The Great Gatsby: Chapter 3

Wer’e brang straight into a description of Gatsby's parties and the elaborated scale of them. It's showing the major contrast between Myrtle's and Gatsby's parties, again highlighting Nick's obsessions with social class and how he focuses on the differences with in depth descriptions.

Gatsby's parties:

• Nick covers all the senses when giving information on the extravagance of them i.e colours and tastes.
• They drinks provided at these parties are hard liquors which had been banned in the U.S and Nick states how most of the girls are too young to realise they are committing criminal acts.It also shows that Gatsby has so much money that he's above the law, he can get what he want by buying it if needs be.
• Party is excessive and garish (colours are bright i.e yellow) which aren't colours associated with the posh (Purple,rich colours) like Tom and daisy had at their house.
• These parties aren't about showing off which many would interpret them as.he has spent lavish amounts of money which he has spent all of his life earning. In a way it is madness.... why does he waste it? could he be seen as dangerous?

Gatsby:

• No one really knows him, they couldn't distinguish from a crowd in his own house.
• there are many rumours about Gatsby that are floating around in their society (he killed a man and is a German spy),no one at the party properly knows him... why is he so elusive?

These are the first things we hear about him so it gives the reader an uncertain impression on him, he's still mysterious yet were given a big impression that he's actually a dangerous man who is trying to cover his tracks.

• He's absent from most of his party
• There's a contrast in his actions and his appearances as he throws massive weekly parties yet he is a recluse
• When Nick finally met him he expected Nick to have known who he was, Gatsby never introduces himself... people know of him but don't know him.

At the end of a party there is a car wreck. Why did Nick include this? the party went well but it turns bad towards the end (car crash). You could look upon this in two ways:

1. That it's symbolic of Gatsby. He acts fine/normal on the outside yet inside he is a wreck
2. It can also be seen as a foreshadowing of what happens in the end, it's a reminder of the potential tragedy that surrounds Gatsby.

Nick then carries on to say that he was more absorbed in his own personal affairs however they appear to be very dull and boring.... is Nick actually a very boring character deep down. He seems to like routines and be content when sometimes left to his own devices.However through his solitary moments he starts to imagine experiences with random women he sees in the streets which also indicates that he longs for another life and the company of others. New York is surrounded by lonely people and nick has formed into one himself. he isn't achieving the social interactions he had previously hoped for and he views excited couples on the night streets which makes him wish he had that in his life.

He tries to feel more popular than he actually is saying he is on a first name basis from the people at his work and that he is making it in the world however we can see this isn't fully true and is exaggerated since when he says they go out to eat they eat food that you may find in a diner.he's in a big business yet he's at the bottom of the pile still.

Jordan Baker then reappears and Nick says he was flattered to hang around her, he likes her and she is also famous so being associated with her would bring his social status higher.he then describes her with no flattening traits which is a weird thing to do when he has decided he loves her. He says that she is a dishonest character.

When he says he thinks he loves her he says he must get out of the tangle from back home, which leads us to think that the engagement he was accused of back home was actually true and not gossip. ( he signs letters to her saying love Nick) he also had a light romance with a woman over summer; meaning if he is engaged then he cheated and this makes him dishonest. This would link to his final comment which is that he is the most honest person he knows which isn't true in the slightest. He has to keep telling himself (and us) that he is a better person than he is.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter 2

There are initially 5 key focused settings in chapter 2:

• Nick and Tom on the train to NY
• At George Wilson's garage
• The taxi with Myrtle on the way to the apartment
• The apartment
• Mysterious location with MrMckee

Although there are many changes in setting it's a very short chapter compared to others, why has Nick given it such a fast paced vibe.

Nick really focuses on the settings and scenery in this theme especially at the beginning, he uses the first few paragraphs to en capture this very dull area which he describes as "a valley of ashes", it's a wasteland and this wasteland is where Myrtle (Tom's mistress) is from. I believe that Nick is trying to show the contrast between Tom and Myrtles world, Tom is from a beautiful expensive area which Nick had previously described with many vibrant colours whereas were now shown that Myrtle is the complete opposite, she's from what seems a poverty stricken neighbourhood, her social class would be the bottom of the chain. This raises the question of how did these two people meet when they have such a different life? why was Tom in such a deprived place when he looks down on people from these classes.

There is a sense of ideology within the first two chapters as chapter 1 focuses around Daisy whereas chapter 2 around Myrtle.nick is showing the equality that he referred to in the first few pages of the novel. He's showing the social differences and contrast between Tom's women. However once you look at all three characters and how they're interlocked amongst each other you realise that they are all using each other.Daisy uses Tom because he has wealth which is the initial reason she married him,Tom uses Myrtle because she is an escape from his dead marriage and Myrtle uses Tom because she is underprivileged and Tom allows her to feel more important. Although Myrtle and Tom constantly refer to how they will be together and how Tom will leave Daisy to be with her in this chapter you know that Tom never plans to do this. he knows that Myrtle will never be more than a fling and she knows deep down that it wont happen either.Although Tom and Daisy's marriage isn't great and it appears they are married due to convenience he plans to stay with Daisy because he's comfortable with her.

One question that can be asked from the beginning of chapter 2 is why did Tom invite Nick to meet his mistress when Nick is Daisy's cousin? also why when in the taxi on the way to the apartment does Tom force Nick to stay with them when Nick tries to escape? Tom and Nick don't even like each other.

Later on when in the fourth location (the apartment) they have a small gathering with Myrtles sister Catherine and the neighbours  Mr and Mrs Mckee, they get rather drunk and all discuss with an essence of light banter which results in Tom hitting Myrtle in the nose (breaking it) because she kept mentioning Daisy. Nick describes this incident very briefly and shows no sympathy towards her which may suggest one good quality as a narrator... that he's a passive narrator. However it also highlights that he spends very little time describing indicents which you would consider as quite impiortant or major in the evenings events, yet he uses extensive detail on the apartment itself; he mainly focuses on the minor occurances. One other thing this incident highlights is that Tom is rather disassociated towards others as he shows no compassion towards his mistress who he has just injured, he shows no remorse and even towards the groaning dog (which had no proper food and was engulfed in smoke) that he had bought Myrtle previously.... however noone at the party showed any slight caring towards this dog.

