Dracula!!

Ok, I think we were supposed to blog whilst reading, so I shall......

  My first thoughts when I started the book were, to be honest, ones of apprehension...
  Seeing as I watched Nosferatu, and therefore pretty much know the story from beginning to end, I thought it might be a little boring to read the full story as I already knew what would happen. However, I was immediately pleasantly surprised by the style of writing, in the form of letters/newspapers/diary entries. I've never read anything written like that before and I thought it made the book really interesting- I really felt drawn into the plot by all the different opinions and findings of each different narrator.
         Half way through, I realised that the word vampires hadn't actually been mentioned until page 167! I thought that was really interesting for some reason- I wonder why Stoker decided not to include it until later? Maybe he wanted the word to be a sort of taboo in the reader's mind....
    I really enjoyed this example of scary Gothic description of setting (page 233):
'Never did tombs look so ghastly white; never did cypress, yew or juniper so seem the embodiment of funereal doom; never did tree or grass wave or rustle so ominously; never did bough creak so mysteriously; and never did the far-away howling of dogs send such a woeful presage through the night.'
     Anyway, I'm now about four fifths of the way through and looking forward to the rest of it :)

Marly-babes

It seems to be a new craze that everyone writes a brief biography on Marlowe? So I'll join in :)

Christopher Marlowe was an English dramatist and poet born in 1564 (no one know exactly when but it is guessed to be February as he was baptised on the 26^th February). He was a famous Elizabethan Tragedian, like Shakespeare. His father was a shoemaker and his mother a clergyman’s daughter. He was educated at King's School in his native Canterbury and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he achieved both a B.A. in 1584 and M.A. in 1587. During studying for his M.A, Marlowe was employed by the government to carry out a job that required someone ‘orderly and discreet’. This work as a confidential agent for the government continued for the rest of his life- not a long time, because he died on 30^th May 1593.           Meanwhile Marlowe became known as an outstanding dramatist in London, in association with the Admiral's Company of players. Many details of his life were a source of scandal to some of his contemporaries, and there is still much mystery of his life.

Marlowe’s first play was called Tamburlaine, which attracted attention in 1588, as many thought of the play as "atheist Tamburlaine". Marlowe is said to have consulted a number of historical accounts of the East for his material, and even contemporary geographical works for some of his references to distant places. In this first play Marlowe developed his "mighty line," as the playwright Ben Jonson called it, and made it a ‘fit instrument for the intense and passionate characters created by him’.

In May 1593, Thomas Kyd, a fellow playwright, was found in possession of a document that was considered atheistic. He declared the document to be Marlowe's, left with Kyd when he was in the service of a noble lord for whose players Marlowe was writing. Testimony as to blasphemous conversations on Marlowe's part was also produced. Before the Privy Council took definite action about the charges, Marlowe was killed. Records discovered by Hotson show that he was stabbed in a tavern in Deptford by Friser, one of three companions who also were, or had been, in the service of the government.

Doctor Faustus was written sometime between 1588 and 1592. The earliest known edition was not published until 1604, and it contains some material which bears evidence of composition after Marlowe's death. Some scholars trace Dekker's hand in this version. Apparently the serious parts of the play have been cut, with an enlargement of the spectacular and comic scenes of conjuring and dancing, the sort of thing ‘always loved’ by the London populace. The play is said to represent Marlowe at his best, in spite of the imperfections of the surviving texts.

NOSFERATU

So I finally watched it!

The first thing that became apparent to me was the beginning was quite similar to the start of Frankenstein- the main character is introduced as young, seemingly successful, happy, and in love. This could be a common theme in Gothic texts because it magnifies the impact when everything goes wrong and horrible. The love between Harker and Nina is also very innocent to begin with, but becomes corrupted by their experiences, and leads to events such as Nina breaking her promise and reading The Book of Vampires. This is a good example of corruption of innocence.

Also, Gothic texts seem to make a point of the action of one character leaving their lover- it is suggested that wherever they are going, bad things will happen to them and they won't be the same upon return.

There is a large amount of dramatic irony in the film, for example everyone apart from Harker knows to be afraid of Nosferatu, we know that Nosferatu is onboard the ship, and we know that the 'plague' is actually Nosferatu biting people.

The Gothic setting was iconic; spooky castle with no one in it apart from Nosferatu- he says the 'servants have gone to bed' but I don't think servants are ever actually seen? Also the setting of the castle, far from any other civilisation and across dangerous terrain, makes the atmosphere tense even as Harker tries to leave- he is still in the 'Phantom lands' even when he is far away from the castle.

