Hamlet Discussions
When the 2nd Hour AP Lit team returned from our self-indulgent break to discuss Hamlet, it was clear that few of us were willing to revert back to our "school minds". Our discussion was just as groggy and slow moving as we were. With that said I can not remember what we discussed that day in great detail. I recall discussing the Ophelia Complex and and asking the group if they witnessed any Hamlet references over their break. The reference I shared was from Anchorman 2, when Ron Burgundy hits rock-bottom (five minutes into the movie) and before he hangs himself, he quotes Horatio with the line "Goodnight sweet prince/And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
The next activity we did was list the major events of the play and identify the turning point. The class agreed that the graveyard scene was a significant moment for Hamlet. I think our final decision for the turning point was when Hamlet is holding Yorick's skull because he realizes that Old Hamlet's death is not worth avenging.
The following week, the class tried to formulate a thesis statement. We agreed that the thematic question of the play was "Will Hamlet relinquish control?" However, we had a difficult time constructing an appropriate sentence. What I learned from this activity was that a theme should function like a question. Ms. Holmes explained what a central theme should be like using a spider web metaphor which helped me grasp the concept.
A highlight of this discussion was when the class was trying to decide how identity connected to control. Some students could not see the connection, while others argued that Hamlet's ultimate struggle for control was mostly the battle of who he wanted to be. We discussed if one's identity is created by their choices and if having control of your identity is having control of who influences your choices. There were a lot of ideas swirling around and I found it difficult to settle on one coherent idea.
Motifs, Motifs, Motifs
As we realized when reading Hamlet, the lengthy play has many motifs. The class organized the motifs into three categories: Control, Religion, and Duality. This exercise was fun because it was a chance for everyone to share their ideas and it helped me remember important parts of the play. We discussed the power struggle between Father and Son found in the play, as well as the following: The repetition of 3, true self vs. appearance to others, roman mythology, ears, madness, and many others.
The only other activity we did as a class was create our study guide and quizzes. This provided a way to help our classmates and a hint of review for the final. I personally will devote most of my time reviewing the myriad AP Lit vocabulary words this weekend. Good luck AP teammates!
It's so fascinating to me when I find bits and pieces of modern day movies referencing Shakespeare. I haven't seen Hangover 2, but I'm glad you found a Hamlet reference. I'm obviously in your class too and it was a struggle coming up with a theme statement. And I'm still not sure I like it too much. Hamlet is a tough play to have a meaning for because there are so many different ways to interpret it! I'm surprised you liked when our class listed off every single motif and symbol and then put those into those columns. I found it really straining and boring. Anywho, I focused the majority of my studying to those word games too. They're really helpful and a fun way to study! :)
ReplyDeleteAudrey,
ReplyDeleteYour post is very thorough and you put in a lot of your own voice, which is really cool. One suggestion I have would be to include more of your own opinions on the material rather than summarizing what the class did. The opinions you did include are well worded, so just add a few more of those and you'll be golden! I like how you have been keeping an eye out for Hamlet references in pop culture. It's cool to see works from so long ago still having a impact and being referenced today.
Hello Audrey,
ReplyDeleteYour comment on Yorick's skull was fascinating. Our hour did not mention the skull at all, yet your class found quite a bit of significance to it. I guess that would explain Hamlet's change in disposition in the last act. At least, though, the identity question was really important; that much we didn't miss.