Schizophrenia In Great Ones Must Not Unwatched Go

After watching Claudius's inability to pray, as shown in Branagh's Discovering Hamlet, not only do I now realize the infinitesimal pity Shakespeare wished to provoke in his audience (as explained in the video), but also the irony in Claudius's situation. Praying usually accompanies a favor. People pray for forgiveness, health, wealth, love... One common form of praying for forgiveness is a confession. Claudius finds himself in a constricting situation when the cause for his prayer is the same as the idea preventing it. Ironically, the reason he wants absolution prevents him from properly attaining it. I am curious as to why Shakespeare would want to make the antagonist inspire pity. Is it to establish more than one point of view and thus emphasize humanity's close-mindedness, or is it because Shakespeare can't bear to create a being without even one positive trait. An intresting character is one who has conflicting emotions, while bland characters are those who don't question themselves.

Words In Hamlet's Problems

Irrefragable:

Intractable:

Infatuation:

Superfluous:

Ruse:

Levity:

Lucid Killing

After reading some of Freud's insights on dreams and jealous children with subconscious killer ideas, I find myself speechless. I never considered killing any of my siblings, even when the stork first brought them. Hamlet doesn't have any siblings we know of, so any possible death with must be applied to his uncle. We do not know of any of Hamlet's dreams (at least in the sleeping-experience sense), and yet we could reconstruct what they would be like, according to his emotions as analyzed by Freud. If Hamlet we to have a dream, which the audience would witness, it would probably involve a weeping, scantily-clothed Hamlet, surrounded by laughing courtiers. The next scene would include Hamlet crying over the death of his uncle, which, as Freud would put it, is a "counter-wish" that tends to imply a secret. Conflictingly so, Hamlet" secret wish to end his uncle's life doesn't seem to torture him, but makes him but maniacally determined, at least in the second half of the play.

One way or another, Hamlet's desire to purge his uncle from his life is not spurred by jealousy, but by objective outrage. Because of this, I can't think of any of Hamlet's dreams that could be considered completely typical, in the Freudian sense of the term.

The Mechanics Of Prayer

Claudius knows his prayer will not be heard in heaven, for he doubts retribution. If the King doesn't completely regret his actions, how can they be forgiven? He acknowledges his dilemma when he concludes that his "words fly up, my thoughts remain below;/ Words without thoughts never to heaven go" (III. iii. 104-105). Here, there are two terms which require a contextual definition: "Words" and "thoughts". Words may be the superficial petitions and visible emotions observed in Claudius, while his thoughts are those hidden intentions that require censorship. He knows that any attempt to fool heaven will invalidate the absolution ticket he craves.

Great Madness, This Is

What does it mean to be great? Can greatness be achieved, or is it a natural trait some possess, independent from events around them? One belief, popularized in the 19th century, is the Great Man Theory, which suggests that certain men have greatness within them upon birth, which is kindled by events around them. I believe greatness involves affecting many with simple, positive ideas.

When King Claudius warns that "Madness in great ones must not unwatched go" at the end of scene 1 of act 3, we automatically assume that Claudius considers Hamlet to be a great man. Maybe this great madness to which he refers is that which we saw in Hitler and Mussolini. The person is great, but uses the potential for destructive purposes. One could say that the king is a believer of a primitive form of the Great Man Theory, for he implies that being great is separate from what one does with such power. My opinion is that great people are formed by their actions, and not by their potential. Claudius fears the potential harm Hamlet can cause, which is logical if he has something to hide. Claudius feels threatened.

Worse Than Stoicism

Perhaps the most widely known Shakespearean line is the "To be or not to be" line of Act 3 scene 1. Why is this monologue so famous? Is it one of those artistic ideas that are commonly discussed while nobody knows what it means? A hoax, for instance, where one is persuaded into admiration by following the masses? Is it famous because it is easy to remember and because it is Shakespeare, or is there more to it than that?

