Ya Boy

If you’re reading this, then you must’ve been chosen to partake in the journey of 11th grade English, Duke-style. First, let’s kill the rumors: yes, you have to do your work well to get a good grade (surprise, surprise); no, Mrs. Duke isn’t a Nazi who enjoys failing her students (she actually wants you to succeed); and no, I didn’t want to kill myself from all the work she piled on this year (it’s not that bad and some of it is actually…wait for it…fun). Like everything in life, this class is what you make it. Don’t like doing work, but think you’ll get an easy A by doing everything last minute? You might want to re-think your strategy. I’ve always been good at English, but even I had to work hard this year for an A. It’s not like she gives you a few assignments per quarter either; on average, we had about 1,200 total points in a quarter, ranging from blog posts all the way to essays. That brings me to my next point…

Do quality work. Don’t worry about not having enough opportunites; like I just said, Mrs. Duke takes care of that for you. Your job is to give everything your best effort, no matter if it’s making a vocabulary bookmark or staying up late to finish that final draft of your compare and contrast essay (…ahem…). You might be inclined to take advantage of her incredible late policy, but try to get things done on time if you can. It’ll make you that much better in the long run. Of course, everyone slips up sometimes; how do you prevent staying up late (or worse, missing the due date on an assignment, adding to the growing stress of your already incredibly-hectic junior year)? Work ahead! Make the most out of each day, not settling for just doing the homework due the next day. Weekends can suck if you aren’t careful and diligent with your time, so work hard at getting as much done as you can everyday. Plus, working ahead will most of the time greatly improve the quality of your work; you don’t have to worry about rushing the assignement, which allows you to relax and put your best effort into it. Out of all the advice I can give y’all, this is probably the most important one.

Let’s talk blogs: from what I’ve heard from my classmates and the kids from past years, blogging is what makes this class hell. At first, I wasn’t very excited myself about having to blog every week, since it can be tedious, stressful, and all-around boring. But guess what? It’s become my favorite part of the class. Not only do you get to be creative, blogging is easy points! Like everything else, if you put some effort into them (both your posts and your comments) and are thorough with your responses, you will get 50/50 every week. I really can’t believe I’m almost the only person who enjoys it; you get to creatively reflect on class and often your life, bonding with them and learning at the same time. It’s pretty awesome (and genius) when you think about it. If you still aren’t persuaded, look at it this way: everyone has to do it, so why not be the best? Everyone gets to see what you post, so use that as motivation to put as much effort as you can into blogging. Before I go on, I have to say this: Proofread everything you post! It’s amazing how many posts and comments I’ve seen that have spelling and (simple) grammar errors in them. I mean, how long does it take to preview your post or copy your comment into a Word document to see if it has any errors in it (or even makes sense)? Take the time to make your work the best it can be.  

Ok, if you’re still reading I’m impressed. I’ll stop rambling after this point: have fun! She didn’t want us to say this, but Mrs. Duke is an amazing teacher. I’ll be honest: I was mad when I didn’t get into AP English, but from what I’ve heard (sorry Mrs. Duke…she hates when we talk about other classes, especially her different classes), AP wasn’t as tough as the Duke. I definitely worked hard this year, and I learned a ton while still having a blast. It’s easy to complain when the going gets tough, but if you stick with it and follow some of the tips I mentioned, this class will be awesome (trust me). Also, she works backwards through the history of British literature, making the first semester be the toughest (very symbolic literature and many essays, including your research paper) and the second semester much easier (plays and more straightforward tales). This makes you do the hard stuff when you have the most energy (right after the summer), leaving the easier tasks for when you in the final stretch. Simple, yet another genius tactic by Mrs. Duke. You might feel unlucky now that you got her, but just wait it out- you might feel your luck as changed!