There are major gaps in the day and how events unfold especially toards the end. Nicks recollection falters as he has consumed  a vast amount of alcohol and so his memory has blurred. After the broken nose incidence it skips to the next morning when Nick is standing beside Mr Mckees bed with Mrmckee on the bed in only underwear "with a great portfolio in his hand". What happened over the night because every other event had occured quite early on in the evening and why was Nick and Mr Mckee nearly naked and alone? I think this information is rather strange and unimportant to include although it does raise question, it even can be related to my first thought of Nick being secretly gay and the fact that he never really comes out (if this is the case) is understandable since in the 1920's it was still seen as a sin, people in those days were closet gays.It's not really relevant to the main story yet hints keep appearing towards this as if Nick is secretly admitting to the world in a way that they may not realise.

Hamlet essay plan:

 To what extent do i agree with the statement "Hamlet didn't learn anything by the end of the tragedy"

Paragraph 1:

• Hamlets inital thoughts after fathers death : depression,apathetic towards anything, cold to other i.e mother/ betrayed by mother and uncle.Many tragic events unfold....
• Hamlets inital thoughts when found out fathers true death:
  • Revenge
  • Madness (acting mad)
  • Hatred and betrayal
• Many tragic events unfold....
• Hamlet may have been the root cause for these occurances.
• Overall outcome i.e EVERYONES DEAD 
• i believe in the end after all of these outcomes he did in fact learn something .

Paragraph 2:

Key events that unfolded and how Hamlet reacted and felt.... did his behaviours or opinions change. Hamlet lingering on death and revenge... blinds him?

• Play and Claudius admitting muder of brother
• Talk with mother/death of Polonius
• Ophelias death

Paragraph 3:

• Hamlets rite-of-passage, realisation of mistakes he made because of the death of Ophelia.....
• repentance and explanaition of what he learnt.
• Too late to change the outcome... everyone dies

The Great Gatsby: Chapter 1

In the first few paragraphs we're introduced to Nick as a character, he gives light detail on his past, his origin and  how he moved to where the story is set. In the first few sentences were given a quote from his father "Just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had" which i think is a rather weird way to start a recount on a person you once knew, surely the logical way to start would be a brief introduction of the person or even a relevant quote from them... he then goes on to saying that because of this he doesn't pass judgement which is soon shown as a lie since he is constantly judgmental of others. The fact that you only have to look in the first few paragraphs to find faults in what he says may indicate that he isn't a very reliable narrator, which we know because he says that he didn't like Gatsby (the man on whom his recount is on) at first however he believed that Gatsby was alright in the end. This story is only based on the events from a few months so you can see he is also easily swayed which is also a very bad characteristic for a narrator. In these next few pages Nick describes himself and how he wound up in the East just off of New York which is far from home in the middle west of the US, he also constantly refers to status and wealth,bragging aand boasting of his own accomplishments (going to Yale) . I think this is a big clue to what Nick as a person is really like, he wants to be socially accepted and ends up bigging himself up to achieve this. One last interesting point from the introduction is that he only makes reference to men, even when mentioning his parents he speaks only of his father which is a bit strange, this may be of no consequence however this may mean that he doesn't consider women to be worth mentioning (or from first thoughts that he was gay).
Were then introduced to three new characters: Tom Buchanan,Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker. The way he introduces daisy gives off the impression that because she has  a high status he is fine with be associated with her since he gives a precise connection to her "second cousin once removed" whereas by the way he has spoken before he treats others who don't have wealth or status differently as if they aren't consequential. We meet these characters when he visits Tom and Daisy's home which is close to his, once he has arrived he gives a massive description on background and minor details such as light banter, also later the scenery. Nick never really describes the person but instead their actions/ behaviours and things that surrounds them  which makes me believe that in actual fact he is never trully interested in the actual people he meets since he may see them as all the same, as long as he fits in he doesn't care who the person is.It also may show that he pays close attention to intricate details and that he is a very perceptive person. 
Once vaguely introduced to these new characters were given a small insight and development on their mannerisms etc. They're all deeply absorbed in gossip, the lack of chemistry between Tom and Daisy and how their young daughter is concerned which was quite insightful as it appears that neither show a major interest in her especially not Tom, it also may mean that both characters are too self absorbed and selfish to properly care for another being which may also explain to a certain extent the constant rift between them both ( no chemistry whatsoever). There is also some romantic illusions that appear which are exaggerated by the setting however even though there are flirtations you know there is no real meaning behind it. These people are all quite fickle and don't really treat others well.... from first glances the wealthy are extremely boastful and self obsessed.
After Nick has left; right at the end of the chapter we get a very brief glimpse at Gatsby. The first perception of him is that he is rather mysterious, we haven't had any information on him apart from that Nick didn't like him at first and the way he is now described is interesting.  he also portrays judgements by suggesting "Something in his leisurely movements and the secure position of his feet upon the lawn suggested that it was Mr Gatsby himself, come out to determine what share was his of our local heavens". gatsby gives off a sense of confidence and comfort in his own stance but this also makes Nick think that Gatsby is possessive over his property and that he is a bit up himself like the rest of people but if this was the case the next presumption is odd since Nick them decides that Gatsby appears to be a recluse and prefers to be alone which isn't the usual behaviours of someone who is self gratified.
Some narrative techniques i've picked up though are that he uses extravagant language to amplify certain areas of the text especially when talking about social status. He also jumps from scene to scene or different areas of the story... this could be seen as a narrative device which is used to intrigue the reader or give them many undeveloped aspects to question. However it may mean that he doesn't actually know how to properly structure the story and gives an insight to the way he thinks, which could be fragmented and easily distracted.

