Hamlet- Act I Scene III

 Laertes and Ophelia= siblings
- Laertes warns Ophelia about Hamlet's "affection"; says that it is not permanent and will not last
- states that Hamlet, as a prince, has obligations that go beyond his feelings
- also says that Hamlet's decisions are governed by his family and not himself
- tells Ophelia to stay distant and control any desires
- wants her to follow his advice; she in return tells him to follow his own advice as well
*Polonius enters
- Polonius gives Laertes good advice before he departures (watch his tongue, be clever, be true, have integrity, etc)
- Polonius then has a very different interaction with Ophelia
- apparent that he does not think of Ophelia as an independent thinker
- states she doesn't know herself like he does; calls her "green girl", "baby"
- only seems to care about his own reputation when warning her to stay away from Hamlet
- tells her that passion is not longlasting; "do not believe his vows"
- tells her to stay away from Hamlet
**great contrast in the way he treats Laertes and Ophelia

Literary Fiction and Empathy

When one reads literary fiction they are required to use their imagination in order to gain a perception of the characters in the story. This imagination, which we learn to utilize in reading, later serves us with human interaction when we are faced with situations that are not explicitly clear. For example if I am trying to read the emotions on one’s facial expression, I will already have previous experience due to reading which will enable me to correctly assess the type of interaction before me. I will be acutely aware and empathetic of my companion.

During situations in which a character's innermost thoughts and feelings are expressed, we as readers begin to build connections with the characters themselves and discover more about them than actions can show. We find similarities in the experiences of others and incorporate these in our learning process, to help facilitate our overall understanding of them. For example when Hamlet delivers his first soliloquy we were exposed to his true thoughts on his situation and come to see him as one of us, a human being who is vulnerable to the events around him. We are given the opportunity to see him on different levels and gain an understanding on his later actions and their purpose. In the end his emotions are ours and his problems are ours.

Literature Analysis #2

Brave New World- Aldous Huxley

1.       The novel begins with the description of advanced technology that has seems to have taken control of society, replacing the natural birth of children and branding preconceived ideas into their brains. We also witness a rigid caste system consisting of Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons in which each of the members are preconditioned to join. We are introduced to one of the protagonists, Bernard, who is different from the rest not only due to his physical appearance but also because he refuses to take soma and to adopt all the habits that the rest of the Alphas have. Bernard is fond of Lenina, and invites her to go to the Savage Reservation with him in New Mexico. She accepts because she finds Bernard intriguing, different, and a little weird. While at the reservation they meet Linda and John, the Director’s lost companion and son, and decide to bring them back with them. The Savage (John) causes much commotion and interest among the Alphas however he finds it extremely difficult to accept everything that is happening around him. He is disgusted by the promiscuity, lack of love, brainwashing, and lack of willpower. In the end he creates havoc by trying to throw away the soma (the substance that anesthetizes and gives a false sense of happiness), they banish Bernard, and John commits suicide.

2.       The theme of the story lies in the fact that we cannot have true happiness and love without having pain, sadness, and destruction. And once we try to get rid of that and create a world with individuals whom live in blissful ignorance, then we lose everything that makes us human.

3.       The author conveys a satirical and tragic tone throughout the novel as he conveys a world in which humanity has been lost and individuals are brainwashed puppets.

4.       Repetition

“… and the Delta children wear khaki. Oh no, I don’t want to play with Delta Children. And Epsilons are still worse.” pg 27

Personification

“… a harsh thin light glared through the windows, hungrily seeking some draped lay figure…” pg 3

“The light was frozen, dead, a ghost.” pg 3

“Tears stood in the young man’s eyes…” pg 117

Imagery

“… lying along the polished tubes like butter, streak after luscious streak I long recession down the work tables.” pg 3

Simile

“Thousands of petals, ripe-blown and silkily smooth, like the cheeks of innumerable little cherubs…” pg 19

“Like the vague torsos of fabulous athletes, huge fleshy clouds lolled on the blue air above their heads.” pg 61

Rhyme

“Ending is better than mending. The more stitches, the less riches…” pg 49

Allusion

“And a man called Shakespeare. You’ve never heard of them of course.” pg 51

“On the white wonder of dear Juliet’s hand, may seize
And steal immortal blessing from her lips…” pg 144

