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Response to: http://www.ardenjacobsbritlithamlet2013.blogspot.com/

Depression Blog #3

Oh my dear Ophelia. Forgive me for my craziness. As I once said “I lov’d Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not (with all their quantity of love) make up my sum.” (5.1.280-281) and I told you too, "I did love you once." (3.1.115) People grow and we change as seasons go, I cannot promise you a love that everlasting, but I promised you my love at that moment on that day. Please forgive me for losing your trust, but don’t say I never loved you. You should know that I did, but like I said people change and it never will be the same.

Response to: http://kellyokies95.blogspot.com/

Blog Assignment # 6

What?! I cannot believe my ears. How dare you say such things mother? How dare you speak up like that and tell the world you love Claudius? Where is the love you had for my father? I feel betrayed, and I’m sure my father feels the same way. You deserve to be happy, but not if this is the way you do it. There should have been all “… forms, motes, shapes of grief.” (1.2.82) I’ve had enough. I don’t believe a single word you say, I don’t believe your “love” as you call it for Claudius is true. “Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet.” (1.2.118) In my eyes, you’re nothing but a betrayer, not a mother who’s supposed to love me.

 Response to: http://kellyokies95.blogspot.com/

Blog Assignment #1

“He hasn’t been himself recently and while I know that the death of his father is weighing heavily on his mind I think it’s time that he puts it behind him and move on with his life.” What mother says this about her son, right after losing his father? That one man who I honestly and truly could trust without doubting? Mother, I have always loved you, but I think you’re losing it. “Have you forgot me?” (3.4.15) you asked me. Yes mother, I think I have. I can’t no longer see the real you, who you used to be. “You are my mother.” (3.4.15) but you’re not really there anymore.

Response to: http://andrewwoodruffhamlet.blogspot.com

Woe is Hamlet? #1

How dare you call me your son? I will never stand next to you as your son or anything close to that. You betrayed your own brother, whom loved you dearly. I am his son, not yours. “A brothers murder” (3.3.38) that’s what you are Claudius, nothing but a cold hearted murderer. “A villain kills my father” (3.3.79) and expect me to live with that, and do nothing? No, that’s not how I do it. You don’t have the right to be here, and one day you’ll realize that and you’ll see the truth. When you’re finally gone and don’t have a choice.

Response to: http://andrewwoodruffhamlet.blogspot.com

Spying, Gentlemen!

Just like my mother you too believe I have fallen too hard, and mourning over my father’s death is inappropriate. You say it isn’t healthy for me to grief over it. I tell you wrong. The process of getting oneself back onto their feet is up to each individual. “…you must know your father lost a father/that father lost, lost his…” (1.2.89-90) you said to me. Of course I am well aware of this, but that does not change this situation. You ask my old and dear friends to come here, tell them to lie and not tell me the truth why they’re here. “My lord, I came to see your father’s funeral.” (1.2.176) Yeah right, we all know they did not come for that reason. My uncle things I’m crazy and that’s all there is.

Response to: http://andrewwoodruffhamlet.blogspot.com

Ophelia’s Criticism

I could not disagree more with what you’re saying Claudius. It was not the lack of people in the castle surrounding Ophelia that made her “crazy” She was a very fine young woman and could without a problem stand on her own feet and didn’t rely on anyone. You didn’t know anything about mine and Ophelia’s relationship so don’t dare speak about it. You only heard and believed what Polonius told you, “At such time I’ll loose my daughter to him.” (2.2.163) you’ve heard the words “Honest, my lord?” so why is it that hard for you to go through with it. 

Seperate Ways

 Journey -Seperate ways

Here we stand
Worlds apart, hearts broken in two, two, two sleepless nights
Losing ground, I’m reaching for you, you, you
Feelin' that it's gone can change your mind
If we can't go on to survive the tide, love divides
Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched and went our separate ways
If he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you
Though we touched and went our separate ways
Troubled times
Caught between confusion and pain, pain, pain
Distant eyes
Promises we make were in vain, in vain, in vain
If you must go, I wish you love
You'll never walk alone, take care, my love
Miss you, love
Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched and went our separate ways
If he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you
Though we touched and went our separate ways
Oh, someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
If he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you
I still love you, girl
I really love you, girl
And if he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you, no no

If I were to plan my own funeral, and be a part of the preparations I sure have some saying in what's going to happen during the ceremony and the event. A funeral is supposed to be in memory of the on that passed, we should honor them and their life’s. In my funeral I won't just remember me and my life, but I want to honor those I cherished and hold dared to me. My dear Ophelia, "I did love you once." (3.1.115) we have had our “Troubled times

Caught between confusion and pain, pain, pain” (Separate ways) it was hard to move on and keep holding my head straight up, it really was “… a sea of troubles.” (3.2.59) I take you with me and the memories I have.

“Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death.” (1.2.1) My father died, and we “went our separate ways” (Separate ways) The life we had together all so suddenly changed. “… forms, motes, shapes of grief.” (1.2.82) He took a different path, it wasn’t his choice but he did. He left me with “…a weary life.” (3.1.77) but as the song (played in my funeral) keep saying “Oh, someday love will find you” (Separate ways) One day, I will, and everybody will find love and it’ll be okay again.



