I start working on English homework and record how much time I end up dedicating each day. I will also make a mental goal to focus completely on the task at hand each night, disconnecting my connection with the social world in order to get this work done. In setting this goal, I will learn to be more efficient, a skill that is universally required no matter which path I take in the future. Hopefully, my grades, papers, and assignments will not drop in quality.

Blog Post #17: Claudius Blog Post #6

Extra Credit: Claudius Blog Post #5

"Haunted"

You and I walk a fragile line
I have known it all this time
but I never thought I'd live to see it break
It's getting dark and it's all too quiet
And I can't trust anything now
And it's coming over you like it's all a big mistake

Oh, I'm holding my breath
Won't lose you again
something's made your eyes go cold

Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Something's gone terribly wrong
You're all I wanted
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Can't breathe whenever you're gone
Can't turn back now, I'm haunted

Stood there and watched you walk away
From everything we had
But I still mean every word I said to you
He would try to take away my pain
And he just might make me smile
But the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead

Oh, I'm holding my breath
Won't see you again
something keeps me holding on to nothing

Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Something's gone terribly wrong
You're all I wanted
Come on, come on, don't leave me like this
I thought I had you figured out
Can't breathe whenever you're gone
Can't turn back now, I'm haunted

I know, I know, I just know
You're not gone. You can't be gone. No.

Oh

You and I walk a fragile line
I have known it all this time
Never ever thought I'd see it break.
Never thought I'd see it...

This song echoes my thoughts… “You're not gone. You can't be gone” (Swift). After Polonius’ disgusting death, this news followed, “One woe doth tread upon another’s heel, / So fast they follow: your sister’s drown’d Laertes” (4.7.161-162). I could not believe it; they could not both be gone so soon! Little did I know the bloodshed that was to follow: I could feel Laertes brewing up a scheme that would result in at least one more death, the death of my own son.

I went through desperate measures and circumstances to inherit and rule this kingdom. I told lies, sent spies, stole wives – “but I never thought I'd live to see it break” (Swift). I never thought I would be held accountable for my actions. Here I am on my deathbed. “Then, venom, to thy work” (5.2.286). Ahh, the bitter taste of poison infiltrating royalty. “Here, thou incestuous, murd’rous, damned Dane, / Drink off this potion. Is thy union here? / Follow my mother” (5.2.289-291). Hamlet was stronger than I expected, unyielding in his wrath and quest to kill me,  successful in finding a means to an end for my life.

I could have been dead so much earlier. Indeed, “You [Hamlet] and I walk a fragile line” (Swift). “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying; / And now I’ll do’t. And so ‘a goes to heaven; / And so am I reveng’d. That would be scann’d” (3.3.73-75). Hamlet had me in his grasp, yet spared my life. Might it be God’s grace that I saw another day? It was all because of my reaction during the play that he knew of my guilt. “A poisons him I’ the garden for his estate. His name’s Gonzago: the story is / extant, and written in very close Italian: you shall see anon how the murderer / gets the love of Gonzago’s wife” (3.2.223-225). – I noticed how he tried to target me in the little act of his! Yet I stood up! I had been caught in my act. And surely enough, I was caught again soon after. “You were sent for; and there is a kind of / confession in your looks which your modesties have not craft enough to colour: / I know the good king and queen have sent for you” (3.2.259-260). Why, oh why, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern... Can you not be a little more unnoticeable?

“And I can't trust anything now” (Swift). That seems to be a common theme… I will admit, I sent spies “To draw him [Hamlet] on to pleasures, and to gather, / so much as from occasion you may glean (2.2.15-16). I’m not the only one who had trouble trusting my children though. Look at Polonius; he overprotected both Laertes and Ophelia. “I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth, / Have you so slander any moment leisure, / As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet” (1.3.132-134). Polonius would not even let his beloved daughter experience the highs and lows of young love… See? I am nowhere near as guilty for my actions as Polonius.

“Can't turn back now, I'm haunted” (Swift) No doubt, I am haunted by the ghost of Hamlet senior, the man I killed to replace. This ghost turned Hamlet against me! My saddened son changed from distraught to rebellious; curse his father’s ghost! First, his father tells Hamlet about my secret crimes, “Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, / With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts…” (1.5.42-43). He doesn’t just leave here, but comes back to check in on Hamlet when he became distracted. “Do not forget: this visitation / Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose (3.6.110-111). This ghost wanted me dead, and dead I am, unable to haunt as my predecessor did.

