Beloved 101-146

I will not lie. This reading left me quite uncomfortable. Let’s dive in.

After contemplating the disturbing information about Halle and his buttered face, Sethe returns to the Clearing as it is her place of refuge. The Clearing used to be a space where Baby Suggs would encourage the Black community to embrace their flesh and most of all, their hearts. The personification here is really beautiful. The woods almost come to life just like the “laughing children, dancing men, [and] crying women” (Morrison 105). The trees are described as “ringing” and the groundlife as “shuddered.” I love how well the setting captures the tone of this passage. 

Sethe then shares her last memory of Baby Suggs, who on her deathbed said, “There is no bad luck in the world but white folks” (Morrison 105). As Denver, Beloved, and Sethe walk towards the clearing, we are transported to another of Sethe’s flashbacks. This one is a story of how Stamp and Ella helped Sethe and Denver reach 124. When Baby Suggs first catches a glimpse of Sethe’s back, we are captivated by the euphemisms of the description. Sethe’s back is described as “roses of blood blossomed in the blanket” (109). I find it interesting how Morrison chooses to describe something so disturbing with a plant so beautiful.

Ah. I love this next part. We’ve seen this type of syntax before, but it’s back again. When describing Denver as a baby, the sentences start off with a lowercase letter. I have compiled these sentences into the following list for your pleasure: “girl were brought in,” “baby blinked,” and “girl in her arms” (110). This might just be a me thing, but this choice makes this moment feel so tender and precious. After hearing about Sethe’s strenuous journey, we finally find a moment of peace, and here we find proof that the journey was worth it. 

Okay pause. I need to speed this along because I’m only on page 110 right now. I’m going to go ahead and assume y’all don’t need a plot summary because y’all actually read the book, so I am going to skip to the parts of this reading that made me want to squeeze lime juice into my eyeballs. 

Denver accuses Beloved of being the one who choked Sethe. I believe her. This Beloved character is way too impulsive, which leads me to another scene. Beloved, who we think is the “true-to-life presence of the baby [ghost],” (141) tries to seduce the man whom her basically-mother is bedding. She demands, "I want you to touch me on the inside part and call me by my name” (137). Absolutely disgusting. To make matters worse, Paul D. succumbs, not once, but multiple times! 

Personally, I am not a fan of Denver, and here is some proof to support my opinion. Denver cares more about Beloved than her own mother, and regarding the choking scene, “Denver was alarmed by the harm she thought Beloved planned for Sethe, but felt helpless to thwart it, so unrestricted was her need to love another” (123). Denver apparently feels shame for this choice. Well duh, of course, she should.

Let’s also look at this quote about Denver: “The present alone interested Denver,” (141). Good for her for living in the moment, but I feel as if her having no interest in the past, specifically her mother’s past, is the reason for her lack of empathy. Sethe has given so much for Denver, and unlike Paul D, who only shares small amounts of love with the people around him, Sethe gave all her love to Denver. How does Denver pay it back? She picks a reincarnated baby ghost over her own mother and basically becomes a simp (for lack of a better word) for Beloved. However, this is just my opinion. I will never be able to understand how Denver feels, and there is probably a greater meaning behind Denver, Paul D, and Beloved’s poor choices, but this is my blog post, so I have the right to share my opinion.

Toodles,

Lena

Beloved 52-100

 Wow, these fifty pages have a lot to cover. We got further insights into Sethe's past and Denver's birth, more exploration on the relationships developing between the characters living in 124, and, of course, the questionable and mysterious appearance of Beloved. 

After having an argument about Sethe's protectiveness over Denver, Paul D thinks that, "for a used-to-be-slave woman to love anything that much was dangerous, especially if it was her children" (Morrison 54). He believes that you should only love a little bit, so that when the thing you love eventually breaks, you have some love left over for the next person. Paul D's life and trauma has left him with the idea that love isn't regenerative, and that what he loves will eventually leave him. He sees love as being finite. Sethe loves in a different way. This novel is about the love she has for her children, and Sethe puts everything into her love for them. She devotes all of her love to Denver and devoted so much to her baby girl, escaping while pregnant to get milk to her. Through Paul D's eyes, if everyone only has a certain amount of love to give, then Sethe gave too much love to her baby, which is why the baby's death continues to haunt her. He believes that if she's giving all her remaining love to Denver, she doesn't have enough for him and the life they could lead. He wants Sethe to make space for him, as well. However, after this conversation, Sethe believes that she sees a good omen for her new family at the carnival. The shadows of Denver, Sethe, and Paul D are all holding hands, which signifies to Sethe that they can make a life together in 124. 