Mr. Beale,

     What an amazing performance you put on for us listeners in Hamlet! While I enjoyed watching the play, listening to it was just as dramatic, much of it due to the efforts you put into the main character. Being able to interpret the scene for ourselves really gave me a sense of freedom; because of the emotions you instilled into Hamlet, I could focus on other, less expressible aspects of the play (such as the setting and actions of the characters) without having to worry about how your character was feeling at a certain time. I think I speak for my class when I say that you definitely gave it your all with this voiceover, interpreting Hamlet very well.

     While it’s evident you put a ton of effort into your performance, I actually think you were a little too dramatic. Drama is indeed the backbone of Hamlet, but from the scenes I remember, your performances were overly-dramatic almost all the time. However, your interpretation still allowed me to understand what was going on and the motives behind your actions and feelings, which I guess was the goal of your performance. I would’ve toned down the drama if I were doing the scene, while still trying to get across the stress and anxiety that Hamlet was constantly feeling. Overall, I got a lot out of your interpretation; keep up the great work!

                                            Your new fan,

                                                  Ben

Dear Mr. Branagh,

     What an amazing piece of art you have given us! Your interpretation of both Hamlet the character and Hamlet the play are masterpieces in the world of theatre; no matter how little one likes this work, I can’t see how anyone wouldn’t marvel at your achievement. Your evident passion for Hamlet’s goals and your portrayal of his deep emotions truely seem geniune; you become Hamlet and openly embrace every aspect of his personality, something that many actors can’t say in our day-and-age. I must tell you that for an upcoming performance of mine, I made sure to intently study your interpretation of Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 1: Scene 4 (right after his father’s ghost exits the scene, telling Hamlet to avenge him). While I will be sure to adapt this scene through my point-of-view, your take on this soliloquy has given me significant insight on how to go about this scene. 

     Although your understanding of Hamlet the character surpasses all other adaptations I’ve studied, I must say that your direction with the overall play took me a little by surprise. My original view of the play’s setting was in the Colonial Era, around the mid-1600s to early 1700s. Your Victorian take on the work included lavish costumes and extremely detailed architecture, a large departure from the modest colonial elements I expected in a rendition of Hamlet. While I wouldn’t suggest other directors travel this path in their interpretations of the play, I must admit that you pulled it off flawlessly. In the end, your direction works out, showing us that Shakespeare’s Hamlet is indeed timeless. I can’t think of any criticism other than to never forget this achivement of yours; it is has been widely acclaimed for a reason!

                                          Your new fan,

                                                 Ben

While we already knew how the play was going to end (and how everyone was going to die) before reading this last part of Ros and Guil are Dead, it was cool to get exclusive insight on the events that transpired on the boat within this final section. Of course, we’ve been recieving insight like this from the beginning of this spin-off; this not only includes exclusive information, but new point of views on concepts expressed by characters or events in Hamlet. Guil’s view of fate at the bottom of page 101, for example, takes the same hopeless, pessimistic viewpoint of Hamlet and fits it to their situation, illustrating how they go wherever the wind takes them. He actually uses this exact example later in the reading: “Where we went wrong was getting on a boat. We can move, of course, but our movement is contained within a larger one that carries us along as inexorably as the wind and current…” (bottom of 122) Staying with Guil’s apparent inclination toward Hamlet-esque opinions, I’d like to point out that Ros is definitely leaning the same way: “I wish I was dead.” (bottom of 108) They don’t just skim over the idea of fate, however (as seen throughout this entire play); this section is prevelant with references to fate, including countless examples of foreshadowing and quotes pertaining to life and death. I won’t put down every one I saw, but here’s a good one by the Player: “Life is a gamble, at terrible odds- if it was a bet you wouldn’t take it.” (middle to bottom of 115)

