Tell me a story!!!

Today we discussed what a short story is (and is not), what makes for an interesting story, and why short stories matter. Take some time now to tell me a story: it could be a joke, it could be true, fake, it could be sad, or funny... it doesn't matter. There are only two requirements: it has a beginning, middle, and end... and it has at least one character that has a problem that needs to be resolved. 

Go!!! Ps: it can be short:)

Jamie Murray's Final Blog on The Big Delay!!! (How Ironic, eh Jamie?)

The entire essence and plot of William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet revolves around Hamlet’s irresolute behaviour regarding the approach he takes in killing his uncle Claudius; with the ultimate question being: Why the delay? This multifaceted question has haunted critics for centuries because Shakespeare directs so much attention to this puzzling aspect of the play without giving a definitive answer. Where exactly is this “delay” stemming from? Is this delay driven by mainly internal or external challenges? Some may even suggest that there was never a delay to begin with, considering the audience may never have noticed if Hamlet himself had not mentioned his indecisive attitude in one of his soliloquies. Regardless, I believe that there is evidently a delay present, with the correlating factors being the fact that his primary source was a ghost, his honor in searching for the appropriate time with the presumption that Claudius might repent, and finally his fear of death all contribute to extending his quest for revenge.

Reliability and trust are two themes in this play that are meticulously explored and expressed through various relationships. In Act I of the play, a ghost appears claiming that he is the spirit of Old King Hamlet, stating that Claudius is the murderer, and later instructs Hamlet to seek revenge in his honor. Pause for one second and view this from Hamlet’s perspective. You are mourning over your father’s death and consequently you are emotionally unstable. One month after your father’s death, your mother marries your uncle and now a ghost appears and suggests that you take action immediately. How impulsive do you think you would be? Over the course of the play, Shakespeare conveys to his audience that trust is a complex connection, stressing that trust is a bond which takes time to develop. Horatio and Marcellus recognize this, warning Hamlet by suggesting “What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff… And there assume some other horrible form, Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason” (I, iv, 69-73). Essentially, Horatio is expressing his concern for Hamlet, suggesting that if he follows the ghost it might tempt him into madness and potentially suicide. Hamlet realizes this when he admits that “The spirit that I have seen may be the devil” (II, ii, 596-597). This ultimately leads him to do more investigation on Claudius and implement the play “The Mousetrap”.

Hamlet does not usually base his decisions off of “An eye for an eye mentality” which is why he resorts to strategizing his plan, in search of the perfect duel. Unlike Claudius, Hamlet doesn’t intend to seek revenge by poisoning him while he is asleep. Hamlet considers himself an honorable avenger which is why he doesn’t hide his intentions, but rather gives Claudius a fair warning by staging a play that parallels their own scenario. After the play, Hamlet is presented with an opportunity to kill Claudius. Initially, Claudius runs to the chapel because he feels guilty for what he has done, however he later decides that asking for forgiveness is not worth it. Hamlet holds back on killing him because the chapel is a holy place, and he wants to allow for the potential possibility that Claudius might repent his deed.

On a global basis, this delay is relatable to that of the Cold War. The term “Cold War” was given to illustrate the relationship between the U.S.A and the U.S.S.R after World War II. The reality of the war being that neither side actually ever fought, but rather posed as threats with the ideology that either country could wipe out the other out entirely. This relationship can easily be associated with the relationship between Hamlet and Claudius. Hamlet eventually gathers enough evidence to conclude that Claudius is the murderer but he struggles to find the perfect time to announce it and take his revenge.

From a personal stand point, my hockey team serves as another parallel to this relationship. Our team is faced with the challenge every game to find a balance between offence and defence. Our team doesn’t want to sacrifice too much attention towards offence, because we are worried that we will leave our defence out to dry. Likewise, sometimes we find ourselves playing too conservatively in that we never give ourselves a chance to score. Hamlet is struggling with this same balance issue. He wants to take revenge on Claudius but at the same time he doesn’t want to put himself in a vulnerable position and get himself killed. 

