Toni, Emily, Jenny and I
Fate is a huge factor in the lives of fictional characters. Film adaptations portray fate differently than books. Both film adaptations show Hamlet's struggle with the choice of whether or not to avenge his father's death by killing his uncle. Hamlet appears to have a choice but when circumstances change does he really? The way the ghost is portrayed in the films has some bearing. In the classic version, the ghost in imperial and cold to Hamlet, giving him orders like a guard. In the modern adaptation set in New York, the ghost comes down to hamlet's level and they appear to love each other. At the end of the scene they embrace. Hamlet's life seems to continually be out of his control. His fate is determined by outside forces such as his father's ghost, Claudius's plots and almost everyone's spying. Fate is when someone or something else's actions determine the outcome of a portion of the subject's life. how often does Hamlet take the initiative in his own life? How does this affect others? What other characters seem to play a supporting role in their own lives?

Theme statements

Use this classroom webpage for instructions on theme statements.
http://www.whslions.net/english/2-honors/theme-statements/

Once you have taken some time to practice writing theme statements, record one theme statement in the comments. Include the title and author of the work.

Old World vs. New World

Prompt: How does Hamlet in each film adaptation show how he handles old world vs. new world views?

            Text: Everyone is expected to take action during the text. Hamlet thinks he has to immediately get revenge in order to honor his father and himself. When Hamlet questions his actions and their morals , it shows more modern views. The combination of these makes him indecisive.

            Old Film: Theme of woman oppression and fighting. There is more description and it’s directly stated, ”Avenge Me.” The newer view of the old film shows philosophical thoughts and Hamlet questions his everything during his soliloquy.

            New Film: Theme of vengeance. People during the movie directly assume Hamlet is insane and doubt he’ll be able to change. The newer view shows how society accepts new world relationships.

            Both Films: Hamlet is lost and acts confused and then like nothing is wrong. In all honesty, he actually is crazy.

Action vs Inaction

The Tragedy of Hamlet is centered on Hamlets ability to answer the question, “Is it possible to act in uncertain situations?”. In the book, Hamlet produces a play to reaffirm the theory of his uncle’s guilt. This action of producing a play, lead to a decrease of uncertainty in his greater action. His ability to reduce uncertainty shows that it is possible to act in uncertain situations. Both movies are rooted in this idea but illustrate it in different ways. Hawke’s portrayal of Hamlet shows the struggle as an internal conflict that is resolved through internal dialog. Borough’s perspective of Hamlet shows the struggle as an external conflict between different characters, which is resolved through external dialog. Are uncertain situations made more certain through action?

Loyalty

                                                                                                                                                                                         Audra Amaral

 In Hamlet the question of loyalty is raised. In this text we are shown that we owe our loyalty to our family and other close realtions. Hamlet struggles with this concept due to his own internal struggle with insecurities and self-doubt. He questions himself on whether to take revenge on his father's murder, or to take the easy way out of suicide. Finally Hamlet realizes that he needs to keep his father's honor and avenge his fathers death. Hamlet also shows us that loyalty constitutes several factors, such as passion, anger, fear, and love.

Out of the two movies, the 1996 portrayed Hamlet's loyalty more accurately, showing his inner turmoil with his loyalty. In these scenes Hamlet is shown to us as angry, upset and scared. The 2000 version was not as accurate because he did not come off as loyal and left us feeling that he was just confused. Regardless off how loyalty is depicted, knowing what we do about what constitutes it and where we owe it, what do you think happens when loyalties conflict?

Appearance vs. Reality

In the text of Hamlet, one may see many acts that the characters themselves play. Claudius, for example, acts as a great hero, stepping in as king, and marrying the widow, when in reality he is a murderer who stole the crown. Hamlet acts as if he is mad, but he may not have been as mad as he let on. Both of the film adaptations help to visualize the relationship between appearance and reality. Ophelia, as portrayed in the classic adaptation, refuses to look Hamlet in the eyes, and is hysterical when lying to him. But in the modern version, she only becomes upset when she is caught. Judging from these and other events in Hamlet, how do you think differences in appearance and reality might have affected the play's outcome?

