Oh dear, writing an open prompt response

2004-Critic Roland Barthes has said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” Choose a novel, or play, and, considering Barthes’ observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

       In Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, the struggle to identify oneself becomes a prominent issue for both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The question of this play seems to be "Who am I?" An identity confusion that alerts readers to the thought that life based on performing for others, strips them of  their potential to become the  individual that  they were meant to be. 

       

     From the start of this play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern confuse themselves, providing evidence of their consideration of the question "Who am I" Others in the play mix the two of them up because they are in reality forgettable characters. They can be considered as one character because they present themselves in a meaningless fashion, full of repetitive  questioning and memory loss. They're concerns are unimportant as other known characters in this play feel the right to order Rosencrantz and Guildenstern around. 

       The Player exists as the one character in Stoppard's play who has the ending figured out. He acknowledges his profession as one based on performance and the entertaining of others. He is an actor who is only defined as such when an audience is around to be influenced by his dialogue and physical actions. The Player helps to point out the differences in his character compared to that of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The Player knows he is written in a story, to perform. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are clueless and struggle with finding their own direction. They are incapable of what one would deem an easy feat. They must practice remembering  their names because they have no identity. They are merely tools that perform at the bid of the master who has control of them. They were summoned to Elsinore and they came not really knowing why they followed their summons, but agreeing all the same. 

     Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead pushes the question of identity into the  main characters of his play and his audience of readers. The question "Who am I" warns that pleasing others takes one's identity away from them because they function as an object of use for another person. An unidentifiable person is incapable of independence and must rely on the commands of others, tending to be unaware of their predicament. 

*Ahh, why do I do this to myself. I'm tired of trying and then seeing failure. 

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Sir Tom Stoppard(1937)-Czech playwright, and former journalist who is well known for his play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which is a text full of ambiguity, absurdest elements, and bits of existentialism.

Interesting Bits/Techniques:
Setting-Lack of a defined setting in the beginning. Depending on opinion the characters might be in a caravan the entire time. But the characters exist in the Elizabethan age(Hamlet time) and travel through the forest, to Elsinore, and near the end of the text everyone is on a boat.
Imagery-More developed when describing the ship, otherwise literary technique is used sporadically.
Diction-Formal, Colloquial, Informal. Stoppard plays around with diction depending on the character and the moment.
Tone-At times meaningless, helpless, anguished, humorous...yeah.

Symbols:
Coins-randomness/against probability, issue of balance
Boat-life, are your steering or sitting in the corner sunbathing?
Forest-Evil, mystical
England-Afterlife...form of heaven

Characters:
Rosencrantz-Childhood friend of Hamlet who is summoned along with Guildenstern by the King and Queen to determine the cause of Hamlet's madness. He considers himself a gentlemen and is recognized as a peaceful, and friendly individual who seems to be unaware of his existence and the power of fate. Remains confused about his role in this play, but  realizes in the end that he is a character.
Guildenstern-Childhood friend of Hamlet who is easily angered. He struggles to find the right words to support his theories. At times clueless, but he desires an answer for the questions he can't answer and is frightened by the idea of death.
Rosenstern-Identity confusion between main characters.Sexual oneness.
Player-Master actor who sets the action of the play and seems to be the only one who realize that he's stuck in a play.Able to predict the play's ending.
Everyone else who made an experience-Not as important. Sorry. Refer to Hamlet character list.


