"The Rainbow"

Original Essay:
Familiarity was "enough for the men" (1). Their power was automatic, and they never questioned what they had, because they just had it. Their power was generational, familiar, unknown. In D.H. Lawrence's The Rainbow, he uses polysyndeton, repetition, and rhetorical questions to compare the woman to the Brangwen men, explaining that she wants something different from them: knowledge.

From the very first paragraph, Lawrence emphasizes that "it was enough" (4) for the men to live the same thing day in and day out. She then emphasizes that they have "warmth and generating and pain and death" (7-8), which is enough for them. This polysyndeton extends the list of what the men have, individualizing each word to make it seem important.

The second paragraph creates a tone shift, and the real topic of the passage is revealed. As it shifts from man to woman, Lawrence compares the woman to the Brangwen men described at the beginning. The woman "looked out to […] the world beyond" (18-19), while the men were "unable to turn around" (14). The author immediately characterizes the woman as different. "She faced outwards" (22-23) "whereas the Brangwen men faced inwards" (27-28). She is different, she is a woman, although living in the nineteenth century she did not have any opportunity to show it.

The woman "also wanted to know" (38), and have the power to do more with her life. This is why the vicar interests her so much, he has what she has wanted all along. In characterizing the vicar, Lawrence repeatedly uses the word "other" (41). This repetition emphasizes that he is on a different level, and cannot possibly be categorized in the same way that her husband is. No, the vicar had a way "of being that made Brangwen […] seem dull and local" (49-50), and she wants this.

The woman does not want familiarity for her children and herself. "She craved to achieve this higher being" (57), and wants to know "why?" (65).

Score:
My initial score for this essay is a five. Allie Specht scored it in this way because I tended to be "thin in my discussion of how Lawrence employs literary devices," but I did identify the devices correctly, and responded with a very "plausible reading of the passage."

I agree with this initial score. I spent too much time in analysis and too little time on writing. I knew what I was going to write about, and which quotes I wanted to include to prove my point, but I rushed through the writing and did not get to conclude the essay with the quote that I had chosen. I did not elaborate and expand on the things that I said in this essay, which significantly lowers the score of the essay. I demonstrated "adequate control of language," and while I did take the time to organize my essay before writing, it was not as "developed as 7-6 essays." I think that Allie gave my essay a fair score. I began my essay sounding much more clear and focused than I sounded at the end, because I was not thinking about what I was writing, I was too focused on the time limit, and getting to the conclusion.

Improvement:
Luckily, I could do a lot of things to improve this essay. One of the biggest things that could have helped me from the very beginning is dividing my time accordingly. As I mentioned, I spent the largest portion of my time simply planning for my essay, and then ran out of time writing. The problem with this is that the AP readers, obviously, do not know what I was thinking, they only see the writing, and in my case my essay was not finished and ended quite abruptly. Aside from planning, I also spent a long time reading the passage. In the future I need to read slowly and write notes, and then read again for the full impact. Instead, I read through it twice, writing notes both times, and not taking my time.

A second thing that would improve my essay is expanding and thoroughly explaining my ideas. I do not have a problem analyzing how the author employs literary devices for their purposes, but more often than not I do not explain myself thoroughly enough. After every technique/device I identify, I need to explain what effect it has on the purpose. I believe that this will keep my score in the upper half rather than the lower half. AP Comp spent a lot of time focusing on the 'SO WHAT?' and I wasn't thinking about that when I was writing my essay. By focusing on the ' so what', my essay will offer a more "persuasive analysis" and will seem to be more "effectively organized."

The third thing that I can improve about my essay is identification of literary devices. I know what they are--so that is not the problem--but in this particular essay I believe that if I had identified more literary devices it would make a "stronger case for my interpretation." An 8-9 essay "considers a variety of literary devices," and I only included three. After some class discussion I think that I could have found more than just these three devices, and I also could have found devices that were more critical to the characterization of the woman. The devices that I identified were correct, but may not have presented a strong case for interpretation.

Hamlet Final Essay

Final Blog Portfolio Assessment

Over the course of this trimester, I feel like I have really improved on a lot of my english skills. I feel much more comfortable analyzing a piece of literature than I did prior to day one of AP Literature and Composition, and although there is still a lot that I can work on next trimester, I am happy with my participation and work done in this class.

