The Tragedy of Hamlet

Act V: I can definitely say that I was not prepared for all the intensity in this act. Since the play is a tragedy, I was of course aware that nearly everybody was going to die, one way or another, but the speed with which people died in this act was unbelievable. The death of Ophelia triggered a chain reaction in which Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius and Hamlet all died within a few minutes of each other. Gertrude accidentally drank from a poisoned cup meant for Hamlet, Laertes stabs Hamlet with the sword and Hamlet turns around and stabs him, then runs over and kills Claudius. If you think about it, the only death that had a good reason for occurring was that of Claudius because of what he did to Hamlet’s father. I was sad for Hamlet that so many people died on his account, all because Claudius killed his father for the throne.

By the end of the play, I still am not 100% sure whether Hamlet actually was mad or not. I have a theory that he started out acting mad in the very beginning, and as time progressed, his “madness” allowed his rage to thrive until the very end when his rage blinded his common sense and morals and he went on a killing spree. I don’t believe he actually went crazy, but I do think that he became so infuriated and betrayed with Claudius that he only focused on killing Claudius and anything that happened to him or others along the way was okay (in his mind), except for the death of Ophelia. The death of his lover was the thing that truly sent him over the edge at the end of the play, which makes me think that he never went completely mad. When he was saying hurtful things to her during act III, I believe he was faking his hatred for her because when he finds out about Ophelia’s death, he is hurt beyond belief, proving that he really did love her. Why did he act to mean to her then? I think it’s because his mind was set on acting mad and carrying out the promise he made to the ghost: that he would kill Claudius.  Overall, I feel bad for Hamlet, and for the outcome of the play, because it probably took a huge emotional toll on him knowing that his uncle killed his father for the throne and that his mother married the murderer of his father. Trying to deal with that, knowing that he would have to avenge his fathers death would drive a person to outlandish actions, but I believe it was his rage that built up and built up until he eventually killed Claudius. This act was the storm that was building through all the tensions and secret plans of revenge throughout the castle until it finally exploded, ending the lives of many.

Act IV definitely seemed like the most intense and action packed act yet! It trails on after act III, continuing on the death of Polonius, and it also introduces a new death; Ophelia. I was really shocked when I read that she had died. I hoped that Shakespeare would have kept her in longer so that she and Hamlet could have resolved their issues, after he had gotten his revenge on his step-father, and hopefully, after things cooled down a bit. I felt like she was the last person that he could have confided in if he wanted to, but with her death, he has no chance to resolve anything with her. This act also proves how mad Hamlet has become (or that he is a VERY good actor at being crazy). Not only is he acting even more “mad”, as in insane, but his actual madness and anger seem to really surface during this act. He talks grossly of dead Polonius, saying that his body can now be a home for worms. He also attacks his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with hurtful words. He refers to them as a sponge :that soaks up the king’s countenance, his rewards, his authorities… When he needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you, and sponge, you shall be dry again.” He disregards their friendship completely and has no trust, believing that they are only their to assist Claudius. Hamlet also refers to them as “you” which is the more formal way of addressing someone, proving that he no longer sees them as friends anymore. This is interesting to me, because if eel that Hamlet wants to be alone from now on. He is pushing away his friends and family how at first, wanted to help him and his madness, but now he has become so severe that the only solution is to ship him away to England. I feel bad for Hamlet because sending him away won’t help anything, especially when he needs to get his revenge for his father’s death and everyone things he is crazy beyond help. I feel that a storm is building and these two deaths were just the beginning of an explosion of emotions and violence yet to come….

Act III, Scene I:

~The act opens up with the King and Queen discussing Hamlet behavior with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The two friends say that they can clearly see that Hamlet is acting mad, yet they cannot figure out what the cause of his madness is. They did say that Hamlet seemed excited with the players, which encouraged the King and Queen to attend the play that night. Polonius has Ophelia sit down and read a book, so that he and Claudius can spy on Hamlet when he enters to talk to Ophelia. This is where Hamlet says his “To be, or not to be,” speech. In this speech he, is deciding if he should commit suicide or not, in order to end his misery. He says that the unhappiness of his life are is awful he isn’t sure he wants to continue on living. When he sees Ophelia, he enters into a heated discussion about how women corrupt men, and that their love for men isn’t valid. He says that he never loved Ophelia, but also that he did at one point. After hearing Hamlets bitterness towards her, the Kings believes that it isn’t his love for Ophelia which is his madness, since he claims that he doesn’t love her, but Polonius is still set on that as being that cause of his madness.

