DRJ #2: Hamlet Act II

DRJ #2: Hamlet Act 2

            Polonius reminds me of this extremely over protective father because he cares so much about Laertus and Ophelia. It’s like in movies when the dad will do or say anything to check up on their kid. Polonius’ way of doing so is having someone check on Laertus and telling Ophelia to keep Hamlet away from her. Ophelia’s situation also reminds me of everyday life when boys try to court the girls but the girls don’t like the boy or their parents forbid the girl from dating. I can’t tell if Phelia like’s Hamlet but she’s really obedient to her father.

            I think of Polonius as Claudius’ henchman, he’s not exactly a main antagonist or villain but he is motivated by his own personal interest. He doesn’t do anything that’s evil, he only takes action on what he cares about, like having Reynaldo spy on his son, which is a violation of Laertus privacy. He also tries to ruin Laertus’ reputation. Polonius also thinks Hamlet is crazy and tells the King everything about Hamlet that Ophelia tells Polonius. Polonius even suggests that the King should spy on Ophelia and Hamlet by hiding behind curtains. I think it’s funny, but his actions show is loyalty to the King and his involvement with Hamlet and father role to his kids.

            The theme that takes place in Act Two is one’s sanity/suicide. There is a lot of concern over Hamlet’s craziness. Polonius already sees Hamlet as crazy because he believes Hamlet is in love with Ophelia. He proves this to the king by showing him the letters Hamlet wrote to Ophelia. (Line 54-55 Act II Scene 2). Claudius says to Gertrude, “He (Polonius) tells me my dear Gertrude he hath found the head and source of all your son’s distemper.” Another line, line 100 “That he is mad, “tis true. Tis true, it’s pity,” Polonius says. Claudius is also concerned by Hamlet’s well being for the sake of Gertrude’s happiness. They believe the reason why Hamlet is upset is because of the marriage which is very true and caused a lot of trouble to Hamlet but it’s also because of what the Ghost told Hamlet. Claudius has Hamlet’s childhood friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find out what is wrong with Hamlet. Hamlet’s sanity fuels the character’s actions in the story. Hamlet himself is truly upset and is unhappy, especially after meeting the ghost. He does show signs of suicide with his negativity and saying he wants to step “into his grave,” (Line 197 Act II Scene II.  Hamlet’s sanity is what makes him want to take revenge on his uncle. 

DRJ #1: Hamlet Act I

DRJ#1: Hamlet, Act I

            These characters don’t remind me of anyone in particular but they do have some traits of people I know. Horatio reminds me of a wing man, that person who will always have their friends back and helps their friends. Their situation in the first scene sort of reminded me of my childhood when my friends and I would scare each other with haunted stories and really think we saw a ghost. Later on when I read about how the Ghost came to be I automatically thought of the Disney movie “The Lion King.” I remember someone mentioning “The Lion King” being based off of Hamlet before I knew about Hamlet. Now I see how they are similar because a brother kills their own brother to be the King.

            As I had said before, the character Horatio is like a “wing man.” I say this because he honestly reminds of those supporting characters, that one friend who will always be there but keep the major character from falling. I do not know too much about Horatio, yet I feel he has an important role. He even tried to talk to the ghost, showing a little bit of bravery and swears to not tell what the Ghost revealed to Hamlet. He is sort of like a foil to show the importance of the major character. I noticed how he is always concerned about Hamlet’s safety and lets him know what important things are going on. He is definitely not a tragic hero because he is not a main character and he from what the audience knows he has not experienced anything tragic that the audience would feel for him. Technically Horatio is not a foil at all because he does not contrast the main character he only supports Hamlet.

            In Act I, the theme is revenge versus forgiveness. There are great examples of revenge in Act I. One example of revenge is Fortinbras’ son wanting to take back the land that his father lost to Old King Hamlet. This shows how rivalry and war is never forgotten and revenge is common. Another example is Hamlet wanting to take revenge for his father when finding out his uncle Claudius killed his father. The ghost asks him to take revenge for his sake. The ghost says, “So art thou to revenge when thou shalt hear,” Line 8, Act I, Scene V. Claudius had even taken Old Hamlet’s wife away. Hamlet was already upset with everything that had happened and it was more than enough reason for him to take revenge because he didn’t want to sit there and do nothing, he was ready to take on his uncle. 

SSRJ #2: D. Walker - I Am The Grass

SSRJ #2: D. Walker

            To be honest, I don’t like how the piece ended. I was upset that the operation didn’t go well. Dinh put so much hope into the surgeon and in the end it didn’t work out. Not everything is always a happy ending. Dinh’s thumbs were taken away and it made me realize how something as small as thumbs can make life so much harder to live. It reminded me how thankful I am to have thumbs, hands, legs, to have my entire body.

            I think the element that stood out to me the most was the setting. It takes place in Vietnam, a place that haunts the surgeon because that is where he caused pain for others and himself and the war continues on inside him. Going back to Vietnam is reliving the war all over again. He remembers the murder he committed, the rape and the suffering he brought upon others. Being back in Vietnam gives him this chance to make it right again.

            There aren’t many situations in my life that relate to this story exactly but I can think of some instances. My God sister was born with a cleft lip and it was thanks to the doctors that they repaired her cleft lip. “I Am The Grass” also reminds me of the musical “Miss Saigon.” It’s a love story that takes place in the Vietnam War. Their stories are different but I feel they are the same because of the suffering the soldiers and the Vietnamese went through.

            The author is trying to express his take on war and that war is the theme of his story.  War causes death, it causes suffering and pain to people, even the innocent who end up getting caught in the conflict between the world’s disputes. Walker writes his experience in the main character, the surgeon. The surgeon is conflicted with his experiences in the Vietnam War and it continues to haunt him. “I cannot talk about these things I wish I could forget but know that I never will,” (315). There’s a war inside of him and he can’t find peace. In order for there to be peace there must be war and it is said war is peace. Walker describes how the surgeon feels about the terrors he has caused. In the beginning he even describes how he wants his wife and daughter to believe he is good and that he will never tell them his shame. The author then brings the surgeon back to the land of Vietnam, the land being the antagonist of the story. Here he is going to help children with cleft lips and he meets a Vietnamese doctor named Dinh. Dinh has suffered in the Vietnam War and has no thumbs because of it. Having no thumbs represent how the surgeon has no peace in himself. To resolve this, Dinh asks the surgeon to give back his thumbs by using his toe. Dinh puts all his faith into the surgeon truly believing that he wouldn’t eat like a “Frenchmen” anymore and want to use chopsticks (324). The surgeon also has hope as well and I think that this hope is his way of redeeming himself and that both Dinh and the surgeon can find peace. The night before the surgery, nightmares haunt him as he is anxious to perform the surgery, fearing that it may not work out. Unfortunately the operation is a failure. Dinh and the surgeon both fought a conflict in themselves but it was a loss. The surgeon doesn’t hear from Dinh after they find out about the failure operation. The surgeon reminds himself of the war and sees Vietnam again. He accepts the land and that he chose to take risks. This realization brings peace within him throughout the war of shame and failure he went through on the inside. He realizes Vietnam is a part of who he is.

            How do you think Dinh felt after the surgeon left? Do you think Dinh could ever forgive the surgeon even though Dinh asked him personally to help him?