The characters were all pretty typical of a Gothic story- innocent woman, innocent but too ambitious man, scary evil villain and a few more weird people to pad out the cast.

Overall I thought the film was a good example of a Gothic story, but not necessarily a good production- the music was no where near as good at creating a tense atmosphere as in other films we've watched have done.
A theme in Nosferatu in particular seems to be the ignorance of Harker as everyone who hears of his plan tries to dissuade him.

Setting in Gothic Texts

Examples of Gothic setting in The Castle of Otranto:

 Gothic Architecture
-castle
-several intricate cloisters
-subterraneous cavern
-rusty hinges
-labyrinth of darkness -tense atmosphere as everything is dark
-a trapdoor- word used here adds to tension as it reminds us she is probably 'trapped' for good
-steps descending into a vault totally dark - scary

Opinions of characters
-'so dismal a place' - characters themseleves notice the eerie feeling of the place- they are affected by the setting, so the reader is too

Weather
-blasts of wind that shook the doors - even the weather is against her- suggestions of the supernatural
-sudden gust of wind... extinguished her lamp - same as above

Time of day
-an imperfect ray of clouded moonshine - night time- connotations include death, danger, evil etc.
-'moonshine streaming through a cranny of the ruin above' - same as above

Examples of Gothic setting in Vathek:

Gothic Architecture
-'vaulted ceiling, was so spacious and lofty' - reminds the reader of a church, and the goings-on inside it, e.g 'shrieking with agony, ran furiously about' therefore show that the plot involves corruption of religion
-'the grandeur of surrounding objects'
-'rows of columns and arcades'
-'immense hall'
 

Homework from lesson 16/9- thinking up ideas for 3 new scenes...

1) A new scene for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern- set in 'the lobby up the stairs' where they have been sent to find Polonius' body. They find Polonius and have a discussion about what will happen to Hamlet now that he's killed somebody. They are suspicious that Claudius will send Hamlet and themselves to England to face their death, but decide they will still go because they are so devoted to their friend.
     Reasons for this scene would be to show the true loyalty of the friends, because there is evidence for and against their loyalty throughout the play, and I feel it is necessary to show proof the they really do love Hamlet. Evidence for loyalty includes the queen's opinion, 'two men there are not living to whom he more adheres', and the genuine confusion and hurt that they face when Hamlet questions their loyalty, 'my lord, you once did love me', 'take you me for a sponge, my lord?'. The scene would show their devotion, love and sacrifice, and the audience would sypathise with the characters, as they have become tragic victims.

2) A new scene for Polonius- A scene between Polonius and Laertes, before Laertes departs in the first act. Polonius warns Laertes about how he encountered the Ghost, which told him Claudius killed Hamlet's father. He tells Laertes not to return, and that he will send Ophelia away too if he does not think Hamlet will marry her. This explains a) Polonius' obsession with Hamlet's love for Ophelia (as he doesn't want to send her away and believes she will be safe if she marries Hamlet), 'I have a daughter- have while she is mine', 'he, repelled.... fell into sadness... into the madness'. b) The haste Polonius has for Laertes' departure, as he fears fot the safety of his children in a nation lead by a murderer 'Yet here, Laertes? Aboard, aboard for shame!'. c) Polonius' devotion to Denmark, as he risks his safety to stay and try to amend the disorder, for example when he hides in the closet scene, he maybe hopes to overhear something to make sure that Hamlet was not involved in his father's death. Also, Polonius puts up with all of Hamlet's insults, 'old men... have a plentiful lack of wit', 'these tedious old fools', because Polonius is against Claudius and therefore cares for Hamlet as he is the rightful king who will restore order in society.

3) A new scene for Ophelia- Set just after the scene where she is singing after she's gone mad. She meets Hamlet on the bank of the river. He is extremely upset to see the condition she is in, and to know that it is his fault. He tries to explain how Polonius' death came about, how it was a genuine mistake, but she cannot cope with what he says and eventually makes him leave. There is a blackout as she falls forward into the river. The conversation would reveal a) Hamlet does love Ophelia- although in the text he says 'I never gave you aught', he also says 'I did love you once', and never suggests that he stopped loving her. b) Ophelia is pregnant (she discloses this to Hamlet in the scene, and although at first shocked, he treats her well and shows his excitement at being a father, as an attempt to calm her down and return her to sanity). Evidence for this includes Ophelia saying 'let in the maid that out a maid/Never departed more'. The 'never departed more' could mean that when Ophelia slept will Hamlet, she not only lost her virginity, but also became pregant, so she is effectively saying 'no one ever parted with their virtue so extremely as I did, because I became pregnant too'.

