Hamlet Summary/Analysis

Author: William Shakespeare

Setting: The Elsinore castle in Denmark

Plot:

Act 1

Scene 1- Platform at Elsinore; Bernardo, Francisco, Horatio, Marcellus and Ghost

-First sight of the ghost, a warning to Denmark

Scene 2- Room in castle; King, Cornelius, Voltimand, Laertes, Polonius, Hamlet, Queen

·     = King gives speech about how King Hamlet's death is done with and to focus on the new marriage

·      =Laertes asks the King for permission to go back to France

·      =King tells Hamlet to get over his father’s death, stay in Denmark and love him as a father

·      -Hamlet reminisces of his father, Horatio and Marcellus tell Hamlet about the ghost

Scene 3- Room in Polonius’s house; Laertes, Ophelia and Polonius

·      =Laertes says goodbye and advises Ophelia that Hamlet is 100% wrong for her and to stop spending time with her

·     = Polonius gives Laertes advice and then agrees with Laertes advice to Ophelia and lectures Ophelia more

Scene 4- The platform; Hamlet, Horatio, Marcellus and Ghost

·      =The ghost reappears and tells Hamlet to follow him. Horatio warns him of all the possible dangers and reasons why not to follow

·      =Hamlet claims it’s his fate

Scene 5- The platform (different than before); Ghost, Hamlet, Horatio, Marcellus

·      =Hamlet speaks to the ghost and he tells Hamlet that he needs to seek revenge

·      =Hamlet won’t tell Horatio and Marcellus about his conversation and begins to act mad. Tells them he may pretend to act mad

Act 2

Scene 1- Room in Polonius’s house

·      =The players arrive and Hamlet has one execute a very emotional speech of revenge. Plans to have the players perform a play that reenacts the murder of King Hamlet. Hamlet wants to see the reaction of the King to confirm his suspicions

Act 3

Scene 1- room in the castle; King, Queen, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Lords

·      =Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell the King and Queen that Hamlet was amused by the players and Hamlet has invited them to his play

·      =Polonius gives Ophelia a prayer book to mask her bad deeds, Polonius and King hide to ease drop of Ophelia and Hamlet’s conversation

·     = Hamlet enters and recites “To be or not to be” speech

·      =Hamlet tells Ophelia to go to a nunnery, makes it clear that he is not mad for her love

·      =Polonius and the King realize that Hamlet didn’t become mad because of Ophelia’s love

Scene 2- hall in the castle; Hamlet, 3 players, Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Horatio, King, Queen, Ophelia

·      =Hamlet tells the players how to act with real emotion, no exaggerating

·      =Hamlet tells Horatio to watch the King’s reaction during the scene of this father’s death

·      =Hamlet calls Ophelia a prostitute, insults the King and Queen

·      =Play begins; happy couple, King is poisoned in his sleep through his ear and his crown is removed. Poisoner gives the Queen a lot of gifs and she accepts his love

·      =The players of the King and Queen embrace their faithful love. Queen promises to never remarry

·      =Gertrude, Claudius and Ophelia find it to be offensive

·      =Horatio and Hamlet talk and confirm that the King’s reaction proved he was guilty

·      =Guildenstern and Rosencrantz tell Hamlet that the King and Queen are upset and the Queen wants to talk to him

Scene 3- a room in the castle; King, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius, Hamlet, Queen

·      =King tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that they are going to England with Hamlet so his insanity isn’t a threat

·      =The King admits he is scared that his sins wont be forgiven, guilty, prays

·      =Hamlet debates killing the King but decides to wait and kill him when he is doing something wrong

Scene 4- the Queen’s closet; Queen, Polonius, Hamlet, Ghost

·      =Polonius tells Queen to tell Hamlet he has caused trouble, Polonius hides

·      =Hamlet and the Queen argue, Polonius calls for help and Hamlet (thinking he is the King) stabs him

·      =Hamlet insults the Queen and makes her feel guilty of all of her sins

·      =Ghost enters and tells Hamlet to re-focus on revenge

·      =Hamlet makes the Queen feel guilt for her sins and she tells Hamlet she will make things right

Act 4

Scene 1- a room in the castle; King, Queen, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern

·      =The queen tells the King that Hamlet is mad and killed Polonius. The King is very upset and regretful. Commands for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to go find Hamlet, and bring him back along with Polonius’s body

Scene 2- a different room in the castle; Hamlet, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern

·      =Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ask where the body is; Hamlet insults them by calling them sponges of the King. Then Hamlet goes to see the King

Scene 3- another room in the castle; King, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Hamlet

·      =Rosencrantz and Guildenstern return to tell the King that Hamlet wouldn’t tell them where Polonius’s body is

·      =Hamlet tells the King he buried it

·      =The King tells Hamlet he’s going to England for his own safety, then reveals to himself that Hamlet will be killed

Scene 4- a plain in Denmark; Fortinbras with army, Captain, Hamlet, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern

·      =Fortinbras Norway army enters wanting to cross to fight a pointless war over a worthless piece of land

·      =Hamlet is determined to stop wasting time and seek revenge

Scene 5- Elsinore, a room in the castle; Horatio, Queen, gentleman, Ophelia, Claudius, Laertes and his army, messenger

·      =Queen agrees to seeing Ophelia

·      =Ophelia acts mad and communicates through songs to share why she’s gone mad

·      =King pities Ophelia and worries about his safety because Laertes might think he killed Polonius

·      =Messenger comes to tell the Royals that a mob lead by Laertes has come demanding Laertes King

·      =Laertes comes demanding details of his father. Plots to seek revenge

·      =Ophelia enters in song and sings of her fathers death, gives out symbolic flowers

·      =King promises to help revenge with Laertes when found innocent

Scene 6- another room in the castle; Horatio, gentleman, sailors

·      =Sailors come to bring letters to Horatio (from Hamlet), Hamlet has also sent letters to the King

·      =Hamlet demands for Horatio to come to his rescue

·      =The pirates have brought Hamlet back to Denmark

Scene 7- another room in the castle; the King, Laertes, messenger, Queen

·      =The King wants to hear Laertes to call him a friend so he can no longer feel threatened

·      =Messenger brings letters to the King which reveal the return of Hamlet

·      =King and Laertes plot to kill Hamlet: poisonous sword and cup

·      =The Queen brings news that Ophelia has drowned in the stream

·      =Laertes is very upset and leaves. The King follows him with the Queen to make sure he remains calm

Act 5

Scene 1- churchyard; gravediggers, Hamlet, Horatio, King, Queen, Laertes, corpse of Ophelia

·     = Gravediggers question Ophelia’s proper burial for suicide

·      =Hamlet asks questions about the skulls, bodies, and graves

·      =Laertes isn’t satisfied with the burial; he jumps in the grave, Hamlet jumps in after him and they start fighting

·      =Hamlet claims that he loved Ophelia the most

·      =Gertrude and Horatio go after Hamlet

·      =King tries to make Laertes focus on their plan

Scene 2- a hall in the castle; Hamlet, Horatio, Osric (courtier), Lord, King, Queen, officers, Laertes, Fortinbras, Ambassadors

·      =Hamlet tells Horatio he found papers ordering Hamlet’s death from Claudius. He took and changed the papers and is ready to get revenge

·      =Osric appears with a message for Hamlet, informs him of the bet the King place and of Laertes excellence in fencing

·      =Lord comes to deliver a message from the King asking when he wants to fence Laertes, Hamlet says whenever the King pleases

·      =Horatio warns Hamlet he thinks he is going to lose the bet and if he doesn’t want to do it, he shouldn’t. Hamlet believes destiny will sort everything out

·      =Hamlet apologizes to Laertes and blames it on his madness, Laertes doesn’t forgive him for hurting his reputation

·      =The King announces he will drink to every hit

·      =Hamlet hits Laertes twice, then Gertrude assists Hamlet and Gertrude drinks to his good luck and happinessà cup was poisoned

·      =The Queen falls and her last words are, “no, Hamlet, the drink, I am poisoned.”

