Initial Reaction: In Act V, I feel really bad for Hamlet. Ophelia has just died and he has no idea. It was terrible for him to be at a funeral that he didn't even know that it was Ophelia. It reminds me of when I go to a person I don't knows funeral, it would feel awful if for whatever reason I am reminded that it is my mother or grandparents. Its makes me understand just how awful it was to learn Ophelia drowned in a stream.
Character Analysis: Laertes has just lost his sister and his father, and it seems as though grief has taken over him. He is fence matching with Hamlet, where he plans to stab him with a poisonous sword. He has many flaws, he was too overprotective of Ophelia, and now he has to bear with the consequences of both his sister and his fathers death. He is a foil for Hamlet. He causes many conflicts between himself and the ones in his family.
Theme Analysis: I think the last act has many themes, such as death, suicide, and revenge. Everyone is dying in Act V between Ophelia drowning in a stream, Laertes getting stabbed with a poisonous sword, Hamlet getting stabbed with the poisonous sword also, Gertrude drinking from the poisonous cup as well as the King. Everyone pretty much killed themselves as a mass suicide. revenge could also be at play here for all the wrongful doings they all did, karma came back at them and taught them a lesson. Life is very short, and Hamlet and the other characters showed us just that.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
DRJ #3 Act IV
Initial Reaction: Gertrude, is one wacky lady! She has a confrontation with Hamlet, and they hurriedly tells her husband. She is very manipulative, and then agrees to ship Hamlet off? Her own son, she agrees to ship him off so he doesn't ruin Denmark. She marries Hamlet's uncle and she thinks it is okay. I honestly feel like she knew about Claudius killing her husband.
Character Analysis: Claudius is a very evil man. He kills Hamlet's father, and marries his mother. It is sickly twisted. He has many flaws, he is deceitful and a ruthless man. He is constantly worried about Hamlet finding out that he has killed his father, and once he did, he wants to ship him away so she doesn't cause any problems! The conflict seems intentionally, I personally see him as a attention hog and everything has to be about 'Claudius'. I find him to be the bad guy of the story, causing problems and killing people unnecessarily. He is truly a terrible person and gets what is coming to him.
Theme Analysis: I feel that the theme of Act IV is deceit/forgiveness. Everyone seems to be deceiving each other, whether it be on purpose or on accident. Everyone is keeping their own secrets and it is going to get them killed. Hamlet kills Ophelia's father and tries to dispose of the body, and the King and Queen are planning to send Hamlet away without his permission. The realm of the kingdom is sickly twisted as they are all hiding secrets from each other. Hamlet just wants to love Ophelia, and nobody will let them. It is a terrible love story with a sad ending.
Character Analysis: Claudius is a very evil man. He kills Hamlet's father, and marries his mother. It is sickly twisted. He has many flaws, he is deceitful and a ruthless man. He is constantly worried about Hamlet finding out that he has killed his father, and once he did, he wants to ship him away so she doesn't cause any problems! The conflict seems intentionally, I personally see him as a attention hog and everything has to be about 'Claudius'. I find him to be the bad guy of the story, causing problems and killing people unnecessarily. He is truly a terrible person and gets what is coming to him.
Theme Analysis: I feel that the theme of Act IV is deceit/forgiveness. Everyone seems to be deceiving each other, whether it be on purpose or on accident. Everyone is keeping their own secrets and it is going to get them killed. Hamlet kills Ophelia's father and tries to dispose of the body, and the King and Queen are planning to send Hamlet away without his permission. The realm of the kingdom is sickly twisted as they are all hiding secrets from each other. Hamlet just wants to love Ophelia, and nobody will let them. It is a terrible love story with a sad ending.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
DRJ #2 Hamlet: Act II
Initial Reaction: In this scene, I want to focus on Polonius. He reminds me of all the overprotective fathers in the world. He tries to convince Ophelia not to trust Hamlet, and how he isn't right for her. He is very manipulative! Polonius finds Hamlet's behavior strange and concludes to to be a broken heart of a man who can't have what he wants. He wants to please the King and Queen in any way that he can to conspire with them to find out Hamlet's true feeling for Ophelia. He doesn't seem to want whats best for his daughter, and doesn't seem to have any interest in letting her find her love.