Old World vs. New World

Both of the perspectives in new world and old world share the main point in showing the coming of age process. The way that they show similarities is the fact that hamlet has to make the biggest decision requiring the death of someone else or himself, and he must figure out what to do. There are some differences in the film versions however, such as how hamlet deals with his mental struggle like in the modern adaptation hamlet dresses like a bum, goes to bars and drinks, and also listens to his video diaries to hear his thoughts. However in the classic adaptation he uses a soliloquy in order for the audience to know how he is feeling and what he is thinking about doing. When Hamlet is plotting his plans does he truly understand the consequences of the decision he is about make? 

Hamlet Madness Post

Is insanity just a sane way of reacting to the madness of the world around us? Hamlet is an adolescent who is overwhelmed with trauma and stress due to his uncle killing his father and taking the crown as well as marrying his mother. Hamlet found out about his uncle's crime when his father's spirit described the gruesome murder. Hamlet was then asked to carry out revenge for his father. Hamlet, overwhelmed with these events, both pretended and was slightly insane. He acted as if he was a different person around Ophelia, Claudius, and Polonius, but when he was by himself or with Horatio, he talked about how others responded to his charade.

In class, we viewed the 1996 version of Hamlet by Branagh and the 2000 version by Hawke. Both of these film adaptations address Hamlet’s madness but express it in different ways. Branagh’s version, being more classical, has Hamlet speaking to his reflection in a mirror that his uncle is hiding behind while he tries to decide whether or not to commit suicide because of the tragedies and stress he has been undergoing. As Ophelia enters, he is immediately sweet and caring towards her but quickly becomes harsh and unloving, thus expressing a bipolar appearance of Hamlet. Hawke presents the situation in a similar way by having Hamlet begin his speech multiple times while placing a gun to his head before completing his speech. Hamlet is being recorded by video cameras in this adaptation to represent the feeling of being watched that adds to Hamlet’s paranoia and insanity. When Ophelia and Hamlet first meet up, Hamlet appears distant, then loving, then angry after finding a microphone upon her.

Each of these films represented a different view on Hamlet's insanity and emotional approach to the obstacles in his life; how does madness play a role in society today, considering the current events and obstacles endured?

Fate vs. Autonomy

Maddie, Hailey, and AC


In The Tradgedy of Hamlet, the plot line is centered around revenge and Hamlet's moral decisions. Whil watchineg the film adaptations, we were able to come up with our theories about whether or not his ethical decisions were justified and how we thought he would deal with his internal struggles. Both films clearly showed that the moves he was going to make to attain the revenge was in his own hands and the outcome of all the conflicts would be determined by his actions. Sometimes however, our fate seems already lined up, for us, as if it was predetermined by someone else. After analyzing both films and comparing it to the book, our lingering questions were: Did Hamlet really have control over his fate, or was his role as the tragic hero make his fate preordained?

Appearance vs. Reality

Kathy Wong and Jessica Yawn

Our thematic questions deal with Appearance vs. Reality, which we interpreted as "one thing representing another", giving the need to look past the surface and find the deeper truth.  One question is, in the film adaptations, how is Hamlet misinterpreted by society, and how do the consequences arising from that differ from each other?  The classical and modern film adaptations differ from each other through their portrayals of Hamlet due to different social and environmental factors.  In the classical version, Hamlet is classified as “madly in love” by Polonius and insane/psychotic by Claudius; however, the audience is aware that this is all a facade for Hamlet because he presents critical analysis and clear thinking during his “To be or not to be” speech.  We think that because no one truly understands what Hamlet is plotting, they fail to properly act against him until it is too late.  In the modern retelling, Hamlet is treated more like a normal, albeit depressed, individual- while on the inside, he is actually going a bit insane.  His “madness” is seen through his constant videotaping and repeated watching of his monologues as if to brainwash himself into believing that he is legitimately crazy.  Since no one is aware of this fact, Hamlet is left more alone and unstable in the modern adaptation than in the classical, where other characters actively worry over him.  For a character like Hamlet, the misinterpretations by other characters actually save him because he is not deemed an absolute threat for a while.  The benefit of the doubt allows him the chance to achieve his goals without incredible interference. We wonder, can misinterpretation be viewed as a necessary evil?  Does it have an encouraged place in society (is ignorance of the truth/reality accepted)?  Or is it something so volatile, steps should be taken to root it out and abolish it?

