Sunday, March 3, 2013
Blog Post Comments!!
1. In Response to Shannon Kopcha as Hamlet (Mourning Medly of Melodies)
Hamlet
I found your interpretation and connection to these songs to be insightful, and quite eloquent, as you always are! If I may be so bold, I would like to advise you on the matter of taking action, as you said "I am angry at myself for failing to act in a timely manner..." In one instance, you wish to take action in the death, or murder, of your uncle, The King. Though he is a murderer himself, is it justice when murder begets murder? I mean no offense, but simply advise you to temper your passion for revenge, my lord.
In another instance, you wish to act upon the matter of your life, or rather your death. I understand the grief, and no words could ever soothe the pain you've expressed to me about your father. I worry about you, Hamlet, and I was pondering your situation as of late. When you said "To be, or not to be: that is the question"(3.1.56), could you elaborate upon whether you were musing upon the prospect of murder, or of suicide? Was your indecision at this moment about your action, or inaction, towards the King, towards yourself, or perhaps a bit of both?
Always your loyal friend,
Horatio
2. In Responde to Lauren Fitz as Ophelia (The Last Will and Testament of Ophelia)
Ophelia
First of all, I offer my deepest condolences for... Well... Your death. Such a poetic way to go though. Floating softly in the water filled with flowers. How lovely! Well, as lovely as death may be... Anyway, your death aside, I just thought you may want an update on Hamlet since you've been gone. Sadly, and my heart breaks to speak these words once again, though I have to since he said to me "report me and my cause aright to thr unsatisfied"(5.2.340-341), but he is also dead. I wonder if you two are up in heaven together. I have no doubt that you both deserve it... Deserve being in heaven. Not dying. Heaven. Not death. Anyway, you said you "don’t want Hamlet to be double depressed over the loss of his father and his girlfriend", and atleast you get your wish! He doesn't actually feel sad about that anymore. He is in peace, as you are. So... There's your update! Any more questions, let me know.
The Depressed and Unfortunately-still-alive Horatio
3. In Response to Kendra Mendoza as Ophelia (I AM NOT CRAZY!!!)
Ophelia
Now now, I understand that you are unbelievably upset at Hamlet, who happens to be my best friend. I mean, you do have a good reason. He did accidently kind of kill you dad and start a chain reaction that led to you being absolutely alone and depressed about life in every way possible while remaining aloofly distanced from you at all times which gave you absolutely no comfort whatsoever as you spiraled into what everyone thinks is madness... But let's take a step back from all that! Do you know the circumstances of your father's death? You know that Hamlet killed him, supposedly. But Hamlet wouldn't have suddenly just plotted to kill your father with no provocation or reason! Your father (who didn't necessarily deserve to die) was snooping around Hamlet, and Hamlet mistook him for Claudius in hiding (who does deserve to die, mind you), and lashed out. You know Hamlet. You know his passion, and how easily it moves his emotion. He never meant to hurt you. My best friend would never want to hurt the love of his life. He said, in his grief at your death "I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum"(5.1.271-273). So you see, he never meant to do you harm. Please, take no more heart in the emotion that led you to say "‘Tis Hamlets fault, how can something so beautiful be the cause of all the pain in my world." It pains me to read such a fallacy.
The Depressed and Unfortunately-still-alive Horatio
4. In Response to Mohsin Shafi as Claudius (Blog # 6)
Claudius
I cannot say that I am neither sad nor happy at your demise. Of course, I lean more towards sadness, since most of the people I knew once are dead now. But I cannot excuse the things you have done. Death begets death, so it would seem.
I'd simply like to address one thing You said "I proved my love for her when I tried to stop her from drinking the posioned wine", but had you really loved her so much, you might have spared her the intention of the poison, which was to kill her one and only son. Her son; the true light of every mother's life, the pride of her heart, and deep down, the only person left in her life that she has pure, unadulterated love for. If you loved her, how could you possibly do such a thing to her in the first place? Your "offense is rank"(3.3.36), but if you loved her, you wouldn't let that filth of unnatural death spread into her heart.
