English 1C Midterm

Reversal

Element of Shakespearean Tragedy. -Hamlet = hero - Flaw = he's a dreamer, but need to be a man of action - Mistake= killing polonius (was his dramatic reverse)

Hamlet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. This lesson discusses some of the most famous quotes from Hamlet. From 'to be or not to be' to 'to thine ownself be true', there will be many quotes in this lesson that you may have heard before, but didn't know that they came from Hamlet or what their context and meaning was. Background for Hamlet actorhamlet Hamlet is one of William Shakespeare's most famous plays. There are many quotes from Hamlet that, even if you had never read the play before, you have probably heard. Knowing these quotes, and their context of them within the story of Hamlet, will not only give you a better understanding of the play but also Shakespeare's contributions to language.

Hamlet Quotes Ever heard some of these quotes before? Learn a little bit more about where they come from, why they were said, and what they mean! Ominous Foreshadowing 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.' Marcellus, one of Hamlet's friends, sees the ghost of Hamlet's father. After he sees the ghost, along with Horatio and Hamlet, he proclaims that something is rotten in the state of Denmark. This is a quote of ominous foreshadowing because as it turns out, something is not right in Denmark: the king has been murdered. Fatherly Advice 'This above all: to thine ownself be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.' This quote is fatherly advice from Polonius to Laertes. Laertes is Polonius's son. At the time of this quote, Laertes is going off to school in Paris and Polonius takes the opportunity to give his son some advice. Contemplating Death 'To be, or not to be: that is the question' This quote is part of a much longer, and rich quote, but this is the most famous part of it. This is something that Hamlet is saying to himself, and to the audience. It is a time when Hamlet is contemplating death. He is trying to decide whether or not to commit suicide, and talks about the release that death can offer, the great sleep. Insane or not? 'Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't.' This is a quote that Polonius says to the audience about Hamlet. Have you ever heard the phrase 'a method to the madness'? This quote is where that phrase comes from. He is talking about the way that Hamlet is acting. A major part of Hamlet is the theme of insanity. Is Hamlet insane or is he just pretending to be insane so that he can learn the truth about his father's death? At this part, Polonius realizes that even though it seems like Hamlet is insane, there is a method to his insanity, a method to his madness. Maybe Hamlet is not crazy after all. 'The lady protests too much, methinks.' Gertrude is watching the play that Hamlet specifically made the players act out and for her to watch. She doesn't seem very impressed by the play, but Hamlet is interested to know her reaction to the story, which is really her story. Hamlet wants to find out if his mother knew about his father's murder. Gertrude is saying that the lady in the play protests too much. Lesson Summary This lesson has discussed the most famous quotes from Hamlet and their contexts. These quotes include 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark', 'To thine ownself be true', 'To be, or not to be: that is the question', 'Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't', and 'The lady protests too much, methinks.'

"Oedipus, repeatedly stabbing his eyes with Jocasta's brooches, passes judgement not so much upon seeing as upon the seen, and so upon the light by which we see."

"Oedipus, repeatedly stabbing his eyes with Jocasta's brooches, passes judgement not so much upon seeing as upon the seen, and so upon the light by which we see."

Representational vs. Mimetic Art (F)

"Representers"; Reality versus Appearances;

Blindness is used as a representation of light and dark in Oedipus both physically and mentally. It also deals with positive and negative emotions and their effects.

"Spiritual blindness is equated with obduracy and arrogance-hubris- and towards the end of Oedipus Rex the physical blinding is already encouraging new insight, awareness, and compassion."

Aristotle

(Aristotle used inductive reasoning, drawing conclusions after data. Emotion is nessary.) His most important treatises include Physics, Metaphysics, Nicomachean Ethics, Politics, On the Soul and Poetics. Aristotle studied and made significant contributions to "logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, botany, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre."

In the "Oedipus Rex", Oedipus is punished primarily because of his ...

(hubris) Due to his hubris, Oedipus attempts to defy prophecies of gods but ended up doing what he feared the most and what he was warned against (-His reversal of fortune is caused by his hubris)

What was the structure which Aristotle said should be used?

1)Unity - the play should be self contained and every event should contribute to the plot 2) Protagonist (Should be a fairly noble character who is power, virtuous and brave) 3) Mistake which leads to a reversal of fortune 4) Realization - the protagonist relaizes their mistake and becomes aware of how they have destroyed themselves 5) Catharsis - the audience's pity and fear at the play's climax should lead to an emotional release

Plato's major philosophies

1. The real world revealed by our senses is not the real world, but a poor copy of it. 2. The real world can only be apprehended intellectually. 3. Knowledge cannot be transferred from teacher to student, but rather education is directing students towards what is real and important, allowing them to apprehend it for themselves. 4. The universe is ultimately good. 5. Enlightened individuals have an obligation to the rest of society. 6. A good society is one in which the truly wise are the rulers.

What does Oedipus relate about his past to explain his fears?

A drunken man told him that his parents in Corinth were not really his parents. Although his parents denied this, Oedipus was suspicious and went to the shrine at Delphi. There the god told him that he would murder his father, marry his mother, and have children with her. After hearing the dreadful prophecy, Oedipus fled Corinth to avoid this evil. Before he arrived at Thebes, he did kill men where the three highways came together. At this point, Oedipus fears that one of the men was Laius.