·      =Hamlet and Laertes switch swords; both people are infected with poison now

·      =Laertes falls and tells Hamlet of the poisoned sword

·      =Hamlet stabs the King and forces him to drink the poison, King dies

·      =Laertes asks for Hamlet to forgive him, then dies

·      =Hamlet is dying and asks Horatio to tell everyone the truth

·      =Hamlet is dying, he wishes he could hear the news from England, but wants Fortinbras to know that he has his vote, then dies

·      =Young Fortinbras enters with him ambassadors delivering the message that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead

·      =Fortinbras asks Horatio what happened to everyoneà tragedy

·      =Fortinbras will restore his power in Denmark and respectfully carry out Hamlet’s corpse

Significant Characters:

Hamlet

·      =Determined to kill Claudius to avenge his father

·      =Indecisive

·      =Filled with philosophical thoughts

·      =Pretends to act mad

·      =Feels trapped in Elsinore, and trapped in Denmark

·      =Horatio is his only honest friend

·      =Uses complicated language to confuse everyone he talks to

Gertrude

·   =   Mother to Hamlet

·      =Widow to King Hamlet

·      =Married to King Claudius

·      =Completely disregards her past with King Hamlet, disrespectful

·      =Wishes Hamlet would move on from his father’s death and embrace his new family

Claudius

·      =Poisoned King Hamlet, who was his brother, so he could marry Gertrude and take over the thrown

·      =Wants to figure out why Hamlet went mad

·      =Obsessed with power

·      =Greedy

·      =Can’t really make any decisions for himself, always told what to do

·      =Wants to send Hamlet away to England, so he can kill him

Ophelia

·     = Hamlet’s lover

·      =Leaves Hamlet because her brother and father told her to do so

·      =Listens to whatever her family tells her to do

·      =Lies to Hamlet, but always acts innocent

·      =Goes mad after her father dies

·      =Drowns herself in the river

Polonius

·      =Father to Ophelia and Laertes

·      =Gives out a lot of advice; Ophelia, Laertes, the King

·      =Sneaky

·      =Killed by Hamlet while he was spying on Hamlet and Gertrude

Laertes

·     = Ophelia is his sister and Polonius is his dad

·      =Leaves to go to France

·      =Comes after his father’s death

·      =Wants to kill Hamlet

   Narrative Voice:
There is no narrative voice because it's a play. The author's tone throughout the play was dark and revengeful. It sounded somewhat crazy and really added an affect to the characters reactions. Some things that were symbolic in the play were; the ear, poison, gossip, Denmark, Elsinore, the crown, the sword, the ghost, the flowers, the letters, and many more. I thought the imagery that Shakespeare had provided vivid imagery that helped the audience imagine what Shakespeare was trying to convey

   Theme: No bad deed is let go or forgotten. 
This theme is supported throughout the entire play. First, King Hamlet makes it clear to Hamlet Claudius's bad deed of killing him. This revealed secret sets the plot, and Hamlet must set things straight. The reappearance of the ghost during the conversation of Hamlet and his mother is a reminder to take care of his business. Once again, the theme is present by not letting Hamlet forget his duty. As the play goes on each character has to avenge themselves one way or another. The reputation of their family is too important to each one to let a bad deed go forgotten. 

Quotes:

"To be, or not to be: that is the question" -Hamlet
Definitely one of the most famous quotes from all of Shakespeare's work. Could it be because this line brings up a universal debate: the question of life or death? Or could it be symbolic and meaningful in another fashion. I think this quote is important because it is one of Hamlet's longest monologue, and in that it discusses his main internal issue. The issue of whether or not to act upon his revenge. This quote is meaningful because it covers a lot of character development. Hamlet truly questions whether of not to play out his actions. His philosophical questions allow the audience to see Hamlet communicate with his self-conscious and look into his deeper thoughts.

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" -Marcellus
This quote introduces a very important theme and motif in the play. This quote was said in the first act of the play, which sets a dark and spooky tone for the entire act. This warning is something that is about to be very common in Denmark. Marcellus is a guard, so it makes sense for him to give the first warning of Danger. Later in this scene Hamlet talks to his father and learns about his death. The ghost brings the rottenness to Denmark, and sets the rotten State. 



  

Prompt Revisions #1

1976. The conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority is the recurring theme of many novels, plays, and essays. Select the work of an essayist who is in opposition to his or her society; or from a work of recognized literary merit, select a fictional character who is in opposition to his or her society. In a critical essay, analyze the conflict and discuss the moral and ethical implications for both the individual and the society. Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose.

