English 11:
English 12:
Topics for Class Today
#1: Getting to know King Claudius (1.2)
In this first "court scene" we meet the (very) new king of Denmark. Go back and re-read lines 1-128. Outline the three main "issues" that Claudius deals with (public, court, personal). What do we learn about the character of this man through his various dealings with people around him (his ambassadors, his courtiers, his new wife, his nephew/son)?
#2: Hamlet's soliloquy in 1.2 "Oh that this too too solid flesh ..."
Go back and carefully re-read Hamlet's first soliloquy (he has SEVEN in total in this play). Identify all of the mythological allusions that Hamlet makes within this speech, and then explain why he would choose these particular allusions at this point. How do these references reinforce Hamlet's view of his deceased father, his "new" father/uncle and Gertrude and their relationships with one another?
#3: The "other" family: siblings Laertes and Ophelia (1.3)
Go back and re-read the exchange between Laertes and Ophelia. What advice does the brother give the sister? How does she respond? What does their exchange teach us about their respective characters and their roles within society?
#4: The "other" family: Polonius and his children (1.3)
First Polonius bids goodbye to his son, and leaves him with a string of lines of advice. Look at those lines carefully - is his advice more about ethics or etiquette? Once Laertes leaves, Polonius presses his daughter about her relationship with Prince Hamlet. Why is Polonius so harsh with his daughter?
#5: "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" (Marcellus, 1.4)
When the Ghost re-appears in 1.4, and beckons Hamlet to follow him, Marcellus utters these famous words. What indications do we have that Denmark is "rotting"? Was it rotting under the rule of Old Hamlet? Or is the rot fairly new (i.e. with the ascension of King Claudius)? Go back through all of the scenes of Act 1 and find language that evokes the idea of rotting, or something "untoward" happening in this country.
#6: The Ghost's Story (1.5)
Re-read the many lines where the Ghost tells Hamlet his story, and encourages his son to seek revenge. In particular, what kind of imagery does the Ghost use in telling his tale? Think about where his soul resides at this present time, and how that might inform his language/images.
AP:
- Work on Papers
- Cuckoo to 91
#3 Laertes warns Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet, being that he is a prince and she has no royalty. He also tells her not to listen to Hamlet because she will be labeled within their society and wont be able to marry. She tells him to basically practice what he preaches and don't do the things he's telling her not to. Not only does this portray the relationship they have a siblings but this also shows she respects her brother as a male.
ReplyDelete"She tells him to basically practice what he preaches and don't do the things he's telling her not to." This is a good point but I highly doubt that he will listen to her.
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Delete#4: Polonius said to his son that he should keep to himself more and just give people his ear when they have a problem. Polonius is saying that when Laertes talks to more people and give his opinion to them, they tend to sometimes disagree and create a conflict with him. Polonius tells his daughter, Ophelia, not to love Hamlet because of the fact that he's a prince and she's really nothing, but a not so important love interest. He's telling her to not be quick to fall in love and give herself away so easily.
ReplyDeleteLaertes does seem to encounter conflict based on his opinion. Not everyone always agree with what he says.
DeleteI commend your bravery. Unlike the rest of us, you did not pick the easiest one.
DeleteYour response is better than what i said. You answered the questions very precisely. Very good, Shy!
DeleteI agree with you shy , although i do not think its a conflict to disagree.
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ReplyDelete#3: Even though Laertes is the brother of Ophelia, the advice and the way in which he gives it is done in a fatherly fashion. He is also confused by Hamlet's intentions with her but he knows one thing for certain. It is clear to him that no matter what Hamlet does with Ophelia, it will only cause her trouble. Due to Hamlet being royalty, he can't marry her whether he loves her or not. Laertes explains that she should not continue to enjoy her time with Hamlet. The fact that during Laertes' entire speech Ophelia contently listens shows that she is passive; she doesn't have her own identity. Though she may just be listening to her brother, her own opinion seemed to be swayed by his too easily.
