Our Opinion on Hamlet

                Reading Hamlet by William Shakespeare as a class and stopping to talk about what has just happened in scenes has helped me understand Shakespeare a lot better than I have in past years.  Without the movie I don’t believe that I would have completely understood the story line and what was going on.  Along with the movie helping me understand the Shakespearean language the mini projects helped me interpret Hamlet’s soliloquy in a modern way that also helped me understand it better.  While I was trying to right my own version of the “To be or not to be” speech I was looking back at the speech and breaking it down line by line.  By doing this it was easier for me to create my own version. 

In addition to that, the only thing that I did not like is the representation of Hamlet in the movie. I don’t like the actors chosen; I don’t feel Hamlet is represented well.  I wish they chose someone that was in the same range of age as Hamlet is represented in the play.  I also don’t like the setting where most of the movie is held.  It isn’t what I pictured in my head as a castle in Denmark.  I really wish I was able to have seen the actual play instead of the movie form. 

As to the story itself I don’t really like it, which is weird, because I love Lion King and that movie is based off of this play. I don’t like how we are left to assume a lot and guess a lot about what Shakespeare was trying to have us interpret.  For example, that we don’t know if Gertrude really knew of the murder of Old Hamlet really frustrates me.  And the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet is so confusing.  They never say that there was any sexual relationship but Ophelia when mad has lines about a man that promises to marry her but never does because he only seeks to take her virtue and leaves.  This leaves me lost and confused.  I wish things were straight forward.

As to what I want to discuss more, the language.  I understand the play because I can see it visually but if I just read it I don’t understand.  I don’t know how to translate certain words to modern day language.  I would find it helpful if we went over the actual text of Hamlet as we watch the movie or have some days were we read the text and the next day we watch the movie just so I cannot depend on the movie as much as I do.  Besides that there really isn’t much to complain about I enjoy the way we are being taught.

Hamlet: Parents Role

                Throughout Hamlet there is an obvious role of the main character’s parents.  There is a common thought that children reflect their parent’s behavior.  In this novel we can see that this assumption is true from the outcome of Hamlet and Ophelia’s lives.  The way that their parents act has caused them to act a certain way or make certain decisions.  These decisions in the novel will either lead to their downfall at the end of the novel or their rise to overcome the corruption in Denmark. 

                When I think of the parents in this novel and how they play a large role the first parents that come to mind are Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, and Claudius, his father/uncle.  Their quick marriage/funeral in Act I and Hamlet’s slow decay into madness go hand in hand.  The reason why Hamlet’s father is dead is because of the actions taken by his uncle, Claudius.  For Hamlet to see his mother marry his father’s murder causes him to do whatever he can to seek revenge.

Furthermore, I guess you can think of another saying when you hear this.  ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’  Even though Claudius was not Hamlet’s biological father he is still related to him.  Claudius kills Hamlet’s father and when Hamlet hears of these action he reflects these actions in a way he can interpret it.  We see this when he kills Polonius and shows no emotion towards the fact that he has just killed another human being.

In addition to Hamlet’s parents playing an important role in keeping this play interesting there are two other characters with the same parent that plays an important role in the play.  Ophelia and Laertes’ father, Polonius, plays an important role in Ophelia’s madness and Laertes’ anger when they find out that he is dead.   Ophelia is forced to listen to her father by breaking up with the love of her life and make Hamlet hate her.  Then she is forced to try and make amends with Hamlet and be with him for sole purpose of information that can be supplied to Claudius.  Ophelia has no control over her life because it is being run by her father and when her father dies she is left alone without a father, without Hamlet, and with her brother in France.  This madness is all caused by the actions of her father in the play.

Lastly, if the parents in this play had more of a selfless attitude and cared about their children’s needs maybe neither one of them would have gone mad.  If Gertrude would have thought of her son’s emotions before she married his uncle at his father’s funeral maybe she would still have a relationship with her son.  Polonius could have saved his life and his daughters if he would have cared more about his children then his own image. If he didn’t worry about his image he wouldn’t have been snooping around trying to figure out the reason behind Hamlet’s madness and wouldn’t have died.  But then again you have to think about the parents of the parents. What kind of roles did they play in their children’s lives?

