Activity 1.2



1. Polonius-The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia
2. Claudius-The king of Denmark, Hamlets uncle.
3. Gertrude-The queen of Denmark. Hamlets mother, gets married to Claudius after the death of Hamlets father.
4. Fortinbras-The young prince of Norway whose father the king was killed my Hamlets father.


Polonius- Ophelia- Laertes
Old hamlet- Claudius -hamlet- Gertrude

Fortinbras-The young prince and his father
Problems

For the Fortinbras, the issue was that hamlets father killed fortinbras father who was also named fortinbras, and in revenge, fortinbras attacks Denmark for no good reason which makes hamlet admire the man.

For the Hamlets, many issues arose. One hamlets father who was also named hamlet was killed by his uncle Claudius, to become king. Then Gertrude, prince hamlets mother marries Claudius which makes prince hamlet envious of his uncle.
Ophelia was in love with prince hamlet and Polonius did not like hamlet at all, creating suspense thought the play as well as dislike and hatred through main characters. After the death of Polonius Ophelia’s madness unveils and she begins to act strange and suddenly drowns and her death is debated to be suicide.
How they cope
They attack Denmark but soon realize that there is no need because all important people of power have already been killed.
Prince hamlets talks with his mother later on in the play and tells her of Claudius’s unforgivable darkness which shows throughout the play.
Ophelia copes with not being able to see hamlet but it is obvious to tell that hamlet is having aggression issues.

When reading the play you will notice that all of the families are indeed nuclear families. Though many exception occur for example: Gertrude and Hamlet have a child who is also named hamlet, but in this case there is his uncle Claudius who ruins the whole nuclear family image. Also there is Polonius and his daughter Ophelia and his son Laertes but you do not hear of his mother. Finally the Fortinbras, you do not see fortinbras mother either so they do not fill the requirements as a nuclear family.

Activity 1.3


Basically the play is as follows, the king of Denmark is slain by his brother Claudius who seeks power. Claudius anger and jealousy allow for him to be known as the villain of the play. Claudius succeeds in him murder to become king then marries the king’s wife Gertrude. Young hamlet is outraged and rebels against his uncle and mother and all of those around him including his love Ophelia. Claudius plots and plans to kill hamlet because of his knowledge about the murder of his father. In doing so only ends up getting himself killed along with his wife. Ophelia ends up “killing her self” or so it can be debated that she did, really no proof but she dies. Polonius is killed by hamlet by mistake but probably would have happened eventually because of his tenaciousness around hamlet and his jealousy over his daughter which was unbearable. Laertes ends up dieing alongside hamlet after there courageous battle in which hamlet was victorious. But was sliced by Laertes sword which was laced with poison, undoubtedly killing hamlet.

Activity 1.4

The generation gap relates to the differences between generations so the differences between hamlets age and his father’s age. Hamlets father lived to conquer lands and obtain victories while hamlets generation lives to kill and seek revenge. When Laertes was off to college Polonius gave him a load of encouraging and respectful advice like fathers do now days. Also hamlets dad came back as the ghost and gave him advice and told him things to do. Ideas about marriage include when Gertrude wanted hamlet to marry Ophelia but Laertes told Ophelia that she couldn’t marry him because he was much higher than her in society and not to give her self away too easily, play “hard to get” and Laertes tells her that he may not be good enough for her, to protect her. This could include the advice hamlet receives from his mother later on in the play when he accidentally murders Polonius. Being embarrassed by family, includes when the entire household went to watch a play of how Claudius killed hamlet, prince hamlet abruptly interrupted almost every scene with obnoxious remarks embarrassing his uncle and mother also putting his uncle to shame. When Laertes goes to France for his education his father sends Reynaldo to check up and spy on him during his travels.