Character Analysis: Hamlet seems like a true gentleman in Scene II. He has true love for Ophelia but is acting like a "mad" man! He has just seen the ghost of his father, and he shouldn't be freaked out? Many people are after him, such as Ophelia's father, and he tries to break the love/trust they have for each other. Hamlet isn't mad because he has lost all of his joy and descended into a state of melancholy in which everything appears sterile and worthless. He is the hero in the story I believe, he has to fight to stay alive and live out his fathers' ghosts will, and revenge his killer. He does have flaws, he shows his emotions to easily, he is a helpless romantic, while writing Ophelia love letters. The character does not intentionally cause conflict, it just seems to follow him around, people are skeptical of him and how he is behaving and he is the center of attention.
Theme Analysis: The theme of Act II would be madness. Everyone is focusing on the madness of Hamlet, and what could be causing his mood and for him to be a “too much changed” son (II.ii.36). Everyone is wondering what could be causing Hamlet to act crazy, and they think it is because of Hamlet's love for Ophelia, which caused him to have a broken heart because Ophelia has denied him. Hamlet seems to be misunderstood in everything that he does.
Character Analysis: Hamlet seems like a true gentleman in Scene II. He has true love for Ophelia but is acting like a "mad" man! He has just seen the ghost of his father, and he shouldn't be freaked out? Many people are after him, such as Ophelia's father, and he tries to break the love/trust they have for each other. Hamlet isn't mad because he has lost all of his joy and descended into a state of melancholy in which everything appears sterile and worthless. He is the hero in the story I believe, he has to fight to stay alive and live out his fathers' ghosts will, and revenge his killer. He does have flaws, he shows his emotions to easily, he is a helpless romantic, while writing Ophelia love letters. The character does not intentionally cause conflict, it just seems to follow him around, people are skeptical of him and how he is behaving and he is the center of attention.
Theme Analysis: The theme of Act II would be madness. Everyone is focusing on the madness of Hamlet, and what could be causing his mood and for him to be a “too much changed” son (II.ii.36). Everyone is wondering what could be causing Hamlet to act crazy, and they think it is because of Hamlet's love for Ophelia, which caused him to have a broken heart because Ophelia has denied him. Hamlet seems to be misunderstood in everything that he does.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
DRJ #1 Hamlet Act I
Initial Reaction: In the play Hamlet, the character that reminds me of someone I know would be Ophelia. She is in love with Hamlet, but doesn't know if she can trust him, her brother tries to talk her out of her feelings for Hamlet but she seems truly in love. She reminds me of all females in movies, real life, or fictional- every girl feels in love and have a block between them and their lover. She loves someone she may not, she has the disapproval of the king and her own brother. It's sad.
Character Analysis: Ophelia, while she wasn't in Act I very much, she still stood out to me as a character, maybe because of similar circumstances. She is one of the main characters of the play, due to her being connected to Hamlet. She has flaws, like every human being. She falls for a man that she cannot trust, and has the disapproval of many. She isn't a tragic hero I do not think. She seems to be the damsel in distress in a comic book. She is the one who needs to be saved by the hero. Her supporting character would be Hamlet, in the first Act they do not interact, but just knowing her love for Hamlet and her connection to him makes him a supporting character to her.
Theme Analysis: The theme expressed in Act I would be Love and Family. When the play opens we learn about the different characters, and find out how they are all related. It shows irony because Hamlet's uncle killing his father, was very ironic. When talking to the ghost I had a feeling that Hamlet's father's ghost would give incite into his death. Also the love between Ophelia and Hamlet is expressed in Act I, we are introduced to them and how no one approves of the relationship.
Character Analysis: Ophelia, while she wasn't in Act I very much, she still stood out to me as a character, maybe because of similar circumstances. She is one of the main characters of the play, due to her being connected to Hamlet. She has flaws, like every human being. She falls for a man that she cannot trust, and has the disapproval of many. She isn't a tragic hero I do not think. She seems to be the damsel in distress in a comic book. She is the one who needs to be saved by the hero. Her supporting character would be Hamlet, in the first Act they do not interact, but just knowing her love for Hamlet and her connection to him makes him a supporting character to her.
Theme Analysis: The theme expressed in Act I would be Love and Family. When the play opens we learn about the different characters, and find out how they are all related. It shows irony because Hamlet's uncle killing his father, was very ironic. When talking to the ghost I had a feeling that Hamlet's father's ghost would give incite into his death. Also the love between Ophelia and Hamlet is expressed in Act I, we are introduced to them and how no one approves of the relationship.
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