Hamlet:
William Shakespeare biography: * William Shakespeare is the grand literary figure of the Western world. During England's Elizabethan period he wrote dozens of plays which continue to dominate World Theater 400 years later. Shakespeare handled high drama, romance and slapstick comedy with equal ease, and so famous are his words that his quotes, from "To be or not to be" to "Parting is such sweet sorrow," take up more than 70 pages in recent editions of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. His works rival the King James Bible (also produced in the 1600s) as a source of oft-quoted English phrases. Shakespeare is known as "the Bard of Avon," in a nod to his birthplace, and many of his plays were originally performed in the famous Globe Theater in London. Among his best-known plays are Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and MacBeth. He is also known for his poetry, especially his sonnets. (Who2biographies) * William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582. Their daughter Susannah was born in 1583, and the twins Judith and Hamnet were born in 1585. Hamnet died in 1596... William Shakespeare's precise birthdate is not known; he was baptized on 26 April 1564, and over time 23 April has become the accepted date of birth, in part because he also died on 23 April in 1616.( Who2biographies) * Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories, and these are regarded as some of the best work ever produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. ( Wikipedia)
Summary:
* He's a moody kid with suicidal tendencies, a penchant for wearing black mourning clothes, and a habit of delivering long, drawn-out speeches on the futility of life.
And he's got some pretty intense problems: it turns out his father, Old King Hamlet, died less than two months ago, so Hamlet's feeling the loss. To make matters worse, his mother, Gertrude, has already remarried and is now the wife of Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, who's also helped himself to the Danish crown. And then a ghost claiming to be Old King Hamlet's spirit shows up, tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Hamlet's uncle/stepfather, and basically orders Hamlet to take revenge. Hamlet pretends to be a madman, runs around delivering lengthy philosophical speeches, verbally abuses his girlfriend, stabs his girlfriend's father in the guts, and terrorizes his mother.
Hamlet:
* Hamlet's predicament. He is young, in a tragic situation, and truly has no one to turn to that he can trust with whom he can discuss his thoughts and feelings just Horatio aside. Hamlet is the quintessential teenager trying to find his place in the world. Where do I fit in? What the heck is going on here? What do I do next? He is a sympathetic character. ( Army Lepore- High school teacher) * Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer/The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune/Or to take arms against a sea of troubles/And by opposing end them? * What is the outrageous fortune he is suffering? Is it the burden of having to murder his uncle or living in court without murdering him? If it's the former, then he's asking, "Should I kill my uncle or myself?" If it's the latter, he's saying, "Should I go on living and just grit my teeth, pretending I don't know what my uncle did, or should I fight him and die in the process? “It makes sense that Hamlet feels he will die if he "takes arms against" Claudius, because Claudius is the king, and the most serious crime an Elizabethan could commit was regicide. (Marcus Geduld, Artistic Director, Folding Chair Classical Theatre, NYC) * Hamlet is so angry at his mother, he can't hear this. In fact, his anger is too big for his mother to contain it, so it spills over her edges and drowns Ophelia. This is vital, because the audience may feel, to some extent at least, that Gertrude deserves Hamet's wrath. But Shakespeare goes to lengths to portray Ophelia as an innocent bystander -- a victim of Hamlet's misogyny. It's mostly to her that he pours out his hatred and disgust at women as sexual beings. Female sexuality is a threat to him, and no woman is as threatening as the one that attracts him. (Marcus Geduld, Artistic Director, Folding Chair Classical Theatre, NYC) * Hamlet is a man of radical contradictions -- he is reckless yet cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. He meets his father's death with consuming outrage and righteous indignation, yet shows no compunction when he himself is responsible. He uses the fragile and innocent Ophelia as an outlet for his disgust towards the queen, and cannot comprehend that his own vicious words have caused her insanity. Hamlet is full of faults. But how is it that even seemingly negative qualities such as indecisiveness, hastiness, hate, brutality, and obsession can enhance Hamlet's position as a tragic hero; a prince among men? * The actor who plays the Hamlet must make up his mind as to the interpretation of every word and deed of the character. Even if at some point he feel no certainty as to which of two interpretation is right, he must still choose one or the other. The mere critic is not obliged to do this. Where he remains in doubt he may say so, and, if the matter is of importance, he ought to say no. * Hamlet is extremely philosophical and contemplative. Hamlet becomes obsessed with proving his uncle’s guilt before trying to act. Hamlet also behaves rashly and impulsively. When he does act, it is with surprising swiftness and little or no premeditation, as when he stabs Polonius through a curtain without even checking to see who he is. He seems to step very easily into the role of a madman, behaving erratically and upsetting the other characters with his wild speech.--> Confusing people if he is insane.( http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/hamlet/canalysis.html) * Hamlet is a character who is very much driven by emotion and and impulsive. Hamlet is deeply conflicted about the choices he is making to avenge his father’s death. In a moving monologue, Hamlet pauses and takes the time to examine his motives and his very character. Yet just before the play begins, Hamlet is giddy with anxiety and anticipation, as Ophelia notes: “You are merry, my lord” (III.ii.128). In sum, one of the most interesting and compelling aspects of Hamlet as a tragic character is that he is not quite sure who he is and spends the play working on developing a sense of self—a difficult task given his circumstances. Clearly, Hamlet is still in the process of learning about his own complex identity, and is struggling with self-acceptance. At the time of his death, he has not fully resolved or accepted these complexities. In fact, it is his uncontrolled behavior and failure to resolve his emotions that precipitates his own death.
