I feel like this was a pretty action packed act and a lot happened. The big thing that got me was when Polonius was killed. Why do you think Hamlet is not effected at all by what he did? It suprised me that he wasn't at all.
samantha- I think he already has a mindset on murder and he thought that he was killing Cladius. He was already going to kill Cladius so another murder is not going to affect him. He also did not feel to strngly towards Polonius anyway.
samantha, maybe the pretending to be mad turned him truly mad. he probably doesn't know what he just did because he is so filled with grief and pain and the fact that he is acting mad but he reall is. te question i have is... what my gertrude's feeling towards the death of plolonius? (i have mixed feelings toward it)
Samantha- I agree with you, I was surprised by Hamlet's reaction to his killing of Polonius. I was disturbed that he did not show any sort of feelings of guilt for his mistake.
Samantha- I think that the feelings that he had towards Polonius were so negative that his death was actually a relative relief for Hamlet. I also think that Hamlet was accepting of his fate and he knew that he would not find any swift salvation after what he planned to do to Claudius-Polonius' murder was only another item on the list.
Sam- I think that Hamlet was just overwhelmed with everything going on and he didn't think that Polonius' death was a big deal. He was surprised when he killed Polonius but he doesn't feel like it matters and he still wants to finish what he started with the King.
sAm- i feel that hamlet has so much more "important" problems to worry about that killing polonius wasn't such a big deal to him. Yeah he murdered someone and that is a big deal, but i feel he is so much more preoccupied about what he is going to do about Claudius and Ophelia etc. Also he could be just shocked and in a disoriented state of mind that he just hasn't really realized what he has just done.
Samantha- I believe that Hamlet is not at all affected by this murder because he is in such a rage after finding out that Claudius did indeed kill his father. His anger provocted and justified Polonius' death in his mind.
Sam- I think that hamlet is so into what is going on that the death a polonius doesnt worry him. he has more on his mind and i dont think that polonius really meant anything to him so he didnt care but he could also be a little heartless because his father was mudered too. I was a little more confused by gertrudes reaction. she didnt react like i expected
courtney- I think polonious's death did not effect gertrude personally, only in the fact that her son just killed someone. She gets scared, yet she doesn't care that Polonious just died. This proves further that she is self centered. I think claudius will be greatly effeted by this though.
Class- What do you think will happen to Hamlet after this series of events? By events I mean the murder of Claudius and the king's reaction to the play. Do you think his punishment will stop him from seeking his revenge?
Kyle- maybe the ghost can only appear to people that care/cared about him. I think it is very odd that the guards at the begining saw the ghost yet gertrude did not.
Kyle- I believe that the Ghost didn't appear to Gertrude because the conflict is between the Ghost and Hamlet. The ghost is testing Hamlet and told Hamlet not to take it out on his mother, so the ghost is there to talk to Hamlet and Gertrude shouldn't see the Ghost. This also makes Hamlet look even more crazy because he is talking to the wall and sees something, but Gertrude doesn't.
kyle- I think that that is just more proof that the ghost is probably just all in his mind because he is going mad. I just don't understand why then Horatio and his other friend were also able to see the ghost. But the ghost does not want to involve Gertrude in this matter as he clearly told Hamlet. So I think that is why she was not able to see him. she needs to stay out of this situation.
Kyle- I think that maybe Hamlet feels betrayed by gertrude and knows that she wont help young hamlet on his mission. I also thinkk that old hamlet feels that gertrude doesnt deserve to see his spirit because of what she did
Emily- I think that now that Hamlet knows Claudius killed his father and the fact that Hamlet disregards his own life, he will attempt to kill Claudius. His mind is set on seeking revenge for his father's ghost.
Kyle - I don't think that Old Hamlet's ghost did not appear because the ghost talked to him about not torturing Gertrude. If the ghost was visible to her, then she might be even more tortured than Hamlet criticizing her.
kyle, I think Gertrude doesn't see Old Hamlet's Ghost because she doesn't really care about the death as much as Hamlet. She moved on right away and she never shows any huge grief from the fact that Old Hamlet Passes away. But the grief that Hamlet goes through is a much huger amount than Gertrude.
KC- i agree with you about hamlet being crazy and this proving it, but then how do you explain the guards see the ghost at the begining? Maybe because they will help Hamlet in the end?
Class-The inner circle asked a question: will the guilt that Cladius displayed in the play will continue throughout the play? I think that this is true. We see in the confession room that he breaks down and admits out loud that he indeed did kill King Hamlet. I feel that once you express such emotion and admit to yourself that you did something so terrible it just sticks in your mind and you cant let it go. I feel that his guilt will just continue on and on and will possibly lead to a confession to the public of what he did. What do you all think?
Emily- I think that Claudius will succeed in getting rid of Hamlet for a time by sending him to England, but the end for Claudius is inevitable. Hamlet vowed to kill Claudius at the peak of his sin and will not give up now that the ghost's words have been proven true through the observance of Claudius' guilt after the play.
sook- maybe Gertrude knew about this after all. Maybe she knew about it after Old Hamlet is already gone. I still don't believe that Gertrude had something to do with it though.
ashley- That is very interesting. Now that Polonius is gone it will be tough for Hamlet to get to Cladius. And if Ophelia uncovers how her father was killed she will loose all trust for Hamlet. This will make it very difficult for him to get to Cladius now that Cladius will be very cautious of Hamlet because he knows what he is capable of.
Class- Do you think that Hamlet is really the "good guy" here. In other words even though we all know what really happened to his father do you think that he is committing too much evil and could potentially become just as evil as Claudius himself? The accidental murder of Polonius and yelling at his mother being some examples.
Emily - Hamlet will definitely want to take revenge, since he now knows that Claudius did kill Old Hamlet. He's mad, and it seems nothing will stop him from killing Claudius. Because of his madness, he is blinded by his thirst for revenge. Hamlet cannot concentrate on anything else.
Sam- I never thought about that! it does make since that the gaurds will be the only ones to help amlet in the end because why else would the ghost reveal himself to two unimportant characters if they will not have some importance to him in the end
Emily- I can see how Hamlet is becoming just as bad because he has killed Polonius, took it out on his mother, and is stirring up problems with other people, but Hamlet is trying to get revenge but I don't think he is bad. He is just getting all of this attention because no one will listen to him but the King is the real "bad person" and must be stopped, and Hamlet is the only one who knows.
Class- now that Claudius knows that Hamlet understands that Claudius killed Hamlet's father, why do you think Claudius is taking such a passive role in getting rid of Hamlet? If he was worried about Hamlet seeking revenge, wouldn't he arrest him or order him sent to a mad house?
Charlie- there will be no need to use Ophelia to get to claudius with out polonious. I dont think there will be any need at all to get to claudius at all anymore. All he needs to do at this point is kill Claudius. He has already proven that he is crazy.
