So, this is basically a survival guide to MRS. DUKE’S CLASS and if you follow my advice, you just might make it out alive…just kidding..or am I?? In all seriousness, you will pass her class if you JUST LISTEN TO HER!! I know, as a student you hear this all the time, but this is a true fact because if you don’t listen to her, you will make your OWN life miserable. And make sure the you just don’t take her for granted. She is a really fun teacher who does not try to make your life as hard as possible, but she wants you to be a better student by the end of your year as a junior.

The entire year is full of suprises that you can take in a good way and be positive or you can just be miserable all year, sulking in misery. Basically, ignore all rumors about this class. Don’t listen to the people that gripe and complain about this class being the worst class on Earth and how it is o-so-hard. If you follow the directions, you will make it out of this class stress-free. In addition to following directions, you have to do the assignments BEFORE they are DUE!! Waiting until the last minute is not the way to go, trust me. If you do the work in advance, you will be so thankful in the long run. And besides, you won’t be stressed out when you already have the assignments done well in advance. It’s also easier to listen in class as well as check the internet when Mrs. Duke says something important. At least attempt to hear what she is saying the first time. Trust me, it will be better for you in the long run when you need those much needed participation points: it also helps not to act like a complete clown in her class as well. ANd when she mentions looking ahead for the different assignments that she posts weeks before they are actually due, make sure that you actually do what she says so that you don’t look like a complete idiot during a class discussion when a future project is being discussed.

Mrs. Duke, in my opinion  is a great teacher and you are very lucky to have been put in her class. You will learn a lot over the course of the year through various different projects and fun activities that you may not understand: DO THEM ANYWAY (even if you think that you are completely failing the assignment as a whole!)!!!

So in this reading of Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead, we are allowed to see how much the play impacted the characters of Hamlet. We are able to see the emotions of Ophelia after Hamlet broke her heart. She is ultimately distraught by the horrible news given to her by Lord Hamlet, her lover. In my mind, I would think that this act of hurt is karma for Ophelia because of how she obeyed her father and rejected Hamlet during his time of need. But that can also be questioned. Ros and Guil don’t really shed any light on this situation when they see it; they are too involved with watching the play that reveals the King’s foul behavior. During the play, Claudius and Polonius come to the conclusion that Hamlet must be sent away to England because he is crazy over his lover for Ophelia, giving Claudius wexactly what he wants. But in order to send his nephew away, the King asks Ros and Guil to go and find the young lord and bring him to the court as well as get the location of Polonius’ body from Hamlet. When they go to search for him they encounter Hamlet while he is dragging the body to a place where no one will find it. Then, they return to the castle and they blackout after hearing Hamlet talk to the sailor.

There is a twist to this plan though. In the original play of Hamlet, we see that Hamlet is to be sent away by Claudius. But in R and G, we clearly see that our two main characters of this secondary play are the ones on the ship, plunging towards their death. The irony about the entire situation is that both Ros and Guil realize that the end is near in their lifes and basically they celebrate the logic that they can think about while on the boat together. They are very interesting people, but I find it really funny how they can come up with a conversation about the most random things that no one else would. I am really starting to believe that this is possibly the main idea/purpose of this absurd play. The play takes two insignificant Hamlet characters and gives them roles that are just about as significant as the roles that they play in the original play by Shakespeare.

So, another adventure with Ros and Guil has begun with Hamlet welcoming his friends to Elsinore. They come in at the end of Hamlet’s speech that ends with the arrival of the players that Hamlet has summoned in order to formulate his devious plan. He plans to use the players in a play that will be chosen upon his discression. The characters that this play is centered are two of the most random characters that I have ever encountered in all of the literature that I have read over the course of high school. They talk about licking toes and Chinese traditions and I often wonder about the random nature of their conversations. The concept of stigamithia that again appeared with the constant chatter of Ros and Guil which influences the postmodernist interpretation of this play in general.

A key point that I do not understand is the fact that this play makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I don’t get the point of the play where Ros and Guil basicallly talk to themselves throughout the duration of the entire play. The object of a play is to encorporate the main themes of drama and to make sure that they are actually displayed through the characters as well as the story like most plays traditionally do. The ideas and speeches of these two men make this play seem even more ludacris every time I read it and I just don’t understand the significance of these characters in either one of the plays.

I wish that the plot would actually jump off of the page so that I can see the point of this seperate play that basically gives no more significance to the characters of Hamlet that the original play did. Basically, I conclude that this play is absolute nonsense, which makes it fit right into the absourdist style of writing.

Paraphrase:

To act or not to act is my main question:

Whether or not is is smarter to suffer

The hardships and agonies thrown my way,

Or go against them,coming forth with a full force

attempting to end them . To die, -

Not anymore – and by a death the end of

heartache and shock shall follow

That the outside is subject to – this is a consummation

Strictly to be treasured. To enter into an everlasting sleep -

To continue, almost as if to dream. Oh, there are obstacles,

And they in that everlasting rest may come,

When we have removed ourselves from this life,

We shall be stopped. There is the understanding

That makes us deal with the ongoing hardships.

