Hamlet Act II Scene II

This is Kenneth Branagh (the first one we saw with all the stuff in the background)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUfG2ozXbAM

I looked for all the other ones on youtube and google videos but couldn't find any. There might be some out there but I don't know what other websites would have them.

Paul Derickson

A Rarity: Watchmen creator Alan Moore interviewed!

Check out this link:

http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/magazine/17-03/ff_moore_qa?currentPage=all

Alan Moore's interview with WIRED magazine on superheroes, Watchmen, comic book-film adaptations, etc. Some very interesting moments...

LAZ

Notes Thrusday 2/19

Today in class we talked more about Hamlet. We discussed the part of Act 2 Scene 2 when Hamlet and the players are talking.

Hamlet asks the players to tell him a story. He requests the story about Aeneas and Dido. He requests the players start at a certain moment in the story where Pyrrus is about to kill Priam. Priam is the Old King of Troy and Pyrrus is a Greek Warrior. Hecuba, who comes in later, is the Queen of Troy.

Pyrrus is described as having soot and blood all over him as he was just fighting in a burning city. He looks demonic. Pyrrus decides that he is going to kill Priam so he raises his sword above his head. A falling building causes him to pause at the top of his swing. Laz says that the whole universe freezes at this moment because a king is about to be killed at that is a very big deal. Kings Matter!

Hecuba comes in as Priam is being killed and starts to cry. Her cries are so loud that the gods hear her and start to cry along with her.

This story relates back to Hamlet and his situation. In his situation, Priam is Old Hamlet and Pyrrus is Claudius.

Hamlet feels very angry at his mother. He wants to save her but he knows he can't until she realizes what she has done.

Sorry about being so late.

-Kristian Mayer

Class Notes: February 18, 2009

Act 2: Scene 2

• R and G twist Hamlet's words, "Man delights not me." R and G laugh at Hamlet suggesting that he is gay. In reality Hamlet meant that no one in humanity pleases him. (This is a small joke used to please the groundlings, becuase they love crude, sexual humor.) After Hamlet asks them why they laughed they change their rational: R and G say that the reason they were laughing is because the players are coming and Hamlet is going to give them a very cold welcome. But...Hamlet is very excited that the players are coming! (This confuses R and G, and also is a play inside of a play, which is kind of what Hamlet's character represents, aka Appearance vs. Reality. Shakespeare is writing about being something that he is not)
• Hamlet is playing a role to R and G, like forgetting their names, proving that Hamlet is not too close to them (as friends). But Hamlet needs them for his plan, and will use them to the best of his ability.
• The ghost is not mentioned, we can assume that the ghost is around, but not appearing in the play, to create confusion. (Reminder of a 5 act play structure, complications)
• Before the players came back Polonius comes back. R and G think one thing about Hamlet, and Polonius thinks another, because Hamlet told each of them different stories. (Complication: He is in the room with both of them!) Hamlet quickly thinks of a common ground to assure that no questions will be asked. Common Ground: He mocks Polonius, but how he gets away with it is more important...Hamlet tells R and G that he is going to act crazy right now! (which is normal to Polonius). Life comes full circle, tells 2 children to mess around with the old guy. R and G just think that Hamlet is just messing around, (which also looks like madness to Polonius), and tells a story about a daughter, (which makes Polonius think about the Hamlet and Ophelia controversey.
• Hamlet's genius plan gives him no problems, and a quick solution.
• Hamlet says his actions are as changeable as the wind. He can change at a moment...NNW=crazy. Hawk and a Handsaw=proverb that means "I can distinguish between things that do not resemble each other." Hamlet confesses to R and G that he is not crazy, Hamlet is playing games with R and G. Ultimate tragic flaw is pride, Hamlet has so much pride and is flaunting it by messing with R and G.
• He inserts children into the play because it was happening while he was writing Hamlet, in London. Children are actors in great tragedy's.

John Leskow

Act 3 Scene i (Overview)

The scene begins with Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, and Claudius.

Gertrude asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern what Hamlet has told them is wrong with him. They reply saying that Hamlet seems depressed, but he dances around the questions they ask him. They then say that when they invited a troupe to perform for Hamlet, he became quite happy, and the troupe is going to put on a show for Hamlet that evening, and he would like Gertrude and Claudius to both be there. Claudius then sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern out to try and heighten Hamlet's eagerness to watch the troupe. They exit.