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To Kill, Or Not To Kill

The reluctance Hamlet feels towards killing his uncle is a result of his tendency to over analyze everything, a lack of evidence that proves Claudius is the murderer, the fact that murder is morally incorrect, the effect it will have on his beloved mother, and his inability to find an acceptable time to pursue the murderer. His reasoning for being so hesitant with committing the murder is most certainly valid; murder is not something that should be glossed over, especially when his father, the ghost, is the one who asks him to commit the murder on his behalf. Although Hamlet wants to please his father, if he chooses to proceed with the murder it will change his life indefinitely. He must ask himself, is it worth it for the vengeance of his father? Hamlet delays committing the murder as he wants to be absolutely sure of his decision, making it seem like he has a somewhat stable head on his shoulders. However, when Hamlet stops over thinking and suddenly kills Polonius, who he believes may or may not be Claudius, he seems to stray from everything he values. Hamlets hasty, spur of the moment decision brings everything we as readers previously thought about Hamlet into question. Because he briefly lost his logical reasoning, he has to live with the fact that he is responsible for the death of an innocent man. Because of this, Shakespeare teaches his readers that one must think before they act as actions have consequences.

At first, Hamlet is not even certain that his uncle is to blame for killing his father. His only source is the ghost of Old King Hamlet, which may not be reliable enough when it comes to a life or death scenario. Hamlet creates an ingenious plan to find the proof he needs; he produces a play that re-enacts the murder of Old King Hamlet, and Claudius’ guilty conscience shines through while he watches in awe. Doing so pushes Hamlet one step closer to murdering his uncle, yet there is still a delay. Hamlets knows that murder violates his moral code. Morals often are proven to overpower even the deepest raging emotions. Hamlet also considers that fact that killing Claudius would have irreparable effects on his mother, having lost two husbands in such a short period of time. Another reason Hamlet delays the murder of Claudius is because he wants to find the proper time to do so. He has the opportunity to commit the murder when he is in the church, however he delays yet again as he feels he should not kill Claudius unless he is doing something sinful; he wants to ensure that Claudius’s soul will not be sent to heaven.

“Now might I do it pat, now he is praying;
And now I'll do't. And so he goes to heaven;
And so am I revenged. That would be scann'd:
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.” (3.3.74-79)

Although Hamlet does plan on killing Claudius, there is always something holding him back from turning his talk into action. His indecisiveness portrayed consistently throughout the play results in his reluctance in pursuing the murder of his uncle. 

 

http://encourageyourspouse.com/be-aware-youre-on-the-scale/scale-balance/

The perils of a certain uncertainty

Hamlet exhibits behaviour ranging from calm and contemplative to his famed antic disposition. What in the end do we really know about Hamlet? Its plain that Hamlet is a self-deprecating, depressive character given therefor to indecision, but what is it really that compels Hamlet to delay?
The ghost of his father proclaims revenge his foul and most unnatural murder making it definite that he was murdered and Hamlet must avenge his death. That is all good and true but at the end of the day how sure can we be about the words from a ghost. That said while the play provides proof that Hamlet is a good judge of other characters he often struggles to be sure of himself.
That said, though we see Hamlets murder of Polonius as rash and impulsive, in my mind I found it premeditated. Hamlet knows himself well enough to see that he would have been unable to kill Claudius while looking at him because it is simply not in his nature. Given the chance to Hamlet took the opportunity to kill Claudius when the consequences were less damaging to his psyche. I think this was hamlets first moment of true clarity since his father had died.

Hamlets mood drastically flips from aggressive in the monologue oh this too sully flesh, to practically abysmal in To Be or Not to Be. Hamlet questions his purpose in life; whether to rather enter into the realm where no travellers return or to take arms against a sea a trouble. This inner turmoil just reinforces Hamlets character flaw of indecisiveness and justifies his mental state.
By portraying Hamlet as a tragic imperfect hero Shakespeare gives us a relatable character. Sometimes in our lives we are given tasks that are thrust upon us. Some may say it is how we deal with them was truly defines us. I think Shakespeare wishes for us to learn that not all heroes are brave or true. Not everyone is inherently good. At the end of the day sometimes when we look back on history it was the action we took rather than who we are that defines us.