First thoughts on the main characters

Nick

• Easily influenced
• Reserved
• Opinionated
• Unreliable narrator as he is easily swayed and judgmental, he barely mentions Gatsby in the first few chapters even though it is a book about Gatsby, he revels too much on himself and minor details.
• Obsessed with status and acceptance into the upper classes society.He constantly refers to wealth and boasts since he wants to be socially accepted however he's an outsider at this point so is constantly attempting to impress.
• Judgmental. He was taught not to judge by his father and states he doesn't judge however he constantly judges which can be seen when he speaks about Gatsby, Tom and even in some aspects Daisy.

Tom

• Controlling
• Demanding
• Spoilt- everything must go the way he wants it too
• Easily angered
• Arrogant
• Constantly needs to be the centre of attention
• Immediately presented as powerful and that he's the only one that has a say in things since he appears in a dominant, powerful manner ( the way he is sat on the porch when Nick arrives at his home).
• Seems that he challenges others to have a sense of superiority over them.
• Untrusting of his wife

Daisy

• Exaggerates he speech/behaviour which is most likely because she is covering her true emotions of sadness (especially within her marriage)
• Uses charm to get what she wants
• In a way you could say she is weak because she allows Tom to cheat and doesn't stand up for herself but this can be debated.
• Craves acknowledgement and social acceptance
• Easily distracted like Nick, she flits from different conversations
• Tries to blame things on others

Jordan

• Appears to be quite apathetic towards most things.
• relaxed in some ways and does what she wants; she doesn't like to be controlled
• Likes attention and also uses charm to win people over

Gatsby

• From first glances he appears to be a bit of a recluse, he prefers to be left to his own devices unlike the other. He has no real desire to be the centre of attention.

Nick Carraway- first views on him

From the first few pages i believe that he seems a bit egotistical or at least that he wants to seem better than he is. He admits that he has a reserved stance about him which he picked up from his father which led people to question if he was a politician however he also appears to be quite contradictive as he states that he isnt judgemental but then goes on to say he didnt particularly like gatsby from the start but in the end grew to like him, with many other following indications; hes easily influenced. Another trait he gives that relates to the first comment is that he is snobbish in a way. He refers to his families wealth on many occasions but its debatable to say if he is high middle class or upper class as he admits to having new money since his wealth was earnt by his father/greatuncle. He also informs the reader of how he graduated from Yale a few years before which is basically more boasting. the rest of the pages are just a brief insight to his life which dont really tell us anything but overall he seems a bit up himself or at least trying to make you belive he is better than he is.

Hamlet essay title

What does Hamlet learn by the tragedy?

Tragedy in Hamlet: Act 5

Scene 1
This scene starts off with two grave digger (clowns) who are set there to bring a sense of comic relief  after such a serious moment. The conversation does have serious elements though... for instance they're debating whether Ophelia truly deserves a christian burial when she has sinned, although it has been approved by the priest they share their views on this."Is she to be buried in a christian burial when she wilfully seeks her own salvation?". They then share banter to relax the tone of the play.

Hamlet then appears in the graveyard from pure coincidence; he doesn't know Ophelia is dead and being buried.He then has a small conversation with the clowns ( they don't know who he is) and he says "There's another.Why may not that be the skull of a lawyer?" meaning once dead we are all equal, all the same no matter what rank in society we're from.Hamlet constantly reflects on death and the point of life.

Grave digger then makes reference to the disease in Denmark and relates it to the dead.Even in death the bodies are riddled with disease (recently the bodies are rotting quickly,much quicker than usual)hamlet again reflects on death and how short life is.People are no different in death and people are used no matter how great "Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth to dust; dust is earth, of earth we make loam and why of loam whereto he was converted might they not stop a beer barrel?" which means even Alexander the great may be reused, it doesn't matter how powerful you are.

Procession then appears with Ophelia's corpse,Hamlet realises whose body they are about to bury.Tragedy for Ophelia in death as the queen says there would have been no objection of hers and hamlets marriage- she was warned off and heartbroken  because of this.

Leartes and hamlet then fight in her grave (Leartes had jumped in to hold her one last time and Hamlet followed so he could fight him).After they are pulled apart Hamlet declares he loved her more than Leartes loved her (more than any amount of brothers could have) Both are grief stricken, Leartes has lost his last family member and Hamlet has lost the love of his life.Once Hamlet leaves the grave the king tells Claudius to be patient; they will carry out their plan soon.He's worried Leartes will lose it like Ophelia had.

Hamlet has recently acted sane but once he finds out about Ophelia's death he is so grief stricken he shows mad love, declares love and fights brother. It's a genuine moment of regret. He shows his raw emotions of love for her and now it's too late to do anything about it (intense moment).We finally see his realisation on what he has done, his guilt, anguish and remorse. (rite-of-passage from prince to king... reaches maturity level needed)

Scene 2
Hamlet now shows true remorse, he seems weak with grief, no signs of madness.He regrets his previous actions and can see what wrong he caused others, he then describes to Horatio how he changed the message that Claudius wrote for England and made it so that Rosencratz and Guildenstern will be sent to death on arrival .In a way this is his confession, he must know that something is to happen so he's confessing his sins before it's too late.He's seen how his pent up revenge has caused and destroyed so much.

Osrick then enters and says "Your lordship is right, welcome back to Denmark" (dramatic irony). Osrick serves as a comic character aswell as a narrative device; he helps explain what will happen next... the duel.There is a bet placed on Leartes to win and Hamlet is suspicious of the duel and its importance. Hamlet is aware the duel could be the deciding factor of his future (everyone is there to witness it).