Sam- yeah thats a good point. If the ghost was only focused on Hamlet his self plotting revenge; it wouldnt be necessary to reveal himself to the guards. good point
ashley- I think your right, I think that the ghost of Old Hamlet didn't appear to gertrude because he knows that Gertrude knew about what happened to him but she didn't do anything about it. And I think the ghost just wants Hamlet to deal with this on his own and he doesn't want gertrude to be involved.
Sam- I completely agree with you and I never amde that connection. I wonder why the guards could see the ghost but Gertrude could not. Is there some symbolism there or a reason for that? I think you had the right idea in saying that they might help Hamlet in seeking his revenge.
emily- I don't think he is a good guy at all. Anyone that tries to take out revenge to the point of death is not a good person. He has gone way to far by murdering the innocent Polonius by accident. He has gone mad and there is no stopping him at this point.
Emily- i am honestly confused about hamlets character in the play, i sometimes wonder if hamlet himself has had something to do with the murder and doesnt yet realize it, he seems like hes slowly going insane wonder if he will find out things about himself when he discovers the complete truth about the murder
Class What do you guys think about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? I didn't think they would continue to spy on Hamlet. They must value money over friendship. This continues the theme of Hamlet angainst the world. He has no one to help him not even his best friends.
Emily- I think that Hamlet has fully excepted his fate and his part as the tragic hero makes him feel as if his life is nothing. Hamlet told his mother that he would repent for the murder of Polonius and he has accepted the blame for that. Hamlet also knows that Claudius must now die and he can no longer stretch time to fit his agenda.
Emily- I think that by commiting murder, Hamlet is just as bad as Claudius. If Hamlet were to try to expose Claudius for what he is to everyone, that would be acceptable, however an eye for an eye is not justified.
Emily - It seems there is no defined line between good and bad in this play. I feel that the audience cannot give sympathy to either Claudius or Hamlet. Hamlet seems "good", yet he is so obsessed with this revenge. A truly "good" character is not shown. Not even Gertrude or Ophelia.
kc- I think that Claudius feels so much emotion and guilt more than ever. And I think that there is a possibility that he may just come out of his shell and confess.
Class-After Hamlet's harsh treatment of Ophelia as Claudius and Polonius looked on, why do you think that he put himself and Ophelia through further mental agony by sitting by her during the play?
sean- I agree. They have really betrayed Hamlet and it just adds to his lack of value on his life. A man who does not care if he lives or dies is a very dangerous person. He will try to murder Cladius but he doesn't care what happens so there is nothing stopping him from doing it. He needs someone that is really special to him to get him to change his mind about going through with the murder.
To go along with what I said, who in the story do you consider "well intentioned" or "good" because it seems to me that everyone has some sort of hidden agenda.
Soo- i agree that hamlet is seen as good and maybe he shouldnt be. I think it is like this because he is acting for someone else.. the ghost. if he was doing all of this on his own it would be different or if it were for no reason, which is like what claudius.
Sean- I too thought that after being exposed by Hamlet for spying on him, they would feel bad and change loyalties. The fact that they have failed to do this is suprising, but it proves that they are not true friends. This also fits into the theme of spying and deciet that occurs during this time.
MICHACHU- I agree with you about the ghost not revealing himself to gertrude. because claudius is her husband, there is a large chance that she will do anything to protect him
Ryan - If Claudius put Hamlet in jail or a madhouse, his actions might be questioned. Hamlet being put in jail could mean that Claudius had committed the murder. By sending him to England, it seems like Hamlet is going to school, when it is actually exile. By getting rid of Hamlet in this way, no one will question Claudius and Hamlet will be far away and will not be able to tell anyone of this secret.
sean n- Im not surprised with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Because if they could do it once they will do it again and again. That just shows that their friendship with Hamlet is worthless. And that money is more important than their friendhip.
Sean- I think that there is still a small faction in the castle that remain loyal to Hamlet. The irony of the whole thing, however, is that the only ones who do remain loyal are those who are simply doing their job and serving the lords of the castle. Horatio is a servant and he does as he is told by Hamlet.
Kyle- i think he is sitting by Ophelia during the play to futher agonize polonious. with this he is proving that he is better then polonious, no matter what orders he gives, hamlet will always surpass them. hamlet is at a higher level.
Sean - Although they will stop spying, I don't think that Hamlet will trust them. Like the inner circle said, the only person Hamlet can trust is Horatio. But are Rosencrantz and Gildenstern very important characters? It seems like Claudius has hired them to spy on him, and yet they haven't done very much.
Ash- in reguards to your convo with Mel do you really, truely think that she loves him? I think if by some miracle Hamlet came back she would leave Claudius for him. It just sticks out in my mind how at the beginning of the play Hamlet spoke of how much she loved him, and how she would never leave his side, and would always take care of him. I think that Gertrude is just confused still, i just dont get the feeling she truely loves him.
Ashley- I think that if Hamlet tried to take Claudius public and prove that he was guilty, the people would rally against Hamlet. I also believe that Hamlet knows this and thus will not try to prove Claudius is a murderer, but try to make things right by returning the favor to Claudius.
ryan- I also think that Claudius is trying to keep all of this under the table, where on the other hand Hamlet is not afraid to tell everyone, he is not the guilty one. If claudius does something drastic he would be questioned and would need a reason. His reason is that he murdered the king so he does not want that information to be let out. He wants this whole situation to be hidden.
K to the C- ya i agree with you.I dont understand gertrude, she seemed as if she had undying love for him yet she allowed herself to be with his brother, im starting to question rather or not she choose to be in the relationship. maybe Cluadius forced her?
Class- Do you think that Polonius's murder is ironic and Polonius's karma for snooping in on Hamlet and Gertrude's conversation? Is this indirectly realted to Hamlet's frustration about everyone spying on him?
Ashley - The whole town seems to side with Claudius rather than Hamlet. After the death of Old Hamlet, Claudius took his throne, while younger Hamlet was still mourning. Even if Hamlet tells the town, I don't think that they will believe him. I think that they will assume that he is mad with grief, and he is just seeing things.
Ashley- I think that the acts of Claudius are so foul that there will be no mercy in the hearts of his followers. Hamlet has tried so hard to prove that Claudius has committed a mortal sin and I don't think that he would drop the ball with the hopefully public accusation and conviction of Claudius. Hamlet has driven himself crazy (maybe not literally) with this role that he has been playing and I don't think that all this effort will go to waste.
ashley- He will not be able to gain the support from the town due to lack of proof. He will say a ghost told him it happened and the twon will just continue to think he is crazy. He will never really be able to gain any support besides the two friends that also saw the ghost.
Ash- In response to the question you asked I think that the town will be split fifty fifty on what they believe. I think that half will believe Claudius because maybe they dont want to believe that their king could do such a thing. Also Hamlet clearly has no problem making himself appear to be completly insane. Most people are not going to believe what comes out of a crazy persons mouth. I think that Some may believe Hamlet because of the reaction to the play that they actors put on. Obviously he was nervous and uncomfortable and that is very suspicous.
ashley- Yes, I think that Claudius has the power to completely turn the town against Hamlet! Hamlet is already displayed as CRAZY, so if he tries to pinn Claudius for the murder I don't think people will take him seriously.
class- I wonder how ophelia will act towards Hamlet after she finds out that hamlet killed her father (polonius)? Do you think she can forgive him. Do you think she will still love him? Or will she turn against him?.
