And Then There Were None

Hamlet exemplifies the model of a Shakespearean tragedy. While there is not a cut and dry formula, Hamlet complies closely with the general elements that constitute a Shakespearean tragedy. Shakespeare's rubric for tragedy follows that of Aristotle closely. The play's central character must be a tragic hero, such as Hamlet. In addition, the tragic hero must be someone great to draw pity and feeling from those watching. Hamlet is the son of one of the mightiest men Denmark has ever behold, and the Hamlet is the heir to the throne. As Hamlet describes his father: "So excellent a king, that was to this / Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother / That he might not beteem the winds of heaven / Visit her face too roughly" (1.2.143-146). The stakes would not be as high if the tragic hero were a mere surf because an entire nation's future wouldn't hold in the balance. The play must be about one individual. Tragedy is experienced by an individual and often arises from a shifting of perspectives within one's head and isn't a tangible, outer physical force. Nor can it a group of people simultaneously experiencing the same tragedy with the same emotions. Hence, the play focusing on an individual. Furthermore, with adherence to the model of a Shakespearean tragedy, there must be hope, ambition, or an element of determination within the protagonist. Hamlet is ambitious and determined to avenge his father's death. However, the hope or ambition must encounter disaster or roadblocks. Hamlet works his way through a tangle of lies and schemes to exact his eventual revenge on Claudius.  Another component that qualifies Hamlet as a Shakespearean tragedy is Hamlet's use of soliloquies. The audience naturally forms ideas and to some extent sympathizes with the tragic events the protagonist experiences, but a soliloquy allows Hamlet a chance to share feelings intended to draw pity and sadness from the audience. Hamlet's most famous soliloquy is beautifully worded and tastefully dark: "To be or not to be---that is the question:" (3.1.64). Finally, there is catharsis. Catharsis is the reason why we are drawn to tragedies despite knowing that we will be saddened. When done correctly, the end of the tragedy will have an intense emotional impact on the audience but also leave them in a calm state because all the hot emotion has already been spent earlier in the play. In Hamlet, this is most nearly when almost all the major characters die tragic deaths in the last scene. This massacre of a sort begs the question, why is it so tragic? In the case of Hamlet, it is deaths of everyone we are taught to love and hate, when the deaths themselves are unnecessary. The most tragic part of Hamlet is that all the murders in the last scene could have been prevented. For example, Claudius carelessly poisons a glass of wine intended for Hamlet but sloppily allows Hamlet's mother to drink it instead. Gertrude drinks from the poisoned glass and Claudius reacts calmly with an aside: "It is the poisoned cup. It is too late" (5.2.319). Everything expounded on just begins to scratch the tangible, understandable surface of that which constitutes the essence of a Shakespearean tragedy.

To Be OR Not To Be

Before adding the videos, I would like to point out that the overwhelming majority of people who say "to be or not to be" in regular life haven't a clue as to what it means! This video is of a man who takes his Shakespeare very seriously. He puts emphasis on the more "intense" words, and he makes a substantial effort to not break eye contact. He doesn't seem to grasp the meaning of what he is saying because he forces the emotion and doesn't build up or cool down, he stays consistent through his speech. Also, he appears distinctly angry! Hamlet may be emotionally volatile while ranting, but anger isn't the chief emotion. Hamlet sinks himself into an intense, manic depression and expresses it through an eloquent outpouring of words.

The second video is well done. Both videos are independent projects and done by regular people, but that is why they are so interesting. The readers' interpretation of Hamlet is what matters the most. Hamlet in the second video is played by a guy who is obviously not an actor, but should consider being one. He is detached and pondering, or pensive, with his words. The words flow and appear to be the actor's thoughts, not mere lines. I do not imagine Hamlet as an angry, overly tense man burning through dialogue, but as an intelligent, depressed man pondering life and death. The actor in the second video portrays Hamlet in a far better way than any I've seen before.

"What an ass am I!"

