Notes on Hamlet

When we first started the play I saw Hamlet as the 'poor boy' who lost his father and watched his mother marry a horrible replacement father. However things have changed since then. Hamlet no longer looks like a lost puppy. He took it upon himself to kill Polonius and felt no remorse. How can anyone sane be like that? Also a friend was able to convince me that Gertrude married Claudius because she was doing what she thought was best for her son. She wanted him to still be in line for the throne and in order to do that Hamlet must stay in his father's family. From this point on I see Hamlet's ruse of crazy morphing into actual crazy. All he is focused on right now is revenge and there is only so far you can go before it's to late to come back.

Who Was Shakespeare?

Little is known about Shakespeare. His date of birth is a mystery and even what he looked like is something not really known. However we may not know who we was but we know what he did and what he still moves people with. He is one of the greatest drama play-writers as of yet. Most students don't see him this way, but instead shudder at the thought of any of his writings. Why? It don't make no sense! However I have found that reading it aloud and collaborating with others, it makes his plays have much more meaning to them (and I actually can understand what he was talking about!) Shakespeare seemed to write in a backwards language, but actually he is very literal. The reader must keep their pace slow enough to let it sink in and then the meaning will follow after. The struggles come from the words that Shakespeare made up. I don't have an examples, but I know that throughout his plays he created new words to fit his writing style.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/merchant/shakespeare.html

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

I have always thought of Facebook as a place to reconnect with past friends and make a way to stay in touch with those you see everyday. I found that this may be true, however we are being used at the same time. They use our personal information we put on our page. Also not only do my 'friends' see my page, but completely random strangers do as well because there is nothing blocking them from it. Reading this article shows how dangerous Facebook could be for younger kids and even for us teenagers. I suppose Mark Zuckerburg is only doing this to make money, but it would be nice if he cared. This isn't going to stop me from using it, but I know now to be a lot more careful of what I put on the internet.

Vocabulary List #9 (Picture Dictionary Harry Potter Style)

Abortive: failing to produce the intended result

Bruit: spread a report or rumor widely

Contumelious: scornful and insulting behavior

Dictum: a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source; a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle

Ensconce: establish or settle

 

Iconoclastic: characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions 

In medias res: a narrative that begins somewhere in the middle of a story rather than the beginning 

 

Internecine: destructive to both sides in a conflict

 

Maladroit: ineffective or bungling; clumsy

Maudlin: self-pitying or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness 

Modulate: exert a modifying or controlling influence on

Portentous: of or like a portent; done in a pompously or overly solemn manner

Prescience: the power to foresee the future

 

Quid pro quo: a favor or advantage granted in return for something

Salubrious: health-giving, healthy; pleasant, not run-down

Saturnalia: the ancient Roman festival of Saturn in December; an occasion of wild revelry

Touchstone: a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized 

Traumatic: emotionally disturbing or distressing; relating to or causing psychological trauma

Vitiate: spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of; destroy or impair the legal validity of

 

Waggish: humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner

Hamlet Remix Act 3

This is a link to Abby Kuhlman's blog and to our analysis on whether Hamlet is truly sane or insane.
akuhlmanrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com

(If link not working, please copy and paste on your search engine to get to her blog)

The Vocabulary Midterm

I have to say that I did a lot better then I expected considering I misplaced the first two vocabulary lists and didn't have all that much time to study during the week due to my dance classes and other homework assignments. My score reflected the fact that i knew them though. From this, it implies that I studied hard the first time around and committed the words to my brain. Next time around though I will definitely put more effort into knowing every single word and its definition. Flash cards and study time with friends for me!

Vocabulary List #8

Dear Ophelia