We will spend the next two weeks on Hamlet (except for Xingu Fridays!). You will need to bring your copy of the play to class everyday. Wednesday 4/7 will be a reading day. You should be through Act II by Wednesday and finished with the play by Monday 4/12.
Assignments over the play are as follows:
For Wednesday 4/7 –
Read Act I, Scenes I and II of Hamlet and post responses to the following questions. These will be recorded as homework grades...15 pts. each if you do them reasonable well, 0 if you have not posted by the beginning of class Wednesday.
1. What portents appear in Act I Scene I? What does Horatio think these signs mean? What portents appeared in Moby-Dick? Do you think Shakespeare influneced Melville in this regard? Why or why not?
2. In his soliloquy, Hamlet uses the image of an unweeded garden. What is Hamlet comparing to a garden? What are the weeds? Who is responsible for tending the garden? If Hamlet were the chief gardener, how do you think he would go about restoring the garden?
Tuesday 4/13 –
Hamlet Essay (9 pts)
Thursday 4/14 –
Hamlet Test (20 pts. MC, 50 pts. quote identification, 30 pts. short answer) This will take more than 40 minutes, so eat lunch during 4th period or bring lunch to class to eat during the test. We will have a review day on Wednesday 4/13.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
16 comments:
1. In Act 1 Scene 1 of "Hamlet," Francisco, Bernardo, Marcellus, and Horatio are in the presence of the ghost of the former King of Denmark. The spectacle of this ominous figure spurs in Horatio’s memory the story of the dead king and his victory in Norway against Fortinbras senior (page 6-7). Although the King of Denmark had won over the land in Norway, Fortinbras son (also named Fortinbras haha), is restless and wants to avenge his father’s defeat by taking back Norway. Because the ghost of the King of Denmark is in uniform, Bernardo interprets that the portentous figure “comes armed through our watch; so like the king that was and is the question of these wars,” and therefore the ghost brings a silent message of a foreboding conflict of some sort with Norway. When the ghost appears a second time to the men, a cock "awakes the god of day" and the ghost departs: an occurrence which Horatio assumes is another warning of the fate of Denmark.
In the beginning of Moby Dick, Ishmael comes across the prophet Elijah, who informs him of the mysterious wickedness of the Pequod’s crew, and before boarding the Pequod, Ishmael discusses with Peleg Ahab’s sinister and prophetic name. These "run ins" are symbolic warnings given to Ishmael, but the difference between the men in "Hamlet" and Ishmael is that the men are actually smart enough to pay attention to warnings while stupid Ishmael didn't listen to anyone and so he was stuck on a damned boat. (no pun intended)
Viewing the presence of the ghost of the King of Denmark and Ishmael’s conversations with Elijah and Peleg as dark omens, it is safe to say that both Melville and Shakespeare create an element of suspense in these scenes. However, I don’t think that Melville took from this Shakespearian play, but he probably copied something more like the beginning of "Macbeth" and the witches’ prophecy of Macbeth’s fate.
(Melville is such a lazy copy cat, I wouldn’t be surprised if he copies something else later on in the play…)
2. Only two month’s after his father’s death, Hamlet mourns the loss of his father and struggles with the concept that his uncle has married his mother. Hamlet’s uncle/new daddy and mother do not fully understand the nature of Hamlet’s sorrow and try to alleviate the situation by focusing on their own happiness of marriage and telling Hamlet that his father had lost a father who lost a father and so on, as though the loss of a father is an expected thing. When Hamlet speaks of an overgrown garden, he is expressing the misery of his own existence without his father’s guidance and the frustration of not having anyone to understand his emotional anguish. The weeds that grow in his mind are analogous to the complications that have arisen in the past two months due to his father’s death. One could say that the act that “planted” these seeds was the death of his father, but it seems that these weeds could have been “tended to” by Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet criticizes his mother exclaiming, “she married:-O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” It pains Hamlet to think back on the love that his father and mother shared and to know that his mother went on with her life without grieving her husband’s death. If Hamlet were, in Mr. Dalton’s terminology, the “chief gardener,” he would urge his mother not to rush into a marriage, an act in which Hamlet explains “a beast that wants discourse of reason, would have mourn’d longer.”