The Depressed and Unfortunately-still-alive Horatio
5. In Response to Andrew Woodruff as Claudius (Be Prepared!)
Gertrude
I must disagree with you when you say that Hamlet "feels alone and he does not share his emotions or feelings with anyone". As his best friend, I must admit that he does not talk about his feelings as much as would be healthy. Yet, he does share his emotions with me, and he shares his inner thoughts as well. He shares his plans, such as the play to "catch the conscience of the king"(2.2.617). He let me into that plan, trusting me as his closest friend. He does share his emotions, just not with you. He doesn't exactly trust you, since you trust the man who supposedly killed your husband, and first true love. Hamlet cannot let you in, for fear of more betrayal by you. But don't worry, I am trying my best to steer him in a good direction, my Queen.
The Depressed and Unfortunately-still-alive Horatio
Hamlet
I found your interpretation and connection to these songs to be insightful, and quite eloquent, as you always are! If I may be so bold, I would like to advise you on the matter of taking action, as you said "I am angry at myself for failing to act in a timely manner..." In one instance, you wish to take action in the death, or murder, of your uncle, The King. Though he is a murderer himself, is it justice when murder begets murder? I mean no offense, but simply advise you to temper your passion for revenge, my lord.
In another instance, you wish to act upon the matter of your life, or rather your death. I understand the grief, and no words could ever soothe the pain you've expressed to me about your father. I worry about you, Hamlet, and I was pondering your situation as of late. When you said "To be, or not to be: that is the question"(3.1.56), could you elaborate upon whether you were musing upon the prospect of murder, or of suicide? Was your indecision at this moment about your action, or inaction, towards the King, towards yourself, or perhaps a bit of both?
Always your loyal friend,
Horatio
2. In Responde to Lauren Fitz as Ophelia (The Last Will and Testament of Ophelia)
Ophelia
First of all, I offer my deepest condolences for... Well... Your death. Such a poetic way to go though. Floating softly in the water filled with flowers. How lovely! Well, as lovely as death may be... Anyway, your death aside, I just thought you may want an update on Hamlet since you've been gone. Sadly, and my heart breaks to speak these words once again, though I have to since he said to me "report me and my cause aright to thr unsatisfied"(5.2.340-341), but he is also dead. I wonder if you two are up in heaven together. I have no doubt that you both deserve it... Deserve being in heaven. Not dying. Heaven. Not death. Anyway, you said you "don’t want Hamlet to be double depressed over the loss of his father and his girlfriend", and atleast you get your wish! He doesn't actually feel sad about that anymore. He is in peace, as you are. So... There's your update! Any more questions, let me know.
The Depressed and Unfortunately-still-alive Horatio
3. In Response to Kendra Mendoza as Ophelia (I AM NOT CRAZY!!!)
Ophelia
Now now, I understand that you are unbelievably upset at Hamlet, who happens to be my best friend. I mean, you do have a good reason. He did accidently kind of kill you dad and start a chain reaction that led to you being absolutely alone and depressed about life in every way possible while remaining aloofly distanced from you at all times which gave you absolutely no comfort whatsoever as you spiraled into what everyone thinks is madness... But let's take a step back from all that! Do you know the circumstances of your father's death? You know that Hamlet killed him, supposedly. But Hamlet wouldn't have suddenly just plotted to kill your father with no provocation or reason! Your father (who didn't necessarily deserve to die) was snooping around Hamlet, and Hamlet mistook him for Claudius in hiding (who does deserve to die, mind you), and lashed out. You know Hamlet. You know his passion, and how easily it moves his emotion. He never meant to hurt you. My best friend would never want to hurt the love of his life. He said, in his grief at your death "I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum"(5.1.271-273). So you see, he never meant to do you harm. Please, take no more heart in the emotion that led you to say "‘Tis Hamlets fault, how can something so beautiful be the cause of all the pain in my world." It pains me to read such a fallacy.
The Depressed and Unfortunately-still-alive Horatio
4. In Response to Mohsin Shafi as Claudius (Blog # 6)
Claudius
I cannot say that I am neither sad nor happy at your demise. Of course, I lean more towards sadness, since most of the people I knew once are dead now. But I cannot excuse the things you have done. Death begets death, so it would seem.
