last one I promise...

ok... the hours. I know rewind, right? but yeah so I think the hours was a pretty chill book. I don't really feel like there was much I could get out of it. the one thing worth while was the style it was written ("an ordinary mind in an ordinary day") but the plot wasn't to astonishing nor the characters. Just typical people which is the obvious goal of the author. But yeah nothing too special. I wish I could say it was jaw dropping. but I do like the perspective the author gives on life a death and all the simplicities and complexities that lie between. so I appreciated it for the most part. but couldn't something cooler happen on this ordinary day... nothing. she bought flowers.

House of the Seven... what?

I think that I should get an "A" for being the first studen tin the history of this blogto use a picture in their post. Automatic extra credit. But yeah when I picked this book out I didn't know what a gable was. But yeah I know now... took me a while. It's a good thing that it wasn't a very critical part in the book beause I probably would have missed the whole main idea.

But moving on the book is simply a disappointment not because the actually book was bad but the fact companieslike Disney and Pixar did their best to ruin it for us all. I knew I recognized the plot once they began describiing the house with human characteristics. Sound familiar??? Of course it does. But it is still an awesome story and I recommend it to anyone looking for an awesome story that is a fairly easy to read. Have fun team...

Insanity is a sandwich sign hung on the shoulders of people who refuse to adhere to society. I will not discount the people whose brain fails to see the message the way that their optic nerve received it, like a horrible game of telephone. There are real crazy people in the world, but I can’t help but to come to the conclusion that Shakespeare either did not believe in insanity or he really found the root of craziness in those who society has deemed sane. I think that the illustrations of both Hamlet and Ophelia are very much parallel. Both have lost a father and both have lost trust in someone that they had previously held very dear to them. Although Hamlet’s soliloquies and Ophelia’s singing seem a bit pathetic and overdone, this is a drama and humans can only function with a certain number of feet on the ground; when the two characters are leveled, their feet swept out from under them, there is not much keeping the bleak horizon from closing in. For both characters, this condition is not their fault. Hamlet’s father is killed by his mother and uncle and he is enlightened of the occurrence through his father’s ghost. Ophelia’s father is stabbed to death by the man she thought was the love of her life. Both are betrayed by other people, and I think that this desolate existence is what Shakespeare was trying to depict. Not only do I think it pertains to the two lovers, but I think that it is the way that Shakespeare sees the human condition. In some ways, death is not the greatest agony, sometimes life is. Hamlet and Ophelia, undermined by the wickedness of humankind, are turned to face death as a way to be “shuffled off this mortal coil”. We complain and suffer at the hands of other humans, and even insanity can be attributed to the incompetence, ruthlessness, and greediness of people around us.

Shakespeare is a crowd pleaser. If he lived today, he would be rocking the mushroom pants, the puffy sleeves and the ruffled shirts down the red carpet. He would not be the guy making the boring documentaries or the trashy reality television shows, he would be the writing the screenplays that are making millions of dollars at the box office. He never fails to tell a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Incest, death, violence, lust, love, lunacy, suicide, anger, and execution… what more could he have possibly packed in there? The story is still alive. But the fact that this is the where the English language comes from baffles me. How we got from there to here seems like the jump from Neanderthal to Homo Sapien- or maybe the backwards jump- but I feel like somewhere in there has to be the missing link. Shakespeare writes in a foreign time period where people spoke the way the he wrote.

Ending it with Blood

This book, personally, was quite interesting. Sex, murder, and suicide took place in practically everyone of the scenes. I'm still trying to decide if Hamlet was absolutly crazy though. When looking back to when it all started, I honestly think it was all an act but I kind of want to hear what everyone else thinks...so post those comments!!
Good Book...Crappy Movie

Pretending

There is a lot of pretending going on in this play. Hamlet acting mad, tha actors acting out the murder, the king acting innocent, and so on. Shakespeare is trying to represent all of the acting that goes on in real life, people pretending to be who they really aren't just to conform into the society they live in. Shakespeare doesn't believe in this. First of all, all of the fake characters end up dead. Horatio who has been true doesn't die. We see that even if short gains are made by covering oneself up it isn't worth in the end. Also, most conspicuous is Polonius message to Laretes "be true to thine ownself". A prominent theme that Shakespeare reinforces throughout the play. The question Hamlet askx, "To be or not to be" is a question that each of must answer everyday. all of the characters face this question and some chosae truth and some chose false.
Additionally, I think the use of actors in the play make the play seem more real to the audience. It connects them with the characters because they can say, hey, thery're watching a play just like I am, this could happen in my life. Because Shakespeare makes his play seem more realistic to the viewers, his themes resonate all the stronger. We can see a little bits of ourselves in each of the characters and that causes us to reevalueate them and ourselves. However, he also uses royalty to paint a more intense drama and keep a little separation between entertainment and real life. I liked this play because of the drama and action portrayed by conflict between the true and fake characters.

