Friday

Go here for a radio program on the Fisher King

The title is suppose to be a reference to Buddha.

There are a lot of links in this section to previous sections. See if you can find them.

Allusions:

To His Coy Mistress (we read yesterday - find)

TIRESIAS - appears in both Oedipus Rex and The Odyssey. He can see the future. Relate him to the fortune teller in section 1.

Tempest - remember there is a ship wreck in the Tempest.

St. Augustine.

WWI

There are also songs in this section and the nightingale chirps with the reinforcement of rape (which is one way of looking at the relationship seen by Tiresias)


NOTES:

Mrs. Porter ran a brothel in Cairo and was well known to Aussie troops (important because Gallipoli was where Eliot lost a good friend).

Smyrna = Izmir (an ancient town in Turkey)


Elizabeth I and Earl of Leicester were thought to have an affair (even through Elizabeth had to deny it because she was suppose to be a virgin and reserve herself for royalty of other nations)

The City (LONDON) in this section is a dump - made so in part by a coal plant.



The Fire Sermon
(Aditta-pariyaya-sutta)

Thus I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Gaya, at Gayasisa, together with a thousand bhikkhus. There he addressed the bhikkhus.

"Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what is the all that is burning?

"The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, also whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion. I say it is burning with birth, aging and death, with sorrows, with lamentations, with pains, with griefs, with despairs.

"The ear is burning, sounds are burning...

"The nose is burning, odors are burning...

"The tongue is burning, flavors are burning...

"The body is burning, tangibles are burning...

"The mind is burning, ideas are burning, mind-consciousness is burning, mind-contact is burning, also whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with mind-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion. I say it is burning with birth, aging and death, with sorrows, with lamentations, with pains, with griefs, with despairs.

"Bhikkhus, when a noble follower who has heard (the truth) sees thus, he finds estrangement in the eye, finds estrangement in forms, finds estrangement in eye-consciousness, finds estrangement in eye-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful- nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he finds estrangement.

"He finds estrangement in the ear... in sounds...

"He finds estrangement in the nose... in odors...

"He finds estrangement in the tongue... in flavors...

"He finds estrangement in the body... in tangibles...

"He finds estrangement in the mind, finds estrangement in ideas, finds estrangement in mind-consciousness, finds estrangement in mind-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with mind-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he finds estrangement.

"When he finds estrangement, passion fades out. With the fading of passion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is knowledge that he is liberated. He understands: 'Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived out, what can be done is done, of this there is no more beyond.'"

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were glad, and they approved his words.

Now during his utterance, the hearts of those thousand bhikkhus were liberated from taints through clinging no more.

AP POETRY - REVIEW

Each of you needs to choose a different literary movement, research it - the characteristics, major themes, styles, employment of literary devices, authors, and bring one example of a poem from the period to share with the class and to discuss. You'll need to post all of these things on your blog so that your classmates can use it to study.

Lit Movements:

Renaissance
Metaphysical Poets
Neo-Classical or Augustan
Romantic
Transcendentalist
Modernism
Harlem Renaissance
Postmodernism:
Confessional Poets
Beat Poets
New York School of Poets
Black Mountain Poets
Black Arts Movement

Please start compiling note cards of literary devices.

As we review for the AP Test you should spend an hour or so each night looking or reviewing poems from various periods of literature. We will look at each period briefly and examine some of the poems again for ideas.

The first period that you should reacquaint yourself with is the metaphysical poets. Remember John Donne is the greatest poet of this movement.

Go here for a website with an overview of the movement and many poems by each of the major poets.

You should also check out this site.


For the Augustans you should concentrate mainly on Alexander Pope. Read "Essay on Criticism" and "Rape of Lock". Pay attention to the heroic couplets.

Go here for Pope's work on-line.

Thursday 3/8 Class Work

ESSAYS ARE DUE MONDAY!!!! NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!

HAMLET ACT 5: Questions

1) What do you feel is the point of the gravedigger’s riddles and song? How does it fit into the play?


2) In what ways do Hamlet’s reactions to the skulls in the graveyard seem to suggest a change in his outlook? Compare Hamlet’s attitude towards Yoric to Hamlet’s attitude to Ophelia or even his father? How is it different? How is it similar?


3) How old is Hamlet? How do you know this?

4) What does the violent argument between Hamlet and Laertes add to the play?

5) What developments in Hamlet’s character are presented through the story of what happened on the boat? (V.ii 1-62). How has Hamlet changed?
6) How do Hamlet’s motives in killing Claudius seem to have shifted according to his speech beginning “Does it not, think thee…” (V.ii.63)

7) What concerns of the play are reinforced in the Osric episode? (V.ii.80-170)

8) Why does Hamlet ‘defy augury’? (V.ii.192)

9) What does Laertes say is his motive in still resenting Hamlet? How has already lost this? How does this contribute to the presentation of revenge in the play? (V.ii216-223)

10) How might the dying lines of Gertrude, Claudius and Laertes be viewed as typical of the way their characters have been presented throughout the play?

