Last Chapters of 1984

          I was truly disappointed in the ending of 1984. I didn't think the rats scare was enough. It was anti-climactic. Although I would truly be terrified of rats eating me, I did not expect Winston to be. I thought he had more of a fight left in him. I know he had been tortured down to such a feeble state, but earlier he told himself that the party was still wrong. It seemed that through some of his awful torture, he still knew the party was wrong. Also, I think it would have been a feat for Winston if he had died with the rats. It seemed that what he wanted was to die still hating the party and he missed that opportunity.
         It was sad when he had to face his emaciated body in front of the mirror. It was also interesting how Winston had just been thinking that O'brien looked old, and then he had to face his own looks. All of the torture that went on at the end of the book certainly made the party a more menacing figure. Throughout the whole novel they always seemed to pose a threat, but book three proved that. Even scarier, is their philosophy that obedience is not enough, Winston must also love the party. I was not surprised with his betrayal of Julia specifically because I do not believe that there was ever any love there. However, he and  Julia together did represent more. They, to me, represented the anti-party cause all together and when Winston betrayed her, he betrayed that cause also.  I wish the book could have ended how I had hoped, but it was still somewhat interesting. I thought it was clever that it ended kind of how it had started. Winston looks to the poster of Big Brother for comfort at both the beginning and end of the book. I enjoyed the story throughout, but wish the ending had been more climactic.

"The Book"

"The book" was a very interesting section of the story to read. Although it explained a lot, none of it was much of a surprise. However, it did show the party to be extremely devious and powerful. They have gone to such great lengths to maintain power and it is hard to see how they could ever lose it. The party completely disregards any human rights or freedoms. It was appalling to me that they keep the country constantly at war to be able to produce goods, yet they still keep over eighty percent of their population on the brink of starvation. At least if the proles/outer party had more food and necessities the war would benefit everyone, but it doesn’t. Every action taken by the party is intended to benefit only those in the party. It seems a lot like capitalism in that they just worry about themselves. While reading this I thought of the fat, capitalist presented earlier in the book. That is honestly how I see the inner party now. All they seem to do is bathe in their luxuries while everyone else works tirelessly for them. The reveal of the book was a perfect parallel to right before when Winston had just finished working an exhausting 90 hour week. He is so tired and dead and then he learns that its all just to keep the inner party wealthy. While my blog seems to be directly attacking the inner party, I don’t believe all the people in it would be doing this on purpose because of the double think that was explained. I believe that the main problem in this society is how uneducated and ignorant the people are. I feel that people in the inner part are “blissfully ignorant,” they enjoy everything they could want and many of them don’t truly understand what is going on in Oceania. 

The Unknown Citizen: Chapter 7

In this poem, the author, W.H. Auden, creates an image of the society at the time. He shows that having kids and being married was important, as well as keeping up with technology and owning a "phonorgraph" and "fridgaire." He also says that not being a scab (working when everyone else is striking) was important, while also remaining loyal to the company. In addition, one must be loyal to the nation. However, Auden seems to be addressing all of this with a sarcastic tone. It is hard to explain, because sarcasm is something we just know as people. However, one example where it seems pretty obvious the author is sarcastically mocking the expectations of the time period is when he says, "He held the proper opinions for the time of year; When there was peace, he was for peace; when there was war, he went." This is clearly sarcastic because it shows how people put little thought into how they actually felt and just went with the popular opinion. In the title, there lies some irony. If it wasn't for the title, one would think the "unknown citizen" would have been a very memorable person. He appears to have many good qualities and to be an all around good person. However, the author means to say that to be known one cannot simply do what everyone else does. That possibly being good in this society, or maybe even great, does not constitute as memorable. The last lines seem to be ironic as well. The author points out that the only way anything would have been known about the man was if something had been wrong. I enjoyed the poem because it is one that can be adapted throughout the ages. I just change phonograph to iphone, and I was able to see this poem very well.