Hamlet and Leartes have words before the fight.Hamlet apologises and says he has done great wrong and offers his sorrow.He's trying to repent for his sins and make amends and Leartes accepts the apology but still wants revenge. Both show bravery and signs of nobility here. Hamlet does because he accepts the duel without any question (bravery) unlike his previous moments in the play which can be interpreted as if he is a coward.Leartes does because he  accepts Hamlets apology even though he blames Hamlet for the death of his family.This shows that Leartes is a good man, although he still wants revenge he isn't petty or stubborn he is gracious respects others enough to forgive them even when they cause much hurt. (both showing maturity and especially with Hamlet since he has realised not to run, he accepts the consequences and takes the punishment).

They then fight and it's both on equal standing to they take a break (Leartes has the  poisoned sword).....  hamlet is offered a drink (the drink that has poison in) but he turns it down. Instead the queen drinks from it (oncoming tragedy for Hamlet and Claudius also dramatic irony) . Hamlet is then wounded by the poisoned sword (tragedy for Gertrude,Horatio also the kingdom since they still like Hamlet and dramatic irony). In scuffling and confusion they both then swap swords and Hamlet wounds Leartes ( 3 are now poisoned, more Tragedy!!).

The queen then falls and Claudius attempts to cover it by saying " She swoons to see them bleed" meaning that she has fainted because she can't stand to see them fight but in the queens last breath she says it was the drink "No, no, the drink, the drink! O my dear Hamlet! the drink, the drink, i am poisoned.".Hamlet then shouts treachery and seeks who caused the villainous act; Leartes then admits that the culprit was Claudius and that there is no cure, the sword and drink are poisoned so Hamlet wounds Claudius and forces him to drink the rest of the poisoned drink. ( dramatic irony as Claudius has died the way he killed Hamlets dad, his mother and effectively Leartes and Hamlet....you could say it was his own doings that killed him) Now major tragedy for all, they have no king or queen, Hamlet has lost all his family like Leartes and Denmark shall now have no ruler since all royalty or nobles are poisoned.It also means that they all achieved revenge even if it results in the death of each other.


In Leartes final words he ask Hamlet to forgive him and that he fully forgives Hamlet "He is justly served ( talking about the death of Claudius) It is poisoned tempered by himself. Exchange forgiveness with me noble Hamlet. Mine and my father's death come not upon thee nor thine on me!" It's not Hamlets fault for his death and his father's....full forgiveness.

Fortinbras then arrives in Elsinore with his army (told by a messenger), at this point Horatio says to Hamlet that he wants to die too, he doesn't want to live when everyone else has dies but Hamlet basically tells him it will be alright and not to make a foolish move (tragedy for Horatio, he has lost his best friend and would rather join him in death than lose him).... Hamlet also tells Horatio to leave Denmark to Fortinbras because he knows it will be in capable hands that way. Hamlet then dies.

Two things then simultaneously happen then... Fortinbras enters the hall and See's what has happened; then asking Horatio so he can find out. Also an ambassador arrives and reports that Rosencratz and Guildenstern are dead (pretty much everyone is dead) Horatio then fills in Fortinbras and the tragic event that have occurred in the past few months and that the throne has been left to him ( Fortinbras has succeeded in his mission without having to do anything). Fortinbras then finishes the play by saying that he believes that Hamlet would have made a most royal king and that he deserves a true burial so people collect the bodies and give Hamlet a royal send off.

Even though everyone has died it may now be better for Denmark since this is a fresh start and it may now redeem its former state before the death of Hamlet Sr. Hamlet did infact want Denmark to return to its former self so even though he has given his life to achieve this he has done good.

Fortinbras's assessment of Hamlet in Act 5

After Horatio summarises what unearthly happenings occurred in Denmark Fortinbras assesses the scene and concludes that Hamlet would have made an excellent king if he was given a chance, he has proven himself worthy when dealing with all of the past tragedies and should be honoured and remembered. In a way he was a king and deserves a true send off and burial.
I agree with what Fortinbras has decided because he has shown nobility in some of his actions specifically in the end. I think that this whole play was pretty much a rite-of-passage for him from the transition from being a prince to a king.He did make a few stupid decisions such as pretending to be mad, this idiotic idea has definitely cost him a lot and caused major tragic moments for others that could have definitely been avoided but the fact that when he lost someone incredibly dear to him he realised his idiotic behaviour and tried to repent for his actions.
He did however behave maturely when confronted with how he would take revenge, he contemplated on his options and waited instead of deciding with his anger and killing Claudius on an impulse. I like the fact the Hamlet is a cunning character who does think before he acts unlike many would have done the opposite.
Once he realised his wrong doings i believe that he then fulfilled a lost part of himself;a part of him that was missing before-hand, this is the point where Fortinbras's assessment really applies but even so he had the makings of a great ruler from the start.

Tragedy in Hamlet: Act 3 Scene 4 and Act 4

Act 3 Scene 4
Hamlet talks with mother after requested to but is suspicious of eavesdropping since it has happened countless times recently so he goes to hurt mother  as a ploy to catch the spy (believing its Claudius when in fact it's Polonius). The spy send a cry for help so Hamlet kills him.he may possibly belive it's Claudius since who else would be in her chamber unless she is committing adultery; he stabs who he belives is Claudius because this would finally mean he has taken revenge.... he couldnt complete this action earlier since Claudius was praying but spying would be a sin so it would send Claudius to hell which is what Hamlet initially wants. This is a new tragic element to the play as Polonius is Leartes and Ophelias father so the news of his murder will hurt badly especially for ophelia since Hamlet is effectively her boyfriend.... this will cause a conflicting internal element; will she continue to loyally love Hamlet? this news will definately cause a greater heartbreak.This can also be seen as a tragic moment for Ophelia and in some elements the denmark since Polonius was such a respected figure within the public so this will be a great loss for them, and for Gertrude its a tragic moment since it's her beloved son that has slain Polonius and she knows he has committed an awful crime that may result in the loss of his life;she cannot lose her son so soon after the death of her husband. Even when Hamlet realises that he has in fact killed Polonius he shows no inclination of remorse-he doesnt care that he has killed an important figure in Denmark who is also his girlfriends father. (this has caused major future problems for Hamlet, he's now a cold blooded killer and there is no justifications for his actions).

