Every Now and Again...

I come across something that really touches my heart. Sometimes it might be a great film or a newspaper article, but on this particular day, my life and heart were touched by a group of beautiful, strong, courageous and loving young children who showed me that life is precious in all its forms. In Mexico, there is a wonderful program called Teleton which has created several state of the art rehabilitation centers for children with diseases and special needs. Yet what is most amazing about this program is that 60% of its patients are Hispanic Americans. Unfortunately, though the United States is a leader in medical research and supplies, we have been unable to provide adequate rehabilitation centers for children with special needs. When the President of the Teleton Foundation became of aware of this he did not hesitate to change this.

So on December 14th, 2012 for the first time ever, after 15 years of helping children in Mexico, they turned their attention to the United States and hosted the first Teleton USA! Their goal was to reach $7,000,000 by the end of 48 hours and during these 48 hours we would hear testimonies from amazing children who have either gone to a Teleton in Mexico or were in desperate need for one in the United States. Their stories were nothing less than awe-inspiring and would cause anyone with a heart to cry. All of these children, in spite of their medical strife, walked onto the stage with the most genuine, heart-warming smile and revealed that their greatest dreams we're to lead normal lives. There was one boy, in particular, who touched my heart the most and his name is Sebastian. Sebastian has a disease in which his arms and legs contorted themselves in ways that render them unusable, so when asked what his greatest dream was his response was, "Quiero ser capaz de tocar mi cara y caminar un día." (TRANSLATION: I want to be able to touch my face and walk one day).

Needless to say, Sebastian had me crying like a baby and wanting to donate every cent I have. Yet Sebastian and all those other inspiring children taught me that strength doesn't mean being "tough", it means that you find the beauty of life even in the darkest of times. You find hope in the midst of hopelessness and you find love in yourself. These children showed me how lucky I truly am to have the advantages I have and it is because of these children that I am becoming a Madrina (TRANSLATION: Godmother) for Teleton and will sponsor a child. I hope that by reading this you also become inspired and donate to Teleton because whatever money you do donate will be changing a child's life. If you wish to donate to Teleton USA you can visit the website: www.teletonusa.org 

"Ay Boo Boo, Let's See What We Got in this Picnic Basket!"

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you spend it with everyone you are thankful for!

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

Shackles, darkness and ignorance is the cave
Murky are the shadows on the cave wall
Yearning for a truth they will turn away
The brightness will strike him only if he's brave

And so no more freedom can he then stall
In known comfort he shall no longer stay
Realization that he was a slave
He goes back to the cave to tell them all

Yet blindness clings to his eyes in the day
As he no longer belongs to the cave
The prisoners now reject those who fall
From their midst as a player in blind ways

Caged are the souls where the darkness is stern
Enlightened are the ones willing to learn.

That awkward moment...

When MC Hammer is trending on Google +... NOW STOP...
...................
...................
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HAMMER TIME!

(now if that isn't a collaborative working group then I don't know what is..)
....
....
My, my, my MUSIC is so hard makes me say, "Oh, my Lord." Thank you for blessing me with a mind to rhyme and two hype feet. *dances in the background*
Now you can spend the rest of your day with this song stuck in your head. Consider it an early Christmas present! CAN'T TOUCH THIS!

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1. The allegory of  the cave represents intellectual and philosophical imprisonment.
2. The key elements in the imagery are the amount of shackles used (hands, neck, and feet) which shows how entirely binding and inescapable this imprisonment really is and then the brightness of the light outside of the cave represents this climatic enlightenment of both ideals and spirituality.
3. When one refuses to consider the possibilities outside of one's reality they are refusing to be educated and enlightened by truth.
4. That unless you "broaden your horizons" you are no more educated than a caveman. The cave represents the walls of our minds which are only as thick as we believe them to be while the shackles represent the item of choice by which we imprison ourselves by.
5. Things that shackle my mind are yellow journalism and politics. With journalism becoming more a source of entertainment than information I must infinitely question whether or not what I am being fed is constructive or toxic and politics are showing the same characteristics. Politics have always been a source of debate that intrigued me greatly but that does not mean it leaves me without questions. I mentally shackle myself to believe politics have become more of a game than a beneficial the commonwealth of society and the only way I can free myself is by finding enlightenment.
6. The freed prisoner has had the blessing of having the perspective of fiction and fact. He is able to challenge his beliefs and find that what was once real is now false, but for the cave prisoners reality is nothing more than distorted voices and shadows on the wall.
7. Lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways: When one is inexperienced in something or when one refuses to accept/learn something...or a combination of the two.
8. According to the allegory, the cave prisoners are not free when they are released from the shackles but when they accept that there is more to life than shadows on the wall. This suggests that the only way one can find intellectual freedom is when one accepts that there is more to reality than we or our neighbors can perceive.
9. I agree that there is a distinction between appearances and reality because if a person acquires intellectual freedom they are able to "read between the lines" and find deeper meanings and differences within reality.
10. Assuming that Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, two metaphysical assumptions are that what we see is what is fact therefore any and all information i see is fact because there is no distinction in appearances and reality...and second is that the only reality is no reality because each person has disassociated themselves from the consensus of reality and is now dealing with their own perception.