Does Hamlet pretend insane? Is it so that no one will suspect him of planning to murder the king?
Hamlet is normal person facing the situation which anyone can be related.
The Great Gatsby:
Biography about author: Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist and short story writer, whose works are the paradigmatic writings of the Jazz Age. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the 1920s. He finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby (his best known), and Tender Is the Night. A fifth, unfinished novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, was published posthumously. Fitzgerald also wrote many short stories that treat themes of youth and promise along with age and despair.
Born in 1896 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to an upper-middle-class family, Fitzgerald was named for his famous second cousin, three times removed, Francis Scott Key, but was referred to by the familiar moniker Scott Fitzgerald. He was also named in honour of his deceased sister, Louise Scott,[3] one of two sisters who died shortly before his birth. "Well, three months before I was born," he wrote as an adult, "my mother lost her other two children ... I think I started then to be a writer." His parents were Mollie (McQuillan) and Edward Fitzgerald. His mother was of Irish descent, and his father had Irish and English ancestry. Fitzgerald is the first cousin once removed of Mary Surratt, hanged in 1865 for conspiring to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Scott_Fitzgerald) * Fitzgerald uses many different mediums to express his views on the "American Dream." In fact, the entire novel can be seen as a commentary on the subject. One symbolic way in which he shows his disenchantment with the "American Dream" is his stark contrast between the haves and the have-nots. East and West Egg are separated to show the difference between new and old money. Fitzgerald comments on the idea that the American Dream is a hoax and one must be born into money in order to reap the benefits. Gatsby, although rich on his own, will never be like Daisy or Tom. The vast lake sybolizes the vast separation between the classes, even if they intermingle at times. Also, the valley of ashes is described so differently than the other places in the novel. Literally "on the other side of the tracks," this place is described using dark colors, and depressing imagery. This symbolizes the divide between the physically and metaphorically far-apart classes. The poor will never have what the wealthy do, no matter how much effort and change is made. Gatsby is a prime example of this. He will always be James Gatz inside.
Green
The green light is suggestive of the desire of Gatsby for Daisy, his envy of her lifestyle and his desire for her.
Once Gatsby connects with her, Daisy's green light no longer burns.
Blue - This color does not exist in nature, so it represents an illusory state.
In Chapter Three, Gatsby has huge parties every Friday in his "blue gardens [where] men and women came and went like moths,"
In fact, much that has to do with Gatsby is blue: his chauffeur's uniform, the dress that he gives to one of his partygoers when hers rips, his first sports jacket after he begins working for Dan Cody,
In Chapter Two, Myrtle Wilson changes into a blue dress as she plays the role of Tom Buchanan's mistress, the eyes of Dr. Eckleberg are "blue and gigantic."
Mr. Wilson, "a blonde, spiritless man, anaemic and faintly handsome." He has "light blue eyes."
Yellow - Often the color of decadence, corruption, and evil, yellow appears frequently in the novel.
At Gatsby's lawn parties the two young women wear yellow dresses.
Daisy and her possessions, such as the couch, her attire, and her automobile are white, suggesting sophistication and purity. But, Jordan says that she and Daisy have "left our white childhood." And, like the flower after whom she is named, the core of Daisy is corrupt.
Gatsby's car is yellow, like the sun near which Icarus flies. There is an ominousness to yellow, and there is corruption to it as the twin girls at Gatsby's part in Chapter Three wear yellow dresses.
The Theme * New money and old money clash as self-made men like Gatsby enter the social sphere of old wealthy families like the Buchanans. * The American Dream rings hollow as wealth results in not contentment, but corruption and moral dissolution. * Dreams and reality blur in Jay Gatsby’s mind, and the consequences are tragic as he sacrifices everything for a love based on fantasy. * West and East America contrast in the same way West Egg and East Egg contrast; the West represents a hopeful new world, whereas the East is immoral and materialistic.
Jay Gatsby: he grew up as the son of poor farmers, and had to work as a janitor to pay his way through school. He later goes into the army, and it is during his time there that he meets Daisy, who he falls absolutely in love with. However, he has to go off to battle, and during that time, Daisy ends up marrying another man. Despite this, Gatbsy never stops thinking about Daisy.
After the army, he goes to Oxford and later makes a lot of money participating in criminal dealings. He uses his mass wealth to throw lavish parties that always draw a lot of people. Yet, he remains very mysterious, as he doesn't socialize with his guests, and no one really knows who he is. The purpose of these parties is really to attract Daisy in hopes that they can be back together again.
Eventually, he dies and becomes a neglected figure. Though he was a well-known name in life and had a powerful aura about him, only Nick and one other guest appear at his funeral.