Homework from lesson 9/2- extra scene involving Gertrude

ACT ONE

1.1  (The grave of the dead KING HAMLET can be seen spotlighted downstage right. GERTRUDE enters alone, carrying a shoe box and flowers. She wears black shoes)

    GERTRUDE: Today was the worst day Hamlet, Hamlet my dear. No woman should have to see the death of her husband. I know we argued. I know we did not really love each other. I know that for several years, neither of us has felt we had anything in common. But we had Hamlet, and we had Denmark, two things we both loved, two things that together we helped to develop. We were a good team, you and I. The lack of love between us just meant a lack of arguments. And we were both happy. But now you are gone. (Places the flowers on the grave. Kneels.)
    Claudius spoke at the service today. He is devastated, my dear. He loved you almost as much as Hamlet did. And as for Hamlet, our wonderful son… It was tragic to see how he cried. The night you died, we held each other for hours, and it seemed his tears would drown the whole country. I wept with him, not out of love for you, but for the pain I could see in our son, the pain I could do nothing to resolve. Save one thing. Whilst our dear boy sobbed in my arms, I realised such a young and grieving boy could never lead Denmark out of its grief. He’s just never been an optimistic face, and I knew it would not be kind to force him so quickly out of his sorrows in order to restore order to society. So I made a decision… to remain Queen. To marry Claudius. I believe this is the only way to keep the kingdom in as good a state as you and I made it. It is a hard time for everybody, and the threat of Fortinbras is terribly foreboding. Denmark must remain strong or it may cease to exist. 
    My marriage to Claudius will be similar to my marriage to yours- we will sleep in separate beds, and we will touch and smile together only in public, to keep up appearances. But he can never be as great a King as you. I do not think he quite sees monarchy as you did- we shared the throne, we discussed everything, we decided things together. I don’t think Claudius has quite so modern a feeling towards women. 
    When he offered his hand after the service yesterday, and I accepted, we agreed that we would not be a couple, but only seem to be a couple. I said ‘Denmark will know nothing. They will see a happy King and Queen, and in turn we will maintain a happy kingdom’. He smiled- he looked a lot like you- and then he hit me. Across the face. And he said ‘Denmark will know nothing’. (Opens the shoe box at her feet, takes out white wedding shoes, and swaps them with the black funeral shoes. She stands)
    (Almost in tears, but with strength in her voice) I never loved you Hamlet. You never loved me. But I shall miss you every single day, friend.

The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway

This is the book I've just finished reading which I'd like to tell everybody to read because it was fantastic :)
It's only about 100 pages long, and critics have called it the best short story of all time- Hemingway got the Nobel Prize for Literature for it. It's about a very old fisherman who hasn't caught a fish for 85 days... And then something happens... The main theme is endurance, as he is incredibly strong and resilient and is wonderful :) my favourite line is when he talks to himself, urging himself to keep fighting, and he says 'a man can be destroyed, but not defeated'. It's really worth a read  :)

Lesson 9/2- What I think of Gertrude

After reading Margaret Atwood's Gertrude talks back, I've definitely been shown a new interpretation of Gertrude's character.
 In Atwood's work, Gertrude begins by calling Hamlet's father 'selfish'. Straight away I have to say, although he may well have been selfish, Gertrude is fairly obviously being potrayed as malicious as she insults someone who is not long dead. However, I do like the line 'I wanted to call you George', as George is the name of several Kings of the past, and so maybe this shows that if Gertrude had been allowed to make more decisions, Hamlet would have been a successful King.
 I like the paragraph comparing the two Kings- I think this shows that all Gertrude needed was to feel loved, and Hamlet senior never showed love wheras Claudius does. She says she loves Claudius despite his faults, 'he likes a drink' and has a 'slight weight problem'. I agree this is a possible interpretation of Gertrude, one suggesting that she is not as shallow as Hamlet thinks she is. Also, the line about Ophelia, 'any little shock could push her right over the edge' shows Atwood is suggesting that Gertrude is wise and clever, because she is right about this.
 When Gertrude suggests that Hamlet should 'roll in the hay' and get a girlfriend and have some fun, I realised for the first time that maybe she's right, and maybe Hamlet just needs to lighten up. If his father truly was like Gertrude has described, then it's fairly obvious Gertrude is happier with Claudius, and a good son would want their mother to be happy.
 However, when Gertrude says 'it was me' and that she killed Hamlet's father, I don't agree at all with this interpretation of her character. She may have been in on the deed, for example may have played a Lady Macbeth kind of role and encouraged Claudius to do the deed, but I don't believe Gertrude actually comitted the murder. Mainly because Claudius admits that it was him.

