Hamlet #1

1) The interest is created by the appearance of old King Hamlet's ghost.

2) We are given the information about the ghost who has been appearing: that he looks exactly like the dead king and is dressed in armor as if ready for war. We are also told who Fortinbras and his father are, how (and why) the father was killed, and why young Fortinbras is seeking revenge.

3) The ghost appears again and the four men try to ask it questions, but it doesn't answer. Marcellus then tries to strike it, to make it stay and answer questions, but it disappears again. They realize it might be a warning and decide to tell Hamlet.

4) The mood of this scene is eerie and dark. The ghost appears and the guards are on watch because they are preparing for war.

5) The sentries are apprehensive for two reasons. The first, because they have a feeling this ghost, who keeps appearing and then disappearing, is a bad sign for their country in the upcoming war. The second, because the ghost isn't just any ghost, it's a ghost of the late king and he's wearing the same armor as when he fought and killed the king of Norway.

6) Horatio suggests that the ghost came back to warn them of their country's fate or to tell them of some lost/buried treasure.

7) The characters present are Horatio, Marcellus, Barnado, Francisco, and the king's Ghost.

8) Horatio says that the King was a rival of old King Fortinbras and that he had to kill him.

9) Young Fortinbras is the prince of Norway. His father was killed by old King Hamlet and he wants to avenge his father's death and get back the lands his father lost now that old King Hamlet is gone.

10) Horatio says that people (corpses) rose from their graves and walked the streets wailing, that comets left trails and dews of blood, and that the moon was almost totally eclipsed.

11) Horatio is an educated scholar. He went to university with Hamlet.

12) Horatio is there to give us the background information and set up the story.

13) Denmark and Norway have been in an ongoing feud for quite some time, the old King of Denmark is dead and appearing as a ghost, and his son is prince and heir to the throne.

Summoner

crown of leaves = oak leaves = theivery
hands blacked = God's disapproval
stealing money, begging for boys to sleep with whores, drunkard
only believes in God when it's profitable
greedy, nasty man, blackened hands, white sores, science couldn't cure sores
thinks highly of himself, takes people's money so they won't go to hell

Friar = most known for begging
never more than 3 empty seats
dying man, Thomas, farmer
lost a child 2 weeks ago
divide money into 12, put money into building his church
anger = cause of sickness
reach down back and beneath buttock = gift (fart)
divide into 12 parts for all friars
for a new gown = divide fart into 12
lay farting man in middle of wheel, 12 spokes - > noses, friar under wheel
makes fun of friars, complete insult
insult on church and upper class
really doesn't care about society
similes and metaphors, imagery
pulls no punches, doesn't care what society thinks

Yeoman

• Canon's yeoman
• canon - alchemist (tried to make gold/silver out of other metals)
• cloak -
• hat and gloves off because he was left behind
• serves an alchemist, 7 years trying to turn things into gold, wanted money - joined
• after realizing it's impossible, trying to help people
• not religious
• canon dressed in rags
• lives in slums and back alleys
• never really paid clients back
• canon fled for fear of people hearing
• young, beautiful, properous ->rags, chem burns
• silver, quicksilver, mercury, various things, fires, wood, clay pots
• explosion = marks on face

• canon
• tricked entire cities into alchemy
• slanders people for money
• lived with lady in london
• would not except money for her staying there
• a man who repays his dues will always be welcomed at my door
• priest completely oblivious to alchemist
• completely fascinated
• performance - "turned" quicksilver into silver, mercury to gold (copper)
• priest would give him anything for magical dust
• no way to find philosopher's stone
• deception
• alchemist deceives priest, entire craft is deception
• making fun of society, alchemists were a big part
• people spend money and waste it
• making fun of church
• philosopher's stone = perfection
• wealth = corruption
• Nouvelle
• 1st part = expose (detailed findings)
• warned all against a great evil, not harry potter = no philosopher's stone

SQUIRE

• always fashionably dressed
• 20-something
• lover, lusty bachelor
• should devote lives to become knights
• believes in song-writing and loving
• knight's son
• learns future duties by participating in battles, only to get girls
• knows what social class he's in
• serves as position of authority
• magical horse (brass) - teleport (spin pin in ear)
• mirror - lover is true?
• ring - understand love
• sword - cut anything, heal any wound
• knight chosen to dance with king's daughter
• falcon crying - understanding losing love from hawk
• epic romance, uninterrupted = go on forever
• horse - troy
• sword - achilles
• birdhouse -
  
• trusted lover broke a promise, don't fall in love to make someone feel better
• loving man, great story teller, stayed on topic to keep reader's attention, heartbroken, but gained it back

KNIGHT

Knight feels like he needs to please God, not people
thinks he's a better follower of christian faith than other guests
acts as he should toward god
his only flaw is killing the pagans instead of converting them
considered a romance with the two knights who fall in love by looking out window
meaning = life isn't stable, told something is going to happen, but doesn't turn out the way you expect it
reveals how knight feels about women, important decisions = women are crying, women stopping violence, pushing men to be better
knight's understanding that there is chaos, people work to shape their own fate
roles of women, chivalry, instability of life (all three gods make a promise and keep them)
humbleness of knight
his story has everything that makes a story great and happy ending

Class notes 9/25

1) Pagan poem (some Christian made it Christian)
2) Confessional (writer himself was warrior turned Christian)
3) Allegorical

Protagonist in exile through war
Leader and comrades are dead, he lived
Kin-killing or some other guilt-ridden reason
A poem of someone who has survived the wars that wiped out the Geats and is lost
Sense of warrior being lost and spirit loss
Treasure no longer holds any value because king/country is no more

Allegory/Different Views on Structure

Allegory
Heorot - Earth (or Tower of Babel)
Hrothgar - God (or...)
Beowulf - Christ (or...)
Grendel - Satan (or...)