Evolution of Julia

I did not see much change in Julia throughout these chapters. Although her and Winston are now able to express their sexual desires more freely, it still just is a sexual desire for her. However, she did surprise me with a few of her comments. When Winston begins talking politics with her, she says that she doesn't think the war even exists.This impressed me because I did not think Julia though beyond the realms of sex or rebelling sexually. Later in the conversation Winston explains exactly how a rebellion could play out, and she says she is only interested in her and Winston. I feel that if Julia and Winston's personalities could combine, they would be the perfect leader. One always has what the other is lacking. For example, Winston has the passion and desire for a rebellion while he lacks the leadership and higher thinking. Although Winston is very intelligent, he is more easily swayed by the parties propaganda. I was also surprised when Julia spoke about the 2 minutes hate, she said it was hard for her to contain her laughter. Previously, I did not think her hate for the government went past her inability to have sex, but these chapters proved that inaccurate. While Julia has thoughts beyond sex, she only wishes to take action on her sexual desires; like Winston says, she is "only a rebel from the waist down." With the food and the makeup I also saw more potential in Julia than I previously had. Not only does she hate the government, but she is able to notice the specific things the outer party is missing out on, something Winston is not able to do. Her bold and brave personality gives her the courage to question the lives they all live. After reading these chapters, I know that Winston and Julia together can do great things, but only if they are able to see where the other is coming from.

Julia

Although Julia's ideas were a surprise and I did not expect her to be so rebellious, I don't believe her personality has changed much. She is still a very strong woman, regardless of what 'party' she favors. She has extremely strong opinions and I think this could hurt her. She fails to agree with a lot of what Winston says, or she always has a comment to make about it. Her intense sexual drive did not come as a surprise after the note she sent to Winston. Julia is impressive in her ability to trick the party and maintain a good reputation. Winston seems to always be struggling to keep in his emotions and his feelings towards the party do not seem as strong as Julia's and she seems to easily conceal her feelings of hate. Her seemingly flawless strategies for private meeting prove that she is intelligent and experienced. For those that have read or seen catching fire, she reminds me a lot of Johanna. While she doesn’t directly scream negativity about the government, what she says in private resembles what Johanna says publically. I found it strange that she had never heard of the brotherhood, but it did not surprise me that she didn’t believe in it after she learned about it. I don’t think she has any faith in the society she lives in and for others to see the corruptness. I hope that Winston and Julia are able to influence others and start a rebellion, but it seems that their slightly different views could hold them back. 

Where is Winston headed?

It is very hard to predict Winston's future. This is mostly because he doesnt even know what he wants. One second he hates the party and decides the proles need to change everything, the next he is ready to commit suicide. One predication I have for Winston is that he might try and join the proles, if that is possible. He seems to really envy them and he knows they’re a party that can change the world. He also seems to envy the freedom they get to enjoy. On the other hand, when Winston is inspired I could see him being the face of a revolution. He has such perfect ideas and they make sense, like when he says “2+2=4” and that knowing what reality is will help. But, right after Winston goes and visits the proles he becomes terrified of the woman again. He also puts all of his trust back into the party as he reads the slogans again. I think the reason it is hard for anyone to rebel is because as much as they might like to, the party makes them feel safe. So, even though he has these ideas, the minute he gets scared he forgets everything he believes in and trusts the party again. His back and forth makes it hard to predict his future. I personally hope that he can be the face of a rebellion, but I think that its really hard to predict.