Claudius then asks Gertrude to leave so he and Polonius can spy on the conversation Hamlet is going to have with Ophelia. Gertrude exits.

Polonius gives Ophelia a prayer book to pretend to be reading so Hamlet believes she is all alone. He makes a comment that people do this all the time: act devoted to God to mask their wrong deeds. This comment makes Claudius feel extremely guilty for his horrible deeds. Polonius and Claudis exit. Enter Hamlet.

Hamlet enters with his famous part "To be, or not to be. That is the question..." This passage expresses Hamlet's question of whether it is better to live through life's struggles or end one's life and not bear the troubles. He says that sleeping and dying are the same thing, but no one knows what dreams you have when your dead and life's misfortunes are behind a person. Because of this, man drags on with his life because of his uncertainty of death.

Ophelia then comes up to Hamlet and tells him to take back all the things he has given her. Hamlet then leads Ophelia on by saying that he never loved her. Ophelia admits she was misled. Hamlet tells Ophelia to go to a nunnery and stay a virgin so she does not bring any more sinners into the world, because no matter what, everyone is evil. He then says all women are whores and that if Ophelia doesnt get to a convent, she will surely be one as well and cheat on her husband. He finishes with saying everyone, except for ONE person he knows (hinting at the king or queen?), will stay married. He then leaves.

Ophelia cries out that she is so sad to see Hamlet in such a lowly state when he was such an outstanding person before he became insane. Claudius and Polonius then come out from hiding. Claudius says he will send Hamlet to England to retrieve the money that England owes Denmarrk and hopefully, during his travels, he will come out of his funk. Polonius still believes that his insanity was caused by unrequited love. All exit.

Act II Scene 2 Overview (Part 3)

Conversation Between: Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Hamlet

Jokes:
G: (line 247) He says they aren't very lucky, and he personifies Fortune
H: Says but your not down and out, you're just being abused by Fortune
R/G: In the middle - "Fortune's naughty parts"
- Fortune's 'lover'
- "Privates" aka Foot Soldiers, lowest rank
- Fortune bosses us around- at Fortune's whim

H: Has "bad dreams"
G: Dreams are just ambitions
but ambition is nothing: can't be positive or negative it's a shadow's shadow
can't be held back by ambition
H: thinks revenge is most important now, not worried about R & G and doesn't view them as equals or friends.
H: gets R&G to admit that the King and Queen sent them to spy on Hamlet

Hamlet's current (poor) condition:
lost happiness- no longer impressed by things
especially by man (and woman)
acts very depressed- "Melancholy Dane"
things that used to make him happy no don't
man once was GREAT now not so much

-Brianna Lee

Act 2, Scene 2 Overview (Part 2)

After Gertrude and Claudius leave, Polonius and Hamlet converse for a short time. Hamlet keeps up his act of pretending to be crazy, leading Polonius onto believe exactly what Polonius thought was the reason Hamlet had gone crazy: because of his love for Ophelia. On his way out, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter.



Hamlet begins talking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and gets them to tell him that they were sent by the King and Queen to see what is wrong with him. Hamlet then goes on to say he is bored with men and women alike and enjoys nothing in the world. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are upset at this because they've asked an acting troupe to come by and cheer up Hamlet. The troupe they got is the same one Hamlet enjoyed when he was younger. When asking how the troupe was able to stop by, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern explain to Hamlet that they are now a traveling troupe because a new troupe with all small boys as actors are now more popular than the other troupe.



Polonius returns, telling Hamlet and the others that the troupe has arrived. In a brief conversation, Hamlet mocks Polonius and continues to lead him on thinking he is crazy in love with his daughter. The players (actors) then enter and Hamlet greets them. He recites the line from a play he saw them perform once and asks them to start their acting from there. The first player then goes on with the speech Hamlet asked for and stops after Polonius cuts him off because he is about to cry because of the sad story. Soon after this, Hamlet tells Polonius to see to it that the players are comfortable and are given more than they deserve. He then dismisses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern until the following day, leaving Hamlet alone on stage.


Hamlet speaks to the audience, asking how an actor can get so worked up by reciting a speech of a man he had never even met, and he, Hamlet, shows no external emotion for the betrayal of his uncle on his father. He wonders why he still has not done anything but go around pretending to be crazy. He then recalls a time when he saw a scene of a play that was so well done that the people of the crowd would confess their sins outloud. He then says he will put his uncle, the king, to the test, by having the troupe staying with him put on an act to see if King Claudius gives up any signs of guilt. He exits.

