#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.