Tragedy

A serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character

Hamlet's First Soliloquy

A soliloquy is when a character speaks their thoughts out loud while alone on stage or unaware of potential listeners. Soliloquies are often used in plays to show a character's inner thoughts and feelings. Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew, Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! Hamlet is extremely distraught. He wishes that his body would melt away or that suicide was not forbidden by religion. But two months dead--nay, not so much, not two. So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion to a satyr. So loving to my mother That he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly... Hamlet compares his father to Claudius and reflects on his father's love for his mother. Hamlet is shocked that his mother has moved on so quickly in the name of lust or security. He exclaims: Frailty, thy name is woman! And says: Abeast that wants discourse of reason would have mourned longer! Hamlet sees his mother as a weak woman who has forgotten her husband immediately.

Hero of hamlet

Although Hamlet has the potential to be a tragic hero, his fellow characters in the play corrupt him and cause him to become evil, therefore rendering him unfit for the title of "tragic hero". Before mine uncle. ... The ghost claims to be the late king of Denmark and Hamlet's father.

Apollonian and Dionysian

Apollonian Thinking Apollonian Mind Apollonian Restraint Apollonian Reason Apollonian City Apollonian Order Apollonian Science Apollonian Sun Dionysian Feeling Dionysian - Getting Drunk And DANCE Heart Dionysian Excess Dionysian Emotion Dionysian Chaos Dionysian Country Dionysian Earth Dionysian Art

However, for Nietzsche, modern culture inherited the Greek sensibility tied to the BLANK worldview and must dedicate itself more fully to the BlANK mentality in order to expose the true meaning of life to people.

Apollonian : Dionysian

Aristotle's Poetics & Aesthetics

Aristotle's Poetics is an exploration of aesthetics, a branch of philosophy concerned with the concept of beauty and other artistic principles. Ancient aesthetic philosophers were some of the first theorists in the fields of art and literature, and Poetics is considered the earliest extant work in literary theory. In fact, public speaking was an important part of Greek civic life, so doing it well by practicing rhetoric and understanding poetics was considered an art form.

Studying Aristotle's "Poetics" — Part 11: Reversal, Recognition and Suffering

As I've been interviewing screenwriters, I typically ask what some of their influences are. One book title comes up over and over again: Aristotle's "Poetics". I confess I've never read the entire thing, only bits and pieces. So I thought, why not do a weekly series with a post each Sunday to provide a structure to compel me to go through it. That way we'd all benefit from the process. For background on Aristotle, you can go here to see an article on him in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. To download "Poetics," you can go here. Part 11: Reversal, Recognition and Suffering Reversal of the Situation is a change by which the action veers round to its opposite, subject always to our rule of probability or necessity. Thus in the Oedipus, the messenger comes to cheer Oedipus and free him from his alarms about his mother, but by revealing who he is, he produces the opposite effect. Again in the Lynceus, Lynceus is being led away to his death, and Danaus goes with him, meaning to slay him; but the outcome of the preceding incidents is that Danaus is killed and Lynceus saved. Recognition, as the name indicates, is a change from ignorance to knowledge, producing love or hate between the persons destined by the poet for good or bad fortune. The best form of recognition is coincident with a Reversal of the Situation, as in the Oedipus. There are indeed other forms. Even inanimate things of the most trivial kind may in a sense be objects of recognition. Again, we may recognize or discover whether a person has done a thing or not. But the recognition which is most intimately connected with the plot and action is, as we have said, the recognition of persons. This recognition, combined with Reversal, will produce either pity or fear; and actions producing these effects are those which, by our definition, Tragedy represents. Moreover, it is upon such situations that the issues of good or bad fortune will depend. Recognition, then, being between persons, it may happen that one person only is recognized by the other- when the latter is already known- or it may be necessary that the recognition should be on both sides. Thus Iphigenia is revealed to Orestes by the sending of the letter; but another act of recognition is required to make Orestes known to Iphigenia. Two parts, then, of the Plot- Reversal of the Situation and Recognition- turn upon surprises. A third part is the Scene of Suffering. The Scene of Suffering is a destructive or painful action, such as death on the stage, bodily agony, wounds, and the like. From my reading of this, it appears that Reversal (Peripeteia) and Recognition (Anagnorisis) are linked in at least two ways: * Both "turn upon surprises." A Reversal is "a change by which the action veers round to its opposite." The unanticipated nature of this change would by definition translate into a surprising development. Meanwhile Recognition is "a change from ignorance to knowledge" which in its "best form" is "coincident with a Reversal of the Situation," and therefore also a surprising turn. * Whereas Reversal appears to be something that transpires in the External World, the realm of events and happenings, Recognition would seem to be situated primarily in the Internal World, the realm of characters and their inner lives (i.e., feelings, thoughts, impressions). Yet they would seem to be linked as Recognition follows from Reversal. Even in the examples Aristotle notes, there is event that happens in the External World (a character appears), followed by another character's response (Recognition). As I was reading this, what I thought was a good example of these two dynamics in tandem came to mind: The conversion experience of Paul as described in the Acts of the Apostles 9:-3-9: As he [Paul] neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. Two things. First, we have to note that up to this point in his life, Paul [known as Saul], actively persecuted those who professed faith in Jesus as the Christ. After this conversion experience, Paul became an advocate for the faith, even coming to be known as one of the Apostles. Second, his conversion is what precipitated him changing his name from Saul to Paul, signifying a distinction between his new life from his old life. Paul veering around to his "opposite" way of being and believing exemplifies, I think, Reversal and Recognition. As to the third part — the "Scene of Suffering" (Pathos) — I'm a bit in the gray on this. Is Aristotle suggesting there is some sort of inherent causality within a tragedy that requires this turn at the end of a story? Or is this an awareness the writer brings to the story-crafting process whereby s/he will steer the plot, granting that this turn has to be both probable and necessary? In screenwriting, whether a story has a happy ending or a tragic one, what transpires during the climax of the narrative resolves stakes at work in the External World of the plot and stakes present in Internal World of the characters' emotional and psychological experiences, but also what screenwriter Michael Arndt suggests is a third arena: philosophical stakes. Combining all three in a holistic, interconnected manner can translate into catharsis, which suffuses a story's conclusion with meaning on multiple levels, what Arndt typifies as an "insanely great ending." I realize this is not Suffering per se, but the idea of catharsis during the story's Final Struggle does seem to derive from the interplay of Reversal and Recognition. Hopefully our wonderful band of Aristotelians will enlighten us about all three dynamics discussed in Part 11, especially how Suffering is tied to the other two. A reminder: I am looking at "Poetics" through the lens of screenwriting, what is its relevance to the craft in contemporary times. And I welcome the observations of any Aristotle experts to set me straight as I'm just trying to work my way through this content the best I can. How about you? What do you take from Part 11 of Aristotle's "Poetics"? See you here next Sunday for another installment of this series.