Hamlet (delay)...

Hamlet’s uncertainty is presented on numerous occasions throughout William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. Hamlet’s uncertainty creates a constant theme of antic disposition when it comes to his relationships with multiple characters throughout the play such as, Ophelia, and his two friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for example.  The insecurity that lies within Hamlet portrays the reasoning for his deceptive logic presented towards others. This deceptive logic however, allows Hamlet to mess with the minds of opposing characters in order to successfully achieve the death of Claudius without being viewed as a murderer. Hamlet would not be considered a murder because in his mind he has already intentionally established that he is mentally unstable, he did this by using antic disposition towards multiple characters; particularly throughout is “madness” when it comes to his “love” for Ophelia. Many times throughout the play, Hamlet is skeptical about making his own decisions; not being able to kill his Uncle Claudius is one of those superlative examples. This example demonstrates how Hamlet is unable to make up his own mind; he continues to come up with alleged reason to do nothing. Although killing Claudius seems like the honorable thing to do for his father, he also puts his mother in consideration by thinking about how she may be affected by Claudius’ death; how she would feel loosing yet another husband.

One individual’s choices and actions have the ability to affect those around them as well, whether those choices have either a positive or negative impact.  When it comes to our choices and actions, we must stop and think about our responsibilities on a social level, seeing as though we are responsible for how we treat others. I believe that part of the reasoning for Hamlet’s delay in killing Claudius is the anguish it would bring his mother, Gertrude. Although Hamlet is provoked by the idea that his mother had only mourned a month for his father, Old King Hamlet before engaging with his brother Claudius; does Hamlet still think of the wellbeing of his mother. Hamlet was given many chances to kill King Claudius, the most obvious being when both Hamlet and Claudius are alone in the church. Claudius did not know of Hamlet’s presence, he was alone, defenceless and kneeling at prayer… praying for forgiveness of his sins; yet Hamlet continued to hesitate. Hamlet’s hesitation throughout the entire play is due to his lack of certainty when making decisions, although he is capable to act boldly at times of demand when he doesn’t have time to think such as, when he kills Polonius, when he fights Laertes in Ophelia’s grave, or when he finally kills Claudius in the last act. It may seem as though Hamlet’s delay and hesitation in killing Claudius is a good thing due to the fact that he thinks before he acts however, I view this situation as being a negative concept. If Hamlet had killed Claudius when the chance first presented itself, I believe that there could have been far less casualties. Therefore, as the link clearly shares, there are multiple ways and steps that one may try in order to stop hesitation, also to make decision making easier. Yes, I believe the death of Claudius would have been devastating for Gertrude, but in the end taking the life of one, one who did not deserve to live; could have saved the lives of five others.

Hamlet’s madness and skepticism is what originally developed the reasoning behind his delay. He is constantly searching for his identity, along with the meaning of his own existence. William Shakespeare has produced a very powerful character of Hamlet. Hamlet’s strength, power, and heroic attributes come from within him; it is not until his first soliloquy that any of these special attributes are displayed. His first soliloquy genuinely displays his true feelings, feelings that he is unwilling as well as incapable of publicising. William Shakespeare has built Hamlet’s identity that demonstrates, that not everyone feels as though they can be out spoken, not everyone feels confident within themselves; he demonstrates that many of us live in fear, not necessarily by choice but because we happen to be victims of circumstance. William Shakespeare was also able to create a character that would keep the reader engaged, the unpredictable actions of Hamlet is what made the story line so captivating.

Lastly, Hamlet’s uncertainty throughout the play is brought to life thanks to his deceptive mind, all of which began after hearing of the series of unfortunate events that his Father, Old King Hamlet was forced to undergo. There are multiple reasons behind Hamlet’s delay generally speaking however; Hamlets inability to make up his mind is what keeps the audience captivated. Hesitation is something everyone unwillingly must undergo throughout their life time, and I feel as though the reasoning behind Hamlets delay is due to the fact that he is constantly hesitating; questioning himself; which is an extremely relatable circumstance to be in. Making difficult decisions is part of life; as long as you have faith within yourself there is no wrong that can be done.          