Act III, Scene II:

~This is the act in which the King and Queen see the play that Hamlet was so excited about. As they are watching it, the King begins to realize that the actors are enacting the murder of his brother. The play opens up with a “player queen” and a “player king” displaying their love for each other. The King goes to sleep and is poisoned by the “poisoner”. The “player queen” is at first distraught, but begins to be wooed by the poisoner and eventually marries him. As the play goes on, the King is uneasy until he rises, yelling “Give me some light! Away!”. Hamlet and Horatio agree that the plan worked and the Kings reaction to the play was all the evidence they needed to be sure that Ghost was telling the truth, and was really Hamlets dad. Afterwards, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Hamlet that the Queen would like to see him in her room, and when they ask about the cause of Hamlets distress, he accuses them of playing him like a pipe. “Do you think I am easier to be played upon than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me.”

Act III, Scene III:

~After what just happened at the play, the King asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to see that Hamlet gets escorted to England, so that hopefully a change of scenery will help rid him of his madness. Once alone, the King begins to pray and feel remorse for his murder of his brother. He understands that what he did was very wrong, but he cannot bring himself to leave the throne and take the blame for his actions; he loves his power too much. “O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven; It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, a brother’s murder!” When Hamlet sees his stepfather praying, he thinks about killing him, but d decides not to since killing him after he had rid himself of his sins would send him to heaven, which was not what Hamlet wanted. He decides to kill Claudius “…when he is drunk asleep;or in his rage’ or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed…”.

Act III, Scene IV:

~Hamlet leaves his stepfather’s room to visit his mother, where she begins to scold him for offending his “father”, Claudius. Hamlet reminds her that, “Mother, you have my father much offended.” The conversation gets intense, and Hamlet turns near violent. Fearing for her life, Gertrude screams and Polonius (hiding behind the curtain listening to the conversation) calls back. Hamlet thought it was Claudius so he lashes out at the curtain with his sword, killing Polonius. He then reveals to his mother why he has been acting mad; just to get revenge on Claudius for killing his father. Also in this scene, the ghost arrives and reminds Hamlet that he has not yet done what he promised, and killed the King. To make matters worse, Gertrude cannot see the ghost and doesn’t understand who Hamlet is talking to. Hamlet makes her promise that she will not say a word to anyone about what he told her, and she promises. The act ends with Hamlet dragging out Polonius’s dead body.

Interview with the Queen of Denmark. (This interview was conducted shortly after the arrival and then dismissal of the players, and after Hamlet was gone…..):