Here's some helpful videos and info that can help in understanding the applications of this allegory and summarize it.

The Cave Claymation
The Invention of Lying
The Matrix and The Cave

Don't You.. Forget About Me!!

I have officially reached 900 page views! Now I know for you page view millionaires this may seem like chump change, but why not let a girl have her fun! Indulge me and allow me to celebrate by posting this song from the 

Breakfast Club.

Now for those of you who are asking yourselves what this short video had to do with me celebrating....well the answer is nothing, I just felt like sharing it, but if you truly desire a celebration video here you go, it's a little cliche but don't act like you don't love it.

Hammy Said Whaaattt????

C'est la vie!!

So while studying for vocab with Dulce she said, "You're smart. You probably have all of these down." Now of course I was flattered with this comment but I had to respond honestly, "Well... I won't bomb it that's for sure, but I'll have a couple grenades here and there. Whatcha gonna do? Thug life!" Now of course I said this in a joking manner, but there is some insight in my comment. What are the real benefits of cramming all night? You get an awesome score (possibly...probably not) and then forget all the words. Well that was worth all the time and effort. WRONG!!! Whether you like it or not you'll inevitably need to learn these words, so just do your best to understand the words for tonight.. and just deal with the grenades as the come along. And if you happen you have a nuclear explosion on your exam...well...that ain't my fault. So you better get cracka lackin' and STUDY STUDY STUDY! And then when you're done you can do a victory dance!

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Literary Analysis #3

1. So as you might of noticed in my last LA, I have a tendency to go on and on in my summaries and essentially just tell you everything in the story so for this LA I decided that I would just let someone else tell you the gist of the story and I fill in the holes. So watch this video first and then come back so that we may continue on our epic quest that we like to call Literary Analysis #3!

1. Done already? Fantastic! So here's what else you need to know in addition to what you just watched! So Jane Eyre, which is the girl in the thumbnail for the trailer, is becomes a governess (live-in teacher) at Thornfield Hall which is owned by Edward Rochester who is portrayed by Michael Fassbender in the movie. While there Jane and Mr. Rochester develop this great friendship where Mr. Rochester feels so at ease with Jane that he tells her of all his fumbles in life (except that part where he ended up marrying this lady who went insane, but we'll get to that in a little bit). So as fate would have it they inevitably fall in love and decide to get married, but there is only one issue.... He's already married to Bertha Mason, a woman he met in Spanish Town, Jamaica who went insane shortly after they were married. With this news Jane tries to preserve what little dignity she feels she has left and flees into the unknown. It is there that she meets St. John "Sinjin" Rivers who gives her a job as a teacher in a village. After establishing a bit of independence, Jane then finds out that she has not only inherited a fortune from her now deceased uncle, but that Sinjin would like her to be his wife so that they can be missionaries (she says no because she is still in love with Mr. Rochester). With this news she picks up and leaves to find Mr. Rochester and eventually does find him, but he has gone blind due to an accident at Thornfield Hall in which Bertha was let free from her room and then set the estate ablaze. So, in an effort to save Bertha, Mr. Rochester evacuated the entire estate and went back to save Bertha but she unfortunately jumped from the building and plummeted to her death leaving Rochester to tumble and fall to safety. When Jane finally sees Rochester and learns he is single she commits herself to being his wife and they live happily ever after...more or less.
2. The theme of the novel is that redemption comes in unsuspecting form and is given to those who not only believe they are undeserving, but have lived long without it. 
3. There's a melancholic tone to this novel which makes sense because Jane's character has dealt with much adversity and heartache through the years which in some ways has made her austere, but deep within her lies a passion for something more, something meaningful. This is really reflected throughout the entire novel even when speaking about her childhood where she was neglected and physically abused and then later in her adult life where she is betrayed by Mr. Rochester and yet again when she must deny both friendship and marriage from Sinjin because her heart belongs to another. 