Whether Mrs. Duke planned it on purpose or not, I have to mention the connection between the many points of view in this reading and our current analysis of Hamlet using many different literary lenses. At the bottom of page 110, Guil looks at the concept of death through many viewpoints, even going so far as to reference Socrates in one of his viewpoints. Coincidence or not, I think this blends perfectly with us looking at the same medium/idea with many different viewpoints/lenses- very cool. As an ending to my post, I’d like to post two questions. The first is about the quote by Guil at the bottom of 102: “We act on scraps of information…sifting half-remembered directions that we can hardly separate from instinct.” Does this quote simply describe their life as actors in a play, in which they are aware that they are supposed to be unaware of their purpose? Is Guil saying that even if they weren’t given lines (directions), they would probably still act the same (instinct)? Am I reading way too much into this? I’m thinking so…but anyway, here’s question 2: at the top of the last page, we are given stage directions reading, “…arranged in the approximate positions last held by the dead Tragedians, the tableau of court and corpses which is the last scene of Hamlet.” Since Stoppard is almost transforming the Tragedians into the actual actors of Claudius, Laertes, etc, is he trying to say that the Tragedians can fully symbolize their respective parts in Hamlet? It makes sense, especially because the play is a…well…tragedy. For some reason, those directions really stood out to me as having a deeper meaning, but maybe not. What do y’all think?

Exigence: At this point in the play, Hamlet is almost at the breaking point; he is fed up with his uncle (the King) and doesn’t know whether it’s still worth it to continue accepting him as the new and rightful King. His mind is torn, and the confusion mixed with torment has reached a new level. Because of this, he needs to get these thoughts off his chest.

Audience: Since this is a soliloquy and Hamlet is talking to himself (at least that’s what he thinks), he is the primary audience. He believes that by openly expressing his emotions and talking out his problems, he will find a solution. He is his own audience. I would have to think that every other semi-important character in the play (Claudius, Polonius, even Ros and Guil) would be the secondary audience; they are the people who are directly affected by this speech, although they can’t be seen by Hamlet at this moment. Because of this, Hamlet says whatever he wants, not realizing that his desires, feelings, and inner-thoughts are being heard by people other than himself.  

Purpose: Hamlet’s purpose in this soliloquy is to attempt to solve his inner-confusion. The multitude of problems have become unbearable for him, so he feels it’s time to express his emotions in hopes of finding a cure. He wonders whether he should die to escape the pain and suffering or continue living through all of it. In the end, he chooses the latter, although his problems haven’t gone away.

Appeals: Hamlet successfully uses each type of appeal in his speech: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

Ethos: His pessimism and suffering is evident all-throughout this soliloquy: “To die, to sleep- no more- and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to” (L 69-70)

Pathos: His primary audience is himself, therefore by simply speaking he is appealing to himself and his interests (which is the question of life or death at this point): “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.” (L 65-8) The above line works as well for this appeal.

Logos: While Hamlet switches in the coming scenes from being extremely quick to act (killing Polonius) to very indecisive (choosing not to kill Claudius), he is suprisingly logical in this speech, using reason to attempt to find a solution to his very troubling problems: “The dread of something after death, the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards (of us all)…” (L 86-91)

Figures of speech, imagery, diction, syntax: He juxtaposes life and death here, presenting both states with vivid imagery and illustrating the consequences one faces by choosing one over the other. He personifies time (“who would bear the whips and scorns of time”…L 78) and death (“the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns”…L 87-8). His images of the after-life and the consequences of either going to it or staying on Earth trigger very creepy and chilling pictures in my mind. Finally, his rhetorical style (questioning the meaning and value of life) proves to be a very useful tool for conveying his confusion.

Response: Hamlet is hopeless and not mentally stable (and for good reason). While he might not be considered as “mad” persay, his mindset isn’t right, and he needs help (and a hug). We already know what will happen in the future, but even without reading ahead you can tell if he doesn’t find a way out of this mess, he is bound to hurt somebody (including himself).

