“Individualism is rather like innocence; there must be something unconscious about it.”

The World State functions so efficiently and successfully (in the terms that the society accomplishes what it deems worthy goals) only because individuality no longer exists. Their motto is “Community, Identity, Stability.” The three words are not separate and equal entities. The meaning is in the cause and effect relationship between the three terms: in order to achieve stability, the community must have only one identity.

It is shocking to see a government completely stifle individuality, but more startling to see a regime stifle individuality by allowing citizens to be superficially fulfilled. At times, the arrangement seems like a paradox. Whereas one might expect a government to control its citizens (who know they are being oppressed) through cruel punishments, torture, and sheer fear, the World State controls its citizens (who are, in fact, extremely content with their situation) without them even knowing it. Scientific advances have enabled the regime to create “engineered” people even before birth and to have those biological modifications last until after death. As I said before, people are trained to be happy, do their work, and gain pleasure from activities deemed appropriate. They are fulfilled by what is given to them and therefore have no desire to seek personal freedom in the activities they choose.

What perhaps bothers me the most about the World State is the complete lack of emotions, especially friendship and love. People have no familial relationships; indeed, they cringe at the word of “mother” or “father.” Since they have no one to lose, death is not an event requiring grief or tears. Obviously, this idea is at the center of this book: the search for meaningful connections takes a great deal of individual effort and must be eliminated in a society like the World State. As I finished the book, I realized that this complete lack of sincere emotions is the biggest reason why everyone is exactly the same. Humans are social creatures, meant to interact with others and respond to outside stimuli. The different ways people respond to situations, whether they feel generous, gloomy, cheerful, enamored, desperate etc, differentiates one person from the next. Without these constantly evolving feelings, there is no personal journey and really no humanity at all.

Finally, the people of the World State simply cannot be individuals, because morals, values, passion, and emotions create instability; these characteristics are not compatible with the consumer economy. Consumerism is about instant and materialistic gratification. On the other hand, relationships and connections are based on one’s emotional longing and love for another. In effect, individualism has been sacrificed for an artificial happiness and a stable society where everyone gets what they want when they want it. Huxley makes us ask ourselves if its worth it.

Essentially, the government eliminates anything that could culture individuality. Mainly, human “truths” are completely destroyed in exchange for a community identity. Science is suppressed as it is way to control and therefore is stability. Art is expelled because it requires passion and is not a commodity. Equality is sacrificed to a growing economy. “History is bunk.” Huxley’s list goes on and on, reminding and possibly warning us of our often contradicting values and the future we may face. (532)

"Literature is my utopia."

The World State Government is all-powerful and because it controls every facet of life, it creates a productive, self-sufficient, and “perfect” society.  Individuals do not naturally form and mature, rather they are pre-natally programmed and conditioned to behave exactly like the next embryo that passes down the assembly line. 

The Government controls the likes and dislikes of each caste. Some babies are trained to hate flowers and books, by associating a shrill sound and electric shock with the two items.  Individuals shrink away from the horror of botany and academics all their lives.  In fact, this conditioning technique was inspired by Pavlov’s experiment, in which dogs salivated at the sound of a bell because the sound was usually associated with food.  However, the Government was not programming humans for superficial reasons.  The dislike of flowers actually encourages workers to stay busy in factories and the dislike of books eliminates people’s tendencies to waste time reading and gain heretic knowledge. Therefore, society is always productive because citizens have been psychologically altered: to work hard and efficiently is the status quo.

The Government creates a self-sufficient society because the workers are the consumers and the consumers are the workers.  For citizens, all leisure activities are commodities and commercialized.  Citizens drive the capitalist economic system even when they are not working, by readily consuming expensive sports equipment and elaborate transportation vehicles.  Indeed, it is extremely odd for any person to not play “Obstacle or Electro-magnetic” during his/her free time (Ch5).  The World State ensures a prosperous economy and the status quo by conditioning people to want and always want more of whatever the economy produces.  To act otherwise, to act as an individual would be idiosyncratic.  Thus, the economy continues to thrive. 

Finally, the Government creates a society full of happy people, happy jobs, and happy fun.  First, the government controls the behavior of its citizens to obey without question.  People exhibit child-like obedience and adhere to the World State morals because of peer pressure and government laws.  Bernard faces ridicule and criticism because he has not reached the promiscuity standards and people are watched constantly by everyone else.  The elimination of a private life and the belief that this elimination is the norm provides the Government with limitless control.  Second, through one of Mustapha Mond’s speech, readers realize that citizens have no idea about any ideas before Ford, such as culture, marriage, parenthood, and emotions, especially love.  Obviously, these institutions have been, literally, erased from memory in order to achieve social stability: “History is bunk.”  If people understand no history and do not have access to any records, they cannot envision an alternate way of life and therefore will not rebel or seek change.  Third, since people never meaningful connect with others and create lasting bonds, they are solely loyal to the state. 