I remember the final dual between Laertes and Hamlet. My foolproof plan, poisoning Hamlet in two separate ways, by sword or by cup, completely backfired. “I thought I had you figured out / Something's gone terribly wrong” (Swift). My wife, Gertrude, got her little hands on the poisoned concoction. Even after I told her not to drink, she responded with, “I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon me” (5.2.255). Within two minutes, she was gone, cold as the stone on the castle floor.

“You're all I wanted” (Swift). By “you’re”, I mean both Gertrude and Denmark. I was too greedy, too ambitious, and too careless. If I had taken eradicated Hamlet in the first place, none of this bloodshed would have taken place. I live a death of regret, regret for what could have and should have been. A tragedy. Truly, “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” (1.4.90). Shame on me, shame on me.

Blog Post #16: Claudius Blog Post #4

For the love of God, both Polonius and Ophelia are gone! There is much rot in the state of Denmark, and sadly to say, it is originating from within the royal family.

Poor Ophelia, her composure on life completely changed, “all from her father’s death” (4.5.72). The last time I saw her, during the play where my Hamlet acted out my murder of his father, Ophelia was normal! She was in love with the prince of Denmark, albeit against her father’s will, but at least she was herself. Now that Polonius is gone, I fear that the devil might have overtaken her, as she is “divided from herself and her fair judgment” (4.5.80). She immerged into my presence a completely new person, bubbling with tragic song. As I am reading this news magazine analyzing the recent songs of Ophelia and company, I cannot help but agree and sympathize with some of the terrible happenings that Seng interprets from her ballads. Ophelia, after Hamlet left for England, feels as if “she is all alone in Elsinore”, that “Denmark has become a prison” (Seng 218). True love broken, Ophelia can only sing to sooth her pain of the “mysterious voyage whose import is unknown to her” (Seng 219). But if I must say so myself, she was clueless. She did not know that Hamlet killed her father! In the place of me! “As one incapable of her own distress”, the only feasible means to an end that Ophelia could seek was suicide, and so she drowned herself (4.7.176).

Looking at the situation as a whole however, I cannot blame Ophelia for reacting how she did; her brother and father both sheltered her too much in her original pursuit of Hamlet. Even at a harmless stage in the relationship, Polonius strongly discouraged Ophelia “to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet” (1.3.134). A young girl has to begin her courtship eventually. Both Polonius and Laertes were “the critics who are so concerned to salvage her innocence” and the ones who ended up causing the “spoliation of her mind’s purity and her childlike trust” (Seng 220). What the heck, her entire family was against her, sending her messages that “no one is to be trusted or taken at face value” (Seng 220). While I would 100% agree with this statement, I would not have handled the situation between Hamlet and Ophelia in the same way as Laertes and Polonius did—and we can all see why from her eventual outrage and suicide. Ophelia’s positive view of human nature is always counteracted by Polonius’s “own unlovely view of man and the world” (Seng 221). Even so, she submitted to his demands…

As much as it hurts for me to say this, I do agree with this critic that Polonius is an immoral and political schemer. It is only through his “spying, sneaking, and eavesdropping that finally brings about his own death” (Seng 221). Even Hamlet, the sinful murderer, was disgusted to find that this “wretched, rash, intruding fool” had been in my wife’s bedroom in the place of me (3.4.32). Am I a political schemer as well? Of course! The difference between Polonius and me is that I do it well, and he does not. I, Claudius, can spy correctly without having a dagger stabbed through my chest as a result. That is why I am the king—and he is now dead.

I am sad both Ophelia and Polonius are gone. But I have a country to run, and a son to tame. So let the second round of funerals begin. Having just experienced the burial of Hamlet’s father a week ago, my mind is still fresh from the juices of death. I pray that the bloodshed ends here… but with Hamlet lying in the looms, still untamed in his actions, who knows what will happen…