1. Scene one begins with Bernardo relieving Francisco of his post, shortly after Horatio and Marcellus enter. Both Marcellus and Bernardo are common soldiers who have seen a ghost and want someone else to confirm. This is why they brought Horatio, an educated man, to see the ghost as well. Horatio thinks that the ghost “’tis but a fantasy” (p3) but once he sees the ghost for himself, he is overcome with wonder and fear. Marcellus thinks the appearance has to do with the upcoming war in Denmark, and Horatio adds his two cents. King Hamlet fought and killed King Fortinbras, whose son (also named Fortinbras) now seeks to form another army and win back the land that King Hamlet took. Horatio adds that the ghost reminds him of what he read about the omens in Rome just before “the mightiest Julius fell”, and that their own ghost is a sign of disaster. When the ghost reappears Horatio asks it “If there be any good thing to be done / That may to thee do ease, and grace to me, / Speak to me” (p8) and the ghost is about to speak, but does not. Horatio wonders if the ghost is there to warn them of impending danger or to inform them of hidden treasure. Finally, the men agree that Hamlet should be informed of this because though the ghost may not speak to them, it will surely speak to him.
Moby Dick had substantial amounts of symbolism, throughout the entire book there are warning signs informing Ishmael of his looming peril. For instance, the Pequod was named after a Native American tribe that did not survive long after the arrival of the white men. Naming the boat after this tribe basically honored that tribe and doomed the ship and its crew. Queequeg’s coffin was also a sign of death and of life. When it is built its sole purpose is to hold Queequeg’s dead body, but when he recovers the coffin is used to store his belongings. Its last purpose is to save Ishmael from the gigantic ocean and his own death, but at this point it was too late for him to realize. Like Grace said, the difference between Ishmael and the men of Hamlet is that the latter chose to question and focus on their warning while Ishmael did not. I think that Shakespeare may have influenced Melville in that both works give warning signs and symbols to the characters; however, seeing a ghost is far more blatant than the name of a ship or a coffin.
1. In Act 1 Scene 1 of Hamlet, Francisco, Bernardo, Marcellus, and Horatio witness the ghost of the recently deceased king of Denmark. Although Horatio is skeptical upon first hearing that the king's ghost has appeared, he cannot deny the resemblance between the apparition and the king after it reappears. Horatio believes that the ghost's appearance can only indicate a sign of impending misfortune. Because the ghost of the king is wearing the armor he wore when battling the enemies of Denmark, Horatio believes this to be a sign that perhaps Denmark will be faced with a militaristic attack (most likely with Norway) in the near future. The bad omens and foreboding prophecies Melville employs in Moby-Dick bear more resemblance to the prophets in the Bible than to these Shakespearean portents, mainly because of the use of prophets and name similarities (Elijah in the Bible, Elijah in MD). Therefore, Melville drew more inspiration from the Bible in this particular instance than from Shakespeare.
2. In this passage, Hamlet refers to his sad and miserable existence without his father as a "an unweeded garden that grows to seed". The garden is a representation of Hamlet's life, and the weeds represent the aftermath and many consequences he has to deal with resulting from his uncle's marriage to his mother so shortly after his father's death. It is probably safe to assume that fate is the one responsible for "tending" his garden. His father's death certainly set the incessant "gardening" in motion, with Claudius marrying his mother a mere 2 months after his father's death. If Hamlet were the "chief gardener", then he would probably have tried to convince his mother to wait longer to marry Claudius, making it seem as though she was flippant about her husband's death.
1. In Act 1 Scene 1, the ghost of the king appears. All present are terrified, particularly Horatio. He notes that the ghost was wearing the same armor he had on when he battled Norway, and takes this as an ominous sign of things to come. He believes that Norway will attack once again, and this is the cause of the various defenses in place.
In Moby Dick, Ishmael is warned several times about Captain Ahab's obsession with capturing the white whale. I don't think Melville directly took ideas from Shakespeare, but he probably read several plays and thought that he could also use portents as a way to foreshadow in his works.
2. The garden to which Hamlet refers is the garden of his life. Since his father passed away, weeds have grown and his mother has mistaken these weeds for flowers and tended to them. While trying to alleviate his heartache, she makes him focus on things that make him unhappier still. If Hamlet could, he would mourn properly and then move on, and plead with his mother to mourn with him, instead of marrying his uncle.
2. Hamlet uses the image of a garden to portray his life. After his father’s death many things occurred, such as his uncle marrying his mother and becoming king. These repercussions are what he refers to as weeds, and his mother has helped them grow. A well-tended garden symbolizes normalcy and harmony in his life and his country. I also think that he could be referring to his country as the garden since he doesn’t feel very comfortable about his uncle being the new king. He is so aggravated by the fact that his mother was “so quick to jump into a bed of incest” and thinks that she did not spend an acceptable amount of time mourning. The garden is his life and therefore I think it is his responsibility to “tend” to it; however, the way he feels about what his mother did makes me think it is her job. I don’t know what it is like to lose a parent, but I can understand that Gertrude doesn’t want to be alone for the rest of her life. Taking into consideration the time period, she can’t rule the kingdom on her own and marrying Claudius was an acceptable move. Yes, it makes Hamlet feel uncomfortable but he needs to stop whining about having his heart break in silence. Everyone mourns in different ways.
