Thursday, October 28, 2010
Honesty and Deception
Hamlet of Shakespeare's Hamlet is both honest yet deceptive. Although this may seem as a paradox of archetypes, Hamlet does truly radiates both honesty and deception. Hamlet is honest to his friends such as Horatio. Hamlet reveals his true character to Horatio he does put on the facade of an insane person. Hamlet has just talked to the ghost and decides to put on a mask of madness: "To put an antic disposition on" (1.5.172). Hamlet tells his frineds that he is going to put on "disposition" of craziness in order to make himself not available to anyone else. He wants noone to be able to read his mind because he wants to kill King Claudius, so he has to act mad in order for everyone to pay no heed to him. Moreover, Hamlet is deceptive because to everyone else he is putting on an act in order to trick everyone else. He wants people to think that he is crazy, so noone will be able to read his mind and figure out that his intentions are to kill King Claudius. Hamlet shows his deception when he stops ranting on about what the meaning of life and death is because he stops and changes his demeanor when Ophelia arrives. "The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons/ Be all my sins remembered," this quote encapsulates Hamlets metamorphosis into different people. By himself he is the philosopher, wanting to find out what everything is, to others he puts on the act of being a mad man.
To be or not to be
The diction employed by Hamlet is one of sophistication yet containing an interrogative nature. Hamlet sounds very much like a philosopher in that he asks classic philosophical questions such as what is the meaning of life and death: :"To be, or not to be" (3.1.56). Hamlet uses figurative language such as "pangs of despis'd love" (3.1.72), this quote is personification because how can love pang, that is not possible. Furthermore, Hamlet is truly puzzled by everything and he uses visid imagery to really express his true feelings. "Whips and scorns of time" (3.1.70) this quote underscores the personification of time and the vivid imagery set up by expressing time as a human being. The diction, figurative language, and imagery help set up the air of questions that reveal Hamlet's character.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
7 and 14
7
Hamlet tells his companions that he is likely to put on an "antic disposition" because he is planning a deliberate strategy in order to trick the others to think that he is going crazy. He wants the others to think that he is going insane because he needs others to think that he is not mentally stable in order to get close enough to kill Claudius.
14
Hamlet is saying that what one thinks is what one believes to be true. The assumptions that underline Hamlet's response is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern thinking that Denmark is not a prison and Hamlet thinks that the king sent them so he is testing them. The second quote suggests that Hamlet is really just strategizing because he is not truly mad he is mad to everyone else but he is just acting and waiting to strike. Hamlet may seem mad and act crazy to everyone else but he knows that the insanity is all an act and to himself he has a keen eye and is as sane as can be. He is duping everyone by acting crazy.
Hamlet tells his companions that he is likely to put on an "antic disposition" because he is planning a deliberate strategy in order to trick the others to think that he is going crazy. He wants the others to think that he is going insane because he needs others to think that he is not mentally stable in order to get close enough to kill Claudius.
