Ok…so we are supposed to blog about what we learned, and what we liked and didn’t like about the class. So here we go:

I think I’m doing well…I still have an A, which was my goal. I hope I do well on my exam, and I feel that I am prepared. There are only a few classes I’ve ever REALLY enjoyed…and this is definitely one of them =P Mr. Murray: You’re awesome! I liked the discussions in the class, they were quite interesting. The projects were fun…but the presenting was REALLY long…lol. Maybe a more thorough discussion about the movies/logical fallacies would have been nice, because some of the fallacies are somewhat confusing, and some are similar to others as well. The movies were ok…but Hamlet was just straight up confusing…even when reading the book…lol. But overall, this was a great class, interesting conversations, funny jokes, etc… This was definitely memorable. =)

We’ll all miss you Mr. Murray!

It was 1:30 PM at RDHS and a calm yet heated debate was taking place in Mr. P. Murray’s English 12 class room. The debate topic was ‘Miller’s definition of modern tragedy is appropriate to the modern age’. The pro team consisted of Renee, Riyadh, and Andre, all of which decided to dress up as sneaky ninjas with swords. The con side was made up of Amanda, Marie, and Candace. The beginning of the debate started off with a highly comical comparison by Andre of Japanese anime, art, and manga to the child TV show called The Wiggles, basically stating that they all suck. The pro side’s arguments and rebuttals consisted of the description of a tragic hero’s flaws and how people today could fit the definition. The con side did not seem to understand modernizing tragedy, and seemed like they did not understand what they were talking about. The pro side argued that a tragic hero goes against a greater cause, and it is applicable today. They then went on to describing Lital as revolutionary, and that she strives to achieve her humanity for what she thinks is right. The con side then rebutted by saying that a tragic hero saves dignity, and strives to make their rightful place in society. In the free for all, where the con team was quiet while the pro team decided to nail them for all of their inconsistencies and badly presented arguments while Andre jumped around with his ninja ruler-sword. The only real time anger was shown from the con side was when Candace started yelling out of frustration, and when Lital went off on Marie about a black man. Marie also decided to make a slightly cheesy joke about her zipper being undone. The ending statement for the pro team was that people are selfish, that humans aren’t perfect, we all have flaws, people aren’t nice and haven’t changed from then to now, and Marie closed by saying she didn’t see how they were tragic heroes. Needless to say, the pro side won with flying colors for their outstanding debating abilities and ninja skills.

Truth vs. mendacity

It was 10:00 AM, on December 15^th at RDHS, and a heated debate took place in Mr. Murray’s 12^th grade English class room. The topic of the said debate was “Of truth vs. mendacity, truth is the more cruel.” The pros consisted of Lital, David, and Chris, while the con side was made up of Alicia, Sabrina, and Ashlea, all of which supported their side of the debate quite well. Although the debate had to be restarted because of confusing structure, the whole debate was done quite well. While the con side supported themselves quite well, Lital strangely reminded me of Simon Cowell, with the entire negative attitude. It was difficult to understand the whole debate, but the pro side argued that the con side had no material for proper debating, and that truth is someone’s constructed reality. They argued that Big Daddy was a rich and successful man without having to tell the truth.

The con side argued that telling the truth to people is better than letting them look like a fool, and embarrass themselves in front of people. They also said that honesty is the best policy. When the pro side argued how Bid Daddy was powerful and rich, the con side argued saying that Big Daddy was not happy, and that he didn’t really love anyone in his family. They also said that Big Daddy was also unhappy because lying made him hurt. The con side also decided to use a funny ‘fake event’, in which David’s mother called and said that David was adopted. She then proceeded to asking him how he felt about that. When the free for all came rolling along people were yelling, paper was thrown, accents were dropped and arguing broke out. In the end, the pro side won because of their innate ability to debate and stay on topic.

Argumentative essay:

Thesis question:  “Did Hamlet truly love Ophelia?”

Thesis statement: “Yes, Hamlet truly loved Ophelia.”

Reason #1: Hamlet tells Ophelia he loved her after she returns all his love letters, and before seeing her he is complementing her.