One particular assignment I am especially proud of is the summer reading creative project. I would describe myself as very creative, so when I got the idea for my project, the ideas kept coming. I wasn't a huge fan of the Man Booker Prize book I chose, but when I really analyzed it piece by piece, I learned the reasons for why the author wrote things that I originally did not like. One of my strengths is music, so I was glad that in this project I was able to incorporate that into my presentation. I am proud of my presentation--using a water demonstration to visually symbolize transformation of the book--and of my explanation. I really thought through each aspect of my presentation, so I did a good job of explaining exactly why I did what I did. I had a hard time putting into words what exactly the essence of my book was, so that part was a bit lacking. I could visualize this essence in my presentation, but it was hard to say it rather than show it.

Another assignment I am proud of is Hamlet Blog Post Number Two. I enjoy assignments like these because I like to make connections between literature and media--it makes the literature more relatable. It took me quite a bit of time to  think of a good movie-to-play connection. Just like the creative assignment, once I thought of which movie I was going to use, I came up with connections very quickly. I found lots of good parallels between the movie characters and the play characters, and did not have any trouble including quotations in my post. In drawing these connections I learned a lot about the characters' perspectives of each other because I began to think about the play in a more modern light. I did not incorporate a lot of quotes from the movie, so a weakness in this assignment was comparing and contrasting movie quotes to play quotes.

I consider myself to have a commendable work ethic. Throughout this trimester, there have not been any assignments with which I did not put my full effort into. I have generally liked the assignments in this class, and I want my work to reflect my strengths, not my weaknesses. In group settings I am a leader. For example, at the beginning of the trimester when we had a series of 'mini' group presentations, I tended to take all of the ideas we had and combine them into one big idea. I also created, and spent a lot of time on the google documents and power points in preparation for the presentations. During the American Drama Video Project, I acted in the video, as well as created and edited it. I made sure that everyone in the group was satisfied with the editing before posting, and I did my best to incorporate their opinions. In addition to the video aspect, I worked on the script, and the synopsis sheet, so I believe I play a large role in group settings.

In terms of class, I am also self-motivated to participate. I took notes during all of the mini presentations, and I am actively engaged in the conversations we have. I strive to get the most out of class that I can so that I can understand the material when I am on my own, whether it be homework, or tests. Individually, I am equally self-motivated. I do not get behind in the reading, because there is a possibility that we could be tested on what we read, and I want to do well. The day before a test (for example, our first real test) I like to compile all of the notes taken on that unit and re-write/re-word them in a way that makes sense for me to study from. I feel confident that my involvement and participation this trimester has played a significant part in creating success in my grade.

There is no doubt that I have expanded and improved on many of my skills since the first week of the trimester. In re-visiting Blog Post Number Two, our first practice test reflection, it is really interesting to see how I felt 12 weeks ago. I still have a ways to go (which is why this class is two trimesters), but I am more and more confident with every assignment. The four main difficulties I had with the AP multiple choice test during week one were: staying engaged with the text, prior knowledge of literature, time limits, and literary techniques. I can honestly say that right now at the end of the trimester these four things are not nearly as big of a problem as they may have seemed then.

After completing the final exam AP multiple choice test, these difficulties are mostly in the past. Over these three months, I have realized that I do, in fact, have prior knowledge of literature. I have taken Honors English since freshman year, and we have read a lot of books. For some reason, I did not think of In Cold Blood, or The Great Gatsby to be literature that could be cited on the AP exam. I thought that literature meant Shakespeare, and T.S. Eliot--poetry, not novels. This was the real mistake. I had no issue with the time limit during the final exam, nor did I have trouble staying engaged. I think these two go hand-in-hand. The more engaged I am in the text, the easier it is to answer the questions, which takes lots of time off of the test. I have learned a variety of literary techniques this trimester as well, most of them about poetry. I am infinitely better at reading and analyzing poetry, and catching their subtle meanings.

In looking over my blog portfolio, I have accomplished much more than I thought. I am more aware of my strengths and weaknesses, and I have certainly widened my knowledge. Again, I am happy with my work this trimester, and hope to achieve the same level of participation and success next trimester.  

