#8

Tone and mood are essentially the culmination of all the aformentioned literary devices. Tone and mood are in themselves a literary device that sums up the attitudes toward the subjects involved in the piece. Tone can drastically alter the meaning of a literary work as a viable tone can be sarcasm. Tone in Hamlet is very solemn and pensive and that is reflected very much through Hamlets delibrative actions.

#7

Diction refers to the writer or speaker's distinctive word choices and writing style in either a piece of literature. Diction can also refer to the ennunciation created by a certain pattern of words, i.e. alliteration. Diction, simply stated, is why an author or speaker chooses one word when there are direct synonyms to choose from. Diction has great affect over meaning and as few as one word can drastically change the meaning of an entire line or even a poem. In Pride & Prejudice, the more uneducated characters were made to speak in a less sophisticated or pleasing manner; Mr. Collins is a prime example of this.

#6

Imagery is the usage of details and descriptions in order to create a sensory experience for the reader. Imagery can come in the form of a physical description but also emotions. Imagery does not only refer to visual images but all the senses. Smells, sounds, tastes, and touches are all conveyed through poetic imagery. Imagery is not limited in scope and can refer to any form of sense or emotion. Imagery is central to most poetry and in some pieces is even the focus of the work.

#5

The way a poem reads has profound impact on its perceived meaning. Alliteration is the most common sound device and can really be used for almost any purpose depending on the repeated syllable. Sibilance is a form of alliteration and is a prime example of the influence a sound device can have over the meaning of a poem. The repeated s sound of sibilance can be meant to soothe or seem sinister. Inversion can place inflection on a different part of the sentence, completely changing the meaning. Caesura also can impact the feel of a poem. The full stop can lead to intentionally clunky stanzas but also just slow down the speed at which the poem can be read. Sound devices are a great way to add to the depth of a poem without making a piece too wordy and inorganic.

#4

Symbol is something, usually a picture, written word, or sound, that reprsents something entirely different through association or resemblence. The most common example of a symbol could be a blank red octagon which, of course, stands for STOP, regardless of whether or not the word is actually written. An example of a symbol in Hamlet is Yorick's skull which represents death and the inevitability of man's demise. In Pride & Prejudice, Pemberly is a symbol of Darcy and all which he stands for. Symbolism is sparce in both pieces of literature.

#3

Setting is where the play takes place; but it's more than just a house or a street. Setting refers to everything that has an influence on the actors or the mood they portray. The setting can be as simple as lighting or as complicated as the political struggle between 2 nations during a certain time period. Setting can be the family a character comes from. In P&P, Elizabeth is influenced almost entirely by her setting and there in fact would not be a novel at all were it not for the setting Elizabeth finds herself in. Hamlet as well is influenced and driven by the setting. Setting is also used to convey the mood the author or director wants.

Plot

All plots have five main points: The exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the denouement. The exposition serves to set context to the coming action and to also provide any background detail necessary for understanding. The exposition ends when the inciting incident causes rising action. Rising action tends to be the longest part any narrative and involves conflict for the main character or characters. The climax serves as the turning point in any narrative and is the point where the conflicts brought upon the main characters during the rising action are solved in some way or another. The falling action follows the turning point and serves to finish off any unresolved conflicts. The final resolution then spurs the denouement which tends to be very short and can even come in the form of a single sentence like: 'they lived happily ever after'.

In Austen, the exposition comes in the form of the first sentence: 'It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that a man in possession of wealth, must be in want of a wife'. The inciting incident is the news that Bingly and Darcy are coming to town. The rising action comes in the form of everything after the ball. The Climax is when Lizzy confronts Darcy. The falling action is everything that takes place when the two are apart. The resolution is the accepted marraige proposal and the denouement is everything after the wedding.