ME: Hello your majesty! I appreciate you taking time out of your busy life to conduct this interview with me.
Q: Oh, of course it’s no trouble at all. I actually find that I have more time on my hands lately. The King and I are enjoying our newlywed life quite a bit.
ME: Yes, that’s actually one of the topics i wanted to talk to you about. I am hoping to uncover some of different issues and underlying questions going on in your family at this moment. So, first off, why such a hasty marriage? Do you think he death seems, well, a little strange?
Q: Well, with my husband just passing away, rest his soul, I had to look for a sense of security and comfort. Luckily, the beautiful Claudius was there with open arms and we instantly well fell into love. Together, we decided to be wed, in order to keep the state of Denmark stable, and to fill the whole in my heart. As for the way he died, well I’d rather not dive too deeply into that. It breaks my heart to think that such a noble man could be removed from this world by the striking bite of such a sneaky, dirty, slithering serpent.
ME: Mhm, yes I understand what you mean. Did you think about how this death and sudden marriage could affect you son?
Q: Hamlet? Well at the time I believed he would be thrilled at the idea of his mother getting married, though his actions are proving otherwise. I cannot help but think that is some other issue going on, not the marriage, that is causing his strange behavior….
ME: Yes, excuse me for being forward, but he does seem to be acting slightly out of the ordinary. I heard that Polonius had presented you with his own theory of why this is. Would you like to share?
Q: Ah, yes he did. He came to my husband and I and he told us that he believed Hamlet loved Ophelia, and he “had seen this hot love on the wing”. Looking out for his daughter, Polonius forbid Hamlet from loving her, and once Ophelia began avoiding him,  he “fell into a madness, then into a fast, thence to a watch, thence to a weakness, thence to a lightness, and… into the madness wherein now he raves.” This theory seems highly probable, and I applaud Polonius for discovering it. I know he has my son’s best interests at heart!
ME: Right. Of course he does. Well I guess I’d like to know your take on this entire situation with Hamlet, his oddness and the involvement of Polonius. How do you feel about all of this?
Q: Well isn’t it obvious? Polonius is a devoted friend of Claudius and myself so of course the well-being of Hamlet is his number one priority…. second to the needs of the king and I of course! It goes without saying that Polonius is highly devoted to our family. But I am greatly concerned about Hamlet. I don’t want the state of Denmark believing he is an unstable Prince, and I hope that this love issue with Ophelia isn’t driving him too mad. Though, he did seem to be enjoying the small performance by the players earlier! And I know that he is enjoying the company of his friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Honestly, I believe this is a phase that will surely pass with time. He needs longer to move on from his father and look for love in places other than Polonius’s daughter. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I see my husband approaching! Look at how handsome he is, in his attire and the way he looks at me with so much love…
ME: Oh, of course, if you must go. Thank you so much for the interview, your majesty!

*CONCLUSION: After this interview, several things seemed clear to me: 1) the Queen is not in tune to the life and troubles of her son, and counts on Polonius to help him through his time of “madness” 2) She feels that Polonius only wants the best for Hamlet, when we as readers of the play believe him to be darker than the Queen can see, and his interests lie in his daughter’s well-being, not Hamlet’s. 3) She seems unaffected by her husbands death, and acts as if the marriage was the best thing to happen to her. She also seems either oblivious to the suspicious way her husband died, or she was trying to shake it off, as though she knows something we do not.*

Act One:
When reading this act, I was presented with many questions regarding the link between the ghost and Hamlet’s father, such as:

~Will the guards ever speak to the ghost/will the ghost tell us more about himself?
~How did Hamlet’s father die?
~Why does the ghost return each night?
~How will Hamlet react to his uncle now ruling Denmark?

By the end of the act, I was able to have answers to all of these questions. For most of them, there are still more details to be unfolded, but the text provided me with starting point, that I am sure the play will build upon as it progresses.

~When i finished reading, I realized these questions are all intertwined with each other. Eventually, the guards told Hamlet about this ghost and his resemblance to his father and Hamlet insisted on talking to him if he appeared that night, which the ghost did. Hamlet was able to speak the ghost, at the ghosts request, and discovered a large amount of information regarding the death of his father. He reveals that he is the spirit of Hamlet’s father, “doomed for a certain term to walk the night”. He also reveals probably the most important thing that Hamlet has been wanting to discover: how his father died:

“…Now, Hamlet, hear:
‘Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark
Is by a forged process of my death
Rankly abused; but know, thou noble youth,
The serpent that did sting thy father’s life
Now wears his crown….”
“…thy uncle stole,
With a juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,
And in the proches of my ears did pour
The leperous distillment…
Thus was I, sleeping by a brother’s hand.”

*I think that all of the information Hamlet receives from his father’s spirit sets the stage for more intense conflicts to arise between Hamlet, the King and his mother, since Hamlet takes that information as his cue to take action against his uncle. Act one ends with this, so I don’t know now what Hamlet will do to avenge the life of his father, but I believe whatever he does, he will be very secretive and sneaky about it, so he doesn’t arouse suspicion.*

There were things that I both liked and disliked about this project. I think that this was a pretty cool research project because of how it was completely different from the conventional research paper of reading a book/poem and then searching for information to finally write a paper. I liked it was broken up into different segments and posts, but at the same time, I felt a little rushed on some of the posts. I think that is mostly because of water polo and not getting home until 9 o’clock each night and then having to submit a blog post. I’m the type of person who can wait until near the end and get everything done at once, so having individual deadlines threw me off a little bit, but it wasn’t that bad. Also, I think I would have benefitted more from a normal research project because being forced to develop a thesis and stick with it with valid research helps me to learn about my author/poet and their true writing style because i have to come to a conclusion that i can back with evidence. Overall, I think it was good to do this project because it was a nice break from conventional research papers and I really like that you moved away from traditional papers to try something a little more fun and exciting!