In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain centers around a child's perception of society. Living in Mississippi in the 1880's, Huck was often confused of his placement in society. He was told how to act towards social classes, but he couldn't understand why individuals were treated differently. Huck completely goes against all standards as he sets sails from society with Jim. Huck's ignorance of the social problems during the time period give an unbiased approach to slavery and treatment of African Americans. 

Mark Twain conveys racist issues through the adults. The actions and discussions of the adults show one's view of  society during this time period. This method is effective for Twain because he easily displays how one opinion is heavily influenced by the mass of numbers. I think that Twain uses adults to convey his important themes because it would be meaningful to the children. The conflict of racism could not be fairly debated between the adults in Twain's novel. This is because if one person opposed, then the majority will still over rule. The one who stood up is unseen due to the popular vote. These adults have no respectable morals on this subject and this is shown by the conformity of them. I don't think this is a good message for Huck to receive. It may make him carry the thought that his idea is irrelevant. Kids look up to adults, and this isn't the attitude adults should want to give off to children. 

As Huck dares to be different, Twain expresses the hope in the future society to follow what they believe. The journey on the Mississippi River is a way to measure the progress between Huck and Jim. The two face multiple obstacles in which they must work together in different social interactions. I think Twain successfully shows the impressive progress that can be achieved when people with the same ideas work together. Although Jim and Huck had many differences, their techniques allowed them to succeed. The raft shows the moral growth between the characters as they ignore the social standards. The boys work through their struggles with what they think is right, not by what society says. I think this accomplishment can be compared with the accomplishments within modern day society. 

Response to Course Material #5

I couldn't feel more relieved than I do now that I finished annotating Hamlet. I really enjoyed reading Hamlet and annotating helped me break down the different aspects of the play, but the annotations took so long I didn't think I was going to make it. Looking back at this now, I'm definitely going to annotate more during class while we read because it makes a difference in the long run. A new thing I'm going to try is just writing down short, fragmented thoughts while reading as a class, then I'll come back to my notes and I'll focus on what I wanted to highlight add more description so I have complete thoughts. By doing this, I think I'll be able to stay more engaged with the class while still taking little notes. I thought that we spent a lot of time on Hamlet and I'm glad we were able to spend as much time on it as we did. If we sped through it, there would be no way I could catch on to the motifs and themes of Hamlet. I liked that we were able to watch the two different productions of Hamlet. This allowed us to compare how different directors were effected by Shakespeare's work. Since Shakespeare leaves several matters unclear, the audience is forced to interpret the matter differently than the person next to them. I personally liked the second movie better. I think it helped me understand the full plot of Hamlet better seeing it in action. The second movie also was more descriptive; when we were watching certain scenes the movie would help me draw the connections I was unable to or missed in the reading. While I was reading Hamlet on my own, I had discovered that the more I got into the play, the easier it was to understand and follow. I actually found myself thinking in language such as Hamlet would, it was very strange and hard to make go away!! Anyway, I really enjoyed Hamlet and now I have to focus on acing the terms test for finals, wish me luck!

I'm Going to Meditate After This...

The Power of Concentration By Mark Konnikova

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/opinion/sunday/the-power-of-concentration.html?ref=opinion

In Mark Konnikova's work, he glorifies the incredible Sherlock Holmes and his remarkable success in his practice. Konnikova corralates his successful career to his simple tactics. Through the author's bold use of detail, imagery and syntax, he states Holmes practice of meditation allowed him to be the most legandary sleuth of all time. As the author declares this, he uses this to support his claim; meditation is the key to a successful life.

Reading this article was a great experience for me. It was neatly organized and the ideas flowed together perfectly. Konnikova created this peaceful read with the details he provided. He stated a claim of the benefits of meditation, supported that specific claim with an experiment and provided shocking and very supportive results. Konnikova clearly did some background on his subject, and all of the details he provides are essential in his piece. Without these details, the reader would not be convinced on his claims of meditation. Another way Konnikova uses his large amount of data to his advantage is by comparing. In a multiasking experiment, the effects were made clear to the reader, "spending approximately 36 seconds on each, in contrast to the 48 to 50 average tasks attempted by the other groups (Konnikova)". The written numbers allows the readers to truly see the results.