Hamlet then continues to let loose on his mother,finally venting all his disgust towards her, he has a go at her for marrying Claudius and basically fogetting his dear father (betrayed him). He uses hell as imagery for what she has done ( her virtue has melted like wax) her incestous passion will cause her to go to hell.Hamlet continues to use very rich imagery to display his hurt and anger by saying "in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,stewed in corruption,honeyed andmaking love over the nasty sty" (sty being Claudius) and although he has badly upset Gertrude she still acts tender towards him by saying "sweet Hamlet".

The appearence of Hamlets madness then thickens when the ghost of his Father then appears but only to Hamlet, the queen believes he has gone mad since she cant see the ghost;she belives the old tragedy has altered him so badly that he has resorted to halucinations of his dad as a way of comfort.

Hamlet then concludes to his mother not to do anything with Claudius when they are alone in their chamber snd to remind Claudius he is plotting against him (he will take revenge!).he says " I essentially am not in madness,but mad in craft"-he's not really mad in the mind but he demonstrates lunacy through behaviour on purpose. he also reminds her that he is being sent to England so it doesnt matter ; they will be free of his lunacy soon.The scene then ends with Hamlet dragging Polonius's body from her chamber (emphasizing his mad behaviour).This scene is a major development for the play.... Hamlet find out the ghost in fact speaks the truth, he finally vents to his mother and causes major tragedy for many other characters.

Act 4

Scene 1
This new act starts with Gertrude recapping the previous incidents with Claudius who then tells Rosencratz and Guildenstein to find Hamlet and take Polonius's body to the chapel (Gertrude had told Claudius Hamlet has taken the body to cut it up " to draw apart the body he hath killed") If this case is true Hamlet has acted in a way that he may see appropriate however if true it means that Polonius cannot be given the respected burial where his family etc can say goodbye it also means the body wont be in the natural state which may greatly upset his children intensifying the recent loss and tragedy they have been subject to. However even though Hamlet has acted extremely bad gertrude still attempts to defend her son by saying it's not his fault, the madness has done this " O'er whom his very madness", she is trying to protect her son because she knows he must pay the consequences for his crimes. She is in a true dilemma,Hamlet needs to be punished by Claudius since it's his duty as the king but who will she be loyal to: Claudius the man she has sworn to be loyal to or her own son? This is a major problem that she will struggle with which will most likely cause her anger and great upset in the future development.

Scene 2
Hamlet refuses to tell Rosencratz and Guildenstein where Polonius is, he will only tell the king so he requests to be taken to him. He also plays on his lunacy to these characters to either play the part he is trying to deliver or because he has actually turned mad. There is no real tragedy within this scene as it's extremely short so no chance of a proper development.

Scene 3
When Hamlet is taken to Claudius he admits that he has buried Polonius's body and says he is now being eaten by worms;which is the circle of life " your worm is your only emperor for diet. we fat all creatures else to fat us,and we fat ourselves for maggots". uses very strong imagery to emphasize his madness and not just in the previously mentioned case,Hamlet carries on to say "a man may fish with the worm that hath eat of king,and eat of the fish that hath fed of the worm" meaning that essentially everyone eats each other.By saying this Hamlet isn't being very cautious or sensitive to others and may offend or upset people which worsens the effects of the tragedy.

Hamlet is then told that the ship is ready to send him to England by Claudius who then appoints attendants to escort him away. Claudius then has another soliloquy where he admits a sort of triumph over Hamlet since he has sent a letter to England telling them to execute Hamlet once he arrives.Claudius wont be happy until he has gotten revenge and Hamlet is dead.He says Hamlet is a disease to Denmark. The fact that Claudius has done this though will cause major upset and tragedy for his wife since that is her son.... he would have murdered both her husband and son who are also his blood relations.

Scene 4
Hamlet has another soliloquy; he just spoke to Fortinbras and the captain.Fortinbras plans revenge over his uncles death,army is assembled and waiting; they want land (the land is worthless but they want the name it comes with).It makes Hamlet realize that he needs to take action now, he has upset his mother and with his father stuck in purgatory he feels he has failed.a major problem though is that he is leaving;its a big debate in his head with many tormenting thoughts.The old tragedy is still lingering in his mind constantly... he still cannot progress and move forward with his life,it may even destroy him.

Scene 5
Ophelia has recently gone insane because of the tragic death of her father,she cries over trivial things, is unstable and talks utter nonsense.In this scene she approaches Claudius and Gertrude singing about her and Hamlets treatment and also uses vulgar language. The tragedy has effected her so much she has completely lost herself;behaving in inappropriate ways but its not just the tragic loss of her father... its also because it was at Hamlets doing; this news would have been devastating and traumatic to hear that both factors must have simply tipped her over the edge.Claudius then tells Horatio to keep an eye on her after witnessing her mad behaviours.He pities her since she can't deal with problems and Leartes is still away;she's all alone and cant cope.

However Leartes suddenly returns to Denmark after hearing the news of the loss of his father and the country embraces him; They want him to be king.Claudius has no support by his people which must emphasize how shit of a king he makes. Leartes breaks into the castle with his followers and orders to see the king alone; he is extremely angry.Claudius tells him that his father is dead and at that point the queen immediately jumps in and informs Leartes it's not at Claudius's hand.Leartes declares he will take revenge which allows Claudius to jump at this opportunity thats been presented  and shows his support; he manipulates Leartes and clears his name (tells him it was Hamlet).