In the next section, Beloved basically appears out of thin air from the water. The way that she's described in this section was so unsettling to me. She shares many attributes that I think of as belonging to a baby or young child. There are scratches on her skin that look like baby hair, and she has soft hands and feet that look like they're brand new. Her feet are described as "barely capable of their new job", and she walks to the bed like she's a toddler who has just learned to walk. The characters also estimate her to be nineteen or twenty, which was especially creepy to me because I think that's how old Sethe's baby would be if she was still alive. Paul D describing that she acts sick yet could pick up a rocker with one hand only added to how off-setting Beloved's character was to me. It was unclear to me here exactly who Beloved is - a ghost? Oh, and later in this section, Beloved seemingly chokes on bread pudding and thrashes around holding her throat. This originally seemed like a random scene to me, yet took on another meaning when I remembered that Sethe's baby had her throat cut. 

Later, when Beloved helps Sethe make bread, "their two shadows clashed and crossed on the ceiling like black swords" (68). This directly contrasts how Sethe's shadow held hands with Denver's and Paul D's shadows, which made me wonder if Beloved's return could mean the ruin of Sethe's other relationships or create tension in this new family. However, Sethe is able to tell Beloved stories about her past that were still too painful to talk about with Baby Suggs or Paul D. It's unclear why it's easier for Sethe to speak about these events with Beloved, maybe because she sees Beloved as more distant from Sweet Home. Sethe is able to talk about memories that aren't completely full of pain, like when she made her own wedding dress or when Mrs. Garner gives her earrings. However, Sethe only pierced her ears and wore the earrings when she moved to 124. This made me wonder if Sethe wouldn't allow herself to appreciate any beauty when she was living such a painful life at Sweet Home. She wouldn't wear the earrings there and describes her self-made dress as ugly. 

In the next section, Paul D tells Sethe that Halle did see her assault, which broke him. Learning about this horrible story leads Sethe to have an internal monologue about how painful it is that her brain keeps absorbing these horrific stories and images. She thinks, "just once, could it say, No thank you? I just ate and can't hold another bite?" (83). This was another example of how Sethe's past continues to affect her present and future. Sethe's brain is so full of her past that it can't even think about the future, which prevents her from moving on. She doesn't want to keep taking in these painful memories, yet she has no choice. 

Finally, Denver and Beloved talk about where Beloved came from. Beloved tells Denver that she got her name from the dark, which is hot and stuffed with people, some of them dead. In the dark, Beloved is forced to lie curled up. Beloved reveals that she came back to see Sethe's face because Sethe left her behind - possibly in the afterlife? This section of the novel left me with so many questions. How will Beloved's appearance affect the potentially budding familial relationship between Paul D, Sethe, and Denver? Where did Beloved really come from, and who is she? Does her shadow's violence toward Sethe's foreshadow Beloved having bad intentions toward the family?

Hamlet...Act V!

 This act in particular is, I believe an example of this: “…to hold as t’were 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” (3.2.18-20).

In discussing Shakespeare with Ms. Bromfield, she said that a good director will “find the comedy in the Shakespearean tragedies and the drama in the comedies.” Throughout this entire play, we’ve witnessed Hamlet’s continued sarcasm and constant wordplay even though this humor can be morbid or incredibly disturbing…so too, morbid humor begins the final act of what has become the most well-known play of all time – needless to say, I think Ms. Bromfield has a point.