I'd simply like to address one thing You said "I proved my love for her when I tried to stop her from drinking the posioned wine", but had you really loved her so much, you might have spared her the intention of the poison, which was to kill her one and only son. Her son; the true light of every mother's life, the pride of her heart, and deep down, the only person left in her life that she has pure, unadulterated love for. If you loved her, how could you possibly do such a thing to her in the first place? Your "offense is rank"(3.3.36), but if you loved her, you wouldn't let that filth of unnatural death spread into her heart.
The Depressed and Unfortunately-still-alive Horatio
5. In Response to Andrew Woodruff as Claudius (Be Prepared!)
Claudius
I definitely agreed with you when you said "Woe is all who have meddled in the state of our royalty". Think about it... You performed the "primal eldest curse"(3.3.37) by killing your brother, the king. Laertes has killed the future king, my dearest friend Hamlet. You killed the Queen. And all of the afore mentioned people are now dead. So yes, I'd say that woe is definitely all who have meddled in the order of Denmark's royalty. Justice has been served, however twisted and late it may have been, I suppose.
The Depressed and Unfortunately-still-alive Horatio
6. In Response to Stephen Otto as Gertrude (Blog 4)
Gertrude
I must disagree with you when you say that Hamlet "feels alone and he does not share his emotions or feelings with anyone". As his best friend, I must admit that he does not talk about his feelings as much as would be healthy. Yet, he does share his emotions with me, and he shares his inner thoughts as well. He shares his plans, such as the play to "catch the conscience of the king"(2.2.617). He let me into that plan, trusting me as his closest friend. He does share his emotions, just not with you. He doesn't exactly trust you, since you trust the man who supposedly killed your husband, and first true love. Hamlet cannot let you in, for fear of more betrayal by you. But don't worry, I am trying my best to steer him in a good direction, my Queen.
The Depressed and Unfortunately-still-alive Horatio
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Peter Seng on Ophelia's Most Erratic Behavior
Recently, I have come across an article in "Royals Weekly" that speaks of Ophelia's rather strange behaviors as of late. I found it to be an accurate account and portayal of this occurrance. He states the cause of Ophelia's madness as a combination of being "all alone at Elsinore"(Seng 218), being introduced to "the habit of mistrust"(Seng 220), and because her brother and father did not take care of her as they should have.
Ophelia's madness being in part due to the fact that she is alone could be seen as reasonable. If I think about it, there's truly no one in Elsinore that she can trust. Her father is dead, killed by Hamlet, who has not spoken to her since the play, and her brother has only "in secret come from France"(4.5.88). She truly is all alone, at least mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. She doesn't even have the "beauteous Queen of Denmark"(4.5.21), since she seems to be avoiding poor Ophelia. There is positively no one to help her get through "the poison of deep grief" (4.5.75).
It probably does not help the poor girl that her sense of self has been completely turned around by her father and brother's mistrust of all men. This comes as "a shock to her gentle nature"(Seng 220). Laertes tells her that Hamlet will use her, and only break her heart. Polonius tells her that he knows of how easily men hurt young women by pursuing them for one thing, if you catch my drift. Yet, in the end, it isn't as if they took such great care of her to be able to chide Hamlet in any way. In actuality, they probably did much more damage than Hamlet did, by planting such seeds of doubt in her trusting mind. She thought she knew who she was and what she stood for, until Polonius was telling her things like "you do not understand yourself so clearly" (1.3.96). What else is a delicate girl like Ophelia going to do, besides lose her mind, when everyone she cares about is telling her to be someone else, and that she's wrong all the time.
Perhaps if her father and brother had paid less attention to what he suspected of Hamlet and more of what Hamlet was showing towards his daughter, they wouldn't have tried turning Ophelia against Hamlet and against herself. When it's all said and done, the mad Ophelia alludes to her own brother as a "false steward, that stole his master's daughter"(4.5.172). My opinion, and Seng's as well, is that she was speaking of how her brother failed to take care of her, as did her father.