Kyle When Hamlet and Ophelia are at the play they speak and act as if nothing has happened. In the movie Ophelia has a somewhat ammused look on her face. Hamlet's actions can be explained by his apparent insanity. Ophelia might have acted the way she did because she still has pity for him. She realizes that Hamlet is under a lot of stress and could be losing his sanity.
ashley- i think eiter gertrude was forced into the marriage or she chose to marry him for other reasons. Maybe it was for the good of the kingdom, with her as part of the thrown she can help make things run smoothly. Yet at the same time she acts like she loves claudius too. she has me comfused about what she really feels.
Emily- I do think that Polonius' death is ironic but I never thought of it as karma or Hamlet's frustration of spies. I think that Shakespeare had Polonius killed by Hamlet to add drama to the play and the other characters might thnk Hamlet meant to kill Polonius to get to Ophelia. This also showed the audience that Hamlet had no hesitations to kill (who he thought) Claudius.
Emily- I think that Polonius deserved what was coming to him. He is essentially an accomplice to Claudius' crime and he deserved a fit punishment. It doesn't matter whether or not he knew what Claudius had done, but he has helped to such a high degree to cover his tracks by getting rid of Hamlet's insatiable drive to undo Claudius.
KC i agree that the people will be split. some people will follow the king because he is the king, yet some people will actually think about it and realize what is right and true.
Ash- yeah that could very will be a possibility! We all have seen how controllin Claudius is. He seems to be very proud to have a trophy wife like Gertrude. Maybe she was some what "brain washed" when she was so very vulnerable after the time of the death of her husband. Maybe claudius took advantage of that! hmmmm..makes ya wonder. -"k to the C" hahhahahaha
Milenda- I think that after the way Hamlet has acted towards Ophelia alone has made it too hard for her to still love him. If she finds out that he killed her father Polonius as well, Ophelia will never be able forgive Hamlet.
Milenda - I think that Ophelia won't know what to do. She has always been controlled by her father, and without him, she won't know how to act toward Hamlet. Shakespeare usually portrays women as weak, so Ophelia will probably not turn against him and cling on to Hamlet.
kyle- if polonious does not deserve to be killed because he is an accomplise then hamlet deserves no harm either. He is simply the accomplise to the ghost.
alliem- Good point! I think that since Claudius is the king. He has enough power to turn the town against him. And if Hamlet tries to make the town be against Claudius I dont think he'll prevail.
Kyle- I agree with you Polonius was a sneaky little guy, he was always spying and working against Hamlet. I think it is more than ironic that he just happened to be the person Hamlet accidently killed. I see some definite karma.
class- Do you think that everything that has happened will effect ophelia and make her want to commit suicide, she already seems overwhelmed by what happened with the confrontation between her and hamlet, now her father is dead as well! what do you think?
Kc- i think that gertrude was sort of brainwashed. she was probally flattered a lot by claudius. i think that the same think is going on with Ophelia and Hamlet. hamlet is flattering Ophelia even though she has this guilt of her father telling her not to. Gertrude had a guilt of old hamlets death. I think that the relationship between ophelia and hamlet will continue to have a relationship because it will play out like gertrude and claudius.
Ashley - Ophelia does seem like she'll commit suicide. She has no one to hold on to and no one to tell her what to do. And since Hamlet doesn't love her anymore, she has no one. I don't think Ophelia will be able to take it anymore and eventually commit suicide.
ashley- I think that Ophelia will go to Hamlet for comfort. Unless she figures out that he murdered her father, he is the only person she has to turn to. This could be very good for Hamlet if she is able to persuade him to not go through with revenge. We will have to see.
milenda Ophelia has remained somewhat loyal to Hamlet so far. She is the only character that understands a tiny piece of what Hamlet is going through. Unfortunately her fathers murder will be the breaking point. I don't think Ophelia will continue to be sympathetic towards hamlet after this event.
Class- In a previous fishbowl someone asked what role the Ghost would have in the rest of the play. I had thought that he would not be seen again, but now that I have been proven wrong, do you think that the ghost will come again and what will he do next time?
I very much agree with the conversation in the inner circle. Women are portrayed very badly and its sad that no one pays attention to that at all. I am starting to loose respect for Hamlet and what heh wants because of how selfish has has been. Ophelia has been pushed around and hurt a lot through all of this but her feelings aren't even taken into consideration by Hamelt becuase its always all about him and what he wants.
Ashley- I could definitely see some sort of break down for Ophelia. She is going through enormous emotional stress. She is being used by her own father against her boyfriend. She obviously still has some emotional connections to Hamlet, so I am sure she is really torn. Also, since women are portrayed as so weak, I think she will start to fall apart sometime soon.
Samantha - I agree about how Gertrude could be brainwashed. Claudius took advantage of Gertrude when she was grieving over her husband. He wanted her to practically forget about Old Hamlet, but I don't think that will happen to Ophelia and Hamlet. Hamlet has already rejected Ophelia.
CLASS-so in the end do you think that hamlet will end up doing the same thing claudius did! now hamlet is going to marry ophelia even though he killed her father just like gertrude married her husbands brother, hamlet wont be awaken to his guilt unitl he sees that he becomes everyting that he hates!
Kyle- Maybe the Ghost will come at the end and be seen by everyone to back up Hamlet and let everyone know that he is not crazy, and that Claudius really did kill Hamlet's father.
charlie Ophelia will know that Hamlet murdered Polonius because Hamlet told Gertrude that he would accept the consequences of his actions. Therefore Ophelia will not be at Hamlet's side.
kyle b- The Ghost will probably show up again. It will either be before Hamlet kills Claudius or after. And if not those times I just get the feeling he'll show up again.
Class-After listening to the inner circle, I have had this extremely profound thought. We have sort of ignored Fortinbras and Laertes up until this point, but I will bring them back into the light...Will Fortinbras play a significant role later and how will Laertes react when he finds out how Hamlet has acted towards Ophelia and what will he do when the news of his father's death reaches him in France?
Sam- I agree with you completely. cladius and gertrudes relationship just screams how unhealthy it is. That is a good connection. Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship is very similar. He keeps hurting her and scaring her yet she always comes back to him; alot like gertrude and Cladius. I wonder if their relationship how their relationship will change once she figures out that Hamlet killed her dad. Or will it even change at all? what do you think?
I agree with emily h. Women are really shown as PUPPETS for the men in the story. Gertrude's conscience is telling her that Claudius is evil, but she doesn't seem strong enough to voice her opinions. She stays loyally by Claudius's side. Also Ophelia is constantly being used by both Hamlet and Polonius. It's sick.
ashley- I agree that only if he goes through with the revnege, will he see that he is not better than Cladius. He has killed and that will always taint him. He at this point is no better than Cladius is.