Act 2, Scene 2 Overview (Part 1)

This is a tough one so bare with me....

The scene opens with Claudius, Gertrude, and two new characters: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, both close friends of Hamlet since they were young. Claudius and Gertrude ask for their assistance in finding out what is wrong with Hamlet.

As they are off to find Hamlet, Polonius comes in telling Claudius that he thinks he knows why Hamlet is acting strange and says he will tell him what he thinks after the ambassadors, who just returned from Norway, speak with Claudius.

Voltemand and Cornelius report to Claudius that the King of Norway thought that young Fortinbras was assembling soldiers against Poland, not Denmark, and ordered his arrest immidiately when he found out his true intentions. Fortinbras then swore he would never threaten Denmark again. Norway's King was pleased at this, and told Fortinbras he can move troops into Poland, and asks if it was ok by Claudius if the Norway troops could pass through Denmark. Voltemand gives Claudius the document and he replys saying he will look it over later after dinner. Voltenmand and Cornelius exit.

Polonius begins by telling Claudius and Gertrude that he will not waste their time and get right to the point, but by saying this he does indeed waste their time and Gertrude tells him to get to the point (this is another time where Polonius does opposite of his word. the first was when he told Laertes to be honest and then sent Reynaldo to spy on him). Polonious then goes on to read a part of the letter that Hamlet gave to Ophelia who, by her father's demands, gave it to Polonius. Polonius then goes on to ask what Claudius thought of him (reoccurence of Polonius' strive for image). Claudies says he sees him as honorable, and Polonius puts his reputation on the line saying that the reason Hamlet has gone mad is because Ophelia is rejecting Hamlet on his orders.

Polonius then devises a plan to see if he is right. He will have Ophelia meet with Hamlet and Polonius and Claudius will spy on them to see if Hamlet truly loves her (another time proving Polonius' dishonesty).

Hamlet then comes in and Polonius asks Gertrude and Claudius to leave so he can talk to Hamlet alone.

I'll finish up the scene in my next post. Sorry if you want more, this part of the text is very tough.

Act 2, Scene 1 Overview

In the beginning of the scene, we find Polonious telling Reynaldo that he wants to go find out what Laertes is doing off at school, aka spying on him. He tells Reynaldo to do this by telling lies in order to get the truth, a direct contradiction to Polonious' "Honesty" speech he gave to Laertes just before he left for school. After Reynaldo leaves, Ophelia comes in and tells her father that Hamlet is acting very strangely and is scaring her. He came into her room while she was sewing with his clothes all askew and looked "as if he had been loosed out of hell". He then grabbed her wrists very hard, and then backed up and just stared at her with an ackward stare for a fairly long time. After shaking his head three times as if satisfied, he walked out of the room with his eyes fixed on Ophelia the entire time. Polonious thinks Hamlet is doing this because he is madly in love with Ophelia and he's gone mad because she does not return his letters as her father requested. Polonious and Ophelia then leave to go tell the King has happened with Hamlet.

Class Notes for Feb. 9

Today we talked about Polonius and how he told his son Laertes to be true to himself and to not be false with anyone when he is at school, even though Polonius gets information about people through spying on them. Polonius has his servant Reynaldo casually talk to people in France about Laertes by making up lies about him, (saying do you know Laertes, he likes to party) and the people Reynaldo talks to will either agree with them or disagree, which will give Polonius a good idea of what Laertes is doing at school. Polonius says, "by indirections find directions out," which means through lies, the truth is found, which is the way Polonius believes is the right way to watch people under him.

Paul Derickson

Class Notes February 5

Today we had last call for Act 1 Scene 5.

Then we went over our latest project which entails:
- Getting a notebook with string to hang around your neck
- Write down all critical observations that you see during the day
- Record the speaker, date, time and conditions

The reason for this project is for us to understand and relate to a renaissance man like Hamlet. Those men kept tables in which they wrote down all their observations.

The notebook must be worn at all times, if you are seen without it you will receive an automatic grade deduction. As Mr. Lazarow stated he has trained his kids to spot out those of us who don't have it. We also got a sheet detailing this project.

Dan Beam