This reading is by far the most interesting yet (at least for me). Not only does the playfulness/dark humor continue, but we get a lot more insight into both the characters of Ros and Guil and the events of the play itself. I might’ve read this wrong or analyzed it too deeply, but did anyone else find it odd how the Player/director of the play already knew the upcoming events in the play before they happened? It was like he could see the future, and not just the events that we had read at the end of Act 3 such as Polonius’s death. The stage directions also described Claudius killing both Ros and Guil after reading their “letters” (possibly after they have been in England for some time?). I’m not sure at all about this, but it starts on page 81 if you want to look at it for yourself. The potential spoiler ends on 84 with the line, “The Spies die at some length, rather well.” If everyone had stayed to watch the whole play, would they have seen a performance of what was to come in the future? Also worthy of note: the Player calls his actors who are playing Ros and Guil “the Spies”, being pretty blunt about their relationship with Claudius and Hamlet.

If you couldn’t tell, that insight made the biggest impact on me with this reading. Other than that variation, there were more of the same elements we’ve been seeing since page 1 such as dark humor (setting up a “trap” for Hamlet with their belts in the middle of 89), irony (“they’ll have us hanging about till we’re dead”…bottom of 93), and the theme of fate (“The bad end uphappily, the good unluckily. That is what tragedy means”…middle of 80). Two more questions/comments before I stop: Does the quote, “generally speaking, things have gone about as far as they can possibly go when things have got about as bad as they can reasonably get” on the top of page 80 mean that since that we’ve reached the “climax” of the play, things gotten as bad as they can get? Knowing everyone will die soon, I’d say no, which means that things (or people in this case) haven’t been pushed as far as they can go. Sounds kind of obvious, but I thought I’d mention it. Finally, I found it interesting to notice in this reading (especially in the middle of 91 with the very funny stage directions) that Ros and Guil are used as the means to juxtapose humor with drama. I’m almost positive someone has pointed this out before, but I thought it was very noticable in that passage. By the way, it’s amazing how much insight and creativity Stoppard can provide about Ros and Guil (and the play itself) through the simple incorporation of stage directions! Pretty cool…

These guys just keep getting crazier page by page! Guil still seems to be the intellectual of the two (although Ros had his moments): “We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered.” (top of 61) They both are still pretty mad themselves though; not knowing what to do or how to “act” (even though they are actors who realize they’re not supposed to know what to do), they go into a slight state of panic near the end of the scene: “But we don’t know what’s going on, or what to do with ourselves. We don’t know how to act.” (bottom of 66) The Player (the actor who is supposed to know how to act) responds by saying, “Act natural. You know why you’re here at least.” They are acting dumb! One other thing before I move on; did anyone else catch Ros’s desire to lick Guil’s toes and “wave it around for him”? What’s up with that? I mean, I know they’re crazy and ridiculous, but that’s kinda taking it too far.

So other than the ongoing character development we see in both Ros and Guil, I noticed a very large amount of stage directions within this reading. I won’t quote the entire passage, but here’s some of it: “If it is, and the sun is over there (his right as he faces the audience) for instance, that (front) would be northerly.” (bottom of 58) Do these stage directions/notes show elements of meta-fiction (the actors acting out the play, which is then within Hamlet)? Is that triple meta-fiction? Did I just make up a word? Anyway, that was fairly prominent in this section; I also saw a few mentionings of death, truth, and fate, which I believe are some themes of both this play and Hamlet. Finally, there is of course more irony in this section, such as the line Alice pointed out today, “He murdered us.” (talking about Hamlet…the last line on 56)