- Hamlet

 

 

 

In the end they're all a little bit crazy

“I lov’d Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not (with all their quantity of love) make up my sum.” (Hamlet: 5.1.270-273) But how is it that she turned this insane? That delicate and fragile girl, is now become madness itself. Now, I should be nicer, I don’t believe she is all crazy. For that little she is, she does have her reasons.  There was so much pressure on her at all times; she was in the head light just like me. For a young girl like her, it’s understandable that she eventually cracked. I’ve been rough on her, and maybe said things I shouldn’t have. I said once to her she should go into "Nunnery" (3.1.9) and I don’t like the idea of me running her, but I kept bringing her down and crushing her with my words. "I loved you not" (3.1.8)

“She must have known as well as either of them that Looed Hamlet was a prince out of her star.” (Seng 218) were Seng’s words about Ophelia, and how her status was next to mine. I don’t think that it should have mattered that much and I don’t think it did for her. Obviously she thought she loved me, and so did my mom, “I hoped thou shouldnst have been my Hamlet’s wife” (Hamlet: 5.1.240) So that Ophelia saw a future with me, it makes sense.

There is still sanity in her; I believe she is still good in her mind, so I don’t agree completely on what Peter J. Seng says. For Ophelia (…) Denmark has become a prison, and she is all alone at Elsinore. It is the realization of this (…) that destroys her sanity.” (Seng 218-129) I agree that Denmark was turning into a prison for her yes, with her brother away and she just lost her dad I knew it wasn’t easy. And for a while, the position she had with being torn between her dad, brother and me. Telling her not so see me again, she answered “I shall obey my Lord” (1.4.10) I believe this was a part of what eventually made her mind go lose. It tipped over the edge when her father died, killed by her lover, me. Her heart is broken and torn.  She is depressed and with that comes her crazy days, I guess all girls have them anyway. 

Assigment #4

·         Locate imagery that refers to the uncertainty of death.
“Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;” (l.9)

“For in that sleep of death what dreams may come” (l.11)

“But that dread of something after death, the undiscover’d country from whose bourn.” (ll.23-24)

·         Identify imagery that refers to the negative experiences of life.

“The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arm against a sea of troubles.” (ll.3-4)

“…under a weary life,” (l.22)

·         Appeals: Which appeal(s) does Hamlet use to convince and/or motivate his audience? Reference specific lines.

  Pathos: Appeal to the emotions or interest of the audience
He shows his feelings and emotions through his word choice and the way he present them.
“To be, or not to be: is the question:” (l.1)

“The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks” (l.7)

 

-          Throughout the whole speech Hamlet grabs the reader’s attention by using different literary devices. There is constantly something that make you turn around and read twice to understand it better and go deeper behind what it means. Two of the metaphors uses is “Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,” (l.4) and “…to sleep; no more; and by a sleep we say we end the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.”

I watched the four different versions of Hamlet's speech. The words are all the same and they are trying to convey the same thing, but still there is so much that makes them completely different. The sound, setting, costumes and props and camera angles are all different elements to make video and speech come alive in their own way, and give something different to the audience.

In the first video I watched, Kenneth Branagh did a good job. It was very straight forward, simple and easy, which gives the audience the change to focus on the words and the meaning. Throughout all the different mis en scene elements, we can see this pattern, all the focus is on the words and the presentation of the words and it’s simple. There is no sound, except from Hamlets own voice. The only props being used is a tiny and simple knife/ sword and a mirror. Costumes are kept casual to fit the time, situation and role of the character. The camera angle is focusing on him, and it’s always on the same level as his eyes, looking at him, not down or up. He’s standing still the whole time, which against only takes the focus on the speech and the words.

The second video I watched was set outside, where Hamlet (played by Laurence Oliver) is sitting on top of a big rock. This video is also kept simple, but they change it up a little bit by using sound effects like the waves smashing into the shore. The costumes this time is also made to fit the time and situation for when the scene takes place. This time the camera angle is slightly looking up at him, and sometimes is switches to looking into his eyes close up.

The third video, this time played by Mel Gibson, was places in a cellar/ basement. The scene starts with him walking down the steps, and throughout the whole speech he keep himself moving or in action doing something. This time more props are used, there are props around the scene that he uses while he speaks. The camera angle is focusing on his face some of the time, looking at him in the same level as his head. He is dressed the same way as the others; to fit the time we’re set in. No background sounds

The last video, Hamlet was played by Ethan Hawke. This video was the one most different from the other ones. The time was set in more modern days in a library, or book store, where he wsa walking down the aisle of action books. Throughout the whole video the element of action shows up, and gives an effect us a visual effect of what he is talking about. The camera switches from being close to his face showing emotions, and keeping his whole body in the screen to capture the movements, again the emphasize action. His cloths are from the modern days and not too fancy, but not too casual either. In this video there is some voice over and non- diegetic sounds.

For me the first one is the most effective. I find the focus on his words and meaning interesting instead of focusing on the surrounding and background sounds. The focus is all on him, and I’ts kept simple. Just the way I like it, I don’t see the need to complicate things. Tell the truth as it is, simple.

