Hamlet Test

Well we're down to the wire here people. Leave your questions and comments here.

Jess O

Achebe tonight!

Looking forward to seeing the great Achebe this evening--just wondering how many of you were going to be attending as well?

LAZ

Wednesday March 19, 2008

I apologise for the confusion in the blogs!!

Today in class we continued to review Act 5.
For the majority of the period we had an open discussion about the Dance Marathon.

We dicussed the significance and relevance of the scene with Hamlet and Oric. Hamlets attitude towards Oric resembles that of Hamlet in the beginning of the play. He was immature and selfish. The reader would think Hamlet would have changed significantly after all he's been through. It just goes to show that there isn't always a complete revolution of character, some traits will never completely be eradicated. This scene is a result of many different compilations of Shakespeare's manuscripts. We came to the comclusion there is no major plot points in the scene, only character formation, so it is disposable.

- kim fahey

class thursday, March 13

Ok well , the class blogging sort of dropped off since chris, so i'm just going to go now.

-We reviewed the rest of Act 4 scene 5
We covered topics including:
-The mob at the palace gates demanded that Laertes become king. We discussed why which was because of Polonious' death and the suspicious cover up that followed it. Since Laertes is of the nobility his return gave the people a reason to want him as king.
-We also discussed how Claudius was able to clam Laertes. He barraged Laertes with a series of questions to ease him out of his rage.
- we discussed the meaning of Ophelia's songs. One of the songs was about a guy using a girl to sleep with her, which represents Hamlets betrayel, yet she and Hamlet never slept together.

-Greg D.

Tuesday March 6, 2008

In Class today there was a sub. We continued to study for our test on Act 3 of Hamlet. The date for the test is still tomorrow and other than that there is no homework.


- Chris C

Act III Review Quotes

Here is a list of Act III quotes that I have compiled that seem useful. I emphasize that everyone should still know the text by heart because any quote that Laz can pull out of memory is likely to be on this test.

Warning: These are only my interpretations so there may be other ways of interpreting this. Also this is by no means a complete list and is subject to revision and editing. Please submit any other quotes along with additional significance to these quotes. (R.C.)

Chapter 3 Relative Quotes

ACT III

Scene I

1. “We are oft to blame in this (‘tis too much proved) that with devotion’s visage and pious action we do sugar o’er the devil himself” lines 52-55

a. Polonius, speaking to Claudius, preparing to spy on Hamlet

b. Appearance vs. Reality, by looking and acting the part we become the part but the underlying causes are still evil.

2. “How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience”

a. Claudius, self (soliloquy- aside), preparing to spy on Hamlet

b. Seems almost like a confession but does not show what he is guilty for. This is put in to grab the audience’s attention and gives a possibility that Hamlet is correct and that the ghost is not a devil.

3. “The harlots cheek beautied with plast’ring art is not more ugly to the thing that helps it than is my deed to my most painted word. O heavy burden!” lines 56-62

a. Claudius, self (soliloquy- aside), preparing to spy on Hamlet

b. Claudius is trying to cover up for something. Lying only ends up making things worse, not better. Since Claudius is a usurper and is flawed, he thinks he is in control but will only end up making everything unravel.

4. “To be or not to be—that is the question:…” lines 64-98

a. Hamlet, speaking to self (soliloquy), walking around acting mad

b. Shows Hamlet’s cynical view of life again. Hamlet is rational in thought here, using his philosophical background to debate the topic of death. He states that because people are cowards and fear the unknown they will not take their own lives- thinking things through makes people not want to do them. This rational thought makes us respect Hamlet a little more.

5. “Where’s your father?” line 141

a. Hamlet to Ophelia (Claudius + Polonius eve’s dropping), Ophelia + Hamlet fighting

b. This is a response that catches Ophelia off guard which then prompts her to respond with her first lie to Hamlet. This is significant because it shows that Hamlet now definitely knows that he is being watched by someone (if he didn’t know before) and shifts Ophelia from being a friend to a foe.

6. “Thus set it down: he shall with speed to England for the demand of our neglected tribute.” Line 184

a. Claudius to Polonius, after observing Hamlet with Ophelia

b. Claudius wants Hamlet to practice his diplomatic skills. He also wants Hamlet out of the country so that he might become sane again.

Scene III

7. “O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven;…” lines 40

a. Claudius, self-soliloquy, after he ran off from the play

b. Claudius is partially human because he feels remorse for what he has done but he will not give up what he gained from it. Against the Judeo/Christian belief of repentance – must believe in what you want to be forgiven for and must give up all that you have gained from it.