Chapter 1&2 of 1984: Privacy

In the novel 1984, nothing is secret. The main character, Winston Smith, cannot seem to have a private moment. At this point, it is still hard for me to understand what the thought police really do. It seems that they control how people think and that people cant think beyond certain boundaries. For example, Winston knows if he was ever caught writing in a journal he would be killed by the thought police. I think they don't like when people are able to think for themselves. The telescreen even made me feel a little creeped out. The thought of always being watched is very disturbing. Newspeak was also hard to understand, but from my interpretation it is all the propaganda they use. If newspeak is the propaganda then it truly poses the biggest threat on privacy. Through newspeak, big brother is not only invading in people's lives but even their brains. They control everything people think through their "hate" part of the day. However, certain aspects of America today reminded me of 1984. In 1984, the government gains their faith and loyalty from the people through fear. In America, when the Patriot Act was passed, it too was out of fear. The citizens and the government were so terrified of the 9/11 attacks, that the act seemed perfectly justified. The act allows a little too much snooping for most people to be comfortable with today. Also, many people find the TSA to overstep boundaries. I have never felt that my privacy was invaded. Also, I know that if someone I knew was on a plane and something happened to it, they would be the people I would blame. I understand their purpose and appreciate it.

The Road Not Taken: Robert Frost

I have known this poem for a very long time. In elementary school we may have read it every year. I have not read it since the 5th grade, so I was very excited to take a closer look at it now that I am able to understand much more about poetry. It was fitting that it started off the chapter on symbolism and allegory because the entire poem is a symbol. Through the two paths, Frost is able to represent two choices in life that one must make. His description of the "leaves no step had trodden back" is representative of the less common decision. Just like fewer people had taken and walked that path, fewer people had made a certain decision. It is also representative of something new in Frost's life. In deciding to "take the one less traveled" he is embarking on a new adventure. The one aspect of this poem that causes confusion is his line "I shall be telling this with a sigh." Here, it became unclear to me what Frosts' true purpose was. I interpreted this line to be his deep breath before something new. Maybe he was nervous about taking this new road, so he sighs right before then does it. Before I do something new I often find myself taking a deep breath then doing it. It can seem negative, his sigh, but I do not believe that is his intention. This poem is also representative of a decision that will have a long lasting effect. Frost says, "somewhere ages and ages hence" implying that he will see the effects of taking the road less traveled for a long time. This poem is one that after reading it will stick with anyone. It can resonate with any person because no matter how someone is or what their personality is like, everyone must make tough decisions.

Introduction to Poetry

I feel guilty writing this blog post after having read "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins. The central theme of the poem is that poetry should be felt and experienced, not criticized and analyzed. To convey this message, he compares poetry to different experiences. The poem is full of metaphors in these different experiences. The author says, "Drop a mouse into a poem/ And watch him probe his way out" to show that, like many science experiments and research, poetry is confusing. The image that comes to mind when I read this is a mouse running through one of those little mazes, sometimes never finding its way out or making it out in record time. The author uses this to show that poetry might not always make sense, and like a mouse can get different results running through a maze, readers can get different results reading poetry. He also compares reading a poem to "feel[ing] the walls for a light switch." Looking for a light switch is almost a scary experience. Dark is something everyone is a little bit afraid of, and when you look for a light switch its really all you want- safety and comfort. Looking for something you know is there is kind of what poetry is like. Every reader seems to know there is a meaning somewhere in there and they hunt for it because they want to know what the poem is about. I really liked the author's line about water-skiing, because it is something I really enjoy doing. When you water ski, you have so much and so little control at the same time. On one side, you can try and control which side you stay on more and how much tension you want between you and the rope. On the other though, one little wave can throw you off really easily and surprise you. I think this is kind of the beauty of poetry. There are many ups and downs and its almost all something you cannot control. His last lines are the most powerful where he ridicules people for doing exactly what I am doing now- digging into poems.