CHARACTERIZATION:

1. The two examples of direct characterization are first in describing Jane's personality and then Mr. Rochester's temperament. The two examples of indirect characterization are when the author describes Jane's childhood which then directly molds who she is as a character and then when Bronte describes the ever increasing emotional connections between Rochester and Jane. I believe the author makes the reader uses these methods to characterize the characters because it makes them easier to connect with.
2. The author's diction and syntax doesn't really change through the entirety of the novel most likely because Jane is a very formal and proper character even in the most informal of situations.
3. The protagonist is static because her character never really goes through this dramatic change. She remains faithful to who she is and what she believes and the only drastic change was that she fell in love, but even that didn't change who she was. Yet it is because she fell in love that she became a round character because she broke her cycle of indifference and showed something other than a cold apathy towards the world since she was so greatly spurned by it. 
4. In the end I felt as if I had read a character but not in a bad way. I really connected with Jane's plight and her emotions towards well...everything, but because things just seemed to fall into place for her like the inheritance and then marrying Mr. Rochester (again), it seemed a little too surreal for my taste. 

Big Question?!?! ARE YOU READY??

Well... Are you? Can you handle the question I'm about to give you right now? Well ready or not here it comes! Have you ever heard of Plato's Cave which originally appeared as a dialogue in his Republic? Well for those of you who haven't I highly recommend you at least watch the video of the allegory or even buy Republic, which I happened to do today because I was so fascinated by the story. Anyways back to the question, in Plato's Cave the man returns and tells grandiose stories of the world beyond the cave but no one believes him because the prisoners' reality is only shadows and echoes. Therefore perception is reality and reality is what we see it to be, but what if we don't really know what reality is? What if the reality is really a myth? What if we are all unknowing prisoners in the cave? 

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

There are just some things you can't deny..

And the talent that Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero possess is one of them. Now I know what you're thinking (well I really don't but let's pretend I'm psychic!) "what do the musical stylings of Rodrigo y Gabriela have to do with this course?" Well my dear friends, I'll tell you what this has to do with this course. 55% of communication is body language which means if you were to meet me in person and I remained stiff as board you probably wouldn't get half the stuff coming out of my mouth. So when you listen to instrumental music how are you able to interpret it? Are you just pulling the ideas out of thin air? Or are you getting your interpretations from the composer's body language? Bottom line is that this course is designed to enhance your communication skills among other things. So without further ado, I present you Rodrigo y Gabriela!

Growing My PLN

As I said before, I had already previously reached out to a website that was already in my PLN and in addition to that website I also contacted another website with hopes that they may be willing to communicate with our class as a whole and enrich our learning experience. I have yet to hear from either of the sites but will let you all know when I hear from them!

Sonnet

From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die,
But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory:
But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes,
Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,
Thy self thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel:
Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament,
And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding:
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.

- William Shakespeare

AP Hamlet PLN

1. http://msdhernandez.wikispaces.com/AP+Hamlet

2. http://deborahharris.edublogs.org/2010/04/16/ap-hamlet-essay-directions/

3. https://sites.google.com/site/esmithliteraturetheatre/AP-Summer-Assignment/ap-syllabus/ap-
hamlet

4. http://aplitandcomp.wikidot.com/hamlet

5. http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamletscenes.html

6. http://libguides.mpsaz.net/content.php?pid=132411&sid=1135984

7. http://hamlethaven.com/

8.  http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/literary-devices.html

9. http://www.apstudynotes.org/english/sample-essays/character-analysis-hamlet/

10. http://goshenschoolsny.org/Schools/GHS/Websites/English/Mackay/AP%20English/Essay%20Assignments/Hamlet%20essay%202010.pdf