Meditation is mostly about concentration, as Konnikova words it, "the ability to quiet your mind, focus your attention on the present and dismiss any distractions that come your way." After the many complex experiments and psychoanalytical explanations, the author creates an image which simplifies each concept of meditation. This image circulates back to Sherlock Holmes. Konnikova says that meditation is what occurs as one exhales a milky cloud of smoke while taping together the tips of ones fingers. This strong imagery illuminates the classic visual of Sherlock Holmes; all his focus on a single element (Konnikova).

The strongest part of this review is the conclusion. I give props to Konnikova for creating this conclusion because there was a lot of points to sum up, and he managed to keep it short without leaving out the essentials. The syntax used in the conclusion is what made it stand out above every other paragraph. First off, Konnikova covers all of the benefits discussed by stating, "Mindfulness may have a prophylactic effect: it can strengthen the areas that are most susceptible to cognitive decline". The colon is what makes this sentence bold, because it breaks down his main thought. Next, he uses the word "unitask" as he originally did in his introductory paragraph. Not only does this make the reader draw the connection, but it concludes the main idea of unitasking to multitask, which is the most profound benefit of meditation. The circular pattern of the words is a great technique seen many time by this author. Lastly, the syntax used does a great job by making the topic relatable to all audiences. Konnikova strongly signs off with syntax, "We may be investing in a sounder mental future-no matter how old we are."

Open Prompt #4

1980. A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.

In the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville, the determined Captain Ahab puts his desire for revenge on the great Moby Dick ahead of the safety of his crew. Capturing Moby Dick is the ultimate dream for Ahab, but it is a very dangerous task as proven before. Ahab had suffered a hard loss to Moby Dick, which made his desire for revenge very strong. Capturing Moby Dick would put his crew and himself in danger, but Ahab had no regard for the consequences. Defeating his personal battle was the most important thing to him. Captain Ahab disregarded all of his morals to pursue his selfish dream. Ahab’s loving family back in Nantucket wasn’t even enough to keep Ahab sane at sea.

The personal relationship that Ahab believes he shares with the whale drives Ahab to finish what was started. Ahab believes that he can take on the great whale. His large amount of confidence causes him to act inferior and ignorant. The present moral issues on the boat are unimportant in comparison to Ahab’s great battle. His inferior attitude causes him to believe that fate has brought him to defeat his biggest challenge.

Ahab is a hero in the novel, and like all heroes he suffers from a flaw. His flaw was inflicted on his original journey to kill Moby Dick. His peg leg is an everyday reminder to himself of the pain and suffering this evil being has caused. His flaw is symbolic towards the work because it is a main thing stopping him from capturing the whale. The thoughts of revenge are always present in Ahab’s mind and they don’t go away. Ahab looses all moral values and sense because his own sense has been damaged. 

Death of a Salesman Summary

Author: Arthur Miller wrote Death of a Salesman in 1949, which won him a Pulitzer Prize and was named as the first great American tragedy.

Setting: The play takes place between the 1930-1950's at the Loman residence in New York. The backyard is home to flashbacks and also Willy's famous garden scene. The kitchen is one of the only places where all of the Loman's are together, and this is where most of the arguing is done. The front stoop of the house is Willy's proudest accomplishment, and it is referred to often throughout the play. Direction is also an important part of the setting, as east and west are constantly mentioned.

Plot: Willy is an unsuccessful salesman who believes he can still make it as a salesman. The story revolves around the false hope that Linda feeds to Willy so he can have something to look forward to. Willy idolizes his brother Ben's success and wants Biff to live a successful life as well since Willy didn't. Willy is obsessed with Biff's success, as Happy is usually just pushed aside out of the picture. Willy has very high expectations for Biff although he has no skills that will help him follow these, just like Willy. Willy believes the most important thing in life it to be well-liked, because with that you will succeed.