Blog Post #15: Claudius Blog Post #3

"To be or not to be" soliloquy analysis - 

In Hamlet’s most famous soliloquy, Shakespeare addresses the topic of death through the character of Hamlet. Many images of the uncertainty of death appear throughout the passage, from the “undiscover’d country from whose bourn / No traveler returns”  (3.1.79-80) to the thousand natural shocks/ That flesh is heir to” (3.1.62-63). Hamlet also includes the pictures of a “bared bodkin” (3.1.76), the “whips and scorns of time” (3.1.70), and “that sleep of death what dreams may come” (3.1.66) to enhance and portray his uncertainty in the arrival of eventual death. Hamlet also highlights his own negative experiences of life, emphasizing the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (3.1.58) and the “sea of troubles” (3.1.59) he himself has faced so far. He also speaks of a “bare bodkin who would fardels bear” (3.2.76) and a “mortal coil” (3.2.67), presenting a terribly depressing tone to his soliloquy. To convince/motivate the audience, Hamlet uses the appeals of logos and pathos. The logical perspective Hamlet takes is that life has been so cruel to him, so now he should have the right to decide whether he should continue living or not. This logos appears mostly in the beginning and middle portions of his soliloquy. Towards the end, Hamlet shifts more towards a pathos appeal, using “we” and “us” to personalize his intent, calling his audience “cowards” (3.2.83). He resolves to his passion for challenging himself and others in taking action to emotionally draw in his audience for the final lines. Hamlet’s paradox throughout his soliloquy is the longing and apparent peace that may come from death verses the terrible burdens of being alive. Dying is supposed to be a negative concept, yet Hamlet finds it to be an escape from his pain at this point. The parallelism examples that Hamlet includes are written for comparing/contrasting and emphasis such as, “Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely” (3.1.70) and “to suffer/ The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / or to take arms against a sea of troubles” (3.1.57-59), “pale cast of thought, / And enterprises of great pitch” (3.1.85-86). Hamlet uses the infinitive purposefully and repeatedly. “To be, or not to be” (3.1.56) and “To die: to sleep” (3.1.60) are the main infinitives that Hamlet repeats; these lines match up with Hamlet’s internal conflict whether he should keep living or not, using infinitives to cleverly display these brief but heavily-weighted lines of the poem. The tone of the soliloquy is a combination of depressed, contemplative, and passionate while the diction used is the typical Shakespearian style and somewhat elevated. One of the main metaphors used is death being compared to sleep. More than once in the soliloquy, Hamlet mentions “To die: to sleep” (3.1.60). Hamlet makes this comparison to death many times, even referring to it as the “sleep of death” (3.1.66). The other main metaphor in this soliloquy is the comparison between the “undiscoverer’d country” (3.1.79) and death. This country, of which “no traveler returns, puzzles the will / And makes us rather bear those ills we have” is a direct reference to the death that Hamlet has been discussing throughout the entire soliloquy (3.1.80-81). Without these metaphors, the concept of death and dying would not be brought to life as much by Hamlet; the great soliloquy of “to be or not to be” would not be as figuratively complex and the passion and obsession with death would not be as apparent. There is much evidence for each of these concepts: life on earth, afterlife, death, humans, and thinking. For Hamlet’s dejected view on life on earth, he describes it as “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (3.1.58) and a “sea of troubles” (3.1.59). He also mentions the “heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to” (3.1.62-63). Hamlet refers to afterlife through “the undiscover’d country” (3.1.79) and acknowledges that “dreams may come” (3.1.66) after death. A few of the many references to death includes “To die: to sleep” (3.1.60) and “To be, or not to be” (3.1.56), as close to the central topic and theme of this play as possible with these lines. For humans, Hamlet refers to “flesh” (3.1.63) and “mortal” (3.1.67), characterizing humans as somewhat weak and empty -when faced with a much greater and more consequential area of death. Finally, when referring to thinking, Hamlet says after “To be or not to be…that is the question” (3.1.56). The fact that Hamlet is questioning the possibility of staying alive or dying shows that he is thinking about his future. He must contemplate the status of his current life and make a decision on what to do next. A couple of oppositions that Hamlet portrays are between life and death, present and future, cowardice and courage, right and wrong, and seen and unknown. The philosophical questions that Hamlet ultimately ponders are: What is the point of going on with my life? Is death a better fit for me than life? What does my life after death hold? “To be or not to be” (3.1.56). Ultimately Hamlet is able to draw the conclusion that we are all cowards to our conscience, an internal morality that keeps us from taking our own lives, even when logical and passionate contemplation may suggest its beneficial outcomes.