In the World State, there is never a need to question the Government’s decisions.  If the people only know happiness, and they are prevented from ever learning about or wanting a different life, they will always be content. (509) 

Sources (JStor):

“Oedipus in Dystopia: Freud and Lawrence in Alduous Huxley’s “Brae New World”

“The Two Future Worlds of Aldous Huxley”

“Science and Conscience in Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’”

"Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science."

Chapter 1-4

At first glance, Brave New World seems to be a science fiction novel, featuring startling and futuristic scientific discoveries.  Readers are awed by the scientific achievements that modern-day society can only dream about and adamantly set as technological goals.  The novel is based on innovations such as rapid growth, human cloning, and prenatal determination.  However, we quickly realize Huxley’s purpose in writing: while we may look at technological advancements as progress, our increasing dependence on science can lead to a dystopia.  Soon, we may live in a world in which technology is religion, the government is all-powerful, and the people are neither individualized nor natural human beings. 

Huxley speedily reveals how the World State’s “religion” is based on technology.  First, the calendar begins on the date that Henry Ford presented the Model T and its ingenious type of production, the assembly line.  All dates after that are denoted by “A.F.” or “After Ford,” similar to our “A.D.” marking the dates after the birth of Jesus.  The idea of Ford and his scientific achievements penetrate all aspects of society.  People make the sign of a T on their stomach when talking about Ford.  (It is humorous to think that all the crosses had their tops cut off to fulfill the new state religion.)  Instead of saying “Oh God,” the people say “Oh Ford.”  Our Ford is always capitalized.  And the controller is even called “fordship Mustapha” instead of “lordship.” 

Second, Ford is linked (and possibly confused in the eyes of the World State citizens) with Freud.  Mostly, Ford and Freud are seen as the same person: two distinct individuals are of one indivisible Divine essence.  This belief reminded me of the Christian Holy Trinity.  Third, the “Predestinators” pick what caste the embryos will become.  This belief in predestination parallels the Calvinist belief that God marks people as the damned or the saved before they even enter the world.  Fourth, all citizens must attend Solidarity Services, Community Sings, and Ford’s Day Celebrations.  Indeed, the entire Solidarity Service is s a satirical version of attending a religious gathering or place of worship.  Bernard dreadfully foresees his failure to “achieve atonement.”  The state encourages the group to “lose their twelve separate identities in a larger being.”  And they sing hymns together and seek to “hear Ford.”

Finally, religious practice is often directly related to achieving social stability.  Some even say that religion has enormous potential to solve today’s social problems.  Huxley shows how religion, so in this case, technology, can ultimately be used to achieve social stability and peace.  In the World State, individuals happily accept their position in society because of their prenatal conditioning.  Lower castes can only think of serving others and they are only happy when they are servile.  Individuality is a luxury.  Anonymity is necessity.  Higher castes stick to themselves and split their time between work and leisure.  All castes are conditioned to be content with their situation and any needs built into their anatomy are automatically met.  For example, people always get their soma.  The government cracks down on any rioting so that any type of rebellion or individual thought is suffocated.  Thus, in the end, World State citizens have no worries and thus no passion for change and no reason to be active citizens, agitating for the lifestyle they deserve.  Through this warped caste system, Huxley warns us that social stability comes with a disparity in the distribution or privilege and money and achieving this noble goal with the wrong means can end in catastrophe. (587)

The Silken Tent

The first line immediately displays Frost’s purpose; the poem is an extended metaphor between a woman and a silken tent.  Frost is not comparing a woman’s character to any old tent, but to a specific representation of a silken tent, lightly bending and swaying in the sunny breeze.  The dew, which would have soaked the cords, has dried and the cords are slack.  From the imagery in the first four lines of a tent leaning with the wind, readers sense a relaxed and comfortable woman.  The natural movement of the tent and its cords reflects the woman’s lack of tension, strain, and anxiety.  However, Frost stops us from thinking that the woman is a push-over or wimpy, easily “swayed” and influenced by changing “winds” or fads and fashion.  He describes her central pole as strong and supporting.  The tent’s cedar pole is parallel to a person’s backbone and, in this poem, conveys firmness in character. 

Frost points out that the woman’s strong character does not derive from any single thing, but from her “ties of love and thought to everyone on earth” or her connections with her family and friends, which also literally means the tent’s cords are tied to the ground.  The woman has many different investments, many different ties with many different people, yet she does not find her relationships suffocating or entangling.  In fact, she does not even notice how limiting all the obligations of so many different relationships can be.  Thus, the silken tent, the woman, is able to stand against the breeze because of its central support, her strong character, and the support of its ties, her relationships to those she loves. 