14
Hamlet is saying that what one thinks is what one believes to be true. The assumptions that underline Hamlet's response is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern thinking that Denmark is not a prison and Hamlet thinks that the king sent them so he is testing them. The second quote suggests that Hamlet is really just strategizing because he is not truly mad he is mad to everyone else but he is just acting and waiting to strike. Hamlet may seem mad and act crazy to everyone else but he knows that the insanity is all an act and to himself he has a keen eye and is as sane as can be. He is duping everyone by acting crazy.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Ophelia
Both Laertes and Polonius truly show that women are not the same as men and women are judged differently. They say that because Hamlet has gone mad that she cannot be with Hamlet and that Hamlet is second to the throne so she cannot be with Hamlet. However, if what Ophelia and Hamlet have is true love, Laertes and Polonius have no right to stop the process of love. Laertes and Polonius want to strip Hamlet of Ophelia and accuse Hamlet of lying to Ophelia and say that Hamlet does not really love Ophelia. Ophelia is a much lower class than Hamlet and because of that she is also not able to be with Hamlet. More so, Ophelia is a woman and women do not get a choice; therefore, Laertes and Polonius make the decisions for Ophelia.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Introduction
That Is the Question:
The Role of Declarative, Imperative and Interrogative Statements in Hamlet
Hamlet, a character of an indecisive nature, and Horatio, a rather decisive character, are great friends and are the perfect match for one another. Hamlet is the one who always questions himself and never really has a sense of true direction. Whereas Horatio always has the answers and knows what he is doing. Hamlet has a line that truly defines him as a person “To be or not to be?” Hamlet is the can never make a choice, he is always stuck in between two things. He can never choose to do something; he always has to ask himself if he should. On the other hand, Horatio is of a completely different nature. Horatio knows what he wants and always has a definite answer that he will not think twice about. In other words, Horatio is the clear headed one and Hamlet is the one with a muddied perspective. Hamlet is the one with imperative and declarative claim because he is always stating something and never questioning. On the contrary, Hamlet is full of interrogative statements because he never stops questioning himself. Although Horatio is always there to provide Hamlet with what Hamlet should do, Hamlet never asserts himself because of his indecisiveness.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Prufrock
"Time for you and time for me"
Time is a very important in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Eliot employs the element of time to represent how time limits love. Time is what is needed for love and with time love is possible. And with time, people could really rescend their faults. Time is of utmost importance to the world, with time one could find happiness, with time one could find love, with time one could find forgiveness. Time underscores the setting and place of events. Time can also bring an end to life, love, happiness. Without time love, happiness is impossible and with time love, happiness can happy; however, only for a limited time.
Time is a very important in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Eliot employs the element of time to represent how time limits love. Time is what is needed for love and with time love is possible. And with time, people could really rescend their faults. Time is of utmost importance to the world, with time one could find happiness, with time one could find love, with time one could find forgiveness. Time underscores the setting and place of events. Time can also bring an end to life, love, happiness. Without time love, happiness is impossible and with time love, happiness can happy; however, only for a limited time.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Carpe Diem
The theme in To His Coy Mistress is Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem means "save the day." Marvell talks about how the woman should take her chance and not let the time slip away because as he says in the poem "Had we but world enough, and time," there is not enough time in the world because time is limited. However, Marvell is not only referring to women but he is also referring to humanity and to not let any opportunities slip by and not let time take over ones life. People need to take the reigns to their life and not let age and time control and sway where their life is going. Moreover, "Thus, though we cannot make our sun Stand still, yet we will make him run" further underscores that although we cannot control time and and nature's toll on us, humans, we can prevent time's creeping decrepitude. In the quote, he is referring to the sun as time and natures discourse, he is also using we to represent humanity. Therefore, Marvell demonstrates in To His Coy Mistress that humanity can not let any opportunities slide by and that we need to have a firm grip on our life.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
To His Coy Mistress
"And tear our pleasures with rough strife"
"Thorough the iron gates of life"
Andrew Marvell uses many violent words to express violent imagery. In the first quote I gave the word "tear" is used to underscore how ruthless and violent the poem is. Marvell also encompasses words such as "devour" to further emphasize the violent imagery in the poem. Furthermore, the second quote demonstrates the phrase "carpe diem", or "seize the day." Going through the iron gates of life is seizing the day because the iron gates of life could be a hindrance to what one wants and by going through it, one obtains his/her object of desire.
"Thorough the iron gates of life"
Andrew Marvell uses many violent words to express violent imagery. In the first quote I gave the word "tear" is used to underscore how ruthless and violent the poem is. Marvell also encompasses words such as "devour" to further emphasize the violent imagery in the poem. Furthermore, the second quote demonstrates the phrase "carpe diem", or "seize the day." Going through the iron gates of life is seizing the day because the iron gates of life could be a hindrance to what one wants and by going through it, one obtains his/her object of desire.
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