Plot:
    Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sit tossing a coin in an undeveloped setting. While tossing coins Guildenstern considers probability and becomes frustrated at the predictable results. He attempts to reason with himself, but further confuses the situation. The two characters are openly confused about their whereabouts but determine that they have been summoned by a messenger for some reason. After a period of time, Ros and Guil head into the forest after hearing music and  happen upon the tragedians. The Player has his actors line up and offers them(as prostitutes are offered and sold for performance) to the unsuspecting Ros and Guil. When the offer is rejected the tragedians begin to leave, but Rosencrantz wants to see a play, leading to the tossing of a coin between the Player and Guildenstern. The coin lands on tails and the Player fulfills his end of the bet with a play. Suddenly, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are whisked into Shakespeare's Hamlet where King Claudius and Queen Gertrude greet them and order them to spy on Hamlet. Lost within Elsinore's castle walls, Ros and Guil pass the time playing a game of questions. They try to collect themselves and figure out Hamlet and the strange circumstances that are present in the royal family.Eventually, the characters witness Hamlet and Polonius conversing and near the end of act one, they are greeted by Hamlet.
   After the conversation has ended, Ros and Guil attempt to make sense of the conversation and the issue/confusion on direction comes up. Meanwhile, Hamlet suggest a play for the actors to act out-The Murder of Gonzago. Once he's left the player addresses Ros and Guil and admits to being peeved that Ros and Guil left him and the other tragedians while they were back in the forest(lacking audience-pointless, no need for a performance). A little bit later the play is performed in front of the King, followed by the death of Polonius-Hamlet's fault, and King Claudius informing Ros and Guil that  he's sending Hamlet to England and that they're to accompany him
    In the final act, Ros and Guil find themselves in bathed in darkness. They're on a boat. And as usual, the two are confused and directionless. They find Hamlet sleeping on the boat and bravely open the seal of the letter Claudius sent with them and read about Hamlet's fate once the boat reaches England. The two argue about betraying their friend, but they realize they have no power and can't save their friend. The Player and his tragedians are also found on the boat. While Ros and Guil sleeps, Hamlet switches the letters and writes of Ros and Guil's death in England and then...the boat is attacked by pirates. Hamlet escapes. Ros and Guil read the letter again and death is about to hit them. Guil is afraid and upset after the Player pretends to die. Guil believes there's more to death than a fake performance and worries about disappearing. Ros is emotional. Then they are gone as they accept they'll know better next time. The play ends similarly to Shakespeare's Hamlet with Horatio's speech. Fini.
 
Quotes:
Player: "For some of us it is performance, for others, patronage. They are two sides of the same coin, or let us say, being as there are so many of us, the same side of two coins.”(23)  Life is a performance. We're all the same in that we exist to impress others and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern exist to perform. Perform. Perform.

Guil: "All your life you live so close to truth, it becomes a permanent blur in the corner of your eye, and when something nudges it into outline it is like being ambushed by a grotesque."(39)
    The truth is not always reliable. We attempt to reach for it and make our own meanings, but we're clueless. The unknown truth shocks us the most and we eventually learn that the world is bigger than we'll ever be.

Theme:
      Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead  raises the question that  if life  is a performance then  an existence based solely on  pleasing others to obtain personal fulfillment limit's that person's  ability/opportunity  to take control of his/her own fate.
     In this play, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are content to let the helm of their boat be steered by someone  else. As unknowing characters, they question themselves and are unable to escape the fate that has already been written for them. Their futile attempts to figure out their lives  and to find direction through others(the Player) appear repetitively throughout  this text. They are hopeless because as they struggle to figure their roles, they are hindered by their inability to form decisive theories and decisions. They are ordered to Elsinore. Ordered to spy on Hamlet. Ordered to take Hamlet to England. They can't decide for themselves and life becomes a continual performance that also exists within the audience. Stoppard addresses the predetermined fate of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern  in his title and weaves in enough intellect to allow reader's to consider their own choices and actions. Who do we perform for? We are not limited to a script. We can form our own paths and bring happiness in own on ways so that we too aren't living an absurd and cyclical life.

The Latest on Course Material

      Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Yes, it's true for those of you who slept through the reading of this book and nodded off during the viewing of the humorous  movie, they are both dead. No surprise for those individuals who read Shakespeare's Hamlet, but hey, we're not all fortunate. When we first began this book, I thought, no problem. Easy peasy, right? No. This play feels meaningless at times-theater of the absurd- yet I don't want to pick the first thought that comes to my mind. There's meaning in this play. We're all on a boat, either steering it or sitting in our own corners of the deck lost to the sway of the ocean. Some of us have free will. Some of us are controlled by others. Yippee.

      I found it interesting though, that Stoppard chose to invent the brief(more detailed) existence of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. I can't say this piece is entirely original, but there's genius in what Stoppard has laid down for us.Odd sentence...He took a risk and from the chatter and analyses of  critics and AP classes, I'd say he made a great decision. However, I find this book infuriating. My mind has little minions working furiously to determine the big secret right at this moment. I want to know the meaning of this play. The grand kahuna  of meanings. I want to know it NOW!

