Friday, October 23, 2009

Hamlet Act 1

92 comments:

  1. Class- why does Shakespeare continue to use garden imagery throughout Act 1?

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  2. Anne- that is an interesting observation. I wonder if it has something to do with things "going wrong" in the state of Denmark. Things aren't growing anymore but rather dying such as in the passage, "

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  3. anne-he is using Christian analogies in his writting. the garden is refering to the garden where Adam and Eve were.

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  4. Anne-I feel garden has multiple definitions, such as a holy sanctuary and also a sexual definition, as Hamlet refers to his mother's and Claudius' "garden" being tainted and "unweeded".

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  5. An interesting point is that the garden of Eden was never perfect. There was already a snake in it. So right away we can see that a "tragic" series of events is inevitable.

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  6. Sean- i don't think they're the only three that can see it i think that they're just the only 3 that have been exposed to it.

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  7. Smith- I think Shakespeare uses garden imagery like a biblical reference, especially with the metaphor of Claudius as the snake. I think it shows how everything could seem innocent and perfect but there can be a hidden evil too.

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  8. Kyle-awesome point. I think the play foreshadows tragic events when the ghost begins to ask young Hamlet to avenge his death.

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  9. class- i think that really the ghost is just going to put more stress on hamlet and show us more about how he's feeling because right now everything in his life is falling apart and now he has this extra stress on him.

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  10. I don't think that the ghost is trying to be seen by many people. He is trying to get his point across to Hamlet. Horatio and Marcellus just happened to be on night watch and also witnessed this ghost.

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  11. Class- What do you think Shakespeare is implying by mentioning the contention between Denmark and Norway?

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  12. It seems like the characters in this play use a lot of words as double meanings, like on page 25 with Claudius' use of "son" and Hamlet's use of "kind". What do you think Shakespeare wanted to show by writing like that?

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  13. I think that the ghost is a forewarning that something is wrong. Obviously the king wants revenge ghosts dont wander around haunting people for no reason. However I understand that Adam is asking if there is more to the ghost but i think the ghost just sets up the whole story. Now Hamlet has to avenge his father and we see the coruption of the govorment.

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  14. Class-If The Lion King is a take off of Hamlet, what is your opinion on how closely it has been following the story of Hamlet?

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  15. Lexi- I agree with this. I think that the ghost is choosing who it wants to be seen by and has therefore only appeared to a select few.

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  16. I think the evil that is foreshadowed by the ghost is the murder hamlet is supposed to commit and all the complications that come with that, because even if he killed the King, and he does deserve to die, murder never makes everything better again, it just makes things messier.

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  17. I think also it contributes to making Claudius seem evil and power driven. A garden is where many people go to find peace and refuge. Claudius ruins the kings place of refuge by killing him there. It is also symbolic of the state of Denmark. Denmark was in a time of peace until it was ruined by The kings death, and also by Fortunates's fathers death.

    The garden can also be related to the town hall in Beowulf, and Claudius to Grendel. The town hall used to be a place of peace and "merry making" until Grendel comes and starts killing people. The garden was a place of peace until Claudius took the kings life there.

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  18. Lexi- I agree that the ghost is putting more stress on Hamlet but I also think that he is trying to help Hamlet resolve some of his problems and also make sure that he is avenged for what happened to him. The ghost may be seen as a curse but I also think that it is trying to help his country even after his death and help show that there are hidden problems and evils.

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  19. Nick- Another great point. Tragic events usually begin early on in the play but they also happen when someone asks something that absolutely must be done. The ghost asks Hamlet to avenge him so that his death will not have been in vain. The snake in the Garden of Eden is also a great reference to this because it is the representation of all the evil in Eve's heart and the human capacity to commit evil like Claudius.

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  20. John- I think that the war between Denmark and Norway is supposed to parallel the internal war that Hamlet is facing. The war starts just as his dad died and they started loading up on guns as the ghost appeared and he learned what he needed to do. I think the war will escalate as the tension with Hamlet and his family does.

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  21. I think that the ghost is trying to portray something obviously but we don't know if he is good or evil.

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  22. I think the three of them reach the ghost because the ghost is trying to reach hamlet and the can reach him. i think the ghost foreshadows a bad future, he has all of his armor on and he looks ready to fight so i think that with the new king Denmark will engage in war many times.