11) Who “wins” in Hamlet? How and why do you think this?

HOMEWORK ESSAYS

QUESTIONS TO DEVELOP THESIS STATEMENTS ABOUT AND ANSWER


1) Polonius is sometimes played as a senile old fool, sometimes as a shrewd and worldly old man. Which interpretation do you agree with and why?
2) Pick one character who could, at some point, have changed the whole chain of events. Discuss.
3) Analyze the three appearances of the ghost seen in the play. Where did he appear; to whom did he appear? How does the third appearance differ from the first two? What is the significance of this?
4) Discuss the reasons for Hamlet’s apparent delay in seeking revenge for his father. What is your opinion regarding his procrastination?
5) Compare and contrast Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras as avengers.
6) What is Hamlet’s attitude towards life and people? How does it affect his actions?
7) Apply the following quote to Hamlet: “A man who wishes to make a profession of goodness in everything must necessarily come to grief among so many who are not good. Therefore, it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how to not to be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it, according to the necessity of the case.” -- THE PRINCE, Machiavelli
8) Examine the reoccurring pun on sun and son. How does this symbol work in the overall meaning of the play.

Other possible questions:

9) Was Ophelia pregnant with Hamlet’s child?
10) Did Hamlet slip into madness?
11) It is Hamlet who causes the downfall of Denmark.
12) What is the meaning of the pirates?
13) Is Hamlet Jesus Christ? How is Horatio either John the Baptist or an apostle.
14) Why or how is Denmark the Garden of Eden?
15) Gertrude knows about the murder?
16) The meaning of prostitution in Hamlet?

Act IV

Act IV, Scene 1
1. What is Claudius' main fear in the immediate aftermath of Polonius' death?
Act IV, Scene 2
1. What does Hamlet refuse to tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
Act IV, Scene 3
1. What image does Hamlet use (ll. 19-29) to warn Claudius he's only king temporarily?
2. Claudius ends the scene by writing a letter: to whom, and what order does it contain?
Act IV, Scene 4
1. What's the value of the land Fortinbras' army is marching to capture in Poland (l. 20)? What will the invasion itself cost (l. 25)?
2. Hamlet's soliloquy (ll. 32-66) is self-critical; summarize his main fault.
Act IV, Scene 5
1. Ophelia's songs during her first appearance in this scene deal with love, death and sex. Why? What do they tell us about her at the moment? What might they reveal about Her, Hamlet and Polonius?
2. Why is Laertes a danger to Claudius' throne (ll. 98-103)? (Actually two or three related reasons.)
3. What does Claudius offer as assurance that he had no part in Polonius' death (ll. 190-9)?
Act IV, Scene 6
1. Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet explaining how he escaped from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. How did he?
Act IV, Scene 7
1. What reason does Claudius give Laertes for Hamlet's killing of Polonius (ll. 1-4)?
2. What are his two reasons for not charging Hamlet with murder (ll. 9-24)?
3. Claudius reveals that Laertes is famous for his skill with the rapier (a fencing weapon) and that Hamlet is envious of this fame.
4. How does Claudius plan to exploit this envy to give Laertes a chance for (publicly) guiltless revenge (ll. 126-38)?
5. How does Laertes refine the plan (ll. 138-147)?
6. What announcement does Gertrude make to end Act IV?

More Study Questions for Act III

1) What does Claudius plan to do with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Hamlet?
2) What is Polonius going to do while Hamlet speaks with his mother?
3) List three important things about Claudius’ soliloquy.

a)
b)
c
4) Why is it odd that Hamlet sees the king praying?
5) Why doesn’t Hamlet take this opportunity for revenge?
Scene IV

1) Describe Polonius’ advice to Gertrude.
2) What is the significance of the following quote: “How now, a rat? Dead! For a ducat, dead!
3) What is odd about the following quote: A bloody dead; almost as bad, good mother, as kill a king and marry with his brother.
4) Why might Gertrude say, “What have I done, that thou dar’st wag thy tongue in noise so rude against me.”
5) What descriptions does Hamlet use to compare his father and his uncle?


King Hamlet


Claudius

6) What point does Hamlet make by comparing the men?
7) What is disturbing about the following: Nay, but to live in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed; stewed in corruption; honeying, and making love over the nasty sty.”
8) What stops Hamlet’s ranting and raving at Gertrude? What does this figure tell Hamlet?
9) By the end of the act, Hamlet has made many statements about humanity, in general. Explain a few of his points. Do his opinions reflect his madness.
10) Explain the differences between the ghost in Act I with the ghost in Act III. Why might these differences reflect Hamlet’s insanity?

January 13th

Work on AP Speeches.

Remember you'll be graded on FORM and CONTENT as well as speaking.

Please practice.