Kyle - Laertes will probably want to take revenge too. It seems like everybody wants to take revenge in this play, like Fortinbras and Hamlet. I think Fortinbras will play the final downfall of Denmark / Hamlet when he invades the country and tries to take over the kingdom.
michael- I can see how your point can work. Since the Ghost is the one who knows everything. I think everybody will think Hamlet is crazy in the end and no one will believe him but there is a possibility that the Ghost will show himself to everyone and prove everybody wrong. What if he doesn't? What happens then? I dont know if it will end like that though. I guess we will just have to see.
Class- How does everyone feel about Hamlet at this point? Do you think he is taking this too far and becoming worse than the person he is trying to seek revenge on. Do you think that he is hurting more people than he would help by seeking revenge.
Kyle Maybe Laertes will avenge his fathers death by murdering Hamlet. That would be a great ending for a tragic hero story. In the act of trying to avenge his father he kills Polonius. This creates another son seeking revenge. The tragedy in that story is Hamlet becoming the person that he hates above all else
Ryan B - I think the reason that Claudius is being passive is because he doesn't want to attract attention to himself, which in return would prove to Hamlet that he truly did kill Old Hamlet. If Claudius was to try and get rid of Hamlet that would only cause more chaos that Claudius doesn't want.
Emily H - In a way I feel as if Hamlet is justified in the way he is acting. Of course, I dont feel he is justified in killing Polonius, but how would you feel if you felt like everyone was against you? Personally, I would do pretty much anything I could to prove the murderer of Old Hamlet guilty. As a son, I would want, more than anything, to bring justice to my father's death.
Kyle B - Very good Kyle, indeed I am impressed. I do believe that Fortinbras and Leartes are going to make a grand entrance back into the play, maybe even conclude the play. And what I mean by that is either Fortinbras is going to avenge his father by killing Hamlet, or Leartes will.
Samantha - I think that Hamlet's mental state is pretty far gone and for him to feel guilty at this piont in the story probably isn't going through his mind. There is so much that he is trying to work through and he keeps messing it up by doing something crazy, for example, killing Polonius. In the end, though, Hamlet will begin to look back at all of his actions and realize that he was indeed wrong in what he did.
Ashley B - I think that Ophelia is going to be very hurt for what Hamlet did. She has already experienced his mad behavior, which has caused her to be secluded from him. Now that Hamlet has killed her father, she probably is going to never want to be in contact with him again. Also, with how Shakespeare displays women, I think the death of Polonius is going to cause Ophelia to feel alone and abandonded because she depends on her fathers judgment.
In response to Sam's first comment, I agree that it was a very action packed act. I was also kind of shocked at first to see that Hamlet did not seem phased by his act of murdering Polonius but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. When I presented the fishbowl I talked about whether Hamlet is just pretending to be mad or if he really is mad. I think that this murder is proof that he is not just pretending, but is actually insane because he did not react at all to killing Polonius. That is something only an insane person could do.
Kyle-I think that the ghost of Hamlet did not appear to Gertrude because she did not love old Hamlet as much as Hamlet. The ghost probable picks for only Hamlet to see him to make the revenge on Claudius less likely to be known by others as well. No one else is going to do the act of revenge but Hamlet, so only Hamlet should see the ghost.
In response to KC’s question that the inner circle asked, I think that Claudius had a hard time dealing with his guilt during the play, but when time has passed he will be able to hide it better. As the leader of a country he knows he can’t afford to have people seeing him in his guilty state of mind. He will probably keep these guilty feelings inside, which could possibly lead to an outburst of emotions creating another influential event in the play.
Emily H- it is hard to say who the good guy is now. He is insane, and we have seen that his madness has caused him to do bad things. However, insanity aside I believe that Hamlet truly is a good guy. He had the good intentions to kill Claudius in honor of his father, and we can’t blame him for that. Claudius is obviously a bad guy who needs to be taken care of. I believe that Hamlet is a good guy that is dealing with so many internal conflicts he is starting to react badly to things out of his control.
Ryan B- I think that the reason Claudius didn’t arrest Hamlet or send him to a mad house is because of his selfish thoughts of protecting his own reputation. It would have reflected badly on Denmark and all of the royal family is he sent his own “son” to a mad house. That makes sense then that he would want to go the back way and keep it secret.
Ashley – I think that Hamlet will not change his ways towards Ophelia at all because he has already gotten himself into a huge mess, and he wouldn’t change they actions that he already has taken in order to get Ophelia to like him again. I think Hamlet is already too deep into this mess and is acting too crazy to just forget about the way he acts and just let everything return to normal.
Kaycee – because Claudius has not shown that much guilt toward the other characters thus far I think that he will not just break down. He has come too far to let the whole castle as well as the country see that he is weak. I think that Claudius will continue on with his plan of sending Hamlet away because he does not want Hamlet to have any idea that he has committed the murder of his father. I also think that the character of Claudius has to be strong for his country so he will not show weakness at all through the play.
Emily H – I don’t think Hamlet is the “good guy” at all in this play because if my father died the first thing that I would do is not go and try to revenge his death. I would tell people what I saw when the ghost came to me and not try to make it into such a big deal that I am crazy and just try to make people believe the truth. I think Hamlet actually is mad because all he wants to do is kill Claudius. I think this shows his weakness as a character.
Soo K – I agree that Hamlet is mad with revenge and also that that is the only thing on his mind now. He no longer cares about his relationship with Ophelia and all of his energy is being put into something to horrible. This is not who hamlet started out in the play, this just makes me wonder how he will and up.
Soo K – I agree that Hamlet is mad with revenge and also that that is the only thing on his mind now. He no longer cares about his relationship with Ophelia and all of his energy is being put into something to horrible. This is not who hamlet started out in the play, this just makes me wonder how he will and up.
Charlie P – What I wonder sometime while reading this is why does Hamlet believe the ghost. I know that it’s his father and I prolly would too, but he never second guesses anything that the ghost is telling him. I think that this lack of question in a sense leads to the characters downfall. Hamlet is no longer the same when he sees the ghost the first time, so after the second re appearance he will continue to spiral down.
Charlie P – What I wonder sometime while reading this is why does Hamlet believe the ghost. I know that it’s his father and I prolly would too, but he never second guesses anything that the ghost is telling him. I think that this lack of question in a sense leads to the characters downfall. Hamlet is no longer the same when he sees the ghost the first time, so after the second re appearance he will continue to spiral down.
123 comments:
I feel like this was a pretty action packed act and a lot happened. The big thing that got me was when Polonius was killed. Why do you think Hamlet is not effected at all by what he did? It suprised me that he wasn't at all.
samantha- I think he already has a mindset on murder and he thought that he was killing Cladius. He was already going to kill Cladius so another murder is not going to affect him. He also did not feel to strngly towards Polonius anyway.
samantha,
maybe the pretending to be mad turned him truly mad. he probably doesn't know what he just did because he is so filled with grief and pain and the fact that he is acting mad but he reall is. te question i have is... what my gertrude's feeling towards the death of plolonius? (i have mixed feelings toward it)
Samantha- I agree with you, I was surprised by Hamlet's reaction to his killing of Polonius. I was disturbed that he did not show any sort of feelings of guilt for his mistake.