Ophelia then appears and Leartes witnesses her true madness first hand (more tragedy for Leartes,basically lost his sister as well) which leaves him in utter shock; he doesn't know how to deal with this factor on top of the recent tragic death of his father and we know this because he says " do you see this? O God!" You can see the major contrast between both siblings on how they deal with tragic life changing news. Ophelia completely breaks down into a state of lunacy whereas Leartes is a man who takes action and vows revenge even if it is his sisters love. This shows how although they are related Ophelia is in a much weaker state and cannot cope whereas Leartes is a much stronger willed being who has great characteristics to be a good leader and warrior.

This now leaves the story with many schemes of revenge; the tragedy has led characters into such a rage they all vow revenge to solve their vendettas against each other (which was all started by Hamlet Sr..) Leartes, Fortinbras, Claudius and Hamlet but how will the story develop? who will actually succeed in finishing what they started and defeating their foe (which in a way will mean they also defeat the tragedy).

Scene 6
 Hamlet writes a letter to horatio to inform him of events that have unravelled , Hamlet now sounds extremely sane in comparison to his recent mad behaviour.Hamlet shows cowardice  throughout the play whereas from the letter he is portrayed as a man of action (he was captured by pirates and managed to persuade them to let him free) The letter has a calm mannerism about it as if the events didnt phase him.This behaviour displayed isnt like Hamlets previous portrayal so it makes me question if these events are actually real; Hamlet does love dramatic plays so maybe he has exageratted actual events i.e he saw a fishing boat and jumped onto it.there is no change to any previous tagedies and no real tragedies emerge in this scene.

Scene 7
Leartes is aggrivated, tragic events of the death of his father and Ophelias lunacy have occured, he blames Hamlet for both of these tragedies and Hamlet was pretty much let off (sent to England) so he's having a go at Claudius.Claudius says that he couldn't do anything else because in the publics eyes Hamlet  can do no wrong and he also tells Leartes that he greatly misses Polonius as a way to calm him down.

A messenger then arrives (dramatic irony on the characters which brings tragedy to leartes)After learning Hamlet has escaped he conjures a plan to kill Hamlet which enables him to take revenge (the only way the male characters seem to deal with tragedy)Claudius has manipulated Leartes and blamed all problems on Hamlet i.e the muders and for the state of Denmark, he says that Hamlet did it because he is Jealous of Leartes etc... Claudius is praising Leartes by saying he's a good swordsman (sucking up to him).They create a plan to kill him in a non-ovbious way.Decide to have a duel between Leartes and Hamlet (Hamlet is cowardly whereas Leartes takes the warrior route) Leartes will then poison the end of Hamlets sword to secretly kill him-dramatic irony (Claudius used poison to kill Hamlets dad) However this plan shows that Leartes is a cheat, could this mean his an untrustworthy and weak person? For a back up plan they will also poison a drink that they will then hand to Hamlet.

Gertrude then enters the scene announcing Ophelia has drowned. This is a phenomenal tragedy for Leartes and Hamlet, both loved her unconditionally and have also dealt with major tragedies in their lives (Both losing their dads). Her death is described in a beautiful way, not a traumatic death ( naturalistic imagery).Leartes then says "to much water;hast thou, poor Ophelia and therefore i forbid my tears"  which basically means he wont shed a tear because too much water has been used and wasted (Ophelia drowned and used to cry all the time).Leartes has lost everyone, he has no others to care or grieve over.

Everyone was pent on revenge,now it's all coming back on them;theyre paying for their wrong doings.
Most of Ophelias parts are just background parts, she never has any important line and all of the happenings arent included in the play wer'e just told about them.Although this is the case the events have major upheavals...who is to blame for her death? could blame Claudius since he started the chain of tragic events or you could blame Hamlet since he drove her to heartbreak and so much misery eventually causing her lunacy.

Tragedy in Hamlet: Acts 2 & most of 3

Act 2
Tragedy is first established in this act with Ophelia; she believes her love has gone completely insane which worries and upsets her greatly. (he stood in her chamber with his trousers at his ankles). Although it is meant that Hamlet is faking lunacy noone really knows this factor so trully believe that he is mental.... however tragedy has efeected hamlet in such a way that in truth it can be argued his mad behaviour isnt actually false.He's still constantly lingering on this death;he cannot move past it so to what extent has he progressed... has he perhaps regessed?

Act 3
In Hamlets soliloquy he again questions life " To be or not to be, that is the question". He is dwelling too much on things & thoughts that may lead to a constant regret and guilt, however these thoughts are a philosphical perspective which should be expected from him since he is a philossphy student. he is pent up on taking revenge and is focusing on it so much that he is losing himself in a way, the tragedy is eating away at him and he feels a coward for thinking on it too much; he is not his father though, he isnt a warrior he is a thinker so is he being too hard on himself? is he strong enough to accomplish his task?
he then talks with Ophelia and causes more turmoil for her as he breaks her heart by insulting and degrading her by saying " i loved thee not" and " take thee to a nunnery". there are a few possible reasons behind this behaviousr though: 1. he loves her so much he wants to get her way from Denmark to protect her and keep her from oncoming harm ( either the revenge for his father or possibly from him because he know this tragedy is forming him into a new person and he feels as if he will hurt her grealy in the future) 2. he is suspicious of eavesdroppers so may be trying to fool them with lunacy ( but has the tragic news actually started to make him mad).  Hamlet is still unable to move on and healthily process this loss like everyone else, he is bent on revenge. tragedy has become the basis of him now and he needs to kill Claudius to maybe move on.

Because of the one tragic event and the spreading of hurt has developed into a major dramtic plot. All life has changed for every character, previous allies like Guildenstein and Rosencratz have become untrustworthy and disloyal, Hamlet has lost friends and respect from everyone, Claudius is decietful and evil ( bad traits for a king), now no love or relationship with his mother, ruined his chances of a future happiness with Ophelia and there is no order over Denmark...... everything is falling to tatters which has caused major drama!

