Blog Post #18: Final Portfolio Reflection

My persuasive essay about the idea of one’s “home” being a permanent part of them is one of the two assignments that I am most proud of. Having not taken AP Comp, it was my first, real AP style paper, and I scored much higher than I ever thought I could have. I did not expect to score a 7, or A-, or to even be able to write a paper as well as I did on that essay. If there is a topic I am passionate about, I can easily write about it, but Angela’s Ashes was not one of those topics. I completely surprised myself on that paper, considering it was an example of my writing skills truly being put to the test. However, the weakness of that paper was I believe I spent much more time on it than a normal AP essay would have allowed. I remember hearing the time limit of these essays should not exceed an hour, and I worked on that assignment for at least two, if not three hours. Writing with a time constraint is something that I have never been good at. My best work comes when I can spread it out and really have time to think without pressure, which is not a situation that will occur on the AP exam.

            The second assignment that I am most proud of was the American Drama project. From the start I knew this project would serve my group and I well. Our group consisted of three guys and a girl who is very talented with video making and editing skills, which is how I knew American Buffalo would be a great fit for us. After reading the play I felt as thought I completely understand the themes and the plot, and having an interest in classic movies and what makes them “great,” I was able to bring some of that to light while writing the script and realizing when to portray the most dramatic scenes/how to portray them. It was a chance for me to flex my creative muscle in picking the song choice, as music is something I will always have a passion for. While it was stressful in the end, the project was definitely the most fun and easiest for me to help create.

            I believe that I participated adequately in the class. I did my best to answer questions that I knew the answer to when we were asked in class, even though there were not many. I also did my best to complete the homework and stay up to date on the assigned readings. I put all possible effort into all of the assigned papers and projects, putting as much thought as I could into the given time. I also used my time in class effectively, never using lab time to work on other homework unless I was entirely finished with the work assigned in this class, which happened rarely, if ever.

I will admit that during the first half of the tri, when most work was centered on the group presentations, my participation did falter. I had cross-country practice every day after school except Wednesday, immediately followed by coaching martial arts. This left me unavailable until 7 or 8 PM most nights, by which time my group had already completed almost all of the presentation. There were opportunities for me to get started on the project immediately after school on occasion, and I took advantage of those moments when it was possible. While I did still participate, my contribution to the overall presentation tended to be pretty slim, which I am completely aware of.

I believe I successfully completed all of my goals that I set for myself earlier in the year. First and foremost, my goal was to enjoy the class, which happened once we stopped continuously doing presentations every day. Once that was coming along it was much easier for me to work on my other goals, the most ambitious of which was improving my essay writing and multiple-choice test taking skills. There was plenty of in class practice that allowed me to do so but I also had to set time aside for it at home. Studying the glossary of the 5 Steps To A 5 was my main way of improving/learning the terms and literary devices necessary to pass the tests and become a more proficient writer.

My methods did end up helping me more than I could ever have imagined. I went from an extremely low test score on the first multiple choice test to a high B on the final, much of which was based on setting aside legitimate time and effort for this class. My writing ability also changed fairly dramatically, increasing from the a few low B/high C papers in the beginning to eventually earning an A- on one of the final papers, something that I was quite proud of. I was skeptical of exactly how easily obtainable my goals were, but they proved to be much more in reach than I expected.

            

Blog Post #17: Hamlet Blog 6

Prompt: Works of literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and even family may betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or may betray their own values. Select a novel or play that includes such acts of betrayal. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the nature of the betrayal and show how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

I have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course. Digital signature: John Howard