This magazine sure seems to know what it is that they're talking about, or at least Sir Peter Seng certainly does. I agree with his idea of how Ophelia came to madness through loneliness, being forced to doubt herself and her relationships, and because her brother and father did not take care of her as they should have. The poor creature. Hamlet must be devastated.
Ophelia's madness being in part due to the fact that she is alone could be seen as reasonable. If I think about it, there's truly no one in Elsinore that she can trust. Her father is dead, killed by Hamlet, who has not spoken to her since the play, and her brother has only "in secret come from France"(4.5.88). She truly is all alone, at least mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. She doesn't even have the "beauteous Queen of Denmark"(4.5.21), since she seems to be avoiding poor Ophelia. There is positively no one to help her get through "the poison of deep grief" (4.5.75).
It probably does not help the poor girl that her sense of self has been completely turned around by her father and brother's mistrust of all men. This comes as "a shock to her gentle nature"(Seng 220). Laertes tells her that Hamlet will use her, and only break her heart. Polonius tells her that he knows of how easily men hurt young women by pursuing them for one thing, if you catch my drift. Yet, in the end, it isn't as if they took such great care of her to be able to chide Hamlet in any way. In actuality, they probably did much more damage than Hamlet did, by planting such seeds of doubt in her trusting mind. She thought she knew who she was and what she stood for, until Polonius was telling her things like "you do not understand yourself so clearly" (1.3.96). What else is a delicate girl like Ophelia going to do, besides lose her mind, when everyone she cares about is telling her to be someone else, and that she's wrong all the time.
Perhaps if her father and brother had paid less attention to what he suspected of Hamlet and more of what Hamlet was showing towards his daughter, they wouldn't have tried turning Ophelia against Hamlet and against herself. When it's all said and done, the mad Ophelia alludes to her own brother as a "false steward, that stole his master's daughter"(4.5.172). My opinion, and Seng's as well, is that she was speaking of how her brother failed to take care of her, as did her father.
This magazine sure seems to know what it is that they're talking about, or at least Sir Peter Seng certainly does. I agree with his idea of how Ophelia came to madness through loneliness, being forced to doubt herself and her relationships, and because her brother and father did not take care of her as they should have. The poor creature. Hamlet must be devastated.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Remembering Hamlet UPDATED FINAL VERSION
Come on, skinny love just last the year
Pour a little salt we were never here
My my my - my my my - my my my my - my my ...
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer
I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My my my - my my my - my my my my - my my ...
Right in the moment this order's tall
I told you to be patient I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced I told you to be kind
In the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different kind
I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines
Come on skinny love what happened here
Suckle on the hope in lite brassiere
My my my - my my my - my my my - my my ...
Sullen load is full so slow on the split
I told you to be patient I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced I told you to be kind
Now all your love is wasted then who the hell was I?
Cause now I'm breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines
Who will love you? who will fight?
And who will fall, far behind?
Come on skinny love
My my my - my my my - my my my - my my ...
Come on skinny love
My my my - my my my - my my my - my my ...
Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>
Pour a little salt we were never here
My my my - my my my - my my my my - my my ...
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer
I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My my my - my my my - my my my my - my my ...
Right in the moment this order's tall
I told you to be patient I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced I told you to be kind
In the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different kind
I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines
Come on skinny love what happened here
Suckle on the hope in lite brassiere
My my my - my my my - my my my - my my ...
Sullen load is full so slow on the split
I told you to be patient I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced I told you to be kind
Now all your love is wasted then who the hell was I?
Cause now I'm breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines
Who will love you? who will fight?
And who will fall, far behind?
Come on skinny love
My my my - my my my - my my my - my my ...
Come on skinny love
My my my - my my my - my my my - my my ...
Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>
After Hamlet's funeral, once I was blessedly alone with my grief at last, I turned on some tunes. I was thinking of how well this song speaks to my shattered soul and all of my memories of Hamlet. My dear friend, gone. Our kingdom, toppled... Yet he told me.. He told me that I needed to carry on, to tell everyone of what happened, to teach about the pitfalls of revenge, and to carry on his legacy. Though my every breath pains me, I will follow my lord's wishes. A true friend he was in life, and so in death, I will be his ever loyal friend still.