11. http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=hamlet-quiz-ap-english-literature-composition

12. http://www.clubbennett.com/juliana/index.htm

 13. http://www.rcstn.net/richard.roberts/files/hamlet_-_practice_ap_questions_only.pdf

14. https://apstudyguides.wikispaces.com/Hamlet

15. http://apenglish9.blogspot.com/2010/05/shakespeares-hamlet.html

As you all can tell I've taken a lot of time to deepen my understanding of Hamlet, but there's only so much a person can do before they've reached the bottom of their own personal bag of tricks. So instead of sitting around and just living off my interpretations and that of my peers, my teacher gave us the task of expanding our personal learning network (PLN). So as you can see above, I created a list showing the first 15 sites I came across in the order I found them, but of these 15 sites there were 5 that were particularly helpful. 

The first site that gave me some paint for my blank canvas was a site that I had already visited and had contacted before, #5. Shakespeare Online does a great job of providing you with easy-to-understand summaries and plot analyses. This site is definitely a great starting point for anyone who needs a little help in understanding Hamlet, but as my english teacher says in reference to wikipedia, "It's a great place to start, but a bad place to end." So do yourself a favor and go out into the big viral world and find some more tools for your tool belt.

The second site that grabbed my attention was #7 because it offers a wide array of tools, analyses, and concepts that would be greatly beneficial in expanding how we view literature in general. They cover everything from Ophelia's death to analyzing Yorick, who was only mentioned in the play for a very short period of time. Needless to say this site was in-depth, easy to navigate and offered more than I expected from any website. Check it out!!

Third we have a site that really serves more as a worksheet but still deserves to be duly noted. #10 does a great job of questioning both your comprehension and interpretations with specific questions that can range from single details to complicated concepts within the play. So if you're looking for a place to see if you truly are understanding the material I would check this site out!

Coming in at fourth we have a site that in my opinion does a fantastic job of fitting the needs of an AP English Literature and Composition course. #14 provides you with the things all AP students search for when researching a text from class and couldn't make it any easier to understand and internalize. YET, as I said in when talking about #5, you have a big viral world out there, so don't come to this website, or any website for that matter, and look at it like a one-stop shop.

Last but certainly not least was #15 which is an actual AP English blog that provides you with journal topics and themes for you to consider and use to challenge yourself. Though the post is from 2010 I believe that the journal topics still give people a different avenue of looking at Hamlet. So sit back, grab a notebook and pen, and get crackin'! You never know when I might just give you a quiz on your Hamlet-know-how.

Consider yourself warned! 

