Friday, November 7, 2008

Hamlet Final Assignment
Rachel Pond

For my final assignment, I decided to make a collage of Hamlet’s complex mind. I used arrows to indicate where and what he is thinking of during the play. The first arrow indicates Hatred. This is an ongoing occurrence in his mind because during the whole play, he continually hates Claudius. This is an important theme in the play because him hating Claudius causes drama and results in Claudius’ death. Another theme in my collage is that Hamlet continually thinks about is death. In the play, death is an ongoing occurrence and shapes the play into a tragedy. During the play, almost everyone’s death has to do with Hamlet’s actions. Also, deception plays a he role in the play Hamlet. In a way, Hamlet feels as if his mother has deceived him because of her remarriage to his Uncle Claudius. Also, deception is running through his head because Rozencrantz and Guildenstern stabbed him in the back. They were supposed to be his friends meanwhile they were spying on him as a favour to the king. During the play, Hamlet reveals himself as very inquisitive. He is questioning himself whether he should kill himself and relieve his suffering, or to stay strong and deal with his problems. Also, he questions himself when he is thinking whether or not he has actually become mad, and that it is not just an act anymore. I believe that that is an ongoing occurrence during the play. Lastly, Hamlet shows that he is indecisive when he doesn’t know how to deal with his actions. He procrastinates and second-guesses himself because he is not sure of what he wants. My collage shows that there are many thoughts going through Hamlet’s mind throughout the play Hamlet.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

File Documents

Act 4
Dear Laertes,

I have just heard about your beloved sister Ophelia's death,

I send my condolences to you. I believe that the cause of her

unfortunate death was suicide. I think that your the young

noblewomen was simply an innocent victim of circumstance. The

event that triggered her madness was Hamlet telling her that he

no longer loved her. This caused her to feel like if he didn't love

her, then no one ever could. It made her feel depressed and caused

her to do some things that if she were in the right frame of mind,

she wouldn't of. Ophelia used to tell me that she loved everyone

around her. She was generally a pretty happy person and was loving

life. I am a long time friend of hers and I believe to know and

remember her very well. I am very sad to hear that she's gone, but

you have to stay strong and make sure that you know, it wasn't your

fault. Even though committing suicide is a sin, I do not look down

upon her for doing it. She did what she needed to do to stop her

suffering of a broken heart. I have also come to believe that another

event that triggered her madness was the death of her father,

Polonius. After this tragic event, she completely went mad and it

was hard for me to talk to her. She would constantly be singing sad

songs about death and such. She become incapable of her own distress

and had made her way up to a willow tree. Then the branch snapped

and she fell into a brook and drowned. Although is was not proven

it was suicide most people believe it was. I think that your right and

Ophelia will be an angel and go to heaven.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Clark


Act 2
Dear Hamlet,


The new king, your uncle Claudius has alternative

incitements. You and I both believe that he is not nearly

as loyal as a man of such great power. I don't think that

he is someone that is trustworthy. The death of Old

King Hamlet has lead to such a horrible remarriage of

Queen Gertrude. There is no doubt in my mind expressing

that he could be responsible for Old King Hamlets Death.

Before the death, he knew that he would be next in line for

the royal king's place in anything were to happen to your

father. This opened an opportunity for him to be king. To

kill a member of thy royal family, is one of the worst sins

anyone could ever commit. My suspicions being true are

held up by proof that I can present to you."Your

father’s ghost talking to you that night in the castle,

confessing a foul and most unnatural murder” (Act 1,

Sc,5 line 25). Your father’s ghost told you that night that

the man that now wears his crown snuck into the garden

and put a vial poison into his ear while he slept. This proves

that Claudius may not be as loyal as he may seem and he

might not be as trustworthy. Hope I helped you out.

Anonymous


Act III
1. Write a soliloquy reflecting Gertrude's emotions and thoughts about the future as Act III ends. Reflect an accurate state of mind according to her guilt and/or innocence.



I am feeling as if Hamlet's madness is partly my fault. He is storming

off about everything and taking it out on everyone when, it was Claudius

that caused his mind to go unhealthy. Claudius was the murderer of Old

King Hamlet, his father. Also he took my hand to be his wife which made

him Hamlet's new stepfather which Hamlet was not fond of. Is it partly my

fault because I married him? I feel like all this commotion is going to cause

my son to go on a rampage and leave a massive path of destruction. I

believed that Hamlet's madness towards Claudius was just an act. I am in

awe with his actions against Polonius ; stabbing him through the arras,

thinking it was my husband. Is there anything I can do about this

situation? I was shaken when the horrible event occurred but agreed to

keep the secret quiet, so there was so suspicion.