In Shakespeare, the expositon comes in the form of the first act. The inciting incident is the first encounter Hamlet has with the ghost of his father. The rising action is all of Hamlet's plotting to avenge his father's death. The Climax is the play when Claudius rises to leave right after being stricken with guilt as well as Hamlet's murder of Polonius. The falling action is when Hamlet is sent off to England. The resolution is when Hamlet finally stabs Claudius and they all die. The denouement is the conversation between Horatio and Fortenbras.

Hamlet Essay Comments

My biggest issue was my synthesis paragraph. I felt my analysis of speech patterns of both aspects of Claudius' life were complete and effective in illuminating his character but never really went in-depth into my explanation of how this difference in character affects his influence. I needed to spend more time on the conclusion to help bring it all together and it almost feels like two seperate analysies. Perhaps had I left myself more time and reread my essay and come back with fresh eyes a day later, I would have been able to more effectively address my thesis.

Intro Paragraf

'To an Athlete Dying Young' and 'Ozymandias' both deal with the legacy of a man and the give-and-take relationship between mortal man and undying time. In 'To an Athlete Dying Young', the athlete in question has evaded the inevitable decline that befalls all men; while in 'Ozymandias', Ozymandias has attempted to do just this and cement his place in history but his methods prove ineffective and 'nothing beside remains'. The two poems address the subject of time from a different perspective and to different effects. 'Ozymandias' is shorter but contains more physical description while 'To an Athlete Dying Young' is much more about the preserved glory that will stay with his name. The method through which the authors communicate the stories of each character also differs from a quatrane form in 'To an Athlete Dying Young' to a paragraph style in 'Ozymandias'. Despite both dealing with the effects of time on an individual's legacy, 'To an Athlete Dying Young' and 'Ozymandias' differ if form and style contributing to a different angle taken by each author.

To the virgins + Athlete dying young

In to the virgins, virgins are beseeched to seize the day and get married before you get old and no one wants to marry you. In athlete dying young, someone has died at the top of their game with the record for their sport. Athlete is about how wonderful it is to go out on top and if one were to choose the method through which their life ends, this would be the most preffered. Virgins also follows this theme of seizing the day and going out on top. Virgins tells of the glory which the athlete experiences just through a different scope. Virgins tells of the benefits of marrying when given and the chance and tells people that being a shell of yourself is not much like being alive. Athlete shares the same sentiment telling how great and glorious of the athlete and that even though their life was cut short it would not have gotten any better. Both also carry brief lines that are broken up into quatranes that are short in line. The effect of the shorter lines in virgins is to show how simple of a message he has and how quaint a message it is. Athlete's message, as commuicated through the short lines, is that even though his life was short, it was sweet and he was able to leave before it became any less sweet.

Ozymandias + (ponder, darling,these busted statues)

Ozymandias and ponder both deal with time but take very different angles regarding the intentions of the main character. Ozymandias was concerned with his image, with being remembered. cummings was more interested in primal pleasures. Ozymandias also takes much more serious approach to the effects of time. Ozymandias deals with the fuedal attempts for man to be immortal, to cheat time; but in the end, time always wins. cummings pokes fun at this concept, using playful references at previous famous poems. cummings suggests a way to 'cheat' time, by enjoying the moment. Ozymandias leaves you feeling barron and sad while ponder leaves the reader much more upbeat, sophmoric and all.

Directing notes

As Hamlet, I attempted to create an environment that does not lead one to question the good nature of Hamlet. I wanted to make sure the audience understood that Hamlet is at heart a troubled person but means well and does not act rashly. He won't let anyone or anything get in the way but the fact that he wants to be certain that Claudius is the murderer before acting upon it is very noble and should be demonstrated in his interactions with Horatio as well.

Suggestions for Writing #3

Hamlet is defined by the contrast between appearance and reality. From scenes to characters as a whole, the line seperating the two becomes blurred and questioned. Hamlet's madness is the most prevalent question of appearance v. reality and serves to illustrate how difficult a situation he is really and how difficult it is for a young man to lose his father and role model. Futhermore, there is the question of Claudius' appearance as a king but reality as a crook. He is the main vehicle for the argument over inherency. There are multiple instances of character's intentions being questioned as well, from Hamlet to Polonius to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The question of appearance v. reality is a consistantly appearing motif throughout and serves to communicate many of the main themes and didactic purposes of the play.

