The Things They Carried
Brief Story Summaries
The Things They Carried
Men carried whatever they need for survival, both physical and emotional.
Jimmy: pictures of girl; Ted: extra ammo;
Most carried emotions on the inside. “It was sad…the things men carried inside. The things men did or felt they had to do.”
Love
Jimmy tells Tim about Martha. He saw her again. They never got together. He still loves her.
Story is significant to show that soldiers needed something to hold on to. He may have loved her or he may have loved the idea of her.
Spin
Tim says, “On occasions the war was like a ping-pong ball. You could put a fancy spin on it, you could make it dance.”
Soldiers are remembered: Mitchell mails lice to USO; Norman and Henry play checkers every night; following a man to get through land mines; Ted adopting a puppy that Azar straps to a mine; worrying about medals and death
Tim, even after the fact at 43, wishes he didn’t feel so guilty and that there were also some peace stories.
“On the Rainy River”
Tim goes to Minnesota to the Rainy River that borders Canada. He nearly goes AWOL, and meets and old man named Elroy at the Tip Top Lodge who silently helps Tim work through it. Tim had received a draft notice on June 17, 1968 right after graduating from Macallister College. He did not want to go to war.
He struggles with the idea of war, and then ends with, “I would go to the war--I would kill and maybe die---because I was embarrassed not to.”
“Enemies”
Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk get into a fight because Lee stole Dave’s jackknife.
The story shows the violence between these two who are supposed to be friends.
“Friends”
Dave and Lee make a pact to kill each if one receives a “wheelchair” wound.
Lee stepped on a mortar. He freaks out when Dave comes, thinking he’ll kill him because of the pact, and now he doesn’t want to die. Dave comes over and swears not to kill him. The story ends with, “Later we heard that Strunk had died somewhere over Chu Lai, which seemed to relieve Dave Jensen of an enormous weight.”
“How to Tell a True War Story”
Rat has to write a letter to Kurt Lemon’s family regarding his death; he struggles. In between Tim explains to the reader what a war story is and is not: never moral, no virtue; it embarrasses you; if you are bothered by it or the obscenity, then you don’t care for truth…
They talk about listening while on patrol…how they hear things, like music, that can’t be there.Alone and in a foxhole can freak you out.
Rat tortures a baby water buffalo in a way to take out his frustration regarding Kurt’s death.
Cont…………>>>>>>
“War Story” cont.
Tim says those who pay attention to the animal instead of Rat’s loss or Kurt’s death, haven’t been listening. He uses some old lady as an example who tells Tim to “put it all behind me.” To her, and those who don’t get it, he says, “Because she wasn’t listening. It wasn’t a war story. It was a love story.”
“The Dentist”
Curt Lemon is terrified of the dentist. He refuses to go. Shows that even a macho soldier is afraid of every day things.
Finally, so he won’t be seen as unmanly, he has the dentist take out a perfectly good tooth.
“Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong”
Rat is the narrator.He tells the story he heard while on RR.
Mark Fossie brings his cute, blonde girlfriend ,just out of high school, to his platoon in Vietnam. She gets weird and starts going on patrol with the “Greenies” (special forces)…quits wearing makeup, bathing, wears face paint, a necklace of tongues even.
The story is unbelievable; that’s the point. War changes everyone. “You come over clean and you get dirty and then afterward it’s never the same.” ---Rat
“Stockings”
Henry Dobbins has a girlfriend. He wears her pantyhose around his neck as a good luck charm. She dumps him in October; he’s devastated, but wears them still saying, “ The magic doesn’t go away.”
“Church”
Alpha Company digs foxholes with some Buddhist monks watching. Kiowa says that they can’t set up IN the church. “It’s bad news…You don’t mess with churches.”
Religion is discussed a bit with Kiowa who says he grew up with it.
Henry gives the two monks some peaches and tells them to leave. Henry ends with, “All you can do is be nice. Treat them decent, you know.”
“The Man I Killed”
Story begins with a matter of fact description of a dead body.
Tim, the author, imagines the dead man’s life story and makes the guy real.
Tim shot him and can’t deal with the guilt. He says he’d surely have walked by, and he didn’t have to do it.
Kiowa says he had to do it; if HE didn’t, then someone else would have. He advises Tim to “Talk.”
“Ambush”
Tim’s daughter Kathleen, at 9, asks him if he’s ever killed anyone. He says that he wants to tell her what he remembers, but he wants her to stay a little girl, too.
He describes the event of killing the man again, but this time adds in his personal reflection and more guilt.
“Style”
A Vietnamese girl is found dancing after a village has been destroyed. Her family is gone.
Azar says he doesn’t “get it” and makes fun of her. Henry tells him to stop and have respect. Henry says, “all right then,…dance right.”
The point: You’ve got to have respect for death, even if it was your enemy and even if it was necessary; death is still a loss for someone.
“Speaking of Courage”
There’s little difference between courage and fear.
Norman goes to a lake and can’t believe that the rest of the US has gone on living normal life. He questions the value of his fighting; he thinks he will disappoint his father.
He feels guilt over Kiowa’s death.
He wants Tim to tell the story.
“Notes”
The previous story didn’t sit right with Norman, so Tim writes this version. He explains that he needed to rewrite and retell the story of Kiowa’s death. (see next story)
Norman kills himself at the YMCA in 1978.
“In the Field”
The platoon is on patrol and must settle for the night. The inexperienced Lt. Cross has them break near a sewage pit. We learn that Cross didn’t want this responsibility and feels unprepared as well.
Someone takes out a light and the enemy pounds them. Kiowa is hit and goes down under the sewage pit.
Everyone, especially Cross and Mitchell Sanders, feel guilty for not saving him, for letting the sewage get in the way of going after him.
“Good Form”
Tim says he’s 43 and an author and that “almost everything else is invented.” He wants the reader to focus on the story rather than is the story true.
Guilt takes over. Stories are told from different points of view. A story can have more than one truth.
“Field Trip”
Tim takes Kathleen to Vietnam. He visits the field where Kiowa died and places his moccasins in the mud pit. He tries to put the story to rest.
A Vietnamese man raises a shovel in a gesture of greeting and peace.
Tim says, “I felt something go shut in my heart while something else swung open.”
“The Ghost Soldiers”
In this story Tim tells the reader he was shot twice. The first time is in the side and Rat takes good care of him. He’s out for over three weeks; when he returns Rat is gone and Bobby Jorgensen is the new medic. Tim is shot in the butt and Jorgensen nearly kills him by not taking care of the wound properly.
As punishment, Tim and Azar scare Bobby with gunfire, flares, sandbags, etc.
“Night Life”
The night life is night patrol. They sleep during the day, move at night. Some had to use drugs to make it. The event bothers Rat. He can’t take the dark and quiet. He confesses to the others that he’s losing it, and the next morning he has shot himself in the foot. It’s so he can leave, but not die.
“The Lives of the Dead”
Stories preserve the lives of those who died in the war.War “wasn’t guts; I was scared”, which is probably the sentiment of many soldiers.