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

1. In the midst of the birth of the Russian Revolution, we watch the lives of two entirely different people unfold and watch how the forces of war, nature, choices, and love bring them together only to tear them apart again and again. Yuri Zhivago, our protagonist, is a doctor by day and poet by night. After spending his childhood without his father, Yuri goes to medical school, marries the girl of his dreams, and has beautiful children with her, talk about a picturesque lifestyle right? But as we all know, all good things must come to an end and for Yuri this was when he became a doctor for the Army in the revolution. As a doctor he served valiantly and did the best he could with what he was given. Now let's back up a little bit and introduce yet another character, Lara Antipova. Lara was not "born with a silver spoon," so to speak, after her mother takes in a lover/sugar daddy, Victor Komarovsky, who soon turns his lustful sights on Lara. After years of abuse, Lara tries to shoot Victor but passes out due to malnourishment. This is where our two lovebirds meet, seeing how Yuri is the only available doctor at the time of the "shooting" he goes to see if Lara is alright and the two have a brief but somewhat memorable encounter. Fed up with her abuse and wanting some refuge, Lara marries the only man she has ever known who has always loved her since they were children, Pasha Antipov. Yet their honeymoon phase ran its course rather quickly after he was informed of Lara's affair with the rich and powerful Victor Komarovsky. Pasha, distraught with this news, leaves his home for the Russian Army and Lara, being the doting wife and mother she now is, searches for him and eventually becomes a nurse for the army. It is while searching for her HUSBAND that Lara finally meets and develops feelings for Yuri, who feels the same for Lara (DON'T FORGET THAT HE'S MARRIED TOO!) So push comes to shove and Lara is forced to go back home, reluctantly, without Yuri or Pasha because of the climate of the war. When Yuri finally returns home the war has now left the battleground and has begun invading homes and the streets. Their (Yuri and his wife Tonya) home in Moscow has become so dangerous that they have no choice but to move to the Yural Mountains where, coincidentally, Lara lives too *wink wink*. So of course Yuri and Lara have a passion-filled affair but all of that ends when Yuri begins to feel guilty and ends the affair to honor his wife. Yet as he returns home to his now pregnant wife (shocking I know...) he is drafted into the Red Army for the revolution to serve as their doctor. After witnessing some terrible things he finally flees the horrors of the war and returns to the one, the only, Lara where he spends years of his life living with the woman and child his heart loves. Yet (I know! Yet another buzz kill! I know how you feel!) their paradise encounters a rather large hurricane when Victor Komarovsky (You didn't think I'd forget about this guy did you?) comes to claim what is "rightfully his" (Demented, isn't it?). So Lara ends up leaving the Yurals with Victor and without Yuri. Oh and here's the kicker.... She's pregnant with Yuri's baby!! Oh snap! Is Victor getting punk'd? I think not! So years go by and Yuri is now old, gray, and alone. He spends the last years of his life writing poem and serving as a doctor to those with tuberculosis.  THE END. OH WAIT I FORGOT!! One last thing! As Yuri is sitting in a coffee shop he looks out the window and finds a boy that is like a mirror image of himself at that age. Puzzled but thrilled by the idea that this might be his son his eyes and heart desperately search for the woman he has always loved, Lara, and when he sees her his heart and soul are filled with so much love and content that it can barely stand it. So, in the middle of the coffee shop, he attempts to scream out her name "Lara! Lara!", but fate will never allow it because in that same moment his heart beats no more. THE END!
2. The theme of this complicated, thrilling, and enjoyable novel is that even love will never be what you want it or expect it to be. There will always be twists and turns that even I couldn't conjure up, but even with that irrevocable fact, you should never hide from it. 
3. Doctor Zhivago is very much about accepting the curveballs life and love throw at you and simply making the best out of them. You don't have to necessarily make a home-run, but at least getting to first base would be fantastic.  The author is able to portray through the inner thoughts of his characters. 

“And why is it, thought Lara, that my fate is to see everything and take it all so much to heart?” (p. 24)

“How wonderful to be alive, he thought. But why does it always hurt?” (p. 17)

"And so it turned out that only a life similar to the life of those around us, merging with it without a ripple, is genuine life, and that an unshared happiness is not happiness" (p. 175)

1. Two examples of direct characterization was when the narrator straight out tell you things about the character, like how (s)he is feeling or when the narrator tells the reader about the character's past. Two examples of indirect characterization is the nonverbal communication between Lara and Yuri (body language) and the way Yuri reacts to the things he sees in the war. 
2. The author remains consistent with his diction and syntax even when he shifts characters. He only changes inner and regular dialogue to fit the character's personality and tone. (Refer to quotes above).
3. The protagonist is round because of the way he struggles with his conscience both during and after the affair. He is also dynamic because at the start of the novel he only cared for Tonya yet as time passed he began to care for Tonya and Lara and at the end he only loved Lara. (Refer to the summary for examples).
4. After finishing the novel I felt like I had met two new people, even though I connected with Lara much more than Yuri I have to say that I was rooting for them to get together and live that typical happily ever after. So imagine my disappointment when Pasternak decided to become a realist on me and make Yuri die while staring at Lara! Oh well, c'est la vie!

Filter Bubbles On Facebook...

So I was casually taking a stroll through my facebook news feed when I came across a post from a page I had never heard from and didn't remember "liking". So, naturally, I go to the post and try to read what it says and imagine my surprise when I saw it was about weaves! Now for those of you who are unaware, I am both mexican and black (I enjoy calling it "blaxican" for short) so when I saw this post I automatically thought "Facebook knows I'm half black!" But the more I thought about it, the more I began to wonder, "how did Facebook know?!" After about five minutes of contemplation my mind turned to a video Dr. Preston had shown my class earlier in the week about Filter Bubbles. Needless to say I now understand firsthand how Filter Bubbles REALLY work. Now please be mindful that I feel wronged or offended by the post, I merely want to show that filter bubbles don't only apply to your viewing habits on  the internet. So for your viewing enjoyment, I took a screenshot of the post and it is displayed below!