After the first reading, the poem seems formless, lacking rhythm, meter, and rhyme; however, this assumption is false.  Indeed, closer examination reveals the poem’s true rhyme scheme: a specific pattern in which the first line rhymes with the third, the second line rhymes with the fourth and so on.  The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.  It is interesting to notice that Frost does not forcibly rhyme words. Instead he lets the words flow so that the rhyme ends up being less noticeable, less stressed, and does not interrupt the poem.  In other poems we have read, rhymes are placed at the end of lines when a reader would take a natural pause, creating an emphatic rhyme.  Frost, though, avoids many end-stopping lines so rhymes are less noticeable.  For example at the end of line 2, it is unnatural to take a pause between “breeze” and “has.”  Most would read it as a single phrase “a sunny summer breeze has dried the dew”

Some people may still be convinced that Frost wrote a shapeless poem.  Actually, “The Silken Tent” is a Shakespearean sonnet.  Each line has ten syllables, and they follow a pattern of alternating weak and strong syllables, which is called iambic pentameter: At MIDday WHEN a SUNny SUMmer BREEZE.  However, Frost does take liberty with this strict meter.

Finally, it is important to note that there is only one period in the entire poem.  The whole work is a single, lengthy sentence covering fourteen lines.  I believe that iambic pantameter’s strict guidelines make composing poems difficult in the first place.  Frost has already achieved a conversational tone in a strict meter.  He has doubled his challenge by completing his poem in one sentence.  The poem itself actually reflects the subject within it.  The single sentence gracefully and naturally unfolds within Sonnet rules; Frost effortlessly conveys a metaphor within strict meter and rhyme.  The woman’s life is full and relaxed; she is free within her boundaries.  At times, she is not even aware of the boundaries because she is easily comfortable within them.

This poem is truly a product of “form is function.”  The shape and form of the poem actually reflect Frost’s language.  The magic of the poem is Frost’s ability to seamlessly blend form and content.  (663)

"You brushed my shoulder and it felt like maple syrup injected into my veins..."

This is my letter to the world,

Confusion crawling from behind cloud of Forgotten--

Kissing my Cheeks, glowing on desolate branches.

A cycle of Emotions as trees scarlet, plummet, only to chartreuse once more.

Weightless starlings creeping towards your Ear,

Pumping your Legs, flapping their wings,

Pushing against societal constraints and Truth—

Nest of Familiarity strewn about, sprigs fluttering.

Rationality replaced with faltering stars,

Moon waxes and wanes, controlling the flow of Tide—

Pure ease, crashes the salt obediently against shore,

Patiently, rhythmically waiting for Disorder.

Pad prints you stomped in virgin snow

Temporarily show possession—Sun will return.

Exhale bitter puffs of life in shadowy dens—

Only to feel Home again.

—amw

"Appearances are a glimpse of the unseen."

Henrik Ibsen does a fantastic job of contrasting appearances with reality. He transitions so seamlessly from one to the other that we do not even realize why we ever thought differently about a character. There is no doubt that the readers’ opinions transform about every character, and, I believe, we see clearer at the end.

Nora seems to be a thoughtless, floaty girl. She acts as if she enjoys her husband’s flirtatious teasing, which can be seen as both harmless fun and slight degradation as Torvald calls Nora his little “squirrel” and “spendthrift.” Readers look over her flitty attitudem but it is nearly impossible to not be irritated when Nora’s conversing with Mrs. Linde. Nora adamantly and enthusiastically claims she wants to hear all about Mrs. Linde’s life, but what she really wants to do is talk about herself, her husband’s fabulous new job, and her family’s dandy and perfect life. At this point, Nora is extremely disliked. However, readers begin to sympathize with Nora’s actions when we realize she had made great sacrifices to save her husband’s life, even evading the law and forging her father’s signature. I would hope that, at the end of the play, all people respect and admire Nora’s defiant stand against her husband. She realizes she must be an independent woman and move out. At the same time, we realize she was an independent woman all along; she just hid her true self because she felt fenced in by nineteenth century society.

While our positive attitude toward Nora steadily climbs, we like Torvald less and less. In the beginning, we appreciate his devotion and generosity. He is a loving husband who puts his duty of supporting his family (especially financially) first and foremost. He is careful with his money but is not afraid to “spoil” his family, often handing Nora some petty cash for her own expenses. However, he does not truly care about his family, except for the fact that a well-kept family is a status icon, a true symbol of class. We still think of him as a strong man, a career-man looking to keep up his public reputation until Torvald reads Krogstad’s letter. Again, Nora and the reader realize simultaneously a change: the Helmer marriage was never meant to be. Torvald is not a strong man; he is selfish, vain, and shallow. Torvald’s caring and giving personality is only a guise. Unable to shoulder any burden, he is a false promise, a hollow head on an empty suit. He does not support Nora besides financially. The marriage may have looked like paradise, but it was built on lies, deception, accepted social standards, and inequality.

Krogstad and Christine provide a valuable foil to the Nora-Torvald marriage. Krogstad appears to be a greedy, bitter, and vengeful psycho while Mrs. Linde appears to be a pitiful, but self-reliant widow with little chance of financial success. However, when they reunite, their true selves appear. In reality, their thoughtful, considerate, and merciful personalities fit together; Krogstad and Mrs. Linde truly bring out the best in each other. A relationship built on mutual love and understanding, equality, and selflessness is what works.