Lesson 2/1/2011- How should Hamlet be played at the end of Act Two?

Hamlet’s behaviour at the end of Act Two seems to be based on one main point of debate- that Hamlet is not a classical tragic hero.
Towards the end of Act Two, the audience sees the way Hamlet is affected by the power of the theatre. His soliloquy is entirely based around the fact that the actor he watched 'turned his colour and had tears in's eyes'. Hamlet obviously deeply respects the power of the theatre and all players, and tells Polonius that 'you were better have a bad epitaph than their ill report while you live'. He is passionate about being included in the play, asking if he could write an extra scene ‘and insert in’t’. He also speaks in an extremely intellectual and thoughtful way (unlike classical heroes), using almost poetical phrases such as ‘what would he do had he the motive and that for passion that I have? He would drown the stage in tears’. A character like this, who loves the power of words, portrays more similar conventions of the classical tragic villain than the conventions of a hero.
Hamlet also does not seem to have the Hubris of all classical tragic heroes, as he completely lacks any kind of pride or self-esteem, calling himself ‘a rogue and peasant slave’. He easily conjures pictures in his dialogue of violent actions, for example between 2.2.496-500 he uses words such as ‘drown… cleave… make mad… confound’. These frightfully powerful and potentially destructive actions are not however carried out. His other outbursts include ‘remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain’. Yet Hamlet still does nothing.
Another quality of Hamlet’s character to suggest his lack of heroicness is his female-like character. He describes himself as a ‘whore’, the lowest kind of woman, for not yet acting upon the words of the ghost. He says ‘I am pigeon-livered and lack gall’, which means he lacks guts and bravery, the stereotypical traits of a manly figure.
I believe Hamlet should be portrayed as weak in this soliloquy. I believe the words suggest he has reached a low point, where he has done nothing and hates himself for his lack of bravery, but even as he talks he admits to himself that he isn’t the sort of character to act upon his thoughts. I like the way David Tennant performs the scene- curled up, protecting himself from his own hurtful words. It portrays Hamlet’s character as fragile, utterly alone, and with need of a guiding light that doesn’t exist. So although Hamlet may not fit as a classical tragic hero, by the end of Act Two the mood and atmosphere is indeed that of a tragedy.

Homework from lesson 28/1- short essay question- How is Hamlet presented in Act One?

Hamlet’s character develops throughout Act One, so that by the end of the act each audience member has begun to form their own opinion on who he is. However, several aspects of his dialogue are fairly ambiguous. I am going to explore Hamlet’s religious beliefs, his relationships with both King and Queen, and his sorrow for his father’s death.

                There is no ambiguity in the fact that Hamlet deeply respected his father. One of his first lines suggests his deep, internal grief, and his accusations that Claudius is merely putting on an act of grief, ‘I know not ‘seems’… actions that a man might play… but I have that within’. Also, the audience begins to understand how much the dead King loved Gertrude, for ‘he might not beteem the winds of heaven visit her face too roughly’ and could not allow any discomfort to reach her. This also shows some affection on Hamlet’s part for Gertrude, as maybe he believes Claudius will not treat her as well Hamlet (senior) did. When Hamlet learns that his father’s spirit is in purgatory, he expresses sympathy, ‘Alas, poor ghost’. Hamlet’s father can only be in purgatory because he did not repent all of his sins before death- the audience learns of Hamlet's devotion to his father, but this could be learned with a feeling of unease, because Hamlet’s father committed sins that the audience does not know about, and Hamlet does not care about. This leads to the audience questioning Hamlet’s own morals, if his role model committed sins. Also, the audience learns the extent to which Hamlet looked up to his father, seeing him as ‘Hyperion to a satyr’ when compared with Claudius. This leads me to explore the feelings Hamlet has towards his uncle. 