Mis en scene analysis -

Kennith Branagh - In this depiction of Hamlet’s soliloquy, there is no notable non-diegetic sound that is used, contributing to the seriousness and loneliness of Hamlet’s situation. The only diegetic sound that is present is Hamlet’s voice, a very quiet voice that is almost a whisper. In his voice, it is more difficult to sense his outward anguish, as his voice inflection is not overly obvious compared to the other scenes. The camera angles used are over-the-shoulder and close up. In the beginning of the scene, the camera is angled to look at a mirror in which Hamlet delivers his speech; for most of the video, the camera captures the conflict Hamlet is having with himself on whether to die or not by looking at the mirror. He appears to be staring into his own soul in a depressing turmoil, contemplating death. Towards the end of the scene, the camera angle shifts away from the mirror into a close-up view of Hamlet, revealing what the reality and seriousness of his debate with suicide. The setting of this scene is a large, mostly white, well-lit room. This majestic setting highlights the isolation that Hamlet is subjected to, as the room is empty. This contrasts with the dark, black and princely suit that he is wearing, once again representing the contrast between the toils of his life and the normalcy of his outward surroundings. The main prop used is the dagger. Hamlet dangles the dagger and somewhat plays with it, showing how his life is just hanging in the balances and he could end it at any time.

Lawrence Olivier - In Olivier’s version of Hamlet’s soliloquy, there is much non-diegetic sound that factors in to creating the mood of the scene. In the beginning, there is a reasonably happy and intense sounding music that intros the scene before changing into a more dramatic tune once Hamlet’s speech is about to begin. Through his speech however, the music completely stops. Also, at certain points in Hamlet’s soliloquy, there is a non-diegetic sounding voice-over that expresses his speech through his thoughts. This choice allows Hamlet to appear more contemplative, unsure of how he wants to approach his life. The setting of this scene is in a high place, on a cliff, above a body of water. The high place, probably the ceiling of a building allows Hamlet to be alone and isolated from his family and friends while the cliff and body of water beneath symbolize his walk along the line of life and death. With one purposeful decision, he could end his life in this setting. In the opening of the video, a spiral staircase is displayed, foreshadowing the troubling decision that Hamlet will face. Before his soliloquy begins, there is also a close up of Hamlet’s head, followed by a transition to a medium shot as the words of his famous speech start. A quiet voice as the main diegetic sound, Hamlet anguishes over his choice between life and death. He eventually maneuvers himself to a leaning position on the cliff, characterizing the heavy burden upon him and his awkwardly close entanglement with death. The dagger is his only prop, a prop that he at first plays with and points at his body but then drops into the water, symbolizing his choice to keep his life, even with his negative outlook and position. Other small details about this depiction are Hamlet’s tidy hair, minimal make-up, casually princely clothing, and the black-and-white filming.

Mel Gibson - In Gibson’s depiction of Hamlet’s soliloquy, the setting is in a dark room underground. Hamlet begins the scene by entering into a dark room, symbolizing the dark mood of depression and anguish that he is currently experiencing. The room is filled with figures of dead bodies and/or sleeping people, figures that Hamlet proceeds to walk and visit. These figures are the epitome of what Hamlet is contemplating and seeking, a possible death or sleeping state. Unlike the first two depictions, Hamlet has no dagger in this scene. The diegetic sounds in this scene are Hamlet’s footsteps in the room and his own voice performing the speech. The echoing effect of the room creates an eerie and dark mood for Hamlet throughout his soliloquy. His voice is more fast-paced than in the other videos, and the volume is louder than a whisper, allowing for a greater range of sound and emotion to be expressed. There are both close-ups, medium, and far shots of Hamlet, equally varied throughout the video in order to display the emotion on his face while documenting his interaction with the figures in the room. He is well wrapped in a brown colored outfit, and minimal make-up is evident throughout the different camera angles of Hamlet. In the end, the room appears to be a little more lightly lit, with sunlight coming through the roof and shining on the motionless figures around the room. This could possibly characterize the light of their state in contrast to the darkness and despair that face Hamlet.