This song, when it says "I told you to be patient, I told you to be fine, I told you to be balanced, I told you to be kind" reminds me of when I was begging Hamlet to be careful in this duel of his with Laertes. I said to him "If your mind dislike anything, obey it"(5.2.218). I knew I sensed something foul about to happen... Hamlet did as well, and said that the "readiness is all"(5.2.223-224), but now look at what's happened. Readiness? Readiness?! A great lot of good readiness did... He's gone, and I am en seul. All alone, to carry on with the task given to me by my dead best friend. When the song says "Who will love you? Who will fight?", it reminds me of this. He said to me, with one of his last precious breaths, "If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, and in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, to tell my story"(5.2.347-349).I must fight for Hamlet, for his last wish, and I must resist the urge to allow death into my heart. I must continue to love my best friend. I will love you, and I will fight, Hamlet.
All of this death and destruction, the "carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts" (5.2.382) that have been committed, it's all brought to mind with the line of the song "staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer". A sink is supposed to clean things and veneer is a decorative substance used to cover less fine materials. The fact that there is blood soiling something that is supposed to be clean and the veneer, which is supposed to cover the bad material, has been crushed, revealing the rotten stuff underneath. This is exactly what has happened to Denmark. I couldn't have picked a better song to relate to right now. "Woe is me"(3.1.163), and that is all I ever shall be from now on...
Tell me everything that happened,
Tell me everything you saw.
They had lights inside their eyes...
They had lights inside their eyes...
Did you see the closing window,
Did you hear the slamming door?
They moved forward and my heart died...
They moved forward and my heart died...
Please, please tell me what they looked like,
Did they seem afraid of you?
They were kids that I once knew...
They were kids that I once knew...
I can say it, but you won't you believe me.
You say you do, but you don't deceive me.
It's hard to know they're out there,
It's hard to know that you still care.
I can say it, but you won't you believe me.
You say you do, but you don't deceive me.
Dead hearts are everywhere!
Dead hearts are everywhere!
Did you touch them, did you hold them?
Did they follow you to town?
They make me feel I'm falling down...
They make me feel I'm falling down...
Was there one you saw too clearly,
Did they seem too real to you?
They were kids that I once knew...
They were kids that I once knew...
I can say it, but you won't you believe me.
You say you do, but you don't deceive me.
It's hard to know they're out there,
It's hard to know that you still care.
I can say it, but you won't you believe me.
You say you do, but you don't deceive me.
Dead hearts are everywhere!
Dead hearts are everywhere!
I can say it, but you won't you believe me.
You say you do, but you don't deceive me.
It's hard to know they're out there,
It's hard to know that you still care.
I can say it, but you won't you believe me.
You say you do, but you don't deceive me.
Dead hearts are everywhere!
Dead hearts are everywhere!
They were kids that I once knew...
They were kids that I once knew...
Now they're all dead hearts to you...
Now they're all dead hearts to you...
They were kids that I once knew...
They were kids that I once knew...
Now they're all dead hearts to you...
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/stars/
This song reminds me of how most everyone I knew here in Denmark is gone. Dead, killed, murdered, gone through self-slaughter. The first stanza, though, brings back memories of my friend's "father's spirit"(1.2.255). Hamlet was asking me all kinds of questions about it, as he had not seen it yet, and had not felt "bound to hear... to revenge"(1.5.7-8). I also remember the "Wretched Queen"(5.2.334), the expression of betrayal and regret that passed over her pale face as her soul left her. A certain emotion lit up her eyes at the moment of her death, and I hope that she can find salvation through her many foolish, naive mistakes.. "There were lights inside their eyes"..
Alas, I am wallowing in my grief. I can't shake the image of all of these "kids that I once knew" dying. "Now cracks a noble heart"(5.2.359), at the thought of all these dying friends, all these dying royals! All the result of "deaths put on by cunning and forced cause" (5.2.884).. All I have left to say, is "Good night, sweet Prince"(5.2.358-360), and that I wish with all my heart that you have found peace and solace in Heaven.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Hammie's Soliloquy
- The uncertainty of death is shown through imagery throughout the soliloquy with words such as "sea of troubles", which brings about thoughts of a turbulent and wave-filled sea, slightly dangerous and difficult to traverse, and "undiscovered country", which brings about the idea of an unexplored land, yet again dangerous and full of mystery. Also, "grunt and sweat under a weary life" brings about the image of someone holding up something horribly heavy, being barely able to carry it.