That who can deal with the obstacle and difficulties of life,

The villain is crude, the good man righteous,

The sores of hated love, the law’s interference,

The ignorance of officeholders, and the spoilers

That take the meritous unworthiness,

When he might take his own life

With only a dagger? Who could bear these burdens,

To work on them with diligence and sweat,

But fear the feats that come after death,

The countries whose boundaries are undiscovered

Where no travelers come often, obstacles making

Us bear the evils that come with life

While others avoid these troubles?

The knowledge does make all of us fearful,

And makes the original color of the actions

Pale due to the thoughts supporting,

And business of great potential and memories

With their accounts stray from their original design

And lose their purpose. — But wait a minute,

The dear Ophelia. –Young in the beginnings

Let all of my faults never forgotten.

Exigence

At this point in the play, Hamlet contemplates whether or not he should act against Claudius or maintain his current plan and let this run their course. He is always questioning his motives and allowing the outs he needs to gain revenge on the King slip away from him, due to failure to act on his part. He questions his integrity as well as his real purpose for the feelings he has towards Claudius for his horrible and consequential actions. Hamlet also refers to death in this passage as to say that he thinks about whether it is better to live or to die. Claudius greatly influences these thoughts and actions because of the fact that he is unaware that Hamlet has been visited about the ghost of his father. He doesn’t understand that Hamlet is angry because of the fact that he is his father’s murderer, not at the fact that King Hamlet is dead.

Audience

In this portion of the play, Hamlet’s primary audience seems to be Claudius because he is the reason why Hamlet is contemplating these thoughts. His choices are altered by his anger towards Claudius for killing his father that makes Hamlet want to avenge his father’s murder by causing Claudius to pay dearly for his actions. Also, Hamlet make rash decisions that ultimately effect his relationships with the people around him as a result of the anger which he holds.

Hamlet’s secondary audience is composed of Polonius and Ophelia. In this scene, Ophelia is used like a pawn by her father in order to prove the point to the King that Hamlet has gone crazy. It is obivious that Hamlet is aware of his actions when he talks to Ophelia about how he never loved or had feelings for her, riping her apart emotionally. Polonius acts as a secondary audience as well because he attempts to contribute to the madness within Hamlet.

Purpose

In my opinion, the purpose of Hamlet’s speech was to identify the different conflicts that he is handling while he tries to figure out his next action. He attempts to understand the situation at hand in detail, but he is bombarded with different scenerios in every direction that he happens to come across.

Appeals

Ethos: 

Lines 79 – 84

“Th’ oppressor’s wrong…with a bare bodkin?”

He expresses one of his major problems with the king which doesn’t allow him any piece of tranquility.

Pathos:

Lines 68 – 73

“To die, to sleep -…to sleep, perchance to dream.”

The emotion shown through this passage is that Hamlet is very depressed since he cannot be at peace with himself.

Logos:

Lines 65 – 68

“Whether ’tis nobler in the mind…end them.”

In this excerpt, Hamlet questions whether or not he sould act on his emotions or just sit back and let nature run its course.

Figures of speech, imagery, diction, syntax:

In this passage, Hamlet uses many different literary elements in order to explain his intense emotions. He talks about the benefits of being at peace with himself through various illusions as well as similes. He is unsure about the right path to take which lead him to use metatphors for the different scenerios he could possibly embark upon or follow. He uses imagery to make the readers understand the state of mind he is in at this moment. He also uses psychological attributes that make his claims and possibilties seem even more plausible to the reader.

My Opinion

I honestly think that Hamlet is about to explode due to the tremendous amount of stress that has been put on him since his arrival at the kingdom. He has been percieved as crazy by Polonius, which only makes his case worse seeing that the king is trying to get rid of young Hamlet. I think that he is starting to believe the fact that he may be just a lttile bit crazy. The amount of anger that he is harboring is not a good thing because ultimately, it will lead him to making irrational decisions that do not allow him the chance to think straight. Also, his inability to act is somewhat overtaking his being because the only reason that he still has this bottled-up anger is because he can’t act on his instincts. He always has excuses for everything, which only makes his situations and relationships worse.

So, in R and G, we have reached the part where the men have reached the kingdom. This part of the play is exactly how it is, for some lines in the actual Hamlet play. The thoughts that are expressed by the men in between the actual arrival at the kingdom and the period of time that it actually takes them to reach Hamlet is very amusing due to the interesting dialogue that takes place betweeen the men and their hilarious thoughts that are displayed by their conversations. They talk about how much they do not want to be at the kingdom because they feel that there is something very suspicious going on with Hamlet’s strange behavior.

This play seems very  postmodern in the  way that the constant back and forth conversations have taken place multiple times. This is not a typical element that is found in older literature and it is an everyday occurence in modern society. This play has begun to involve the musicians more which also contributes to the postmodern aspects of the play. R and G allows us to compare the styles of  Shakespeare to modern styles that are displayed throughout the two plays which makes room for very interesting comparisons.