He recalls Linda in elementary school. She had cancer, lost her hair and wore a hat.First loss he recalls and the first funeral. He says, “We keep the dead alive with stories.”
His final words are, “…when I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy’s life with a story.”
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Research writing rules and dos and don'ts
Research Writing Reminders
Your mantra: Writing research papers can be fun. Research is fun. Writing is fun. (Say it 3 times and it will be true!)
In text citations
Use author’s last name and page number (Jones 2).
Use the TITLE of the WORK if there is no author. This does not mean the article’s title, but the title of the book, website, etc. (Shakespeare’s Characters 88).
For a website where page numbers are not marked use only the author or the title of the website when no author is given.
Little things
When using a large quote, take out parts that are not relevant to your writing. These deleted parts have an ellipses. Ex: “…above all….be true.”
A very large quote should be blocked. This is MORE than 4 lines TYPED. When blocking indent twice, do not use quotation marks and put the period inside the citation. Most professors/teachers will see these warily. If you have block quoted, be certain that you are going above and beyond paper requirements in terms of length.
How much to cite?
In a research paper, every time you have utilized a source, you should cite it. This is always the case with direct quotes, but also applies when paraphrasing into your own words.
Cite directly after a quotation. If an entire paragraph comes from one source and is not directly quoted, you can cite at the end of a paragraph.
Citing….
Do not put two citations back to back. EX: (Jones 33) (Smith 111). Work it out so that the information is divided into two or more sentences so that it can be cited correctly.
With research, most paragraphs will have at least one citation.
Paraphrase into your own words when possible. Less than 1/8 of the entire length of the assignment should be direct quotes. Again, cite ANY information that was not your own originally, even if in your own words.
Works Cited
Sources are listed alphabetically.
Sources use reverse or “hanging” indentations.
Center the words “Works Cited.”
All sources on this page MUST be cited in the paper.
Any sources consulted but not cited must go on a separate page that is titled “Works Consulted.”
Format
Cover page: title, your name, date, class/professor’s name. If a professor prefers, the information can be put on page one at the top right. (I do not.)
Put last name and page in top right. Include a running title header in the top left. Set as HEADERS that are NOT in the text of the essay itself.
Avoid: cliché’, personal pronouns, ending with prepositions, using the word SO, etc.
Don’t forget to….
Use variety in word choice and sentence styles.
Use transitions not only at the beginning of a paragraph, but in the middle of a paragraph or as a sentence that leads into the next paragraph.
Use a topic sentence in each body paragraph.
Go beyond the five paragraph format.
What’s really important?
Organization: Connect ideas. Chunks of ideas don’t work unless there is a connection between them.
Introductions should be interesting.
Conclusions should be brief, used to briefly summarize, give a solution of sorts, and should not list the points like a grocery list. No grocery lists in the introduction either.
Read your paper. Leave time in between to go back and look at it later. Have someone else read it, too.
Finally…
While it is incredibly easy to find papers on the web, it is that easy for your professors/teachers to find them, too. There are, literally, hundreds of websites for teachers that will run an essay through a plagiarism detector. Even Google will locate phrases that have appeared elsewhere. It isn’t worth it. You will get a zero and possibly fail amongst other punishments.Universities are free to expel you and to not give a tuition refund.
Your mantra: Writing research papers can be fun. Research is fun. Writing is fun. (Say it 3 times and it will be true!)
In text citations
Use author’s last name and page number (Jones 2).
Use the TITLE of the WORK if there is no author. This does not mean the article’s title, but the title of the book, website, etc. (Shakespeare’s Characters 88).
For a website where page numbers are not marked use only the author or the title of the website when no author is given.
Little things
When using a large quote, take out parts that are not relevant to your writing. These deleted parts have an ellipses. Ex: “…above all….be true.”
A very large quote should be blocked. This is MORE than 4 lines TYPED. When blocking indent twice, do not use quotation marks and put the period inside the citation. Most professors/teachers will see these warily. If you have block quoted, be certain that you are going above and beyond paper requirements in terms of length.
How much to cite?
In a research paper, every time you have utilized a source, you should cite it. This is always the case with direct quotes, but also applies when paraphrasing into your own words.
Cite directly after a quotation. If an entire paragraph comes from one source and is not directly quoted, you can cite at the end of a paragraph.
Citing….
Do not put two citations back to back. EX: (Jones 33) (Smith 111). Work it out so that the information is divided into two or more sentences so that it can be cited correctly.
With research, most paragraphs will have at least one citation.
Paraphrase into your own words when possible. Less than 1/8 of the entire length of the assignment should be direct quotes. Again, cite ANY information that was not your own originally, even if in your own words.
Works Cited
Sources are listed alphabetically.
Sources use reverse or “hanging” indentations.
Center the words “Works Cited.”
All sources on this page MUST be cited in the paper.
Any sources consulted but not cited must go on a separate page that is titled “Works Consulted.”
Format
Cover page: title, your name, date, class/professor’s name. If a professor prefers, the information can be put on page one at the top right. (I do not.)
Put last name and page in top right. Include a running title header in the top left. Set as HEADERS that are NOT in the text of the essay itself.
Avoid: cliché’, personal pronouns, ending with prepositions, using the word SO, etc.
Don’t forget to….
Use variety in word choice and sentence styles.
Use transitions not only at the beginning of a paragraph, but in the middle of a paragraph or as a sentence that leads into the next paragraph.
Use a topic sentence in each body paragraph.
Go beyond the five paragraph format.
What’s really important?
Organization: Connect ideas. Chunks of ideas don’t work unless there is a connection between them.
Introductions should be interesting.
Conclusions should be brief, used to briefly summarize, give a solution of sorts, and should not list the points like a grocery list. No grocery lists in the introduction either.
Read your paper. Leave time in between to go back and look at it later. Have someone else read it, too.
Finally…
While it is incredibly easy to find papers on the web, it is that easy for your professors/teachers to find them, too. There are, literally, hundreds of websites for teachers that will run an essay through a plagiarism detector. Even Google will locate phrases that have appeared elsewhere. It isn’t worth it. You will get a zero and possibly fail amongst other punishments.Universities are free to expel you and to not give a tuition refund.
Macbeth notes for Honors English 4
Remember that you cannot have a printed copy of notes in your notebook for the end of the grading period notes test.
Macbeth
Published around 1603 as a way for Shakespeare to win favor with King James; James supposedly was a descendant of Banquo and was interested in witchcraft.
Takes place in Scotland around the year 1100. Most of the characters are real in history, but are portrayed differently in the play.
MACBETH: ACT 1
THE 3 WITCHES FORSEE THE FUTURE. FROM THE BEGINNING, THEY ARE MALICIOUS.
THE TRAITORS ON THE BATTLEFIELD WILL BE EXECUTED; MACBETH WILL BE GIVEN THE TITLE THANE OF CAWDOR BECAUSE OF HIS BRAVERY DURING BATTLE.