And The Beat Goes On--Hamlet Blog #5

It is a sad day in Denmark. I lost all of those whom I have ever considered important to me, and I am in utter loneliness. Thank you all for gathering today for the burial of my dear friend Hamlet, and his loved ones. I know that many of you are still confused by Lord Hamlet's unusual actions, and so I would like to play a song in an attempt to honor his memory, and to clear up any misunderstandings. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Lyrics: All Fall Down--by OneRepublic
 Step out the door and it feels like rain
That's the sound (that's the sound) on your window pane
Take to the streets but you can't ignore
That's the sound (that's the sound) you're waiting for

 If ever your world starts crashing down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
That's where you'll find me

 Yeah God love your soul and your aching bones
Take a breath, take a step, meet me down below
Everyone's the same our fingers to our toes
We just can't get it right
But we're on the road

If ever your world starts crashing down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
That's when you find me. (Yeah)

Lost till you're found
Swim till you drown
Know that we all fall down
Love till you hate
Strong till you break
Know that we all fall down

 If ever your world starts crashing down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
If ever your world starts crashing down
That's when you'll find (find) me

Lost till you're found
Swim till you drown
Know that we all fall down
Love till you hate
Strong till you break
Know that we all fall down

All fall down, we all fall down, all fall down
We all fall down, all fall down, all fall down

Lost till you're found
Swim till you drown
Know that we all fall down
Love till you hate
Strong till you break
Know that we all fall down 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamlet, from the very beginning of his Uncle's rule, took "to the streets" and could not "ignore [...] the sound [he was] waiting for" (All Fall Down). He was waiting for a sign from his deceased father, the King. We tried to stop him from visiting the ghost of his father, but "It wave[d] [him] still" (1.4.79). He explained that "[his] fate cries out" (1.3.82). Hamlet accepted the challenge that his ghostly father gave to him; he told his father "I have sworn't" (1.5.112), and he meant it.

 And thus began "Hamlet's transformation; so call it" (2.2.5). Gertrude was at a loss, eventually describing Hamlet as her "too much changed son" (2.2.36), and thinking him mad. His deceiving Uncle was no better, forcing others to believe that Hamlet did not have an "understanding of himself" (2.2.9), and sending for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him. "Strong till you break" (All Fall Down) is how the saying goes, and he was; Hamlet was a strong man, but the shocking death of his father, his role-model, was not one he took lightly. He became crazy, fixed on only one thing, making those around him think that "Whenever your world starts crashing down [...] That's when you'll find [Hamlet]" (All Fall Down).

"Know that we all fall down" (All Fall Down). Hamlet knew, and the first to go was Polonius, "a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead" (2.4.24). All his spying did not serve him well, for he ended up tangled in the arras. Poor Hamlet begged his mother to see what she has done, for he cannot comprehend that his mother is able to "kill a king, and marry with his brother" (2.4.30) in such a short time. "Love till you hate" (All Fall Down). Gertrude is Hamlet's mother, and his only parent, so he has no choice but to love her unconditionally. This does not, however, mean that his thoughts of Gertrude have from high respect to very little respect.

 Poor Ophelia. Hamlet's lover, not given a chance to love. She went absolutely mad with the death of her father, singing of only death and disgrace of love. She too, had reached the point of breaking, and she "Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide;/And, mermaid-like" (4.7.173-174), and she drowned. "Swim till you drown" (All Fall Down). Much like her lover, "her own distress" (4.7.176) led to her downfall, and Ophelia was but a memory.

 And so, "We all fall down" (All Fall Down) "Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,/Of accidental judgements, casual slaughters,/Of deaths put on by cunning and forc'd cause,/And, in this upshot, purposes mistook/ Fall'n on th' inventors' heads: all this can I/Truly deliver" (5.2.345-350). Hamlet was an honorable man, and if you learn of nothing else in this burial, remember that it was all in the noble name of our "sweet prince" (5.2.323) Hamlet.

Reviving Ophelia--Hamlet Blog #4

Ophelia has gone mad. I guess we should have seen it coming, "the critics who are so concerned to salvage her innocence tend frequently to forget that it was not Hamlet alone who sullied it" (Seng). It is true, that my dear Hamlet has gone mad, but he is not to blame for poor Ophelia's lyrical gibberish. Laertes was first. Maybe he was jealous, he tried to convince his sister that Hamlet's offers of love were "Forward, not permanant, sweet, not lasting,/The perfume and suppliance of a minute;/No more" (1.3.8-10). Polonius was no better. With no prior knowledge of his daughter's romance he began to get protective, telling her to "not believe in [Hamlet's] vows; for they are brokers" (1.3.127). Maybe this is why Hamlet did not like Ophelia's father.

