T.S Eliot

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S Eliot, has a structure that made certain lines stand out that the author wants the reader to notice.It was not a very chaotic structure and allowed the reader to follow alongh. T.S Eliot portrayed a man who wanted to say something but was afraid to do so. Prufrock wanted to go places as he viewed the world from the inside looking out. He wondered if he should dare to descend the stair, but he thought he had time to. He aged as he had a bald spot on his head with his hair growing thin. He said, "Do i dare disturb the universe?" He was concerened what other people may think about him and afraid of life. He questioned many things that he should do, but never did them because he drowned.

What does Ophelia mean in act5.4?

During Act four scene five, Ophelia has gone mad because of the death of her father and possibly the loss of Hamlet's love. During this scene Ophelia says to the King in line fourty-four, "Lord! we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table!" Ophelia may be telling the King that each of them know the state that both the Claudius and herself are in, but they do not know the outcome of their lives. King Cladius has killed King Hamlet, married his wife Queen Gertrude, and sends Hamlets friends to spy on him. He knows what he has done, but he is fearful for his life, not knowing the consequences he may bear. While Ophelia has experienced the loss of Hamlets love as well has Hamlet accidently killed her father by stabbing him, thinking he was Claudius. Ophelia knows where her life is, but does not know where her life will lead her.

Play or movie?

At first i preferred the play because i made up my own images of what was happening. After seeing the movie, a new picture of the play is portrayed which makes it become more clear. With the movie there is an interaction between characters and while we are in class there is less emotion of the characters. During the movie, the audience can see the interaction and involvement of the characters. For example, in the play we read, words, words, words. While in the play there is emotion and sense of the way Hamlet feels as he is speaking to Polonius. The director of the movie did capture the tone and mood for the most part. He does skip around and moves certain lines which reveals the play different than it actually is. For example when talking to Ophelia he says go the to a nunnery, but in the movie Hamlet says it in a different aspect than one would read in the play.

Purpose of a play/art

Hamlet, in scene 3.2 mentions what he believes the purpose of plays are. In lines 23 he says, "to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure." He believes that the "purpose of playing" is to reveal the truth. I agree with Hamlet because in many forms of art such as movies, writings and drawings the creator of these things are trying to display some sort of a message and what they believe to be true to their audience. In class, we have been writing about memories and reading them to our peers. As we write, we are telling the truth, displaying honesty with one another. Hamlet wants to reveal the truth to everyone, hoping to unveil King Claudius' secret of killing King Hamlet. By doing this through a play, it will grab the attention of the audience portraying a truthful message to them.

Claudius threatened by Hamlet

Claudius knows Hamlet is a threat and because of this he uses Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as a defense. In 2.2 King Claudius wants both men to draw out "Hamlets transformation" (line 5). He asks them to spy on Hamlet, hoping that he would share information with his two friends that he would normally keep from his mom and uncle. The king orders them "to draw him on to pleasures, and to gather, so much as from occasion you may glean, whe'r aught to us unknown afflicts him thus, that open'd lies within our remedy." (line 15). The King would not do this if he did not think that Hamlet was up to something/ a threat to him. It is obvious to the King that Hamlet would be "depressed" because of his fathers death and his mothers marriage. He would not care what Hamlet thought unless he knew that he really found out the Kings truth. King Claudius i'm sure is fearful of his life because he knows that Hamlet found out how his father was murdered.

We know that Gertrude is oblivious to everything about the murder of her first husband. If she knew about the murder she would say more about hamlet in lines 56-57 "i doubt it is no other but the main; His fathers death, and our o'erhasty marriage." If Gertrude was aware of how King Hamlet died, she would voice that to Claudius either with anger or fear. She would probably fear for her life as well as her new husbands.


King Claudius' chief concern in the court should be about Norway and their plans they have to attack. He is not worried about them attacking or them crossing through Denmark to get to Poland. He is distracted by Hamlet, as he is a threat. King Claudius is probably concerned for his safety as he doesn't know if Hamlet is up to no good.

Did Hamlet love Ophelia before act 3?

Through previous scenes, textual evidence has supported Hamlets love for Ophelia. Act 1.3 in line 100, Ophelia spoke to her father about Hamlets love for her. She said, "He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders of his affection to me." Also, in line 111 Ophelia continues saying, "My lord, he hath importun'd me with love in honourable fashion." To me it seems like Ophelia is sticking up for Hamlet against her father, telling him that Hamlet does love her.

Furthermore, the letter that Hamlet had written to Ophelia reveals the way he felt about her. Polonius read the letter aloud to the Queen in act 2.2. Hamlet said in line 110, "To the celestial, and my soul's idol, the most beautified Ophelia...but never doubt I love." Through this letter that Ophelia never got to read, Hamlet does reveal the connection he has with her. Polonius had instructed Ophelia in act 2.2 to "lock herself from his resort, admit no messengers, receive no tokens." With Ophelia taking her fathers advice Polonius believes that is when Hamlet fell into his sadness/madness. I agree that with his fathers death and his mothers marriage to his uncle, has made him feel this way. Now the women he loved is distant from him, giving him another reason to be such a depressed man.