*I know that you can’t click on these URL’s (or any in my blog) because everytime I would try to add a link, my computer would freeze up so I just copied and pasted the URL’s onto my posts so you can just paste them or type them in. I know it’s not the easiest way, sorry*

*Other blog posts*:

http://rinabeana.com/poemoftheday/index.php/2009/03/07/wanting-sumptuous-heavens-by-robert-bly/#comment-20169

http://notratched.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/strangely-compelling-poem/#comment-7125

*These are my comments on my classmates pages*:

http://annalegr5.edublogs.org/2009/03/11/gwendolyn-brooks/#comment-4

http://mackenzieegr5.edublogs.org/2009/03/11/introduction-and-mini-biography-of-richard-wilbur/#comment-6

Donald Hall and Robert Bly have been lifelong friends since they first met at Harvard University in the “writers workshop” area. They first worked together editing The Harvard Advocate, publishing news, information, readings and poetry for their Harvard peers to read. Throughout their lives, they would assist each other in writing and editing poems and books. More recently, they have been working together teaching as visiting poets-in-residence at the low-residency graduate Writing Seminars at Bennington College. When looking at the similarities between their poetry styles, it is clear the pair are influenced and inspired by each other. Several things the two have in common, when concerning their poetry are:

~Style: Donald Hall can be most widely known for his free verse style and simple usage of diction to evoke surrealistic imagery. In a review of Hall’s recent Selected Poems, Billy Collins wrote in theWashington Post: “Hall has long been placed in the Frostian tradition of the plainspoken rural poet. His reliance on simple, concrete diction and the no-nonsense sequence of the declarative sentence gives his poems steadiness and imbues them with a tone of sincere authority. It is a kind of simplicity that succeeds in engaging the reader in the first few lines.” Robert Bly too, is known for using free verse style and very simple, specific diction to fully emphasize each point of his poetry. “Ox Cart Man” by Donald Hall and “Driving Toward the Lac Qui Parle River” by Robert Bly both show how their poetry compares these ideas:

“Ox Cart Man”: By Donald Hall

In October of the year,

he counts potatoes dug from the brown field,

counting the seed, counting

the cellar’s portion out,

and bags the rest on the cart’s floor.

He packs wool sheared in April, honey

in combs, linen, leather tanned from deerhide

and vinegar in a barrel

hoped by hand at the forge’s fire.

He walks by his ox’s head, ten days

to Portsmouth Market, and sells the potatoes,

and the bag that carried potatoes,

flaxseed, birch brooms, maple sugar, goose,

feathers, yarn.

When the cart is empty he sells the cart.

When the cart is sold he sells the ox,

harness and yoke, and walks home,

his pockets heavy with the year’s coin for salt and taxes,

and at home by fire’s light in November cold

stitches new harness

for next year’s ox in the barn,

and carves the yoke,

and saws planks building the cart again.

——————————————————–

“Driving Toward the Lac Qui Parle River”: By Robert Bly

When looking at the poetry styles, topics and influences of Robert Bly, one can make the connection between his poetry and that of Walt Whitman. Several common ideas and styles that they share are:

~American Patriotism: Both Bly and Whitman write constantly about the beauty of our country and of the wars and battles that have scarred America. Bly is known for writing about poems that inspire people to take an active stand against wars, or to simply make them understand the seriousness of war and how it is a thing not to be taken lightly. With Whitman, he is describing what a war scene might be like (soldiers in their tents or marching to their next location). He is most noted for his poem “I Hear America Singing”, which captures the true beauty of the American Culture. He mostly talks about the American revolution and the Civil War era, whereas Bly writes about the Vietnam War, Korean War, and just wars in general.