In Other News..

Though I am aware that this blog is primarily to reflect my work and effort in my AP English Literature Blog, I also believe should reflect my general values and ethics. So I came to the conclusion that from time to time I will take a "break" in my journey through this course and post videos, articles and anything else I find that I believe deserves acknowledgement or could ignite some conversation. On that note, for those of you who are unaware, I am Co-President of Anti-Bullying Club (my partner is Alex Ramirez) and in our club we have decided to begin a campaign that will hopefully become one of note like many other noteworthy Anti-Bullying Campaigns. So to kick-off our future web series we created an introductory video. Let me know what you think and enjoy!

Do you know what time it is??? IT'S SPONGEBOB TIME!!!

For those of you who follow my blog you may already know that I've done a couple vocabulary remixes in the past and usually did it with some Spongebob clips and what not, just to spice things up. Well now I have been assigned to do what I do best... Browse youtube and google pictures for clips and photos of perfect representations for each vocabulary word. SO... without further ado! LEEEEEET'S GET READY TO VOCAAAAAAAAB!!!!

Abortive: failing to produce the intended result

Bruit: spread a report or rumor widely

Contumelious: scornful and insulting behavior

Dictum: a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source; a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle

Ensconce: establish or settle

Iconoclastic: characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions

In medias res: a narrative that begins somewhere in the middle of a story 
rather than the beginning

Internecine: destructive to both sides in a conflict

Maladroit: ineffective or bungling; clumsy

Maudlin: self-pitying or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness

Modulate: exert a modifying or controlling influence on

Portentous: of or like a portent; done in a pompously or overly solemn manner

Prescience: the power to foresee the future

Quid pro quo: a favor or advantage granted in return for something

Salubrious: health-giving, healthy; pleasant, not run-down

Saturnalia: the ancient Roman festival of Saturn in December; an occasion of wild revelry

Touchstone: a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized

Traumatic: emotionally disturbing or distressing; relating to or causing psychological trauma

Vitiate: spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of; destroy or impair the legal validity of.

Waggish: humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner

Claudia v. Hamlet

Day 3 in Court

(Scene I)

Judge: Prosecution, you may call your witness.

Prosecution: We call Claudia to the stand, your Honor.

Bailiff: (Witness stands) Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Claudia: I do. (Witness sits)

Prosecution: Can you please describe to us how you and Polonius chose to truly figure out whether or not Hamlet was a lunatic.

Claudia: Well we wanted to see if it was Ophelia that was driving him mad or whether or not he was just crazy. So Polonius and I decided that the best way to do this would be to use Ophelia as a decoy and draw out his insanity.

Prosecution: And what was the result?

Claudia: Well I found that he seemed perfectly sane, he was just extremely strained due to all the stress at home. Although I can say he didn't look too favorably upon me or any other woman for that matter. Which saddens me because poor Ophelia must be heartbroken to now hear that Hamlet no longer loves her, which is why I saw it fit to send Hamlet away to England. I thought the new scenery would do him some good.

Prosecution: Well how thoughtful of you. No further question, your Honor.

Judge: Defense may begin cross examination.

Defense: Thank you, your Honor. (To Claudia) Prior to Hamlet and Ophelia speaking, Hamlet was "venting" his feelings by thinking out loud was he not?

Claudia: Yes.

Defense: And can you please tell the court what he said.

Claudia: *sighs* Hamlet was contemplating suicide. Whether or not life was with the constant suffering, but since we don't know what waits for us after we die is it really the best choice to give up what we know and venture past the point of no return into the unknown? Which in a sense makes cowards of all of us because even though life can be unbearable, our fear of the unknown prevents us from ending our troubles. To be or not to be, that is the question.

Defense: Well as a new mother, don't those inner thoughts seem rather lugubrious? 

Claudia: Absolutely.

Defense: Wouldn't it be reasonable enough to say that he in fact is so depressed by the death of his mother that he now is out of sorts? 

Claudia: I suppose so.