P.S. I almost feel tricked by Ibsen. He set the play up so that readers would fall into the trap and believe that the Helmer marriage was perfect. Then later, we catch our misjudgment and have to rethink all the characters. Indeed, a trick in itself: our thought transformation is what makes the play so rewarding. (581)

"Which, if not victory, is yet revenge."

SCENE IV. The Queen's closet.


Enter QUEEN GERTRUDE and POLONIUS

LORD POLONIUS
He will come straight. Look you lay home to him:Tell him his pranks have been too broad to bear with,And that your grace hath screen'd and stood betweenMuch heat and him. I'll sconce me even here.Pray you, be round with him.
As Hamlet approaches, Polonius eagerly encourages Gertrude to stand up to Hamlet and point out his shocking, unacceptable, and insolent behavior. His strength in words only comes from the fact that he himself does not have to point out Hamlet’s intolerable actions.

HAMLET
[Within] Mother, mother, mother!
Hamlet casually strolls in.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
I'll warrant you,Fear me not: withdraw, I hear him coming.
The Queen is composed, ready to rebuke Hamlet.

POLONIUS hides behind the arras
Enter HAMLET

HAMLET
Now, mother, what's the matter?
Hamlet innocently asks like he has no idea how he could have offended anyone, especially with his play.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended.
The Queen sternly and calmly admonishes Hamlet, hoping she will not have to increase the severity of her tone.

HAMLET
Mother, you have my father much offended.
Hamlet responds quickly and sharply. He intends this short phrase to be a painful jab, reminding the Queen of her betrayal.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.
The Queen tries to coax out the Hamlet before the King’s death by slightly reproaching his haughty tone.

HAMLET
Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue.
Hamlet replies with a sharp wit, intending to outsmart his mother. If he cannot use a dagger to wound her a little bit, he will use his words.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Why, how now, Hamlet!
The Queen tries to be understanding of Hamlet’s condition. She opens up the dialogue and gives Hamlet an opportunity to explain the cause of his troubles and apologize or at least feel bad for his disrespectful attitude.

HAMLET
What's the matter now?
Hamlet cannot believe she has another issue with him. The problems never stop.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Have you forgot me?
The Queen, tinted with a childish anger, tries to guilt-trip her son by showing that she is just worried about him.

HAMLET
No, by the rood, not so:You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife;And--would it were not so!--you are my mother.
Hamlet realizes his mistake and reassures his mother of her place in his life.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Nay, then, I'll set those to you that can speak.
The Queen, partly offended that Hamlet will not speak to her about his problems and partly annoyed that she has been unsuccessful in discovering the root of the erratic behavior, forcefully calls for other people. Furious, she starts to storm out.

HAMLET
Come, come, and sit you down; you shall not budge;You go not till I set you up a glassWhere you may see the inmost part of you.
Hamlet jumps up in front of his mother blocking her from leaving. He pushes her back into the chair, motions for her to stay put, and looks around for a mirror.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
What wilt thou do? thou wilt not murder me?Help, help, ho!
The Queen panics as she sees Hamlet’s strength and violent tendencies.

LORD POLONIUS
[Behind] What, ho! help, help, help!
Polonious realizes the Queen is in trouble. Without thinking, he shouts out to anyone. Extremely confused and tangled in the curtains, Polonious is calling out for Gertrude’s safety and for his own rescue.

HAMLET
[Drawing] How now! a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead!
Its too late to save Polonious. Hamlet’s already heightened senses finally come into play; he draws his sword and points behind the curtain, ready for any sudden movement. Hamlet lunges forward, piercing the body behind the curtain with one swift thrust.
Makes a pass through the arras

LORD POLONIUS
[Behind] O, I am slain!
Polonious’s body slackens and his voice becomes muffled. The figure drops to the ground in a slump.

Falls and dies

QUEEN GERTRUDE
O me, what hast thou done?
Gertrude, freaking out, shrieks. She throws her hands up in the air as a million different thoughts race through her head: Has Hamlet truly found me out? Will Hamlet be furious at me for having Polonious spy? What will we do with Polonious’s dead body without incriminating Hamlet? How will Claudius react; will he be angry at me and send away Hamlet once and for all? . . .

HAMLET
Nay, I know not:Is it the king?
Hamlet, although very aware of the situation, is indifferent. He is calm, collected, and not worried, but only because he believes it is Claudius behind the curtain.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
O, what a rash and bloody deed is this!
Since she already knows the truth, the Queen, overwhelmed, turns away from the curtain.

HAMLET
A bloody deed! almost as bad, good mother,As kill a king, and marry with his brother.
Still quite cool and collected, Hamlet sarcastically points out how insignificant this crime is compared to his mother killing a king and marrying his brother.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
As kill a king!
The Queen feigns innocence.