~Free Verse: The writing styles of Whitman and Bly are very important to how the message in their poetry is sent. They both write prominently in free verse, which helps to give their poems a sense of freedom and individuality. With free verse, both poets are able to capture the true beauty of their poems and organize them in the way they see approprate for the topic they are writing about.

~Significance From Other Poets: Both of these poets stand out from the time period which they wrote their poems. When Whitman’s poems were first published, they were something new and different that the public had never seen before. He wrote in free verse, which was very different and he wrote of common, yet important incidents (war, average people, American lifestyles, etc). Bly is writing in a day and age where technology is taking over the culture. He is quoted as saying that he must work hard to give his poems life and heat because, ”heat in itself has been disappearing for some years from our English” because of the tremendous use of computers and he believes that “when the irreplaceable flavor of a given decade disappears, our language loses its vigor and becomes merely useful.” Both these poets work hard to give their poems life and meaning.

Cavalry Crossing a Ford (Walt Whitman)

A line in long array where they wind betwixt green islands,

They take a serpentine course, their arms flash in the sun–hark to the

musical clank,

Behold the silvery river, in it the splashing horses loitering stop to

drink,

Behold the brown-faced men, each group, each person a picture, the negligent

rest on the saddles,

Some emerge on the opposite bank, others are just entering the ford–while,

Scarlet and blue and snowy white,

The guidon flags flutter gayly in the wind.

Interviewer: “Were you thinking of Whitman when you wrote “The Teeth Mother Naked at Last?”

Robert Bly: “Well, the long Whitman line seemed proper. “Wings appear over the trees, wings with eight hundred rivets.”…So Whitman’s work was the model. The longer lines require to be lifted, as Whitman’s are, by an increasing or persisting energy. Long lines are flung out. It was as if they were held up by the same sort of energy that holds up the plane’s wings–the same sort of energy that supported the protestors during that long war.

His poem, “The Teeth Mother Naked at Last” is quite long, so here are some important sections of the poem:

• In these two poems, one can see the similarities between the writing styles and topics of both Whitman and Bly. These poets greatly enjoy writing about the issues that average, everyday people encounter, mostly the threat and presence of war. Though Whitman’s approach to battles and war has a more beautiful and peaceful effect and Bly is more blunt about the destructiveness of it, both succeed in beautifully describing it in its entirety. These two poets have many things in common, as stated above, and by just looking at these two poems, their similarities are solidified.

Robert Bly: You mustn’t confuse the gross stupidity of the United States and its politics and general behavior with the intensely intelligent poetry community that we have hiding in the body of the country. I think the United States is a perfect country for a poet. Walt Whitman is as good as any poet produced in Europe in the 19th century and we take courage from him. These days a number of younger poets have gained more knowledge about the soul from poets we have and read, such as Whitman, than they do from churches.

(pbs.org interview with Bill Moyers) http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08312007/transcript1.html

Bill Moyers: Present company excepted, who do you thinks been the greatest American poet up to now?

Robert Bly: Well, Walt Whitman? You have to bring him in immediately.He does everything. And whenever you have a person in another culture like India who is trying to make us understand what religious life is like in India, they quote they quote Whitman.

When he begins calling out his beautiful list of people that he loves and things that he loves, the divine always comes into it in some way. So you just feel he is pretending to write about human beings. Maybe he’s some sort of messenger from god.

Surprised by Evening
There is unknown dust that is near us
Waves breaking on shores just over the hill
Trees full of birds that we have never seen
Nets drawn with dark fish.

The evening arrives; we look up and it is there
It has come through the nets of the stars
Through the tissues of the grass
Walking quietly over the asylums of the waters.

The day shall never end we think:
We have hair that seemed born for the daylight;
But at last the quiet waters of the night will rise
And our skin shall see far off as it does under water.