Book Seven Plato's The Republic

Book Seven is remembered best for its lessons on the value of education presented in the analogy of the prisoners in a cave who have been chained together only allowed to view a wall of shadow. While in bondage, they only have imagination, but after becoming free are allowed to move to the surface where they see the sun and begin to see the world as it really is. According to Socrates, the meaning of education is to force humans out of the caves of their minds so that they can see the world as it really is.

Book Three Plato's The Republic

Book Three involves a discussion about the Guardians, who Socrates calls the 'heroes of the city.' This conversation evolves into one about the education of the Guardians by elder men in the city, and the group argues about what Guardians must be taught to want to protect a city.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave reveals that most citizens are not suited to rule because they:

Confuse shadows for reality, mistakenly accept their opinion as truth, never leave the cave, and rely on "imagining" or "belief" rather than "knowledge."

Essay Topics For Oedipus Rex

Destiny Oedipus Rex can be read as a play about destiny. Before the play begins, the gods have set his destiny as a horrific one - to kill his father and marry his mother. Once Oedipus learns his fate, he attempts to avoid it by leaving the couple he believed to be his parents, but his plan to thwart destiny only serves to make those prophesies come true. In a well-developed essay, explore the ideas of free will and predetermination in the play. Can the characters be held responsible for their actions? Do any of their choices matter? Look specifically at Oedipus, but address Jocasta and Creon as well. Irony Oedipus Rex contains dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. Cite direct examples of all three types of irony in the play, then explain the effect of irony on the overall themes of the work. Also, examine how Sophocles uses irony to affect the reader's mood and his attitude towards Oedipus, Tiresias, and Jocasta. The Greek Gods Often the message of Greek myths, or drama, is that people should be devoted and attentive worshippers of the gods. Punishment comes swiftly and creatively to those who express indifference to the will of their deities or, even worse, who seek to elevate themselves beyond their station. How does Sophocles present the role of the gods in this play? Does the play teach the audience to be devout, or does it present a different lesson? Develop a thesis about the role of the gods in Oedipus Rex and support it with direct evidence from the text. Relevance Oedipus Rex is around 2500 years old, and we still read it today. Why has this play lasted so long? Develop a thesis on the longevity of the play that goes beyond mere historical importance. What ideas from this work are valuable insights into human nature, 2500 years later? Category Oedipus Rex is usually classified as a tragedy. In what ways does it conform to the definition of tragedy, specifically Aristotle's definition? How else might you categorize this play? For instance, Oedipus Rex has elements of a detective story; there is a mystery to be solved, and Oedipus hunts for clues, which he puts together to deduce a solution. Explain one other way to categorize the play. Define the traits of that category, then go on to explain how Oedipus embodies those traits. The Chorus The Greek chorus plays an important role in the play, but most modern plays have abandoned this traditional device. What purpose does the chorus serve in the play? What ideas does the chorus develop? Additionally, compare Oedipus Rex to an example from contemporary theater. What elements of Greek drama still appear in popular plays? How do you see current theater influenced by its Greek roots? The Tragic Flaw Tragic heroes, by definition, must have a tragic flaw, something Aristotle called ''hamartia.'' There are competing theories about the tragic flaw that brings about the downfall of Oedipus. What do you think is his flaw? Is it his temper, his fate, his pride, or is it something else entirely? Develop a thesis about the flaw that contributes most to Oedipus' destruction, and support your point with ideas and direct references to the text.

Explain the Chorus' statement, "All-seeing time discovered you unwilling." Why is this concept central to the play?

Even though Oedipus tried to escape his fate, it found him anyway.

Queen Gertrude, mother to Hamlet, is one of Shakespeare's most mysterious main characters. She can be seen as a foil to her son, since her character contrasts with his. Unlike Hamlet,

Gertrude has no soliloquies reflecting on herself and her actions. She's driven by emotions rather than reflection. She's affectionate, impulsive, and strong-willed. Although Gertrude has many good qualities, she's not conspicuously intelligent. Moreover - fatally - she is a poor judge of character.

'That he is mad, 'tis true; 'tis true 'tis pity;And pity 'tis 'tis true: a foolish figure;But farewell it, for I will use no art. '

Gertrude tells Polonius to not play with language and speak in literal language, but Polonius keeps on using silly wordplays. This quote supports the fact that Polonius could be played as more of "comedian-like."