      Recently, we read a less than interesting paper by Ian Johnston about  Ros and Guil. No lie, I could have done without reading this paper. It didn't help me one bit. Not even a little. Just like Precalculus is the dumpiest subject ever.  There's math involved, but I know how to count. I don't need to know DeMoivre's principle. Yes, this paper discusses how Rosencrantz and Guildenstern  have absurdest elements and how it shares some similarities to other works..wow. Okaaay, tell me something I don't know. At least attempt to be as elaborate as math class is . It's got the dull part down to memory though.Like a second skin. Sorry, math lovers.

     During this period, we also  learned more about the structure of the open prompt. The day in the library was...oh the horrors. Let's just say I'm a little rusty on the open prompt. I need help. Much more help than one stressed hour in the computer lab. How about, twenty-four seven practice with an expert  kind of help. Ehh, maybe not that extreme. But I'm sure the practice will do me good. When I was younger I used to hate reading because well, I couldn't read. There were tantrums and moments where the snot and the tears were mixing...gross. But the lesson is that I practiced( my mom made me) and now I'm an avid reader. So, open prompts, you know where to stick it!

A Second Chance with the Open Prompt 2

2003-Select a novel or in which a tragic figure functions as an instrument of the suffering of others. Then write an essay in which you explain how the suffering brought upon by others by that tragic figure contributes to the tragic vision of the work as a whole.

    There's danger in that one character who brings about the deaths of others. Danger, but on a larger scale  there is meaning and truth  to support his/her victimizing of these characters and their bitter endings. In Shakespeare's tragedy of Hamlet, the instigator of  the suffering of others befalls on the head of the Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark . Throughout this complex play,  the moral corruption and self doubt plaguing Hamlet lead to his subversion of providence,  which then  allows for the diminished  relationships with those around him,  ultimately leading to everyone's death.

    From the beginning of Act One, the state of Denmark, as one realizes, is rotten and full of corruption. As a young man Hamlet is locked in a imaginary prison behind the dark walls of Elsinore, a small world  that other's would  consider their home.But in truth, Elsinore is closed off from the rest of the state leaving Hamlet,who is  stuck a midst  self-serving court figures to  fight back against the  judgement, suspicion, and disloyalty that desire to touch him. Matters are  worsened  further with the death of his father Old Hamlet, which is then followed by  his mother, the queen's haste marriage to his Uncle Claudius. In a state of mourning and betrayal, Hamlet sinks deeper within himself and allows his depression to allow him to consider suicide.  And then to stir the plot even more,  the spirit of his father Old Hamlet beckons him and provides him with the astounding truth that his father had  been murdered by the deceiving hands of the present king, King Claudius. Filled with the desire to avenge his father, Hamlet starts to close himself off from others, but he wars with himself and doubts the truth of the Ghost and questions his power in comparison to that of God's.
 
  Although Hamlet fails to act against Claudius for a  considerable amount of the play, he does act against those around him. His one time  love Ophelia, he ends up snubbing, but one can reason that he pushes her away because of his distrusting nature. Those in Elsinore have eyes on everyone and Hamlet is distrusting of those around him, as he should be considering that Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern are bent on determining the matter that disturbs him. As Hamlet becomes more and more aware of his inability to act, he finally learns that Claudius is guilty of murder from the acting  out of The Death of Gonzago. But once again, his hesitation to kill Claudius results when he finds Claudius praying in  "guilty submission" to God. Hamlet recognizes Claudius' corruption, but he can't kill a figure bent in prayer and he is uncertain of God's hand in Claudius's death. Later he accidentally kills Polonius, who was in an unlucky position. This death  results in the madness of Ophelia, who ends up drowning herself from her sorrow over her father's death and then from Hamlet's unfaithfulness to her. From there the number of death's rise as Hamlet snatches God's power to purposefully eliminate  Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Claudius. Unfortunately, Gertrude is caught by the  poisoned goblet in her effort to save Hamlet, and  Laertes receives a poisoned slice of the blade, even though he's fighting with a genuine desire to avenge his father's death .