- As for the negative experiences in life, Hamlet says "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune", which is comparing bad luck to being shot at with arrows and hinting at the pain it brings, "The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to", which is saying that by simply being alive, we are condemned to have unhappy experiences and horrible memories throughout our lives, and "the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, the pangs of despised love...", meaning that throughout our lives, people will do us wrong, have bad will towards us, and we'll all be in pain due to love. All of these are ways in which Hamlet relays the bad experiences of life to the audience.
- Hamlet uses mostly pathos in his speech, such as when he uses words that have emotion attached to them, such as "heartache", "troubles", "despised love", and "spurns", it all appeals to the emotions of the audience to get them to feel a certain way. An ethos part of the speech, though, is "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all" because that is the whole dilemma he is going through. To act out of revenge, or end his life, or to stay his hand out of religious concerns, or "conscience", in respect to both.
- Paradoxes, such as "to die, to sleep" and "to be or not to be", which also happen to be infinitive statements, contribute to the debate style of Hamlet's thought process. It also shows the inner conflict he feels over suicide and killing his Uncle. Hamlet's tone is morose, and his diction is rather elevated, using words that are not exactly colloquial, such as "insolence", "calamity", and "contumely".
- As for mis en scene, in the first version of the soliloquy, the mirrors play a large role in camera angles as well as the setting. The mirrors are supposed to reflect the personal nature of his speech, but we, as the audience, know that it's not personal at all. People are listening to him reflect upon his thoughts and feelings. The camera angles are affected by the way his image is all over the room. It gives it an eerie, repetitive feeling, as if Hamlet cannot escape himself. The prop, a knife, shows Hamlet's desire for revenge and suicide both, as well as makes the feeling more intense for the audience. There is no non-diegetic sound, since only he is speaking and there is no music. This causes a great focus on him and his speech, as does the zooming in of the camera upon his face as the speech gets more intense. He is also wearing all black, to symbolize his grief.
-The mis en scene for the second version is different in many ways. It's in black and white, it has music, specifically violin and strings playing, and there are many more non diegetic sounds, such as the ocean in the background/music. The setting changes to the top of the castle overlooking the ocean. This gives it a certain anticipation, as it would be so very easy for him to kill himself up there, and he is speaking of the merits and sins of suicide. The camera goes into his head, emphasizing his thoughts and inner emotion, as well as when it zooms in on his facial expressions or eyes. This time, though there is a knife as a prop, he drops it into the ocean, stressing the connection between the knife and the revenge he wants on his uncle, and the action vs inaction debate he has. The mist emphasizes the confusion of Hamlet in the matters of murder and suicide.
- The third version was set in a tomb, dimly lit, which automatically sets a more dark and empty, hollow mood. He is wearing black, as seems to be customary for the typical Hamlet depiction, and the camera often zooms in on his face whenever the tone is most intense. Shadows fall across his face due to lighting tricks and causes the audience to feel a bit of an ominous atmosphere.
-In the fourth rendition of the speech, Hamlet is dressed in black, except for his hat. The hat has green and red accents to it, and I feel it shows that Hamlet is not all gone, consumed by his need for revenge. Obviously, since he does not kill himself at the end of the speech. The blockbuster is brightly lit and contrasts his tone, which is bitingly bitter and morose. The speech is a non diegetic VoiceOver for the first bit, then we can see him speaking it. He does not walk, but ambles. He does not speak, but kind of grumbles and mumbles. The camera is on his face the whole time.