King Lear: Final Words

The final act of king lear was extremely confusing, which perfectly echoed the rest of the play. There was so much going on and although the subplots and main plot seemed to finally connect, I think it was done so poorly. Shakespeare doesnt transition at all; he just lists actions. I thought Lear's final words were especially interesting. It seemed that in Act 4, Lear had been able to understand all of his mistakes. In his final interaction with Kent, I couldn't tell if maybe he had not really learned or if it was truly his insanity setting in. I did not actually like Edmunds final good deed. Throughout the play he has been evil and I feel like his last attempt to do good was only to spare himself. I do not really think he cared for Lear or Cordelia but maybe he just did not want to die with anything negative on his conscious. In Kent's last words I felt bad for him. He's tried so hard to help Lear with everything and I think the reason he is so gloomy at the end is because his helps seems meaningless. Kent, throughout all his positive behavior, ends the play with thoughts of his death. It upset me that Cordelia did not survive, she was a character that was true to herself and her values under whatever circumstances. Her final words were confusing because when she dies it is very unclear. So, her actual final words don't seem as significant. I liked that at the end, Albany was open to sharing his newly gained wealth. I think it showed who he was as a person and that he was a good man. The end of this play was really bad because it seemed rushed. I think all of these events could have been spread out through an entire other play! Shakespeare's writing is so confusing. He is normally so elaborate and everything usually takes a long time to happen, but the last act is abrupt and has no flow.

Nature

I am a person that really appreciates nature. My grandfather lives in Chatham, so I've grown up on the beach. The water is my favorite place in the world and there are few things that make me happier than the beach can. But, the concept of nature I just focused on is very different, and more physical than in king lear. I think king lear focuses more on nature as in the way things naturally happen. Although they use apostrophes about something physical, there is much more meaning in it than king lear just liking or disliking something. King lear does not seem to take a clear stance on his feelings with nature and flip flops back and forth. During the storm, he seems to accept nature for what it is. He is out in the rain and takes in what everyone believes to be a crazy person. I think at this point, Lear had a moment where he kind of "danced in the rain" as people say. He was able to be a little more accepting of all his issues. However, he does flip flop. His age is only ever alluded to by other people, like his nasty daughters. Lear does not appear to be comfortable with his age nor is he accepting of it. He does not wish to be old and dying. Some people are accepting of the aging process, which must be a hard thing to do. A way in which I can see someone being mad at nature is when it randomly seems to target people. For example, so many innocent people die of cancer. Cancer was a disease "created" by nature and it seems unfair that someone can die so easily. Also, so many people are hit by natural disasters and im sure they often wonder "why me?" Sometimes nature can be nice though. :Like I said, i really enjoy the beach. The reason for this is I cant control anything, like the weather and the tide. A lot of the times we think back and look at how we could have changed a scenario but with nature, theres never really anything you can do and to me this is comforting.

Explication: Gathering Leaves

In Robert Frost's poem gathering leaves, Frost embraces the fall and the cleanup duty that comes along with it- raking leaves. Frost seems to really enjoy fall and nature. Most of the poem we read were either about nature or made many references to it in some way. I really enjoy this about Frost and I think it is what makes his poetry so special and beautiful. He is able to see things that many people do not notice in their daily lives. In the poem, "gathering leaves" he is able to show, what I see, as appreciation for such a mundane task. He calls the piles of leaves he creates "mountains." Also, many people may complain about having to carry bags of leaves back and forth but Frost opens his poem by calling the bags "light as balloons." Another reason that Frost seems to love the fall is that it is a season of harvest. He finishes his poem by saying "And Who's to say where, The harvest shall stop?" This line to me showed that although he has to work throughout the fall, he enjoys it and also needs it. Even when the leaves lose their color, frost seems to indicate that he still may have to work. To most that might have worked outdoors, maybe the leaves falling were a symbol of the work year slowing down. But, for frost, the work year does not seem to have a definitive end. I really enjoyed reading this poem, especially now during the fall. It seems that Frost is always able to give something so simple a different perspective.

King Lear Characters

The most obvious observation in similar personalities is Regan and Goneril. The two sisters are are extremely power hungry. Cordelia seems to truly be the most loyal to her father, king lear, but he is unable to appreciate this. Cordelia and the french prince must have similar motivations because the prince was able to overlook the fact that she didnt have any land. I really admired him for this because the characters in this book seem to all be very power hungry. King lear seems very similar to his two daughters, Regan and Goneril, in terms of their motivations. They seem to be the most motivated by power. I noticed this because just as easily as King Lear was able to give the power over to Regan and Goneril,Goneril was able to quickly turn on her father. Cordelia is very true to herself. She values love over money. When the duke decides he no longer wishes to court her now that she doesnt have any money, Cordelia is perfectly okay with this. She says she wouldn't want to be with him if all he wanted was money anyways. I found this to be an admirable quality in her. I think that if king lear needed, he would be able to go to Cordelia. Kent too seems like a loyal character. I felt bad that Cordelia was banished along with the other advisor. The king seems to make very rash decisions and seems to be very concerned with the ways others view him.