THE BLOODY CAPTAIN BROUGHT ALL OF THE NEWS.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth
The Witches
MACBETH ACT 1
MACBETH AND BANQUO DISCOVER THE WITCHES ON THE HEATH. HE IS REFERRED TO AS THANE OF GLAMIS, WHICH HE IS. HE IS THEN REFERRED TO AS THANE OF CAWDOR AND KING, WHICH HE IS NOT…YET.
BANQUO IS GIVEN 3 PARADOXICAL STATEMENTS: 1. LESSER THAN MACBETH, BUT GREATER 2. HAPPIER, BUT NOT SO HAPPY 3. NOT A KING, BUT WILL HAVE KINGS
MACBETH ACT 1
LADY MACBETH GETS THE NEWS FROM MACBETH IN A LETTER. SHE ASKS TO BE “MADE INSENSITIVE” TO WHAT SHE IS ABOUT TO DO; HER PLAN: SHE WILL DRUG GUARDS. MACBETH WILL USE GUARDS’ DAGGERS TO KILL DUNCAN. BLOOD ON GUARDS WILL MAKE THEM SEEM GUILTY.
MC. FEARS HIS WIFE’S PLOT B/C HE IS THE KING’S SUBJECT.
MC.’S FATAL FLAW WILL BE HIS LUST FOR POWER.
LIT ELEMENTS: A)THE PLAY IS WRITTEN IN BLANK VERSE (UNRHYMED IAMBIC PENTAMETER).B) A PARADOX IS A CONTRADICTION.
MACBETH:ACT 2
MC THINKS HE SEES A DAGGER; HE FEELS GUILT ALREADY, BUT DECIDES TO KILL DUNCAN ANYWAY.
MC HAS KILLED DUNCAN,BUT LADY MC TELLS HIM TO QUIT DWELLING ON IT; SHE’S THE ONE WHO REPLACES THE DAGGERS.
THE PORTER CALLS UPON THE DEVIL & IS UNAWARE OF THE CRIME(DRAMATIC IRONY). PORTER TAKES A LONG TIME TO ANSWER MACDUFF’S KNOCK; MACDUFF THINKS HE’S SLEEPING.
MACBETH: ACT 2 CONT.
MALCOLM &DONALBAIN FLEE FOR FEAR OF THEIR OWN LIVES AND BECAUSE SOME THINK THEY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH DUNCAN’S DEATH.
BANQUO MEETS W/ NOBLES TO DISCUSS THE MURDER.
OMENS ARE USED THROUGHOUT: SCREAMING, WILD HORSES; EARTHQUAKE; LENNOX IS FEARFUL BECAUSE OF THESE.
MCB. IS UNABLE TO PRAY/SAY AMEN; CAN’T SLEEP
`Banquo says he has had dreams; he fears there may be some truth.
MACBETH HAS GONE TO SCONE. HE WILL BE CROWNED KING THERE.
MACDUFF WILL RETURN HOME TO FIFE.
DUNCAN’S BODY WILL BE BURIED AT COLMEKILL, AN ISLAND WHERE ALL SCOTTISH KINGS ARE BURIED.
MACBETH ACT 3
BANQUO FEELS HOPEFUL THAT HIS SONS WILL BE KING.
MCB. discusses ‘BARREN SCEPTER’, WHICH IS AN OMEN THAT HE WON’T HAVE HEIRS TO THE THRONE.
MCB. TELLS 2 HIRED MURDERERS TO KEEP QUIET B/C HIS &BANQUO’S FRIENDS WOULD BE UPSET.
FLEANCE HAS ESCAPED; MCB.NERVOUS.
ACT 3 CONT.
MCB. TALKS TO BANQUO’S GHOST.
LENNOX IS NOW SARCASTIC & ALL NOBLES ARE SUSPICIOUS OF ALL EVENTS REGARDING MCB.
MCB KNOWS HE’S IN TROUBLE.
LIT ELE: SIMILE, METAPHOR, ETC IN THIS SECTION…
MACBETH ACT 4
HECATE MAKES MCB. OVERCONFIDENT AS SHE DECIDES TO GET INVOLVED WITH MAC’S RUIN.
WITCHES TELL MCB. TO CALL UPON THE APPARITIONS, BUT DON’T ASK TOO MUCH.
MCB. IS TOLD “NO ONE BORN OF WOMAN “ WILL HURT HIM. HE DECIDES TO KILL MACDUFF ANYWAY.
LADY MACDUFF DOESN’T LISTEN TO THE MESSENGER. HE WARNS HER TO FLEE AND SHE DOESN’T. IDENTITY IS UNKNOWN…
ACT 4 (CONT.)
MALCOLM PRETENDS HE IS TOO EVIL TO BECOME KING SO THAT HE CAN GET MACDUFF’S LOYALTY.MALCOLM AND MACDUFF VOW TO OVERTHROW MACBETH.
ROSS JOINS MALCOLM AND MACDUFF TO SAY THAT HE’S SORRY, BUT HE BRINGS BAD NEWS.
WHEN MACDUFF HEARS ABOUT HIS FAMILY’S FATE, MALCOLM TELLS HIM TO GET ANGRY AND DO SOMETHING.
ACT 4: C HARACTER INFO.
THERE ARE MESSENGERS AS FOLLOWS:
CROWNED CHILD: “Macbeth will not be vanquished until Birnam Wood marches to Dunsinane.”
BLOODY CHILD: “No man born of a woman will harm Macbeth.”
ACT 4 CHARACTERS (CONT.)
BANQUO’S GHOST:”The 8 ghostly kings are Banquo’s offspring.”
ARMED HEAD: “Beware of Macduff”
ROSS: “Macbeth has killed Macduff’s family”
ACT 5
THE GENTLEWOMAN REFUSES TO REPEAT LADY MACBETH’S SLEEP-TALK TO THE DOCTOR BECAUSE THERE ISN’T A WITNESS TO CONFIRM IT.SHE IS AFRAID THAT SHE’LL GET IN TROUBLE IF SOMEONE THINKS SHE LIES.
THE “DAMNED SPOT” THAT LADY MACBETH REFERS TO IS DUNCAN’S BLOODSTAIN.
MACBETH TRIES TO REASSURE HIMSELF THAT MALCOLM AND MACDUFF ARE NOT A THREAT TO HIM B/C THEY ARE BOTH BORN OF WOMEN.
ACT 5 (CONT.)
MACBETH’S REACTION WHEN LADY MACBETH DIES IS THAT LIFE IS REALLY JUST A PATH TO DEATH.
MACDUFF DECLARES THAT HE MUST KILL MACBETH B/C HE MUST AVENGE THE MURDERS.
ACT 5 (CONT.)
MACBETH REALIZES THE WITCHES DECEIVED HIM WITH THEIR MESSAGES.
MALCOLM IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS KING.
IMAGES OF DAGGERS, WOODS, AND CHILDREN ARE USED THROUGHOUT THE PLAY AS SYMBOLS AND OMENS OF EVIL AND SINISTER HAPPENINGS.
CHARACTERS, ACT 5
CHARACTERS’ REVELATION:
SEYTON: REVEALS THAT LADY MACBETH IS DEAD.