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  23. Maddie - nice reference to the text. I think shakespeare was a wordsmith and his use of words always has many meanings. Unfortunately I don't have my book so I don't entirely know what your talking about...but nice job. :]

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  24. Sarah- he might seem "whipped" on Hamlet because the story revolves around Hamlet, we haven't really seen emotion from any of the other characters that don't revolve around hamlet

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  25. Mrs. Smith I think that he uses the garden imagery to basically describe Adam and Eve. The snake in the bible is real, its the representation of the evil in Eve's heart. There can be a lot of evil in the book. The ghost could be coming back to haunt Hamlet, basically make him feel guilty.

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  26. Maddie- I think Shakespeare's style was to write plays that had hidden meaning for the audience to get. He used dramatic irony, which we saw in Oedipus, he achieved this so well by using double meaning words in his plays.

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  27. class- Dark and gloomy...yet a wedding?? What might this show?

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  28. Daniel- are you sure there was only evil in Eve's heart?

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  29. do you think there could be some significance in the fact that Hamlets father was killed during the day? because to me it seems darkness is symbolic of evil and that it would happen during the night.

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  30. Class- Claudius was willing to attach the thrown but even Grendel wasn't willing to go that far and he was the evil creature of all evil.

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  31. I think the normalcy of the inside of the castle is also a cover for inner turmoil. No government wants there people to know that they are weak or that anything is going wrong. So the castle is suppose to be a light in the darkness.

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  32. I think the castle itself is a reflection of the people of Denmark's thoughts compared to what is really going on. The inside of the castle is bright and vibrant and cherry. The people believe in their minds that the state of Denmark is in a good place. However, the outside of the castle is dark and gloomy. That shows their is bad things to come. Hamlet, is one of the only people who is dark inside the castle and Hamlet understands what is to come in Denmark.

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  33. smith- maybe because gardens are meant to be peaceful, for example king hamlet would relax in his garden everyday. Also it could be parallel to the bible in that the king hamlet was killed in the garden and Adam was first taunted to eat the apple from the serpent in the garden. also plants grow in gardens so maybe the word is going to spread and grow about king hamlets death and sombody is going to take action?

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  34. Lexi- Are you saying that Hamlet is making up the ghost in order to create a reason behind all the extra stress but is in effect creating more stress on himself?
    class- Is it possible that because of what happened to the Ghost in his true life that he believes he has to be avenged in order to truly have lived a good life and have helped his country.

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  35. Class- no one seems to know but might the Queen know? Might she have been in on it? And he is believed to have been bitten by a snake and that's how he died.

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  36. Tony- I think the Lion King has a very close story to Hamlet. There are so many characters that think in the same way and go about their action with the same mannerisms. King Claudius for example is related to Simba's uncle Scar. Both are very shady characters that live their lives with only themselves in mind. They both rule and create kingdoms, they both kill their brothers in ways that will never be discovered by others without inside help The only difference is that Scar is openly bad, everyone knows that he is evil. However at this point, Claudius is playing it off like he is only trying to help his kingdom, and his new wife and his new son.

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  37. TonyD- I think that it is following very closely, but also not at the same time, because we now know that, like Mufasa, Ghost Hamlet was killed by his brother Claudius, or Scar. The basic story line fits so far, but there are some minor differences.

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  38. The castle is the main setting in scene 1. the outside of the castle is really dark and gloomy which could stand for sadness and i thing it is dark to stand for confusion because hamlet doesn't no what to do

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  39. When the ghost is talking to Hamlet he says that Claudius' "natural gifts were poor to those of mine" (pg 59), meaning that Hamlet's dad was the prodigal son between himself and Claudius, yet Claudius was sneaky enough to murder Hamlet Senior. Is Claudius really the weaker of the two?

    (Like Mufasa and Scar)

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  40. Class-I feel that through the fact that Claudius would attack the throne, he is more evil then Grendel. Grendel had a limit, but Claudius will go further to get to his final goal.

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  41. Lexi- I think that because it was dark and gloomy during the marriage of Hamlet's mother and his uncle, it shows that this marriage should not have taken place because first it was only a month after King Hamlet's death and also because Hamlet's mother married her husbands brother. I also think it was dark and gloomy because Claudius was trying to cover up the evil that he had committed.

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  42. Nick- i think the values are different today and that's why he was willing, the morals are much different and things maybe weren't considered to close to god all the time.

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  43. Tony i agree with that statement.

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  44. Lexi: that is a really good observation i think a lot of the reason grendel didnt attack the thrown was because he was trying to show the culture. Maybe in this time loyalty wasnt as valued.