ReplyDeleteI like how you said that Ophelia's opinion was swayed by her brother but it seems like she never really a choice to begin with
Delete#3 laertes tells ophelia that she needs to make sure that hamlet isnt playing her and that she should be careful and make sure he really loves her so that she doesnt fall in love with him and ends up getting hurt by him because he doesnt really love her. ophelias response is that she doesnt want her brother to be a hypocrite wahen he goes off to college and do all the things that he doesnt want hamlet to do to ophelia.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great response, Mylan! You deserve a gold star!
DeleteP.S. Please capitalize. It "do matta."
The first sentence could've been broken up some, but otherwise i agree. He was more-so looking out for her, if she planned on marrying someone else in the future.
DeleteOphelia really has no say over what her brother because, deep down, she knows her brother is right, but on the outside, she wants to show that she is smart as well as him.
DeleteI agree with your response. That he just was trying to be a good brother and wants what is best for her.
DeleteI agree with your response because their advice shows that they really care about her as a brother and a father to her.
DeleteLaertes gave Ophelia very brotherly advice about what she should do regarding Hamlet. He tells her not to let Hamlet fool her, to not be tricked by his charm. That Hamlet doesn't really love her and Ophelia can't date him because it would ruin her life. Ophelia says in response to not be a hypocrite, that if she can't do anything than he can't either. It teaches us that it is important to keep their roles in society. That Ophelia can't date Hamlet because she isn't a princess and if she did so it would ruin her life. Even if she disagrees she has to still obey because she in society doesn't get to challenge her brother and father.They care about keeping their roles in society. So they wouldn't do anything to ruin it.
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DeleteMuch like all the other responses to number three, yours is spot on. Good job, Colleen! You'll earn a sticker if you keep up the good work.
DeleteShe can't legally marry Hamlet, it's not that that would ruin her life. Having personal relations with him would ruin her life and her chances to get married to someone else.
DeleteBefore Laertes left to go to France, both him and Polonius advised Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet all because he will never marry her. Ophelia was upset but she had to go along because she has no say in what's going on. This exchange shows that the characters care about there roles in society.
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DeleteThey just want her to be careful and make sure that hamlet doesnt end up hurting her
Deletei don't think Ophelia show any upset in the conversation.she did listen to her brother and father.she said that she will keep the lesson in heart ,which means she did keep in heart.
DeleteTheir father just very care about his child he doesn't want them in trouble.
DeletePolonius' advice to his son is more ethical because he says that if Laertes goes to France and isn't the best like everyone else there, borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. Polonius is so harsh on his daughter because she fell in love with Hamlet and even if he loves her or not he will never marry her because he can't or just doesn't love her. He doesn't want his daughter to end up hurt or get her heart broken by Hamlet.
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DeleteI agree with your response. I think that the first sentence could have been broken up. But i do think that Polonius just wants what is best for his daughter.
DeleteI think that Laertes also feels the same way as his Father Polonius because he also gave her some advice to be very wary of what she does with her feelings with hamlet to protect her feelings. And that Polonius is doing more for the family as a whole than her feelings.
Delete#1
ReplyDeleteking claudius kill his brother and he re married the queen. every night he having party with his people. hamlet saw a ghost that his father spirt and he follows him and the ghost tell what happened to him. king claudius tried to kill his nephew with the drink but the queen drank it then she die. at the end of the story when hamlet know all the reason king claudius did to his family then he kill him with his sword.
perfect summary
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ReplyDelete#6-
ReplyDeleteThe ghost begins to say its almost his time to return to the fire where he belongs. The ghost says to hamlet that he could tell stories that will extremely frighten him. He tells a tale how there was someone who said that he was bitten by a snake but in actuality the snake tat actually bit him is wearing the crown.
Laertes tells his sister to be careful of falling in love with Hamlet. The reason being is because if Hamlet were to marry another woman he could but she couldn't get married again. Because no one would in turn marry her. And she responds very cleverly saying that okay i will listen to you and agree but you don't go out and do the same. Basically she means don't deceive me and restrict me while you do what you want. The exchange shows us that classic older brother and younger sister relationship where the older brother always looks out for his sister. The brothers role is to protect his sister and help her out with decision making. And the daughter/sisters duty is to obey regardless. Which is whats expected of her.
ReplyDeleteThough they have a complicated relationship what will turn up by the end one may think to ponder what.