Significant Characters:

Willy: He can't seem to live his life in the present. He is an unsuccessful American salesman who obsesses with the facts of the past. He is self-centered, irresponsible, a liar and delusional. His health is a main concern of the family throughout the entire play. Willy wishes for Biff to have the perfect life that he couldn't have.

Linda: The mother and wife to Willy Loman. She takes care of his every last need from getting him cheese, to making sure he goes to bed. Linda is a strong woman at heart, but she is unable to show this front to Willy. Around Willy she is weak of her own voice, and has to tell Willy exactly what he wants to hear. When she is only around her boys, she is firm, aggressive and most importantly- respected. She is the displays her true emotions the most in the play, but around Willy she can't because she needs to defend and protect any threat to towards him. She is easily shut down by Willy, but I think she doesn't fight back to maintain peace.

Biff: The most praised Loman child. As a kid, Biff had it all going for him in his father's eyes; he was well-liked, handsome, athletic and determined to make his father proud. Biff ruins the rest of his life when he flunks math and goes to Boston to see his dad. Because of what happened in Boston, he doesn't go to summer school to earn the credit. Biff is angry because his father has filled him with a false self-esteem believing he could do anything! All Biff wants is for his father to tell the truth so he can idolize him once again.

Happy: The least favorite child of the Loman family. Happy is often shut down, ignored, and seen as unimportant. He pleasantly lives in a life run off lies and oftentimes contributes to them with his sense of false hope. Happy's achievements are overlooked and don't measure up to the success of his brother.

Ben: Willy's brother and role model. Willy greatly admires and even obsesses over Ben's success, striving to live his life like his and achieve the same success for himself and his sons. Ben appears in Willy's flashbacks where he provides advice to Willy in times of need.

Symbols:
-Stockings: represents Willy's affair, and how it will always be in the back of his mind
-Rubber hose: Willy's desire of suicide, his way out
-Seeds: Willy's desire to practice success, a renewal of life
-Jungle: The opportunity for success
-Front porch: Only place where Willy accomplishes something

Motifs:
-appearance
-success
-dishonesty
-need for approval
-mistreatment of women
-denial of the truth

Narrative:
3rd person, flashbacks allow a different look on the situation

Quotes:
"That's just the way I'm bringing them up, Ben--- rugged, well liked, all-around."
-Willy says this to Ben referring of his boys. Willy looked up to Ben a lot and took what he said to the heart. It was very important for Willy to be approved by Ben in his own eyes, successfully raising children would of been one way to prove that. Willy thinks the key to success is to be well liked, he teaches his kids these morals even after they fail in his own life. Willy never understood how to fulfill his own life and this quote explains how Willy still struggles in helping his boys fulfill their own lives.

"Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground."
-Willy says this line towards the end of the play after he realizes he has failed at everything. He was an unsuccessful businessman lacking any previous achievements. Towards the end of the play he acknowledges that he hasn't started on a successful path either; he had never built up a solid foundation able to support himself. This quote is important because Willy finally realizes he hasn't done one thing to help gear him towards success and it takes him this long to realize this.

Theme: Accepting the truth and evaluating one's self must come before success.
Willy has a hard time accepting the truth and adjusting to situations due to that. He refuses to listen to what he doesn't want to hear, therefore living a successful life is very challenging. Personal success is impossible if your foundation only exists in your imagination. A main issue in this play is building success off of nothing. The character's believe that success can come from perseverance, which is true but that isn't the only thing needed. True talent and benchmarks are required for real success. Ben lived a successful life, but Willy was unaware of the steps taken for Ben to be able to achieve this. Willy is delusional towards the effort that truly matters.

Response to Course Material #4

I enjoyed reading Death of a Salesman, but I'm glad we've moved on. I felt that we spent a lot of time on one topic and we wasted some time. The commentaries of Salesman were very interesting and very informing. I thought the commentaries cleared up a lot of questions I had. Although some were long and exhausting, they helped me fully understand what Holmes is talking about. After reading, I could connect the meaning behind the important parts of the play that Holmes had mentioned. Our most current read is Hamlet, which is definitely not my favorite. I'm struggling with it because I'm unfamiliar with Shakespeare's style, but I'm slowly becoming able to understand his language on my own. Annotating helps me break down the parts I may have missed in class, which helps me actually understand what I just read on my own.