Explain When Hamlet goes and talks to the Ghost, the ghost (who's Hamlet's father) says he was murdered by Claudius. Let's take it to the stage! I am thy father's spirit, doom'd for a certain term to walk the night, and for the day confined to fast in fires, till the foul crimes done in my days of nature are burnt and purged away. ...List, list, O list! If thou didst ever thy dear father love-- Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

Ghost explains that Claudius did it, and that's how the plot is kicked off. Also, it's how indecision is going to rear its ugly head because Hamlet says he's going to avenge his father, but he can't quite pull the trigger on it. He keeps thinking he just needs to really prove that Claudius is guilty or find the right time; he just can't do it. In this vein, he's going to pretend to be crazy so he can observe everyone without making them suspicious. It's not exactly how I would do it, but I guess it makes sense to Hamlet, so that's what he's going to do.

"To be or not to be; that is the question..."

Hamlet's soliloquy from Act III, Scene I is one of the most famous speeches in literature, but it's also one of the most heart-wrenching when you look closely. Of course, his initial 'question' is really Hamlet's contemplation of suicide, and as he continues his monologue, we begin to see why he might consider it.

What is the climax of this play? (T)

He is indeed the son of Laius and Jocasta.

''To be or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,/ or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?'' .

He is wondering why anyone wouldn't want to kill themselves and be done with all of life's pain, except for the fear of what might happen to them afterwards; the risk one takes in deciding to embrace the ''sleep'' of death is that they may ''dream'' terrible things forever. He seems to believe that this is the only reason people do not kill themselves and is the reason he cannot decide whether he should or not:

"Light of my days, go dark. I want to gaze no more." Pg. 67

Here Oedipus literally doesn't want to see anymore. Sophocles, and Paul Roche. The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone. New York: Penguin, 1991. Print.

What does Oedipus mean when he declares himself the "child of chance"? Why is this an example of dramatic irony?

His life was not ruled by cruel fortune but cruel fate.

Compare and Contrast Horatio and Hamlet

Horatio is the exact opposite of his best friend Hamlet. Where Hamlet is passionate and headstrong, Horatio is calm and sensible. Nonetheless, these two characters are very close and Horatio remains a loyal friend to Hamlet throughout the play. When Hamlet dies, Horatio even contemplates killing himself but is stayed by Hamlet's request that Horatio stay alive to tell his story.

Book Two Plato's The Republic

In Book Two, Glaucon attempts to define the good. He goes on to explain that good can be organized into three categories: Good for the sake of being good Good for the sake of being good and because people get something out of it Good only because people get something out of it Socrates introduces the idea that they should first define a just city, and this will help them to then define a just individual. The group then begins to argue for what makes a city just, and they imagine the ideal city and what it would look like and how it would function.

Chorus of Hamlet

In Classical Greek plays, a chorus interpreted the play to the audience.

In this speech, Oedipus refers to Laius' descendants as "ill-fated," but to his own good fortune in obtaining Laius' throne as driven by "chance." Explain the difference between these two concepts, and why Oedipus might choose to characterize these events in different ways

In contrast to the term chance, he thinks that his life is governed by chance. Fate versus vs Free Will

Why is Hamlet seen an example of a tragic hero?

In many ways he does good, but flaws in his character cause him to lead a tragic life and make bad decisions. He is indecisive and overly obsessed with the death of his father, which many would say is the root of his tragic flaws.

Principium Individuationis versus Self-Forgetting

In opposition to this principle of calm reason, there is Dionysus, who represents the collapse of the principium individuationis, the inability to discern the boundaries between appearance and reality. Thus, Dionysus is associated with drunkenness, or the forgetting of the self.

Oedipus believes that the gods hate him more than any other man. Does anything justify their hatred? Why do you think Oedipus has been chosen to live out such a terrible fate?

There is little that apparently justifies the gods' hatred of Oedipus. He was simply cursed from birth because of his father's misdeed.

Allegory of the Cave (explained)

In terms of the human experience, Plato's Allegory of the Cave reveals that most humans would rather know the truth and suffer rather than be fed a lie for their entire lives. This idea is reflected in Sophocles'' Oedipus the King because Oedipus seeks the truth and suffers greatly when it is found. Plato's four stages of awareness are necessary for the final form of the good, which is the truth, to be found. In both the Allegory of the Cave and Oedipus the King, these four stages of awareness; Imagination, Belief, Reason, and Understanding, take a vital role in explaining Oedipus' suffering.

Book Ten Plato's The Republic

In this last part of The Republic, Socrates speaks against the poets whom he says have knowledge of nothing, but speak as if they do. This perversion of the truth can lead people away from the truth, which is unjust. In short, poets and their poetry only corrupt the soul and, by connection, the city as well and should be banned from any just city. Through the telling of the story called 'The Myth of Er,' the argument is made that it is good to be just because the unjust will pay for their crimes in the afterlife and beyond.

What behaviors has Sophocles presented as evil and dreadful?

Incest, murder of parent, lack of divine will.

Hamlet's Tragedy

It is Shakespearean Tragedy. Hamlet's situation is tragic but it differs from the relatively simple plots found in the earlier Greek Tragedies. Hamlet is a nobleman revered by his countrymen. He strives to alter the world around him. Ultimately he will forfeit his own life in order to achieve justice for his father's death. The plot includes: politics, murder, and domestic strife. It evokes pity and terror in the audience just as Greek Tragedies would.