#thatscray

In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare plays with the idea of madness. The readers are to decide whether Hamlet is truly crazy or just sanely reacting to the world around him.
Both adaptations try to portray madness in different ways by using different camera angles,using dark colors and ominous music.
The modern version touched on the idea of being crazy without a clear context and seemed overboard, but the classic version went in depth and showed that Hamlet was sane while the world around him was falling apart.
Craziness is not going with the social norms, but when society isn't normal, then normal seems crazy. Hamlet is not crazy the society around him his.
However, craziness isn't something that necessarily relies on society. Some people are just crazy. Hamlet appears to be crazy and makes irrational decisions that end up not only killing himslef but also his entire family.
 We found that within our group we have different opinions on madness in Hamlet , do you think he was truly mad?    

Loyalty, Betrayal, and Ophelia

Ophelia is one of the most conflicted characters in Hamlet where loyalty and betrayal are concerned. Her father, Polonius, uses her to spy on Hamlet, and, while she is loyal to her father, she does not want to betray Hamlet. Ophelia’s story is portrayed in varying ways in each adaptation of Hamlet.

In Shakespeare’s original play, Ophelia does not appear often, and when she does, she appears weak and submissive. The same can be said for the classical film adaptation. However, the actress’s portrayal of Ophelia helps the viewer to understand the emotional distress she is in because of her conflicting loyalties to Hamlet and Polonius. In this film, Ophelia is portrayed as having a stronger sense of loyalty to her father than Hamlet, showing that her devotion to her family was stronger than devotion to the man she loved. Polonius also seems to care more for Ophelia than in the original play and the modern adaptation.

The modern adaptation places Ophelia in a particular scene that she is not in in the original play. In this scene, Polonius explained to Claudius and Gertrude what he believed to be the source of Hamlet’s strange behavior: his deep love for Ophelia. Polonius decides he will use his daughter to spy on Hamlet without giving her any say in the matter. Placing Ophelia in this scene shows that although she is spoken about, she is not spoken to. This distant relationship with her father makes it seem as though she feels a stronger sense of loyalty to Hamlet. When Hamlet discovers that she has betrayed him by helping her father and Claudius, her heartbreak is obvious, but Polonius doesn’t seem to care much about how she feels.

With these perspectives in mind, consider this: If we must stay loyal to those we love, to whom do we owe our loyalty when both opposing parties in a conflict are made up of our loved ones?

Bildungsroman choice read

Once you have started reading your novel or memoir, take some time to share your choice with classmates. Which book did you choose, and why did you choose it? What are your initial thoughts on the character or storyline?
Respond by Friday, September 19.

Ophelia

Ophelia has appeared in two scenes in Hamlet, but both scenes have been read independently.  As a result, we've had little opportunity to discuss her in class.  Discuss Ophelia's character in the comments, considering:

• What does the treatment of Ophelia reveal about the characterization of Ophelia, Hamlet, Polonius, or Laertes?
• What is going on with Hamlet and Ophelia off stage? How does this unknown element contribute to the plot?
• Ophelia's story is not the main plot line the play, so why is it included?

Personality test

1. Take this personality test by September 4.

2. Do a Google search on the personality type, read descriptions, and decide if you agree with the outcome.

3.  Comment with your 4 letter personality type, whether you agree with the results, and why.

Homework for 8/26

In response to our discussion of "The Story of an Hour," write a two paragraph reflective response addressing the following:
Paragraph 1: Since the start of this class, what have you learned/realized about how to read and analyze literature?
Paragraph 2: Apply your realization to "The Story of an Hour" by selecting one of your annotations, or ah-ha moments, analyzing it, and revealing another layer of meaning in the text.

In the comments, share what you have learned/realized since the start of this course.

Your response should be typed in MLA format, about a page in length.  It is due on Tuesday, August 26.

Welcome

Welcome to our class blog.  This will be used to create a community among all students taking AP Literature at Lansing High School, communicate with students about class assignments, and foster opportunities for in-depth conversation and research.  Please remember that the class blog is a safe environment for shared discussions, and all users must be respectful of the comments, values, and beliefs of their peers.

I look forward to a great school year, and I am excited to see what we can share through our blog.
Mrs. Bolin