Our Class #6

Ahh.....the joy of Rozencrantz and Guildenstern. As we get into our harder plays and next semester novels, they obviously become more confusing and frustrating. It's not that I don't like the play in general, it's the fact that it makes your brain ache after talking about it for more than five minutes. The constant agony of never fully understanding the text, like getting a tease of a nice back scratch without getting the full thing. I find myself zoning out during the hour because its quite exhausting. After saying all that I do like the increased complexity of the play, I like how it makes us think and is not soooo transparent. I'm hoping that through more articles and discussions I will come to the point where I won't question if I have all the parts together in the right order. I will probably not however be using this play on the AP test for fear of getting stuck mid paragraph trying to remember the most important details of the complicated plot. That is my current opinion of the play, I like it but I don't seem to even grasp the surface of the concepts.

I know that my peers will most likely have a fit when I say this but I think the super tightly timed AP practice activity was a very good one. AP lit in general is quite chill, and that's how I like to learn. Being from Montessori, no structure is kind of my thing. However.... when it comes to preparing for the AP test, pressure is what I need. We all needed to be kicked in the butt and made to do something for credit so we all understand the kind of time crunch and pressure that we will have to endure in May. I am very happy that Ms. Holmes made us do it, as chill and awesome as she is I was glad to be pushed for this specific situation. I ending up finishing the activity, I was so surprised to be honest. But than afterward I was really proud of myself, I was proud that even know we were sixth hour and we knew what we had to do, I had finished it. I wasn't the one that didn't get it done and made some lame excuse. It made me feel good that even know it wasn't perfect I'm sure, I had pulled it off in time. It gives me more confidence for the AP test and of course much needed practice.

So yay to more AP lit is the bottom line.

Open Prompts

2005. In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess “That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions.” In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet self doubt and moral corruption lead to a tragic outcome. The main character Hamlet has to either choose between avenging his father or trust that god will punish his father's murderer. This question that Hamlet has to overcome leads to many events in the play and almost leads to Hamlet completely usurping gods power. 

The question that Hamlet is dealing with inwardly is the ultimate decision, the decision to usurp gods power to avenge his father or to almost abandon is father and trust god. Hamlet's father came back as a ghost to tell him that Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, murdered Hamlets father. The fact that Hamlet actually talked to his father after death is part of the reason he wants to avenge him and kill Claudius. By killing Claudius however he will be taking power from god because he will choose when Claudius should die, this is a sin and could have serious consequences. The situation around him and the people around him also have an influence on his inward struggle. 

Hamlet is having trouble deciding if he should kill Claudius for various reasons. The most important reason is that Claudius killed his father, but then he also married Hamlet's mother quickly after. When Hamlet was trying to handle everything he pulls away from his love Ophelia from anger and also has to deal with this. He also finds out his two childhood friends Rozencratz and Guildenstern are sent to kill him. All the outside influence has made Hamlet want to avenge his father even more. At point in the play Claudius is on his knees praying and Hamlet goes to strike him, at the last minute he changes his mind, that scene illustrates just how close Hamlet was to usurping Gods power. Hamlet would have had a much easier decision if his life around him was not spiraling out of control.

As the play gets closer to the end, Hamlet has to make a decision, he was to seal his fate one way or another. Torn between his father and trusting god the tragedy starts, at the end of the play everyone dies except for Horatio. Hamlet kills Leartes, and Claudius in the final battle but not exactly in cold blood. It is more the battle than a plan for murder. The struggle is finally over, Hamlet didn't have to choose and fate took it tole. His inward and outward conflicts are now resolved.