- This is a harder question for me, considering I do not know any people who have been murdered or anything mentioned in the story. Here's what I came up with, however.

a. Hamlet's father died. I, too, lost my father. Fortunately he wasn't murdered. I do know, to some extent, how Hamlet felt when he found out his father had passed, before knowing that his uncle was the one who had killed his father. I know what it feels to have a void inside where your father once was. 'Nuff said.

b. I think I knew to some degree what Hamlet felt like when his own mother hurriedly got remarried after his father's passing. My cousin recently got divorced. His wife was one of my closest friends, honestly. She was my role-model, until she divorced my cousin, for the most ridiculous reasons. She broke his heart, and if that wasn't enough, stomped all over it too. A couple months later she was going out with another guy. It's very painful seeing how she let go of someone she had for twelve years to lower her standards, without even a decent amount of time to grieve over the one she let go.

c. Ophelia seems like a very obedient person in the way she agrees to not spend time with Hamlet. I think I know how she feels when she doesn't want to obey, but she does. I occasionally do this, though I think I'm much more stubborn than Ophelia. Most of the time I make my own plan as I go, and I tend to disregard logic in favor of what I want at the moment. I guess sometimes we need to obey our parents and trust that it's best for us.

3. What portions of Shakespeare's language attracts your attention? These might be individual words, phrases, lines, scenes, or images. Make note of whatever features draw your attention. Speculate for a few minutes about what you think they might mean.

- I really don't like Shakespeare's language because we use different language nowadays than they did back then. I guess the best part I've read is where he describes eyes as stars. It doesn't seem that significant, but I think eyes have deep meaning, as do stars. Therefore, I personally think describing eyes as stars was Shakespeare's best phrase in the script.

4. Make note of any portion of the play, its language, or events that cause you problems. Note any questions that you might ask.

- There is only one part in this play that bothers me a bit. That would be the part where Polonius is advising Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet. I do think it is typical, that a brother advise his sister in her love life, but I don't think he should have told her to stay away, because he doesn't know Hamlet as well as Ophelia does. Other than that, nothing causes me problems; it is a very well-written play.

Labels: English II Writing, schoolwork