HAMLET
Ay, lady, 'twas my word.
Hamlet, annoyed, thinks: you totally know what I am talking about so stop pretending.
Lifts up the array and discovers POLONIUS
Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell!I took thee for thy better: take thy fortune;Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.Hamlet is slightly disappointed Polonious was not the King. Hamlet fiercely turns to Polonious: you got what you deserved and I am glad you have realized who you were facing.

Leave wringing of your hands: peace! sit you down,And let me wring your heart; for so I shall,If it be made of penetrable stuff,If damned custom have not brass'd it soThat it is proof and bulwark against sense.
Hamlet turns to his mother. He is frustrated and upset with his mother because she will not give up the secret that Hamlet is dying to know.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
What have I done, that thou darest wag thy tongueIn noise so rude against me?
Queen feigns innocence again.

HAMLET
Such an actThat blurs the grace and blush of modesty,Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the roseFrom the fair forehead of an innocent loveAnd sets a blister there, makes marriage-vowsAs false as dicers' oaths: O, such a deedAs from the body of contraction plucksThe very soul, and sweet religion makesA rhapsody of words: heaven's face doth glow:Yea, this solidity and compound mass,With tristful visage, as against the doom,Is thought-sick at the act.
Hamlet cannot even contain his fury: what you have done is completely disgusting. You threw your elegance, poise, and sophisticated style away when you married your husband’s brother so soon after his death. You have even offended the sanctity of marriage itself. Nothing can be worse than doing something that horrible. How can anyone forgive your sins?

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Ay me, what act,That roars so loud, and thunders in the index?
The Queen looks around: how could the blame be on me? I am completely innocent.

HAMLET
Look here, upon this picture, and on this,The counterfeit presentment of two brothers.See, what a grace was seated on this brow;Hyperion's curls; the front of Jove himself;An eye like Mars, to threaten and command;A station like the herald MercuryNew-lighted on a heaven-kissing hill;A combination and a form indeed,Where every god did seem to set his seal,To give the world assurance of a man:This was your husband. Look you now, what follows:Here is your husband; like a mildew'd ear,Blasting his wholesome brother. Have you eyes?Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed,And batten on this moor? Ha! have you eyes?You cannot call it love; for at your ageThe hey-day in the blood is tame, it's humble,And waits upon the judgment: and what judgmentWould step from this to this? Sense, sure, you have,Else could you not have motion; but sure, that senseIs apoplex'd; for madness would not err,Nor sense to ecstasy was ne'er so thrall'dBut it reserved some quantity of choice,To serve in such a difference. What devil was'tThat thus hath cozen'd you at hoodman-blind?Eyes without feeling, feeling without sight,Ears without hands or eyes, smelling sans all,Or but a sickly part of one true senseCould not so mope.O shame! where is thy blush? Rebellious hell,If thou canst mutine in a matron's bones,To flaming youth let virtue be as wax,And melt in her own fire: proclaim no shameWhen the compulsive ardour gives the charge,Since frost itself as actively doth burnAnd reason panders will.
Hamlet pulls out his necklace to show the Queen his late father. He pulls out her necklace on which is a portrait of Claudius: why would you ever rebound off a gorgeous man like King Hamlet. I cannot believe I am saying this but you are despicable and a loose woman, jumping from a perfect man to his wicked brother. You have lost all your morals and now you’re hypocritical, judging my faults when you have committed worse sins. I have lost all faith in you.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
O Hamlet, speak no more:Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul;And there I see such black and grained spotsAs will not leave their tinct.
The Queen has been caught, realizing that Hamlet has completely discovered her true intentions: the only way out is in. I will slowly admit my wrongdoing and hopefully Hamlet will understand why I did what I did. Hopefully if I act pitiful and regretful now, I will not be in as much trouble later.

HAMLET
Nay, but to liveIn the rank sweat of an enseamed bed,Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making loveOver the nasty sty,--
Hamlet is furious at the Queen for thinking that he could ever forgive her that easily: you will never be the same person as before.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
O, speak to me no more;These words, like daggers, enter in mine ears;No more, sweet Hamlet!
Gertrude screams at her son to stop talking: I can’t stand him repeatedly jabbing me with obscene comments.

HAMLET
A murderer and a villain;A slave that is not twentieth part the titheOf your precedent lord; a vice of kings;A cutpurse of the empire and the rule,That from a shelf the precious diadem stole,And put it in his pocket!
Hamlet senses her frustration and takes advantage of it: since I cannot use weapons, I will use my words. I am going to rub it in and make her feel as guilty as I can.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
No more!
How can I make Hamlet stop!?

HAMLET
A king of shreds and patches,--
Hamlet understands that Gertrude squirms the most when he comments on the King’s lowly status and despicable climb to the top: I will capitalize on my lead. I have got her!
Enter Ghost
Save me, and hover o'er me with your wings,You heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure?
Hamlet freezes and sees the ghost, ready to obey every word.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Alas, he's mad!
He has truly gone off the deep end this time: talking to air?!