Samantha- I think that the feelings that he had towards Polonius were so negative that his death was actually a relative relief for Hamlet. I also think that Hamlet was accepting of his fate and he knew that he would not find any swift salvation after what he planned to do to Claudius-Polonius' murder was only another item on the list.
Sam- I think that Hamlet was just overwhelmed with everything going on and he didn't think that Polonius' death was a big deal. He was surprised when he killed Polonius but he doesn't feel like it matters and he still wants to finish what he started with the King.
Samantha - I don't think he's affected because he has no sympathy for Polonius. Polonius is the one who plotted with Claudius to spy on him.
sAm- i feel that hamlet has so much more "important" problems to worry about that killing polonius wasn't such a big deal to him. Yeah he murdered someone and that is a big deal, but i feel he is so much more preoccupied about what he is going to do about Claudius and Ophelia etc. Also he could be just shocked and in a disoriented state of mind that he just hasn't really realized what he has just done.
Samantha- I believe that Hamlet is not at all affected by this murder because he is in such a rage after finding out that Claudius did indeed kill his father. His anger provocted and justified Polonius' death in his mind.
Sam- I think that hamlet is so into what is going on that the death a polonius doesnt worry him. he has more on his mind and i dont think that polonius really meant anything to him so he didnt care but he could also be a little heartless because his father was mudered too. I was a little more confused by gertrudes reaction. she didnt react like i expected
courtney- I think polonious's death did not effect gertrude personally, only in the fact that her son just killed someone. She gets scared, yet she doesn't care that Polonious just died. This proves further that she is self centered. I think claudius will be greatly effeted by this though.
Class- Why do you think that Old Hamlet's ghost did not appear to Gertrude?
Class- What do you think will happen to Hamlet after this series of events? By events I mean the murder of Claudius and the king's reaction to the play. Do you think his punishment will stop him from seeking his revenge?
class- because Hamlet polonius, how is he going to find out more info about claudius, and How will Ophelia act towards Hamlet now?
kc- I agree that hamlet is schocked and that he is still trying to figure out what is the best thing to do.
Ashley - I agree about Gertrude. She didn't seem like she was afraid or shocked at all. I don't get why though.
Kyle- maybe the ghost can only appear to people that care/cared about him. I think it is very odd that the guards at the begining saw the ghost yet gertrude did not.
Kyle- I believe that the Ghost didn't appear to Gertrude because the conflict is between the Ghost and Hamlet. The ghost is testing Hamlet and told Hamlet not to take it out on his mother, so the ghost is there to talk to Hamlet and Gertrude shouldn't see the Ghost. This also makes Hamlet look even more crazy because he is talking to the wall and sees something, but Gertrude doesn't.
kyle- I think that that is just more proof that the ghost is probably just all in his mind because he is going mad. I just don't understand why then Horatio and his other friend were also able to see the ghost. But the ghost does not want to involve Gertrude in this matter as he clearly told Hamlet. So I think that is why she was not able to see him. she needs to stay out of this situation.
Kyle- I think that maybe Hamlet feels betrayed by gertrude and knows that she wont help young hamlet on his mission. I also thinkk that old hamlet feels that gertrude doesnt deserve to see his spirit because of what she did
CORRECTION: I meant murder of POLONIUS not CLAUDIUS. excuse me.
CORRECTION: I meant murder of POLONIUS not CLAUDIUS. excuse me.
Emily- I think that now that Hamlet knows Claudius killed his father and the fact that Hamlet disregards his own life, he will attempt to kill Claudius. His mind is set on seeking revenge for his father's ghost.
Kyle - I don't think that Old Hamlet's ghost did not appear because the ghost talked to him about not torturing Gertrude. If the ghost was visible to her, then she might be even more tortured than Hamlet criticizing her.
kyle,
I think Gertrude doesn't see Old Hamlet's Ghost because she doesn't really care about the death as much as Hamlet. She moved on right away and she never shows any huge grief from the fact that Old Hamlet Passes away. But the grief that Hamlet goes through is a much huger amount than Gertrude.
KC- i agree with you about hamlet being crazy and this proving it, but then how do you explain the guards see the ghost at the begining? Maybe because they will help Hamlet in the end?
Class-The inner circle asked a question: will the guilt that Cladius displayed in the play will continue throughout the play? I think that this is true. We see in the confession room that he breaks down and admits out loud that he indeed did kill King Hamlet. I feel that once you express such emotion and admit to yourself that you did something so terrible it just sticks in your mind and you cant let it go. I feel that his guilt will just continue on and on and will possibly lead to a confession to the public of what he did. What do you all think?
Emily- I think that Claudius will succeed in getting rid of Hamlet for a time by sending him to England, but the end for Claudius is inevitable. Hamlet vowed to kill Claudius at the peak of his sin and will not give up now that the ghost's words have been proven true through the observance of Claudius' guilt after the play.
sook- maybe Gertrude knew about this after all. Maybe she knew about it after Old Hamlet is already gone. I still don't believe that Gertrude had something to do with it though.
ashley- That is very interesting. Now that Polonius is gone it will be tough for Hamlet to get to Cladius. And if Ophelia uncovers how her father was killed she will loose all trust for Hamlet. This will make it very difficult for him to get to Cladius now that Cladius will be very cautious of Hamlet because he knows what he is capable of.
Class- Do you think that Hamlet is really the "good guy" here. In other words even though we all know what really happened to his father do you think that he is committing too much evil and could potentially become just as evil as Claudius himself? The accidental murder of Polonius and yelling at his mother being some examples.
Emily - Hamlet will definitely want to take revenge, since he now knows that Claudius did kill Old Hamlet. He's mad, and it seems nothing will stop him from killing Claudius. Because of his madness, he is blinded by his thirst for revenge. Hamlet cannot concentrate on anything else.
Sam- I never thought about that! it does make since that the gaurds will be the only ones to help amlet in the end because why else would the ghost reveal himself to two unimportant characters if they will not have some importance to him in the end
Emily- I can see how Hamlet is becoming just as bad because he has killed Polonius, took it out on his mother, and is stirring up problems with other people, but Hamlet is trying to get revenge but I don't think he is bad. He is just getting all of this attention because no one will listen to him but the King is the real "bad person" and must be stopped, and Hamlet is the only one who knows.
Class- now that Claudius knows that Hamlet understands that Claudius killed Hamlet's father, why do you think Claudius is taking such a passive role in getting rid of Hamlet? If he was worried about Hamlet seeking revenge, wouldn't he arrest him or order him sent to a mad house?
Charlie- there will be no need to use Ophelia to get to claudius with out polonious. I dont think there will be any need at all to get to claudius at all anymore. All he needs to do at this point is kill Claudius. He has already proven that he is crazy.