LADY MACBETH: REVEALS MURDERS OF LADY MACDUFF AND DUNCAN (in her sleep)
THE MESSENGER: REVEALS THAT BIRNAM WOOD IS APPROACHING THE CASTLE ( INVADERS)
CHARACTER REVELATIONS
MALCOLM:REVEALS THAT HIS SUPPORTERS WILL BE MADE EARLS (ROYAL TITLE)
PLAY IS WRITTEN IN BLANK VERSE, WHICH MAKES THE SPEAKERS SOUND MORE NATURAL IN TERMS OF THE RHYTHM OF THEIR SPEECH.
Lit Terms to know for the test:
Catalyst
Imagery
Tragic hero
Tragic flaw
Tragedy, comedy, history
Metaphor, simile, personification
Macbeth
Published around 1603 as a way for Shakespeare to win favor with King James; James supposedly was a descendant of Banquo and was interested in witchcraft.
Takes place in Scotland around the year 1100. Most of the characters are real in history, but are portrayed differently in the play.
MACBETH: ACT 1
THE 3 WITCHES FORSEE THE FUTURE. FROM THE BEGINNING, THEY ARE MALICIOUS.
THE TRAITORS ON THE BATTLEFIELD WILL BE EXECUTED; MACBETH WILL BE GIVEN THE TITLE THANE OF CAWDOR BECAUSE OF HIS BRAVERY DURING BATTLE.
THE BLOODY CAPTAIN BROUGHT ALL OF THE NEWS.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth
The Witches
MACBETH ACT 1
MACBETH AND BANQUO DISCOVER THE WITCHES ON THE HEATH. HE IS REFERRED TO AS THANE OF GLAMIS, WHICH HE IS. HE IS THEN REFERRED TO AS THANE OF CAWDOR AND KING, WHICH HE IS NOT…YET.
BANQUO IS GIVEN 3 PARADOXICAL STATEMENTS: 1. LESSER THAN MACBETH, BUT GREATER 2. HAPPIER, BUT NOT SO HAPPY 3. NOT A KING, BUT WILL HAVE KINGS
MACBETH ACT 1
LADY MACBETH GETS THE NEWS FROM MACBETH IN A LETTER. SHE ASKS TO BE “MADE INSENSITIVE” TO WHAT SHE IS ABOUT TO DO; HER PLAN: SHE WILL DRUG GUARDS. MACBETH WILL USE GUARDS’ DAGGERS TO KILL DUNCAN. BLOOD ON GUARDS WILL MAKE THEM SEEM GUILTY.
MC. FEARS HIS WIFE’S PLOT B/C HE IS THE KING’S SUBJECT.
MC.’S FATAL FLAW WILL BE HIS LUST FOR POWER.
LIT ELEMENTS: A)THE PLAY IS WRITTEN IN BLANK VERSE (UNRHYMED IAMBIC PENTAMETER).B) A PARADOX IS A CONTRADICTION.
MACBETH:ACT 2
MC THINKS HE SEES A DAGGER; HE FEELS GUILT ALREADY, BUT DECIDES TO KILL DUNCAN ANYWAY.
MC HAS KILLED DUNCAN,BUT LADY MC TELLS HIM TO QUIT DWELLING ON IT; SHE’S THE ONE WHO REPLACES THE DAGGERS.
THE PORTER CALLS UPON THE DEVIL & IS UNAWARE OF THE CRIME(DRAMATIC IRONY). PORTER TAKES A LONG TIME TO ANSWER MACDUFF’S KNOCK; MACDUFF THINKS HE’S SLEEPING.
MACBETH: ACT 2 CONT.
MALCOLM &DONALBAIN FLEE FOR FEAR OF THEIR OWN LIVES AND BECAUSE SOME THINK THEY HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH DUNCAN’S DEATH.
BANQUO MEETS W/ NOBLES TO DISCUSS THE MURDER.
OMENS ARE USED THROUGHOUT: SCREAMING, WILD HORSES; EARTHQUAKE; LENNOX IS FEARFUL BECAUSE OF THESE.
MCB. IS UNABLE TO PRAY/SAY AMEN; CAN’T SLEEP
`Banquo says he has had dreams; he fears there may be some truth.
MACBETH HAS GONE TO SCONE. HE WILL BE CROWNED KING THERE.
MACDUFF WILL RETURN HOME TO FIFE.
DUNCAN’S BODY WILL BE BURIED AT COLMEKILL, AN ISLAND WHERE ALL SCOTTISH KINGS ARE BURIED.
MACBETH ACT 3
BANQUO FEELS HOPEFUL THAT HIS SONS WILL BE KING.
MCB. discusses ‘BARREN SCEPTER’, WHICH IS AN OMEN THAT HE WON’T HAVE HEIRS TO THE THRONE.
MCB. TELLS 2 HIRED MURDERERS TO KEEP QUIET B/C HIS &BANQUO’S FRIENDS WOULD BE UPSET.
FLEANCE HAS ESCAPED; MCB.NERVOUS.
ACT 3 CONT.
MCB. TALKS TO BANQUO’S GHOST.
LENNOX IS NOW SARCASTIC & ALL NOBLES ARE SUSPICIOUS OF ALL EVENTS REGARDING MCB.
MCB KNOWS HE’S IN TROUBLE.
LIT ELE: SIMILE, METAPHOR, ETC IN THIS SECTION…
MACBETH ACT 4
HECATE MAKES MCB. OVERCONFIDENT AS SHE DECIDES TO GET INVOLVED WITH MAC’S RUIN.
WITCHES TELL MCB. TO CALL UPON THE APPARITIONS, BUT DON’T ASK TOO MUCH.
MCB. IS TOLD “NO ONE BORN OF WOMAN “ WILL HURT HIM. HE DECIDES TO KILL MACDUFF ANYWAY.
LADY MACDUFF DOESN’T LISTEN TO THE MESSENGER. HE WARNS HER TO FLEE AND SHE DOESN’T. IDENTITY IS UNKNOWN…
ACT 4 (CONT.)
MALCOLM PRETENDS HE IS TOO EVIL TO BECOME KING SO THAT HE CAN GET MACDUFF’S LOYALTY.MALCOLM AND MACDUFF VOW TO OVERTHROW MACBETH.
ROSS JOINS MALCOLM AND MACDUFF TO SAY THAT HE’S SORRY, BUT HE BRINGS BAD NEWS.
WHEN MACDUFF HEARS ABOUT HIS FAMILY’S FATE, MALCOLM TELLS HIM TO GET ANGRY AND DO SOMETHING.
ACT 4: C HARACTER INFO.
THERE ARE MESSENGERS AS FOLLOWS:
CROWNED CHILD: “Macbeth will not be vanquished until Birnam Wood marches to Dunsinane.”
BLOODY CHILD: “No man born of a woman will harm Macbeth.”
ACT 4 CHARACTERS (CONT.)
BANQUO’S GHOST:”The 8 ghostly kings are Banquo’s offspring.”