 Betrayal: Hamlet Literary Analysis

 Whether it was Marcus Brutus over 2000 years ago or brother Fredo in The Godfather Part II, betrayal is a common theme in some of the most famous classic texts. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, King Claudius betrays his kingdom by killing his brother to gain access to the throne. This one single act of betrayal by the King gives the entire play its plot and meaning by plunging Prince Hamlet into madness. The exposition of the play gives the betrayal an even greater effect. The story begins with Bernardo, a castle guard, questioning another guard named Francisco about his post. Bernardo’s question of “Who’s there?” (1.1.1) demonstrates the lack of trust that is already pervading Denmark. A castle guard would not question a fellow castle guard if the circumstances were normal. In addition to the lack of trust, at this time the King has just been killed, neighboring army is preparing to invade, and Hamlet’s father has returned as a ghost. It is when Hamlet Sr.’s ghost returns to Hamlet that the effect of the betrayal can truly be seen. After Horatio sees the ghost and reports his experience to Hamlet, the ghost beckons Hamlet and explains to him what has occurred. Hamlet Sr. explains that Hamlet is to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.2.25), going on share how “that incestuous, adulterate beast [King Claudius]” (1.2.42) has committed the act of betrayal by poisoning and subsequently murdering Hamlet Sr. The explanation of his murder is the catalyst that will eventually drive Hamlet’s descent into madness. Hamlet’s famous “to be or not to be” soliloquy is the first glimpse we get into our protagonist’s descent into madness after the betrayal takes its toll on him. He goes as far as to mention “for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil,” (3.1.66-67), explaining his thoughts about potential suicide. However, he opts out of that option and instead decides to plan a scheme in which he will trick Claudius into revealing his act of murder. The betrayal advances the plot by influencing Hamlet into making decisions beyond the point of rationality. The betrayal advances the tragedy’s plot up until the final lines, with Hamlet becoming more irrational in his decision making until the resolution arrives with the death of just about every major character. Without Claudius’s betrayal the play would have had essentially no plot. Just as Claudius poisons his brother’s blood to gain the throne, Claudius also symbolically poisons Hamlet’s blood as well, filling him with rage and a desire for revenge that ends in tragedy.

Blog Post #15: Hamlet Blog 3: Mis En Scene

The primary focal point of the Kenneth Branaugh version of Hamlet’s soliloquy is Hamlet’s battle with himself on deciding whether or not to act. The mis en scene of this version of Hamlet does a particularly good job of portraying that aspect of the soliloquy. While speaking, Hamlet is staring at himself in the mirror, which gives the audience a picture of two Hamlets, one possibly representing the Hamlet before he decides take action, with the other representing the Hamlet that desires to take action and justice. He is also alone in the scene, which takes place in a gigantic room of the castle. The room could symbolize Hamlet’s mind and dialogue with himself in the mirror representing the argument going on inside it. There is a small amount of music playing in the background, just loud enough that the audience can hear it, which gives Hamlet’s dialogue a more epic feel, especially when he puts emphasis on certain lines. Overall, the mis en scene gives this particular take on the soliloquy a very authentic feel.

The Laurence Olivier version does not start off very effectively. Perhaps I need to realize that the film is over 60 years old, but by today’s standards, honestly it seems a bit cheesy. The opening starts off with a cliché piece of dramatic music, which in my opinion has much too fast of a tempo, rendering it ineffective.  The quick and chaotic music paired with the rapid shots of the camera “climbing” the staircase are a bit too dramatic. They may have been made to foreshadow the chaotic craziness that Hamlet will soon be going through, but regardless it doesn’t have quite the same interpretation that I got from reading the play. Things are made worse by Hamlet’s awfully overdramatic attempt at slouching over after almost stabbing himself, which looks nothing but comical. The scene ends with slightly “evil” music playing and Hamlet walking off down the staircase. Overall, this scene is just too laughable to take seriously.

The Mel Gibson version begins with Hamlet walking down into a tomb from an unknown, well-lit room. This is immediately seen as symbolic: as this scene is the beginning of Hamlet’s journey into madness, it makes sense that he is literally moving from light into dark. The tomb, being a place where the dead rest, foreshadows the eventual tragedy that is the story’s plot. There is no sound in the background, which adds focus to Hamlet’s dialogue. Without any other background sounds, the audience has nothing interfering with the speech, making this version the most effective in terms of dialogue. Like the other interpretations, Hamlet is alone, which is necessary because it is Hamlet’s internal battle with himself that is the soliloquy’s purpose.