Activity 1.5

Self actualization-I believe hamlets morality to be quite great considering that the reason for his madness in the play is caused due to the death of his father and his uncle marrying his mother. He is not completely honest with characters throughout the play but does make some smart decisions which include not killing Claudius when he had the chance in the confession booth.
Esteem-Well his self esteem in the play does seem to be very high but in all actuality it really is not that high. He is betrayed by many characters which cause his ability to trust individuals very hard. He even conjured committing suicide at one point. A hamlet hates his uncle for obvious reasons and decides that his goal is to kill his uncle and seek revenge when he repeatedly shoots down the opportunity. So you could say his respect of other was little or none, but he did respect Ophelia until he was under the assumption that she no longer loved him because she didn’t want to see him.
Love and Belongingness-Hamlet had and kept a relationship with his long known friend Horatio who helps hamlet fulfill his goals throughout the play. All of his family is corrupt or he wants nothing to do with them, these include his uncle Claudius, and his mother Gertrude.
Safety and Security-Hamlets mental stability was not too well, but his employment and resources were a sure thing. If Claudius were to die he would become king and he would have all the money and land he needed.
Physiological-Hamlet is perfectly fine under this category he can breathe eat sleep, have sex.

Activity 1.6

The reason for hamlets outrageous behavior is the death of his father and when his uncle Claudius marries his mother, Gertrude. He is emotionally struck by these events which cause him to change and become someone that nobody seemed to like; even Horatio had some doubts about him. Hamlets ability to give speech or to talk to the public is amazing. He is able to catch the attention of the crowd and easily persuade anyone with words. When they were all attending the play with the actors, hamlets interrupts and gives a speech that pretty much rattled the crowd with curiosity and fear, because of the facts he was telling about the king. Hamlets actions are quite noticeable throughout the play as you notice he kills Polonius and simple cleans up the area by dragging his bleeding body out of the kings room and hides it, without regret. He acts abruptly with Ophelia during many scenes when he grabs her by the arm, shoves her face into the glass window, touches her face unnoticeably, which puts her into a frantic. His thoughts and feeling are obviously out of touch and indeed changed because of all the drama he is been through and going through the whole play. Claudius notices the changes in hamlet during the time when he interrupted the actors and finally new that hamlet new about how Claudius killed his father and from that point on it was hell for the both of them. Claudius ordered the death of hamlet and that he is captured while hamlets goals were to kill Claudius to avenge his father. Hamlets mother Gertrude notices the madness and sudden change in hamlet from the beginning but just believes that it’s all because of the death of old hamlet. Horatio helps hamlet throughout the play even though he my notice a change for the worse in him, because that’s what friends do you stick around and help them. Finally Ophelia obviously noticed the change in hamlet and for this reason stayed away form him because he was violent but she did not know how much he really loved her.

ISU final

Oliver Twist Essay

Oliver Twist is an interesting novel in which was written due to the change of life in the late 1830’s. Charles Dickens illustrates Victorian England’s obsession with class distinctions and stereotypes, also portrays anti-Semitism in the 1830’s through the character of Fagin, reveals insight about the workhouses conditions during this time and finally depicts the various forms of thievery that are committed throughout the novel and the role that clothing plays in the various characters identities.

Dickens illustration of Victorian England’s obsession with class distinctions is shown through Noah Claypoles relationship with Oliver. Noah’s parents are destitute and Noah hates all of those who are better off or greater than he is. In doing so Noah Claypole meets Oliver and then enjoys his presence because Oliver being poor and an orphan must be doing worst than he is. Oliver dislikes Noah so much because of the extreme bullying and cowardliness that Noah is constantly enforcing on him. Oliver awoke one morning to only be hounded and made fun of by Noah and the maid Charlotte, Noah goes over board and cracks a disgusting joke about Oliver’s deceased mother and Oliver beats on Noah. . Dickens characterizes Noah's cowardice and bullying as “the same amiable qualities” that are “developed in the finest lord.” Dickens shows that class snobbery is a universal quality, characteristic of the lowest as well as the highest strata of society. Moreover, snobbish behavior seems a component of class insecurity. The poor mercilessly taunt those who are poorer than they, out of anxious desire to distinguish themselves from those who are even worse off in life.[1]