I heard about her little 'episode' last week in the main room--with a King like Claudius the news sure spreads quickly. She is quite the singer I guess. If Hamlet were there with her he would have known the meaning of her songs, but it was Gertrude, instead, who attempted to make sense of them. Ophelia sings to the Queen; "Larded all with flowers;/Which beswept to the grave did not go/With true-love showers" (4.5.38-40). Ophelia "chides Gertrude for her inadequate mourning for King Hamlet" (Seng).

Everyone believes she is mourning the loss of her father, and this is true, but much of her sadness comes from the loss of Hamlet, her lover. He had "made many tenders of his affection to [her]" (1.3.100-101), and she wanted so badly to get her father's approval to proceed with Hamlet. She told Polonius that she did not "know [...] what [she] should think" (1.3.104), but that was not true. No, she knew what she thought, but "the habit of mistrust, so ingrained in her father and brother, is something new to her" (Seng). She trusted her father, because she knew no other way to be, and this is consequently what led to her own father's death.

Ophelia's songs, sung in times of madness and confusion, are snip-its of how she has felt all along. I believe, and I am sure Hamlet would agree with me as well, that Ophelia was so deprived of her own voice that they only way she felt she could use it was in her decent to madness--through song.

Mis En Scene Analysis--Hamlet Blog #3

Kenneth Branagh's Soliloquy

There is both diegetic and non-diegetic sound in this scene. Hamlet is alone, facing himself in a mirror. He is speaking very softly to himself, and is the only one in the scene until the very end. The music in the background is barely noticeable--it is there only to set the mood: creepy, emotional, serious. Hamlet stands in a big room with multiple mirrors, one of which the camera is focused on. Through the entire scene, the camera faces the mirror that Hamlet looks into; it is an over-the-shoulder shot which captures Hamlet's entire body. It slowly zooms further and further in until the mirror shows a close-up shot of Hamlet's face, and his shoulder is completely out of the picture. He is not wearing anything out of the ordinary, and the only prop he uses appears at the end of his soliloquy: a dagger.

Laurence Olivier's Soliloquy

This version of Hamlet's Soliloquy is much more complex. There is lots of diegetic and non-diegetic sound: in the intro before he speaks, there is loud music playing, while scenes of clouds and the ocean flash on the screen. The camera zooms way in on the back of Hamlet's head (symbolizing the complexity of his thoughts). The music fades out, and we are left with only the background noise of the ocean. Hamlet begins to speak, and the camera is directly on him, showing us a medium shot of him sitting on a rock by the water. He is dressed fittingly to the time period, wearing clothes that nobility would normally wear--tunic and tights. When there is a break in Hamlet's thoughts the music returns, but only for a brief second. Hamlet holds only a dagger, and ends up throwing it into the water below. The scene ends with him walking further and further away from the camera.

Mel Gibson's Soliloquy

The only sound is of Hamlet's voice, which is diegetic. No music, no background noise, only his speech. The camera focuses on him as he walks down the stairs into a room that contains stone statues and walls (props). He briefly sits down in the room, and the camera switches between a close-up of his face, and bits and pieces of the room. In most of this scene Hamlet is walking around the dimly lit room, and the camera follows. Again, he wears a tunic and tights, and no other makeup. Whenever Hamlet pauses in his speech the camera focuses closely on his face, but zooms out again when he continues to walk around the room. It is interesting that in this version of the scene, Hamlet does not take out a dagger, but wanders restlessly around the room. The camera remains stationary as Hamlet walks back up the stairs which led him into the room.

Ethan Hawke's Soliloquy

This was by far the most unique approach to Hamlet's soliloquy. There is music (non-diegetic sound) playing very softly in the background of the scene, along with visual and auditory representations of explosions. 'Hamlet' is in Blockbuster, walking around the store (symbolically, the 'action' section of the store) when he speaks (diegetic sound). He is wearing modern-day clothing: a suit jacket and dress pants, with a t-shirt underneath. He is also wearing a hat into the store. The camera films him from both the front and the back, mostly using a medium shot, but occasionally zooming in further to get his face. It is interesting that in the first half of the scene Hamlet's words are only the thoughts of the character (non-diegetic), but switch to actual speech in the second half. The scene abruptly ends when Hamlet is standing in the middle of the 'action' aisle.