"Those Winter Sundays"

I choose the poem “Those Winter Sundays” because it reminded me a lot of my dad. Like the speaker’s father, my father too works in a job that requires manual labor. The winter is a tough season for many families, regardless of their occupation. The way the father does all these favors and it kind of goes unnoticed. If I had to guess, I think this poem would have been written after Hayden’s father died. The author describes the speaker’s hands in great deal to show his labor and long life. He also tells a story of how his father would take great care of the fire during the winter. He describes the “blueblack cold” he’d have to experience if it were not for his father. In the last two lines it seems that the author truly regrets his inability to appreciate his fathers hard labor. He says, “What did I know, What did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?” As a child, Hayden probably did not understand what hard work truly was. For most children it is very hard to appreciate what parents do. No baby says thank you for changing a diaper, as a teenager the “thank yous” for rides did not come often, and the lunches packed, and meals made become an expectation. Many people do not realize what their parents do for them until those children become parents and are forced to do those same tasks. The author mostly uses imagery to convey this message of appreciating what you have. 

Characters in Hamlet

1. Laertes: In Hamlet, youre supposed to root for Hamlet but I did not feel that he really lived up to his expectations. Laertes is willing to do whatever for his father. I see him as an honorable character that is dedicated to his family until the death.
2. Hamlet: Although I found myself favoring Laertes over Hamlet, it is clear that from the start young Hamlet has much more on his plate than Laertes. In the end, not only is his father dead but he still has to deal with the fact that a ghost is talking to him and that his mother is married to his uncle. Throughout all of Hamlets indecision I was able to see why he might take so long to decide and act upon things- there are so many different factors to be taken into consideration.
3. Horatio: Horatio is a loyal friend to Hamlet throughout the play no matter the level of his insanity. He always able to put himself above a lot going on within in the corrupt walls of the castle and this is an admirable trait because wealth and power can be very tempting.
4. Ophelia: I truly feel pity for Ophelia. I wish she was able to disobey her fathers commands and be with Hamlet but during the time that would have been an awful thing to do. The reason Ophelia is not higher up is because although I feel pity, I do not seeing her as doing anything admirable within the play.
5. Gertrude: Gertrude is a character that is always changing and is easily swayed by the men in her life. One second she is backing up her son and then the next she is backing up her brother-in-law/husband. I still believe she may not have gone into her relationship with Claudius 100% willingly so this allows me to somewhat excuse her decision to marry him. Had Gertrude been able to remain a more consistent character, she may have been ranked higher.
6. Polonious: I feel bad that he got killed for no reason but in the end he seemed to be a power hungry rat.
7. Claudius: Claudius is a dishonest and sinning man. He knows everything he has done is wrong and although I appreciate his acceptance of these things, his inability to act upon them concerns me.