The Prophecies in Oedipus Rex

Key prophecies in Oedipus Rex include: 1) Laius will be killed by his son, 2) Oedipus will marry his mother and 3) Oedipus will go blind. Let's see what role Oedipus plays in making them come true.

Explain why He tells his son to kill Claudius, but tells him ''nor let thy soul contrive / Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven / And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge, / To prick and sting her.''

King Hamlet does not want his son to hate his mother and does not want Gertrude to be sent to purgatory like himself, but to be tortured by her conscience during her life then go to heaven.

Destiny cannot be escaped

King Laius and Queen Jocasta tried to avoid death and incest by sending Oedipus away. However, they could not escape their fate, Laius was still murdered by his son and Jocasta still marries him.

a character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, is a young man who wants to protect his sister from heartache and avenge the death of his father, Polonius. Laertes is impulsive and irrational in his quest to avenge his father's death, which ultimately leads to his own demise.

Laertes

Explain how one of the prophecies In Oedipus Rex comes true

Laius Will Be Killed by His Son Prior to the opening of the play, the Oracle at Delphi prophesied to King Laius and Queen Jocasta that Laius's son would kill him. When Oedipus is born to Laius and Jocasta, Laius orders him killed, and Oedipus is left on a mountain to die. After Oedipus is saved by a shepherd and raised by another king, he also learns that he's destined to kill his father. To avoid his fate, Oedipus leaves home. On the road to Thebes, Oedipus runs into Laius on the road. During a moment of chariot road rage, they get in a fight, and Oedipus kills Laius.

Allegory of the Cave short answer

Light -In Plato's allegorical account of some prisoner's chained in a cave, these prisoners finally escape and see what is outside their perceived shadow world. They discover the sun, the true source of light; light represents accurate perception of the world as it is. Blindness -The 'Allegory Of The Cave' is a theory put forward by Plato, concerning human perception. Plato claimed that knowledge gained through the senses is no more than opinion and that, in order to have real knowledge, we must gain it through philosophical reasoning. 'The Allegory of the Cave' by Plato.

What is ironically similar about the reasons Laius attempted to kill his child, and Oedipus fled to Corinth? What does each action suggest about fate and free will?

They each thought they could use their free will to escape fate.

The phrase, 'To be or not to be' is one of the most popular lines in English literature. 'To be or not to be' is the beginning of a soliloquy, or a speech made by a character when he is alone, by Hamlet, the protagonist of the play..

Many people interpret this soliloquy in a variety of ways, but the main point of his speech remains the same: Hamlet tries to decide if living or dying is best. Hamlet is upset about a number of things in his life, including his inability to avenge his father's death. After his soliloquy is over, it is evident that Hamlet wants to live more than he wants to die

Revenge Quotes Hamlet

Murder Most Foul Hamlet is, of course, set on his path of revenge by the ghost of his father. His father appears in Act I, Scene 5 and tells of how his brother Claudius murdered him to steal his throne and his wife. He then instructs Hamlet he needs to take revenge: Ghost: If thou didst ever thy dear father love--- Hamlet: O God! Ghost: Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. Hamlet: Murder! Ghost: Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange and unnatural. Hamlet: Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge. (I.v.24-31) This at first seems like a familiar scene from a revenge tragedy, as Hamlet finds out about the horrible thing done to his father and vows to 'sweep to my revenge' as quickly as possible. However, the passage also contains the seeds of Hamlet's doubt, as the ghost calls murder 'most foul' even at its best. This highlights a contradiction at the heart of all revenge tales. Revenge is seen as justice, but it is also a crime and possibly a sin as Christians like Hamlet are told to 'turn the other cheek' and not seek revenge. Hamlet, an intellectual and scholar, starts to ponder this concept and realizes that, even if he avenges his father, he will still be committing 'murder most foul.' The Play's the Thing With the doubts about revenge in his head, Hamlet does everything but 'sweep' to his revenge, instead dragging his feet at every opportunity. He starts to question if the Ghost is actually his father or a demon who is trying to trick him. This is what leads him to use a play to catch Claudius and make sure he is guilty before killing him: 'The spirit that I have seen May be the devil, and the devil hath power T'assume a pleasing shape. Yea, and perhaps Out of my weakness and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such spirits, Abuses me to damn me. I'll have grounds More relative than this. The play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.' (II.ii.561-567) In this passage, we again see Hamlet contemplating the danger of revenge. He realizes that if he kills Claudius without proof, he may be damning himself to hell by committing murder. Therefore, he decides he must be 100% sure before he can do it. After the King sees the play, which reenacts the murder as the Ghost told it to Hamlet, the King becomes visibly uncomfortable and runs from the room. For Hamlet, this is good enough proof of his guilt. Now I Might Do It After getting his proof from Claudius' reaction to the play, Hamlet finally has no excuses for not going through with it. Or does he? Hamlet gets a perfect opportunity when he sees Claudius at his prayers, kneeling with his eyes closed: 'Now I might do it pat. Now he is a-praying. And now I'll do it. (Draws sword) And so he goes to heaven. And so am I revenged.--That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and, for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven. Oh, this is hire and salary, not revenge.' (III.iii.74-80) Hamlet thinks that Claudius, with his clean soul from his prayers, will be rewarded by going to heaven. While he may seem to be making up excuses at this point, we once again see Hamlet the intellectual realizing the contradictions between his desire for revenge and his Christian teachings. After all, two basic tenets of Christianity are that death is supposed to be a reward for believers, and sins can be forgiven through prayer. So, what is the point of revenge, as it just gets people to heaven more quickly?

