Hamlet Act I

While reading this Shakespeare play “Hamlet”, I really wonder whether if Hamlet was a good boyfriend or was he really like the way that Polonious and Laertes has described? If he was a person who doesn’t flirt around with other girls, then they wouldn’t have warned Ophelia to keep a distance with Hamlet. I’m pretty sure that all fathers and brothers would love for their beloved daughters and sisters to get near and develop a relationship with a crowned prince. Who wouldn’t want their daughters and sisters to become the next queen? In Act I Scene 3, before Laertes leave to go back to France, he warns his sister not to fall for Hamlet sweet talk and the promise he made. Her father also said the same thing to her.
There’s also the ghost who Hamlet, Horatio, Bernardo, and Marcellus all believe that it is the ghost of the former King of Denmark, King Hamlet. Is it really the ghost of King Hamlet or is it the former king of Norway, King Fortinbras? If it was really King Hamlet, why didn’t he appear to his wife and the others to tell them how he was murdered? Why did he only appear to his son Hamlet? Going against the current king and seeking for revenge is a very dangerous action. Would the king really allow such an action to be done by his son and only his son?
In my point- of- view, I think that it is the ghost of King Fortinbras. If he could cause a corruption in the kingdom of Denmark, it would give his nephew, the current king of Norway, a higher chance in defeating and conquering Denmark. Imagining the current king of Denmark who is Hamlet’s uncle being attack by both his nephew Hamlet, and the country’s enemy young King Fortinbras, king of Denmark will not be able to defend his life nor his country. Once the king dies, Hamlet as an inexperience king will have to settle down right away and try to defend Denmark. This would give an advantage to King of Norway, King Fortinbras because he has more experience then Hamlet.
There must be a story as to why the former queen of Denmark Gertrude, would immediately make such a decision to marry her brother-in-law Cladius. Also, who came up with this idea? Was it Claudia or was it Gertrude? What persuade the other person to agree to such an idea. Gertrude
Here are some of the ideas that I came up with:
- Claudius might have liked Gertrude back when King Hamlet was still alive.
- He might have needed a woman who knows what she’s doing to help him look after the kingdom.
- Gertrude might have liked Claudius too.
- Gertrude might just want to protect her son and make sure that her son will become the next king.
Also, since Hamlet is the crowned princess, shouldn’t he become king when his father pass away? Why King Hamlet’s brother Claudius did became King? Then what’s the point of having a crowned prince?

Coleridge and Shelley - Imagination and Narrative Voice

In the first poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, it celebrates the imagination against its indulgence. The imagery inside this poem was very descriptive. The "Sacred river" from line 3 and "And there were...sunny spots of greenery." helps describe that this place is a very peaceful, save, and heavenly place. Then it end up switching this same place in to an evil place. According to line 14 to line 16 and line 46 to line 50, the imagery that indicate the appearance of evil is a woman waiting for her demon lover, the sunny dome, and everyone should cry beware. Coleridge might have wrote this poem for the people who loves romantic poems and other romantic poets. His purpose is to help describe and draw the attention to the people to see how the nature around it really is. He wants to bring nature closer to the people and to help them understand how pretty and how dangerous the world can be.
The poem "Ozymandias" written by Percy Bysshe Shelley contains two speakers. The two speakers are the traveler and Ozymandias. The traveler seem to introduce the remainings of Ozymandias, a statue. The other speaker is Ozymandias through the words that appears on the pedestral. “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings, Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” This quote is to show that when Ozymandias was alive, he might be a very powerful king where other kings might even have to obey him.

"The Chimney Sweeper"

I definitely agree with the editor of this textbook.After reading the two version of "The Chimney Sweeper", I have come to believe that the Romantics poets such as William Blake, really does hope to bring up social and political change through their poems. The "Song of Innocence" for example doesn't try to state the reason for political but did through images. It shows that in our political lifestyle, a lot of people seem to believe that as long as they do what they have to do, then they won't have any trouble, nor could anything get in their way. "Though the morning was cold, Tom was happy and warm; So if all do their duty they need not fear harm." Then in the "Songs of Experience", for example, “And because I am happy, and dance and sing, They think they have done me no injury". A lot of people only judge others by what they see through others surrounding and how they look and act, hardly nowadays does anyone try to judge a person after they have learn how others feel and what they are thinking. In the poem, the situation shows that no one even the parents ever tries spend some times to really find out how the others are feeling.
The editors have included the Parliament transcript as a primary source document. It didn't really effect the way how I read Blakes writing. It just help to support the way how Blakes write. At least there is some type of back up to his text.