Question #9

From lines 474 - 533, Hamlet is contemplating his plan of action regarding his dealing with Claudius. Within this passage is when Hamlet decides that he shall alter the play in order to garner some sort of guilty reaction from his father's brother. The subject matter is certainly heavy and shows the amount of personal turmoil that Hamlet is dealing with. 'Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! O, vengeance!'. The harsh, repeated language demonstrates the moral battle that is raging inside of him. The repeated animalistic images shows how primal his want of revenge is and how deep-seeded he feels about it.

Question #7, 14

Question #7

Hamlet tells his companions he is likely to put on an 'antic disposition' because he doesn't want to worry him. As evidenced by the reactions of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, his new disposition is one that leads people to believe he has lost his marbles. I think his behavior is not a natural reaction but a calculated strategy. Based on the difference between his manic displays in public and his brooding, sad soliliqueies, he is not actually crazy; you can't turn off crazy. The reason behind his new disposition is simple, keep the king off guard, if Claudius believes he is unsuspected, he is likely to make a make a mistake.

Question #14

When Hamlet says 'Why, then, 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good ro bad, but thining makes it so.', he is aiming to confuse, under the guise of his antic disposition. He means that we apply meaning to everything, nothing inherently means anything. He is saying this to test Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because he suspects them as spies. When he says: 'I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw' it suggests that he can control his madness and it isn't in fact organic. Hamlet is faking.

Discussion #4

Laerte's objection to Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet is that he thinks Hamlet is only interested for the sex and if he wanted to marry her he would have proposed. Polonius' objection is based on the actions of Hamlet and thinking that he is madly in love. Laerte's argument is most fair although neither really take into account Ophelia's take on the situation. Laertes thinks all women are helpless and just there for the ride and shows his jealousy for Hamlet while Polonius, also thinking women are helpless, thinks that Hamlet's actions are motivated by his direction which he gave to Ophelia. Laertes is jealous of the status of Hamlet while Polonius thinks all women are below men.

The many faces of Claudius

Shakespeare's character-illuminating repitoire is vast and is not simply limited to the description of physical appearance, what is said, and the actions that take place. In Hamlet, Shakespeare employs a much more complex and deeper method with the purpose of further explaining and reinforcing the content of each character. The use of sophisticated speech pattern and diction is part of this more complex method of explantion and manifests itself throughout the play in instances of repeated or abrupt word choice. Claudius is not immune to this method and himself demonstrates the revlieling nature. Claudius' character consists of many facets that through one interaction will be lost. Claudius's nature, as expressed through his actions, is congruous to his word choice. Claudius's character is pliable and goes through many slight transformations, yet having been built from the same material, is at heart the same. When dealing with Hamlet, Claudius takes on a tone seperate from that when interacting with Gertrude and still different from him being a leader. Therefore, Shakespeare uses harsh word choice and specific speech patterns to not only help differentiate but to also individualize Claudius's character as a father, as a leader, and as a husband.

To His Coy Mistress

And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity

This line is signifigant because of the helplessness it conveys. This line drags the reader down into the vast nothingness that is time. This is the mood-setter of the second stanza and truly marks the change in direction the poem takes. Marvell also incorporates a semblence of sibilance which helps the line flow and creates a wondering and lost effect. The most clever portion being the inclusion of the word us. This us not only plays into the slight sibiliance but also plants an innocent and tiny seed in the mind of the coy mistress. Deserts also play into the sibiliance while bringing up the helpless feeling meant to be conveyed by the this line.

DW Harding: Is Collins funny or a nightmare?

