Imprisoned Hamlet

This radio show, I found shocking. It amazes me how the prisoners each relate to a different character, and how each role connects to their past. Reading Hamlet will now be different, a little maybe. The way the prisoners change the characters by talking about them and relating them to their lives make the play deem different. Big Hutch for example, says Hamlet has no problem, no conflict. He knows Claudius killed his father, he doesn't just sit to think about it, he is supposed to do something. Just as he probably did.

It's amazing how the people start to open up, some of them more than others. Talking a little about their families and the reason for their jail time. It shocked me how, for example, in the play Claudius is talking about the remorse he feels after killing his brother. These people feel the same, some of them would like to change the past. More than a play, it's a reality to them. They have to face the consequences of killing someone.

I like to write, and often times, i don't connect the writing to reality. Or i do, but it just seems fantasy, a little imagination. This radio show helped me realize, that what i write about, is or can be someones reality, and they can't do anything about it.

As Big Hutch sees himself, how he compares prison to the sea is a little ironic. To start, the sea is very wide, there is lots of freedom, and the prison is the complete opposite. But he is right in some points, the big one controls the little ones, as he says, the killer whale controls the guppies.

I like very much how the characters that played Hamlet did it. It really shows the confusion going on in Hamlet and how he tries to deal with it but he really can't. It was mentioned, that Hamlet was just one more person in the Hamlets crew. The four prisoners probably had messed up lives, just like Hamlet did.

After hearing this show, I will pay closer attention to Hamlet. I am sure from now on I will make connections to the prisoners, thinking about their reaction and their way of interpreting everything.

Crazy, Crazier

"The dramatic effect produced by Hamlet's personality and behaviour" is Ernest Jones essential concern. He gives a very clear example on how Hamlet's insanity is special and brings the reader towards it. When Hamlet's insanity is compared with that of Ophelia a mayor contrast arises. How is it that Ophelia's craziness ends in death but Hamlets is developed during the entire novel? As Robert Bridges says in his text, The Testament of Beauty, "whereby Shakespeare so gingerly put his sanity in doubt", this calls the readers attention. Questions such as, is he really crazy? start to arise and the reader must keep on reading to discover the answer.

Jones expresses that Shakespeare possesses, "a degree of insight that it has taken the world three subsequent centuries to reach". Looking at this words, Hamlet's character also possesses qualities that no one can easily equal. The attention his craziness gets is a clear example, and how he uses it to his power is another way of showing the reader that he is intelligent and he can do things even if he doesn't see it that way.

With everything that is going on at once in Hamlets life, he has a mayor concern. That is sharing his mother. It was hard when he had to share her with his father, but it is even worse now. Hamlet knows the king got killed by Claudius, adding to that, the queen has married his uncle. Giving no correct mourning to his father.

Hamlet is being torn and tortured by an insoluble inner conflict.

Thinking Makes It So

August Wilhelm Von Schlegel talks mostly about Hamlets personality. He tells the reader how Hamlets personality can't be explained by him on one sentences as Goethe does. He reflects oh Hamlets personality as a man that is, "open in the highest degree to an enthusiastic admiration of that excellence in others of which he himself is deficient" his wise words open a new perspective about Hamlet. He doesn't see excellence in himself the way he sees it in others. The way he is crazy can be equaled by no one. His intelligence is big and he uses almost any method to keep his cover. From challenging them to telling them lies. Also he mentions that Hamlet's weakness is too apparent.

His craziness starts to gain power and seem more real when he starts thinking about sceptical doubts. He starts to believe in the ghost only when it is seen and when it disappears it "appears to him almost in the light of a deception".

Augusts Wilhelm summarizes Hamlets personality ans shows us how troubled his mind is with quotes like,"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so", this shows to us that Hamlet has started to think of everything in a very deep way. Questioning his thoughts and always thinking about thinking.

Being Judged, Losing Everything We Have Accomplished

In this critical extract written by Northrop Frye, a very interesting idea has been mentioned. The thought, "A man's quality may be inferred from the record of what he has done, or it may be inferred from what he is trying to make of himself at any given moment" clearly reflects both Hamlet and Claudius.

Claudius actions made him what he is now, the King. Unfortunately, Claudius's "great potential (has been) fatally blocked by something he has done and can never undo", that is killing his brother. Hamlet will forever see his uncle as a murderer without taking into consideration those actions were intended to make him king, "you've done such and such, so that's forever what you are".

Frye talks about a limited repertoire humans have, as they age, it becomes narrower. We all build secondary prisons out of our actions, as Frye's expresses, consciousness could be connected to the prisons. For example, after Claudius has killed his brother, he starts to feel remorse, preventing him from truly acting. Not only do we limit ourselves, but the society that surrounds us has a huge impact on us. The way consciousness could be cured, is by actions, because even our conscious is a murderer, it kills actions.

The play Hamlet, was very significant because it shows the conflict of consciousness and action. The fact that it talks about "action and thinking about action so deeply", has made literature deeper and bolder. If it wasn't for Hamlet, the Romantic movement might of never existed.