    Hamlet's struggle with self doubt and moral corruption lead to his stealing of God's power to wreck havoc on the royal live's of Denmark in this tragic play. Hamlet, stuck in a rotten state deals  with the uncertainty of the loyalties of others and his own, creating a number of pressures that work little by little to break his character. And in order to protect himself, he pushes his loved ones away, and focuses his rage and betrayal on the need to avenge his father. Because of his issue to remain in God's sovereignty, Hamlet takes matters into his own hands and brings unwanted death's into the plot. Shakespeare's Hamlet argues that outside forces and the hesitations of one's thoughts can upset higher powers and result in the tragedies of others from one character's inability to play by the rules.

*Oh...I don't even know. I kind of want to puke from the horror of this essay. I've run out of time...over time.

Hamlet

      William Shakespeare: Famous English  playwright, actor, and poet responsible for numerous plays, sonnets, and poems. His most  recognized plays perhaps are Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Macbeth. Shakespeare's works are translated in hundreds of languages and to this day are embraced and interpreted by a number of cultures.

Characters:

Hamlet: The play's protagonist and also the Prince of Denmark. Hamlet is about 30 years old and is the son of Old Hamlet(dead) and Queen Gertrude. He struggles with  depression, and has a bitter attitude toward life. His hatred for  King Claudius stems from the mystery of his father's death-later discovered to be a murder by the King's hand-and the betraying marriage of  his mother Gertrude to Claudius. Throughout the play young Hamlet displays moments of thoughtfulness, but these  moments are quickly followed by varying emotions where Hamlet wars with himself and the  powers around him that succeed to initiate his impulsive and indecisive sides.

Claudius: A power hungry politician who murders his brother Old Hamlet in order to seat himself on the throne of Denmark and to at long last feed his desire to marry Old Hamlet's beautiful wife Gertrude. As the play's antagonist, Claudius works as the puppet handler in the play to see his demands completed. Although a strong king, Claudius expertly hides his true from those close to him but in the end, his plotting and scheming get the better of him.

Gertrude: The Queen of Denmark, who blindly seeks love and affection from Claudius and is unaware of his true nature. In fact one might say that her weak nature prevents her from being overly concerned with the truth. But in a more positive light , Gertrude truly loves her son and in the end when all the ugly truth has been bared, she chooses her Hamlet.

Polonius: The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court and the father of Ophelia and Laertes. He is conniving and has complete authority over his children, which does not stop him from being an opinionated old man who must know everything. 

Horatio: Hamlet's closest friend and confident. Horatio is loyal and is the one survivor her remains after the bloody battle to retell Hamlet's story.

Ophelia: Hamlet's scorned lover. She is a young beauty thought to be innocent,but her obedience to her father and brother lead her to spying on Hamlet, which then leads to his rejection of her love and the love he claims he never felt for her. Her innocence is shattered and further disintegrates after the death of her father, which then leads to her own death by drowning.

Laertes: Hamlet's foil and the son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia. Laertes spends most of his time in France but rushes home in a mad fit after hearing about the death of his father. Laertes teams up with Claudius and together they plot to rid Denmark of Hamlet.

Fortinbras: Possibly another foil for Hamlet. Fortinbras is the Prince of Norway and wishes to avenge his father's honor(killed by Old Hamlet) and to claim the lands of Denmark from young Hamlet.

The Ghost: Claims to be the spirit of Hamlet's dead father. He confesses with great sadness that the murderer is Claudius and urges Hamlet to man up and avenge his death. But is the spirit heaven or hell bound? This is a question that Hamlet struggles to answer as he does not A.Want to be deceived by the devil and B. Leave a murderer roaming free.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: Hamlet's "friends" from Wittenberg, who are summoned by King Claudius and Queen Gertrude to spy on Hamlet and learn the reasons for his odd behaviors.

Setting: Denmark but more closely within the castle of Elsinore around the 13th century.

