Words, words, words!

"A man may fish with a worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm...Nothing but to show you how a king may go a progress through the guts of a beggar."

With this quote, Hamlet points out the inevitability of death. People might live two completely opposite lives but regardless, they will die. When dead, the only difference between the two type of people, will be the kind of dish they are for the worms. This quote points out the circle of life because it goes on to explain how a worm may eat the remains of a king, this worm is then eaten by a fish, and then the beggar eats the fish. In the end, it is almost as if a king has passed through the body of a beggar. In the circle of life, no human is superior. I chose this quote because it not only vividly explains life overall, but it also is a moral lesson. It teaches one not to act superior or be discriminatory against others because in the end, everyone is not so different.

Something is Rotten in the State of BHS!

My favorite version of Hamlet is the one directed by Zeffirelli. Out of the three versions we watched, this is the version I feel is the most authentic. The movie opens with Gertrude, Claudius, and Hamlet mourning over Hamlet Sr. By starting the film with this scene, instead of the dark, cold, and mysterious night with the guards, Zeffirelli is pointing out the main conflict of the play. The scene immediately creates a dark and depressing mood and an inside look at the tensions between the characters that will be explained later in the play. When Gertrude lays across the casket in tears, and looks up at Claudius, I could feel the tension between the two and almost see a sense of guilt in Gertrude's eyes. Also, this version accented the idea of light in order to help create the mood. When Claudius first speaks, half of his face is in the shadow while the other half is lighten up. This represents the deceit and mystery to Claudius' character. In addition to using light as an advantage, Zeffirelli uses music in order to enhance the mood. When Hamlet is angered by Gertrude's statement that he "seems" upset, the music played in the background is tense and gloomy in order to represent Hamlet's true depressed and angered feelings. The last scene we saw included of a great use of scene selection. During Hamlet's soliloquy, when he is talking about his mother and her deceit, the camera goes from Hamlet's face to Gertrude waving to people and smiling. This shows the theme of appearance vs. reality. The public views Gertrude as someone who is doing what is necessary and is still a heroic figure, whereas Hamlet views her as incestuous and frail. This film does a wonderful job in accenting the main points of Hamlet and really bringing out the underlying tensions.

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

To My Dearest Tom,
     It felt like it has been forever since we were sitting in Catherine's Apartment. I really wish we could go back to it all; spending time with you and enjoying our drinks. Although the servants are really no help and made us wait for our drinks, we really must meet again. This time, I won't mention Daisy's name and I apologize for shouting her name that day. My nose has been in a lot of pain since the incident and I think a way for us to get over this is if you take me to dinner at a fancy restaurant or perhaps bought me another dog. Also, considering I gave away that old dress of mine, maybe we could go shopping for another one.
     You know, a few days ago, I was thinking about the day we met. It must have been fate that we were on the same train heading towards New York. It was so hard for me to keep my eyes off your dress suit and patent leather shoes. When my eyes first landed on you, I knew for a fact you were a great wealthy man that would someday change my life. I've been living in that garage with a man I will never love and all I can do is imagine the great life I'd be living if I had met you before my husband. I yearn to live in the exciting city with you. Not as your mistress, but as your loving wife. I miss you Tom. Every time I do see you, I make sure i cherish every second of it because who knows when I will see you again. To make matters worse, Wilson has been nothing but annoying. To think he borrowed a suit still disgusts me and just proves how cheap he is and how he is nothing like I'd expect a gentleman to be. Wilson would never shower me with expensive gifts like you do, and for that, I love you. These lonely years of living with Wilson all cancel out with the romance and passion you bring into my life. You accept me for me and because of that, I have fallen deeply in love with you.
                       Love Always,
                             Myrtle

Digging Into Chapter 3: Passage 1

"In his blue gardens, men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars"

In this passage, Nick talks about the social environment of Gatsby's party. He emphasizes the fact that the party takes place at night by stating the gardens were blue. Considering the party occurs at night, one can make the inference that the sense of mystery is involved in one way or another. Nick calls the guests "men and girls." When analyzing this, one can see how the 1920's effects Nick's views on women. Although women were starting to be viewed more as equals, Nick, in this scenario, shows that males are dominant and should be called men whereas females are still recognized as girls. Throughout the evening, rumors were spread about Gatsby. Nick refers to the guests as "moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars," because moths are not significant creatures and at the party, they were "whispering" secrets. The guests, or the moths, are only at Gatsby's party for the champagne and the opportunity to enjoy a fun night out.

A Few Facts About Me

I love to dance and play tennis.
I really want to take a tour of Europe.
I love baking for people.
Summer is my favorite season.
I can't wait to be a doctor.
I'm obsessed with Chipotle.