...die. Eventually everyone’s father dies. Hamlet is sad and angry at the same time. I think that Hamlet is resentful towards his mother, Gertrude. Hamlet feels that his mother has not mourned his father appropriately, that her mourning was too brief. He is also angry with her and his uncle for getting married. Hamlet feels that the marriage was too soon after the late King’s death. I think Hamlet is also bothered by the fact that Gertrude married her brother-in-law. Hamlet views it as being incestuous. There are more layers added to Hamlet’s mind. The ghost of his father appears to him in the fifth scene of the first act. The ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his own brother. The ghost accuses King Claudius of pouring poison in his ear while he slept in the garden one afternoon. Hamlet is overwhelmed with this revelation. “O, my prophetic soul! My uncle!” (Shakespeare, 1600, p. 928). The ghost tells Hamlet that he must avenge his...
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...Hamlet AP Timed Essay Response Wednesday, April 28: One of these Hamlet timed essay topics will be chosen for you. You may wish to prepare ahead of time (in fact, you will regret not doing so). NO NOTES OR TEXT ALLOWED. 1982 AP Question: In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose [Hamlet and show how it] confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning of the [play]. Thesis (possible): Though other events in this play exhibit violence, nothing so effectively captures and concludes the essence of this work like the last battle to purge the kingdom. 1988 AP Question: [In Hamlet] some of the most significant events are mental or psychological; for example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. In a well-organized essay, describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. Thesis (possible): Although Hamlet vows and speaks of action, it is his anguished soliloquies and asides that awaken him from despondency to excitement and final action. Or: Before Hamlet can physically move to avenge his father’s murder and purge the kingdom, he must mentally accept the truths that people are liars, wear masks and die. 1994 AP Question: In [Hamlet] a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant...
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...Vickie Shipley Professor Marek ENC 1102, SEC 87 27 October, 2013 Drama Essay: "Hamlet's Ghost- To Believe or Not to Believe” Of all the plays written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet is the most intriguing. As the plot develops, themes such as indecision, deceit and revenge become apparent. As is expected, questions about the characters' motives arise as these themes are portrayed. Questions regarding Hamlet's love for Ophelia or his sanity arise. However, these questions develop throughout the story. The most important question arises at the beginning of the story in Act 1, and affects Hamlet’s every thought and action thereafter. Is the King's ghost a good spirit, merely seeking justice or an evil spirit sent to corrupt Hamlet? Perhaps the ghost is genuinely that of the dead king, but the fact that the ghost uses Hamlet to exact revenge and demands he commit the mortal sin of murder, clearly shows it to be an evil, malicious demon from hell. During the era in which Hamlet was written, there was a common belief of demonic intrusion, and corruption by the devil. Even today, it is not too difficult to find people who will agree that specters are evil demons, sent up from the bowels of hell to corrupt and destroy the living. In fact, a recent CBS poll reveals that almost half of all Americans believe in evil spirits, and that the dead can return in certain places and situations (Alfano). Because of this belief, the appearance of the spirit, along with the assumption of its...
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...not that Hamlet is Shakespeare's greatest tragedy or most perfect work of art; it was that Hamlet most brings home to us at once the sense of the soul's infinity, and the sense of the doom which not only circumscribes that infinity but appears to be its offspring”. The layers of Hamlet seem endless. Even after more than four hundred years of critical debates, there is no consensus about the play. Interestingly, Hamlet begins with a question and it remains infinitely open to interpretation. It is therefore a play of mystery. One of the central concerns of the play is the nature and the role of the Ghost who takes the form of Hamlet’s dead father. In order to understand it, we firstly ought to consider the theatrical impact of ghosts and spirits on Shakespeare’s audience. Ghosts in Shakespeare’s Time Shakespeare’s contemporaries believed in ghosts. Apparitions were either closely linked with the Devil’s power and Hell’s dominion on Earth, or with the spirit of God, being its representations usually in the shape of angels. Thereforeghosts were not universally dreaded. Shakespeare understood that he needed to create interest in the audience from the very first scene of the play. That is why he is teasing the...
