Things Fall Apart

In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe whenever somebody does something wrong it always affects the people closest to them. An example of this, is in chapter thirteen when Ezeudu dies. In this chapter Okonkwo accidentally shoots Ezeudo sixteen year old son. "Guns fired and the last salute and the cannon rent the sky. And then from the center of the delirious fury came a cry of agony and shouts of horror. It was as if a spell had been cast. All was silent. In the center of the crowd a boy lay in a pool of blood. It was the dead mans sixteen year old son,"(Achebe 124). Since his son was a clansmen, Okonkwo had to flee from his clan. But not only did Okonkwo have to flee the land but also his wives and children had to leave too. This was all because of an accidental shooting. This shows us that as a whole the family system is more collective because if one person does something wrong then everyone in the family must suffer. Also in this chapters Obierika remembers his wife's twin children who he had to throw away. "He remembered his wife's twin children, whom he had thrown away. What crime had they committed? The earth had decreed that they were an offense on the land and must be destroyed." (125). Because  these twins were thought to be offensive the whole family had to suffer even though there was no crime committed.

Sally Kohn: Let’s try emotional correctness

In this TED talk, Sally Kohn talks about being emotional correctness. Now we always hear people saying that ideas are politically correct but sometimes its not what they say, but how they say it. The way that we say things can truly affect how our words are taken in. Even when I was a little my parents would tell me to apologize to my brother for being mean and I would stand there, with my hand on my hip, rolling my eyes saying sorry in the most sassy way possible. My parents would tell me that the way I was saying sorry was not acceptable and I had to come back when i had a real apology. Now obviously I technically was saying sorry but my words didn't mean anything because they had not sincerity in them at all. Just like Sally Kohn, what my parents is saying is that our words are meaningless and can be portrayed in the wrong way if we do not use them in the correct way. Emotional correctness is is being respectful of every ones views even if you don't believe in what they are saying. If people were to start talking through there disagreements then maybe they can find common ground and this is the first step to change.

The Shakers

Hamlet is set in the middle ages in and around the royal palace of Denmark. IF I could imagine Hamlet in an alternate setting it would be set in Compton in the 1990s. Instead of their being a royal family there would be a gang called the Shakers (get it Shakespeare J). There would be two brothers (King Hamlet and Claudius) and one of them is the leader of the gang (King Hamlet). The other brother must kill him to become the leader of the gang.

One scene from the play that I could imagine is Hamlets soliloquy “to be or not to be.” I could see Hamlet sitting on the Martin Luther King Memorial in Compton, contemplating his life struggles. I imagine it is at night time when no one is around and Hamlet is just sitting by himself. The long white bars could represent how he feels trapped like hes in a jail. Also the fact that he is a height could represent how he is thinking about suicide. 

Hamlet's Soliloquy: To Be or Not To Be

David Tennant - Hamlet's Soliloquy (RSC Hamlet)
http://www.youtube.com/v/xYZHb2xo0OI?autohide=1&version=3&autohide=1&feature=share&attribution_tag=LVl4S2vlhiNCaplxp_1A1A&showinfo=1&autoplay=1
Olivier's Hamlet film (1948): To Be Or Not To Be soliloquy
http://www.youtube.com/v/5ks-NbCHUns?autohide=1&version=3&autohide=1&autoplay=1&attribution_tag=qMJGU8zBwE47bLju2AX5qQ&showinfo=1&feature=share

The “to be or not to be” soliloquy is Hamlet questioning whether he should exist or stop existing. Hamlet throughout the whole speech is constantly comparing the pain of life to the fear of dying.

In David Tennants version of Hamlets to be or not soliloquy, it seems to be a more modern portrayal of the play. At first Hamlet seems very distressed and very sad but later the actors anger begins to grow. Also the actor does not move from the same spot the whole time.

Oliviers version of the Hamlet is a more actual portrayal of what is read in the play. We first seem Hamlet on a rock on the edge of a cliff looking out onto the water. It looks as if Hamlet is about to commit suicide, constantly looking down and constantly pulling out is sword. In addition, Hamlet through out the whole video always looks distressed and never turns to anger. 