Example #1: “I did love you once” (Act 3, Sc 1, line 115)

Explanation: This line was said in a raging furry towards Ophelia, when she gives him back the letters he wrote to her. He most likely does this to make her react, and even though it was said in a furry, he meant it when he said it, because often times, when Hamlet gets angry and yells, he speaks the truth that he normally cannot get out.

Example #2:

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th’ unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country from whose bourn
No traveler returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.—Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia!—Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remembered.

(Act 3, Sc1, line 71-91)

Explanation: He is saying that Ophelia drives him crazy because she is so beautiful and amazing, and that he is so in love with her that it is almost painful. He also says that she is beautiful, and when he notices her, he tries to quiet himself so that she doesn’t hear him.

Reason #2: Hamlet wrote a love letter/poem to Ophelia, trying to express his love to her.

Example #1:                                                                “Doubt thou the stars are fire,

Doubt that the sun doth move,

Doubt truth to be a liar,

But never doubt I love.

O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers. I have not art to reckon my groans, but that I love thee best, oh, most best, believe it. Adieu.

Thine evermore, most dear lady,

whilst this machine is to him,

Hamlet.”

(Act 2, Sc 2, line 107-116)

Explanation: Hamlet is so in love with Ophelia, and he wanted to write her something beautiful, to express how beautiful he finds her, and tries to compliment her. Even though he does this unsuccessfully, the letter also contains Hamlet semi insulting himself about being a horrible poet, and if he is confident enough to make a fool of himself to Ophelia, it demonstrates that he doesn’t care, and only wants her to know he loves her and that she is the one that keeps him going.

Example #2:

OPHELIA

My honored lord, you know right well you did,

And with them, words of so sweet breath composed

As made the things more rich. Their perfume lost,

Take these again, for to the noble mind

Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind.

There, my lord.

(Act 3, Sc 1, line 99-106)

Explanation: Ophelia gives him the letter he wrote to her, telling him that they were beautiful, sweet, and kind, and she appreciated them, but because her father told her to return them to her, she must obey him, which betrays her love for Hamlet.

Reason #3: Hamlet often shows love and affection for Ophelia, trying to prove his love for her.

Example #1:

OPHELIA

He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders

Of his affection to me.

(Act 2, Sc 3, line 99-100)

Explanation: After the departure of Laertes, Polonius asks Ophelia how her relationship with Hamlet is fairing, and she tells him that he treats kindly and affectionately.

Example #2:

OPHELIA

My lord, he hath importuned me with love

In honorable fashion.

POLONIUS

Ay, “fashion” you may call it. Go to, go to.

OPHELIA

And hath given countenance to his speech, my lord,

With almost all the holy vows of heaven.

(Act 1, Sc 3, line 110-114)

Explanation: Ophelia likes to think that Hamlet’s love for her is real, pure, and true, but her father begs to differ, thinking that Hamlet is using her to make a fool of him. Hamlet truly does love her and proves it to her.

Conclusion: Hamlet has always and always will love Ophelia.

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, each level represents one step closer to self-actualization, reaching one’s fullest potential as a human being. As the first level of the hierarchy, the psychological level, is met, it is possible to then move onto the next level, which is safety, then love and belonging, followed by esteem, and finally self-actualization.

In Hamlet’s case, this need is never met, not even close. Hamlet’s needs are met at a very minimal level…the lowest level to be exact. The only think Hamlet really has is psychological needs met, which means he can breathe in air, eat, drink, sleep, and even sex could not be achieved since Ophelia was forbidden to speak to him after he had supposedly gone mad. Since even the needs for the first level weren’t met, it was impossible for Hamlet to proceed to the next.  Hamlet could not have much safety, since he knew that his uncle had killed his father, and since Claudius found out that he knew, he was out to murder him, which makes it far for a mind to be sound when one knows he is the target for murder.  For the safety of family, it was quite obvious this was impossible since his father was killed. Even if he had safety, he would not achieve love and belonging, since Ophelia was, as was aid previously, forbidden to speak or communicate with him, and forced to end their relationship. His family was a broken one, and his sex life was inexistent.