Act II: Love Letter

Dear Ophelia,

You have seen me at my worst and at my best. For now I am acting mad and I have come to you in your most private time in your sewing room.  I am truely sorry for I do not desire to hurt you.  You are my precious rose that I water and provide for.  You must tell me what I have done wrong to lose your trust and your love.  All I have ever wanted was to do right by you and to give you everything you desire.

I know that your father does not approve of our love.  Your brother also is not in favor of it, but please, follow your heart the way I have followed mine and be with the one you love. I!  I know that everyone has put false accusations of me in your mind.  That you are just another lover in my long list soon to come, but my love, you must'nt believe them.  For surely you  know that that is not true.  With all the time we have spent together in your heart you know I could never love another like the way I have loved you.  When I saw you in your sewing room and caught that first glance of you in your most innocent place I was struck.  For your hair was undone and natural.  I loved it.  Your face was untouched and pale and your lips red and perfect.  I loved it.  I have kept that memory of you all this time.  For you refuse to see me and this is the last image I have left. 

I am most certain that it was not your choice to stop seeing me but your father's choice.  Please my love, if this is true go against his precepts and visit me tonight at midnight by the place where we first layed eyes on one another.  You know such the place.  I will be waiting and I wish to prove to you my love once again to show you that this is not a show that I put on for an ordinary girl.  I love you Ophelia.

Love,
Hamlet

( I tried my best. I hope you like it. :/ )

Act I Discussion

“Ophelia, we’re going to the movies and then to half apps, right?” asks Hamlet.

“Yeah, you still want to go?” concerned that he has something else in mind.

“Yeah of course I just got to go get the car from the garage.  Just wait inside.”

“Okay,” Ophelia turns towards the door and takes a deep breath.  She still hasn’t met his father or his mother.  She takes a step into the house and smells cooking in the kitchen.  Ophelia looks in and sees Gertrude cooking while on the phone giggling.  Gertrude hasn’t even realized that she has walked in.  She walks carefully hoping to not cause any attention.  Watching Gertrude the whole time tiptoeing towards the living room she hits a wall. 

“Well hello there?” the wall was Hamlet’s father.  She looks up at the tall man.

“Hi, I’m umm… I’m-“

“-your Hamlet’s friend.  Nice to meet you…”

“Ophelia.”

“Oh you’re Polonius’ daughter! It’s nice to meet you.  Your father and my brother have gotten really close lately.  They seem to always be together,” he looks at her wondering if she will give him some insight.

“Ophelia you ready? Oh hey dad we’re leaving,” Hamlet barges through the door with a smile and grabs Ophelia’s hand.

                Hamlet starts driving and Ophelia is confused.  They’re not going towards the movie theatre.

“Where are we going?” She asks curiously.

“You’ll see,” He smiles at her, grabs her hand and kisses her.

                He pulls up in front of the beach and the moon is full.  Reflected over the ocean is the moon and Ophelia looks down towards the sand.  There’s a blanket and food.  Hamlet is pulling out candles from the trunk and a lighter.  He kisses her.

“I want this night to be special.”

Chapter 9: Colors Symbols

GREEN

"He wonders how the first settlers to America must have felt staring out at the “green breast” of the new continent, and imagines Gatsby’s similar wonder when he realized that tiny blinking green light across the bay belonged to Daisy Buchanan."

Here the green symbolizes Nick connecting Gatsby’s American Dream of winning Daisy’s love to the American Dream of the first settlers coming to America. Both of these dreams were noble, and ultimately much more complicated and dangerous than anyone could have predicted. Green symbolizes nobility and the American Dream that Gatsby and the first settlers have in common.

The symbolism of green throughout the novel is as variable and contradictory as the many definitions of “green” and the many uses of money—”new,” “natural,” “innocent,” “naive,” and “uncorrupted”; but also “rotten,” “gullible,” “nauseous,” and “sickly.” I found this while researching about chapter 9 after ideas it and it makes sense that the color green symbol changes through out the book because it can mean rotten like when food molds and turns green. Or it can also mean natural like grass is the color green and new like money and how you can buy new things with it.