Key Events/Plot Summary(from the collaborative review plus motifs)

• Act 1
• Scene 1
• Horatio is told that the Ghost of the old king of Denmark, Hamlet, has been seen
• Horatio sees the Ghost and attempts to talk to it, but it does not answer Horatio.
• King Hamlet led a conquest against old Fortinbras

• Scene 2
• Claudius is introduced and makes a speech about his marriage and how young Fortinbras demands the lands taken by King Hamlet. Claudius sends ambassadors to stop an attack.
• Laertes is given leave to go to France, with permission of Polonius.
• Hamlet is introduced and is mourning his father, Claudius and Gertrude tell him to get over his father’s death.
• Hamlet is not given permission to leave and go back to Wittenberg.
• Hamlet is forced to stay in Denmark. He is upset about his mother’s marriage to his uncle. (Took place “within a month”)
• Horatio and friends tell Hamlet about the Ghost and he agrees to join them.
• Scene 3/4/5
• Laertes (leaving for France) warns Ophelia not to fall for Hamlet and not to trust him.
• Polonius says the same thing and orders her not to see Hamlet.
• Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus are visited by the Ghost.
• The Ghost wants to only speak to Hamlet.
• The Ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius. The Ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his murder.
• Hamlet makes his friends swear to secrecy.
• Act 2
• Scene 1
• Polonius does not trust Laertes in France and sends someone there.
• Ophelia was visited by Hamlet, who seemed crazy.
• Polonius thinks that Hamlet is crazy because Ophelia will not see him.
• Scene 2
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are sent to spy on Hamlet by Gertrude and Claudius.
• Polonius tells Claudius that Hamlet is crazy with love for Ophelia. They go to spy on Hamlet.
• Hamlet knows that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are spying for Claudius.
• Hamlet decides to prove his uncle’s guilt by staging a play, The Murder of Gonzago.
• Act 3
• Scene 1-To Be or Not To Be
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern cannot find why Hamlet is mad.
• Polonius makes Ophelia to find out about Hamlet’s madness and goes to spy with Claudius.
• Hamlet sees Ophelia and is nice, but then he changes his attitude.
• Hamlet says he never loved her.
• After Hamlet leaves Claudius does not think that love is the cause of his madness. He decides to send Hamlet to England.
• Polonius says not to and wait until Gertrude talks to him.
• Scene 2
• The play occurs. Hamlet and Horatio watch for a reaction from Claudius.
• The Player King is killed by having poison poured in his ear.
• Claudius gets upset and leaves.
• Hamlet is asked to go see Gertrude.
• Scene 3
• Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are ordered to take Hamlet to England.
• Polonius plans to spy on Hamlet and Gertrude.
• Claudius starts to pray and Hamlet wants to kill him there, but cannot because then Claudius would go to Heaven.
• Scene 4
• Polonius hides behind a tapestry in Gertrude’s room.
• Hamlet enters and scares Gertrude, who calls for help. Polonius then calls for help.
• Hamlet, thinking that Polonius is Claudius, stabs the tapestry.
• Hamlet is then upset at Gertrude for marrying Claudius, when the Ghost appears and he is the only one to see. Gertrude thinks he is mad.
• The Ghost reminds Hamlet to avenge King Hamlet’s death.
• Act 4
• Gertrude tells Claudius that Polonius is dead. Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet, and the body.
• Hamlet does not say where he put the body.
• Claudius orders Hamlet to leave immediately for England. Claudius tells the audience he plans to have Hamlet killed in England.
• Hamlet sees Fortinbras and his army.

• Act 5
• Scene 1
• Two clowns (gravediggers) dig up poor Yorick’s bones to make room for Ophelia.
• Scene 2
• Hamlet has his “fall of the sparrow” speech.
• He then duels with Laertes, is mortally wounded, kills Claudius, then relinquishes his control to Fortinbras

Other Important Areas

The play functions through the dialogue of the characters through prose. Point of View is told more through the emotions the play's protagonist- Hamlet, that is when Hamlet is riled up over some issue or when he is dealing with a fit of despair. Hamlet has two different sides, his sane and mad sides. Whenever he is around Horatio, Hamlet is quite honest and comfortable allowing his diction to lose some of it's pomposity and become more fluid/ easily comprehensible(colloquial) for readers. When Hamlet is graced with the company of other members of the court, his word choice flows in a maddeningly formal way and this is further helped with syntax techniques such as sentence length, parallelism, and punctuation, which all help him prove his madness as his talk often contains meaninglessness or insults. Informal diction is also added in the play with the grave diggers to add a bit of comedy to a tragic situation. The tone of the play shifts depending on the emotions of Hamlet. It is at times disparaging, hopeful, incensed, friendly, tearful, pained, and humorous(low-comedy with the grave diggers). Imagery throughout this text is abundant, more so when the passing of a character needs to be described(Old Hamlet-play and Ophelia). But, most of the lines in Hamlet are descriptive and pleasing to the imagination.