Tragedy in Hamlet: Act 1

Scene 1
It starts of with the mourning over the loss of the previous king: Hamlet senior. This Tragic loss is a widespread loss, the effects are felt and related to all over the country. Tragedy in this first scene is portrayed not only in the mood but also the setting and imagery placed throughout. there is the imagery of death portrayed through the night watchmen being near a graveyard and then later on by the dwelling omen of the appearing ghost of the recently dead king.They become fearful because of this which also opens up recently healing wounds. the ghost also raises questions.... was he as good of a king as shown? was he well respected? to what extent has his death had an effect?

Scene 2
With the basis of the tragedy already established; it develops into a much deeper tragic plot. His son Hamlet is in great internal turmoil..... he is deeply mourning his father and even though it's been 2 motnhs he cannot grasp anything to help him start to move on; unlike his mother who has just re-married to the new king and uncle of Hamlet.This new joining puts more emphasis on Hamlets misery since this news deeply effects and hurts Hamlet, he feels betrayed by his mother and scorns her for her moving on so soon. Shakespeare shows the contrast in moods between these characters by the fact that Hamlet is heavly dressed in black whereas all other aspects of the play:characters and setting is colourful and in celebration which isolates him even more from everything else as if noone can relate to his pain and suffering.

scene 3
a different type of tragedy is new established in this scene... introducing Ophelia as a sub-plot.Her father and brother  create a new tragedy for her as the ruin her hopes and brandish hers and Hamlets love as false, this opens up heartbreak and hurts her immensely since she is madly in love with him.Although at this stage this is a minor tragic element all together it builds drama and great tragedy for the future plot.

Scene 5
Scene 4 is very short so there isnt any development to the tragedy however scene 5 is very vital for the future of the play. it starts with Hamlet stating how he has nothing left to live for after the loss of his father.... so after being told of the ghost sighting he goes in search for himself to seek the truth and hopefully shed some light on the situation. He learns that the former tragedy is much worse than originally believed as he find out from his fathers ghost that he was murdered and betrayed by his own brother and is now stuck in purgatory ( a place so awful he cannot even describe it because it scares him too much). The former tragedy of Hamlet Sr's death is now legnthened which creates an aim for Hamlet to take revenge on his father's death. tragedy was also conveyed again by the imagery of death since it was set new graves again with a melancholy feel towards it. From this event Denmark is collapsing;it effects everyone so deeply and may be the starting point of more turmoil and dismay.

My interpretation Hamlet at the end of Act 2

Hamlet appears to be quite a deep character..... traumatised in a way by the loss of his father caused by his uncle, he's dealing with a lots of emotions. In a way i think the way he has processed information and delt with what has happened very well; hes very perceptive of others and manipulative/misleading. its very clever how he is trapping Claudius by using a play to find out how he will react when the events are acted out in front of his eyes..... its deceptive and cunning; how would you really deal with the news from the ghost of his father? you cannot just confront him because Claudius is hardly going to admit it outright and he could also be done for treason if he accused the king of such accusations.However i don't think it was very smart of Hamlet to pretend he was mad to others, however one question this raises is if his lunacy is actually put on or is it real?. the mentality of Hamlet is very fragile to begin with and with the added news it's gonna leave him with many hard situations to overcome.... should he avenge his father (the initial idea) how does he go about this? part of me pities Hamlet and thinks he is strongwilled and an exceedingly good thinker, but are his methods quite cowardly;he uses brains over brawns like his father would have done, but is this because he is scared of confrontation? He leaves many questions open to interpretation

Stop all the clocks analysis

This poem evokes strong emotions from start to finish. The first stanza seems to have a sense of denial,

                                           “Stop all the clocks, Cut off the telephone”

 These first few lines give the impression that the writer doesn’t want to accept the truth, by stopping time and shutting people out he may be able to preserve the delusion that nothing has happened for a little longer. Denial is also the first of five stages of grieving using the Kübler-Ross model, perhaps Auden is simply going through the motions of grieving, taking it one stage at a time.

The second stanza contains the line,

                                               “Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead”

 “Moaning” is a very onomatopoeic word from this you can almost visualize the type of aeroplane he meant and the “moaning” noise it would be making. The sound of the words could also be linked with the mourners in the church, the sadness and lamenting.

The third stanza is almost where he permits himself to remember his love. Like light at the end of a tunnel; a truly loving sentiment in such a somber poem.

As Auden moves onto the final stanza the atmosphere of the poem moves too. The poem slips into depression or even anger. Almost as a child throws a toy with frustration Auden orders for the night sky and the oceans etc. should be put away or discarded. And as we know from the Kübler-Ross model, Anger is the second stage of the grieving process. Perhaps if Auden had extended this poem he may have progressed through the last three stages, but as the success of the poem proves; it doesn’t need extending

Creative writing analysis

The princess and the pea

In this newer adaption to the original fairytale we still find the characters in a generally similar concept of a damsel who takes refuge at a strangers household who then secretly test her;however unlike the original by Hans christian Anderson the damsel meets her untimely doom and doesnt get to live out the rest of her life with her true love (the prince).
Although this classic is altered its still has the iconic themes. We tried to keep it in the same era as the original was set however we gave it a twist; instead of having a narrator overlooking on events we made it into first person accounts from the princess and the prince. Since in our version the princess dies we decided to also use the prince's account so we can conclude the story instead of leaving it on a cliff hanger. the princess's views are formatted in a flashback that she writes in a diary that she keeps and the prince's through a letter meant for the princess's family.We thought this would be good since no fairytales have been written using personal experiences and it also allows you to feel like you know the princess's character since you get her own personal thoughts and opinions whereas usually these stories arent personal.We also used descriptive tachniques throughout to capture the audiences interest and there is a case of the use of metaphors to include a variety of narration.