Inevitable Death

To me it seems that a large part of Hamlet's meaning lies in the inevitablity of death. Hamlet explores this when questioned about the whereabouts of Polonius's corpse 4.3.21-28. As well as in the scene where he comes across the gravediggers, and comes to face the skull of the old jester. I think that this inevitablity is also where a large part of the purpose in killing almost all of the characters at the end is. At the end all the characters regardless of political standing, effort, or gender all die. Characters that labored away to achieve high reaching goals, regardless of how hard they struggle die. Claudius works to become the king, Hamlet & Laertes to avenge their fathers' murders, etc. All of them die. They are all equalized and become food for the worms and maggots. The amount of effort they put into life, the stature they achieved, etc. nothing can prevent their death. All men are equal before the reaper's scythe. I think that this is one of the most important central themes.

ok, for real this time; Death

one of the views that we see on death, is that death is the great equalizer of all time. Like Hamlet says in the scene where he is watching the gravedigger sing while he works, he says that the skull that the gravedigger tosses out of the grave might have been a very wealthy, very prominent man, and now they are being tossed around as if the gravedigger were playing "loggets" (5,1,94) with them. Another way that he puts it, is that one of the skulls he throws out, might have been able to sing when it was living, is dashed to the ground as if " 'twere Cain's jawbone" (5,1,79). It's seen, then, that it doesn't matter where you are in the social status, you will end up the same as the most benevolent king, even it you are the poorest, dirtiest peasant.

Stayed is The Hand...

through out Hamlet there is hesitation and its counter rash action. Too little tought leads to, acording to shakespeare to, tragedy and heated revenge but, too much tought stays the hand and leaves one's plan gone to waste. Hamlet demonstrates the worst of both worlds he wounds his "brother" and "kills" Ophelia with a rash choice but leaves him, his mother and others slain through his lack of action and too much thought.

Death from Above

As many would agree with me, this play seems to revolve around the idea of death, in many different ways. There is death from suicide, assination, manslaughter, and just mere bad luck leading to death. I can understand, from Shakespeare time, that death was a very prevalent. There was the plague, which happend to kill almost a third of the population in Europe alone. Then there were public hangings and decapatations, random duels leading one dead, and one mostlikely stabbed or hacked. Also, after Polonius' death Hamlet states the cycle of life, and how a begger may end up eating a king, by having the king burried where he is decomposing and worms start to eat the king. The worm is then picked and used for fishing bait, where the fish eats the worm, and the fish is then stolen from a stand by a begger, who is unknowingly eating the once alive King. All in all, when I was first informed that we were going to read Hamlet, I was not looking forward to it, but I enjoyed the play thoroughly even with all the death in it. I'm sure if i grew up in those times, I would have more prevalently found myself thinking of death, or I would be more acceptable of death.

shakespears to be or not to be.

its funny to read others talk about why hamlet hesitated to kill the king, and of what becomes of the rest of the characters because of that hesitation, what role does fate play in the play? :) these are all questions that Shakespear had to answer and consider when writting his tragedy. the tradgedy part pretty much answers the questions its self. shakespear chose not to be for his characters, the beauty of the play is the development of the plot, the time line in which the story unfolds and the situations Shakespear creats to allow his characters to be.

oh Hamlet

facebook... ha ha never. this is way better than facebook. the only problem is no chat... ha ha. but moving on. I think that Hamlet is a really pathetic guy. honestly. you see this same type of drama on Jerry Springer. (not to this extreme) but non the least they have weird family issues that usually involve murder and incest. so I think he over reacted for sure. and too be honest I'm glad he died. it was like karma. that's what you get for trying to kill other people, one day you have to die yourself. and I think Ophelia croaking over, was also payback for hamlet's over reaction. He needed to chill out and understand that it's hard to lose your dad. and especially when your uncle is the one that kills him. but he could have acted a little bit more mature like. talked to him about it, have him admit it, then kill him. but you don't have to do all this crazy manipulation because then neither win. and that is made evident when they both die at the end along with hamlet's mom and true love frined and foe. what wieners.

Death, Love, Betrayal and Horrid Facial Hair

This play is most definitely ranked higher in my book of books than any other novel we have read in this class, sorry Lavender. There was a lot more action and a lot more drama to keep me completely entertained.