Because of the unsurpassable level 1-2, Hamlet did not achieve self-actualization, and died without achieving it as well. In conclusion, Hamlet was a broken person, all caused because of treason within the family, which affected Hamlet in ways that he would never be whole. Therefore, Hamlet’s personal reality is one of confusion, and skepticism, because he cannot feel safe, and he has little to no love and affection, and feels as though he does not belong.

Generation gap: Ok, so if there is any kind of generation gap in the story it’s between Hamlet and the rest of his family. They all seem to think that someone closer to Hamlet’s age will understand and/or get along with him better than they can.

CLAUDIUS

Welcome, dear Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Moreover that we much did long to see you,

The need we have to use you did provoke

Our hasty sending. Something have you heard

Of Hamlet’s “transformation”—so call it

Since nor th’ exterior nor the inward man

Resembles that it was. What it should be,

More than his father’s death, that thus hath put him

So much from th’ understanding of himself,

I cannot dream of. I entreat you both

That, being of so young days brought up with him

And since so neighbored to his youth and ‘havior,

That you vouchsafe your rest here in our court

Some little time so by your companies

To draw him on to pleasures and to gather,

So much as from occasion you may glean,

Whether aught, to us unknown, afflicts him thus

That, opened, lies within our remedy.

Parental Advice: In this quote, Polonius is telling Laertes what to do and what not to do while he is away on his voyage in France. He also tells him to watch out for certain things. He finishes by telling him that he hopes he will take in everything he has told him.

Polonius
Take each man’s censure but reserve thy judgment.

Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,

But not expressed in fancy—rich, not gaudy,

For the apparel oft proclaims the man,

And they in France of the best rank and station

Are of a most select and generous chief in that.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be,

For loan oft loses both itself and friend,

And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Farewell. My blessing season this in thee.

Act 1, Sc3, line 69-81

Ideas about marriage: Hamlet is rambling on about how his mother married her dead husband’s brother, and that it is incest. He is disgusted at what she has done and how he can’t really say anything about it.

Hamlet
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven

Visit her face too roughly.—Heaven and earth,

Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him

As if increase of appetite had grown

By what it fed on, and yet, within a month—

Let me not think on ’t. Frailty, thy name is woman!—

A little month, or ere those shoes were old

With which she followed my poor father’s body,

Like Niobe, all tears. Why she, even she—

O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason

Would have mourned longer!—married with my uncle,

My father’s brother, but no more like my father

Than I to Hercules. Within a month,

Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears

Had left the flushing in her gallèd eyes,

She married. O most wicked speed, to post

With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!

It is not nor it cannot come to good,

But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.

Act 1, Sc2, line 141-159

Advising a younger brother or sister about romance: The only occasion of an older or younger brother/sister ever giving advice to one another that stands out in my mind is when Laertes tells Ophelia to watch out for Hamlet. He tells her that Hamlet’s love for her is only temporary and basically based off of male hormones.

LAERTES
For Hamlet and the trifling of his favor,

Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,

A violet in the youth of primy nature,

Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,

The perfume and suppliance of a minute.

No more.

Act 1, Sc3, line 5-10

Following the advice of an elder: Ok, so this quote makes you want to shake this woman awake… but basically her father is telling her that she is going to make him out as a fool, because Hamlet is using her as an object or will use her as such. He basically tells her that she shouldn’t waste her time with Hamlet

POLONIUS

Ay, springes to catch woodcocks. I do know,

When the blood burns, how prodigal the soul

Lends the tongue vows. These blazes, daughter,

Giving more light than heat, extinct in both

Even in their promise as it is a-making,

You must not take for fire. From this time

Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence.

Set your entreatments at a higher rate

Than a command to parley. For Lord Hamlet,

Believe so much in him that he is young,

And with a larger tether may he walk

Than may be given you. In few, Ophelia,

Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers

Not of that dye which their investments show,

But mere implorators of unholy suits,

Breathing like sanctified and pious bawds,

The better to beguile. This is for all:

I would not, in plain terms, from this time forth,

Have you so slander any moment leisure,

As to give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet.

Look to ’t, I charge you. Come your ways.

OPHELIA

I shall obey, my lord.