My dear friend Hamlet is represented most nobly by Kenneth Branagh. Hamlet is a great actor when he wants to be (especially with his Uncle), but this scene shows his sincerity. He is faced with a deep emotional conflict. "To be, or not to be; that is the question." The undertone of the music follows Hamlet's thought process through the end of his speech. I know that Polonius and Claudius must have been frightened by his grave thoughts. From their spot behind the wall, they could hear his struggle, his inability to continue through life without his father. There are rare occasions when my lord frightens me with his words, but this, this is one of them. I knew not how far his struggle went, and I still cannot find a means of help for him. All I can do is offer him my honest words, which he listens to unlike anyone else who advises him.

I believe that this scene is most effective when the changes in camera angle and distance are not as noticeable. They take away from the focus of the scene, which is Hamlet's speech. The reason that Kenneth Branagh's scene was more effective than the other three was because it focused on the mirror the entire time, only zooming in little by little, and make minute adjustments. I also think that since this is such an important scene to the play, the speech must be the sole focus in the film. The sound of the waves in the background, or no sound at all, is the best approach to this. It is true that music is capable of setting a background mood for the scene, but no sound at all sets the mood just as well. This scene is serious, and frightening, and emotional, and all of these things can be conveyed very well through the characters voice. The pauses for effect, and the change in volume from Hamlet's character adds more to the scene than music can, and Kenneth Branagh did an especially good job of this. The setting is not as important as camera angles and sound, but still plays a part. Again, Hamlet's soliloquy is the focus of this scene, and the setting should not take away from it. A bare, empty setting is best, because one with lots of props (like the Mel Gibson scene) is a distraction. Costume is of very little importance to me. Although the choice in clothing can reveal the time period (as it did in the last clip), it is not necessary--in this particular scene--to the soliloquy.

"To be, or not to be" Analysis of Form--Hamlet Blog #3

Uncertainty of death: 

• "to take arms against a sea of troubles/and by opposing end them?" (3.1.59-60)--Hamlet is asking himself whether he should 'end them' or not.
• "For in that sleep of death what dreams may come" (3.1.66)--Can we dream in our death?
• "To grunt and sweat under a weary life/But that the dread of something after death" (3.1.77-78)--Hamlet ponders if life is truly worth all the pain and hardship.

Negative experiences of life:

• "The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks" (3.1.62)
• "The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay/The insolence of office and the spurns/That patient merit of th' unworthy takes" (3.1.72-74)
• "And thus the native hue of resolution/Is sickled o'er with the pale cast of thought" (3.1.84-85)

Appeals:

• Pathos: "When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,/Must give us pause: there's the respect/That makes calamity of so long life" (3.1.67-69)--introduces the 'we' and talks about the the 'mortal coil' in the world of a 'long life.'
• Logos: "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time" (3.1.70)--it is logical to think that this world seems to not be worth living if all of the 'whips and scorns' outweigh the good things.

Literary devices:

• Paradox: "For in that sleep of death what dreams may come" (3.1.66)--implies that dying may be as peaceful as sleeping, but we know that dying is not the same as sleeping, we cannot dream in death.
• Parallelism: "Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep" (3.1.64)--adds to the complexity and flow of the speech, propels it forward to the next part.
• Infinitive: "To die: to sleep" (3.1.60)--creates more emphasis on the verb.
• Tone and diction make Hamlet's soliloquy more emotional and reveals the struggle he is dealing with currently.
• Two primary metaphors: sleep is a metaphor/symbol for death, also 'weary life.'

Comparisons: 

• Life on earth: "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time" (3.1.70)
• Afterlife: "For in that sleep of death what dreams may come" (3.1.66)
• Death: "No more; and by a sleep to say we end/The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks" (3.1.61-62)
• Humans: "Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely" (3.1.71)
• Thinking: "And thus the native hue of resolution/Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought" (3.1.84-85)

Oppositions:

1. "To grunt and sweat under a weary life/But that the dread of something after death" (3.1.77-78)
2. "Or to take arms against a sea of troubles/And by opposing end them?" (3.1.59-60)
3. "And enterprises of great pitch and moment/WIth this regard their currents turn awry" (3.1.86-87)

Eternal Philosophical Questions:

• "And makes us rather bear those ills we have/Than fly to others that we know not of?" (3.1.81-82)
• "And by opposing end them?" (3.1.60)
• "When he himself might his quietus make/With a bare bodkin?" (3.1.75-76)

Conclusions:

• Hamlet decides that he cannot "lose the name of action" (3.1. 87), and he must continue on to avenge the death of his father.
• "Conscience does make cowards of us all" (3.1.83)

The Hunger Games--Hamlet Blog #2

 "I just keep wishing I could think of a way to show them that they don't own me; if I'm gonna die, I wanna still be me."