ARMED HEAD: “Beware of Macduff”
ROSS: “Macbeth has killed Macduff’s family”
ACT 5
THE GENTLEWOMAN REFUSES TO REPEAT LADY MACBETH’S SLEEP-TALK TO THE DOCTOR BECAUSE THERE ISN’T A WITNESS TO CONFIRM IT.SHE IS AFRAID THAT SHE’LL GET IN TROUBLE IF SOMEONE THINKS SHE LIES.
THE “DAMNED SPOT” THAT LADY MACBETH REFERS TO IS DUNCAN’S BLOODSTAIN.
MACBETH TRIES TO REASSURE HIMSELF THAT MALCOLM AND MACDUFF ARE NOT A THREAT TO HIM B/C THEY ARE BOTH BORN OF WOMEN.
ACT 5 (CONT.)
MACBETH’S REACTION WHEN LADY MACBETH DIES IS THAT LIFE IS REALLY JUST A PATH TO DEATH.
MACDUFF DECLARES THAT HE MUST KILL MACBETH B/C HE MUST AVENGE THE MURDERS.
ACT 5 (CONT.)
MACBETH REALIZES THE WITCHES DECEIVED HIM WITH THEIR MESSAGES.
MALCOLM IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS KING.
IMAGES OF DAGGERS, WOODS, AND CHILDREN ARE USED THROUGHOUT THE PLAY AS SYMBOLS AND OMENS OF EVIL AND SINISTER HAPPENINGS.
CHARACTERS, ACT 5
CHARACTERS’ REVELATION:
SEYTON: REVEALS THAT LADY MACBETH IS DEAD.
LADY MACBETH: REVEALS MURDERS OF LADY MACDUFF AND DUNCAN (in her sleep)
THE MESSENGER: REVEALS THAT BIRNAM WOOD IS APPROACHING THE CASTLE ( INVADERS)
CHARACTER REVELATIONS
MALCOLM:REVEALS THAT HIS SUPPORTERS WILL BE MADE EARLS (ROYAL TITLE)
PLAY IS WRITTEN IN BLANK VERSE, WHICH MAKES THE SPEAKERS SOUND MORE NATURAL IN TERMS OF THE RHYTHM OF THEIR SPEECH.
Lit Terms to know for the test:
Catalyst
Imagery
Tragic hero
Tragic flaw
Tragedy, comedy, history
Metaphor, simile, personification
RGAD notes for AP lit
RGAD: Intro.
Existentialism: the individual as unique and alone in an indifferent, often hostile, environment; sense of meaningless; man’s inequality
Mood: tense; sense of foreboding
Characters: Rosencrantz; Guildenstern; players; Alfred; and various Hamlet characters
Allusion: to Hamlet
RGAD: Themes
Existential void: man can ask questions, but receives no answers; man is confused by several realms of reality
People lose their identity as they get caught up in life. Free will isn’t really free because we are moved by forces we don’t understand.
Man accepts. He is heroic because he submits to the forces he cannot understand.
RGAD: Themes
The protagonists (R & G) are puppets or absurd clowns. They are the heroes.
Death is just another realm; man dissolves into this darkness and disappears. Death is just the absence of being present.
Stoppard questions the presence of God or some power. No one can be sure…
RGAD: other important info.
Author: Tom Stoppard
Date: 1967
Play: tragi-comedy (both tragic and comical)
Play: a farce; theater of the absurd in terms of actions, plot, etc.
Setting: 12th c. Denmark; Elsinore
Devices: witty language; unknown focus; dialogue as repartee; word games
RGAD: act 1
RG seem confused as to their own identities. Why?
How do RG seem caught up in what they cannot control?
How does G. describe truth? (p. 39)
What do they think of Hamlet? Is it same or different from the orig. play?
RGAD: act 2
Who seems to be in control?
How do you know that RG are aware that they have no control? ( see p. 60)
What bothers the players? ( see p. 63)
What comments do RG make regarding the pornographic elements of the play? (see p. 65; 80)
How do they feel about life? (see p. 71)
What do RG want to know?
RGAD: act 2
What do RG realize on p. 79?
How do RG actually look at their own death at the end of the mime?
What feelings do RG have at the end of act 2? See p. 94…
RGAD: act 3
How do RG feel at the beginning of the act?
Are RG free of Hamlet and the other characters? How do you know?
Do they discover the letter? What happens?
Who else is on the boat? Why?
What do RG feel about their mission even after realizing the truth?
Review Ques.
Could RG have changed the outcome of their lives?
What generalizations can be made about the characters of RG?
How do you know RG are dead?
In what way is the play existential?
What comments are made about truth throughout the play?
Act 1
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are standing near Elsinore. They have been flipping a coin that continues to land exactly the same way for over 90 times eventually.
They discuss the fact that they have been “sent for” with no perception as to why.
They spend much of their down time in discussions regarding life, death, human nature, truth, etc. (existential ideas)
Act 1
Polonius, Gertrude, Claudius appear and suggest to R and G that they should determine the cause of Hamlet’s madness.
Uncertain of what to do, they practice together what they will say to Hamlet, play at “questions” game, etc.
When they meet Hamlet, he has the upper hand and they are disappointed with themselves.
Act 2
Hamlet and R & G have a conversation. They discuss the fact that they truly got little information from Hamlet.
They seem confused as to where they are or why they are there. This can be connected to the existentialist ideology.
They realize that they have little control over what is happening. “Wheels have been set in motion.”
Act 2
They hear Hamlet ask the players to perform the play.
The player also gives an philosophical statement with, “You don’t know the humiliation of it…to be tricked out of the single assumption which makes our existence viable---that somebody is watching.”
Death as a topic is discsussed, with Rosencrantz suggesting that death is really life, but in a box.
Act 2
Claudius and Gertrude question R & G. They try again to speak with Hamlet, but gain nothing.
The play is performed and the players explain what is happening in the dumb show that begins the play within the play.
R & G are sent to find the location of Polonius’s body. They seem confused again as to which way to go (again, existentialism). They see Hamlet dragging the body, but do nothing.
Finish off with, “I like to know where I am. Even if I don’t know where I am, I like to know that.”
Act 3
R & G wake up to sounds of the sea and darkness.
They seem nervous but also joyous at the freedom. “ Free to move, speak, extemporise, and yet. We have not been cut loose.”
They see Hamlet and know that they are holding a letter.
They seem to know that they are taking Hamlet to England, but have no idea of the consequences.
Act 3
They seem to have the notion that death is there, and that they should fear it. However, G. says that they should not give up. He suggests that death is “not being” and that it isn’t possible because they are on a boat. (He’s rationalizing that which cannot be rationalized.)
They hear music and realize that they players are on board, too. They say that they are in trouble for offending the king.
Act 3
They realize that Hamlet is gone. This brings up the additional realization that they are in big trouble. G says “death is not anything.” R says, “so that’s it, then, is it?”
They end with, “There must have been a moment, at the beginning, where we could have said---no. But somehow we missed it.”
R and G simply disappear. Last scene shows all of the dead bodies from the duel scene in Hamlet.