Some even go so far as to suggest that Hamlet's complicated relationship with Gertrude is actually evidence of an BLANK - a condition in psychoanalysis characterized by a male's typically subconscious sexual desires for his mother and simultaneous rivalry with his father or male parental figure (i.e. Claudius)

Oedipus complex

What prophecy for Oedipus does he reiterate?

Oedipus will be Physically blind

Plato's The Republic

One of Plato's most famous works, which can be attributed to the lessons he learned from Socrates, was The Republic. This is also considered to be the first book on political science or government and uses the Platonic method to reason through ideas on justice. In the book, a group decides to create an imaginary city to define what justice looks like. The city is divided into classes: the Rulers who have an understanding of right and wrong, the Guardians who protect the city and care for its people, and the Producers who provide goods and services for the people.

Why is Ophelia one of the most important characters in the play Hamlet?

Ophelia's character is important in the story because she represents femininity, and Hamlet is able to act out his aggression towards his mother on Ophelia.

Apollo and Dionysus

Opposites providing contrast i. Apollo ii. Dionysus i. rational ii. irrational Apollo the Archer AKA ... "far shooter" Apollo the Archer ("far-shooter") a threat to Zeus' order? - terror among Olympians - he can shoot from far distances - god of prophecy and music - Music, Archery, Prophecy

Plato (background)

Plato's most famous work is the Republic, which details a wise society run by a philosopher. He is also famous for his dialogues (early, middle, and late), which showcase his metaphysical theory of forms—something else he is well known for.

In Poetics what are the six qualitative features that he discusses in order of importance

Plot Character Thought, or the correlation between a character's action and personality Diction, or a poet's particular use of language Song, or the relation of music to the plot Spectacle, or the visual element of performance

Plot of Hamlet

Prince Hamlet is depressed. Having been summoned home to Denmark from school in Germany to attend his father's funeral, he is shocked to find his mother Gertrude already remarried. The Queen has wed Hamlet's Uncle Claudius, the dead king's brother. To Hamlet, the marriage is "foul incest."

Jocasta

Queen of Thebes, Wife of Laius, Wife and mother of Oedipus (Character traits: Motherly, Intuitive, Skeptical) Her suicide-- symbolic of her despair over her incestuous actions. Jocasta commits most of her "sins" in ignorance.

Materials of music?

Rhythm, harmony (aka sound, which is composed of pitch, volume, and timbre)

Nietzsche (19th C.)

Romanticist, Perspectivist, Plato on steroids (extraordinary people deserve extraordinary rules), New Passion (drive us higher, Will to Power, vs. Plato), moral = self-knowledge (intent), 3 Moral Eras - pre-moral (consequences), moral (origin, intent), extra-moral (un-intended); consciousness = tip of iceberg and therefore insufficient, fear of neighbor (worry about herd) inhibits love (vs. Hume), in art Apollo (image, dreams, inner world, restraint) vs. Dionysius (music, no image, intoxication/ecstasy), great art frees the unconscious (vs. Plato), in dreams we are all artists, images interpret - reflection trains, lose self to gain Self (see Russell: Death to SelfSoul), individuation collapses to terror then ecstasy (previews Freud), Be the Meaning in/of Life, 3 Stages of Life: camel (humble), lion (courage), child (new) - vs. Kant and Schopenhauer, God is dead (vs. Augustine, Pascal, critiqued by Craig)

Allegory of the Cave

Seeing is not always true; Plato uses this to say that we only have a skewed view on the world and do not take into account what we may not know

Apollonian and Dionysian

The associations of Apollo with rationality, balance, and the golden mean are subsumed under the category Apollonian, which is often seen contrasted with its opposite: irrationality, excess, and frenzied ecstasy, or the Dionysian. The Apollonian and the Dionysian become categories of thought.

What acts of hubris do Oedipus and Jocasta commit?

The both admit to disbelief in the prophecy and actually mock the signs by which prophets make their predictions (Disbelief in the prophecy).

Catharsis

The hero realizes his own flaw/error has caused his reversal, recognition occurs too late for the hero to prevent or escape his reversal

What truth does Oedipus learn?

The prophecy was right; he killed his father (Laius) and married his mother (Jocasta)

Transcendent World of Forms

The theory of Forms or theory of Ideas[1][2][3] is a philosophical theory, concept, or world-view, attributed to Plato, that the physical world is not as real or true as eternal, absolute, unchangeable ideas.[4] According to this theory, ideas in this sense, often capitalized and translated as "Ideas" or "Forms",[5] are the non-physical essences of all things, of which objects and matter in the physical world are merely imitations. Plato speaks of these entities only through the characters (primarily Socrates) of his dialogues who sometimes suggest that these Forms are the only objects of study that can provide knowledge. The theory itself is contested from within Plato's dialogues, and it is a general point of controversy in philosophy. Whether the theory represents Plato's own views is held in doubt by modern scholarship.[6] However, the theory is considered a classical solution to the problem of universals. The early Greek concept of form precedes attested philosophical usage and is represented by a number of words mainly having to do with vision, sight, and appearance. Plato uses these aspects of sight and appearance from the early Greek concept of the form in his dialogues to explain the Forms and the Good.