Antithesis

“I am I, and I wish I wasn’t.” pg 64

“ – there she remained; and yet wasn’t there at all…” pg 155

Onomatopoeia

“An incessant buzzing of helicopters filled the twilight. Every two and a half minutes a bell and the screech of whistles…” pg 72

“… the whistle of the lash and its loud flat-sounding impact on flesh.” pg 115

Hyperbole

“Even Bernard felt himself a little melted.” pg 81

“The drums stopped beating, life seemed to have come to an end.” pg 114

Irony

“”Yes, and civilization is sterilization,” Bernard went on…” pg 110

 Symbolism

“She felt in her pocket for her soma --” pg 111

Paradox

“… the thunderous silence of the drums…” pg 113

Enumeration

“Twice, thrice, four times round he went… Five times round, six times round.” pg 115

Synecdoche

“The eagle and the man on the cross…” pg 116

Flashback

“It was very hot. They had eaten a lot of tortillas and sweet corn.” pg 123

Metaphor

“… alone, into this skeleton world of rocks and moonlight.” Pg 136

Characterization

1. Direct Characterization

“Tall and rather thin but upright, the Director advanced into the room. He had a long chin and big rather prominent teeth, just covered, when he was not talking, by his full, floridly curved lips.” Pg 4

“He was a powerfully built man, deep-chested, broad-shouldered, massive, and yet quick in his movements, springly and agile.” Pg 66

Indirect Characterization

“… asked once more for the friendship… Helmholtz gave it; and gave it without reproach…” pg 179

“”– they wouldn’t let me go with the others; they wouldn’t tell me any of the secrets. I did it by myself though,”” pg 137

Huxley utilizes both direct and indirect characterization in order to provide us readers with a better and complete understanding of the characters. Direct characterization serves the purpose of directly shaping the character with words and descriptions while through indirect characterization we are exposed to the inner person of the character and are able to observe their behaviors, thoughts, and responses.

3. John is a dynamic, round character for he undergoes much change. He is introduced as an outsider at the Savage Reservation fighting to be accepted by others and to prove himself worthy, however he ends the story purposefully disengaging himself from everyone for he is disgusted and does not agree with what he is seeing/ experiencing.  We also see a John that begins to embrace literature, specifically Shakespeare, and witness his knowledge and articulation flourish.

4. I definitely felt like I could understand John, his viewpoints, and his actions. He seemed like a real person, one I could connect with and one who also has many flaws. However the rest of the characters portrayed in this utopian future were so disturbing I would hope that they were never real people.

Hamlet- Act I Scene II

- Hamlet's death is recent, "green"
- grief + joy, cognitive dissodance; Claudius states life must continue
- Gertrude marries Claudius= continuity of state
- Hamlet's first line: "A little more than kin and less than kind" doesn't like the idea of sharing the same blood with Claudius
- Claudius insults Hamlet in more than one occasion (grieving is unmanly, sinful)
- Hamlet maintains his calm manner and tactfully returns the insults
- Claudius allows Laertes to continue his studies, doesn't allow Hamlet to return to Wittenberg
- Gertrude sides with Claudius

- Hamlet's monologue gives readers insight to true feelings and thoughts
- outburst of anger, frustration, indignation; at one point asks the point of it all
- demonstrates his admiration towards his father and his hate towards Claudius and his mother
- accuses and insults his mother of being weak and disloyal
- however he understands that much self-discipline is required

- Horatio and Marcellus arrive bearing news of his ghost father
- we observe a different Hamlet, one who asks direct questions and seems to show no emotions
- able to demonstrate different facets of personality according to each situation
- diplomatic, emotional, and direct (3 different Hamlets)
- Hamlet acts intentionally, he is clever and disciplined

Vocab #6

abase - verb cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of

-          The scandal fortunately did not abase the credibility of the young man.

abdicate - verb give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations

-          The king was willing to abdicate the power to his eldest son.

abomination - noun an action that is vicious or vile; an action that arouses disgust or abhorrence

-          He paid the consequences for the abomination he had enacted.

brusque - adj. marked by rude or peremptory shortness

-          The woman’s brusque manner caused the dislike in others to burgeon.

saboteur - noun someone who commits sabotage or deliberately causes wrecks

-          Everyone was on the watch for the potential saboteur who kept slinking away.