Ethan Hawke - In this modernized version of Hamlet’s soliloquy, Hamlet is in the setting of a Blockbuster movie store. In this store, he is the only one wandering through the isles, symbolizing the loneliness that Hamlet feels in this usually crowded location. Also, because of this setting, the camera is able to take certain shots off of the TVs in the store that showed violent scenes and the death that Hamlet was seriously debating. Because of these TVS, the audience is exposed to an image of what is going through Hamlet’s head. The beginning of this scene starts off with the non-diegetic sound of Hamlet’s voiceover. Eventually after passing through the “action” section of the store for the first time, Hamlet begins speaking the second part of his famous soliloquy. In this version, his voice is very quiet, and he seems calmer when compared to the other versions of the speech. Also, there is non-diegetic sound in the music that is played in the background which consists of a moving and anticipating tune that presents the intensity and struggle of Hamlet’s situation. The camera angles used include close up and medium angle to highlight the expressions of this face and bring importance to the close environment around him. Hamlet travels from the action aisle into an empty aisle with no movies on display, paralleling the emptiness of death, the topic of Hamlet’s soliloquy. Hamlet, once again, is dressed in all black, characterizing the depression and hopelessness he is feeling as he is performing his soliloquy. The winter hat that he also wears could hint at the season of winter, a dark and cold symbol of decay and loneliness in Hamlet’s life.

Most/Least effective - After viewing all of these depictions of my son Hamlet, I believe the best, most effective one would have to be Kenneth Branagh’s version. The interesting perspective of Hamlet staring into the mirror allows the audience (me) to see that we aren’t the only ones looking at him; he is looking at himself as well. In this personally trying time for Hamlet, he physically looks at himself and contemplates the choice between life and death. Along with the dark clothing and absence of sound besides his own voice, this depiction is the best portrayal of a distraught and depressed human being. He neither talks too fast nor too slow; his delivery pauses at the times of most conflict, and I can easily see the internal anguish being finally released.

The least effective portrayal of my son’s delivery would be Lawrence Oliver’s version. In this interpretation, Hamlet is reckless and sometimes does not even appear to be serious! I know my Hamlet would never be so improper to lean over a cliff and give his soliloquy in that awkward position. I do think that his handling of the dagger is quite shocking but also understandable, now that I know what he is struggling with. Also, his lack of inflection in this delivery is not what I would expect out of my passionate, although distressed Hamlet. At certain points in his soliloquy, he also looks like he is daydreaming or not paying attention to the situation. I don’t know… But I know this is not the Hamlet that I grew knowing.

Mis en scene changes - For the Lawrence Olivier version of the Hamlet soliloquy, I would have picked different music to start the scene, one that is most foreboding and creepy. When I first watched the scene, the current sound selection for the introduction sounded almost happy and triumphant towards the end when the camera angle goes above the spiral staircase. Also, when Olivier leaned over on the cliff, it was a little distracting and took away from the overall seriousness and drama of the scene. Instead I would have had him stand on the cliff and take a camera angle of him looking down into the water with arms outstretched. He could have walked carelessly on the cliff to display his toil between life and death; I just think this would have created a more serious and effective scene. Also, additional close-up camera angles could have captured more of the emotion and centered the attention on Hamlet’s ordeal better. Too much time spent in the medium camera angle made me feel distant to Hamlet; it made it harder for the scene to be effective. Finally, in such a well-lit, outside location, more effort has to be done to make the situation dark and gloomy, and I think the director could have done a better job of counteracting the bright environment.

Blog Post #14: Claudius Blog Post #2

In Billy Ray’s Breach, newly hired FBI agent Eric O’Neill is tasked with assisting his boss, Robert Hanssen, in working new cases for the American government. O’Neill is initially told to go undercover and spy on Hasnssen for evidence that the FBI could use to convict him as a “sexual deviant” (Ray). What O’Neill doesn’t know in the beginning is that agent Hanssen is a Russian spy, the greatest Russian spy to breach American security in history. Because of Hanssen’s traitorous actions, billions of dollars and numerous lives have been lost by the US. The more time the two agents spend together however, the more O’Neill becomes convinced that Hanssen is the perfect man, impenetrable in all his areas of life: “faith, family, country” (Ray). From Hanssen’s point of view, his attitude and behavior are entirely acts of deception, techniques that he has developed in order to prevent himself from being caught for espionage his entire career. Eventually, O’Neill is faced with deciding who to side with, between Hanssen and the FBI, a choice that ultimately determines the outcome of this undercover pursuit.

My thoughts:

Woah, a spy spying on another spy. Talk about extreme mistrust. I guess the same can be said about Denmark lately. To keep up with my hormonal and sometimes crazy nephew (who I consider now to be my son) Hamlet, I have assigned two of my highest-regarded servants, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on “Hamlet’s transformations” (2.2.5). They were “brought up with him” so Hamlet should be willing to open his mouth a little more for them than he has for me (2.2.11). I must find out what “afflicts him thus” so I can properly take care of his needs, which he chooses to hide from me still (2.2.17). Hamlet still has not fully taken in the change in power and the recent marriage; it all happened so fast, and to a certain extent, I cannot blame him for his understandable shock. But what else is on his mind? His father’s death? I refuse to believe that that is the only thing; he should be over that by now.