YELLOW

Yellow stands for corruption.
“Are you going to the Ordways’? the Herseys’? the Schultzes’?” and the long green tickets clasped tight in our gloved hands. And last the murky yellow cars of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad looking cheerful as Christmas itself on the tracks beside the gate."

Here yellow cars are in chicago which is back on the west side where he is from. So to
Me there is corruption no matter where you go in the US. So I'm kind of confused then this line is said.
"I see it as a night scene by El Greco: a hundred houses, at once conventional and grotesque, crouching under a sullen, overhanging sky and a lustreless moon. In the foreground four solemn men in dress suits are walking along the sidewalk with a stretcher on which lies a drunken woman in a white evening dress."

For the color white does this mean that the women are dressed in a pure color and look pure but aren't. White in this book symbolizes purity and innocents, but drunk women does not sound very innocent to me. The colors in this last chapter kind of confuse me the easiest to understand was the green. Help me out PLEASE!

Chapter 7: Symbols

Okay, let me start off with saying ALOT happened on this chapter and this is probably one of the most important chapters in my opinion of the book. The symbols in this chapter range from what different cities stand for, to what the weather stands for, to what Dr. T.J. Eckelburg stands for and more.

Let's start with the weather. Nick is called by Daisy and Gatsby on the hottest day of the summer. The "day was broiling, almost the last, certainly warmest, of the summer." This weather symbolizes the heat building up between Gatsby and Tom. Later in this chapter then end up at the parlor of a suite in the Plaza Hotel during the hottest time of the day, 4 o'clock. While in this parlor the most heated scene occurs between Gatsby and Tom both showing there love for Daisy to one another. As darkness comes the night cools down and Daisy and Tom have a scene. "Daisy and Tom were sitting opposite each other at the kitchen table with a plate of cold fried chicken between them...He was talking intently across the table at her and in his earnestness his hand had fallen upon and covered her own."

One of the cities also shows its true meaning. Daisy brings up the idea to go to the city and as we already know the city symbolizes sin, danger, and anything illegal happens. When they go there is when hell breaks loose and sins are revealed. Gatsby tells Tom that this love that him and Daisy have has been going on for 5 years and she only married Tom because he was poor and she stopped waiting. Daisy tells Tom that she is leaving him and also tells Gatsby that she did at one poit love Tom as well as him. Secrets are revealed and that's what New York City symbolizes secrets and hidden sin.

(I'm not done with this post. I'm going to post on the billboard and more I just want to retread certain parts of this chapter first again)

Chapter 5: Symbols

- the clock
In the story during this scene Gatsby is talking to Daisy for the first time in almost 5 years. Gatsby "glanced momentarily at me and his lips parted with an abortive attempt at a laugh. Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head....". Here Gatsby is nervous and almost knocks over Nick's clock. I think the clock symbolizes a repeat of the past because. Daisy and Gatsby are old friends. Just like the clock is old and a lot of time has past between there last meeting. But the tilt of the clock shows how time can bring two people back together on the same path. I think it also shows how Gatsby wishes he could change the past. Which is why he stops the clock from falling.

- the light
There is a lot of light mentioned in this chapter from "Gatsby that was simply confounding. He literally glowed..." to "My whole house?...See how the whole front of it catches the light" Light seems to symbolize beauty and wealth. Gatsby's house "glowed full of light" as they begin to walk around it with Daisy and Nick. The green light that Gatsby also looks at every night is also mentioned and here you can see that Gatsby used it as a goal. A set goal which was to meet Daisy again. Now that his goal is reached it is now as it was "again a green light on a dock."

-car and billboard
Aren't really mentioned but the car I think symbolizes Gatsby hiding behind his big shiny car. I think it's a cover for something Gatsby has done to get the money to afford that car. On the inside I think there are many secrets yet to be discovered.