DeleteThe advice the brother gives the sister to not talk to hamlet and to not fall for his ways. She responds confused because she doesnt know why he does not want her to talk to him she states that he is very nice but the brother says its all basically an act and if he cannot marry you why does he want you. This teaches us that the sister ophelia has to respect his wishes because that is her older brother and she has to do what he wishes also he is very proective and back in that day you just do what your older brother or father says .
ReplyDeleteHE is her older brother,but she doesn't have to obey his words .but back to the time, it is true ,woman always weak in the family.
Deletepolonius tells or gives his son advice before he goes to college about things what to do and not to do. polonius pretty much tells his son to be a good student and get good grades. he also presses his daughter about like hamlet because prince usually only marries a princes and he is lying to her about how he feels towards her. that he cant be trusted.
ReplyDeletepolonius tells or gives his son advice before he goes to college about things what to do and not to do. polonius pretty much tells his son to be a good student and get good grades. he also presses his daughter about like hamlet because prince usually only marries a princes and he is lying to her about how he feels towards her. that he cant be trusted.
ReplyDelete#3: The "other" family: siblings Laertes and Ophelia (1.3)
ReplyDeletethe brother said that think it no more,ham's will is not his own,for himself is subject to his birth,he may not ,as unvalued persons do,carve for himself.he said that she should fear it,keep you in the rear of your affection,out of the danger of desire.
she said that she shall the effect of this good lesson as a watchman to my heart.she tell her brother that he should do the same thing ,do not like a puffed and reckless libertine .
the brother love his sister,he don't want her get hurt in those relationship,and he respect his sister ,use simple sentence and true emotion to advice his sister.
It also shows that the prince have to marry with princess,OPHELA is not princess,so she cannot married with Ham.It shows the loyal family 's tradition marriage in the society.The upper class should match with the noble people.
laertes tells ophelia that she should not even consider hamlet because once he drops her, she will no longer be able to get married because shes not a virgin. This shows the sexism of the time and the minimal importance women had in society. After laertes drops these facts on his sister shes tells him to not do the same. All in all, both brother and sister are forced to maintain their same social class even though they have found love out side of it.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Laertes' advice for his sister definitely shows the sexism in their time period.
DeletePolonius tells some advice for Laertes due to the fact that he will be very far away and wont be able to help him from Denmark. some advice he shares is that he should be "familiar, but by no means vulgar" meaning that he wants him to act like himself there and not rude to those around him. Polonius also gives his daughter some advice that Laertes had also told her before he left was to be wary of Prince Hamlet because he may not hold mutual feelings and even so she cant marry him and she should not get careless and do something she will regret.
ReplyDeletei agree but you did not say whether his advice was more ethics or etiquitte, i feel it was more etiquette.
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ReplyDelete2.) Hamlet used "Niobe," (mythological term/allusion) as a comparison to his mother by saying that she resembled the weeping Niobe who was turned to stone and seemed to weep continually for her 14 slaughtered children, but even with all the weeping and grief, she was still able to remarry, and not only just marry someone else in a short amount of time, but the person she married, her deceased husband's brother.
ReplyDeleteHamlet also used himself and ,"Hercules," A hero famous for his great strength, as a comparison to his father and uncle showing that he and Hercules were nothing alike just like his father and uncle were nothing alike.
He used these mythological terms to show the anger he felt towards his uncle and mother for moving on as quickly as they did.
I agree ! good take on it , i also feel like it shows how much he desired a father figure
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ReplyDelete#2 Hamlet's first soliloguy was, He cannot gainst self-slaughter, weary, stale, flat, unprofitable, rank, and gross. He is sad and hopeless; he hates that his mother remarried two months after his father death. At this point, he will take revenge that he will kill his stepfather/uncle for deceasing his father.
ReplyDeletei agree with your respond. Hamlet relationship with his uncle was bad. He just want to kill his uncle.
Delete2. In the first soliliqy hamlet explains how he's been going through 2 months of grief over the death of his father and that he's been down and on top of that hamlets mother got back in a relationship very quick and its with his uncle who is now king which also angered him and the ghost showing up telling hamlet that the person who murdered his father is his uncle meanwhile his uncle keeps telling him to basically get over it so that made hamlet want to get revenge and now he knows he cant trust him or his mother and he feels like his mother betrayed his father.