Themes of Oedipus Rex

Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. The Power of Unwritten Law After defeating Polynices and taking the throne of Thebes, Creon commands that Polynices be left to rot unburied, his flesh eaten by dogs and birds, creating an "obscenity" for everyone to see (Antigone, 231). Creon thinks that he is justified in his treatment of Polynices because the latter was a traitor, an enemy of the state, and the security of the state makes all of human life—including family life and religion—possible. Therefore, to Creon's way of thinking, the good of the state comes before all other duties and values. However, the subsequent events of the play demonstrate that some duties are more fundamental than the state and its laws. The duty to bury the dead is part of what it means to be human, not part of what it means to be a citizen. That is why Polynices' rotting body is an "obscenity" rather than a crime. Moral duties—such as the duties owed to the dead—make up the body of unwritten law and tradition, the law to which Antigone appeals. The Willingness to Ignore the Truth When Oedipus and Jocasta begin to get close to the truth about Laius's murder, in Oedipus the King, Oedipus fastens onto a detail in the hope of exonerating himself. Jocasta says that she was told that Laius was killed by "strangers," whereas Oedipus knows that he acted alone when he killed a man in similar circumstances. This is an extraordinary moment because it calls into question the entire truth-seeking process Oedipus believes himself to be undertaking. Both Oedipus and Jocasta act as though the servant's story, once spoken, is irrefutable history. Neither can face the possibility of what it would mean if the servant were wrong. This is perhaps why Jocasta feels she can tell Oedipus of the prophecy that her son would kill his father, and Oedipus can tell her about the similar prophecy given him by an oracle (867-875), and neither feels compelled to remark on the coincidence; or why Oedipus can hear the story of Jocasta binding her child's ankles (780-781) and not think of his own swollen feet. While the information in these speeches is largely intended to make the audience painfully aware of the tragic irony, it also emphasizes just how desperately Oedipus and Jocasta do not want to speak the obvious truth: they look at the circumstances and details of everyday life and pretend not to see them. The Limits of Free Will Prophecy is a central part of Oedipus the King. The play begins with Creon's return from the oracle at Delphi, where he has learned that the plague will be lifted if Thebes banishes the man who killed Laius. Tiresias prophesies the capture of one who is both father and brother to his own children. Oedipus tells Jocasta of a prophecy he heard as a youth, that he would kill his father and sleep with his mother, and Jocasta tells Oedipus of a similar prophecy given to Laius, that her son would grow up to kill his father. Oedipus and Jocasta debate the extent to which prophecies should be trusted at all, and when all of the prophecies come true, it appears that one of Sophocles' aims is to justify the powers of the gods and prophets, which had recently come under attack in fifth-century b.c. Athens. Sophocles' audience would, of course, have known the story of Oedipus, which only increases the sense of complete inevitability about how the play would end. It is difficult to say how justly one can accuse Oedipus of being "blind" or foolish when he seems to have no choice about fulfilling the prophecy: he is sent away from Thebes as a baby and by a remarkable coincidence saved and raised as a prince in Corinth. Hearing that he is fated to kill his father, he flees Corinth and, by a still more remarkable coincidence, ends up back in Thebes, now king and husband in his actual father's place. Oedipus seems only to desire to flee his fate, but his fate continually catches up with him. Many people have tried to argue that Oedipus brings about his catastrophe because of a "tragic flaw," but nobody has managed to create a consensus about what Oedipus's flaw actually is. Perhaps his story is meant to show that error and disaster can happen to anyone, that human beings are relatively powerless before fate or the gods, and that a cautious humility is the best attitude toward life.

How does this speak to the central issue of the play? (T)

This issue of why Oedipus was cursed speaks to the question: how much control do we have over our own lives? Regardless of Oedipus' good deeds and noble qualities, he was chosen to live out a terrible fate, not because of any wrongdoing on his part. The Greeks felt the gods became angry with people who were guilty of pride, and Oedipus certainly was, so perhaps that justifies his fate in some way. He also attempted to escape the will of the gods through free will. He could not, however, be blamed for his actions with Iokaste, as he had no knowledge that what he did was wrong.

For Aristotle, there were three types of characters that could be portrayed:

Those superior to us, such as gods, heroes and kings Those inferior to us, such as practitioners of villainy Those by all rights our equals, or everyone else

What prophecy for Oedipus does he reiterate?

Tiresias predicts that Oedipus will be physically blind as well, referring to how he will gouge his eyes out before he is exiled from Thebes.

What is the purpose of a tragedy?

To arouse emotions of pity and fear and thus to produce a catharsis of these emotions.

Explain To be or not to be

To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? So, he's basically saying: is it better to put up with life even when it sucks, or to take action and kill yourself and 'end them' - end the troubles, end the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. And he goes on: To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. He's reinforcing here how good it would be to die - no more heart-ache, no more thousand natural shocks. It would be pretty good, he's saying. Then he goes on: To die; to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come So, the rub is that no one knows what's going to happen during the sleep of death. The dreams which here are referring to some sort of afterlife, they might be worse than what Hamlet is dealing with now. This makes him worry about it. And he goes on, and he's wondering: Who would bear the whips and scorns of time... When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Basically, who would go on if you're quietus make (kill yourself) with a bare bodkin (a sword)? Then, he elaborates on this a little bit: Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all What he's saying is who would continue to carry the fardels (burdens) in their life, unless they were afraid of what might happen when they die. So, thinking makes you unable to end your life because even if it's awful, you don't know what comes next and you worry about it. So, conscience (thinking) makes cowards of us all. Hamlet, as we've seen, is super into thinking about stuff. He wants to be sure before he does anything.