                Hamlet’s first line of the play, ‘a little more than kin and less than kind’, interrupts his uncle to reject any connection or similarity between them, and he also does not like to think of his uncle as a father, ‘I am too much in the ‘son’’. When Claudius asks Hamlet not to go back to Wittenberg, ‘we beseech you… remain’, Hamlet makes a point of not allowing Claudius to tell him what to do, because he turns to his mother and says ‘I shall… obey you mother’ rather than obeying both of their wishes. When Hamlet is waiting for the appearance of the ghost, he complains to his friends about Claudius getting drunk, ‘the King… takes his rouse/Keeps wassail’ and after Horatio’s questioning, Hamlet states that although drinking heavily is a well-known Dutch custom during celebrations, Hamlet feels that breaching the custom is more honourable than succumbing to it. The audience learns that Hamlet does not idolize Claudius the way he idolized Hamlet senior, and he also finds Claudius dishonourable. When the ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius murdered Hamlet’s father, Hamlet cries ‘O my prophetic soul’, suggesting that Hamlet has always felt suspicious of his uncle, so their relationship have never been a close one. Hamlet’s feelings towards the King may also be as a result of his mother’s quick remarriage, so through Hamlet’s dialogue the audience can also learn his feelings about his mother.

                In Hamlet’s first soliloquy he says ‘Frailty, thy name is woman’, suggesting he believes his mother is weak to have been so easily seduced by Claudius. Hamlet feels upset, and most probably alone in his grieving, which is shown when he shows anger at his mother because ‘a beast… would have mourned longer’. The audience may interpret Hamlet’s feelings towards his mother as cold hatred, ‘O most wicked speed!’ because she remarried within a month. However, another interpretation could be that Hamlet is more upset than angry, because he doesn’t understand how a woman who used to ‘hang on him…’ (the dead King) ‘… As if an increase in appetite had grown by what it fed on’ can so suddenly love another. The audience would sympathise with this interpretation of Hamlet’s character as he is grieving the death of his father but feels like his mother doesn’t feel the same grief when she should.

                Another major presentation of Hamlet’s character is through his religion and beliefs. During his first soliloquy the audience learns that the only thing stopping Hamlet from killing himself is that God says it is a sin and has therefore ‘fixed his canon ‘gainst self-slaughter’. Also it becomes apparent that one reason Hamlet is against the marriage is that he feels it is ‘incestuous’ and he agrees with the ghost that it is ‘adulterate’. This shows religion is a strong part of Hamlet’s character. It also could be interpreted by the audience that religion is even more important to Hamlet than his father was to him, because when the ghost tells Hamlet he must avenge the murder, Hamlet says he will, but ‘with wings as swift as meditation’, which could suggest slowness rather than swiftness. Hamlet feels he must think about it first because killing is a sin, even if it is to avenge his beloved father’s murder. He is at a loss at which to choose between his beliefs and his revenge- ‘shall I couple with hell? O fie!’

                I find Hamlet’s character develops in a very interesting way throughout this first act. My own interpretation is that Hamlet feels angry at Claudius for seducing his mother, and upset by his mother’s lack of grief, even though in my opinion her quick remarriage might have been a brave and self-sacrificial decision to help restore order in society. Hamlet feels completely alone and is very vulnerable, so is easily manipulated by the ghost to believe he has no choice but to avenge his father’s death, ‘duller should thou be that the fat weed… wouldst thou not stir in this’.

Lesson 26/1- Hamlet's first soliloquy

Firstly I have to say I prefer the Folio version of Hamlet for this soliloquy, because 'solid flesh would melt' sounds much more powerful than 'sallied flesh'. I believe the entire speech is very important as it gives us our first impressions of Hamlet, and we begin to understand how he really feels (because in soliloquies, the character is being truthful). I think this speech can be used to determine Hamlet's entire character- for example, he could come across as mainly angry, mainly distraught or mainly desparate, which are the three versions we saw on the DVDs today.

My favourite of the three films' interpretations is David Tennant's Hamlet... This is not just because I think he is an incredible actor, it's also because the way the director chose to portray Hamlet was the way I most believe Hamlet's character should be portrayed- Although confused and angry about his mother's choices to marry so early after becoming widowed, his main reason for feeling suicidal is that he is still griefstricken about his father's death. He also feels his father was a much better King than Claudius, 'no more like my father than I to Hercules'.

I think this version of the speech shows us that Hamlet is more vunerable than dangerous, which allows the audience to pity him throughout the play. Good old Davey T.