Hamlet believes himself to be pathetic, an ass if you will. Hamlet says, "what an ass am I!" then continues to dig himself into a deeper hole of self-pity. He rants about prompts from Heaven and Hell urging him to avenge his father, but recognizes himself as coward for not doing so. Also, he compares himself to kitchen slaves as Hamlet and the slaves both rant about their heartaches through melodramatic delivery of words. Hamlet's single line, "what an ass am I!" illustrates his inner turmoil very accurately. Claudius' alleged crime was only told to Hamlet recently by a manipulative ghost; reservations with murdering his uncle and king seem normal. But Hamlet doesn't see it that way. He considers his actions, or inaction, cowardice because he blindly believes in the ghost of his deceased father. Hamlet's hesitation to assassinate his kin manifests itself as weakness in Hamlet's mind. This weakness, or cowardice, provides fuel for Hamlet to bury his head in the sand and ignore logic and charge ahead with plans to murder his uncle.

This is how I picture Hamlet while he wallows in self-pity.

Hamlet

Hamlet resembles a teenager. His snarky comments towards his mother and new "father" are what one would expect from a young adult. Hamlet's first line, "A little more than kin and less than kind."(1.2.67) is incredibly sarcastic, and because those words are Hamlet's first, they are packed with meaning. Hamlet's following two lines, "Not so, my lord; I am too much in the sun." (1.2.69) and "Ay, madam, it is common." (1.2.76) are just as sarcastic as his first, if not more so. The second and third of Hamlet's line both utilize puns to contribute to their already clever wording.  In modern fiction, Hamlet shares qualities with any male, teenager star of a coming-of-age film. A few examples would be Judd Nelson from the Breakfast Club, Michael Schoeffling from Sixteen Candles, and even Ferris Bueller. Nelson is infamous for his wise guy retorts, which young Hamlet can relate to. Another "side" of Hamlet is his romantic and sensitive side which Ophelia seems to take to warmly, Schoeffling, again, holds strong resemblances to Hamlet. Finally, there is Ferris Bueller, the charismatic hero of teenagers worldwide. Hamlet and Bueller are both wise guys who like to do... well...whatever it is they like to do.   Hamlet may not be as flagrant about flaunting rules, but the two still have alikeness.

Breakfast Club: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eifZlYwmDj4

Miniver Cheevy and Harrison Bergeron

The juxtaposition between Miniver Cheevy and Harrison Bergeron is ridiculous. Miniver Cheevy is written by someone who allows themselves to be constrained by modern limits and blames their misdoings upon society. Not only does Miniver Cheevy wallow in his self-pity, but he glorifies what he would have been like in medieval times. Realistically, Robinson is far more equipped to succeed in today's society than he ever would have been in an ancient one.

While Miniver Cheevy wails about his foul luck of being born in the wrong time period, Harrison Bergeron is born into a society infinitely more suppressing society than that of Miniver. To further Harrison Bergeron's misfortune, the society he exists in is terrible for him specifically. If Bergeron had been less gifted, he may have fit in well, however, he is bountifully blessed... or cursed.

Both characters have dramatically different reactions to their current situations. Miniver Cheevy adopts a defeatist attitude and consoles himself with drink. Harrison Bergeron does nothing to excuse himself, but takes his ideals even further by making an attempt to change the society he lives in to accommodate him. Of course Harrison Bergeron takes it to the extreme by making himself into a martyr, but it is still better than resigning oneself to misery as Miniver Cheevy elects to do.

We spend too much time living in the ‘what if’ and need to learn to live in the ‘what is.’

-Rev. Leroy Allison

Where we have to go.

Does anybody truly wish to depart Omelas? Omelas is the epitome of sheer pleasure and irresponsibility. Littered with hedonists and philanderers, Omelas is a guilty pleasure taken to an unprecedented extreme. But, deep within the city of Omelas is a child who redefines misery. An audacious few leave the sinful city. The few who leave are motivated by what is right...

LeGuin's story shows how people must go where they need to go. If our entire race were given the choice to remain where they are or be whisked away to a place similar to Omelas, many would leave. However, the remaining people would represent the portion of the population that understands their duty to go where they need to, and not where they want to. LeGuin stresses the importance of making the correct decision with his story. The juxtaposition of the people of Omelas and the miserable child are the starkest display of the story's message.