In Act 1 Scene 1, Francisco, Bernado, Marcellus and Horatio, charged with keeping watch of the gardens see the ghost of Hamlet's father, the late king of Denmark. The ghostly figure is in armor, is gaunt, and has a morose disposition. Marcellus claims that the ghostly figure is offended, deeming the figure an omen of some ill will. Horatio is bewildered and horrified by the sight of their late king, and believes it is attempting to tell them something, yet before it speaks the cock, "the trumpet to the morn" (9) causes it to disappear. In Moby Dick, Elijah warns Queequeg and Ishmael of the foreboding ruin that looms over the Pequod. It can be easily reasoned that Melville's work is deeply influenced by the works of Shakespeare, as well as the Bible. He utilizes portents, such as the prophets in the Bible and the dramatic omens that are characteristic of Shakespeare plays.
Hamelt's use of imager of the undweeded garden refers to his growing sorrow for his father's demise, which gains strength even months after his death. The pain and sorrow he feels after the loss of his father grow like weeds in a garden, causing him a heavy heart and soul. His mother and family memmbers are responsible for "tending the garden" by helping him overcome the loss of his father, yet his mother quickly marries her late husband's brother, causing more pain for young Hamlet. To restore his "garden" or to mend his soul, Hamlet wants to see the ghost of his father to communicate with him and seek his guidance. In order to restore the garden, Hamlet must avenge his father's death, he just is not sure how yet.
1. The silent, eerie, and "bitter cold" night in which Hamlet begins is filled with omens contributing to Shakespeare's intended mood and setting for the tragedy. The star "that's westward from the pole" is in the same position when the ghost appeared, the bell rang one, and the cock crows. The latter is especially ominous in nature because of the cultural/historical basis which is explained by Horatio and Marcellus, "like a guilty thing/ Upon a fearful summons".
Ishamel received several portents previous to boarding the Pequod and also while voyaging after the elusive Moby Dick. Elijah, being the most apparent and forthright in warning, "prohesied" of the failure of the ship because of Captain Ahab himself. The literal derivation of "The Pequod" as a Native American tribe that was destroyed by settling pilgrims also suggests the impending doom. The sermon in Father Mapple's church about Jonah also sends a message of warning to Ishmael, along with the mere appearance of some of their shipmates is intended to be significant. Shakespeare certainly influenced Melville heavily in plot, setup of the story, and the symbolic nature of his novel. Melville, not unlike nearly every other author, draws from the classic Shakespearean form, especially a tragedy such as Hamlet which ties in so well with the overall theme of Moby Dick.
2. Hamlet compares his own situation to an "unweeded garden" that has gone rampant and overcome by chaos in his life, emotionally and otherwise. He feels it has fallen to a sad and pitiful state due to the death of his father and subsequent assuming of the throne by his sneaky uncle instantly married to his mother, but mostly his confusion and distress caused by these events. The weeds correlate to the emotional baggage he carries, tied to the physical causes thereof. Hamlet seems to suggest that he is the "tender" of the garden, but has lost control. He no longer can bring life to this garden and places blame on the new King and Queen of Denmark, mainly his mother and her insensitivity. He also does not fully understand what is going on. Hamlet is in need of a big perspective. Rather than allow his emotions to dominate his actions, it would be wiser to evaluate what best can alleviate such suffering as he experiences. However, his ability to rationalize and make sense of the matter in its entirety leaves him impaired mentally. Understandably, his current state can be attributed to grief and sorrow over the unwelcome twists in his story. He cannot restore his garden at present because he is overly involved in figuring out what his emotions are. Once this begins to subside, he could find hope.