Doubting whether "to be or not to be" is fairly vague, which attracts the appeal of many, because each person interprets it in his or her own way. However, Hamlet questions whether there is more nobility in a stoic or in a non-conformist: "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" (III. i. 65-68).

Here we see a man who questions whether to act upon his destiny or to accept life as it treats him. He is undecided whether to take his life into his own hands or not. I believe any man who does not form his life is a wimp, not a stoic. Stoicism at least implies that the person chose to become a stoic, but if a man choses nothing, and lets life live him, then what is the point?

The question also refers to nobility in one's mind, which means that the only one who needs to accept us is ourselves, for nobility in the mind is not the same as nobility in blood, etc... We must question whether Hamlet can ever live with himself as a useless person, lacking determination.

Inmate Hamlet

The version of "Hamlet" performed by the Missouri East Correctional Institution is meant to make inmates get in touch with themselves. It is a type of getting-to-know-yourself-to-heal-the-soul activity, and the truth is that the actors easily identify themselves with Hamlet's inner conflict. My opinion is that while these people assimilate to the themes on a semi-literal level, I recognize that the sub-cutaneous conflict exists everywhere. I do not know anybody who makes decisions without first considering them, even if for an instant. The choice does not always define the life of another, but it always leads to a different course in one's destiny. Hamlet's conflict is based on the acceptance, or lack, thereof, of revenge. Other choices can sprout from different emotional experiences, like envy or greed. Everyone experiences these inner battles, and the war's victor will define everything.

When Hamlets Attack

Tenant:Branagh::
Orange shirt:Black shirt::
Flailing:Still::
Preposterous:Unbelievable::
Maniac:lunatic::
determined:passive::
Brown hair:Gray hair::
min 2:56:min 1:15::
volcano:thunderstorm::
Crime:Silence.

Silence

In this blog, I planned to contrast two interpretations of Hamlet's soliloquy in a creative way. Apparently, my thoughts require some explanation. So here are my thoughts, explained. On the left of the single colons, we see characterizing words that pertain to Tenant's interpretation, while the area to the right of the single colon is host to a description of Branagh's Hamlet. The double colons mark the end of a set of related characterizing words.

Some words refer to the physical differences, while others focus on the vibe Hamlet's monologue and mood conveys.

The words "flailing" and "still" are used to describe the movement of Hamlet's body. If I were to interpret Tenant's and Branagh's interpretations of Hamlet in a one-word scene, I would use the word "Preposterous!" to represent Tenant's version, and "Unbelievable!" to represent Branagh's. The words "determined" and "passive" characterize their individual versions of Hamlet. I used a volcano to describe tenant's version of Hamlet, because his Hamlet is an eruptive one, starting off on the ground, and ending with maniacal behavior. Branagh's Hamlet can be compared to a thunderstorm, because as the grim tempest, he has a harmless, electrifying roar. Pulsating, we know it is capable of nothing. Tenant's Hamlet plots an imminent crime, while Branagh's Hamlet has only silence to give. As he ends with "The rest is silence", I thought it appropriate to do the same. Silence.

Actively Speaking

1. The statue is being visited by hundreds of tourists every year.

Hundreds of tourists visit the statue every year.

2. My books were stolen by someone yesterday.

Someone stole my books yesterday.

3. These books had been left in the classroom by a careless student.

A careless student left these books in the classroom.

4. Coffee is raised in many parts of Hawaii by plantation workers.

In many parts of Hawaii, plantation workers raise coffee.

5. The house had been broken into by someone while the owners were on vacation.

Someone broke into the house while the owners were on vacation.

6. A woman was being carried downstairs by a very strong firefighter.

A very strong firefighter carried the woman downstairs.

7. The streets around the fire had been blocked off by the police.

The police blocked off the streets around the fire.

8. Have you seen the new movie that was directed by Ron Howard?

Have you seen the new movie directed by Ron Howard?

9. My car is in the garage being fixed by a dubious mechanic.

A dubious mechanic fixes my car in the garage.

10. A great deal of our oil will have been exported to other countries by our government.

Our government will have exported a great deal of our oil to other countries.