'Let him alone!' said Noah. 'Why everybody lets him alone enough, for the matter of that. Neither his father nor his mother will ever interfere with him. All his relations let him have his own way pretty well. Eh, Charlotte? He! he! he!'
(pg.123, Dickens)

Noah ignorance towards Oliver is portrayed well enough when he insults his mother and father then chuckles with Charlotte. So basically Noah is taunting and being cruel to Oliver to cover up his own insecurities in life. Dickens relates to Victorian stereotypes about the poor asserted that poverty and vice were fundamentally connected and that, moreover, both were hereditary traits: the poor were supposedly bad from birth.

“I thieved for you when I was a child not half his age, and I've thieved for you ever since, don't you know it!”
(pg.123, Dickens)

Spoken by Nancy and this relates to her because she was born into stealing and robbing people of their belongings, and has done it her whole life for Fagin and cannot stop at this stage in her life. She is mentally and physically stuck into that life style, through emotions and thoughts of regret. How could she live the life of a criminal and then want to change her ways? Even though she knows what the right thing to do is she ends up doing the opposite for most for the novel. Also Nancy is madly in love with Fagin’s partner in crime Sikes. She wants to leave him for a life of good but cannot because she has been living this life for too long and does not know how to leave.


Dickens depicts anti-Semitism in the late 1830’s through the character of Fagin, who plays a Jewish thief in the novel. Fagin is ideally a career criminal who takes in young homeless children and makes them in to master mind pick pockets. In accessory to stealing he also is a buyer of stolen goods and he rarely commits crimes on his own he would rather employ people to do the dirty work. Dickens portrait of Fagin displays the influence of anti-Semitic stereotypes.

In this life, one thing counts / In the bank, large amounts / I'm afraid these don't grow on trees, / You've got to pick-a-pocket or two / You've got to pick-a-pocket or two, boys, / You've got to pick-a-pocket or two.
(pg.123, Dickens

Now this quote goes to show Fagin’s evil ways and at times like theses when he sings these sorts of songs to kids is when u realize his pure disgust. Even though Dickens denies that anti-Semitism had influenced his portrait of Fagin you can clearly see that it has indeed influenced his thought and characterization of Fagin. Throughout the novel Charles Dickens continuously refers to Fagin as “the Jew”, which undoubtedly indicate that Fagin’s negative traits are definitely connected to his ethnic identity. He is described in the novel as ugly, simpering. Greedy, miserable. Could this description have anything to do with Fagin’s ethnicity? Another thing is Fagin’s complete and utter disrespect for Nancy and women in general and these teachings are being passed to the boys as well as the other children he takes in, it’s not like he is teaching them anything good anyways. Event though Oliver’s true identity is not revealed during the novel he sticks to what he believes is right most of the time, usually trying to ignore Fagin and get away from him.

‘I'm reviewing the situation / Can a fellow be a villain all his life? / All the trials and tribulations. / Better settle down and get myself a wife! / And a wife would cook and sew for me, / And come for me, and go for me, / And go for me, and nag at me, / The fingers, she would wag at me. / The money she would take from me. / A misery, she'll make from me... I think I'd better think it out again!’
(pg.123, Dickens)

Fagin is singing this while he mutters over his words, once again he is portrayed as a scandalous man, and he is never really portrayed as a good character in the novel which makes you believe that anti-Semitism played a role in the characterization of Fagin

Throughout “Oliver Twist” the are various forms of thievery committed. Examples include crimes like Sikes stealing from Mrs.Maylie, which is essentially a criminal stealing from a respectable person. The second type of crime in the novel is respectable people like Mrs. Mann and Mr. Bumble stealing from the poor. Which is basically still thievery but from two different classes of people. This follows the Robin Hood theme of King John stealing from the poor to feed the rich, but in Mrs. Mann and Mr. Bumble’s case it is the rich stealing from the poor, which is horrible any way you think about it. You can also notice what happens to the individual characters when they are dressed into different clothing. For example when Oliver Twist goes to Mr.Brownlow’s house he receives new clothes which are clean and fresh, and it makes him feel good inside and he starts to behave better while he is there. Until he is captured again by Fagin and his new clothes were stripped off of him and he was given his old clothes back and once again he was in with the criminal crowd.