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...Hamlet Essay Why does hamlet take so long to avenge his father's murder? “ To be or not to be that is the question.” (III,i,63). Hamlet has a very indecisive personality which is most likely why he's taking so long to avenge his father's death. Some individuals argue that he is delaying his revenge because he is uncertain on whether he should trust a ghost or not. Others believe he is waiting for the perfect moment to strike so that Claudius suffers eternity in hell for killing his brother, King Hamlet. None of these theories are incorrect but they are weak argument if separated and debated by themselves. “Haste me to know it, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thought of love may sweep to my revenge” (I,v, 33-35). In this quote...
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...Turning the Screw: Analysing Douglas’s Tale In this essay I will be exploring the narrative style present in “Turn of the Screw” by Henry James and discussing the character called Douglas as a frame narrator for the governess’s tale. I will explore the reliability of Douglas and his relationship with the governess and look at any bias caused by this relationship. I will be analysing the narrative style of the novella, and discussing how this style contributes to the development of the story. Along with this, I will be comparing “Turn of the Screw” to traditional ghost stories, and discussing whether there are differences between the two. Douglas is presented from the outset of the story as a frame narrator in that he begins his tale by offering to recite a manuscript written by his sister’s former governess, who is a person who Douglas holds in high esteem. This act of recounting another person’s story, or presenting a story within a story, is a clear indication that the type of narrative present in the book is frame narrative (Frame Story - Wikipedia, n.d.). If we look at this fact in terms of the quote presented within the study material, we notice that Douglas places particular emphasis on his story, proclaiming to be “quite too horrible” (pg 1). Due to the fact that Douglas is a frame narrator rather than an omnipresent narrator, he comes complete with a range of human faults, including exaggeration and bias. The introduction of the story adds to this idea, as Douglas betrays...
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...Goya’s Ghost Goya’s Ghost is a beautiful, melodrama movie, directed by Milos Forman, that took place in the 18th century of Spain. The movie shows us how Spain was during that time, which I think was intriguing. The plot with the church against Napoleon was also interesting because It made me learn something new. It showed me that there are some people that do not agree with the Church and does not see it as healthy for the system during the Renaissance Era. The movie starts off with priests reviewing Francisco Goya’s art, and all of the priests disliked the art except for Brother Lorenzo. “These images show us the true face of our country,” said Lorenzo. The images depicted played an important part because it gives us a hint on what the movie would be about. Francisco Goya is an excellent painter recognized by Lorenzo and Queen...
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...Hamlet Throughout one of William Shakespeare’s most celebrated works Hamlet, the main character Hamlet is constantly at odds with himself on matters that perpetually test his allegiance to his father’s legacy, and his will to avenge his father’s brutal death. Various speeches in this play have laid the foundation for the plot of this play. These speeches include Hamlet’s first encounter with his father’s ghost, King Claudius’s confession, and the closing scene in which all the main character have fallen. With the support of various soliloquies and dialogues throughout the play, these three speeches helped to summarize the ultimate message of this work. The first act in Hamlet was composed of many events the aided in the introduction and tone of the play. This act explains in detail to audience, the state of the kingdom, Hamlet’s feelings toward the incestuous marriage of his mother and his uncle, and the true reason behind his father’s death. In scene 5 of act one starting with line 42, king Hamlet’s ghost appears to Hamlet to unveil many truths which include the culprit behind his death. Here king Hamlet reveals that he did not die from a poisonous snake, but that his own brother Claudius committed the murder. King Hamlet then goes on explaining to Hamlet that his death must be avenged not only because killing a family in the act of jealously is wrong, but because king Hamlet didn’t have a chance to repent his sins on earth and now suffers in the flames of purgatory. This...