"Love"
The romance in this novel is not as important of a part as the other themes, however it is present. The only true romance is between Ophelia and Hamlet, the feelings between the King and Queen are fake and disgusting. Ophelia and Hamlet do truly love each other, however, his act at being insane ruins their relationship. There is love between the family members but it is a different kind of love obviously. Hamlet loved his father and that is what drives him to end the life of his father's killer. Laertes loved his father and sister and that is what pushed him to want to destroy Hamlet. The family bonds are very strong in this novel and I admire that.

"Betrayal"
The family bonds are strong, however, Claudius is an exception to that. He put power ahead of the love for his brother and nephew. After betraying his brother by poisoning him and stealing his thrown, he attempts to murder his suspicious nephew, Hamlet. I hate Claudius for everything he put his family through. I blame everything on him. Had he not murdered his brother, Hamlet would not have pretended to be crazy and drive Ophelia to suicide. Polonius wouldn't have been hiding from Hamlet and wouldn't have been slain. All of these peoples deaths can resort back to Claudius' mistake.

"Death"
Shakespeare seems to always have the main character die, he thoroughly enjoys it I am convinced. I do think that all of these deaths were necessary though. It adds onto the betrayal idea. The consequences of betrayal and murder are proven to be extreme at times.

Death

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.... nead i say more?

???

throughout the play hamlet is found thinking about what to do more than actually doing something, i think he could have been more decisive. But i do see why its not like that, it keeps your mind racing and it keeps you reading. I was very satisfied with the whole play, especially the ending, i love how its not like everything else that ends all happy. The ending is brutual and amazing, its so cool how eveyone just gets poisoned and dies. It could have had a little more action, but it was good. I love how sick and twisted this play is, the uncle kills the dad then picks up the mom. Its so f***ed up and i really love it. I love how it was a play within a play that was pretty crazy. There wasnt really anything i didnt like it had sex,violence and some crazy twists. GOOD PICK LAV DAWG

Hamlet

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It has some very interesting plot and themes to it. I by far thought the play inside the play was one of the best scenes. "The Mouse Trap" was a perfect way to show that the king was guilty and to put the pressure on him. Hamlet does an amazing job with his revenger, although it doesn't exactly go as plan. I can't believe that Shakespeare killed off so many people it the end. It was just so strange with all of the poison going around. It was done very well in the book, but the movie not so much. It was way too cheesy. Overall I think this is probably my favorite book that we have read so far. It's got some very interesting characters, some pretty out there scenes. It was a fun read and i'm excited to write an actual paper on it.

We're All Fodder

Towards the end of Act Four when Hamlet arrives at the revelation that all beings are one in the same; the web of life is all that connects us as creatures living on Earth. When being interrogated as to the whereabouts of Palonius’ corpse Hamlet describes the cycle of life quite poignantly, “…we fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots.” Inevitably we all survive off each other, we fatten up the cows to drink their milk and eat their meat, and we die after surviving off the cow and feed the decomposers below. Each species is interconnected and relies upon one another. This theme of things and people being connected is developed further when Hamlet delves into the realm of insanity after his father’s death, this lunacy eventually leaves Palonius’ bloody, morbid corpse lying motionless on the floor after Hamlet stabs him. Ophelia hears of her father’s death and is also driven insane, the loss of her beloved father is too much to bear just like Hamlet. This madness is eventually the death of both Hamlet and Ophelia. The insanity also indirectly steals the life of Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Palonius, in the end Hamlet’s obsession with his father’s death and taking revenge inevitably leaves each main character in the play lifeless. This fascination serves as the web that connects each character, like the web that connects each species; the web of life.

Hammy

Personally, i thoroughly enjoyed Hamlet. The themes it addressed kept me intrigued and my mind wondering. I found the familial aspect and the respect for royal blood to be my main point of focus. The obligations and desires of each family member send the plot spiraling downward to one final, climactic scene; the fencing match between Laertes and Hamlet. This scene depicts everything Shakespeare was trying to convey with this work. The struggle between life and death, hesitation, and absolutes.
The introduction of Fortinbras and his ability to act brashly provides the plot with two ends to a spectrum. You have Fortinbras who conquers Denmark on a whim, without hesitation, and then you have Hamlet, who cannot act without first thinking the situation over deeply, often resulting in overthinking, which then results in a missed opportunity and a contribution to his self-destruction.

NOTHING to do with Hamlet!

Due to tech problems...this is simply a test to see if anything of mine will blog...