So far, I am enjoying reading Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard. I have thoroughly enjoyed the amusing nature of the characters of Ros and Guil. They are pretty much the Three Stooges but only with two people. I find it very amusing how these men often bet and have fun, but also, I find it hilarious how the betting game always allows Ros to win, no matter who he is playing. I understand the parallel between this play and Hamlet,  so think that is the reason why I find it very interesting.

Both characters in the play are amazing personalities. They are really interesting with their travels and allow the different aspects of their roles in both plays to be displayed. Their strange encounter with the band of musicians makes me wonder about the rest of their trip and their strange adventures ahead.

So I am on my computer, doing my free post, listening to my music like I always do. If people don’t know this already know this..I LOVE MY MUSIC!! It’s the one thing that helps to shape me as an individual other than my diverse surroundings. I love to escape to my iPod, something I know will help me to unwind and recap after a long day like this one. Every day, I hear a new song on the radio, so I can get the thrill of searching for the music on iTunes and then listening to it on my own personal library. Right now, at this exact moment, I am floating through different songs by different artists that I have grown to enjoy over the last three months!! Freedom!!

On an even happier note, I took my AP French Language exam today, and I must say that I am pretty excited about the remainder of the semester, seeing the fact that I will now have a study hall with my French buddies. Although I am ecstatic about finishing AP French, my classmates and I are kind of sad to end it on the account that now when we laugh during this class period, it won’t be due to the resounding misunderstandings of the materials presented to us. We all had our turns with stress and headaches when it came to AP, but eventually we learned to have fun with our fellow classmates. I am so happy to be done with AP!!

So in english class, we just started learning about Drama and the different elements involved with it. I have become fascinated just by the new perspective of which we are exploring the different aspects of the style. I know that sometimes drama is sometimes associated with a negative connotation of squabbles between fighting persons. Also, I often hear the word “dramatic” when describing someone’s reaction to a shocking detail or their ideas towards a certain issue.

In my class, we are learning about Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead. They are the perfect examples of drama and the elements involved. Some of the elements include:

• staging
• acting
• plot
• dialogue
• setting
• theme

These elements are clearly defined in the works that we are reading, one of them being a major composition of Shakespeare. His characters, the emotions displayed by his words and actions, as well as stage directions, allow readers to see the real effects of drama on different types of literature. Also, the different cultural and political issues are also key issues that are important to the shaping of the play itself.

So far, I am enjoying Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Gildenstern as well. They are both centered around Prince Hamlet and his adjustments to his new, twisted life. He plays his emotions off when looking at him just to search for feeling, but we later learn that he is not happy at all with the situation that is presented to him.

Since we have much more to come, I can honestly say that I can’t wait to see what happens in both of the plays that we are currently reading.

This weekend was quite eventful for me individually.

On Friday, my hectic weekend began at 80′s Night, which was hosted by our school’s Hip Hop Club. Although there was not a large turnout, the few people who did come enjoyed themselves with a night of dancing, followed later on by an interesting movie. The dancing portion of the evening was the most fun for me, even though it only lasted for like an hour. After a while of dancing, we didn’t want to watch the movie anymore: We just wanted to dance. But since a movie was promised, we had to watch “You Got Served,”  a movie that had the student center filled with laughter. The dancing in the movie was pretty awesome.

On Saturday, I attended a surprise birthday for my oldest uncle at his daughter’s home. It was an event filled with both family and friends, which made everything even more fun than it was actually intended to be. I had a chance to see some of my family that I don’t really get to see that often, so that was a plus. Usually, surprise parties get ruined for members, but luckily, this go-round turned out to be successful. My uncle walked into a house full of his family with un unsuspecting expression plastered across his face.

So, this is definitely the best paper that we have had all year. I love the freedom that we have within the assignment which allows us to explore the critical lenses that are displayed in the handout that we received at the beginning of our Junior year. I have begun to start a great thought process on this recent endeavor, and I must say that I have been pretty successful so far in my journey to write the best paper ever. I want this assignment to be different so I am still attempting to explore the different aspects of my creativity, which will allow me to test my limits a bit.

I have chosen to further our exploration of Chaucer’s idea towards medieval women and how they are portrayed throughout his tales (mainly The Franklin’s Tale and The Wife of Bath’s Tale). The perceptions of the main women in these two tales are very contradictory in nature. On one hand, we have the passive character, Dorigen, who basically serves as a pawn for men to fight for the affections of. And, the other extreme is Alisoun, a woman who seeks power over her men at just about any cost. These women raise the question: Who truly represents the main wants of women during the medieval times?

I intend to use the Canterbury Tales as my primary source for information through this assignment. With this paper, I hope to dig deeper into our class discussion and develop a concrete theory by taking a closer look at the leading characters who question the main objective. I hope that my research and my final product provide me with a better understanding of both the characters and what they want.