Act 1, Sc3, line 115-136

Being embarrassed by family: In the play, the only real cause of any kind of family embarrassment is carried out my Hamlet. This act is always carried out towards his step-father and uncle Claudius. Here, Gertrude is telling Hamlet that he has embarrassed Claudius with his lack of respect for him.

HAMLET

Now mother, what’s the matter?

GERTRUDE

Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.

HAMLET

Mother, you have my father much offended.

Act 3, Sc 4, line 8-10

right of parents to check up on children: See picture ad

Constructed reality: A reality that has been created and pieced together (events). Constructed reality is different for everyone.

The constructed reality is different for each character in the play because each character perceives things differently and has different roles.

Claudius:

-          He is king

-          He killed his brother for the throne

-          He married his brother’s wife

-          Fake sorrow for Hamlet’s loss of his father, but no guilt

-          Feels Hamlet is a threat to him

Result: Hamlet kills Claudius

Gertrude:

-          Her husband died

-          She married his brother  (doing so still keeps Hamlet’s inheritance of the throne)

-          Her son has gone “insane”

-          She feels guilt when confronted by Hamlet

-          She dies

Result: She dies from poison from her husband’s spiteful plan.

Hamlet:

His case is very special because he takes his father’s death harder than anyone else in the play, including his mother.

-          Father dies, and he is very sad

-          His mother marries his uncle, making him his ‘funcle’, he is quite mad

-          His father’s ghost tells him to avenge him

-          Hamlet pretends to be insane until he knows for sure Claudius killed his father

-          Ophelia disses him, he claims to love her no more

-          Hamlet does not kill him while he is confessing his sins

-          He confronts his mother who pleads him to stop making her feel bad, he kills Polonius, and hides the body

-          Ophelia goes absolutely insane, and kills herself

-          Hamlet says his unrevoked love for her while at her grave

-          Laertes challenges him to a duel

-          Gertrude dies from drinking the poison, Hamlet kills Claudius with a chandelier and poison, Laertes dies from a cut from the poisoned blade, and so does Hamlet

Result: Everyone is dead.

Ophelia:

Ophelia is Hamlet’s lover/ girl friend.

Her constructed reality:

-          She is dating a hot prince

-          Her father tells him he is nuts

-          She is forbidden to speak or communicate with him

-          She is forced to tell him she loves him no longer

-          Hamlet throws her around in his furry towards her

-          Her father is killed

-          She goes insane (more so than Hamlet)

-          She receives the “crazy person water treatment”

-          She escapes the “crazy person water treatment” room

-          She tried to “pick flowers” in the dead of winter, and falls in the water

Result: She dies after “trying” to pick the “flowers”

Polonius:

His constructed reality:

-          His daughter is in love with Hamlet

-          He is the king’s advisor

-          Hamlet seems to be going insane

-          He tells his daughter to stay away from Hamlet and not talk to him because he wants to protect her

-          He tells his daughter to revoke her love for Hamlet(most likely for her safety)

-          He is insulted constantly by Hamlet

-          After the theater play, he speaks with the queen in her room

-          Hamlet comes in, thinks that he is an intruder

Result: He is killed by Hamlet because Hamlet thought he was an intruder, and because of his death his daughter goes crazy, and dies as well.

Laertes:

His constructed reality:

-          He arrives at the castle after the news of his father’s death

-          Upon arriving he finds his sister absolutely insane

-          He gets really mad at Hamlet

-          Ophelia dies because she was going to pick flowers in the winter

-          At his sister’s burial Hamlet shows up and apologizes for the series of unfortunate events and declares his love for his sister

-          The king convinces him to kill Hamlet

-          In a sword fight, many people are poisoned

Result: He dies from the poison of his own sword, and because of his vengeance plan, the queen drank from the poisoned cup, he tells Hamlet he is sorry, and Hamlet kills the king as he dies.

The major family units in hamlet are Claudius/Old Hamlet and Polonius. Polonius’s wife is not mentioned in the book or movie, but it is presumed that he has one because he has 2 children.