Existentialism: the individual as unique and alone in an indifferent, often hostile, environment; sense of meaningless; man’s inequality
Mood: tense; sense of foreboding
Characters: Rosencrantz; Guildenstern; players; Alfred; and various Hamlet characters
Allusion: to Hamlet
RGAD: Themes
Existential void: man can ask questions, but receives no answers; man is confused by several realms of reality
People lose their identity as they get caught up in life. Free will isn’t really free because we are moved by forces we don’t understand.
Man accepts. He is heroic because he submits to the forces he cannot understand.
RGAD: Themes
The protagonists (R & G) are puppets or absurd clowns. They are the heroes.
Death is just another realm; man dissolves into this darkness and disappears. Death is just the absence of being present.
Stoppard questions the presence of God or some power. No one can be sure…
RGAD: other important info.
Author: Tom Stoppard
Date: 1967
Play: tragi-comedy (both tragic and comical)
Play: a farce; theater of the absurd in terms of actions, plot, etc.
Setting: 12th c. Denmark; Elsinore
Devices: witty language; unknown focus; dialogue as repartee; word games
RGAD: act 1
RG seem confused as to their own identities. Why?
How do RG seem caught up in what they cannot control?
How does G. describe truth? (p. 39)
What do they think of Hamlet? Is it same or different from the orig. play?
RGAD: act 2
Who seems to be in control?
How do you know that RG are aware that they have no control? ( see p. 60)
What bothers the players? ( see p. 63)
What comments do RG make regarding the pornographic elements of the play? (see p. 65; 80)
How do they feel about life? (see p. 71)
What do RG want to know?
RGAD: act 2
What do RG realize on p. 79?
How do RG actually look at their own death at the end of the mime?
What feelings do RG have at the end of act 2? See p. 94…
RGAD: act 3
How do RG feel at the beginning of the act?
Are RG free of Hamlet and the other characters? How do you know?
Do they discover the letter? What happens?
Who else is on the boat? Why?
What do RG feel about their mission even after realizing the truth?
Review Ques.
Could RG have changed the outcome of their lives?
What generalizations can be made about the characters of RG?
How do you know RG are dead?
In what way is the play existential?
What comments are made about truth throughout the play?
Act 1
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are standing near Elsinore. They have been flipping a coin that continues to land exactly the same way for over 90 times eventually.
They discuss the fact that they have been “sent for” with no perception as to why.
They spend much of their down time in discussions regarding life, death, human nature, truth, etc. (existential ideas)
Act 1
Polonius, Gertrude, Claudius appear and suggest to R and G that they should determine the cause of Hamlet’s madness.
Uncertain of what to do, they practice together what they will say to Hamlet, play at “questions” game, etc.
When they meet Hamlet, he has the upper hand and they are disappointed with themselves.
Act 2
Hamlet and R & G have a conversation. They discuss the fact that they truly got little information from Hamlet.
They seem confused as to where they are or why they are there. This can be connected to the existentialist ideology.
They realize that they have little control over what is happening. “Wheels have been set in motion.”
Act 2
They hear Hamlet ask the players to perform the play.
The player also gives an philosophical statement with, “You don’t know the humiliation of it…to be tricked out of the single assumption which makes our existence viable---that somebody is watching.”
Death as a topic is discsussed, with Rosencrantz suggesting that death is really life, but in a box.
Act 2
Claudius and Gertrude question R & G. They try again to speak with Hamlet, but gain nothing.
The play is performed and the players explain what is happening in the dumb show that begins the play within the play.
R & G are sent to find the location of Polonius’s body. They seem confused again as to which way to go (again, existentialism). They see Hamlet dragging the body, but do nothing.
Finish off with, “I like to know where I am. Even if I don’t know where I am, I like to know that.”
Act 3
R & G wake up to sounds of the sea and darkness.
They seem nervous but also joyous at the freedom. “ Free to move, speak, extemporise, and yet. We have not been cut loose.”
They see Hamlet and know that they are holding a letter.
They seem to know that they are taking Hamlet to England, but have no idea of the consequences.
Act 3
They seem to have the notion that death is there, and that they should fear it. However, G. says that they should not give up. He suggests that death is “not being” and that it isn’t possible because they are on a boat. (He’s rationalizing that which cannot be rationalized.)
They hear music and realize that they players are on board, too. They say that they are in trouble for offending the king.
Act 3
They realize that Hamlet is gone. This brings up the additional realization that they are in big trouble. G says “death is not anything.” R says, “so that’s it, then, is it?”
They end with, “There must have been a moment, at the beginning, where we could have said---no. But somehow we missed it.”
R and G simply disappear. Last scene shows all of the dead bodies from the duel scene in Hamlet.
comparison contrast essay rubric
Dimension 1:
Grammar and mechanics There are no more than 2 total errors and none of them are fragments or run on sentences There are 2-4 errors and none are fragments or run on sentences There are 5-8 errors in total. There are more than 8 total errors.
Dimension 2:
Focus; thesis;
organization Thesis is clear and concise; transitions are used; clear focus throughout Some focus issues that are not too distracting; fuzzy thesis; still organized Organization issues including paragraphing; thesis unclear; transitions are elementary Major errors in organization; thesis is not there or vague; no use of transitions
Dimension 3:
Support; examples; discussion There are multiple examples of support There may be just one example per paragraph. There are some examples of support, but not in all paragraphs. There is very little support, detail or example.
Dimension 4:
Introduction; conclusion The intro. Is catchy; contains thesis; matches the conclusion; sophisticated Intro and conclusion do their job Intro and conclusion are present but inadequate for paper’s style Either or both are absent or unrecognizable in purpose
Dimension 5:
Content; ideas Full discussion of ideas; clarity; sophisticated style Slightly less sophisticated than a “4” score Paper is adequate in content without going above and beyond; style issues Paper has major issues in content, areas left out, incomplete thoughts, etc.
“Comparison/Contrast Essay”
Dimension 6: Word Sophisticated words;
Choice/Sent. Style much variety in style Some variety in vocab
And sent. Style Basic sent. Style not at level
Automatic Deductions:
Incorrect use of font; typestyle; margins; cover page; spacing_DEDUCT UP TO 15_______________
Incorrect length of essay (less than 2 full pages)DEDUCT_UP to 50____________
Essays of 2 full pages will receive a maximum “B” grade; 3 full pages or more can/MAY receive an “A” grade
Total Score___________/150
Grammar and mechanics There are no more than 2 total errors and none of them are fragments or run on sentences There are 2-4 errors and none are fragments or run on sentences There are 5-8 errors in total. There are more than 8 total errors.
Dimension 2:
Focus; thesis;
organization Thesis is clear and concise; transitions are used; clear focus throughout Some focus issues that are not too distracting; fuzzy thesis; still organized Organization issues including paragraphing; thesis unclear; transitions are elementary Major errors in organization; thesis is not there or vague; no use of transitions
Dimension 3:
Support; examples; discussion There are multiple examples of support There may be just one example per paragraph. There are some examples of support, but not in all paragraphs. There is very little support, detail or example.