Symbols:

Yorick's skull-Hamlet's realization that in death we are the same. No status.No rich existence in death. 

Our skin decomposes and earthly positions no longer matter. With the skull Hamlet is able to lose his  

ignorance and see death in it's reality.

Flowers-Distribution of flowers to different characters by Ophelia and they symbolize her sadness.  
rosemary-remembrance, pansies-thoughts,fennel-flattery,columbine-unfaithfulness, daisy-  
innocence,violets-faithfulness.

Poison-The state of corruption in Denmark brought on by Claudius allowing for the secluded, self-  
focused, and suspicious world of Elsinore.

The Ghost-Either heaven or hell sent symbolizes revenge

Memorable Quotes:

" Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."(1.4 67)
 
Speaks of the corrupted state of Denmark as a whole. This self-serving and sick state influences the actions of Hamlet and identifies how unhealthy circumstances around us can influence our ways of thinking to the point where the corrupted pieces start to be identified.

To be or not to be- that is the question
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And, by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep-
No more-and by a sleep to say we end. (3.1 64-69)

Addresses Hamlet's contemplation of suicide in a painful world. As humans we experience different levels of grief and react individually of each other, but as a whole we abide by moral codes and the rightness of suicide stumps us even when we too are in the same depressive boat. To be brave, living yet suffering for a period or to be free, dead, and considered weak. The truth is hard to come by.

Motifs(from the collaborative review):

• Ambiguity
• Insularity

• Incest
• Identity
• Providence
• Revenge
• Control
• Religion
• Duality (Natural vs. Unnatural, identity vs. public appearance, father & son, light vs. day, pure vs. impure)
• Death
• Surveillance
• Misogyny
• Ears & hearing
• Synecdoche
• Fortune/luck
• Lack of trust
• Mystery of death- afterlife
• Nation as a poisoned body
• Putting on persons- inner vs. outer self
• Lies
• Groups of 3
• Madness

Theme:

 Shakespeare’s Hamlet cautions that self doubt paired with moral corruption can lead to the subversion of providence.

With the help of setting, plot, characters, and symbolism:

 

The area in which the play is targeted is Denmark.Denmark, defiled Denmark. Strange occurrences of the spiritual world and plenty of suspicion in this region lead to Hamlet's self doubt and eventual determination that he is the all powerful slayer. The individuals around him, more specifically King Claudius and the Ghost , play a big hand in planting the seeds of rage and self-doubt.For instance, King Claudius with his use of poison. The poison of his mouth and of his actions against Old Hamlet that lead to a dishonest court. And the Ghost as the symbol of revenge with his accusations against Claudius that call on Hamlet to murder. Because of these issues, Hamlet must battle internally to discover the truth and the sign from God that gives him the okay to eliminate Claudius without overstepping himself. As the plot progresses, it is evident within the plot that Hamlet continues to struggle with self-doubt because although he speaks of action, he fails in his hesitation to fulfill the Ghost's request. Once the first kill is accomplished though, Hamlet's act of madness has him sent away and then all too soon Hamlet has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed(their betrayal points back to Claudius), which was far from the original plan to kill one man. And in conclusion, Hamlet has subverted providence for a brief period of time.

Thank You Snow Days!

         Well, a mountain of ice snow  landed in our area a few weeks ago and unfortunately  disrupted our schedule...oh my! How tragic. Yes, it really was. Despite the snow and the glorious days off though, Hamlet was still waiting back at school for further discussion. Oh boy, I'll tell ya, the first day was a trial. I'm certain that most of us wanted to be hugging a pillow instead of determining the six key plot points in Hamlet, but we did it. I feel as if we made progress in our debate concerning the internal conflict and the issue of usurpation. Our plot points tended to focus on the events in the play that led Hamlet to his state of destruction and the battle that he experiences  regarding God's power. The following week we tackled motifs and theme and I'm just glad the discussion is over. I don't know, should I refrain from such thoughts? Is this conversation going to continue in class? Huh?