Sam- yeah thats a good point. If the ghost was only focused on Hamlet his self plotting revenge; it wouldnt be necessary to reveal himself to the guards. good point
ashley- I think your right, I think that the ghost of Old Hamlet didn't appear to gertrude because he knows that Gertrude knew about what happened to him but she didn't do anything about it. And I think the ghost just wants Hamlet to deal with this on his own and he doesn't want gertrude to be involved.
Sam- I completely agree with you and I never amde that connection. I wonder why the guards could see the ghost but Gertrude could not. Is there some symbolism there or a reason for that? I think you had the right idea in saying that they might help Hamlet in seeking his revenge.
emily- I don't think he is a good guy at all. Anyone that tries to take out revenge to the point of death is not a good person. He has gone way to far by murdering the innocent Polonius by accident. He has gone mad and there is no stopping him at this point.
Emily- i am honestly confused about hamlets character in the play, i sometimes wonder if hamlet himself has had something to do with the murder and doesnt yet realize it, he seems like hes slowly going insane wonder if he will find out things about himself when he discovers the complete truth about the murder
Class
What do you guys think about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? I didn't think they would continue to spy on Hamlet. They must value money over friendship. This continues the theme of Hamlet angainst the world. He has no one to help him not even his best friends.
Emily- I think that Hamlet has fully excepted his fate and his part as the tragic hero makes him feel as if his life is nothing. Hamlet told his mother that he would repent for the murder of Polonius and he has accepted the blame for that. Hamlet also knows that Claudius must now die and he can no longer stretch time to fit his agenda.
Emily- I think that by commiting murder, Hamlet is just as bad as Claudius. If Hamlet were to try to expose Claudius for what he is to everyone, that would be acceptable, however an eye for an eye is not justified.
Emily - It seems there is no defined line between good and bad in this play. I feel that the audience cannot give sympathy to either Claudius or Hamlet. Hamlet seems "good", yet he is so obsessed with this revenge. A truly "good" character is not shown. Not even Gertrude or Ophelia.
kc- I think that Claudius feels so much emotion and guilt more than ever. And I think that there is a possibility that he may just come out of his shell and confess.
Class-After Hamlet's harsh treatment of Ophelia as Claudius and Polonius looked on, why do you think that he put himself and Ophelia through further mental agony by sitting by her during the play?
sean- I agree. They have really betrayed Hamlet and it just adds to his lack of value on his life. A man who does not care if he lives or dies is a very dangerous person. He will try to murder Cladius but he doesn't care what happens so there is nothing stopping him from doing it. He needs someone that is really special to him to get him to change his mind about going through with the murder.
To go along with what I said, who in the story do you consider "well intentioned" or "good" because it seems to me that everyone has some sort of hidden agenda.
Soo- i agree that hamlet is seen as good and maybe he shouldnt be. I think it is like this because he is acting for someone else.. the ghost. if he was doing all of this on his own it would be different or if it were for no reason, which is like what claudius.
Sean- I too thought that after being exposed by Hamlet for spying on him, they would feel bad and change loyalties. The fact that they have failed to do this is suprising, but it proves that they are not true friends. This also fits into the theme of spying and deciet that occurs during this time.
MICHACHU- I agree with you about the ghost not revealing himself to gertrude. because claudius is her husband, there is a large chance that she will do anything to protect him
Ryan - If Claudius put Hamlet in jail or a madhouse, his actions might be questioned. Hamlet being put in jail could mean that Claudius had committed the murder. By sending him to England, it seems like Hamlet is going to school, when it is actually exile. By getting rid of Hamlet in this way, no one will question Claudius and Hamlet will be far away and will not be able to tell anyone of this secret.
sean n- Im not surprised with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Because if they could do it once they will do it again and again. That just shows that their friendship with Hamlet is worthless. And that money is more important than their friendhip.
Sean- I think that there is still a small faction in the castle that remain loyal to Hamlet. The irony of the whole thing, however, is that the only ones who do remain loyal are those who are simply doing their job and serving the lords of the castle. Horatio is a servant and he does as he is told by Hamlet.
Kyle- i think he is sitting by Ophelia during the play to futher agonize polonious. with this he is proving that he is better then polonious, no matter what orders he gives, hamlet will always surpass them. hamlet is at a higher level.
Class- since hamlets own friends turn against him when asked, do you think the whole town will follow when he reveals what claudius has done?
Sean - Although they will stop spying, I don't think that Hamlet will trust them. Like the inner circle said, the only person Hamlet can trust is Horatio. But are Rosencrantz and Gildenstern very important characters? It seems like Claudius has hired them to spy on him, and yet they haven't done very much.
Ash- in reguards to your convo with Mel do you really, truely think that she loves him? I think if by some miracle Hamlet came back she would leave Claudius for him. It just sticks out in my mind how at the beginning of the play Hamlet spoke of how much she loved him, and how she would never leave his side, and would always take care of him. I think that Gertrude is just confused still, i just dont get the feeling she truely loves him.
Ashley- I don't think the town will follow Hamlet unless he can further prove it or have Claudius confess to everyone.
Ashley- I think that if Hamlet tried to take Claudius public and prove that he was guilty, the people would rally against Hamlet. I also believe that Hamlet knows this and thus will not try to prove Claudius is a murderer, but try to make things right by returning the favor to Claudius.
ryan- I also think that Claudius is trying to keep all of this under the table, where on the other hand Hamlet is not afraid to tell everyone, he is not the guilty one. If claudius does something drastic he would be questioned and would need a reason. His reason is that he murdered the king so he does not want that information to be let out. He wants this whole situation to be hidden.
K to the C- ya i agree with you.I dont understand gertrude, she seemed as if she had undying love for him yet she allowed herself to be with his brother, im starting to question rather or not she choose to be in the relationship. maybe Cluadius forced her?
Class- Do you think that Polonius's murder is ironic and Polonius's karma for snooping in on Hamlet and Gertrude's conversation? Is this indirectly realted to Hamlet's frustration about everyone spying on him?
Ashley - The whole town seems to side with Claudius rather than Hamlet. After the death of Old Hamlet, Claudius took his throne, while younger Hamlet was still mourning. Even if Hamlet tells the town, I don't think that they will believe him. I think that they will assume that he is mad with grief, and he is just seeing things.
Ashley- I think that the acts of Claudius are so foul that there will be no mercy in the hearts of his followers. Hamlet has tried so hard to prove that Claudius has committed a mortal sin and I don't think that he would drop the ball with the hopefully public accusation and conviction of Claudius. Hamlet has driven himself crazy (maybe not literally) with this role that he has been playing and I don't think that all this effort will go to waste.
ashley- He will not be able to gain the support from the town due to lack of proof. He will say a ghost told him it happened and the twon will just continue to think he is crazy. He will never really be able to gain any support besides the two friends that also saw the ghost.