Dimension 4:
Introduction; conclusion The intro. Is catchy; contains thesis; matches the conclusion; sophisticated Intro and conclusion do their job Intro and conclusion are present but inadequate for paper’s style Either or both are absent or unrecognizable in purpose
Dimension 5:
Content; ideas Full discussion of ideas; clarity; sophisticated style Slightly less sophisticated than a “4” score Paper is adequate in content without going above and beyond; style issues Paper has major issues in content, areas left out, incomplete thoughts, etc.
“Comparison/Contrast Essay”
Dimension 6: Word Sophisticated words;
Choice/Sent. Style much variety in style Some variety in vocab
And sent. Style Basic sent. Style not at level
Automatic Deductions:
Incorrect use of font; typestyle; margins; cover page; spacing_DEDUCT UP TO 15_______________
Incorrect length of essay (less than 2 full pages)DEDUCT_UP to 50____________
Essays of 2 full pages will receive a maximum “B” grade; 3 full pages or more can/MAY receive an “A” grade
Total Score___________/150
Monday, October 25, 2010
Hamlet notes and information
Hamlet Background
Written between 1599-1601.
The historical background dates to the 12th century.
A tragedy with Hamlet as the tragic hero, with revenge as the tragic flaw.
Setting: Denmark; 12th century; Royal castle called Elsinore
Hamlet Characters (cont. on slide 4)
Hamlet: prince of Denmark
Claudius: King of Denmark; uncle to Prince Hamlet
Gertrude: queen; Prince’s mother
Polonius: govt; official to Claudius
Horatio: Prince’s friend
Laertes: son to Polonius
Ophelia: former love to Prince H; daughter to Polonius
Young Fortinbras: Prince of Norway
Genre Information
Genre: tragedy
Characteristics:1. a tragic hero who is genuinely a good person but who has a flaw that sets into motion the action of the play.
Use of soliloquy and asides to pass on necessary information (I.e. Hamlet’s “to be or not to be…”)
Hamlet Characters
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern: schoolmates of Prince
Osric: messenger
Voltimand and Cornelius: ambassadors from Norway
Marcellus, Bernardo and Francisco: castle guards
Reynaldo: servant to Polonius; sent to spy on Laertes
Grave diggers: comic relief in the play
Ghost: King Hamlet; father to Prince H.
Symbols and Themes (to be completed by you…)
Symbols:
1. Yorick’s skull
2. Ophelia’s flowers
3. Clothing
4. Mourning colors/black
5. poison
Themes: 1. Deceit
2. Appearance vs. reality
3. Family relationships
4. Death and its impact on the living
5. Revenge
6. friendship
Act 1 (Hamlet means prince; ghost refers to King Hamlet)
Francisco is on guard duty. Bernardo relieves him and is joined by Horatio and Marcellus, who see the ghost, but it won’t speak to them.
King and Queen hold court, and Laertes is given permission to return to school in Paris.
K/Q tell H To get over his dad’s death.
Act 1
In his soliloquy, Hamlet reveals his sadness over his father’s death and mother’s quick marriage.
Hamlet is told of the ghost.
Laertes tells Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet.
Polonius gives Laertes all sorts of advice.
Act 1
There is a party in the castle.
Horatio, Marcellus and Hamlet are outside the castle when the ghost appears.
Hamlet follows the ghost; it is dead King Hamlet. The ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his death (Claudius killed him), but not to harm Gertrude.
Horatio and Marcellus have heard the conversation.
Act 2
Reynaldo is sent to spy on Laertes in Paris. Polonius doesn’t really trust his son.
Prince Hamlet has begun to act “mad.” The debate is whether he really is mad or just acting. Polonius thinks the behavior is lovesickness over Ophelia.
R and G are asked by the king to spy on Hamlet and to find out reason behind his madness.
Act 2
Polonius enters and says that Hamlet’s strange behavior is because of Ophelia’s rejection of him, but Claudius disagrees and wants proof.
Claudius and Polonius plan for Ophelia to meet Hamlet and speak to him while they hide and listen in.
R and G admit to Hamlet that they have been told to spy.
Act 2
Actors come to the castle to perform. Hamlet seizes this opportunity and asks them to perform a specific play, “The Murder of Gonzago.” He asks one player to insert 12-16 lines that he will add to the original play.
Hamlet feels that the play will reveal the guilt of Claudius. “The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”
Act 3
R and G tell the king that they aren’t sure of Hamlet’s behavior.
Hamlet’s soliloquy reveals his confusion, whether he should kill himself or Claudius. Religious reasons hold him back.
Hamlet denies ever loving Ophelia, perhaps to save her from the doom he knows is coming.
Act 3
Polonius is no longer convinced of Hamlet’s lovesickness.
During the play, Claudius leaves when the murderer puts poison in the actor king’s ear. Hamlet sees it as an admission of guilt. Hamlet will focus on his revenge against Claudius.
Claudius reveals that he intends to send Hamlet to England.
Act 3
Gertrude wants to speak to her son before he leaves . Hamlet goes to her chambers, while Polonius hides behind the arras to listen in. When she cries out, Hamlet stabs the arras, thinking it’s Claudius.
When he realizes it’s Polonius, he takes the body away and hides it. Everyone thinks Hamlet is mad for real.
Act 4
The queen reveals the death of Polonuis.Claudius orders the body of Polonius found.
Claudius says Hamlet must be sent away.
King tells Hamlet that he’s being sent to England; R and G are ordered to go with him to see that he gets there.
In a soliloquy, Claudius reveals that Hamlet will be put to death in England.
Act 4
Fortinbras and an army cross Denmark. King Fortinbras was defeated by old King Hamlet, and Norway lost some land to Denmark. So, Prince Fortinbras had a vendetta to get Denmark. However, a truce was settled and now Denmark agrees to let Norway cross Danish territory on their way to Poland to fight over a fairly worthless piece of land.
Act 5
Ophelia has drowned…suicide.
Grave diggers discuss whether she deserves a Christian burial; one thinks she doesn’t since she committed suicide.
They speak with Hamlet and Horatio, not knowing who Hamlet is.
They pull up skulls, which cause Hamlet to reflect upon life/death, etc.
Act5
One skull belonged to Yorick, the king’s jester when Hamlet was a child.
The funeral procession comes. Laertes and Hamlet get into a scuffle on the grave. Hamlet says that he truly loved Ophelia. Queen declares Hamlet mad.
Hamlet leaves, and Claudius reminds Laertes that he can soon get revenge.
Act 5
Hamlet lets it be known that he has returned; he had earlier sent a message to Horatio. Now he reveals that his ship was attacked, and he was the only one to escape. He rewrote the letter to England, which now says that R and G (the bearers of the letter) are to be put to death.
Act 5
Osric brings the duel challenge from Laertes. Laertes and Claudius have a plan to “fix” the duel with poisoned swords and drinks.
Hamlet begins by apologizing to Laertes, but L. doesn’t accept. The duel. Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine by accident. Laertes scrapes Hamlet with the poisoned sword.