 

This picture represents Hamlet's process of thought. This picture displays the drastic uncertainty of his mind, his thoughts about life, as well as him thinking about the importance of his life. Hamlet is skeptical about making his own choices, so this picture represents him trying to make up his mind, it represents him thinking about making a drastic decision; suicide. This picture shows Hamlet's hesitation, which ties into the delay of the play.



Seamus Smith's Act III blog post

Hamlets behavior is crazy throughout the play because he is still getting over the death of a loved one. He goes through mixed emotions and obviously anger is a common one.  Hamlet feels he has to take vengeance over his father’s murder but does not have the rite mindset to kill somebody. He has been lied to and fooled over and over again in the play; there are a lot of characters that are up to no good and not honest.  In the play there is at most two characters who are good people and care about their own effect on other people, in general no one cares about each other and are only trying to trick each other. Hamlet knows that he has been deceived by people he once trusted and I think that he is confused about whom he can trust any more, his uncle killed his dad and he does not like his mother. The girl he thought he loved is dishonest to him and then kills herself. He cannot kill because he is confused about who is who and week with insecurity. Also, Hamlets personality is not of a killer. He gets pushed around and becomes angry but never fights back.

Act 3 Blog Final - Why the Delay

Hamlet is reluctant in killing his uncle for a magnitude of reasons including moral standards, lack of evidence, timing and indecision. It is said Hamlet is procrastinating in his work to kill; he is unsure whether or not the ghost’s accusations are true or not. To begin, the source that informed him of the murder is a ghost of his father, not the most reputable of sources (experts say). How can Hamlet trust such an odd source for such an important situation involving murder? How does he know it is even real? In Act 3 scene 5 Hamlet speaks to the ghost in the presence of Gertrude who can’t see it. Did Hamlet go mad due to his father’s death? Madness is a motif, correct? Assuming the ghost was real, Hamlet faces indecision to kill the King. He wants to avenge his father but he loves his mother and wouldn't want to see her hurt from another loss. We can relate to Hamlet because when making decisions he thinks of those affected around him. A good decision requires a strong opinion, drive and self reflection, the link above teaches us how to make good decisions.  Hamlet cannot take action right away, it is wise for him to delay and think. He must make the decision that he is guilty for himself, so he plans to watch Claudius’s reaction during the play he put on “The Mouse Trap” to prove that he is truly guilty through Hamlets ability to read people well. When Hamlet is convinced Claudius committed the murder he is ready to kill him during his prayer in church, as usual Hamlet delays. Hamlets delay is caused by the timing of murder so he says, “And am I then revenged to take him in the purging of his soul when he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No. Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent.” (3.3. 86-89) Killing Claudius at this moment is doing him a favour; he is repenting his sins and is ready for passage. Hamlet wants his father’s revenge to be perfect, so he must delay and wait for a more opportune moment. Hamlet’s reluctance to murdering his uncle is quite justified. Unlike the soldiers in Fortinbras army, Hamlet’s actions have meaning. He must weigh the pros and cons; his mother’s sanity or revenge for his father. Delaying the murder is the right thing to do he is gathering evidence to prove that Claudius murdered his father, see if murder is just and making his own decision. When acting on impulse mistakes are made. Hamlet acts on impulse and kills Polonius behind a tapestry. If Hamlet had thought for a moment it would have stopped the bloodbath from occurring in Act 5. Shakespeare is teaching a valuable lesson that making decisions in life can take time to decide. Making the right choice is very important, whether it is murder or going home on the quiet weekend when it is a busy time of the year. It is easy to say Hamlet is procrastinating from his work but murder is not an easy crime to commit, especially when he himself did not come to the conclusion that he must murder Claudius but instructed to by his father ghost. 

 

This image portrays the decision people make every day that shape their future. These are hard decisions, like Hamlet they must think and not be impulsive.

Contract Burning. Digital image. Huffington Post Tech. 23 Oct. 2013. 27 Jan. 2014 <http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/10/23/ofcom-phone-contract-deci_n_4147294.html>.