Ethan Hawke plays a modernized version of Hamlet in the 2000 adaptation. This is immediately apparent as Hawke is dressed in modern clothing and is in a Blockbuster movie store, which was modern at the time the film was made. However, the director chose to keep Shakespeare’s words in the film. No attempt at modernizing the speech was made, which contradicts the choice of placing the film in a contemporary setting. Because of this, it was hard for me to take the scene seriously. There is one detail that caught my eye, which is Hamlet walking through the “action” section of the movie rental store, which I thought was a nice touch.

Of the four, I believe Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Hamlet’s soliloquy is most effective. His acting is the most believable, without being overly dramatic, and as I am Hamlet’s closest friend I would say I know him best. The addition of Hamlet being in a tomb is a very nice touch, adding a bit of darkness to the play and foreshadowing the tragedy that is to come. The audience can focus completely on Hamlet because there is no background music that takes away from Gibson’s performance.

There are many things I would do differently than the choices made in the other three films. For the Kenneth Branaugh version, I would’ve chosen to take the music out and also told the actor to have taken his role more seriously. In the Laurence Olivier film, I would’ve scrapped the music, skipped the shot of the staircase, and stopped Olivier from making that awful attempt at falling down. I would not have messed with the Mel Gibson version, as I believe it was done well. In Ethan Hawke’s version, I would have modernized the soliloquy’s diction.  

Blog Post #14: Hamlet Blog 2: Revenge? Or Lack Thereof?

"My parents deserve justice, and I cannot let that pass...but justice is about more than revenge."

In Batman Begins, young Bruce Wayne's parents are murdered right before his eyes by a criminal named Joe Chill. Chill's act of violence changes Wayne's life forever and sets his journey to become Batman in motion. However, when given the opportunity for revenge, Wayne chooses to forgo the chance at vengeance. After physically beating Chill for what he did, Wayne does not kill him, as it goes against his devotion to justice.

If only Hamlet were more like this "Batman" I've been hearing about. Batman has every right to fight for revenge, but instead he choses not to...an honorable man by all means, he seems "truly incorruptible." (Nolan 2008). Hamlet had quite a lengthy speech about the King, calling him a "remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain," (2.2.509), followed by describing himself as "prompted to revenge by heaven and hell," (2.2.512), none of which can be good. I suspect he will continue on his quest to "catch the conscience of the King" (2.2.534). What Hamlet does not realize is that this revenge is corrupting him...as he becomes more bent on the idea of revenge, the moral ground beneath his actions continues to erode. The supposed murder of Hamlet Sr. was unjust, yes, but does Hamlet realize he will not be any "better" than Claudius if he continues to pursue this course of action? I'm afraid he does not. If Hamlet does prove that Claudius was the villain during his proposed scheme, what purpose will killing him serve? If Hamlet truly believes that killing Claudius will make himself better than the old King, he is mistaken. He will be brought back down to the same level as the King. Again I say, if only Hamlet had the morals of the Batman. Hamlet considers himself to be a "rogue and peasant slave" (2.2.475), which is very similar to the situation Bruce Wayne was in when he decided to devote himself to justice as the Batman. However, Hamlet seems to be doing the opposite...rather than using his drive for vengeance to fuel his desire for justice, his desire for revenge consumes him. I fear that "The spirit [Hamlet] has seen may be the devil" (2.2.527), and "that [the] impossible anger [will] strangle [his] grief, until the memory of [his] loved ones is just poison in [his] veins" (Nolan 2005), and soon afterwards, all will be lost in our Prince.

Batman Begins Trailer

Blog Post #13: Hamlet Blog 1: What's The Deal With Denmark?

This is just truly absurd. Ghosts at midnight, guards questioning guards, young Fortinbras planning to invade, the incestuous marriage of Claudius and Gertrude following the death of Hamlet Sr...these are the times that try men's souls, I guess. I can only imagine the affect all of this is having on poor Hamlet. It seems to be driving him crazy. I overheard him talking to himself in the castle yesterday, going on and on about "how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable" (1.2.133). My best friend, if I do say so myself, is going nuts. But who can blame him? Polonius recently shared me his thoughts about Hamlet and Ophelia regarding how "when the blood burns, how prodigal the soul lends the tongue vows" (1.2.116-117), all of which he is correct about. Ah, young love! Passionate, but fleeting.

Blog Post #11: American Drama Project