“Joy and grief were mingled in the cup; but there were no bitter tears: for even grief itself arose so softened, and clothed in such sweet and tender recollections, that it became a solemn pleasure, and lost all character of pain.”
(pg.122, Dickens)

When he was in such a warm environment all of his pain and troubles were washed away and he finally had someone taking care of him who actually cared for him and provided him with the necessities that he required. Also when Oliver went to the country side with Mrs.Maylie and Rose he once again is surrounded by that warm feeling but is skeptical of this new environment.

‘Who can describe the pleasure and delight, the peace of mind and soft tranquility, the sickly boy felt in the balmy air and among the green hills and rich woods of an inland village! Who can tell how scenes of peace and quietude sink into the minds of pain-worn dwellers in close and noisy places, and carry their own freshness deep into their jaded hearts! Men who have lived in crowded, pent-up streets, through lives of toil, and who have never wished for change—men to whom custom has indeed been second nature, and who have come almost to love each brick and stone that formed the narrow boundaries of their daily walks—even they, with the hand of death upon them, have been known to yearn at last for one short glimpse of Nature's face, and, carried far from the scenes of their old pains and pleasures, have seemed to pass at once into a new state of being.’

During this time he felt safe and enjoyed the peace and quiet where he was not forced to commit acts of thievery. Another example of how clothing changed the characters environmental settings or the way that person is seen in society is when Oliver went on his first criminal outing in which he was to steal a richer looking mans handkerchief and Dodger and Charley, the man sees Oliver running away and assumes that he is the criminal. In doing so, charley and dodger start yelling “stop thief” and the just as fast as this is happening an officer pulls of and grabs Oliver and brings him down to the station. Now Fagin gives Nancy order to retrieve Oliver from the station and she is told to pretend to be Oliver’s distraught sister, and she dresses in nice clothing. This just goes to show how the world perceived people during those times, if Nancy would have worn her regular clothing they would not have believed her. Different times call for different measures and in this situation she was to dress like a regular person so she could get back Oliver.


Charles Dickens shows insight about the conditions and environment of workhouses during the late 1830’s. In the novel, Oliver is sent to one of these workhouses where children were abandoned and treated horrible. Sometimes the people were not even fed because the master wants to hold out on them so he can make more money or save more money.

‘So they established the rule that all poor people should have the alternative (for they would compel nobody, not they) of being starved by a gradual process in the house, or by a quick one out of it. With this view, they contracted with the waterworks to lay on an unlimited supply of water, and with a corn-factor to supply periodically small quantities of oatmeal, and issued three meals of thin gruel a day, with an onion twice a week and half a roll on Sundays. They made a great many other wise and humane regulations . . . kindly undertook to divorce poor married people . . . instead of compelling a man to support his family, as they had theretofore done, took his family away from him, and made him a bachelor! There is no saying how many applicants for relief, under these last two heads, might have started up in all classes of society, if it had not been coupled with the workhouse; but the board were long-headed men, and had provided for this difficulty. The relief was inseparable from the workhouse and the gruel, and that frightened people.’
(pg.123, Dickens)

Mr. Bumble is one of the minor church officials at the workhouse where Oliver was born, he is a greedy, careless person who is in charge of these people, and this goes to show really how the conditions were. They work these people to death and barely feed them, which defeats the purpose of having a workhouse.