35/10: Chapter 3 explication

In the poem 35/10 by Sharon Olds, the author shows the relationship between a mother and a daughter unfold. The title seems to be representative of the two characters ages, the mother being 35 and the daughter being 10. The mother seems to be uncomfortable with the way she is aging and refers to her body as sagging and drying in areas. Although she does this with her body, she refers to her hair as “gleaming” a word with both a positive connotation and denotation. Even though the gleaming hair is grey and may stand out, it seems she believes they do in a good way. Like all things, there are two sides to aging. I believe the author separates the hair and the body to show the two sides of aging. While on one side, she sees her aging as maybe a maturation and an “older and wiser” type deal, she also is feeling the negatives of a changing body. While the speakers body is changing, so is that of her daughters. Her daughter is coming closer to puberty while the mother is coming closer to menopause. The speaker compares the daughter to a “moist precise flower” and refers to herself as a pit. The speaker also oddly uses the menstrual cycle to represent life. As the mother ages and has fewer opportunities to bear children, the daughter is just beginning to develop them. These opportunities to bear children could possibly be a reference to opportunities in life, rather than just bearing children. Although menopause is supposedly a very emotional experience, I don’t believe this is what the author or any women would miss the most about being young and youthful. The author also gives a very different perspective on life and family by viewing her daughter as her replacement. Personally, I had never viewed myself as my mothers replacement on the earth, but after reading the poem it is easy to see this perspective. It was hard to tell if she meant “replacement” in a negative or positive light. Although a replacement can be some one that steals the spotlight, it can also be some one that carries on your family history and values. 

Thinking v Doing

Throughout the play, Hamlet is given choices on which he must eventually act upon. It became an obvious trend that Hamlet would spend quite a while making these decisions. The ghost presents itself very early on in the play and Hamlet spends a very long time grappling the ghost’s request. Hamlet finally acts on this except accidentally kills Polonious rather than Claudius. Hamlet spent so long debating his decision that I believe he over thought it. Over thinking is something I believe I do very often. During soccer though, this has easily become my biggest fault. I become so concerned with all the little complications that I often miss the big picture of getting the ball to another teammate. Hamlet has done just this, he spent so long thinking about it that I became a weight on his shoulder. He felt so badly he needed to get rid of it that he kills polonious. Being a thinker and a doer each have their benefits, but doing too much of either creates bad situations. Outside of soccer, I see myself as a doer. One of my biggest pet peeves is when trying to make plans with friends they bring in so many small issues and complications. I think it is fun to do things on a whim occasionally, it keeps life interesting. When it comes to school, I see myself as a doer as well. Although I plan out some of my work, I am able to get it all done without a strict plan laid out for me every night. But, being a doer is not always fun. Often times I make decisions and do not think of the consequences. I am easily upset or offended by things without truly thinking “is it worth it to get mad?” These little things easily get in the way of my life and make me wish I could maybe think a little harder at times. 

Explication of "The Mirror" by Sylvia Plath

In the poem “The Mirror” Sylvia Plath uses a mirror to symbolize the way perceptions change over time, specifically those of a woman. At the beginning, Plath makes the point the mirror is “exact” and “truthful.” She does this to emphasize the point that perceptions are what change, not the actual reflection. It is how the person sees this reflection that is constantly changing. To further prove this point, the author uses many different types of mirrors like a lake or candle light. The author implies that no matter what the mirror may be, it will always give back a truthful reflection. The mirror is unlike a person in many ways. The mirror has no “preconceptions” or judgments.

The poem takes the reader through the life of a woman, at the beginning she is a little girl. This is inferred when the author speaks of “pink” and “speckles” creating the image of a young child. She also says that the speckles and pink have become “part of [her] heart” implying that her inner child will always exist. The speaker grows in age throughout the poem and in the end is an “old woman.” But, the middle phase is the lake. Here, the speaker of the poem seems to be in a much darker place than the previously mentioned speckles and pink. The lake seems to be the place where the speaker is looking for herself. This is because the speaker must “bend over” to see her reflection, while as a child the mirror was just always there. The bending over suggests some sort of struggle and effort that must be in to see herself clearly. The lake becomes almost upset with the speaker when she turns to other mirrors. As the speaker ages, she seems to be upset with it and views it as closer and closer to death rather than a celebration of longevity. The mirror compares the speaker to a “terrible fish,” which becomes smellier and smellier with each day. 

To run or not run that is the question?
As I sprint by my track coach, I wonder if it is pleasure or disapproval in his eyes
As they glaze by me, panting and fatigued.
But hey, I just ran a mile
To run should be pleasing
Yet uncomfortable and challenging all the while
My feet hit the pavement, I feel the pounding reverberate throughout my body
My shin splints make their final call for help as I round the last 400 meters
Should one push through this pain? All for what?
For the feeling at the end? When you know you did the best that you could?
But, for times when you do poorly this running, this last push feels truly frivolous
As I see the clock move past 5 minutes on my last 400, I know this feeling at the end will not come
So then I ask myself again; to run or not to run?