Act 5
Hamlet and Laertes mistakenly exchange swords, and Hamlet strikes at Laertes (with the poisoned sword).
Gertrude realizes that she has been poisoned. Laertes also admits his role in the chaos.
Hamlet lunges at Claudius and kills him.
Act 5
Fortinbras is named as king of Denmark ( no one else left in succession).
Horatio summarizes the tragedy.
Hamlet is to be given a hero’s burial.
DEAD PEOPLE: King Hamlet, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Ophelia, Gertrude, Claudius, Prince Hamlet, and Laertes…
Written between 1599-1601.
The historical background dates to the 12th century.
A tragedy with Hamlet as the tragic hero, with revenge as the tragic flaw.
Setting: Denmark; 12th century; Royal castle called Elsinore
Hamlet Characters (cont. on slide 4)
Hamlet: prince of Denmark
Claudius: King of Denmark; uncle to Prince Hamlet
Gertrude: queen; Prince’s mother
Polonius: govt; official to Claudius
Horatio: Prince’s friend
Laertes: son to Polonius
Ophelia: former love to Prince H; daughter to Polonius
Young Fortinbras: Prince of Norway
Genre Information
Genre: tragedy
Characteristics:1. a tragic hero who is genuinely a good person but who has a flaw that sets into motion the action of the play.
Use of soliloquy and asides to pass on necessary information (I.e. Hamlet’s “to be or not to be…”)
Hamlet Characters
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern: schoolmates of Prince
Osric: messenger
Voltimand and Cornelius: ambassadors from Norway
Marcellus, Bernardo and Francisco: castle guards
Reynaldo: servant to Polonius; sent to spy on Laertes
Grave diggers: comic relief in the play
Ghost: King Hamlet; father to Prince H.
Symbols and Themes (to be completed by you…)
Symbols:
1. Yorick’s skull
2. Ophelia’s flowers
3. Clothing
4. Mourning colors/black
5. poison
Themes: 1. Deceit
2. Appearance vs. reality
3. Family relationships
4. Death and its impact on the living
5. Revenge
6. friendship
Act 1 (Hamlet means prince; ghost refers to King Hamlet)
Francisco is on guard duty. Bernardo relieves him and is joined by Horatio and Marcellus, who see the ghost, but it won’t speak to them.
King and Queen hold court, and Laertes is given permission to return to school in Paris.
K/Q tell H To get over his dad’s death.
Act 1
In his soliloquy, Hamlet reveals his sadness over his father’s death and mother’s quick marriage.
Hamlet is told of the ghost.
Laertes tells Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet.
Polonius gives Laertes all sorts of advice.
Act 1
There is a party in the castle.
Horatio, Marcellus and Hamlet are outside the castle when the ghost appears.
Hamlet follows the ghost; it is dead King Hamlet. The ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his death (Claudius killed him), but not to harm Gertrude.
Horatio and Marcellus have heard the conversation.
Act 2
Reynaldo is sent to spy on Laertes in Paris. Polonius doesn’t really trust his son.
Prince Hamlet has begun to act “mad.” The debate is whether he really is mad or just acting. Polonius thinks the behavior is lovesickness over Ophelia.
R and G are asked by the king to spy on Hamlet and to find out reason behind his madness.
Act 2
Polonius enters and says that Hamlet’s strange behavior is because of Ophelia’s rejection of him, but Claudius disagrees and wants proof.
Claudius and Polonius plan for Ophelia to meet Hamlet and speak to him while they hide and listen in.
R and G admit to Hamlet that they have been told to spy.
Act 2
Actors come to the castle to perform. Hamlet seizes this opportunity and asks them to perform a specific play, “The Murder of Gonzago.” He asks one player to insert 12-16 lines that he will add to the original play.
Hamlet feels that the play will reveal the guilt of Claudius. “The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”
Act 3
R and G tell the king that they aren’t sure of Hamlet’s behavior.
Hamlet’s soliloquy reveals his confusion, whether he should kill himself or Claudius. Religious reasons hold him back.
Hamlet denies ever loving Ophelia, perhaps to save her from the doom he knows is coming.
Act 3
Polonius is no longer convinced of Hamlet’s lovesickness.
During the play, Claudius leaves when the murderer puts poison in the actor king’s ear. Hamlet sees it as an admission of guilt. Hamlet will focus on his revenge against Claudius.
Claudius reveals that he intends to send Hamlet to England.
Act 3
Gertrude wants to speak to her son before he leaves . Hamlet goes to her chambers, while Polonius hides behind the arras to listen in. When she cries out, Hamlet stabs the arras, thinking it’s Claudius.
When he realizes it’s Polonius, he takes the body away and hides it. Everyone thinks Hamlet is mad for real.
Act 4
The queen reveals the death of Polonuis.Claudius orders the body of Polonius found.
Claudius says Hamlet must be sent away.
King tells Hamlet that he’s being sent to England; R and G are ordered to go with him to see that he gets there.
In a soliloquy, Claudius reveals that Hamlet will be put to death in England.
Act 4
Fortinbras and an army cross Denmark. King Fortinbras was defeated by old King Hamlet, and Norway lost some land to Denmark. So, Prince Fortinbras had a vendetta to get Denmark. However, a truce was settled and now Denmark agrees to let Norway cross Danish territory on their way to Poland to fight over a fairly worthless piece of land.
Act 5
Ophelia has drowned…suicide.
Grave diggers discuss whether she deserves a Christian burial; one thinks she doesn’t since she committed suicide.
They speak with Hamlet and Horatio, not knowing who Hamlet is.
They pull up skulls, which cause Hamlet to reflect upon life/death, etc.
Act5
One skull belonged to Yorick, the king’s jester when Hamlet was a child.
The funeral procession comes. Laertes and Hamlet get into a scuffle on the grave. Hamlet says that he truly loved Ophelia. Queen declares Hamlet mad.
Hamlet leaves, and Claudius reminds Laertes that he can soon get revenge.
Act 5
Hamlet lets it be known that he has returned; he had earlier sent a message to Horatio. Now he reveals that his ship was attacked, and he was the only one to escape. He rewrote the letter to England, which now says that R and G (the bearers of the letter) are to be put to death.
Act 5
Osric brings the duel challenge from Laertes. Laertes and Claudius have a plan to “fix” the duel with poisoned swords and drinks.
Hamlet begins by apologizing to Laertes, but L. doesn’t accept. The duel. Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine by accident. Laertes scrapes Hamlet with the poisoned sword.
Act 5
Hamlet and Laertes mistakenly exchange swords, and Hamlet strikes at Laertes (with the poisoned sword).
Gertrude realizes that she has been poisoned. Laertes also admits his role in the chaos.
Hamlet lunges at Claudius and kills him.
Act 5
Fortinbras is named as king of Denmark ( no one else left in succession).
Horatio summarizes the tragedy.
Hamlet is to be given a hero’s burial.
DEAD PEOPLE: King Hamlet, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Ophelia, Gertrude, Claudius, Prince Hamlet, and Laertes…
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