debauchery - noun a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity

-          Due to his excessive partying and giving in to debauchery, his business suffered.

proliferate - verb cause to grow or increase rapidly; grow rapidly

-          The virus proliferated rapidly among the inhabitants of the village.

anachronism - noun an artifact that belongs to another time; a person who seems to be displaced in time;

-          The use of anachronism is present in literature and art.

nomenclature - noun a system of words used to name things in a particular discipline

-          Without the use of nomenclature many complex studies could not be divided into simpler subdivisions.

expurgate - verb edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate

-          Before handing the text over to her children, the mother dutifully expurgated all vile language.

bellicose - adj. having or showing a ready disposition to fight

-          The bellicose player earned a suspension from the match.

gauche - adj. lacking social polish

-          The gauche adolescent committed many faux pas at the dinner party.

rapacious - adj. excessively greedy and grasping; devouring or craving food in great quantities

-          The rapacious children took advantage of the buffet to stuff themselves with food.

paradox - noun (logic) a statement that contradicts itself

-          A very common literary technique utilized in literature is the paradox.

conundrum - noun a difficult problem

-          A conundrum presented itself to the woman in the shape of her broken down vehicle.

anomaly - noun a person who is unusual; deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule

-          A circus will often take advantage of the anomalies of certain individuals.

ephemeral - adj. lasting a very short time; noun anything short-lived

-          The ephemeral presentation satisfied very few.

rancorous - adj. showing deep-seated resentment

-          One must learn to deal carefully with rancorous people so that no lasting resentments are left.

churlish - adj. having a bad disposition; surly; rude and boorish

-          Despite having had a pleasant childhood, the young woman came to develop a churlish personality.

precipitous - adj. extremely steep; done with very great haste and without due deliberation

  The precipitous event ran smoothly even though it had been organized a day before.

Hamlet- Act 1 Scene 1

Act 1 Scene 1

- outside of castle, Elsinore
- midnight at the guard post; Bernardo relieves Francisco from duty
- Horatio and Marcellus arrive to accompany Bernardo
- Horation and Bernardo have been seeing a "dreaded sight" for the past two nights; Marcellus doesn't believe them
- "ghost" appears before them; resembles a dead king
- Marcellus attempts to speak to it to no avail
- state that his characteristics match those of the dead king
- go into tale of when Hamlet slayed Fortinbras, received his lands
- young Fortinbras seeks revenge; reason for preparations and guard watch
- "prologue to the omen coming on"
- ghost returns and again they attempt to speak to it; cock crows, ghost disappears
- cock announces the awakening day and causes ghost to leave
- decide to leave their watch and bring the news to Hamlet

*Allusions to Julius Caesar and the type of writing used in that tragedy
*exit- singular   exeunt- plural

Unphotographable Moment

A picture I did not take, a lone figure laying on the roof of an orange house. The wide expanse of starry sky above her, encompassing her, within her. Stars close enough to grasp and as bright as her eyes. Had it not been for the light pouring from the many stars there would have been a pressing darkness. But for the moment, the light played and exposed. The familiar chirping of crickets drowned out all noise and a faint smile etched itself on her face. Her heart thumping to the beat of the moon and her skin covered with goose bumps. She was as a child reunited with her favorite blanket, a mother caressing the face of a distant son. The longing of her heart was, for the moment, appeased. 

Transmedia Draft

Intro
- Theme: Chaucer is able to expose the different threads of society and humanity alike through his Canterbury Tales. He is able to do so through his use of gentle satire and his analytical approach  to social classes, religion, and individual roles. By unmasking the truth many prevailing themes of hypocrisy, irony, and corruption can be observed.