      Shakespeare's Hamlet is an entertaining mass of conflict. Within and outside of the book,  but then again what would life be without an infuriating novel, play, etc. every now and then? Actually, most of Shakespeare's works force me to put on my thinking cap. But, moving on. Our reading and discussion of  Hamlet  reminds me of the sophomore biology project with cryptosporidium. Remember that monster? Yes well, recall that all the information was there in front of us and we had to write a gigantic paper. I'm not lying. It was gigantic. And just speaking for myself here, but I couldn't get  myself to start that paper for a couple of days because I saw the dedication and sweat that would need to be put forth on it. And in  a dramatic way, I didn't think I could survive to see the finished project. Only sophomore year, right? The first couple  days I was a weak whining baby, but then I put on a brave face and  slayed my fears, producing  a fairly fantastic project, if I do say so myself. And now we have Hamlet. We've been dealing with this book for a good time now and there has been a lot of thought dedicated on it. When I first saw the number of pages we had to read through, I considered being sick for a time, but I had to tell myself I wasn't going to run from a book. I love books! I knew I could do it and I'm still doing it. Even though we still have the summary/analysis due at the end of the month, I will not shy away from it. I can do it because I'm pretty sure I've been through worse.

       The collaborative review is a miracle. Reminder-I should get other people to write reviews for me all the time! Uh, just kidding. The effort all the classes have contributed to this review is evident in the number of pages...forty some odd? And I'm sure that when I begin my studying I will appreciate it's availability. Immensely. In conclusion, working together, as we all know, is a good thing. We were able to bounce ideas off of each other and delete the junk we thought was irrelevant. It will be interesting to read through this entire review because it will allow me to see how others have agreed on/interpreted   the areas we've studied so far in a way that I have yet to.

The Open Prompt Part 2 and Me

AP English Literature and Composition 2009
Question Three( Symbol)
Open Prompt-Select a novel or play in which  you analyze one  symbol  and explain how the symbol functions to establish meaning/revelations in characters or  theme.

     In Arthur Miller's grand work Death of a Salesman the deterioration of the Loman family occurs with protagonist Willy and his encounter with the tape recorder. The presence of this tape recorder symbolizes the inability for the past to be changed. What this device records is the truth and because of Willy insistence to change the past and alter his family's view of him, he comes to terms with reality allowing for the fall of his character and family as truths become known.  
  Willy encounters his past on multiple occasions whenever he is  a midst some trial. Whether he goes to draw on the strength of his successful brother Ben, or to the times when his favored son Biff holds him in high regard, Willy attempts to change the past by asking for advice and believing that life is still as good as it was back in the days long past. When Willy leaves the past, his present life depicts the harsh trails of a middle class life, the long unappreciated work hours, a house bared open, exhaustion, and a first son that holds him in contempt for a mistake committed in the past. Despite these issues, Willy attempts to live as if he can make everything better by acting like he is still going somewhere, still supporting his family handsomely. So,  while Willy is intent to leave the struggle as he tries to become bigger and better, his touch with reality has not yet occurred to offer him the truth that  it is already too late. 
   It is when Willy confronts Howard about moving him to the New York office that Willy first encounters and is changed by the voices on the tape recorder. Willy wants nothing to do with this invention and has no intention to purchase it as he is hit by a bitter reality- the past has past and there is nothing he or anyone else can do to make it better. As Willy struggles with this reality, he loses his job, his son Biff misses out on his business endeavors, bringing Willy down to a hell he always wanted to escape in his quest  to make something of himself. 
   Found within the tape holder is the mechanisms that allow for it to remember the past. In remembering the past even the best and the worst of times can make an appearance, an appearance focusing more heavily  on the worst memories  that Willy refused for a time to acknowledge. By acknowledging the mistakes he has made with his son Biff, with his career spent desperately selling himself, and the affair that made him less of a man, Willy comes to realize that he has failed himself and his family. Biff with his acceptance of his placement as a nobody, Happy with his contentment to live as he is, and Willy's wife Linda and her blind love for Willy,  the  man who betrayed her.
  The symbolism of the tape recorder in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman helps to bring Willy back to the present. It allows him to see his failures and it allows him in the end to fix the failures of his life by ending his life to give his family a small chance, even though they are broken because of him.