Defense: Why then do you say that he is entirely sane when you yourself can see how emotionally overwrought your step-son is? He can no longer even bear the strain of life and is now contemplating suicide and yet you claim, he is perfectly sane.

Claudia: Well... I never thought of it that way.

Defense: Of course you didn't because you never really cared about Hamlet. You just cared about saving your own skin.

-Prosecution Re-examines-

Claudia v. Hamlet

Day 2 in Court

(Scene I)

Judge: Defense, you may call your first witness.

Defense: Your Honor, we call Ophelia to the stand.

Bailiff: (Witness Stands) Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Ophelia: I do.

Defense: Ophelia, can you please describe to us Hamlet’s behavior before you obeyed your father’s orders and refused Hamlet’s affections.

Ophelia: Well… He was a very soulful, loving person but he was greatly distraught with the death of his father and his mother less than commendable marriage, but that didn’t change how passionate he was.

Defense: And when you say passionate you are referring to his affection for you, correct? Just so that we have that clear.

Ophelia: Of course. Hamlet and I have a very strong and pure connection and truly do love each other.

Defense: Now, can you please describe his behavior after you began rejecting him.

Ophelia: Well, he went crazy. After I followed my father’s order, the next time he saw me he grabbed my forearms and shook me because he was so mad. I am just so conflicted because I know I should listen to my father, but Hamlet needs me there for him, without me he falls apart and I love him too much to do that to him.

Defense: That’s understandable, so when you realized Hamlet had gone mad who did you first go to?

Ophelia: Well my father of course.

Defense: Why? After all he was the one who originally told you to reject Hamlet’s affections, so why not go to someone else?

Ophelia: Because he’s my father and I assumed that he would be able to guide me in the right direction as to what I should do. The last thing I would want is for me to do something without my father’s guidance and then have my actions shame me or my family.

Defense: So you go tell your father about Hamlet and ask for his advice. What is his response?

Ophelia: He told me to not give in and begin to reveal my feelings for Hamlet just yet. He wanted to tell Claudia first.

Defense: And why would he want to do that?

Ophelia: Because word of Hamlet’s insanity would eventually spread, God forbid that the press would hear of it. If Hamlet’s insanity were to become widely known then it would only reflect on the family and the rest of the hierarchy within the business which would cause dissension with stockholders. So it was pertinent that Claudia knew so that she could settle the matter before it got too out of hand.

Defense: Thank you, Ophelia. You may step down.

(Scene II)

Judge: Defense, please call your next witness.

Defense: Your Honor, we call Polonius to the stand.

Bailiff: (Witness stands) Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Polonius: I do (Witness sits).

Defense: Polonius, can you please explain to us what you did after your daughter Ophelia came to you with the news of Hamlet’s madness.

Polonius: I told her that I would tell Claudia, his step-mother, and let her handle the situation.

Defense: Polonius, I would like to remind you that you are under oath so I shall rephrase the question. When your daughter came to you with the news that Hamlet went mad you thought you had the perfect opportunity to curry a little favor with the head of the company, didn’t you? You thought that this was your chance to finally move up in the company by performing such a heroic deed; you would be saving the entire family from a media circus, so why wouldn’t Claudia promote you?

Prosecution: Objection your honor, badgering the witness!

Judge: Sustained, defense please move on and don’t start taking liberties.

Defense: Yes your honor. (To Polonius) Please explain to us what happened in the conference room with Gerry and Claudia.

Polonius: I explained to them what my daughter had explained to me and provided them with a few emails he had sent my daughter that I found to be quite inappropriate. After hearing all they needed to hear, they sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet and observe his behavior themselves.

Defense: And what was contained in these emails?

Polonius: Hamlet’s continuous proclamations of love.

Defense: Well if you were privy to these onslaughts prior to Hamlet’s insanity why not immediately take the matter to Claudia and Gerry?

Polonius: Because I believed it to be an idle passion that would easily be squelched by Ophelia’s rejection.

Defense: Yet if it truly was a passion he had for Ophelia, wouldn’t you, a man who has already created two children, know better than the latter that passion is not something that can simply be squelched. In fact, if we were to speak candidly, would it not be reasonable to say that passion can drive a man mad?

Polonius: I suppose so.