_________________________________________________________

http://0-find.galegroup.com.elibrary.mel.org/itx/retrieve.do?subjectParam=&sort=DateDescend&tabID=T002&sgCurrentPosition=&subjectAction=&prodId=AONE&searchId=R5&docId=A59037700&currentPosition=38&bucketSubId=&userGroupName=lom_accessmich&docLevel=&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&sgHitCountType=None&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28KE%2CNone%2C10%29robert+bly%3AAnd%3ALQE%3D%28AC%2CNone%2C8%29fulltext%24&inPS=true&searchType=BasicSearchForm&nav=next

The above link goes to the scholarly source on AcademicOne File where I found an analysis of the poem, “Surprised by Evening”.

When reading the brief article by Tom Hansen on Robert Bly’s “Surprised By Evening”, I saw several similarites between his thoughts and my own. Hansen came to the following comclusions and observations:

-Robert Bly’s poems make sense and are clear from line to line, yet at the end, the final picture can be a bit blurry. Hansen states, when concerning Bly’s poems that “…what they mean, what they add up to in the final analysis , is difficult to ascertain, often because there is no final analysis…” I agree with Hansen on this point, and “Surprised By Evening” is a perfect example for exploring the idea that Bly’s poems are difficult to assign one specific theme or idea to.

-Hansen argues that the poem is ultimately leading to death. The unknown dust and the rising water (that will eventually swallow up our bodies) are signs that point to a death in the poem, of either the world, or a specific person. He continues on to say that the proceeding two lines: “Trees full of birds” and “Nets drawn down with dark fish” are suggestive to life. The birds and the large load of fish, dragging down the nets, are signs of prominent life and activity.  He says that this life and death idea continues on the poem with rising water and then the skin seeing far off.

-His thoughts about the life vs. death round circle in the poem are all leading up to one fact: “we must drown”. Hansen believes that the poem is saying that the water is rising and we must face it, though we are not ready for it and may be surprised by it. The oncoming night parallels the oncoming, rising tide which will eventually swallow us up and take us to its watery depths.

-Concerning the last line, Hansen seems to be relatively vague, yet he thinks that Bly is trying to say that “we see nothing and wull continue to see nothing…until we step into those quietly rising waters of darkness”. Hansen concludes his thoughts by stating that “‘Surprised by Evening’ is a poem of the mundane sublime, conveying one of those ineffable moments when one senses the presence of another world concealed within this one”. This line sticks with me because much of Bly’s work centers around and alternate/unknown world that we must meet eventually.

After reading Tom Hansen’s ideas about Robert Bly’s poem, I had to take a second look at my analysis. I never observed anything in the poem about the life vs. death round circle or the sort of morbid feeling it gave off. I took my analysis in a completely different direction:

-I took “Surprised By Evening” to be more of a peaceful, relaxing sort of poem. When speaking of all the different aspects of nature (the breaking waves on the shore, the trees full of birds and the night showing through the “net of the stars”) I felt that this poem was a calming, poem with clarity. It seemed to me that the people observing the oncoming night were grateful for its arrival and were appreciation its natural beauty and the way it sent a wave of peace over the earth.

-I imagined the people observing the evening were possible poor, common-folk; maybe farmers or migrant workers. I thought that perhaps they had been working outside in the field all say and then when night finally came, it signaled the end of the day (the end of their toil and labor). They appreciated the beauty it gave and all the noises in nature that it magnified, like the breaking waves, that couldn’t be heard so easily during the busy day. The “hair that seemed born for daylight” reminded me of dry, brittle, bleached hair that one gets from being outside day after day, which solidified my theory that these people were tired from the day work and appreciative for evening’s arrival.

-The title of the poem, “Surprised by Evening” proed to be a little difficult to tie into my observations. The title alone tells a lot about what the poem will be about, yet at first I wondered why anyone would be surprised at the oncoming evening. Then I thought it could be because if people were staying so long in the sun that night would seem alomst unreal, something that they had never really accepted because long hour in the sun would shut down any hope for a break or calming period of time. So, when night finally did arrive, they were surprised at the fact that they would be offered a small amount of time to realx and appreciate its cooling, soothing effect.

*Overall, i don’t really agree with Hansen’s thoughts that Bly’s poem was about life and death and the possibility of rebirth. Bly tends to write a lot about real life issues and to me, this theory of the workers in the field went along with that, because during the depression, field workers were common. To me, I still stick with my theory, mostl