The portrayal of the two films To not To Be soliloquy are both very different from each other. The two actors who play the part of Hamlet take a different approach on how to reveal Hamlet. In Tennants version, we see Hamlet express is feelings by getting mad and he does an excellent of job this because he stays in the same spot through out the whole soliloquy. In Olivier’s version, we see Hamlet constantly pulling out a sword and he is on an edge of a cliff. This is a more obvious depiction of the soliloquy. I believe in this one that director really wanted the person watching the film to know exactly what Hamlet is feeling; to continue to exist or to not. 

Intro Paragraph: Revised

In her poem “Barbie Doll,” Marge Piercy uses symbolism of traditional female toys to portray the struggles of a young girl growing up in a world where people only judge her for the way she looks. People believe the only way to be happy is to be perfect on the outside because this is what they are presented with from birth. Marge Piercy’s poem is called “Barbie Doll” to symbolize what the expected female role is, in comparison to a doll. Throughout her poem, Marge Piercy constantly uses symbolism of traditional female toys to depict what the world thinks the perfect women should aspire to be.

In her poem “Barbie Doll,” Marge Piercy uses symbolism of traditional female toys and stereotypes of women to portray the struggles of a young girl growing up in a world where people only judge her for the way she looks. The girl believes she must be perfect on the outside if she wants to be happy. Marge Piercy’s poem is called “Barbie Doll” to symbolize the expected female role, by comparing people to a non-life like toy; the Barbie doll. Throughout her poem Marge Piercy uses symbolism of traditional female toys and stereotypes of women to depict how the world thinks the perfect women should aspire to be. 

Portrayals of Ophelia

Ophelia is a young noble woman in the play Hamlet by Shakespeare. Ophelia is the sister to Laertes and daughter to Polonius. When we first meet Ophelia, her family treats her like a dumb and naive woman that she is not. She actually is smarter than what her family believes. When Laertes is lecturing her about Hamlet, we learn that she has a mind of her own,” I shall the effect of this good lesson keep/ As watchman to my heart. But, good my brother,/ Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,/ Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,/ Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine,/ Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads/ And recks not his own rede.” (Shakespeare 1.3.49-55). What Ophelia is saying is she will keep his advice close to her heart, but he should put his money where his mouth is and not be a hypocrite.

In the Zeffrelli version of Hamlet, Ophelia is portrayed as very innocent. Also the fact that some of her lines were cut makes the audiences believe she is thoughtless too. In act 1 scene 3 of the Zeffrelli version, Ophelia is depicted as someone who is distant to her brother and doesn't want to listen to him because she is getting distracted by anything or anyone around her. Also she is showed as kind of unimportant to this the scene always being in the background when Polonius arrives. In this version of Hamlet, Ophelia is portrayed in a way that I did not imagine when I was reading the book itself.  

Claudius, King of Denmark: First Impression

When we first meet Claudius, he is holding court and we learn that his brother died about a month ago. He thanks his courtiers for the support and hopes to bring joy by announcing his marriage to the people. “With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight and dole,” (Shakespeare 1.2.12-13). This shows that Claudius is trying to weight out the bad with the good. I believe he is doing this for his people so they can move on from Hamlets death. 

Claudius is asking hamlet to stay “We pray you, throw to earth this unprevailing woe and think of us as of a father; for let the world take note, you are the most immediate to the throne, and with no less nobility of love than that which dearest father bears his son Do I impart toward you.”(1.2.110-116)   Even though announcing the marriage was a good thing, still not letting Hamlet go to university in Wittenberg shows he cares about his country but also that he might be suspicious of Hamlet. Like the old saying goes “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” I believe that Claudius is scared hamlet might foment a rebellion.

Claudius asks Hamlet, “How is it that the clouds still hang on you” (1.2.68). This meaning Hamlet is still in his mourning clothes from his father’s death. Claudius urges Hamlet to take to take them off, but he does not. Claudius replies with telling him that all fathers die and their fathers die and it is alright to mourn, but mourning for too long is inappropriate. I believe that Hamlet should be able to mourn for as long as he wants, for it was his father’s death but Claudius is right is saying that mourning for too long is inappropriate especially for the person next in line for the throne. This shows Claudius does care about Hamlet and truly wants him to get over his father’s death for the benefit of his country.