At the beginning of this act, there are two gravediggers, one of whom is a clown. Hmmm…interesting and ironic. Hamlet instructs the players in Act III that “those that play your clowns speak no more than is set down for them…[that] shows a most pitiful ambition in the fool that uses it” (3.2. 31-32, 35-36). Anyway, I digress.

There are two gravediggers arguing over how Ophelia died then proceeding to shift the conversation to arguing over “who builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter” (5.1.35-36). To which the so cleverly named “other” gravedigger replies, “The gallows maker, for that frame outlives a thousand tenants” (5.1.37). Ok, gross, but also, so true!

In all seriousness though, Shakespeare is clearly saying something with this banter about the significance of a profession dealing with death. What does this mean? Our book says on pg. 204 that “death is the great leveller.” Again, so true. Almost everyone dies at the end of this play, hence Shakespearean tragedy. What does Hamlet try to do this entire play? Try to kill Claudius (*ehem* death). What does Claudius do to protect himself? Try to kill Hamlet (*ehem* death again).

Shakespeare is clearly commenting on how our emotions affect our desires – those desires are tied to power in some way, shape, or form; therefore, the desire for power or control over another (as in Hamlet's and Claudius's cases), clouds the characteristic that distinguishes us from, well, animals: an analytical mind. No wonder we have been questioning the extent to which Hamlet is losing his mind! Because of the vengeful actions he is encouraged to take, his emotions and impulses overtake his mind.

Couldn’t that be connected to 2022? People acting on their emotions and sacrificing their analytical minds to other people or other devices who will think for them? I mean, Hamlet said it first: the play is a way “to hold a mirror up / to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image” (3.2.18-19). Again, I digress.

After this whole clown business, Laertes joins Hamlet and Horatio at Ophelia’s graveside – Laertes just hops right in the grave (again, somewhat comical in the reading of it) followed by Hamlet who tries to one-up Laertes contesting “forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my own” (5.1.236-238). Ok, if my brother heard that, a duel would probably soon follow.

Claudius and Gertrude express their sorrow for Ophelia’s death, Gertrude briefly comments on Hamlet’s madness, and the scene ends with Claudius’s pep talk to Laertes: “We’ll put the matter to the present push” (5.2.262).

Ok – moving to the final scene of the play! We finally get to see a moment with Horatio! Hamlet confides in Horatio that he found Claudius’s order for Hamlet’s "head to be struck off” (5.2.24). Ouch! While Hamlet continues word-vomiting about all that happened aboard the freaky pirate ship, we only hear Horatio’s small interjections either affirming Hamlet’s statements or posing a question.

Here is a question: Horatio is a confidante for Hamlet, right? Could he be viewed as a piece of Hamlet’s fragmented conscience? He is present at the beginning and end of the play, the same times when ounces of Hamlet’s sanity are present. In the beginning, he mourns his father’s death, and in the end, he apologizes to Laertes for Polonius’s murder. Just a thought.

I really want to get to this ending, so I’m going to skip Osric’s brief moment in the spotlight, but maybe we can discuss it further as a class?

So, this duel: Laertes vs. Hamlet. Fighting it out…like men…sounds like the slogan for our brother school last night.

Hamlet seems to adopt the Beatles's philosophy in preparing for this duel (que “Let It Be”). “If it be now ‘tis not to come; if it be not to / come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come – the / readiness is all.” Hamlet seems to have reached a state of contentment and all of a sudden, too. What all did they really do to him on that ship? Or, is it in killing Polonius and seeing Ophelia’s death that he recognizes the abundance of uncertainty in life and realizes that the way to approach it is not to try to control the future? Now, I am the one word-vomiting.

 What I am continuing to grapple with is Hamlet’s confession, and more shockingly, the continuation of the duel after his confession. “Who does it then? His madness.” (5.2.209). And Laertes responds: “I do receive your offered love like love” (5.2.223). This seems like a mutual agreement. Why do we still need to duel, you guys?

Anyway, this play ends with death, and I don’t have to tell you that. So order of events: we lose Gertrude (that one got me), then Claudius (aka Scar), then Laertes (who apologizes before he dies so maybe no purgatory for him), then our boy Hamlet, and almost Horatio.