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...Jake Nevins 3/15/13 English foundations honors 2 Mrs. Muratori Research paper hamlet INTRO Hamlet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare where the main character, Hamlet, Thesis: In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet mythological and biblical allusions informs us of Hamlet’s inevitable fall. Throughout the play, Hamlet uses many mythological allusions to show his feelings towards other characters such as Claudius, Gertrude and the old king as well as inform us of his “fall”. After Queen Gertrude is re-married to Claudius, Hamlet shows his feelings when he compares the late King Hamlet to Claudius. Hamlet tells his mother, "So excellent a king, that was to this / Hyperion to a satyr." (Ham. I ii 139-40). This allusion shows Hamlet's high praise for his dead father as well as his extreme hatred for Claudius. Hyperion is the Greek sun god. By comparing his dead father to Hyperion, Hamlet does not just connect his father to a titan, but also the source of light and with that hope and happiness. The sun is what also sustains life. Hamlet is alluding to how his father was a great king, a strong and dynamic leader that cared for his family and strength of Denmark. The sun also symbolizes warmth and glory which are qualities reflected upon his father. A good king, like the sun, is also a keeper of the peace who watches from above. It is evident that Hamlet greatly loved his father and is stunned by how his mother quickly moved on after his death to marry...
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...of Hamlet, the ghost of King Hamlet comes back to the kingdom to tell his son, Hamlet, how he did not suffer a natural death, but rather was sinfully murdered. His death occurred because his own brother and Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, poured poison down King Hamlet’s ear while he was asleep, so that he could take over the Royal Throne of Denmark. King Hamlet’s ghost then commands Hamlet to fulfill his duty and seek revenge for him by killing Claudius. The ghost reappears later in the play, since Hamlet has still not managed to kill Claudius up to this point, and reminds him to stay focused on fulfilling the commandment he has given him. The ghost claims that he has come back to whet, or sharpen, his request for the death of Claudius, which seems to have been blunted, or dulled, by Hamlet’s actions. Hamlets purpose has been blunted throughout the play in many ways, and he fails to quickly take action for avenging the death of his father. Hamlet is not sure whether he believes the story of King Hamlet’s murder, one of the reasons for Hamlet’s inaction. Hamlet thinks that, “The spirit that [he] have seen may be a and the hath power T’ assume a pleasing shape…” (II. 627-629). Hamlet thinks that an evil spirit may have taken the ghostly form of his late King and father and this causes him to have second thoughts on what this ghost has commanded him to do to Claudius. He thinks that there is a chance that Claudius may not have murdered his father, and that the ghost may just be trying...
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...In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the ghost of the late King Hamlet has influenced his son to become obsessed with the idea of death. When young Hamlet is informed of the ghost’s sighting, he is anxious and curious to find out who this ghost is and what news it has to deliver. After the ghost reveals himself as Hamlet’s deceased father, Hamlet’s curiosity increases. The ghost divulges to Hamlet that his brother, Claudius, poisoned him to take his life as well as his throne, which infuriates young Hamlet. After this shocking revelation, Hamlet becomes obsessed with thoughts of death and avenging his father’s murder, which contributes to his insanity. When Hamlet speaks to his father’s ghost, his father insists that Hamlet avenge his death by killing Claudius. The ghost explains to his son that King Claudius has corrupted the nation of Denmark, has robbed him of his own life, and therefore, achieving revenge is crucial. After conversing with the ghost, Hamlet vows to seek vengeance on Claudius. This “seeking” of vengeance very quickly turns into an obsession. Hamlet’s every thought seems to revolve around his plot to kill Claudius, causing friends and family to express concern over his strange behaviors. Rumors begin to travel around Denmark that Hamlet has “gone mad,” while Hamlet claims to only be feigning his insanity. Hamlet’s soliloquy where he contemplates suicide is one example of his obsession with death. Amidst the stresses of planning Claudius’ murder, Hamlet even considers...