In conclusion, Charles Dickens depicts the various forms of thievery that are committed throughout the novel and the role that clothing plays in the various characters identities, as well as illustrates Victorian England’s obsession with class distinctions and stereotypes, also portrays anti-Semitism in the 1830’s through the character of Fagin, finally reveals insight about workhouse conditions for the poor during this time.



[1] http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/oliver/study.html, 2008

Essay

The Wizard of Oz

Through out the wizard of oz there are many examples and lessons to be learned, this allows you to understand what type of film this is and how it can be criticized. The Wizard of Oz can be considered and example of mythopoeia because it consists of a protagonist, a quest in search of truth, and its archetypal colors.

The film contains a protagonist which is a usually the main character in the movie or film or a character who performs acts of heroism or portrays these traits of kindness. In this case, the white witch would be considered the protagonist because of her heroic ways, also her tendency to be at the right place at the right time. When something bad has happened or is happening to Dorothy or her friends she seems to help them out of the situation. For example when Dorothy, the lion, the scarecrow and the tin man were walking through a field of poppies the wicked witch of the west cast a spell on the poppies that would put Dorothy and company to sleep. The wicked witch succeeds in this attempt but is soon stumped by the white witch because the white witch overrides her spell and enables the group to carry on. This is just one example of the white witches actions of kindness but there are surely many more.

A quest for truth involves mostly all the main characters because Dorothy basically finds out through this whole journey and learning experience that there is no place like home, the scarecrow realizes that everyone has a brain, for instance he was the one who developed the plan to enter the castle and take the witches broom. Even though the lion was a coward, when the time came in which he needed courage he had it, he went in to save Dorothy, even though he was scared he did it anyways.

All right, I'll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch, guards or no guards, I'll tear them apart. I may not come out alive, but I'm going in there. There's only one thing I want you fellows to do.
The wizard of Oz (1939)

This basically shows that the lion does indeed have courage and he just used it at a time when one of his friends was in danger. Finally the tin man was in search of a heart, but the whole time he had been searching for one he didn’t realize that he had a heart. He shows emotions throughout the whole film and someone without a heart could not do just that. Also he cried many times during the movie showing his change in feeling and his sensitivity.

I'd be tender — I'd be gentle and awful sentimentalRegarding Love and Art I'd be friends with sparrowsAnd the boy who shoots the arrows if I only had a heart.
The Wizard of OZ (1939)

The tin man is singing in this scene and the lyrics in his song go to show that he does have a heart because of the emotions he is feeling and he reveals this in his song. He just has not noticed this yet like the rest of the characters. All of the characters wanted something at the beginning of the movie but did not realize that they had the things that they wanted its just it was not yet known.

The archetypal colors include the wicked which who represents evil because she is dressed in black and black symbolizes death and the unknown. Another example is the white witch who represents good and she is dressed in white and white symbolizes good and peace. Also another example for archetypal colors includes how the movie starts off in Kansas and it’s in black and white. This basically labels Kansas as a dark and gloomy place or you could go even further and argue that it is miserable and full of questions. I say this because Dorothy is always asking why about everything and she never seems to be getting a good enough answer to help her through these times. Now after the twister when Dorothy lands in the Land of Oz, the movie switches to color. This symbolizes that the Land of Oz is bright and happy, full of opportunity and chances and Dorothy immediately takes interest in this new land begins her journey, but a thing to notice about the previous statement is that even though she was in the Land of Oz , the whole movie she was wishing she was home. This is all being shadowed by the fact that her Auntie Em told Dorothy to find a place where there wasn’t any trouble, which brings a lot of thoughts and questions into Dorothy’s mind.

“Some place where there isn't any trouble. Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat or a train. It's far, far away — behind the moon — beyond the rain — [singing] somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high, there’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.Somewhere, over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true. “
The Wizard of Oz (1939)

This is where Dorothy is singing somewhere over the rainbow in which she is searching for truth in her life.
In conclusion, this film could be viewed as a mythopoaic type because of its archetypal colors, quest in search for truth, and finally because it contains a protagonist.