I cannot help but think constantly, “What if he’s smarter than I am?”(Bay). Hamlet probably knows spies will be coming his way. In fact, I have just received a report that Guildenstern and Rosencrantz were not crafty enough in spying on Hamlet; they could not make it appear as if they were saw Hamlet out of their “own inclining” as a “free visitation” (2.2.256). To report his exact words, “I know the good king and queen have sent for you” (2.2.261).

What will Hamlet think of me now? Honestly, “it doesn't really matter; the judgment of other men…” (Bay). I am spying on him so I can HELP him; there’s no shame in that.

If you look at O’Neill, he needed a very long time to pick up any useful information about the Russian spy. I have the same faith in my own spies that time will bring success; even though Hamlet may have foiled my undercover attempt, they will no doubt still be able to fish out the reasons why Hamlet is still so depressed. In suggesting this, “One might propose that I am either insanely brave or quite insane. I'd answer neither. I'd say, insanely loyal” (Bay). The blood in this family runs deep, and if espionage is what it takes to heal the wounds of the past, then so be it.

Hansenn, although evil in his intentions, was very religious in all situations. I admire his faith and unceasing devotion to God; whether it was genuine or not is not for me to judge. So, in honor of Hansenn’s valiant espionage endeavors, I have one fitting request of you today: “Pray for me” (Ray). Pray for Hamlet. Pray for the entire state of Denmark.

Blog Post #13: Claudius Blog Post #1

With the death of my beloved brother, I understand that am the closest person Hamlet will find to a father figure at the moment. While he has yet to acknowledge me as his “substitute” father, I have already declared Hamlet to be my “courtier, cousin, and… son” (1.2.117). Depressing as these times might be for Hamlet, I actually think this situation that we have been hurled into will eventually be a mutual stepping stone in our relationship.

Hamlet’s feelings of “impious stubbornness” and “unmanly grief” are getting him nowhere (1.2.94). Perhaps he subconsciously feels the pressure from being the “immediate to our throne” (1.2.109). After his father’s death, reality must have hit him like a cannonball, giving him thoughts about the kingdom he could have and eventually will inherit. Perhaps he feels he isn’t ready, and those thoughts are distressing him. Emotions are silly things, and to be subject to them for too long is certainly unhealthy.

Putting all the speculation aside though, Hamlet MUST stop fretting and stressing over his father’s death. There are deeper problems in the nation that must be addressed, now that that a formal mourning and new appointment of a king has been settled. I have no doubt that Fortinbras will be at our front step at any given moment, trying to recover “those forsaid lands/ So by his father lost” (1.1.103-104). We’re talking about the security of a nation and its people! Hamlet better gear up for this inevitable rollercoaster of war that will be our lives in the foreseeable future.

I think my new wife Gertrude sums it up best: “all that lives must die” (1.2.72). If Hamlet doesn’t see eye to eye with that soon… Well, let’s not even consider that possibility.

Blog Post #12: Hamlet Character Selection - Claudius

In my blog, I have chosen to focus on the perspective of Claudius, the new king of Denmark. The main reason behind this decision was Claudius’ multiple personalities and his tendency to treat each situation and person differently. He loves some characters in the play while hating others; his public life is a dire contrast from his private life. At times, Claudius is the fully evil man, characterized by corruption and greed but in other moments, the audience sees the sympathetic and intelligent side of him. This conflict and juxtaposition should allow me to create interesting blog posts about varying topics, as Claudius’ mindset is always switching around. Claudius is also always in the mix of things; he can address almost any topic in the play, as he is directly related to Hamlet, the hero of the play. The conflict between Hamlet and Claudius should begin immediately once the play opens in Act 1, as Hamlet’s hatred for Claudius is evident from the start. This ongoing battle mixed in with the subplots of the play should allow a variety of suspense and drama to unravel. While social media is filled with drama, I will be able to over-dramatize situations, rant about other characters, and possibly watch myself fall apart in my blog. Also, since Claudius is a king, the scope of his popularity will always be in the spotlight, similar to how online activity of famous pop stars in our society dominate the world of social media today.

Source http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/claudiuscharacter.html