As the school year comes to an end I begin to ask myself, will I train for soccer this summer?
Will I put myself through the grueling sprints every single day
In the
Heat
Rain
Thunder
Lightening
Am I willing to prove to my coach that, yes I am fit
To run is to show effort, perseverance, commitment, and dedication
To run is to take time and effort, it is to get sick because I ran too much, it is to be angry because I let the girl next to me beat me
Not to run is an extra hour in the day, an extra hour to write my college essay, an extra hour to watch TV, and extra hour to have all to myself to do whatever I please
Not to run is to show I do not care about soccer or track or even my own health
So, which shall be the nobler option? To push or not to push? To prevail or not?

Act 1, Scenes 4-5

     In these 2 scenes, Hamlet finally speaks with the ghost and then speaks with his friends about his recent encounter. At the very beginning of scene 4, Hamlet stands alongside his friends while Claudius takes part in a boisterous and drunken celebration. Despite the danish tradition of drinking, Hamlet is embarrassed of Claudius's behavior. His feelings towards Claudius seem very normal. First, Claudius had just recently told him that the death of his father was something he had to accept and get over. This advice is not only harsh, but the fact that it is coming from the man now replacing his father is definitely upsetting to hear. 

       For some reason, I found myself rooting for the Hamlet men here, dead or alive. The way the ghost is portrayed makes it hard to view Hamlet as crazy. Usually, when I'm reading there's an image in mind. While reading Hamlets conversation with the ghost, it was not a ghost I imagined, but just a king. It just shows that if it was this easy for the reader to be swayed by this ghost, it must of been much easier for Hamlet.The ghost's realness made me want him to seek vengeance on Claudius. I thought it was strange that Hamlet's friends were so against him initially following the ghost, but when he returns they are dying to hear the news. I don't know why I personally feel the ghost is so credulous. It also struck me how quick Hamlet was to follow the ghost. With everything he delays decisions, but follows the ghost immediately and against the request of his friends. Right after his return though, he spends a great deal of time and detail in making his friends swear on his sword to keep quiet about the ghost. He treats his friends almost in a childish manner by talking down to them and repeating himself. 

Initial Impressions on Hamlet

       My initial impressions on the play as a whole are that it seems very dark and deceiving. When we filled out that packet, I said I would do nothing about my suspicions of my uncle, but after reading the first 3 scenes my opinion has changed. King Claudius appears sketchy right off the bat. If Hamlet was written today, King Claudius would be the bully of the book. He is very sly in his mistreatment of Hamlet. He does not come off as an honest good person, and this is most apparent in his decision to marry Queen Gertrude. To me, it was suspicious how excited King Claudius became when Hamlet listened to his mother and decided to stay. It reminded me of a similar scenario in many movies and TV shows; when the bully gets the victim to give in, they appear to be elated. But, I think he is so happy because he may have plans to hurt Hamlet. Queen Claudia seems that she will play out to be a static character. I do not believe she will change or really have an impact because of the way she does what she is told. When Hamlet speaks of his father, it seems that he truly loved Claudia. It is strange that Claudia was able to move on so quickly and I did question whether or not she was forced into this marriage with King Claudius for there is power involved. Hamlet is clearly very depressed about his father. This is apparent when he talks to himself and wishes he could die. This also becomes apparent when he somewhat easily believes Horatio's ghost story. He still hangs on to his father and wishes he was there. Although 2 months is a very short time to move on from the loss of a loved one, it seems that this was the expectation during that time period so it is strange that Hamlet still wears grieving clothes. He is told by Claudia to stop wearing black, but unlike his orders to stay put, he does not listen to Claudia. Hamlet is already starting the book as crazy and it easy to imagine his downfalls in the play.