Ash- In response to the question you asked I think that the town will be split fifty fifty on what they believe. I think that half will believe Claudius because maybe they dont want to believe that their king could do such a thing. Also Hamlet clearly has no problem making himself appear to be completly insane. Most people are not going to believe what comes out of a crazy persons mouth. I think that Some may believe Hamlet because of the reaction to the play that they actors put on. Obviously he was nervous and uncomfortable and that is very suspicous.
ashley- Yes, I think that Claudius has the power to completely turn the town against Hamlet! Hamlet is already displayed as CRAZY, so if he tries to pinn Claudius for the murder I don't think people will take him seriously.
class- I wonder how ophelia will act towards Hamlet after she finds out that hamlet killed her father (polonius)? Do you think she can forgive him. Do you think she will still love him? Or will she turn against him?.
Kyle
When Hamlet and Ophelia are at the play they speak and act as if nothing has happened. In the movie Ophelia has a somewhat ammused look on her face. Hamlet's actions can be explained by his apparent insanity. Ophelia might have acted the way she did because she still has pity for him. She realizes that Hamlet is under a lot of stress and could be losing his sanity.
ashley- i think eiter gertrude was forced into the marriage or she chose to marry him for other reasons. Maybe it was for the good of the kingdom, with her as part of the thrown she can help make things run smoothly. Yet at the same time she acts like she loves claudius too. she has me comfused about what she really feels.
Emily- I do think that Polonius' death is ironic but I never thought of it as karma or Hamlet's frustration of spies. I think that Shakespeare had Polonius killed by Hamlet to add drama to the play and the other characters might thnk Hamlet meant to kill Polonius to get to Ophelia. This also showed the audience that Hamlet had no hesitations to kill (who he thought) Claudius.
Emily- I think that Polonius deserved what was coming to him. He is essentially an accomplice to Claudius' crime and he deserved a fit punishment. It doesn't matter whether or not he knew what Claudius had done, but he has helped to such a high degree to cover his tracks by getting rid of Hamlet's insatiable drive to undo Claudius.
KC i agree that the people will be split. some people will follow the king because he is the king, yet some people will actually think about it and realize what is right and true.
Ash- yeah that could very will be a possibility! We all have seen how controllin Claudius is. He seems to be very proud to have a trophy wife like Gertrude. Maybe she was some what "brain washed" when she was so very vulnerable after the time of the death of her husband. Maybe claudius took advantage of that! hmmmm..makes ya wonder.
-"k to the C" hahhahahaha
Milenda- I think that after the way Hamlet has acted towards Ophelia alone has made it too hard for her to still love him. If she finds out that he killed her father Polonius as well, Ophelia will never be able forgive Hamlet.
Milenda - I think that Ophelia won't know what to do. She has always been controlled by her father, and without him, she won't know how to act toward Hamlet. Shakespeare usually portrays women as weak, so Ophelia will probably not turn against him and cling on to Hamlet.
kyle- if polonious does not deserve to be killed because he is an accomplise then hamlet deserves no harm either. He is simply the accomplise to the ghost.
alliem- Good point! I think that since Claudius is the king. He has enough power to turn the town against him. And if Hamlet tries to make the town be against Claudius I dont think he'll prevail.
Kyle- I agree with you Polonius was a sneaky little guy, he was always spying and working against Hamlet. I think it is more than ironic that he just happened to be the person Hamlet accidently killed. I see some definite karma.
class- Do you think that everything that has happened will effect ophelia and make her want to commit suicide, she already seems overwhelmed by what happened with the confrontation between her and hamlet, now her father is dead as well! what do you think?
Kc- i think that gertrude was sort of brainwashed. she was probally flattered a lot by claudius. i think that the same think is going on with Ophelia and Hamlet. hamlet is flattering Ophelia even though she has this guilt of her father telling her not to. Gertrude had a guilt of old hamlets death. I think that the relationship between ophelia and hamlet will continue to have a relationship because it will play out like gertrude and claudius.
Ashley - Ophelia does seem like she'll commit suicide. She has no one to hold on to and no one to tell her what to do. And since Hamlet doesn't love her anymore, she has no one. I don't think Ophelia will be able to take it anymore and eventually commit suicide.
ashley- I think that Ophelia will go to Hamlet for comfort. Unless she figures out that he murdered her father, he is the only person she has to turn to. This could be very good for Hamlet if she is able to persuade him to not go through with revenge. We will have to see.
milenda
Ophelia has remained somewhat loyal to Hamlet so far. She is the only character that understands a tiny piece of what Hamlet is going through. Unfortunately her fathers murder will be the breaking point. I don't think Ophelia will continue to be sympathetic towards hamlet after this event.
Class- In a previous fishbowl someone asked what role the Ghost would have in the rest of the play. I had thought that he would not be seen again, but now that I have been proven wrong, do you think that the ghost will come again and what will he do next time?
I very much agree with the conversation in the inner circle. Women are portrayed very badly and its sad that no one pays attention to that at all. I am starting to loose respect for Hamlet and what heh wants because of how selfish has has been. Ophelia has been pushed around and hurt a lot through all of this but her feelings aren't even taken into consideration by Hamelt becuase its always all about him and what he wants.
Ashley- I could definitely see some sort of break down for Ophelia. She is going through enormous emotional stress. She is being used by her own father against her boyfriend. She obviously still has some emotional connections to Hamlet, so I am sure she is really torn. Also, since women are portrayed as so weak, I think she will start to fall apart sometime soon.
Samantha - I agree about how Gertrude could be brainwashed. Claudius took advantage of Gertrude when she was grieving over her husband. He wanted her to practically forget about Old Hamlet, but I don't think that will happen to Ophelia and Hamlet. Hamlet has already rejected Ophelia.
CLASS-so in the end do you think that hamlet will end up doing the same thing claudius did! now hamlet is going to marry ophelia even though he killed her father just like gertrude married her husbands brother, hamlet wont be awaken to his guilt unitl he sees that he becomes everyting that he hates!
Kyle- Maybe the Ghost will come at the end and be seen by everyone to back up Hamlet and let everyone know that he is not crazy, and that Claudius really did kill Hamlet's father.
charlie
Ophelia will know that Hamlet murdered Polonius because Hamlet told Gertrude that he would accept the consequences of his actions. Therefore Ophelia will not be at Hamlet's side.
kyle b- The Ghost will probably show up again. It will either be before Hamlet kills Claudius or after. And if not those times I just get the feeling he'll show up again.
Class-After listening to the inner circle, I have had this extremely profound thought. We have sort of ignored Fortinbras and Laertes up until this point, but I will bring them back into the light...Will Fortinbras play a significant role later and how will Laertes react when he finds out how Hamlet has acted towards Ophelia and what will he do when the news of his father's death reaches him in France?
Sam- I agree with you completely. cladius and gertrudes relationship just screams how unhealthy it is. That is a good connection. Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship is very similar. He keeps hurting her and scaring her yet she always comes back to him; alot like gertrude and Cladius. I wonder if their relationship how their relationship will change once she figures out that Hamlet killed her dad. Or will it even change at all? what do you think?
ashley- i think hamlet will become everything he hates. he has driven himself mad, in reality.