Hamlet asks Horatio to “tell my story” (5.2.28). His final lines are: “the rest is silence” (5.2.337). I thought this was really beautiful. All Hamlet has wanted is for the voices in his head (maybe this included the Ghost?) to be silenced and most importantly to “rest.” “To die, to sleep - / No more; and by a sleep to say we end / The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to” (3.1.60-63). Remember this?

So, Shakespeare, why not end the play here? Why are we ending the play with affirming words from Fortinbras? Is this how you thought the play would end? Should Shakespeare have been a philosopher or a playwright? (Ok, yes, that was supposed to be my own comic relief…but seriously, what do you think?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamlet Act 4

 Wow, so much happened in Act 4! Let's look at some of the key moments throughout the act.

In the first scene, Gertrude betrays her promise to her son and informs Claudius that Hamlet has killed Polonius. This news prompts Claudius to fear for his own safety around Hamlet, stating, "It had been so with us had we been there" (4.1.13) and to create a plan to send Hamlet away from Denmark as punishment. Claudius also worries that he may take the blame for the death of Polonius, hurting the people's perception of him as king. Much of Act 4 revolves around this idea of Claudius attempting to hold on to his power as king. In the second scene, just after Hamlet has hidden Polonius's dead body, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern confront Hamlet about the murder of Polonius and where the body he hid the body. Hamlet offers confounding responses to his friends questions such as "The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body. The king is a thing" (4.2.24-25), speaking to Hamlet's poor mental state as he succumbs to madness and lack of remorse over the murder, but he ultimately agrees to be escorted to Claudius.

In scene three, Claudius confronts Hamlet about the location of Polonius's body. Hamlet initially responds with a gruesome description of the worms eating at Polonius's corpse but eventually informs Claudius of the actual location of the body. Claudius then tells Hamlet that he is to be sent to England. Hamlet responds in enthusiastic agreement exclaiming, "But come, for England!" (4.3.45). I found this reaction really interesting. I was surprised with Hamlet's agreement and excitement at being sent away. Maybe this reaction demonstrates that he is truly mad, as he is fairly unaffected by such big news. What do y'all think Hamlet's reaction his news of being sent away conveys? Shakespeare uses dramatic irony at the end of this scene when Claudius writes a letter demanding Hamlet's execution in England. The potential danger Hamlet will be in in England made his reaction to his news of being sent away even more confusing to me.

In scene four, Hamlet's urgent desire to take revenge on Claudius is reinvigorated. When he hears news of the insignificant battle Fortinbras is waging for an unprofitable region of Poland, Hamlet is impressed by his rival prince's forceful will of action and yet again, threatens his immediate revenge on Claudius, stating, "Oh from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody or nothing worth" (4.4.64-65). Do you think this is just another empty threat of violence from Hamlet or do you think he will actually take action on his word when he returns to Denmark?

In scene 5, Gertrude attempts, unsuccessfully, to console Ophelia as she completely unravels after her father's death, singing songs about death, loss of purity and betrayal. Laertes angrily confronts Claudius about the death of his father, assuming Claudius was the killer but finding out it was really Hamlet. He is further enraged at his father's unjust death after witnessing the devastating mental and emotional state of his sister. Claudius convinces Laertes to take revenge on the true killer, Hamlet, stating, "Where th'offence is, let the great axe fall" (4.5.214). I thought this was a very manipulative move on Claudius's part. He is able to seek revenge on Hamlet but allow Laertes to be the one actually taking action. What did y'all think of Claudius using Laertes as a means for his revenge?

In scenes 6 and 7, sailors deliver letters from Hamlet announcing his return to Denmark. When Claudius and Laertes receive a threatening note from Hamlet, they create an elaborate two part plan to seek revenge on Hamlet, involving a poisoned sword in a duel and poisoned wine if the initial plan were to fail. Claudius sure does love poison! Do you think Claudius and Laertes's plan will work successfully? Why or why not? At the end of the scene, Gertrude deliver's the devastating news to Laertes and Claudius that "Your sister's drowned, Laertes" (4.7.164). Ophelia's drowning serves as the final result of her descent into madness and greatly devastates and angers Laertes, prompting him to storm out of the room. Laertes's abrupt, angry reaction worries Claudius. What do you think the significance of Ophelia's drowning is? How does her death surrounded by flowers influence the ongoing motif of flowers in relation to Ophelia throughout Hamlet?

I am excited to see how the final scenes play out in Act 5!

Hamlet Act 3 Scenes 3-4

     Wow! A lot has happened in just these two scenes of Act 3 and the plot has progressed a lot. Let’s do a recap:

    In the beginning of scene 3, Claudius asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England and they agree to his orders. Then, Polonius says that he will eavesdrop on the conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude and hide in the bedroom. However, this plan failed miserably and maybe should have been thought out more. Something that turned out to be successful was Hamlet’s play, as Claudius begins to reflect on his wrongdoings and the murder of his brother. He acknowledges his sins and wants to be forgiven, however I am suspicious of his intentions. Does he truly feel guilty for his actions or is there a hidden motive? Claudius knows that confessing his sins will not be genuine because he will still reap the benefits of his crime, such as “my crown, my own ambition, and my queen”. Hamlet doesn’t believe that he should kill Claudius while he is praying because he would go to heaven, but rather while Claudius is committing an act of sin. I think Hamlet has an interesting point, but it also might be another reason for Hamlet to delay his father’s plan.

    Throughout scene 4, we see Hamlet’s increasing desire for revenge. With Hamlet’s mysterious and direct words, Gertrude begins to think that Hamlet might attempt to murder her. When Gertrude screams out for help, Polonius does the same. But then… Hamlet KILLS POLONIUS at once and shortly after calls him a “rash, intruding fool”!!! I pity Polonius a little bit, as I am sure that Hamlet intended to kill Claudius, but also his death could have been avoided. Moving on rather quickly from this sudden and shocking event, Hamlet shows the distinct differences between his father and Claudius to his mother. When he repeats “Have you eyes”, it shows his anger and rage towards his mother’s involvement with Claudius and seems like he is ranting about these issues to her. Hamlet talked very poorly about his mother’s sexuality, and this topic can be also traced back to his conversations with Ophelia, specifically when she rejected his love. Even though the Ghost told Hamlet to not inflict any harm onto Gertrude while seeking revenge, I think he definitely hurt her emotionally. 

    Here are some questions: Do you think that Gertrude knows about the murder Claudius committed? How does the play portray female characters? Why does Hamlet not care about the death of Polonius? Do you believe that Hamlet is becoming irrational?

Hamlet Act 3 Scenes 1-2

 Ok guys so after reading these two scenes, I became super excited to write this because there is just so much to cover. But I also got a little overwhelmed because there is literally so… much… to…cover… First, I’d like to talk about how Claudius seems to feel guilty about killing his brother, calling it an ugly burden on his conscience. Then, there is Hamlet’s soliloquy where he thinks more about committing suicide and delivers the famous line, “To be, or not to be” (3.1 56). It is abundantly clear that the only thing holding him back from ending it all is that he is afraid of life after death (and how his choices on Earth would change that afterlife).

    Now let’s move on to Ophelia and Hamlet’s talk. I seriously felt like this was coming from a soap opera or something because this was DRAMATIC. This scene really connects to what we talked about last class about deception because Hamlet is almost searching for reasons to distrust people, going as far as to say that women in general are not trustworthy because they deceive all men by wearing makeup. He is also destroying all of his relationships as if he doesn’t feel like he deserves to feel any sort of happiness. At the beginning of the talk, he honestly was not speaking too crazily, but as the conversation continued, he descended into insanity and slowly lost his capacity for rational thinking. Ophelia mourns the loss of the old Hamlet, and I honestly agree with her. I feel like I lost a little bit of respect for Hamlet while reading this scene. My opinion of him worsened after observing the way he treated Ophelia in Act 3 Scene 2. 

    Mrs. Meltesen was not lying when she said Shakespeare put all of the main events of the play in Act 3. I think it is really interesting how Horatio is pretty much the only person that Hamlet trusts. Horatio knows everything about Claudius, and I feel like Horatio is the only thing that is keeping Hamlet from going completely insane and committing suicide, which is a heavy burden to bear. Moving on, Claudius had such a dramatic reaction to the play, revealing that he feels guilty for killing Hamlet Sr. Even so, could he have been more obvious? If I were him, I definitely would have been way smarter about it… though I also probably would not have killed my sibling in the first place. Hamlet seemed a lot more in control of his emotions in this scene than in the previous one. He was acting completely normal when talking to Horatio and then started talking gibberish to the king and queen, suggesting that he is only acting crazy.

    After reading these two scenes, what do you think Shakespeare thinks about the sins/morality of humankind? Do y’all believe Hamlet actually loved Ophelia? What did you guys think about what Hamlet said to Ophelia in 3.1 and his rude comments in 3.2? Is Hamlet truly mad now or is there still a sane part left of him? What is Gertrude going to say in the next scene, and what would Hamlet’s reaction be?

Hamlet Act II

So, this first scene of Act II kinda threw me for a loop. I was a bit confused why Polonius needed to spy on his son, especially after he had sent him to Paris just a bit ago. I thought it was a little funny the way he went about it- he made the messenger tell lies about his son to another person, and gauge their reaction to his lies to sense the real situation. This seems like a pretty round about way to me, and I was thinking "Isn't the person he talks to just going to go and say that to someone else?" But then Polonius tells the messenger, "Observe his inclination in yourself", so pretty much do some sleuthing but don't make assumptions based on it- make sure you catch him in the act!! Seems like Polonius has literally no trust in anyone around him, but I guess that's a topic for another day. So after Polonius sends the messenger on their way, Ophelia comes running in, all "affrighted" (2.1.72). She tells her dad about Hamlets strange actions, how he ran into her room lookin all disheveled and unkempt. I was confused hearing this from Ophelia- how does she really feel towards Hamlet??? Does she just want to keep telling her dad everything?? But also, what is Hamlet doing? We see him in Scene II start to act a little mad for show, so was this a little precursor to that, or is he really "Mad for thy love?" (2.1.81) (that seems a bit dramatic to me, but whatever). Ok so to recap: Hamlet is starting to go off the rails (or maybe not), and Polonius is spying on his son. 

Ok now Scene 2. This was a longggg one!! I was reading and it just kept going and going. Hamlet was a popular guy today, he had like 7 different people looking for him. Ok but for real- this scene starts with his uncle-dad and mother-aunt (these title made me laugh a little not going to lie) spying on him by summoning his old friends to get some info from Hamlet. It seems like the theme of this act is spying?? I say this because after Hamlet's friends leave, Polonius and Claudius make up a scheme to set up Ophelia and Hamlet on a little walk, and they'll follow behind them. So Hamlet figures out his friends intentions before they can get real info back to his parents (is that the correct title I have no idea). He even talks about how nothing makes him happy in life anymore, no women or men. He seems pretty depressed to me but that's besides the point. Ok I also liked how Hamlet was kind of making fun of Polonius in this scene??? He kept teasing him about how long his beard was and mocking as though he didn't know who Ophelia was. Maybe this means Hamlet is creating the image that he has truly gone off the rails. His school friends then tell him that the acting group is nearing, and then they arrive. He welcomes them to the city, and tells them of how he has fooled his uncle, mother, and Polonius of his madness. He then starts reciting a speech from a play, and urges one of the actors to continue it. Once done, he has Polonius escort them to rooms after saying the next night they will have a play, and he will insert his own speech into the play. 

After they leave Hamlet, he has come internal conflict. He admires the actors for their ability to express their stories and emotion, and curses himself for his lack of action. He calls out for revenge after curing Polonius, and devises (yet another!!) plan to spy upon Claudius and find the validity of the Ghost's assertions. 

How do you think his and Ophelia's relationship will develop after this? What do you think their walk will be like? How do you think Hamlets speech will go in the following night? How will he act, and what do you think he'll talk about? How do you think the acting troupe will play into the story in the long run?