-The most effective, in my opinion, was the first version. The mirrors really had a great effect on the mood and meaning of the scene. I also like how there was no music to distract from what he was saying and how his facial expressions are changing. I would have changed the scene by maybe showing more of Claudius's reaction to his speech. It would add more to his character, and to the meaning of Hamlet's words.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Colors Colors Colors
If you would kindly notice the change I've made in the hue of my page, you'll see both a dark, passionate red and a cool, and detached gray-blue. These are the two things I try to embody in life. The red, I do like to think, as Hamlet said "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy"(1.5.35). By this, I do believe he means that my belief system and what I would like to think is true about people in general, them being innately good overall, is but a dream. Though, I would believe it until proven otherwise, and passionately so. I am glad that Hammie chose to definitely prove his royal Uncle's guilt before acting too rash, thus taking a step back from his passion, like I do, to try and see truth. I would not enthusiastically encourage the anger and wrath of Hamlet, before or during the play, because I do not believe in rash, vengeful acts. One needs to detach themselves from such violent, colorful emotions. Yet, he is my Prince, so when he asked me if I had seen what he had hoped for, I gave him the answer he had desired from my "heedful note"(3.2.85) of the king's reaction. I can only hope for my Prince that he can also detach himself from the passion of his revenge to see what is right an what is wrong...
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
A Most Curious Film
"It appears we are equal... in the eyes of spies. Equal... but not even."
From Die Another Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bAMpQId5QI
I simply had to share this, a song that sings to many individuals' hearts as of late.. So many secrets, yet undiscovered...
The movie Die Another Day, a quite interesting story of betrayal and espionage, truly struck a note with me, and I'm sure my dear Hammie as well. He has spoken to me at length about the passing events, and he is quite excited a the prospect of this plot of his. The Queen and King had asked our old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to "gather so much as from occasion as you may glean"(2.2.15-16). This alone would have been enough to drive our reeling Lord Hamlet into a fit of anger, but to add insult to injury, they tried to lie to his face after he quite clearly made it known that he was in on their plot.
In this movie of spies and lies, James Bond is betrayed in the beginning by Miranda Frost, to whom he was relatively close. I am assuming the sense of betrayal pushed Hamlet to hatch a plot of his own. Hamlet has decided to perform a mental feint, so to speak, and act absolutely insane to anyone who is trying to worm out his intentions, and the reasons behind his grief. He will put on an "antic disposition"(1.5.58), to throw people off of his trail. Yet, another thing troubles me more. He has told me only a little bit of a plan; a plot to jar the king, surprise him, shock him into showing, not telling, us of his guilt. Oh, how did he say it?... Yes, that's right. "The play's the things wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King"(2.2.616-617). He seems so very sure of the King's guilt. Yet I commend him for taking such a measure as to make sure of the guilt. Tis' the mark of an otherwise intelligent and benevolent ruler. If only such a sign not been derived from the pit of revenge that he seems to find himself in.
From Die Another Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bAMpQId5QI
I simply had to share this, a song that sings to many individuals' hearts as of late.. So many secrets, yet undiscovered...
The movie Die Another Day, a quite interesting story of betrayal and espionage, truly struck a note with me, and I'm sure my dear Hammie as well. He has spoken to me at length about the passing events, and he is quite excited a the prospect of this plot of his. The Queen and King had asked our old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to "gather so much as from occasion as you may glean"(2.2.15-16). This alone would have been enough to drive our reeling Lord Hamlet into a fit of anger, but to add insult to injury, they tried to lie to his face after he quite clearly made it known that he was in on their plot.
In this movie of spies and lies, James Bond is betrayed in the beginning by Miranda Frost, to whom he was relatively close. I am assuming the sense of betrayal pushed Hamlet to hatch a plot of his own. Hamlet has decided to perform a mental feint, so to speak, and act absolutely insane to anyone who is trying to worm out his intentions, and the reasons behind his grief. He will put on an "antic disposition"(1.5.58), to throw people off of his trail. Yet, another thing troubles me more. He has told me only a little bit of a plan; a plot to jar the king, surprise him, shock him into showing, not telling, us of his guilt. Oh, how did he say it?... Yes, that's right. "The play's the things wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King"(2.2.616-617). He seems so very sure of the King's guilt. Yet I commend him for taking such a measure as to make sure of the guilt. Tis' the mark of an otherwise intelligent and benevolent ruler. If only such a sign not been derived from the pit of revenge that he seems to find himself in.
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