Defense: Then with that knowledge, why not allow your daughter be with the man she loves? Unless of course, you want him to remain insane, which would explain why instead of allowing Ophelia to follow her heart’s desire, you told Claudia and Gerry their son was insane.

Polonius: (Remains Silent)

Prosecution: Objection your Honor, relevance!

Defense: Your Honor I am merely supporting the platform of our case which is that Hamlet was driven insane by not only the scandal between Gerry and Claudia, but also with the rejection of Ophelia’s love.

Judge: Overruled, defense you may continue.

Defense: Thank you, your Honor. (To Polonius) Now, after Gerry and Claudia left the room, you finally had the chance to speak to Hamlet. Face to face. Am I correct?

Polonius: That is correct.

Defense: And how would you describe his mental state?

Polonius: He was extremely unstable, to say the least. He had completely forgotten who I was, but, of course, he knew quite well that I had a daughter that he was very interested in.

Defense: Thank you, Polonius. No further questions, your Honor.

Judge: Defense, you may call your next witness.

Defense: We call Hamlet to the stand, your Honor.

-Defense Direct Examination-

Judge: Does the prosecution have any questions?

Prosecution: We do, your Honor.

Judge: You may proceed then.

Prosecution: Thank you, your Honor. (To Hamlet) Can you please explain to us what happened in the conference room after you spoke with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz and found out they were sent to observe you.

Hamlet: Polonius entered the room with actors I had met a few years back and would be performing for the company and the annual company banquet.

Prosecution: And can you please describe the discussion you had with these actors.

Hamlet: I merely asked them to perform a play in which a Priam kills Pyrrhus by pouring poison in his ear.

Prosecution: Well isn’t it shocking that this play seems to mirror the death of your beloved mother, since the autopsy had stated that she had passed due to a poison that was poured into her ear.

Hamlet: I suppose it is.

Prosecution: In fact, if I didn’t know better I would propose that you chose this certain performance to serve as a test.

Hamlet: What do you mean?

Prosecution: Well look at the facts, your mother is dead due to poisoning and not even a month later your aunt marries your father. Then after that you receive a letter from who else but Hannah, your mother, saying she was murdered. How much more convenient could it get? But there’s one more piece to this puzzle. We can’t forget that you were also insane, but hold on just a second. If you were really insane, why would you opt for that play in particular, unless of course you were pretending you were insane and knew that this play would serve as a lie detector?

Hamlet: I find what you have said to be very callous and uncalled for. I have been subjected to the heaviest of burdens with the death of my mother and have only been further shamed by my father’s remarriage. So instead of asking me why I am insane, wouldn’t the proper question be, why not?

Judge: I’ve had enough. The prosecution may rest and we shall continue this tomorrow morning. 

Claudia v. Hamlet

Day 1 in Court

(Scene IV)

Judge: Prosecution, you may call your fourth witness.

Prosecution: Your Honor, we call Hamlet to the stand.

Bailiff: (Witness Stands) Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

Hamlet: I do.

Prosecution: Hamlet, can you please explain to us what happened the night you received the note from your mother.

Hamlet: Well I followed up on my claim that I would go back that night to the spot where they found the original note in hopes that maybe I’d find that message. I looked around trying to find something, anything out of place and that’s when I stumbled upon this stone that seemed wildly out of place. So out of curiosity I picked the stone up and underneath it was the note that I was searching for.

Prosecution: What did the note say?

Hamlet: My mother said that if anything were to happen to her, like an unexpected death, my aunt would be the reason for it.

Prosecution: And you believe this note?

Hamlet: It was written by my mother a week before her death, of course I do.

Prosecution: But how do you know it was actually written by her? You’re a pretty rational man Hamlet, so why didn’t it cross your mind that maybe the letter was forged? Maybe it was because you were so desperate to rid yourself of your step-mother. You can’t stand the thought of her taking the place of your mother, her sister. The thought that your aunt and father are joined by marriage disgusts you doesn’t it? It enrages you even! It eats at your very core and the only way to stop their blasphemous acts is to take revenge in your mother’s name. Isn’t Hamlet? You aren’t insane! You knew exactly what you were thinking when you read that not, didn’t you?

Hamlet: (remains silent)

Prosecution: No further questions your honor.

-Defense Cross Examines-