Hamlet: Whose was it? Gravedigger: A whoreson mad fellow's it was. Whose do you think it was? Hamlet: Nay, I know not. Gravedigger: A pestilence on him for a mad rogue! A' poured a Flagon of Rhenish on my head once. This same skull, Sir, was Yorick's skull, the king's jester. Hamlet: This? Gravedigger: E'en that. Hamlet: Let me see.

You can see that Hamlet is upset. This dovetails nicely through the earlier musings on death. This is a real obvious something-after-death that's horrifying because someone that Hamlet knew could be reduced to this anonymous skull is deeply upsetting to him. To us, I would imagine, too.

Claudius

is a character who tries to advance his power at the expense of others. He is a manipulative man who is said to have killed his brother to overtake the throne.

Oedipus complex

according to Freud, a boy's sexual desires toward his mother and feelings of jealousy and hatred for the rival father

esthetic

adj. Pertaining to beauty, taste, or the fine arts.

Aristotle's Poetics is dedicated to investigating aesthetics, a branch of philosophy concerned with (BLANK) the concept of beauty and other artistic principles. As a piece devoted to characterizing various genres of poetry, drama and even literature, Poetics is considered the earliest extant work in literary theory.

aesthetics

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

are close friends of Hamlet's who appear in Denmark to spy on Hamlet for King Claudius and Queen Gertrude. They are not successful in discovering what bothers Hamlet, so the King sends Hamlet to England, accompanied by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet realizes he is being sent away for suspicious reasons and ends up escaping from his 'friends.' It is later discovered that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern die on their way to England, a punishment that was meant for Hamlet.

The Art of Poetry

conscious creation, complex, determined by the author

hubris

excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

Phenomena

fact, event, or circumstance that can be observed, usually considered extraordinary or remarkable

Nietzsche also believed that these opposing worldviews, which made their way into Greek art and culture, come to life in Greek tragedy, but both tendencies can also be found in the cultural life of people. Nietzsche advocated for a (Blank), similar to his belief that art and culture were simply two sides of the same coin.

healthy balance or mix of both worldviews in one's life

Plato vs. Aristotle

idealism vs. worldliness and realism

Mimesis

imitation, in the sense of making a representation, an image, or a model

The Murder of Gonzago, also known as The Mousetrap,

is a play Hamlet has performed in order to unveil his uncle's innocence or guilt in the death of his father. Hamlet adds scenes depicting his father's death into the action of the play. When those scenes are performed, Hamlet's uncle and mother are uncomfortable. Hamlet feels this shows their guilt and he decides to murder his uncle.

Hamlet's point of recognition (the anagnorisis)

is when he sets up the mousetrap play. In the play within in the play, Hamlet has someone murder the King, Gonzago, who then marries his wife after doing so. After this scene in the play, Claudius rises and leaves the room

Many of us have probably felt refreshed or relieved after screaming into a pillow or having a good cry. Why is that? The Greeks called this feeling of being refreshed or relieved (BLANK), or the process of purging or cleansing. Aristotle applied the term to the release of emotions brought on by our experiences with poetry and other art forms.

katharsis

These principles deal with the concepts of mimêsis, or the art of imitation and representation, and (BLANK), or the process of purging or cleansing, which Aristotle used to describe the release of emotions that art is meant to elicit.

katharsis

mimêsis

or the art of imitation and representation, as essential to all human interactions.

Didacticism

teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson.

The ghost of King Hamlet appears to the watchmen and Horatio, who report it to the late king's son, Prince Hamlet. When Prince Hamlet is finally able to speak to the ghost, it reveals

that it was murdered by Claudius, its brother who now rules Denmark. King Hamlet's story is used to set up the theme of revenge in the play and inspire Prince Hamlet to take action against Claudius, though leaving his mother, Gertrude, to her own conscience.

Nietzsche distinguishes between two types of worldview in ancient Greece:

the Apollonian (that of truth and knowledge and rationality) and Dionysian (that of revelry and ecstasy), named after their respective gods. Nietzsche believed that in a Dionysian worldview, people could fall into primordial unity, or the fall into pure unity through song, dance, and ecstasy. He also believed that ancient rational thinkers such as Socrates (a philosopher considered to have established the tradition of rational inquiry in the West) and Euripides (a writer guilty of writing dramas that emphasized the fate of individuals and a faith in human institutions) were responsible for the modern rejection of this idea.

Elenchus

the Socratic method of eliciting truth by question and answer, especially as used to refute an argument.

Phenomenal World

the human mind can gain knowledge of objects in this world

Socratic Method

the method of teaching used by the Greek philosopher Socrates; it employs a question-and-answer format to lead pupils to see things for themselves by using their own reason

Although other genres are mentioned or briefly discussed, Poetics is primarily focused on (BLANK). But there is evidence to suggest that Aristotle would have applied the same poetic principles more broadly.

tragedy

Friedrich Nietzsche

was one of the first to recognize this need to escape the mundane and orderly world enjoyed by modern folks. He saw this kind of world as already forming even in the times of the ancient Greeks, the 'founders' of European culture and Western civilization, something he explored in his book, The Birth of Tragedy.

The Birth of Tragedy

was the first book published by Frederich Nietzsche, the famous and infamous nineteenth-century German philosopher. It is by no means the 'final word' on Nietzsche's mature philosophy, but its significance as an early expression of his developing thought makes the work a must-read for anyone studying Nietzsche. In the first three-quarters or so of The Birth of Tragedy,

What is literature?

written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit.