Hamlet: Act 3.

We find that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have failed to find what is causing Hamlet to act the way he is. With this, Polonius and King Claudius decide to bestow themselves (or hide themselves) in order to spy on a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia. (To find reasoning for his insanity). Through the duration of their meeting we see that Hamlet knows Ophelia's father and king are spying. He will not say he knows, but he and Ophelia realize it. He even asks her where her father is and she lies to him and he is completely aware. He keeps yelling to her for her to go to a nunnery that is what would be best. Also, we see him questioning what he should do. Should he kill himself? Would it be better? But what is to come in his afterlife? He is one very confused man trying to sort things out in a mixed way, involving mainly revenge. (Knowing Polonius is there) he begins contradicting his words. One minute he will say he loves her then turn around and say he never loved her. Truly, I do believe he loved her after all. (We see when he realizes she was dead he jumped into her gave along with Laertes who hated him. He did not care what the others did to him and he grieved over her). Next we come across Polonius and Claudius who have planned that Hamlet be sent to England if the cause of Hamlet's madness is not found through Hamlet's talk with his mother. (Hamlet's mother hopes the cause be love). In the scene following Hamlet and Horatio confirm their plan to keep eye on Claudius' reaction towards the play and the people start to enter for the play. Hamlet sits down by Ophelia and talks very bitterly towards her almost as if it is his way of getting back at her (he seemed not be able to believe that Ophelia would not fight for their love and not listen to her father). The play starts and so0 does Hamlet's commentary. He thinks what is going on to be comical he gets his revenge (on Claudius) and a show. The play implies that the queen married the man for money when she found her husband dead and none of it was for love. As the play grew more similar to the real story Claudius became more and more impatient. As the murder scene came and played out perfectly what happened in real life he lost it. His conscientious and anger got a hold of him he stopped the play and left. After all of this the Queen asks for Hamlet to come to her room to speak with him. He would speak daggers, but nothing of the literal sort. (maybe not [but Polonius on the other hand]). Due to the play and the guilt he felt Claudius wants Hamlet gone.. now. He will send him to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Polonius comes in to tell him he will be spying on Hamlet's discussion with his mother. After that Claudius begins to show his regret for killing King Hamlet. He tries to go into prayer and Hamlet comes sneaking behind him without him knowing. With the intent to kill Claudius he does not for if he did during prayer he would go to heaven (Hamlet did not think he deserved it). He was hesitant in the action and decided to wait until he was doing a misdeed to ensure his damnation. Next we are brought into conversation with the queen and Hamlet. He is very upset and is taking it out on her a little much. his harsh words startle her and she yells for help. This also startles Polonius and he is stirred bringing attention to himself. Thinking it to be Claudius hiding behind the tapestry, Hamlet stabs the man. It was not, however, it was Ophelia's father. The ghost then appears to remind Hamlet that his purpose was to avenge the murderer of his father not to hurt his mother. Gertrude thinks him mad because he is talking to nobody (ghost) and pities him for it. (It leaves). Hamlet pleads that she not return to the bed of his uncle and that they want to send him to England (death) . She does not listen, however (as we will see).

Hamlet: Act 2.

In this act we see Ophelia enter very upset. Hamlet has just met with her and his actions seemed to be one who has gone mad. She comes to tell her father of these happenings. Ophelia informs her father, Polonius, that she was doing what he ordered her to do by sending the letters back to Hamlet since she was not allowed to see him (and in others words finalize the reality of the situation that she was "dumping"him). Because of this Hamlet came to her grabbed her stared her down saying nothing at all, but Ophelia could tell by his eyes the way he felt. Polonius thought him to have gone crazy and ordered that they go to the king to tell him of it. In the mean time, the king and queen have decided to call upon Rosencrantz and Guidenstern (old friends of Hamlet's) to spy on him. They want to know whats going on. Polonius and Ophelia then come in to inform him Ophelia has said, but were interrupted by Hamlet's coming. Hamlet starts to act like he doesn't know Polonius to bash him (and just to play around with him because he well knows that Polonius thinks him to be crazy). Soon Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive and begin their spying. They have betrayed Hamlet and he knows it. He begins to play around about traitors without bringing it to the forefront without them realizing he knows and is furious. Next in this act the players arrive. One of them acts out a story and during this Hamlet begins to see that this man has such emotion and effort in the words he speaks. This is the type of effort and emotion he has not shown in avenging the one who killed his father like it should be. At this he conjures up the idea to have them put on a play quite similar to the murder of his father. During this play they will observe the king to see if his true conscientious will show. If so then the ghost had told the truth and he was the murderer, but if not then they shall forget that this ghost had said any of it.

Hamlet: Act 1.

We jump into this story knowing that the problem is that King Hamlet was murdered. It starts with the guards at the grave site. They see the ghost which is believed to be the spirit of King Hamlet (Hamlet's father), but it will not speak to them. They decide they want to have Hamlet come and talk to him because they believe the spirit will then talk. Also, in this act we see that Hamlet's mother marries his uncle (his father's brother) only two months after the death of his father. Angered by this he goes off about it. Later we see his best friend, Horatio, come in with Marcellus. They inform him of their encounter with the spirit and he agrees that he wants to talk with him. Next scene we see Laertes and Ophelia talking. Ophelia is in love with Hamlet, but Laertes says that she will get hurt if she stays with him and that their father does not approve. Laertes and his father think know that he is to be king and think that she cannot be so she will just end up heartbroken. Polonius (Ophelia and Laerte's father) will not allow it and tells her that. Ophelia, however, believes that Hamlet loves her and that he is good. She says that they are meant to be and what he says is wrong. Her father will not believe it and warns her to stay away from him. She says she will obey. When Hamlet meets with the ghost he finds that his uncle was the one who killed his father. The ghost wants Hamlet to get revenge on this man and Hamlet intends to. When Hamlet meets back with his friends (Horatio and Marcellus) they are anxious to find what happened. The only thing he would tell was that there was a villain and that he did come across a real ghost that night. He then made the two swear upon his sword that they would not say to anyone anything that happened that night.

Changed world views of heroes today.

In what ways has the “world view” of hero changed from the Beowulf poem era to today? Cite specific examples from both the epic translation that we have read and from the Grendel excerpt that Mr. Osterhaus read, as well as your own experience. You will NOT need a quotation for this question.

In the era of Beowulf we find that a hero is one who has courage, strength, determination, bravery, loyalty, is a great leader, and more. This, however, is something that has changed from then to now. Today we have children saying that actresses/actors, professional sports players, singers, and others are their heroes. If you look deeper into the difference of these it is shocking. For example, Hannah Montana is seen as a hero to many young girls today, but what really is she heroic for? She has a talent in singing, performing, and acting. Will this save you from a creature like Grendel? I do not think so. It is almost disturbing to compare one like Hannah Montana to Beowulf. You can compare this with anyone of today that kids or even adults may consider their hero and can find about the same bizarre contrast. It makes you reconsider who you should choose to be your hero. This concept is almost as if the word hero has been changed from one who is idealized for the characteristics like bravery and courage to just a role model. Someone we look up to does not seem to be one who should be considered a hero. These people that are role models/heroes to the people of today are no better than the average person. They do minor things and get this undeserved appreciation. The ones who save the lives of others and risk their lives for people they barely know are the type of people who truly deserve our admiration. One example of a person like that today would be the firefighters, who during the 9/11 attacks gave their lives for their country and others. They are the ones that fit the depiction of a true hero. They knew the cost of what their actions may be and did it anyway for the sake of things other than themselves. Firefighters and others like them do not let you down in such a way we see these celebrities every day. The so-called heroes of today are the ones who become on the front pages of magazines who have been caught in an act of wrong doing. While yes, not all celebrities are guilty of these things, but what we see is not in any sense heroic. We should be looking for people who care for others and fit the rightful representation of a hero. I am not saying that celebrities cannot be heroes because they can be very qualified, but what we say about a person that makes them a hero is something to be careful of. Heroes are not considered heroic due to their athletic, singing, or acting ability. They are for the actions and aid they give towards others. For example, Beowulf was a hero who confided in God for what he should do. This helped him in his success completely. He wanted to help others and he fit the characteristics of a hero because of and through the way he was during those actions. To admire a person for their heroic qualities rather than gifts is what we should base our view of heroism on and not on their abilities in areas of athletics and others. One should take care in what they say a hero is and who a hero is. Always think of what the actual heroic ways are and how it is much different in contrast to a celebrity or other role model.

BEOWULF -- The Singing, the Gift-Giving, and The Mother

The singing: note in the reading when the story is interrupted by the singer's stories of days and heroes past. What do you think is the significance of these "flashbacks" in terms of a description of "hero"? Explain at least one incident when the singer sings.

The Gift-Giving: Describe several instances in the story when Beowulf and/or his men are given gifts of gold or some other honor. What do you think is the significance of this Gift-Giving?

The Mother: briefly describe the feat of Beowulf in his battle with Grendel's mother. Make a list of hero traits that Beowulf exhibits.

During chapter 16 and 17 we are introduced to the singer. This singing is also a story being told. The story is about Finn and the war he was bringing about against the king of the Danes, Hnaf. Hnaf's sister was married to Finn. Finn killed Hnaf during this war causing his wife's mourning over her brother and her sons death. She thought it was a way to see her husbands good faith and that those deaths were due to fate through God's decision. They found that not only were the Danes at a loss in this war, but Finn's people too had many fallen to the Danes. There were not enough to keep this war going unless it led to defeat. With not enough men to lead the Danes to their end it made Hengest (Hnaf's follower) flee to the hall where they fought and he stayed. Finn then decided to instead stop the war and make a peace treaty. The treaty was kept, but not for long. They lived under the same roof the Danes without a king and hatred filling each one. Hengest was going to wait for the new year to come and go back to his home, but his yearning for revenge stepped in first. He stabbed Finn in the stomach resulting in his death. They then took everything from Finn they could find and his wife even willing and wanting went with them. This story shows heroically that they both knew what they needed for their people in stopping the war, but that revenge would come. Hengest was just waiting for the perfect time or when he could hold it no longer and was forced to kill him.
In this story gifts seem to be a symbol of thanks and appreciation. Beowulf receives gifts quite a few times. When he kills Grendel the Danes and their king, Hrothgar, give Beowulf a golden banner, helmet, coat of mail, and an ancient sword. These gifts along with a feast show him how much they appreciate him for his courage.
Beowulf thought the fight with Grendel's mother would be an easy one, but he soon found that he was wrong. He went into the lake where she dwelt. He brought with him his chain mail armor, sword, and helmet he was given to help him in the battle. To his surprise she bit through the helmet and along with the other weapons it was not much help. The one thing that did help though was his armor that for the most part kept him from a major injury. Beowulf then had to use his own strength against the mother and thankfully that was enough and he came out on top.

Beowulf Hero or Braggart?

Is Beowulf a true hero or just a braggart with an incredible ego problem?

Support your answer with at least two specific examples from your reading so far (Ch. 1 - 25)

This post is worth 30 points and will be evaluated according to the clarity of your position and the thorough explanation of your two examples.

I think Beowulf definitely shows to be a hero and a braggart. He has many heroic characteristics like courage, strength, and leadership. He obviously knows how to fight and fight for the good of others as shown when he fought Grendel. He came to help Hrothgar and his people to rid them all of this horrible creature. He did exactly that too. Grendel had never felt such fear when up against any human as the fear he faced with Beowulf. He thought himself to be unstoppable, but then came across the path of a human such as the one called Beowulf. Not even any mortals weaponry could defeat him. He was untouchable until now. He discovered that his grip was too tight, and that the longer he lay in that grip the more power he began to lose."The monster's hatred rose higher, But his power was gone. He twisted in pain, And the bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder Snapped, muscle and bone split, And broke" (Raffel 36-37 lines 814-818). For glory Beowulf had torn Grendel's arm off. The king and his people gave him much appreciation, glory, filled his ego a little more, and gave gifts for his triumph against the monster. The way he did a lot of this for glory shows his supreme pride issue.
We also see it in previous actions his too. When he first arrived there we even saw it. Unferth was one who tried to go up against Grendel, but Grendel would not kill him. He thought that if he could kill him the he could get glory, but if not then he died in battle against him and would receive glory anyway. Grendel would not give him this and Beowulf boasted about his winnings to Unferth. He told of how he had never had such glory or even tales told about him. He was never bold enough. Unferth decided to come back with that he could not beat Brecca across the sea. Beowulf full of answers said that he had come across sea-creatures versus him in whether he have his life still. It was much more of a battle than Brecca had getting across so he still had his dignity, also Unferth killed his brother. They seemed to go back in forth trying to win the upper hand. This shows how highly Beowulf thinks of himself.
On the other side we, however, find that his hubris is not completely him thinking within himself. He does believe god helps him in his actions. "My life was almost lost, fighting for it, Struggling under water: I'd have been dead at once, And the fight finished, the she-devil victorious, If our Father in Heaven had not helped me" (Raffel 71 lines 1655-1668). As we see it Beowulf portrays both parts. He is a hero and a braggart, but which one truly overcomes the other? Fate seems to be shown immensely and how it is unknown for Beowulf. Will his hubris be the end of him or will his heroic side come out on top? Also, to clarify towards the end I have talked about how his hubris was not all in his way of giving thanks to only himself. This showed that he after all does not show supreme pride (or that in one part thinks he is better than the gods) in that case. He thanks the gods for his successes and gifts unlike those who are completely full of hubris.

Themes.

• loyalty
• human vs. human and creature vs. human
  
• human vs. self
• human vs. society- person vs. world
  
• free will vs. captivity
• free will vs. fate/ destiny
  
• search for power
• search for freedom
• human condition- wants to feel needed and useful- what he does to gain respect and to feel good about him self
• greed
• good vs. evil
• pride/hubris
• God's power in our lives
• revenge
  
• cruelty
  
• hatred
• The idea of is the grass truly greener on the other side
• love
• God's law vs. mortal law
• despair
• hope
• person vs. death
• fear
• legacy
• role of women
• descent to hell
  
• leadership
• braggart vs. hero
• pagan vs. Christian
• beliefs and values in the story
• giving of gifts- gift appreciation
• view of afterlife
• ritual-burial ways also
• spiritual ordeal
• intervention of God/gods
• respect