HAMLET
Do you not come your tardy son to chide,That, lapsed in time and passion, lets go byThe important acting of your dread command? O, say!
Hamlet is worried for a second: I really hope you are not here to admonish me for chastising my mother instead of killing Claudius. I am trying really hard.

GHOST
Do not forget: this visitationIs but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.But, look, amazement on thy mother sits:O, step between her and her fighting soul:Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works:Speak to her, Hamlet.
The Ghost realizes that Hamlet is unfocused and directs to Hamlet: I already have to deal with being dead and having Claudius wander the earth, so please console your mother, the poor soul, so she does not die from shock and amazement.

HAMLET
How is it with you, lady?
With the Queen terrified and looking out with a blank stare, Hamlet reluctantly asks her how she is doing: she is probably fine.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Alas, how is't with you,That you do bend your eye on vacancyAnd with the incorporal air do hold discourse?Forth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep;And, as the sleeping soldiers in the alarm,Your bedded hair, like life in excrements,Starts up, and stands on end. O gentle son,Upon the heat and flame of thy distemperSprinkle cool patience. Whereon do you look?
The Queen comes back to reality and sees a disoriented Hamlet: Hamlet is still ridiculously crazy. I really should get out of here. His freakish behavior is dangerous.

HAMLET
On him, on him! Look you, how pale he glares!His form and cause conjoin'd, preaching to stones,Would make them capable. Do not look upon me;Lest with this piteous action you convertMy stern effects: then what I have to doWill want true colour; tears perchance for blood.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
To whom do you speak this?
Gertrude wonders what in the world is wrong with Hamlet: I do not think Hamlet can even answer this question and if he does, I probably should not believe his words.

HAMLET
Do you see nothing there?
Hamlet answers almost incredulously: obviously there is something there. Wait, am I really crazy?

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Nothing at all; yet all that is I see.
Gertrude really thinks that Hamlet is nuts.

HAMLET
Nor did you nothing hear?

QUEEN GERTRUDE
No, nothing but ourselves.

HAMLET
Why, look you there! look, how it steals away!My father, in his habit as he lived!Look, where he goes, even now, out at the portal!

Exit Ghost

QUEEN GERTRUDE
This the very coinage of your brain:This bodiless creation ecstasyIs very cunning in.
Gertrude is unsure about how to break the news to Hamlet: I will be straightforward and see how he takes it. Someone needs to tell him he needs to pop back into normalcy and that person is me.

HAMLET
Ecstasy!My pulse, as yours, doth temperately keep time,And makes as healthful music: it is not madnessThat I have utter'd: bring me to the test,And I the matter will re-word; which madnessWould gambol from. Mother, for love of grace,Lay not that mattering unction to your soul,That not your trespass, but my madness speaks:It will but skin and film the ulcerous place,Whilst rank corruption, mining all within,Infects unseen. Confess yourself to heaven;Repent what's past; avoid what is to come;And do not spread the compost on the weeds,To make them ranker. Forgive me this my virtue;For in the fatness of these pursy timesVirtue itself of vice must pardon beg,Yea, curb and woo for leave to do him good.
Hamlet is ready to let it all out: my mother has already admitted her wrongdoing except now she is trying to turn the tables on me and point out my lunacy to take off attention from her. How predictable. I can and will show her that everything I say is true and prove that she is just trying to cover everything up by faking my craziness. But I will not just reproach you because that will probably not convince you of anything or change you in any way so I am just going to give you some advice. You can avoid your fate if you come clean. Otherwise it will just fester in you and I will not feel a bit of remorse or pity when you meet your fate.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
O Hamlet, thou hast cleft my heart in twain.

HAMLET
O, throw away the worser part of it,And live the purer with the other half.Good night: but go not to mine uncle's bed;Assume a virtue, if you have it not.That monster, custom, who all sense doth eat,Of habits devil, is angel yet in this,That to the use of actions fair and goodHe likewise gives a frock or livery,That aptly is put on. Refrain to-night,And that shall lend a kind of easinessTo the next abstinence: the next more easy;For use almost can change the stamp of nature,And either [ ] the devil, or throw him outWith wondrous potency. Once more, good night:And when you are desirous to be bless'd,I'll blessing beg of you. For this same lord,
Hamlet continues to stay positive: mother, you can overcome your sins. I believe in you but only if you trust my advice. Since you are so good at faking it, you can just pretend to be fair and virtuous, even if you are really not. Eventually, although it could take a while, your personality on the outside will sink in. Soon, pretending will become reality.

Pointing to POLONIUS

I do repent: but heaven hath pleased it so,To punish me with this and this with me,That I must be their scourge and minister.I will bestow him, and will answer wellThe death I gave him. So, again, good night.I must be cruel, only to be kind:Thus bad begins and worse remains behind.One word more, good lady.
Hamlet points to Polonious: also, just so you know, I feel bad about Polonious. I never meant it. When it comes down to it, you have to be mean to be nice.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
What shall I do?
The Queen thinks: I really have nothing else to lose. Let’s see what else Hamlet has to say.