Ever is a long time- close reading

"Turns out the light and is gone. Ever is a long time. That ever is no time at all"(28).

The first sentence might refer to a dream or hope. Humans always want to achieve new things so when it says, turns out the light, it means that it doesn't interest him anymore or that he has no way of accomplishing his dreams so its gone, the idea, the desire to do it has vanished.

The second part of this quote refers to the time something takes. If we are waiting for something to happen, it takes a long time before it happens. Or if we want a moment to happen quickly it seems very long.

The last part is very similar to the the second one. If we want something to happen, we wait for a very long time till it happens, once it occurs, time goes by really fast.

Human greed

Eating people. How crazy can you be to do that? While the son and the father starve for some days until they find food, the bad people have absolutely no problem in eating others. They get prisoners from the road, as they hide in a box observing they catch their pray. After making them take their clothes of they are taken to a room where they are locked up. I personally think it's harder to get the prisoners, and cook them and then eat them. I couldn't do that. Who could! I must admit, this part of the book really shocked me. Often lots of the ideas and actions present in this section of the book are mentioned. To continue with the shockers, how can a father teach his son to kill himself? I cant judge, I've never been in that position and i hope i never have to be involved in a circumstance like that. However, the father gives the son the gun, "you know how to do it.You put it in your mouth and point it up"(113). How can you say that! Teach your son how to kill himself? I blame society. I blame humans. It's all our fault. We are despicable human beings. We kill others and feed of them when we need food, and we have to teach our children how to kill themselves so they don't have to suffer and live what others have lived. It's all part of our greed. Humans are greedy, we want more material things, more power, more emotions. We always want what others have. While some people eat fancy food and dress up with expensive clothes, others are dying because they cant have a sip of tap water. Other humans are suffering because of our desires. Children are dying while we have an extensive meal, others have no knowledge at all because they cant afford school while we complain of the homework we have. The human want of power and material things have turned the world to a race. Always showing off to others what we have. Well i think its about time we stop thinking about ourselves and start taking others into consideration. Stop caring for material things and start caring more for others.

Against the Current

The boy and the father continue to travel down the road, their shoes are muddy and their bodies are weak. The little boy cant walk anymore. The father knows he has to stop, the child needs to rest but if they stop in the wrong place they might end dead. The words of comfort the boy receives are, "We'll stop. Okay? We just have to find a place."(93). As they continue to walk, they find an old barn, the wall full of decapitated heads. The father comforts the son and encourages him to go on. As they proceed to enter, the father places the plastic on the floor. The child and the father are ready to sleep. They cover themselves with the blankets and jackets they have. Soon the father is awake again and as he sees people walking near their hiding place he touches the child and tells him to be quite. Once the child is warned, the father crawls out the barn and lays on the ground observing how the bad guys walk through the road. Several good people have been made slaves ant they are forced to pull a cart full of ammunition. On their march, there are also several women, some of them are pregnant. Very still, the father and the son wait till the procession has passed. Very quickly the father pick everything up and puts it in the cart. He has to be careful, the bad guys are on the move and they can be easily found. At this point of the book, i think the father has a disadvantage over the other males in the book. With a weak son, he has to take special care of the little boy, also he has to be very careful because they could ens up pulling the cart for the bad guys. The little kid needs rest. The father knows it but everywhere they try to rest something happens. After they hide from the other humans, they continue to walk and the child isn't making it easy for the father. With excuses and apologies the boy tries to continue walking but after the child falls, the father tries to find a hiding place. They will stay during the night in the woods under a big trees. As a procedure, the father puts on the floor the plastic where they will sleep. He goes out to find some wood to make a fire. They get some sleep but once again the fathers sleep is interrupted by some noise. After several series of the big sound, the father realizes the trees are falling. He wakes the kid up and they try to move fast, avoiding an accident. They finally find a safe spot, they wait for some time until the trees stop falling. Once they think this has happened the father makes a hole under a fallen tree, moving away the snow where they sleep.

role model  noun a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. Everything seems to be against the father and the son. They try to rest but their sleep is always interrupted by something. They are fighting to survive in a world they don't even know. They have no idea of they will have to face in the future. But still the father keeps on going. It amazes me how the father is still so strong. Hiding the weakness from the son. I think at this moment, the father is keeping the boy alive. Before the boy gave the father strength and help him cope with reality. Now the father seems strong, giving the boy a great example. A role model, is the word i would use to describe the father. With the situation the two of them have to face, they are surviving, the father stays true to himself and to his little son. Always following the right path and trying to do things in a correct way. By this time, i think the father is stronger than the bad guys. In the book the father and the son are vulnerable. Instead of being the good guys, they could turn into the opposite. Getting food and clothes by killing people or making others carry their blankets so they can walk easier. This would be easier on both of the characters but instead, the father stays strong and does things correctly. Giving the boy a good example.