A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality.

-Winston Churchill

Oh Baby!

Sylvia Plath's poem, Metaphors, initially left me confused. Consequently, I shut my literature book and brooded over it for several hours. After making no progress, I took a deep breath and reopened the book to Plath's poem. This time around I decided to implement "the chunking method." After successfully breaking down the poem, I had gotten nowhere. With no other route available, I chose to hone in on the first line which claimed her poem was a riddle. Then a sudden epiphany occurred like a lightbulb flicking on above the head of an animated character in Sunday morning cartoons. Each line consists of nine syllables. 

The realization opened a floodgate of understanding for me. Plath was speaking about herself during a pregnancy. Once I understood this, every line became clear and brilliant. "A melon strolling on two tendrils," (717) was referring to the melon as her baby and the legs as the two tendrils. However, shift happens beginning on line seven and from that point on, the poem grows darker. Plath then identifies herself as "... a means, a stage..."(717) which suggests Plath is far from joyous and potentially considers herself to be independent of her child and doesn't feel a connection. "Metaphors" is a wonderfully crafted poem, but depressing too.

Reading about Plath's life eased me into a sullen mood, so today I am including a quote which will hopefully fix that. 

"The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score." -Bill Copeland

Keep Digging

"Digging"

Within the first few lines of Heaney's poem, the separation between the author and his father is illustrated. Seamus, indoors with a pen in hand, and his father, outside, handling a spade.  Already there is a difference between the father and son. Also, it is said the pen rests, "snug as a gun." (730) Heaney most likely chose the word gun as a metaphor to explain how the he defends his passion for writing in a farming community through words. Further along in the poem, the lines "...the old man could handle a spade/Just like his old man," (730) appear. This indicates how long the author's family has existed at the old farm and dug up potatoes. However, it also makes Seamus' writing seem that much more unordinary because it is breaking a century or more of tradition. Finally, after much vivid imagery relating to the author's father and grandfather digging in the fields, shift happens. Seamus states, "But I've no spade to follow men like them." (731), and then proceeds to say he'll dig with his pen. This is a brilliant metaphor because the majority of the poem is describing the way in which the Heaneys dug, and how well they could dig. When applied to the author's writing you have an excellent rendering of the skill and potential of Seamus.

Manifesting that order of poetry where we can at last grow up to that which we stored up as we grew.
-Seamus Heaney

"To the Ladies" and "Eveline"

"To the Ladies" and "Eveline"

Both of these stories deal with expectations that are put upon women. Chudleigh's view is noticeably darker and more cynical. The perspective in "To the Ladies" is through the eyes of a woman that has been required to be subservient and a "servant." Chudleigh makes references to her role being no different from that of a servent. Furthermore, the verb obey is used on the fifth line, and obey has connotations that when applied to a woman in marriage are distinctly negative. Also, Chudleigh puts emphasis on the impossibility of dividing the marriage by repeating the word "nothing." What's interesting in both of these stories is the foreverness of their positions. Lady Chudleigh specifically mentions that nothing can divide her from her haughty husband, while Eveline finds it too difficult to abandon the responsibilities tormenting her. It must be included that while there are a few similarities, these two stories are different in a few extremely important ways. First, one is fiction and the other is based off of real life experiences. Secondly, Eveline was offered an opportunity for a different life while Chudleigh, apparently, was denied that. Lastly, Eveline's responsibilities largely lay in caring for her family, on the other hand, the Lady's duty is to be dutiful to her husband. Let me know what you think!

“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” 
― Virginia Woolf

I thought it was a thought provoking quote and related to the topic at hand.

My Wordle

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5635349/Untitled

A little bit of blogging

Distinguished readers,

Welcome to my blog. If you are not interested in literature or writing I encourage you to promptly exit this window, otherwise feel free to prowl around my page and establish a feel for my literary preferences and opinions. Also, I will be including a quote that I find valuable in each and every one of my posts. Interpret it as you will.

I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
-William Penn