I really enjoyed reading this section of the play. In class today, we finished all of Act 2, so I felt ready to go ahead and do this assignment. I don’t know about y’all, but seeing the transition from a Ros and Guil conversation to a part of a scene directly out of Act 2, Scene 2 was pretty awesome. The transitions were much more noticable this time around, but I think that had to do with us having a pretty good understanding of Act 2 (we flew threw the act, but it was actually fairly easy to understand!). Like the last reading, this one was also very funny, along with it still having a very satirical/postmodern feel. While these things were similar to the last bit, I noticed a sizable difference in the personalites of the two characters this go around. While Ros was very calm and reasonable in the first reading, he was much dumber and slightly immature (although funny) in this section; Guil on the other hand transformed from a semi-insane lunatic to a very logical, calm, and almost intellectual man. He’s almost become the voice of reason: “All your life you live so close to truth, it becomes a permanent blur in the corner of your eye, and when something nudges it into outline it is like being ambushed by a grotesque.” (top of 39) Also, “Your smallest action sets off another somewhere else, and is set off by it. Keep an eye open, an ear cocked. Tread wearily, follow instructions. We’ll be all right.” (bottom of 39 to top of 40) These types of comments show that he’s still slightly crazy, but I think he’s had somewhat of a personality change (basically switching with Ros).

The reason for these personality swaps could be to emphasize the reason the King called them in: to cheer up Hamlet and find out what has caused him to transform into an almost entirely different person himself. Another aspect of the story I found interesting was how Ros and Guil just couldn’t stay on topic; I think this part of the story might be more for laughs than for symbolic reasons (the game of questions was very funny), but maybe it could forebode the fate of these two characters: if they can’t focus very well, they might not get their “job” done, whatever that may end up being (cheering up Hamlet for now). The biggest connection I made was simply the mixing of this play with the primary source; it’s so cool to see the story from another perspective and have an idea about what’s going on in the background. Dramatic irony anyone?

What a weird reading! I know it’s just the beginning of the play, but all the events that took place (especially by the end) were very strange. I can’t seem to pinpoint very many connections between Hamlet (the play) and this postmodern interpretation, although again we’ve only read to page 35. Apparently, Ros and Guil are both characters in Hamlet, albeit with very small roles. One interesting detail I observed about the characters was that both of them are borderline insane; Ros stays pretty calm and sane for most of the time, but Guil has some funny mood swings: he goes from semi-crazy at the start, sounding like he’s on drugs in the middle (“The colours red, blue, and green are real. The colour yellow is a mystical experience shared by everybody”…pg 20), and then ending up pretty witty and smart by the end. They’ve definitely got some personality.

While they were kind of a stretch, I came up with two possible connections between Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Stoppard’s postmodern interpretation. The first came at the beginning when Guil started performing half-page soliloquies about probability, math, and some other confusing topics; the language he used was very sophisticated and intelligent, making what he was attempting to say tough to understand. This is similar to Shakespeare’s language/diction, which was also very confusing (at least it is for us in the 21st century). The other connection I made involved the entire reading; humor is openly inserted throughout the scene(s), unlike the humor in Hamlet (or other Shakespearian works). While Shakespeare likes to use puns and other subtle means of humor, Stoppard utalizes humorous language within his characters, along with giving his characters funny actions to do or problems to deal with (such as the Player forcing Alfred to put on a skirt). These two observations enforce how the play is Postmodern, since most Postmodernist pieces are mostly satires of historical events/ideas/works (right?).

One week left of school until Spring Break…woooooooo!!! I’m pretty happy we finally get some time to relax, but while everybody else is at the beach partying it up, I’ll be at home studying. Yeah…wait, what did you say!? You heard me; you gotta have priorities people, and this year school definitely comes first, especially when you are taking two AP classes. As of today, I think we’re down to about 32 days until the tests (or D-Day as my French teacher likes to call it), which means it’s time to put it into 5th gear and start packing it on.

Both of my AP tests are also going to be on the same day (Government and French), which just so happens to be the first day AP exams begin to be administered. This is both good and bad; while it shortens my study time about a week for both tests, once I finish them I’ll have basically 4 classes instead of 6. In order for me to feel good during these last few weeks, however, I really want to make sure I do well on the tests. To do this, I have to really bust my butt over Spring Break to get in the position I want to be in come May. While there will be more Spring Breaks, I won’t have another chance at making 5s on these AP exams, so I have to make some sacrifices. I just hope procrastination decides to hit the beach as well! 

(sorry, that last sentence was pretty bad…)