Crisis and coping:

Hamlet:

In Hamlet’s family, the crisis that occurs is the death and sudden appearance of Old Hamlet’s ghost, in which he learns that Claudius, Old Hamlet’s brother, murdered him. Although this affects Hamlet greatly, everything that happens to one family affects the other

Polonius:

In Polonius’s side of the family, the major crisis is the death of Polonius by Young Hamlet. Less important crisis being the death of Old Hamlet

Ophelia goes literally insane when her father dies, and when Ophelia dies, Laertes challenges Hamlet to a duel, which would of resulted in Hamlet’s death, hence avenging the death of his family.

Nuclear Family:

A nuclear family is a family consisting of a mother, father, and the children.

Hamlet had a nuclear family consisting of Old Hamlet, Gertrude, and himself, but then his father was killed, and no longer was it a nuclear family.  Polonius’s family is a nuclear family, it is him and his two children, and affection between them all.

Also the men are given the dominant roles, while the women are given the less important ones, and they are powerless to stopping the tragedies around them.

b) compare Hamlet, John Proctor, and Brick. (use Miller’s deffinition of modern tragedy):

Ok, well, before I go into the “Miller’s definition of modern tragedy” all wrong, I’d like to point something out. Yesterday, I was thinking about this homework…when I randomly thought about how I knew the house in cat on a hot tin roof was a slave house ^.^ go me for spotting that before seeing the servants. lol. Anyways! And then I looked at Hamlet and the Crucible…notice that John Proctor, Hamlet, AND Brick (funny name huh? lol) ALL HAVE SOME TYPE OF SLAVE (servant)!!!! No joke…Hamlet well…he lives in a castle with servants (duh), John has Mary AND before there was also Abigail, and Brick has the “darker” slaves. But also notice that Hamlet is kind to his servants, and John…well…Mary doesn’t HATE him, and she isn’t THAT mistreated. And Brick when talking to his father tells him “you’ve never even looked at one of your servants in the eyes and asked them how they were doing” or something like that, so even though they are men with power (even though not super powerful), they are still somewhat kind to their servants….that was a long paragraph. lol.

Now, for Miller’s definition, I think it goes something like this( mite be wrong tho):  Hamlet is unable to exceed past being a common man because his uncle murdered his father, and this drives him to being or pretending to be insane, and he cannot avoid it because he must avenge his father’s death. He is aware of what he must do, but knows that he most likely will die in the end. John Proctor is a man who leads a peaceful life…oh, except for the fact that he committed adultery (CHEATING ON HIS WIFE!!!), and when he has to save his wife from death, he must admit to having “known Abigail” so that he can prove that the witchery of the girls and accusation towards his wife is false. Of course, his wife decides that of all times to lie, she lies when her husband’s life is on the line (douche). -.- Anyways, he knows he had done wrongly, and it haunted him, and because of this, he dies to “keep his name” (idiot). Now, for Brick, since we haven’t seen the whole movie yet, I think he is aware of his unhappiness and too aware of the loss of his best friend that he hates Maggie (his own WIFE), and becomes an alcoholic to block out all of the pain in his life, and even though he may or may not love Maggie, he still keeps her around. He knows he is a cold hearted, now bitter man. Up till now, he’s still clueless and we don’t know what happens in the end. But we know he feels loveless because of his father not loving anyone in his life. (He thinks money and buying stuff is an example of love)

Ok, so Hamlet suffers internally either with: having to kill Claudius, the fact his mother married his father’s murderer, or of all the pressure. I know what he suffers internally from, but I just don’t know how to say it lol.  Tragic flaw: His revenge plan?
John suffers internally either with: Having committed adultery, his wife being accused and knowing it is partially his fault, or knowing he is an idiot and powerless…lol   Tragic flaw: His guilt?
Brick suffers internally either with or all of these: Loss of his best friend, nostalgia about his past(sports), Maggie “cheating” on him, not loving Maggie, his inability to give Big Daddy grand-children, or knowing he is a cold, mean, and ugly man on the inside.  Tragic flaw: His alcoholism or his inability to forget/forgive.

The significance of the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a description on the emotions, and characteristics of Maggie. Maggie is bitter and angry, and feels lonely, and unwanted. She is also bound by marriage to a man who does not love her and treats her like dirt. Further more, she feels bad because she has no children.