1st Body Paragraph
- Introduce the cook and give a few of his characteristics
- Delve into further analysis of his actions and the irony behind them

2nd Body Paragraph
- Point out techniques used by Chaucer- humor, gentle satire, irony, etc
-State the fact that Chaucer utilizes different genres for each story
- Give examples of these and mention characters other than the Cook
-Friar, summoner, monk, etc

3rd Body Paragraph
- State the role that social classes and religion play in each story
- corruption is exposed and authority is questioned
- We are exposed to both good and bad qualities of humans and society in 
general

Conclusion
-Restate thesis and literary techniques utilized
- We all are hypocritical beings who should not be judged by the social classes in which we are placed

CANTERBURY OUTLINE

Guiding Questions:
1. What Tale did you choose?  Why?  What appealed to you?
I chose the Cook's Tale because it was a very interesting story that had that touch of comedy and dynamic demonstration. 
2. Describe the main character.
Perkin Reveler is an apprentice who has a "well-built and short" stature and possesses a brown complexion. He is a man who only lives life by partying and having with the ladies. Reveler doesn't take his apprentice role seriously because he just commits himself to gambling and stealing from his own master. He only wants to remember and experience a luxurious life because he was fired from his job and still married a rich, beautiful woman to show off to everyone else and live a stable life. 
 3. How do Chaucer's choices in diction and syntax create the tone of this Tale? 
Chaucer's puns and humorous remarks concerning the horribly-lived life of the shallow-minded Perkin Reveler creates his satirical tone used throughout the tale.
4. How does Chaucer characterize the protagonist (both in content and technique)?
Chaucer uses both indirect (for establishing the Cook as a shallow, arrogant, and ultimately worthless man whose life consists of meaningless events and achieves no authentic fulfillment) and direct characterization (for appearance in regards to wardrobe, facial expression, etc.).
 5. What storytelling genre does this Tale represent?  Why?
The Cook's tale is a fabliau because it is characterized by having a vast array of characters such as peasants and clergy, which are singled out for criticism. The common themes in a fabliau is often sexual and we are able to observe this in the fact that Perkin Reveler spent his time with joyful women and ends up moving in with a friend and his prostitute wife.
 6. How do the characterizations and events in this Tale represent the larger theme/s &/or purpose/s of Canterbury Tales?
The purpose of Canterbury Tales is to criticize and expose society and its many roles through satire. This is what he illustrates in the Cook's Tale, the hypocrisy and irony in the fact that the apprentice devotes himself to his wrongdoings and in a way betrays his master.
 7. How would you change/improve the Tale if you could?
 8. How would the Tale be different if the career, or SES, or gender of the title character were different?
 The tale would not be the same if it were a female because the cook lives somewhat of a reckless lifestyle full of dancing and robbery, and that wasn’t typical for a woman to do during that time period. If it were a woman, she would probably be heckled for her actions.
 9. As you analyze the Tale, what ideas or writing techniques make it especially effective in conveying its message?
The tone of this Tale seems merry, representing the Cook's (Perkin Reveler) lifestyle and easy going personality. Chaucer's poetic form of writing creates a less than serious tone, juxtaposing the seriousness that the used satire creates. The satire is used to show this married man's adultery lifestyle.
 10. How can you use any of the techniques you read to improve your own writing?
I would like to improve my way of conveying a message through satirical methods, as Chaucer does throughout his tales. Another thing that would be critical for my writing is being able to convey said message completely, without finishing the entire story. Chaucer was unable to complete this specific story, yet the message of the Cook's hypocrisy, his adultery lifestyle, and all his wrong-doing are clearly visible in the small fragment. Something that would be interesting to learn would be the rhyming pattern, and being able to recreate this form of writing with ease. 
Collaboration: Yesenia Beas, Lupita Pliego, Edgar Rodriguez, Jisu Yoon, Sophia Gomez and Millie Angulo

THE POINT OF CANTERBURY TALES IS...

Chaucer is able to expose the different threads of society and humanity alike through his Canterbury Tales. He is able to do so through his use of gentle satire and his analytical approach  to social classes, religion, and individual roles. By unmasking the truth many prevailing themes of hypocrisy, irony, and corruption can be observed.

GREEN EGGS AND HAMLET

a) What do you know about Hamlet?
I don't know much about Hamlet other that it is a popular and influential tragedy written by William Shakespeare whose protagonist is the young nephew, Hamlet. His father is murdered by his uncle and he seeks revenge for it.

b) What do you know about Shakespeare?
William Shakespeare holds the reputation of being the greatest writer in the English language and is responsible for the making of many tragedies and plays. Some famous works of his include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, etc.

c) Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?
I believe it is a combination of the level of difficulty of his works in general, the preconceived ideas they hold of his literature, and the manner which they have been introduced to him in previous classes.

d) What can we do to make this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?
I believe the most important thing to do is relate our study of this particular piece of literature to our own lives/experiences. Also with the simple act of making sure that we all understand the play as we are reading will help us immensely.