Differing Structure
-Chaos and war
-Shield
-Dynasty

*Dynasty
*Beowulf
*Back to chaos

Lit Terms

Protagonist - The leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text

Example: Beowulf

Rhythm - The measured flow of words and phrases in verse or prose as determined by the relation of long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables

Example: iambic pentameter (5 pairs of unstressed/stressed syllables)

5 do's to Persuasive essays

1) (self expert) Why you have a right to discuss the topic...(ethos)

*2) Expert testimony (use a quote from an expert in the area you're talking about, how believable you can be, can be made up)...(logos)

*3) Statistics, Facts, Logic (research)...(logos)

4) Audience Self-interest (make the audience interested in it)...(pathos)

5) New Topic of Twist on Old (make it new and interesting)...(logos, ethos)


you need some pathos if you want anyone to follow
you need a lot of logos for it to make sense
you need a little ethos, but they won't follow you just because you're nice


1) hook
2) thesis statement
3) order of development
4) body
5) conclusion

Lit Elements

Comedy - A play characterized by its humorous or satirical tone and its depiction of amusing people or incidents, in which the characters ultimately triumph over adversity
Example: The Comedy of Errors - William Shakespeare (way too long to put all of it on here, but here's a website... http://www.readbookonline.net/title/327/)

Metaphor - a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable
Example: "the sun is Juliet", "he had trays for hands and motors for feet"

Lit Elements

Antagonist - The person or force opposing the protagonist
Example: Cet in "The Death of Conchobhar" when he slings the brainball and hits Conchobhar in the head.

Sarcasm - The use of irony to mock or convey contempt
Example: Jonathan Swift's proposed solution to Ireland's poverty.
Protagonist - The leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text

Rhiannon

Rhiannon (possibly derived from a Pagan goddess Rigantona [Great-or sacred- Queen]) is a horse goddess reminiscent of Epona from Gualish religion. She's the daughter of Hefeydd the Old. She was married to Pwyll then to Manawydan. She was queen after marrying Pwyll.

Pwyll first met Rhiannon when she appeared as a beautiful woman dressed in gold and riding a white horse. Pwyll sent his horsemen after her, but she was too fast. In fact, she was riding no faster than Pwyll and his knights; her horse's swiftness was a mirage she created for Pwyll's and her benefit. After three days, he finally chased her himself. When he spoke, asking her to stop, Rhiannon told him she would rather marry him than the man who was being forced upon her, Gwawl. She made a tryst with Pwyll and after a year from that day, he won her from Gwawl by following Rhiannon's advice to trick Gwawl into climbing into a magic bag that Rhiannon had given to Pwyll, striking an agreement to free him in exchange for Rhiannon.

Rhiannon gave birth to a son after three years of their rule; however, on the night of the birth, the child disappeared while in the care of six of Rhiannon's ladies-in-waiting. They feared that they would be put to death, and to avoid any blame, smeared blood from a puppy on the sleeping Rhiannon, and lay its bones around her bed. Pwyll's counselors imposed a penance on Rhiannon for her crime, to remain in the court of Arberth for seven years, and to sit every day near a horse-block outside the gate telling her story to all that passed. In addition, she was to carry any willing guest to the court on her back.

The child appeared outside a stable of Teyrnon, whose mares had just given birth but the foals had disappeared. Teyrnon had been watching his stables when he saw a mysterious beast coming to take the foal; Teyrnon stopped the beast by cutting off its arm at the elbow, and found the child outside the stable. He and his wife adopted him. The child grew to adulthood in only seven years and was given the foal which had led Teyrnon to the stable. Teyrnon realized who the child was and returned him to Pwyll and Rhiannon, who named him Pryderi (care).

Pryderi married Cigfa and became Prince of Dyfed after his father died. He then invited Manawydan (his stepfather) to live with him in Dyfed. Soon, Dyfed turned into a barren wasteland and only Rhiannon, Pryderi, Cigfa and Manawydan survived. Manawydan and Pryderi, while out hunting, saw a white boar which they followed. Pryderi and his mother, Rhiannon, touched a golden bowl that the boar led them to and became enchanted. Manawydan and Cigfa were unable to help them until they captured a mouse which was actually the wife of Llwyd, Rhiannon's enemy (seeking revenge for her treatment of Gwawl), and the spell was lifted.

In some versions of the legend, Rhiannon was the Celtic goddess who later became Vivienne, best known as the Lady of the Lake. She was the Celtic goddess who gave Arthur the sword Excalibur, empowering him to become King in the legends of Camelot.

She represents noble traits and forgiveness because she forgives the man who took her infant child and those who sentenced her to spend years of her life carrying people to the castle.

She's a very caring and forgiving person, a good queen. After her honor was restored she instantly forgave the people who took her kid and made her suffer for it. She was so courageous that only very few people accepted her offer to carry them.