This is what Peeta has to say about the Hunger Games. He is chosen, along with Katniss, to compete in the most ruthless game there is, one that requires a lack of heart, and the ability to kill. Katniss and Peeta, however, are having no part in the government's cruel entertainment. As the movie continues, they find secret alliances with the other 'team members,' and they strive to outsmart the government's own game of life. They must plot when the cameras (the spies) are not on them, and find a loophole in the rules. Peeta and Katniss hate their government, so when they find a loophole in the game the revenge is sweet.

Hamlet too, wants revenge. He himself has said that he is going to "catch the conscience of the king" (2.2.533). I cannot choose sides, but if Hamlet's suspicions are made true then Claudius is in for a bit of a surprise. My lord knows that his Uncle has ordered two old friends from college to "glean/Whether aught, to  [the King and Queen], afflicts him thus" (2.2.16-17). Just as Peeta wishes he "could think of a way to show [the government] that they don't own [him]," Hamlet wishes to show his Uncle that he cannot escape with murder. In this way, I believe their deeds are righteous. They do not intend to harm those around them, they wish to act out of revenge, to expose the faults of their target. Hamlet is "but mad north-north-west" (2.2.330), his ideas are crazy, but not unattainable. These crazy ideas are thrown around in The Hunger Games as well, Katniss' friend says "We could do it you know, take off, live in the woods." Hamlet and Katniss. An interesting pair. My Lord is inspired: "Prompted to [his] revenge by heaven and hell" (2.2.512). As is Katniss: after her sister is chosen to compete in the games she "volunteers as tribute." In my humble opinion they would make a great duo. Hamlet places a great value on his "own honour and dignity" (2.2.462), and Katniss knows she is "stronger than [the government] is."

"Make mad the guilty and apall the free,/Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed/The very faculties of eyes and ears" (2.2.489-491).

With honour and dignity,
Horatio

The Wedding--Hamlet Blog #1

I think Hamlet is on to me. I arrived in Elsinore and told him that "I came to see [his] father's funeral" (1.2.176), but he knew that I really came to see his mother's wedding, just as everyone else in Denmark had. The wedding, as I see it, is a little questionable. The King was too quick to marry; while the Queen is still "weighing delight and dole" (1.2.13), he speaks only of the memory of "our dear brother's death" (1.2.1). Hamlet is furious. Rightfully so, he believes that King Claudius is "no more like [his] father/Than [he is] to Hercules" (1.2.70-80). My brave master Hamlet always seems to have unique ideas. Obviously the death of the King has caused the people of Denmark to be on alert. What if it wasn't an accident? What if the King was murdered? I had to tell him about what happened two nights ago. In the dead of the night, Marcellus, Bernardo, and I saw "A figure like [Hamlet's] father" (1.2.199). It did not talk to us, nor did we completely expect it to--it was a ghost. So, I told Hamlet about the ghost, and he talked to it. I warned him that the ghost could "assume some other horrible form,/Which might deprive [his] sovereignty of reason" (1.4.72-73), but Hamlet, being the brave man he is, disregarded my warnings. He did not tell us exactly what his ghostly father revealed to him, but I think he has it in his head that Claudius is to blame for the death of his father. No matter, I will trust him in any endeavor he chooses to follow. To think that Hamlet and I could be endangered because of a wedding is an interesting concept. I too, find it suspicious that Gertrude would marry so soon, and that Claudius was more than happy to marry his brother's widow (of course, it meant taking the crown as well).

I will be sure to keep everyone updated on how the newly-weds are, and naturally, how my dear friend Hamlet is (I worry that he is becoming more and more crazy with each day). That is all for tonight.

From Elsinore,
Horatio

Horatio

I would like to write my blog posts from the perspective of Horatio. Horatio is Hamlet's loyal side-kick, the one entrusted to keep Hamlet's deepest thoughts a secret. He accompanies his master through their adventures, and maintains a level head with all of them. Since Horatio has been through the same things as Hamlet, the main character, I think it would be interesting to write from a different perspective. Hamlet himself describes his loyal friend as more 'virtuous' and 'self-controlled' than he is (Mabillard), so Horatio must have different opinions than his master. I also find it interesting that Horatio has no desire to overthrow his master; in fact, he would go so far as to sacrifice his life for Hamlet. He has all of Hamlet's darkest secrets in tote, yet does not judge, which is why writing from Horatio's point of view will be enjoyable.