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  45. Kyle- In response no I said there is a capacity for evil in everyone's heart. Even our own Eve is just a good example because she has a personage that comes and represents her evil.
    Lexi- So if Grendel was not willing to attack the throne and Claudius go that far does it make Grendel less evil than Claudius?

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  46. Maddie- I think that the fact that Claudius had to resort to murdering his brother is what makes him the weaker of the two. He had to resort to illegal violence to get what he wanted and had he truly been smarter he would have found a better way to accomplish his goal.

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  47. Class- because Hamlet is upset that Clauidus married his mom and he feeling that that's betrayal to his father.
    Sean- Yes!

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  48. Maddie- Think about the Lion King. Scar is the weaker brother and thus is not the king of pride rock. Only after he kills Mufasa is he king. Yes I think Claudius is weaker.

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  49. Claudius I believe Claudius will be punished for sitting on the throne and being power hungry. Shakespeare believed Fate, and Kharma like forces. In MacBeth he is punished and beheaded for murdering the king and taking the throne. I believe that fortune awaits Claudius, or worse.

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  50. I think Claudius is trying to make hamlet see him as a father because he wants to be seen as the new king. He tells hamlet that hamlet is not a real man because he still mourns his father but Claudius really just wants hamlet to move on and accept Claudius as the new king.
    I think hamlet is the only person who doesn't trust Claudius because he has a natural hate for him since he feels Claudius is replacing his father, and now that the king told hamlet about the murder it only fuels hamlets hate for Claudius

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  51. Watch proofreading! Use capital letters (I), write complete sentences, and make relevant comments (i agree does not count)

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  52. Daniel- The King talked about how he died without his sins being forgiven and he didn't have the opportunity to fix anything before his death. I think that now, as the ghost, he is trying to "make things right" by avenging his death. If he was content with the way he finished his life maybe he wouldn't feel that it is necessary to come back.

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  53. Jenna- but did it have to be the brother?? Someone she happened to already have a connection with?? Maybe something had been happening BEFORE the king died??

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  54. You have to remember that in this time period, Royal families married their own brothers, not their husbands brother, in order to keep the power in the family.

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  55. Dierdre and Lexy- I think that she did have something to do with it, because she definitely didn't mourn him very long and moved on quickly.

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  56. Lexi- I feel that the queen is not likely to have been in on killing King Hamlet. It seemed that she had no motive to kill her husband and I don't think she would do something to hurt her son. I think the queen moved on so quickly because she needed a King to rule.

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  57. Class-Can we assume that the Queen never truly loved Hamlet senior? The quick jump to Claudius causes one to wonder why no real sorrow is there. And that can further create pity for ghost Hamlet, he was betrayed and heartbroken.

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  58. I don't think the queen had any say in who she married, or who took the throne. Women in this day, and especially in Shakespeare's mind had no power

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  59. I agree with Jenna. While it does seem a little bit suspicious that the queen remarried so quickly, the time period plays a huge role in her actions. This comes from a time when women had no power. The queen needed someone to help her with her responsibilities because they were so great. There was no way that she could have governed the kingdom by herself.

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  60. i don't think that the Queen was in on the murder but i don't think she was particularly sad of the death of her husband because she was willing to have an incestuous marriage with her former husbands brother. I think she might have been fooling around with Claudius prior to the death of the King.

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  61. How come the town isn't upset about the king dying and no one seems to care how he did died? maybe no one really liked the king and thats why even his own brother murdered him.

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  62. Phil- I agree. I think that Hamlet felt betrayed by his family, who got over his dad's death so soon, while he was still mourning. I think it was natural for Hamlet to be angry and feel like he was the only one who loved his father.

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  63. Jenna- maybe she didn't know Claudius killed the king but i think she was probably fooling around with him.

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  64. In that time period people were not always in love with the people they married. A lot of times there were arranged marriages especially when its into royalty. I agree with Jenna in that back then woman are not suppose to have control of there situations.

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  65. Tony- I think that the Queen never really loved Hamlet Senior and the maybe the ghost wanted to come back and get revenge because he's upset about the Queen loving his brother.

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  66. Rachel- Yes I believe that is true but then what is the true reason behind why the Ghost feels the need to come back?
    Jeremy- If they wanted to keep the power in the family then yes they would have married their own siblings.
    Class- If the power was meant to be kept in the family then why did the Queen marry Claudius?