8. “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; Words without thought never to heaven go”

a. Claudius- soliloquy, after he ran off from play and Hamlet was watching him

b. Claudius talks about repentance but does not wish it because he doesn’t believe in his own words. This is a significant part of the play because Hamlet could end the play right now but he chooses not to because he does not want Claudius to go to heaven.

9. “Come, come, and sit you down; you shall not budge. You go not till I set you up a glass where you may see the inmost part of you.” Line 23-25

a. Hamlet to Gertrude (Polonius spying), after Polonius makes another plan to spy on Hamlet

b. Another reference to appearance vs. reality because Hamlet wants to show Gertrude how she is viewed by him, not how she just normally views herself. This is also significant because it is misinterpreted as a threat instead of a philosophical look into one’s own soul which then results in the death of Polonius.

10. “Look here upon this picture and on this, The counterfeit presentment of two brothers…” line 63 onward.

a. Hamlet to Gertrude, after the death of Polonius, still inside Gertrude’s room

b. Shows how Hamlet views the two kings. Shows “divine right of kings” that old Hamlet is portrayed as a god while the usurper should be portrayed as a moldy ear. Usurpers are not normal and disrupt the “Great Chain of Being”.

11. “My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time and makes healthful music.” Line 161

a. Hamlet to Gertrude, after Ghost re-appears

b. Hamlet gives explanations for why he is not mad by saying his pulse is normal. The ghost may have appeared when the others could see it before, but this ghost could be a manifestation of his conscience warning him not to hurt his mother. Since he has to remind himself not to hurt someone it means that he is going partially insane.

12. “Let it work for ‘tis the sport to have the enginer hoist with his own petard; and ‘t shall go hard but I will delve one yard below their mines and blow them at the moon.”

a. Hamlet to Gertrude, after ghost leaves

b. Shows that Hamlet knows the repercussions of his actions and that he will be punished for killing Polonius. Also shows that he is smart enough to know that Claudius will make an attempt on his life, but since he is smart, he will outsmart the would be assassins and use their own tricks against them.

13. “The counselor is now most still, most secret, and most grave, who was in life a foolish prating knave.”

a. Hamlet to the body of Polonius, dragging Polonius away

b. Joking about Polonius showing that the only way he was ever able to be quiet and not intrude on anything is when he is dead. Basically, he states that because he was that way in life that’s what got him killed.

March 5th

Summary:
Act III Review+ Questions

A3 S1 Q18
During the fight between Hamlet and Ophelia, Hamlet is actually mad at Gertrude not so much Ophelia.

A3 S1 Q21
Neither of the two still love each other. Hamlet is focused on other things besides love and Ophelia doesn't mention anything about love only about Hamlet being the love of the state. Ophelia is emotional at this part because she takes her fathers mindset that she is saving the throne and Polonius convinced her that she is indirectly responsible for Hamlet's madness.

A3 S1 Q27

This quote shows that Claudius is concerned more with his own safety rather than that of the state's. He says that madness in "great minds" must not unwatched go- signifying that Hamlet is a force to be reckoned with. This quote is also ironic because he just finished a speech saying that it is not madness.

Last line of Act 4 Scene III
"Hidefox, and all after"
-makes reference to fox hunting in England (one fox vs a large number of hounds)
-Hamlet is the fox (but believes the outcome will be different than the normal game)

Progressing forward
Act IV Scene III

"Convocation of politic worms"
-a joke at Polonius' expense
-a convocation is a council
- this refers to a religious conference in Worms (pronounced Verms)
- in this case it is actually worms attending, and the policy is food

Hamlet is cynical about human nature
-we have the food chain backwards, maggots are at the top
-we are actually close to the bottom
-everyone around Hamlet betrayed him (reason for being so cynical)

AIV SIII Q 5
Hamlet recommends that Claudius send a messenger to heaven to find Polonius or he himself can go look for Polonius in hell, basically a polite way of saying "go to hell"

*First scene where Claudius and Hamlet meet face to face*

Test: Remember- Friday, Quotes 10 questions/100 points
Need Speaker, spoken to, when it occurred, and significance (pres,past,future)

Monday, March 3rd

Well Mr. Lazarow took a day off and didn't join us on Monday. Instead we had the lovely Mr. L remind us all to STUDY FOR THE ACT III TEST! It will be on Friday as you probably already know and we will most likely review more tomorrow. That's pretty much it seeing as how there weren't any notes in class. Goodnight and Good Luck. -Will Cosden