-samantha
I agree with emily h. Women are really shown as PUPPETS for the men in the story. Gertrude's conscience is telling her that Claudius is evil, but she doesn't seem strong enough to voice her opinions. She stays loyally by Claudius's side. Also Ophelia is constantly being used by both Hamlet and Polonius. It's sick.
ashley- I agree that only if he goes through with the revnege, will he see that he is not better than Cladius. He has killed and that will always taint him. He at this point is no better than Cladius is.
Kyle - Laertes will probably want to take revenge too. It seems like everybody wants to take revenge in this play, like Fortinbras and Hamlet. I think Fortinbras will play the final downfall of Denmark / Hamlet when he invades the country and tries to take over the kingdom.
Sam- i meant to say I wonder HOW their relationship will change? or if it will even change at all? lol my bad
michael- I can see how your point can work. Since the Ghost is the one who knows everything. I think everybody will think Hamlet is crazy in the end and no one will believe him but there is a possibility that the Ghost will show himself to everyone and prove everybody wrong. What if he doesn't? What happens then?
I dont know if it will end like that though. I guess we will just have to see.
Class- How does everyone feel about Hamlet at this point? Do you think he is taking this too far and becoming worse than the person he is trying to seek revenge on. Do you think that he is hurting more people than he would help by seeking revenge.
ashley- I agree with you, however the situations are a little different. First, Hamlet did not intend to kill Polnius. woops we ran out of time
Kyle
Maybe Laertes will avenge his fathers death by murdering Hamlet. That would be a great ending for a tragic hero story. In the act of trying to avenge his father he kills Polonius. This creates another son seeking revenge. The tragedy in that story is Hamlet becoming the person that he hates above all else
Ryan B - I think the reason that Claudius is being passive is because he doesn't want to attract attention to himself, which in return would prove to Hamlet that he truly did kill Old Hamlet. If Claudius was to try and get rid of Hamlet that would only cause more chaos that Claudius doesn't want.
Emily H - In a way I feel as if Hamlet is justified in the way he is acting. Of course, I dont feel he is justified in killing Polonius, but how would you feel if you felt like everyone was against you? Personally, I would do pretty much anything I could to prove the murderer of Old Hamlet guilty. As a son, I would want, more than anything, to bring justice to my father's death.
Kyle B - Very good Kyle, indeed I am impressed. I do believe that Fortinbras and Leartes are going to make a grand entrance back into the play, maybe even conclude the play. And what I mean by that is either Fortinbras is going to avenge his father by killing Hamlet, or Leartes will.
Samantha - I think that Hamlet's mental state is pretty far gone and for him to feel guilty at this piont in the story probably isn't going through his mind. There is so much that he is trying to work through and he keeps messing it up by doing something crazy, for example, killing Polonius. In the end, though, Hamlet will begin to look back at all of his actions and realize that he was indeed wrong in what he did.
Ashley B - I think that Ophelia is going to be very hurt for what Hamlet did. She has already experienced his mad behavior, which has caused her to be secluded from him. Now that Hamlet has killed her father, she probably is going to never want to be in contact with him again. Also, with how Shakespeare displays women, I think the death of Polonius is going to cause Ophelia to feel alone and abandonded because she depends on her fathers judgment.
In response to Sam's first comment, I agree that it was a very action packed act. I was also kind of shocked at first to see that Hamlet did not seem phased by his act of murdering Polonius but the more I thought about it the more it made sense. When I presented the fishbowl I talked about whether Hamlet is just pretending to be mad or if he really is mad. I think that this murder is proof that he is not just pretending, but is actually insane because he did not react at all to killing Polonius. That is something only an insane person could do.
Kyle-I think that the ghost of Hamlet did not appear to Gertrude because she did not love old Hamlet as much as Hamlet. The ghost probable picks for only Hamlet to see him to make the revenge on Claudius less likely to be known by others as well. No one else is going to do the act of revenge but Hamlet, so only Hamlet should see the ghost.
In response to KC’s question that the inner circle asked, I think that Claudius had a hard time dealing with his guilt during the play, but when time has passed he will be able to hide it better. As the leader of a country he knows he can’t afford to have people seeing him in his guilty state of mind. He will probably keep these guilty feelings inside, which could possibly lead to an outburst of emotions creating another influential event in the play.
Emily H- it is hard to say who the good guy is now. He is insane, and we have seen that his madness has caused him to do bad things. However, insanity aside I believe that Hamlet truly is a good guy. He had the good intentions to kill Claudius in honor of his father, and we can’t blame him for that. Claudius is obviously a bad guy who needs to be taken care of. I believe that Hamlet is a good guy that is dealing with so many internal conflicts he is starting to react badly to things out of his control.
Ryan B- I think that the reason Claudius didn’t arrest Hamlet or send him to a mad house is because of his selfish thoughts of protecting his own reputation. It would have reflected badly on Denmark and all of the royal family is he sent his own “son” to a mad house. That makes sense then that he would want to go the back way and keep it secret.
Ashley – I think that Hamlet will not change his ways towards Ophelia at all because he has already gotten himself into a huge mess, and he wouldn’t change they actions that he already has taken in order to get Ophelia to like him again. I think Hamlet is already too deep into this mess and is acting too crazy to just forget about the way he acts and just let everything return to normal.
Kaycee – because Claudius has not shown that much guilt toward the other characters thus far I think that he will not just break down. He has come too far to let the whole castle as well as the country see that he is weak. I think that Claudius will continue on with his plan of sending Hamlet away because he does not want Hamlet to have any idea that he has committed the murder of his father. I also think that the character of Claudius has to be strong for his country so he will not show weakness at all through the play.
Emily H – I don’t think Hamlet is the “good guy” at all in this play because if my father died the first thing that I would do is not go and try to revenge his death. I would tell people what I saw when the ghost came to me and not try to make it into such a big deal that I am crazy and just try to make people believe the truth. I think Hamlet actually is mad because all he wants to do is kill Claudius. I think this shows his weakness as a character.
Soo K – I agree that Hamlet is mad with revenge and also that that is the only thing on his mind now. He no longer cares about his relationship with Ophelia and all of his energy is being put into something to horrible. This is not who hamlet started out in the play, this just makes me wonder how he will and up.
Soo K – I agree that Hamlet is mad with revenge and also that that is the only thing on his mind now. He no longer cares about his relationship with Ophelia and all of his energy is being put into something to horrible. This is not who hamlet started out in the play, this just makes me wonder how he will and up.
Charlie P – What I wonder sometime while reading this is why does Hamlet believe the ghost. I know that it’s his father and I prolly would too, but he never second guesses anything that the ghost is telling him. I think that this lack of question in a sense leads to the characters downfall. Hamlet is no longer the same when he sees the ghost the first time, so after the second re appearance he will continue to spiral down.
Charlie P – What I wonder sometime while reading this is why does Hamlet believe the ghost. I know that it’s his father and I prolly would too, but he never second guesses anything that the ghost is telling him. I think that this lack of question in a sense leads to the characters downfall. Hamlet is no longer the same when he sees the ghost the first time, so after the second re appearance he will continue to spiral down.
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