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...John Updike’s essay Pigeon Feathers is what I’d call a story that’s filled with descriptive passionate thought. The author’s detail of every scene places the reader in the rise and fall of every setting of the story. For example, Updike presents the setting of the story with specific the details of the furniture, “The blue wing chair that had stood for years in the ghostly, immaculate guest bedroom, gazing through the windows curtained with dotted swiss toward the telephone wires and horse-chestnut trees and opposite houses was here established, importantly in front of the smutty little fire place that supplied, in those first cold April days, their only heat.” I believe this may have been the longest sentence in the essay, but nevertheless, I appreciate Updike’s detail. In John Updike’s essay Pigeon Feathers David is overcome with a personal mission the find out what happens to people after death. I believe that the internal questions verbalized to Rev. Dobson from David were aided by his perceptions of the soul shaped by his findings. His anxiety with the past gives understanding of his growing fear of death; after all, our relationship to the past is largely a relationship with people and things that are now gone. David doesn't even like to dwell on the "gulf of time" in his parents' lives before they had him (p 262). This attitude could have been partially influenced by His father who also had a fear of returning to, what he called, the “dark ages” because of his...
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...Aspens BY EDWARD THOMAS All day and night, save winter, every weather , Above the inn, the smithy, and the shop, The aspens at the cross-roads talk together Of rain, until their last leaves fall from the top. Out of the blacksmith's cavern comes the ringing Of hammer, shoe, and anvil; out of the inn The clink, the hum, the roar, the random singing— The sounds that for these fifty years have been. The whisper of the aspens is not drowned, And over lightless pane and footless road, Empty as sky, with every other sound Not ceasing, calls their ghosts from their abode, A silent smithy, a silent inn, nor fails In the bare moonlight or the thick-furred gloom, In tempest or the night of nightingales, To turn the cross-roads to a ghostly room. And it would be the same were no house near. Over all sorts of weather, men, and times, Aspens must shake their leaves and men may hear But need not listen, more than to my rhymes. Whatever wind blows, while they and I have leaves We cannot other than an aspen be That ceaselessly, unreasonably grieves, Or so men think who like a different tree. Stairway to the Stars BY RON PADGETT "And then there were three whereas before there had been four or two And then there were four or two." Thus spake the King. No one dared ask what it meant. He seemed satisfied by the beauty of the logic that had arrived, the royal hall now lightly radiant as he arose from his throne and the world fell away...
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...Do you need a little excitement and thrill? Perhaps 88 minutes of it, sure to get your adrenaline pumping. Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimensions is the newest in the sequel, that still continues to thrill scary movie watchers. The storyline plays off the previous movies which does make it somewhat generic. A suburban family movie into a new house that has a demonic spirit, the same one that appears in all the previous movies, that reeks havoc on mainly the daughter but the parents as well. This movie includes a intense plotline unlike the previous movies in the series and captivating film quality that's sure to put one in awe. the skill of acting by the cast cannot be forgotten. As watching the movie one could feel the emotion, from the actors, pouring off the screen. The plotline of the movie is what makes it different from the ones before it. The movies before Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimensions, within the series, did not include much, if any, plotline for the audience to follow. The quality of the plotline is where things get rough. the characters and setting is introduced and then it becomes similar to the previous movies. Which is just first person footage of the paranormal activity and a few...
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...Act IV-A: To Kill, That is The Answer Through Hamlet’s soliloquy, the concern of human action reinstates the focus of the play. In scene iv of act 4, Hamlet stumbles upon the Norwegian captain which serves as a reminder that Fortinbras is still present within the play. He is shown as Hamlet’s foil and points out the willingness to take action that Hamlet lacks. In Hamlet’s soliloquy, it is clear that he is both awestruck as well as ashamed of himself when reflecting on the daringness of Prince Fortinbras. Fortinbras not only dedicates his energy and risks his own life, but also risks the lives of thousands of soldiers, in order to claim a small, worthless piece of land. When hearing of this, Hamlet begins to understand that he is over-thinking,...
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