ReplyDelete#3: The "other" family: siblings Laertes and Ophelia (1.3)
ReplyDeleteLaertes as Ophelia's brother he tells Ophelia stay away from Hamlet. They won't get marry at the end. Now at their age Hamlet might love her now but later he may be not. Ophelia responds her brother said he will listen to his advice she won't close to Hamlet anymore. This exchange shows us at that time younger sister always obey to her older brother and her father's advice. Also at that time only princesses and marry to prince. Even Hamlet loves Ophelia ham's will is not his own,for himself is subject to his birth,he may not ,as unvalued persons do,carve for himself.
I agree with you. And yes, sister should obey brother.
Deletewhen polonius talk to his daughter ophilia, he tell her that he believes she should no longer be seeing the prince, hamlet would \, if he even love ophilia, would never be able to marry for love. but yet status, polonius come across as being a caring father that is looking out for his daughter and does want her to get hurt,
ReplyDeleteClaudius kills his brother, King Hamlet and marries the queen. He wants his kingdom to stop mourning and forget about the former king for the fear that people may look into his death. Hamlet see his father's ghost, who informs him that Claudius murdered him. Claudius attempts to kill Hamlet with a drink and mistakenly ends up killing the queen instead. Through Claudius' actions, we learn that he is selfish, manipulative, and merciless.
ReplyDelete1.) Claudius killed his own brother then re married his wife after doing so now when he see hamlet he calls him his son and nephew but hamlet says you are not my farther my farther has been dead for two months now .
ReplyDeleteAlso Hamlet and a few other people starts to see hamlet dads ghost hamlet wants to talk to his dads ghost and as he do so he tells hamlet all what happens and also how he got killed with the sword
#1 the 3 main issue is Claudius kill Hamlet father and then marry Hamlet mother. which Hamlet don't like that.at last he don'twanted Hamlet leave the Denmark. keep you friend close and keep you enemies close.
ReplyDeleteHamlet discusses a mythical allusions. One is comparing his mother to Niobe, saying that she should be ashamed of what she has done so she should suffer with continuous weeping. He has a point because she has done something terrible by marrying her husband's brother with no hesitation.
ReplyDeleteclaudius wants to make peace with with fortin brass, also he wants a better relationship with hamlet. he makes claims of wanting the to keep the land and marrying his brothers wife although these actions are false, due to the fact that the old that the old hamlet wouldn’t propose for a treaty for the land that he had already conquered. he’s can be best described as a deciever who’m manipulates how the people think all accept for hamlet and horratio.
ReplyDeletehamlet’s use of refrence toward niobe, queen of thebes, in which this reference wasn’t exact but it had got the ideal out that the arrogance in a women may also show here frailty, fore if not well equipt with the things required to make such boast’s then weaknesses are revealed.
polonius lectures his son more on ethic rather than etiquette because he is telling him more on what to do over all and not how to act as if in a situation. polonius is harsh on his daughter because she seems too niave about how she’s going on about how her, and hamlet are becoming mutual. also he caught word of such, and doesnt like what people are saying about it.
the new kings carefree attitued is making denmark look bad, undoing the reputation that the old kin has worked so hard to obtain. pith, marrow, defect, fortune….
the ghost used alot of scene like imagery, from the false one of him getting bit by a snake, to the imagery of his death by his brother.
Polonius's advice is more about ethics than etiquette, some advice that he stated is to listen when people speak to you but don't always speak up or tell judgment about and if you believe the friends that you have is trust worthy then hold on to them. Polonius is being harsh because he feels that his daughter is being naive and is betaken for a fool, so she should try to stay away and wait and see what hamlet is telling her is true or not and not just a moment
ReplyDeleteWe learn that claudious has become king after his brother died. Claudious then married his dead brother's wife and became king. He wants Denmark to get over his brother's death and celebrate his marriage. Claudious is also dealing with Norway wanting to start a war. He wants hamlet to stay in Denmark and not go to school.
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