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  67. Tony- no we cannot assume that. The ghost wants Hamlet to still love his mother. I'm sure she loved Hamlet senior. It's merely symbolic of the times and of royalty. She is merely led astray. Smith....What is a complete sentence? I is not aware of what it is.

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  68. Tony- I don't think that we should assume that. She had to find a King whether or not it was her brother-in-law. She could be called inconsiderate or heartless, but we can't prove that she never loved her dead husband.

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  69. Tony, I agree with that. Here's why: If she moved on that quickly, then yes we can assume that. Its kind of like affairs in this time period, when the husband loves the wife and the wife cheats on him with another man or vice versa, then the individual who does the cheating has basically already moved on.

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  70. Rachel- What sins did the King not get to be forgiven? Did he have secrets that could have possibly given Claudius a reason to murder him? Is the only reason that the ghost of the King comes back is to avenge his death or are there hidden problems that he needs to make better?

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  71. Andrew- I agree. I also think that the Queen might be a little power hungry. I think she doesn't want to lose her status and power, so she wants to stay royalty. But I also think that she had a relationship with Claudius before the murder.

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  72. Tony- I think that at this time arranged marriages were still pretty common. Even if the marriage was not arranged there is still the matter of finding a spouse that fits a specific social standard which dramatically limits the options, therefore, I think it is very appropriate to assume that the queen never truly loved her husband.

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  73. class-Is there a possibility that the ghost is acting as an anti-christ? When the ghost demands that Hamlet junior commit a murder out of passion.

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  74. TonyD- I know it is getting repetitive, but I do think that she loved Hamlet Sr., and it is part of the times where women remarry quickly, but it is fishy that not much information is known about the period in between the death and the wedding.

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  75. I think Hamlet does not respect women, is much more into lust then love. I think he views them as weak and mindless.

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  76. Kayla- in response to your questions to Rachel, is it possible that Hamlet Senior was fornicating and so that gave Claudius a reason to kill him. And would those satisfy the reasons for the Ghost to come back to avenge himself.

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  77. Tony- I think that the queen never truly loved him because of her quick switch, and i think that fate will be a huge part of dealing with her consequence. so do you think she betrayed king hamlet and was on Claudius's side all along?

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  78. Smith- I connected the reference to the garden with the bible. Mostly because there was a snake (Claudius in this case) which represents evil in a good place.

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  79. Class- Hamlet doesn't view his mom well "frailty, thy name is woman."

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  80. I think Hamlet sees women as objects- as part of life. Because women had virtually no standards in this society there was no expectation for Hamlet to respect and value women.

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  81. I think it is hard to know what Hamlet really thinks about women because we have never heard his thoughts about Ophelia. At this point, we've only heard Ophelia's thoughts and her family's thoughts on their love.

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  82. Lexi- Well if that is the case then how do you feel that Hamlet views his mother if not as frail and power-hungry?

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  83. Nick-I think it's a stretch to say the ghost is an anti-Christ, yes we know Jesus would never had said kill in passion, however this killing would get back honor for Hamlet Sr. But I do see what you are getting at.

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  84. Nick, i think that the ghost is acting as Anti-Christ. Basically who in there right mind is going to commit a murder. in self defense sure but thats beside the point. But then again who would want to kill someone else just because some person said to do so. Basically if someone told you to jump off a bridge would you do it? Thats what Im trying to get at

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  85. Class- What do you think Hamlet will do if Ophelia stops loving him and she listens to her family instead and vis versa?

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  86. Sean- Two different people... almost as if they wear a mask??

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  87. jeremy-I agree that Hamlet doesn't respect women but I disagree with your explanation. Why would Hamlet be lustful over something that is portrayed as treasonous, dumb, and can't do anything without a man leading their way.

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  88. Eva: I think that in many of Shakespeares plays the girls go for love over family loyalty like heart over mind. Shakespeare is trying to show that they are just emotional and cant stay loyal or use there brains.

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  89. Kayla- The book says, "...Cut off, even in the blossoms of my sin, unhouseled, disappointed, unaneled, no reck'ning made, but sent to my account with all my imperfections on my head." I think that from this we can see that he left things unresolved, but it wasn't clarified what his exact imperfections were.

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  90. Kelli- I think that if Ophelia stops loving Hamlet he will fight for her and try to convince her to be with him and betray his family. Ophelia could also be sick of being told who to love by her family and rebel against them to make herself happy.

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  91. Kyle your comment on women is true, i agree with it. good comment

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