Ostensibly, Collins, while an ignorant pest, is just a care-free and harmless sub-character whos purpose is nothing more than to simply drive the story and provide a little bit of comic relief; however, at second glance, Collins represents a much less benign portion of society and provides a potentially petulant vehicle for Austen's satire. Collins' actions are not regarded as out of the ordinary and indeed is usually motivated by social norms, which, if read from the perspective of someone in the middle to upper class of early 19th Century society, would simply be seen as comedy through exaggeration and not given any deeper thought. Moreover, To a citizen of the 19th Century society depicted in Pride & Prejudice, Collins is nothing more than a plot device. Yet, from a modern perspective, which, due to Austen's very progressive characterization of characters like Elizabeth is very likely one that Austen herself intended, Collins is a nightmare; he is a danger. Collins represents the male aristocratic sense of entitlement especially that of first-born children.

The Introduction and Evolution of The Perception of Mr. Darcy

My biggest issue was my language choice, plain and simple is the way to go. My paper would have also benefitted from an extra revision or two as there weren't many issues with organization of ideas but everything could have flowed more smoothly. The ideas I brought up were well fleshed out and followed a clear path but needed more pointed of an introduction. The more I would have relied on my ideas and the less on the structure and diction, the better my paper would have been. I needed to develop my quotes a little better as well as they were not 100% necessary and didn't add all that much to the work. Overall I think a few more periods of revision and a look-over from a different pair of eyes will help my work reach it's potential.

And the winner is...

MRS. BENNET: AUSTEN'S PUNCHING BAG

In the end, the only two essays in the entire red reader that didn't make me vomit blood were Mrs. Bennet: Austen's punching bag and an examination of class and economy: Austen's molding of Mr. Hurst. Both essays were the only two that set-up their arguments properly and made real, ambitious claims. They both integrated sophisticated language but I felt that strictly linguistically, Mrs. Bennet was superiour. Bennet, while slightly less ambitious than Mr. Hurst, was more interesting of a subject matter and flowed well from body paragraph to paragraph. Bennet also touched upon everything he brought up in the thesis, which, as a reader, leaves me satisfied.

I for Imelda

Of G for Griselda, H for Helga, and I for Imelda, I for Imelda was the best, although not that good in itself. Griselda and Helga both take very sheepish approaches to the subject matter and do not make any sort of claim. Both of great issues with organization and communication of ideas. Futhermore, both lack effective use of quotations, in fact they both use both of them very similarly, to state facts, not to illuminate a point they are trying to make. All three of these essays ambitiously attempt to sound smart but to the oppisite effect. Imelda however, was less riddled with issues. Imelda's claim that Austen wants the reader to believe what Elizabeth believes is the only hint at an original idea in all three of the essays. Imelda didn't use quotations as effectively as I would have liked to see but at least there is a set-up to each quotation. I hated Imelda the least.

E for Eunice

By far the strongest the D for Danforth, E for Eunice, and F for Foxglove was E for Eunice. E for Eunice was strong from the introduction on. Both Danforth and Foxglove used specific examples and had weak structure in their introductory paragrahs. Danforth's claim is not particularly controversial and Foxglove's is the definition of character development. Eunice also uses quotations most effectively and again, doesn't simply restate. Eunice works because it was also very pointed and I could expect what was going to come while still wanting to read on. The sentence structure was also the most varied of the three. Grammatically and substantiviely it was the strongest

B is for Beatrice

Of the first three essays, I felt that B for Beatrice was the best, according to the rubric. The quotes used in this don't simply state what they have already stated but add a certain level of reinforcement without simply reiterating. The Author also addressed the thesis. I was not in love either the introduction or the conclusion but while this essay was perhaps not the most ambitious, it certainly did it's job. The thesis was clearly written out and clearly drawn out. This essay was also not bogged down in esoteric language or overly complex and the sentence structure was pretty effective. Most importantly, I wasn't bored to tears

The curious case of Bingly and Darcy

Darcy and Bingly share the spotlight of the beinning portion of the novel and have a very interesting and dynamic relationship, however, as events unfold, the intial perception of each character is challenged and the reader is tasked with picking out the lies and the truthes of each man.