Vocab #5

shenanigans – noun deceit, trickery, mischief

ricochet - noun a glancing rebound; verb spring back; spring away from an impact

schism - noun division of a group into opposing factions; the formal separation of a church into two churches or the withdrawal of one group over doctrinal differences

eschew - verb avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of

plethora - noun extreme excess

ebullient - adj. joyously unrestrained

garrulous - adj. full of trivial conversation

harangue - noun a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion; verb deliver a harangue to; address forcefully

interdependence - noun a reciprocal relation between interdependent entities (objects or individuals or groups)

capricious - adj. determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; changeable

loquacious - adj. full of trivial conversation

ephemeral - adj. lasting a very short time; noun anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form

inchoate - adj. only partly in existence; imperfectly formed

juxtapose - verb place side by side

perspicacious - adj. acutely insightful and wise; mentally acute or penetratingly discerning

codswallop - noun nonsensical talk or writing

mungo – noun a low-grade wool from felted rags or waste

sesquipedelian – adj. given to using long, winding words

wonky - adj. inclined to shake as from weakness or defect; turned or twisted toward one side

diphthong - noun a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another

CHARACTER STUDY (III)

Entwining her fingers between the soft blades of grass brought an inexplicable sense of calm to her soul. Yesenia enjoyed observing the different tones of blue in the sky and the occasional light breeze that caressed her cheekbones (which brought relief from the scorching heat). She preferred to complete her work and fry her brain studying outdoors, where she could feel the earth gently thumping beneath her. More than half of her time was spent in this way and a routine was already developing.  However, as her small hands clutched the thick textbook from which the studying was occurring, a snapshot of the last time she had seen her family flashed through her mind. Her slightly crooked nose scrunched up and she felt a small pang in her heart. The tear filled eyes of her mother and the too-tight hug of her father were still fresh in her memory. It had been yet another hot day when her parents helped her move into her apartment, and most of the packing was done in silence, for they knew that if the silence was broken the tears would begin. While her mother helped hang clothes inside the closet and fit the bed sheets on the hard mattress, her father was delivering his last few words of wisdom. “Nunca camines en la oscuridad, asegúrate de ir acompañada.  Cierra la puerta con llave todas las noches y no le pongas la espalda al peligro. Acuérdate que la grandeza de uno se mide con la inteligencia y no con la estatura.” (Never walk in the dark, always go accompanied by someone. Lock your door every night and never turn your back on danger. Remember that greatness is measured by intelligence and not ones stature.)

As Yesi, her preferred nickname, contemplated these memories with a twinge of nostalgia she realized that with sorrow came strength. After months of being at a university, not once had she regretted her decision of moving away from home. She did miss her family and friends dearly but she didn’t have high hopes of seeing them often. Erica with her lean figure, scathingly honest humor, and tender heart. Susel with her lovable chubby cheeks, compassionate personality, and resilient friendship. Lupita with her bright eyes, contagious laugh, and warm nature.  After a few more minutes of reminiscing on her recent past, she rose from the green hill and began strolling through the immense campus, losing herself amidst the moving bodies.

Just as Yesi was about to immerse herself in her own thoughts again, a tug on the back of her shirt announced an unexpected arrival. She turned around slowly, only to see the smirking face of Erica. After many hugs and a few biting jokes, Erica announced that the rest of the crew was already waiting. Yesi was perplexed at such an announcement, the crew waiting for what? However Erica only laughed and began shoving her in the direction of her apartment, she had to get her bags…

Apparently the crew had planned a last minute road trip through California and had piled inside a beat up, cozy van (which was currently parked outside her apartment). Yesi exclaimed in excitement as she saw all her close friends: Susel, Lupita, Jayce, and Janet. Erica simply rolled her eyes at such a display of emotions and continued to rush Yesi into the van while shoving a small duffel bag into her arms. Their journey soon commenced and they spent pleasantly long hours exchanging stories and enjoying the passing scenery. The last rays of sunlight were flickering behind the mountains when Erica exclaimed that she had booked all their nights’ at the most notoriously haunted hostels in California. The fun had yet to begin.