HAMLET
Not this, by no means, that I bid you do:Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed;Pinch wanton on your cheek; call you his mouse;And let him, for a pair of reechy kisses,Or paddling in your neck with his damn'd fingers,Make you to ravel all this matter out,That I essentially am not in madness,But mad in craft. 'Twere good you let him know;For who, that's but a queen, fair, sober, wise,Would from a paddock, from a bat, a gib,Such dear concernings hide? who would do so?No, in despite of sense and secrecy,Unpeg the basket on the house's top.Let the birds fly, and, like the famous ape,To try conclusions, in the basket creep,And break your own neck down.
Hamlet, having waited so long to tell his mother what to do, takes his chance: do not let him tempt you in any way. Be a strong woman and stand up to him. Do not be worried mother for I am not actually mad, just extremely passionate. Knowing your previous deeds, you would probably tell King Claudius about this. I will guilt her into not saying anything by saying that a poised Queen would never do such a thing. She is determined to right her wrongs and will most likely change her ways. If not, fate will get her.

QUEEN GERTRUDE
Be thou assured, if words be made of breath,And breath of life, I have no life to breatheWhat thou hast said to me.
After listening to Hamlet’s speech, Gertrude is unsure whether or not she can stick with his advice.

Whatever you are, be a good one.

In the beginning of Sophocles’ play, Oedipus is portrayed as the ideal leader. He is exceptionally understanding and compassionate, telling the priest “my spirit groans for the city, for myself, for you” (66). While he deeply cares about the citizens’ well-beings, he remains a down-to-earth king, making sure that he himself—not a messenger—talks to the people about any concerns they have. Oedipus not only directly addresses the problem of the plague but also already has anticipated this issue. His impeccable foresight (possibly not in his own life, but in city affairs) ensured his speedy thinking: he has already sent Creon to bring the oracle back, in the hopes that the message will offer advice to stop the plague. Finally, Oedipus is courageous, committed, and possesses a strong sense of conviction. He adamantly promises the city a horrible punishment for the perpetrator and reaffirms his dedication to his people, pledging “I will do all that I can” (147). He will catch the murdered even if the killer is someone close to him. Initially, his positive qualities are repeatedly highlighted. Yet, as readers continue the play, they realize “Oedipus the King” is very much like many other Greek plays. Oedipus’s premature greatness is an indication of his imminent downfall.

Oedipus’s speedy thinking turns out to be his best quality and his worst quality. The King is quick to evaluate a situation, judge the conflict, and pollute the interaction with his demanding demeanor. Oedipus swiftly praises Teiresias as the only one who can guard or save the city from destruction. But a matter of fifty lines later, as soon as Tieresias cooperates less than liked, Oedipus accuses him of murdering Laios, calls him “pollution of this country,” and then vehemently brands Tieresias a traitor. His hot temper is evident when he charges his uncle/brother-in-law, Creon, with plotting to kill him and take over the throne. While Creon is calm, well-spoken, and composed, Oedipus continues to ask rhetorical questions as a way to “corner his victim.” At times, Oedipus is clearly delusional. When he feels attacked, he lashes back with haughty comments even when no threat is imminent. He automatically assumes any change in status-quo is a threat. As a great leader, Oedipus should be extremely comfortable adapting to any changes because being comfortable with change is having faith in himself that the citizens (and audience) will believe in their King no matter what. Moreover, Oedipus relies heavily on his temporary “highs,” his recurring belief that he is invincible and untouchable. Yet these highs are false; they are merely created when Oedipus “elevates” himself above other people, by jabbing them with cheap attempts at wit and inciting fear.

While most readers have lost faith in Oedipus by now, we pity him when we realize he only knows half the truth: he murdered Laios. He still has not discovered that his prophecy is yet to come true. Oedipus’s final realization of the truth, his affirmation of reality, his comeback, is why readers enjoy his character. While Oedipus comes full circle, readers also feel emotionally satisfied: although blind, Oedipus has seen the light. (517)

Music: Regina Spektor, “Oedipus”

www.reginaspektor.com --> click music --> click "songs" --> skip Samson to next song

In a battle between elephants, the ants get squashed.

Indeed, the Metamorphosis warrants endless interpretations of Gregor’s bizarre transformation. Gregor has been an insect in human form for years, and finally, his body has caught up to the “true state of his identity.” Gregor believes himself to be disposable, loathed, and worthless. He has subjected himself to authority figures that ultimately intensify his selfless attitude and downtrodden outlook.

When Gregor awakens to find that he has been transformed into an insect, he does not think about why or how he became a bug, the logical train of thought. Oddly, he is more determined to get out of the bed and catch the next train than concerned about his current condition. The fact that he has never missed a single day of work in the past five years shows Gregor’s desperate desire to please others, no matter what the cost, and solicit gratitude, even in a hopeless and thankless job. He continues to work tirelessly and subject himself to the toxic environment of dishonesty and suspicion. Gregor probably felt much pressure to be the breadwinner for the family. In addition to this financial burden, Gregor most likely was never a confident and headstrong person. In taking this job, Gregor feels he must prove himself to his family and co-workers and is so driven to achieve acceptance and praise that he refuses to leave a job, which so dreadfully demeans him in every way. It is as if Gregor has been blinded by his ambitions and cannot see the real truth. He is completely convinced that he is perfectly capable to work, despite his unseemly appearance.