Jonathan Swift Teacher Prep Work

a)
Questions:
1. Is he really a giant or is he the normal size one?
2. How did he end up in this village?
3. How does the rule of breaking the eggs relates to the story?
4. Is this store focusing on the two empire "Tramecksan" and "Slamecksan"?

"But his present Majesty’s grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg, and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Whereupon the Emperor his father published an edict, commanding all his subjects, upon great penalties, to break the smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law, that our histories tell us there have been six rebellions raised on that account; wherein one Emperor lost his life, and another his crown." pg.658

I chose this excerpt to explain why the breaking of the eggs led to the rebel. This passage shows that the people can't stand the lame rules that was set up by the king. This lead to the downfall of the kings.

The prediction that I made was that the kings were being nice to him so that he would work for them. They find that the giant can protect them. In return, the giant decide to not interfere with the party. He only decide to protect the Emperor's people and states from all invaders with his life.

b)
Working in these small teachers group help me see the things that I miss when I was reading it. In the group, classmates point out some of the things that I didn't realize. There were also questions that never came to me until one of the classmates brought it up. What makes it hard was that each of us have our own perspective therefore it's difficult.

c)
Yes I would try to approach it differently. I want to gather everyone's thought and put it together to make up new questions that everyone agree on. Then hopefully we will be able to develop a good method in teaching the class.

Nineteen Eighty-Four Final Writing Assignment

The doctrine O’Brien proclaims to Winston that this system of oligarchical collectivism of which INGSOC is based, is not the same as other leaders in the past such as the German Nazis and Russian Communists. “We are not content with negative obedience, nor even with the most abject submission. When finally you surrender to us, it must be of your own free will.” This party wants all of their enemies to give in to them not only their bodies but also their hearts, minds, and souls by their own choice and not by force. “We are different from all the oligarchies of the past in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives”(pg.217). O’Brien describes other oligarchies before them as people who don’t have the gut to take another step to completely take hold of their powers.
O’Brien tries to explain to Winston about the party main goal. Winston went against it and says that no matter what the party does, they will never be able to change the thinking and the beliefs of another person. No matter what they do, they will never be able to erase the memories of the past that each person has contained within them. O’Brien told Winston that majority beats minority. He’s trying to explain to Winston that as long as there are more people who says and agree on a thing, that thing will automatically become true. For example, two plus two equal four but if there’s enough people who say that two plus two equal five, then two plus two will no longer equal to four. The fact will disappear forever and the false information would soon become a fact.
Winston did not believe it and so he continued to go against it. “O’Brien help up his left hand, its back toward Winston, with the thumb hidden and the four fingers extended. How many fingers am I holding up, Winston? Four. And if the Party says that it is not four but five-then how many? Four.”(pg.206) At first, no matter how many needle there was, it didn’t make Winston give up but then he finally give up because he couldn’t stand the pain. Then he couldn’t stand how he looks from after all the torture. He pretty much gave in but there was one thing that he wouldn’t give in. It was his feelings for Julia. He still loves her and believes that he has never betrayed her. Not until he was taken to room 101 where he has to face one of his biggest fear, rats. Inside that room, he was tied down in a chair where he couldn’t even move his head. O’Brien has prepared a cage filled with hungry rats and a mask for Winston to put on. At that rate, he was so scared that he told O’Brien to use this punishment with someone else. He was scared that he told O’Brien to do it to Julia instead of him.
After all the torture he had face in the Ministry of Love, Winston have to admit that O’Brien was right. He begin to believe that no matter what the Party says, it will always become true whether the incident truly did happen or not. He wrote, “FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. TWO AND TWO MAKE FIVE. GOD IS POWER.” Later when he saw, Julia, he no longer love her like he had once use to. At that point he understand exactly why the men before desire for death. By the end of the whole situation, Winston was now positive that the Party has the power over all.

Writing in response to Orwell

February 22, 2009

Dear Mr. Smith,

There are things that I can deeply relate to you. I understand that there are lots of things that we can’t judge by their appearances. For example, a jelly fish may look pretty and nice by its appearance, but once you try to touch it, it will sting you to death. The same as human, no one in this world including you and me can ever judge a person by his or her appearance. I understand that Mr. O’Brien urbane manner and his prize-fighter’s physique really persuade you. Then there was your own point of view about his secretly held belief and his political orthodoxy which really draws you to the conclusion that he was definitely not a spy. You’re not the only one out there, even a General like Othello can make a mistake by judging Iago through his looks, his actions and his words. Don’t let this bring you down; instead, think of this as a lesson. Learn from your mistake and prevent it from ever happening again.

Sincerely,

Lisa.