Kite runner chapter 1 analysis

Chapter One of The Kite Runner sets the tone for the entire novel. Before we know anything about the protagonist, including his name, we learn that one moment in his past has defined his entire life.It leaves many unaswered questions that make the reader want to delve deeper into this books depths for instance who are Rahim and Hassan and to what relevance are they in the protagonists life?what is the significance of the kites from the park in San Francissco ? and possibly the most important question is what exactly happened 26 years ago with Hassan in Amir's past that could possibly define who he is in the present time.

A main feature used by Housseini is the descriptive dialogue that is used throughout. He puts so much emphasis on such minor details. Other techniques used would be personification and similies which help to give variety,and metaphors which leaves a sense of entrapment .He also uses positive and negative connotations.

One more technique could be that you also get a sense of flashbacks since there are two different settings used to establish the basis of the story: SanFrancisco (present) and Afghanistan (past) which illustrates the purpose of this chapter which is to provide eposition and to build a basis for the whole story.The way Amir describes Afghanistan gives a sense that he is detached from his former self, the fact that he travelled so far may indicate that he is running away from this former event,trying to bury it deep however it keeps latching and having a lingering grasp in Amirs life.

Why is Hamlet great?

Shakespeare is known to have written many great works of art in his time and Hamlet is definitely one that won't be forgotten. It's one of his greatest tragedies; even considered one of the best tragedies of all time by some and its one of the most quoted plays. Hamlet is a story that deals with the psychological torment of a young Danish Prince.

A reason Hamlet is valued is because he spends so much time wondering about death and the value of life. Hamlet decides after the death of his parents that we're scared of death because we don't know what happens and death is something that everyone in any time of history can relate to even in todays culture; 400 years after it was originally written.

Another factor could be that every reader will have different opinions on the main character... some don't even know what to think whereas many will find that they don't know everything about the character. Hamlet himself makes you think there is something important he is keeping from you even if this something isn't known to him. . The ability to write such powerful dialogues that create this effect is one of Shakespeare’s most impressive achievements and traits.

Hamlet is seen as one of the greatest pieces of dramatic works in the English Language to date since the list for interpretations and meanings goes on, which is a main factor of why Hamlet is viewed as a classic even in the modern times. The timeless issues the play raises may be the reason this play has the reputation it has withheld over the centuries and the fact that issues from the Oedipus complex Hamlet deals with to the inner mentality of the character were thought upon in the time period it was from is quite astonishing in itself.

The princess and the pea creative writing

Dear Diary

I’ve had the worst day of my life, after the most boring banquet with the duke and his wife my coach had a broken wheel and they had no spare coach which was utterly profound so I had to walk… and of top of the despicable occurrence it started to rain; its such a shame since my silk green garment was absolutely wrecked,

Luckily after walking down a very melancholy lit country road I came across a luxurious mansion… it was incredibly beautiful; with grand white pillars that towered to the sky, majestic gold doors and windows that exploded light into the swallowing pit of darkness that I had succumbed to.

I speedily tottered in my now mud encrusted heels towards the nearest window that displayed an extravagantly decorated front room. As I peered in I could see a gorgeous fire place with a flaming orange ball blowing heat across the marble tiled floor… I longed to be warm, to feel the comfort that this mansion holds.

With this new impulse I headed towards the door… a door unlike most doors, the detail was so intricate I could see the household must have been important… However I still believe my home is much more divine than this.

As I gracefully held the bell handle and plunged it down a few times just to make sure I wouldn’t be ignored I heard a distant tapping that grew louder and sharper as the seconds commenced. Although I knew it was help a part of me was quite frightened by this small detail… it sent a shuddering chill down my spine. Now the sound was projecting through my ear drums and I couldn’t ignore it….. Just as I thought it would never end the door slowly slid ajar to release the face of a very small woman who was embellished in fine jewellery and a beautiful purple gown. Her pristine composure was quite surprising since the lady of the house never opens the door usually especially at this late hour…where were the maids? Eventually after what felt like hours her voice echoed through the high roofed hallway asking who I was. As I was briskly repeating to the elder lady of my awful troubles this godlike man appeared in the distance.

At that point I realised I must have looked a fright, my hair was strewn like an unkept bush and my dress was so ghastly at this point… I dare to think…. I must have appeared to be a common person to these hospitable people that took me in for the night. Thankfully the extremely handsome, spellbinding gentleman who I now know is her son and the PRINCE persuaded his mother to allow me in for the night until I can call for someone in the morning to collect me. They collected a maid from the lower quarters to bathe me (which happened to be the most luscious smelling oils… id say they had a hint of rosemary to them) then guided me to a newly made guestroom with the highest pile of mattresses you ever did see; god knows why there are so many mattresses… this family have very strange ways and sadly I don’t find it to much comfort but if my thoughts are correct there is something lurking in amongst them all so I’m just about to have a quick gander and see if I can solve this treacherous  annoyance. Hopefully my bad luck is over and I can have a joyous slumber.

To the unfortunate Receivers of this letter,

I am dreadfully sorry to inform you of the loss of your eldest daughter. The only consolidation I can give you is what I can conclude of her death.

She was the victim of a cruel test of my mothers. I assure you, I knew nothing of her scheme until early this morning when she confessed all, since which she has been banished by my father for crushing such a beautiful flower which your daughter was.

My mother, looking for a match for me, was unbelieving that your daughter was a princess and proceeded to test her by making her sleep upon 50 mattresses with a single pea hidden within them, knowing that nobody but a real princess would have skin delicate enough to feel the offending vegetable.

Upon finding her diary (enclosed) I believe she felt the pea and attempted to find it among her mattresses, only to fall from the great height and be crushed by the weight of the felonious bedding.

I can only offer my deepest apologies and assure you I am grieving with you, such a loss will be hard to live with. I have joined the armed forces in the hope I may join her in the eternal kingdom.

Yours terribly sincerely,

Prince Arthur.