What makes Gregor most insect-like is his inability to accurately evaluate a situation and apply it to himself. We often look at insects as incompetent, primitive, and idiotic pests, keen on following the insect in front of them. It is obvious his job is ridiculously strenuous and pointless yet Gregor still chooses to put himself in a vulnerable and degrading position. Yes, it is honorable, courageous, and selfless that he puts his family before himself, but in the end his family forgets about him and all he has contributed to the family. The horrible feelings of abject worthlessness fueled by his job were not worth it all. I wonder at times whether Gregor’s service and compassion to his family only crippled his family, allowing them to slack off and rely on him. However, after Gregor’s transformation, his family is quick to take charge of their lives. What Gregor lacks is the killer survival instincts the other family members have, that ultimately, he must think about himself because his family is not in it together.
Although Gregor was insect-like even before his transformation, his physical change rapidly expedited the completion of his internal metamorphosis. While he is losing his sight, hearing, and ability to verbally communicate, he is also becoming more parasitic and treated as an insignificant creature. He spends his days pathetically hiding under the bed, fearful of scaring his family and heavily reliant on his family. Unfortunately, Gregor cannot take his family’s disgusted attitude and use it as motivation to change. He was either trapped by his own servile-like personality or his family’s stifling tendencies. Maybe, both led to his demise. (538)

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

Ivan Illych’s life is an illusion created by naively following high society principles. He believes that this type of lifestyle, void of rationality and good moral code, will ultimately lead him to happiness and fulfillment. His refusal to do anything but those activities deemed “proper” by the aristocrats is reflective of his obsession with upper class standing. Ivan does not enjoy Praskovya’s companionship or her selfish personality, yet he marries her because every financially secure man weds. He refuses to take any job with a salary less than five thousand rubles and even then, the money is never enough for his wife and children; furthermore, he himself demands more money. With a well-paying job, he devotes his leisure time to decorating a new house with gaudy draperies, accessories, and furniture, all middle-class items feigning as high society necessities.

In Ivan’s perspective, becoming a member of the upper class goes hand in hand with finding meaning in life. His obsession with his plan fuels Ivan to distance himself from anything that threatens to ruin his comfortable lifestyle and his road to material success and societal elevation. He pushes away any conflicts at home, choosing to concentrate on his career. Instead of treating his family with compassion and love, he behaves as if his family is another official case, simplifying complicated relationships to shallow, unsatisfying friendships. Ivan may believe that he has “made it” since he now plays bridge with other aristocratic wannabes, but his world is filled with facades, deception, and dishonesty. In reality, in order to protect himself, he can relate to no one else because everyone else is thinking exactly what he is: how can I use my strategically advantageous relationships to further my social esteem.

Ivan is a unique character, in the sense that he is struck by a mysterious un-curable disease, but he is more a representative figure; he is just one case of all the selfish characters infatuated with the aristocratic lifestyle. Unfortunately, Ivan’s demise is the first and he never had the chance to reverse his condition and start a new life (strictly physical because Ivan does experience some type of spiritual rebirth) after seeing another fall to the same fate. The role of Peter Ivanovich shows not only what kind of person Ivan really was but also how these aristocratic wannabes are all magnetized to each other. Really, Ivan can only befriend people similar to him because those people are the only ones who can deal with his “bourgeois sensibility.” They are all chasing happiness by following beliefs supposedly set forth by the upper class. However, at this point, the empathy stops. Ivan shows that a life isolated from compassion and love can only end in an inner conflict. As he battles his strange illness, he learns that while he thought his life was all that he expected, he was actually living a lie. He imagined he was going uphill when he was going downhill. Finally, Ivan experiences pure joy when he makes an empathetic connection: he feels sorry for his son and wife and asks for forgiveness. He realizes that the formal barriers keeping out the true meaning of life were built by no one else but himself. And when the “walls fall away,” he truly finds fulfillment in life. (547)

You said I must eat so many lemons 'cause I am so bitter...

...I said I'd rather be with your friends mate 'cause they are much fitter.

Fair Iris I Love and Hourly I Die

Fair Iris I love and hourly I die
But not for a lip nor a languishing eye:
She's fickle and false, and there I agree;
For I am as false and as fickle as she:
We neither believe what either can say;
And, neither believing, we neither betray.

'Tis civil to swear and say things, of course;
We mean not the taking for better or worse.
When present we love, when absent agree;
I think not of Iris, nor Iris of me:
The legend of love no couple can find
So easy to part, or so equally join'd.

-- John Henry Dryden