1. There are significant omens that appear in Act 1 Scene 1. The ghost of King Hamlet "bodes some strange eruption to our state." (6)Ghosts traditionally appear in literature as creatures with a defined purpose. The scholarly Horatio interprets the poltergeist's appearance as a sign of caution. King Hamlets pale, gaunt expression confirms that he has bad news to disseminate. Horatio believes that the ghost is King Hamlet and will thus only speak with Prince Hamlet. Although Horatio does not know for certain the quest of the ghost, he has his speculations. He compares the ghost to julius ceasar, in that "a mote it is to trouble the mind's eye/ the mightiest Julius fell/ preceding still the fates." (7) Without having spoken with the apparition the man of intellectual countenance can deduce foul play. He passively aggressively states that King Hamlet was murdered and must be avenged. Relating names to rather morbid events is a theme common between Shakespeare and Melville. The tie between Julius and King Hamlet is much like Captain Ahab to King Ahab; both are powerful kings that meet an untimely end. Horatio's connecting of Julius further confirms his suspicion of immoral deeds. Horatio also speculates that King Hamlet may be appearing as a warning against the rather angry Fortinbras. King Hamlet "did slay this Fortinbras (King) who/ did forfeit, with his life, all those his lands." (6)Prince Fortinbras is "of unimproved mettle hot and full." (7) Prince Fortinbras seeks revenge for his father's death, which leaves Horatio to feel threatened for Denmark. This is much like Ahab's struggle against God. Fortinbras and Ahab both seek vengeance from a superior power that has wronged them, causing much damage. The interrupting, rude Cock is interchangeable with Ahab's albatross. The cock "made probation," (9) which prevents King Hamlet from speaking to Horatio. The albatross appears during a gam between the Pequod and another ship. There is a supreme lack of communication that results from the distraction caused by both birds. The lack of contact foreshadows the Pequod's demise, which can be related to Horatio's fear of the fall of Denmark. Shakespeare clearly has an influence on Melville's literature, the parallels of symbolism between the two is uncanny. Also, Melville was known for copying just about whatever he pleased in his writing, Shakespeare was likely a source of "inspiration."
2. After skimming through my classmate's responses out of curiosity, I've found that their idea on this is totally different from mine. The garden symbolizes the Danish kingdom, and the weeds are the troubles and plights of the land. It seems that Claudius is doing whatever he wishes, disregarding the kingdom. If the king does not regard his kingdom, then the land will fall into peril, due to lack of leadership. However, after reviewing the passage several times I find it difficult to support such thought.
The "untended garden" is Hamlet's sanity. His father had a "canon 'gainst self-slaughter." (14) King Hamlet, before his death, was Prince Hamlet's driving force. The 300 year old debate leans toward Hamlet having emotional instability in this passage. The weed of suicide and despair "grows to seed; things rank and gross to nature." Hamlet has no emotional support due to the death of his father and the extreme brevity of his mother's grief. He wishes to commit suicide, an unnatural and immoral act according to contemporary beliefs. Prince Hamlet should be responsible for his own sanity, however, he is incompetent. He is borderline crazy without a supporting figure; he has no one to "lean on." If Prince Hamlet is to ever consider ruling the kingdom, he would need a zealous chancellor. Unfortunately for Hamlet, if it weren't his father, he would likely have self-terminated.
Well, in Act I Scene I the ghost of old King Hamlet appears in front of Horatio, Francisco, and Bernardo. Horatio at first doesn't believe that there can be a ghost but after he sees it he thinks that it holds an ominous sign about the dangers that are about to come onto Denmark. One portent in the beginning of Moby Dick that stands out to me is the sermon the preacher gives before Ishmael and the Pequod set out to sail. He tells a dark story about defiling God and being punished, foreshadowing what could happen in the book just like the ghost foreshadows what could happen for the people in Hamlet. I think Shakespeare did influence Melville in this regard because Melville imitated many of Shakespeare's techniques (such as the idea of a tragic hero).
2. Hamlet is referring to the mess he feels his life is in right now by claiming "'tis an unweeded garden." His father died only two months ago and his mother is already marring his uncle, not allowing enough time for Hamlet to grieve. The weeds are the different things going wrong in his life and the different people creeping in on it, such as his uncle by marrying his mother. The person he feels is responsible for tending the garden, therefore, is his mother because she is the one marrying his uncle. If she wasn't, Hamlet's garden would be considerably less covered in weeds. If Hamlet were the chief gardener, he would not allow his uncle to marry his mother and he would force everyone to support him and help him grieve over the loss of his father.
1) The major portent in Act I Scene I of Hamlet is the appearance of the ghost of King Hamlet who disappears with the crowing of the cock. Horatio quickly associates the ghost with the possibility of war with Norway because King Hamlet’s ghost appeared in the same armor he wore when fighting the Norwegians. Numerous signs and portents appear throughout Moby-Dick. The early portents include Ahab’s name, related to the Old Testament King Ahab, and the appearance of Elijah. Like the ghost, these two symbols warn of an ominous future for the characters if they do not take heed of these signs. Although Shakespeare clearly influenced Melville and Moby-Dick, it is not apparent that the early warnings provided for the characters in Hamlet are directly related to the warning in Moby-Dick.
Post a Comment