Hamlet.

I'd just like to start by saying that this will not be a smart blog, because I'm not in a smart mood after my computer has wound me up to the point where I might actually crush it into the wall out of sheer rage.

So, Hamlet. Well, I'm going to get my opinion of the second Hamlet out of the way. Mel Gibson + English accent? + role of Hamlet = PLEASE JUST NOOOOOOO.

I liked the first one, because of the way that its like you're seeing into Hamlet's thoughts, which makes it feel more truthful and personal, but I think that the acting is better in the 3rd version, and so it doesn't need the feeling of being in Hamlet's head because you feel close to the character's feelings because of the awesome acting. Also, the guy's voice in the 1st one is sort of off-putting, to me he sounds like RiffRaff from Rocky Horror, which makes a good soliloquy a bit creepy. He can't help his voice though, so he is forgiven.

Claudius

 Last time I said that I wasn't sure how I felt about him, except that I thought he was a tiny bit more on the evil side than the good side. I'm STILL CONFUSED!! It's really annoying. I do mostly want to believe that he is evil, but after watching the different versions of how he would be played, I sort of think that the guy playing Claudius when he was all happy and stuff seemed really nice. I suppose it depends on the way you interpret it, because after all, the Queen stole some of his lines in that one, and also, I would rather believe that he is a nasty man over a good man because after all, he did kill his brother. Also, it sort of seems wrong to me not to think he is the villain because otherwise, who would the villain be? And to me there is always a bit of a villain in every story, even like girly romance stories there's always that really mean girl who tries to ruin everything, or the nasty boy or something.

So basically, I think that Claudius is an evil sort of character, but sometimes my opinion changes depending on the way that the text is represented. I really really really hope this isn't read out because I think I've rambled more than even I can stand, and it doesn't even make sense, so yeah.

19.01.11

Blogging about my opinion of King Claudius in Hamlet is hard, because my opinion of him changes throughout Hamlet, which actually makes me find him a really frustrating character. Depending on how you read it or how he is portrayed he could be anything! There are no stage directions in the speech like 'acting suspiciously' (I know that would be  a rubbish stage direction) so you can read it however you want and actors/directors can interpret it how they want.

For example, someone could read  the line about 'with mirth in funeral and dirge in marriage' and think that he was eeeeeevil and that he doesn't care about his dead brother 'mirth in funeral', and that he doesn't care about his new wife 'dirge in marriage'. Someone could then read the same line and say 'WHAT he was only joking fool, stop taking Claudius so seriously, you know what he's like, that old joker.'

So, in short, I can't really make my mind up about Claudius yet, until something clicks and I think :O , I'm a bit undecided. I'm leaning towards the evil side, but not super evil, just determined and sort of willing to kill people to get what he wants sort of evil.

5.1.11 and 7.1.11 or Tragic Elements and Structure

Tragic Elements

There are usually three elements that tragedies go by, which are :

By the way, I'm using Romeo and Juliet to help with my example things :)

1. Suffering - This is normally toward the central character and the audience have to watch and see how it is dealt with and created, e.g. in Romeo and Juliet, the character's suffering is that their parents won't let them be together.
2. Disorder/Chaos - The main character breaks down, which then draws the other characters into it. There is also the idea that the character's break down reflects the break down of society, e.g. when Mercutio is killed by Tybalt, Romeo takes revenge and kills Tybalt, which leads to him being exiled which then means that he and Juliet can't see each other, which then leads to their (sort of) accidental death. The breakdown of society being the feud between the two families, and the fighting that this causes.
3. Death (dum dum dum-dum dum dum-dum dum-dum dum-dum) - This usually occurs towards the end of the tragedy, where the protagonist ( :O BIG WORDS - I hope I used it in the right place) usually dies. Of course, there can be other deaths during the tragedy, like in Romeo and Juliet, where Tybalt, Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet all die. I hope I didn't forget anyone really obvious there :/

Tragic Structure

You often get 5 stages in your average classic tragedy. These are:
(Thought I'd stick to Romeo and Juliet as an example, a) because I like it, and b) because apparently Hamlet is a bit iffy when it comes to tragic structure, so I thought I'd see how that pans out in class first before using it as an example)

1. Introduction - Setting the scene, introducing characters etc. For example, part of the introduction of Romeo and Juliet is explaining about the rift between the Montague's and the Capulet's.
2. Complication/Problem - Well, a  huge problem in Romeo and Juliet is that they fall in love in the first place, although different complicating actions take up the bulk of the story until it gets to...
3. A climax - The part of the tragedy that sort of changes everything, what the complicating actions have been building up to.The fake death scene, for example. Romeo ends up killing himself just as Juliet wakes up, causing her to kill herself because she can't face life without him. Aww.
4. Understanding - E.g. when Romeo and Juliet's family realise that they were really in love.
5. Resolution - Society returns to normal? Most things return to how they should be, e.g. the Montague's and Capulet's end the feud. (Not sure if there's supposed to be an apostrophe there, but I put one in because that's how I did it first and tbh neither look right)

Fathers and Sons in the Kite Runner

Right. Fathers and sons in The Kite Runner.

1. Amir's first word is Baba. This shows how important Amir's father is to him, because this is mentioned on page 10, so right at the beginning of the book, which gives the impression to the reader that his father was a huge part of Amir's life from the very beginning.

2. It shows the relationships between fathers and sons, like a son's admiration for his father - Amir's admiration for Baba. 'Lore has it that my father once wrestled a black bear' - this quote shows that he thinks very highly of his father to believe the legend.

3. It shows the relationship of father and son again by showing that the father is the teacher, and the son is the student. Amir will always listen to the words of his father over any other teacher, 'you've confused what you're learning in school with actual education'.

4. Rahim Khan acts as a father figure to Amir when Baba shuns him, e.g. he gives him the book as a present, which is a gift that shows Rahim really knows Amir, and that is the sort of present a father should be buying for his son.

5. Amir's jealousy that another boy could be taking his father's attention; Baba treats Hassan like a son (we later find out that Hassan is his son), like buying him expensive presents (the harelip surgery) and how Hassan gets most of the same treats from Baba as Amir does.

6. Amir teaches Sohrab, like Baba was the teacher to Amir. He teaches him how to fly the kite, 'I'm going to show you one of your father's favourite tricks, the old lift-and-dive'.

7. Sons usually want to be like their fathers, and fathers usually want their sons to be like them, but when it happens, like with Hassan and Ali both being loyal, it turns out that the two people aren't actually related at all.

8. Amir and Baba's different parenting styles - Baba waits for Amir to prove himself before he accepts him, whereas Amir is the one proving himself to be a good father figure to Sohrab, and waits for Sohrab to accept him. Amir is more patient than Baba, like when he wants him to fly the kite, he wait for Sohrab to come to him in his own time ,'looks like i'll have to fly it tanhaii'.

9. Fathers are supposed to be the stronger ones in the father/son relationship, but with Assef and his father it was the other way around, like it says that it looks like his parents are scared of him, 'looming over both...like he had brought them here'.

10. Instead of being ashamed of his son/ son-figure (that would be Sohrab, think father figure but son figure, incase you didn't get what I meant by son-figure) like Baba sometimes was with Amir, Amir is proud of Sohrab and even defends him to General Taheri, 'you will never again refer to him as 'Hazara boy' in my presence'.

There could be so many things wrong with these points, but I hope not. Sorry if there are any spelling mistakes, or punctuation stuff! :)