So Confused

To all my dear readers who, willingly or not, reads all my unfinished thoughts and feelings. It’s a mess. “O, my prophetic soul! My uncle?” (1.5.140-141)There seem to be no end of all the misery. There are so many different sides and versions of the truth and the lies. Therefore, I have changed my layout for my blog. I figured my bright and happy color I had didn’t really do much good to what I was trying to express.  So, the idea and purpose behind my layout now is simple, you will always find different stories told about the exact same event, they are all layers on top of each other, making out a mess, only to confuse the spectators and readers. Just like “Words, words, words.” (2.2.191) Behind one story told, there would be someone else telling the complete opposite, just for the heck of it and to gain something from the situation. I heard my dear “friend” Polonius say “You need not tell us what Lord Hamlet said, we heard it all” (3.1.182-183) that pointed this perfectly out. I’m so frustrated and at the same time confused. Hence why I brought in some red colors in my blog. Do love exist at all?

- Hamlet                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

I want revenge

The Princess Bride- trailer

“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” (The Princess Bride)

Oh, how I wish I could say words such as these. How I wish to put these words to action, but I can’t do such thing. I feel it inside of me, how my anger gets to me. There is no such thing as love in this world anymore. It’s brutal and cruel. Try to find honesty and you’ll find yourself looking for years, “Ay sir, to be honest as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.” (2.2.178-179.) the truth is out there, and someone will be willing to tell it, how they do it is a different question. “When it proves otherwise?” (2.2.156) what proof? There is no such thing as this when the truth is still hidden. There are so many versions of the truth, and people find it okay to tell lies and avoid telling the truth if the result from lying comes to their benefits.  

 I’m mad and hurt and I want everybody else to feel it as well. Polonius words about me, “Into the madness wherein now he raves.” (2.2.150) This might be true, am I going insane? I met Polonius the other day and he sure got hit by some of my anger and frustration. I told him “… you are a fishmonger.” (2.2.174) Maybe I should not have done this, but I did. It’s not fair to me that in this mess I’m the only one who’s hurting like this. My words to all the people out there, “These tedious old fool.” (2.2.217.) my words to make them feel like they’ve done wrong, but I do know my limits. I’m in the spotlight, and I have to behave.

I want to find the man who put my father down, and replaced him. I want him to feel like I do now, and worse. Take everything he holds dear away from him. 

-          Hamlet

 

To all my readers,

My feelings are so torn, but yet all the same. In grief of losing my dear father whom I loved so dearly, I stand before the new life that this brought. My mom has remarried, it’s all so soon. I need my time to think and to let my feelings have their time to grow naturally. There was no time for that, because only a month later my uncle grabs his chance and takes my father’s place and my mother’s hand in marriage. His words were harsh when he spoke them, “Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen.” (1.1.8) For me there is no sense in this, how could my own mother do that to her own husband and son? She remarries not only just after two month after the funeral, but to my uncle by blood. “But two months dead, nay not so much, not two, so excellent a king, that was to this hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother,” (1.2.138-140) They loved each other so dearly, my parents. They were happy, or at least that’s what I thought. Maybe my mother didn’t love my father that way; it was just too complex for her to do anything about it. What if my whole life was a lie? The family I grew up in is all broke up now, and nothing will ever be the same.   

Sometimes I try to look at it from my uncle’s perspective, but I can’t let myself feel empathy for him. He killed his brother and yet he seems to not have a single care about that. I know he keep talking about how we lost our King and it’s all a part of the nature how things work, but it’s natural to be in grief and sorrow, but I can’t see that in my uncles eyes. “Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death, the memory be green, and that is us befitted to bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom.” (1.2.1-3) he said to the people gathered one day. He looks pleased, like this is how he wanted things to go.

How can this be right in any way? Pain, that’s what he should feel. I try to find reasonable explanations for what happened, anything that can make sense, but it can’t. What made him so envy of his brother? I thought he was a good guy, someone my father and I could trust someone who appreciated what we did for him. There is so much anger inside of me now, I want to get it out there and be mad at the world for letting something like this go its way. How can I live with this feeling, knowing the truth? “O, my prophetic soul! My uncle?” (1.2.40-41) Does my mother know that her husband took his brother’s life, took her son’s fathers life?  I’ve always known there were trouble and things done wrong in this world, but I would not guess that family like this could put their own selfishness in front of their family’s happiness and life’s. For me there is no answer to this. There is only pure hate and gruesomeness.

 

Coping with his hasn’t been easy. I’ve prayed for a response, a sign or something to keep me going and holding my head up. Right now it seems impossible though. For anybody who’s lost their father, they know it isn’t easy, because a father’s role in a young’s sons’ life is significant. Some days I don’t see why there is no reason to go on, and continue this life.  “Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, nor customary suits of solemn black, nor windy suspiration of forced breath, nor, the fruitful river in the eye.” (1.2.77-80)

I thank you all for listening to me, it’s rough now and life isn’t easy. We’ll have to see what happens next.

- Hamlet

 

 

 

 

This is my blog
- Hamlet