Hamlet Act III

I think that it is safe to say that anything I could write in this post would not do Act III of Hamlet justice. The act begins with one of the most famous soliloquies of Shakespeare's works. Hamlet ponders, "To be, or not to be, that is the question-" (3.1.56) and continues the theme of contemplation of suicide that has been carried throughout the play so far. However this time, Hamlet considers suicide as a concept: why people do not commit it, what it means, etc. He believes that people "grunt and sweat under a weary life," (3.1.77) solely because of "the dread of something after death" (3.1.78).  This connects to the question that was consistently explored in Shakespeare Uncovered . Why is a play that is so old and about such dramatic things such as murder and royalty so relevant today? The portrayal of contemplation of existence is chillingly accurate. As we grow, we begin to wonder what our purpose is, and as we experience tragedies in our own lives, we wonder why it is worth it, just as Hamlet does in this soliloquy.

This translates into scene three as well. The audience sees the toll that this tragedy has affected Claudius as he goes to pray for his sins. However, Claudius exposes the truth of human nature in asking "May one be pardoned and retain th'offence?" (3.3.56) essentially saying that though he regrets murdering his own brother, he does not want to lose what he has gained by doing so. It is almost disappointing how Claudius reacts. We want people to be good, even if they make a mistake. Hamlet enters upon Claudius praying and immediately thinks of avenging his father's death. However, he realizes as he was about to murder Claudius, that he does not seem capable of it. He excuses it by saying that if he kills Claudius while he is praying, Claudius will surely go to heaven. That would hardly be the revenge that his father would want.

The last scene drew me to a conclusion about the ghost of King Hamlet (probably a stretch). Though Hamlet presents his madness as "an act", I believe there is some truth behind it. If we think practically, there is no ghost of Hamlet's father. This is proven when Gertrude cannot see him when Hamlet is speaking with him in her chambers. I think that the ghost is a coping mechanism for Hamlet to finally grieve properly. In other words, the ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his death because that is what Hamlet believes is right.

Changing theme, another motif that stuck out to me in this act was the blatant misogyny on Hamlet's part. In scene 1, Hamlet violently attacks the character of Ophelia and of women as a whole. He tells Ophelia that she should go to a nunnery and essentially accuses her of being a temptress. Structurally, during this interaction, Ophelia and Hamlet speak to each other in prose, depicting their contempt for each other in the moment. Hamlet's outright sexism makes it hard to root for him as a character. I understand that he is grieving  and he is doing that as a manifestation of his anger for his mother,
but I also think that if he is as mad at the human race as he says he is, he should not specifically target the traits of women. Conversely, I always like to try and understand the motives of complex characters like Hamlet. I wonder if my opinion will be swayed as the play comes to a close.

Beloved 281-323

In this reading, we begin to see the decline of the women in 124. After being fired, Sethe begins to waste away as Beloved continues to suck the life out of her. Sethe seems to be completely devoted to Beloved, and forgets about Denver, instead making sure Beloved is taken care of in every way possible. When the women begin to go hungry, Beloved is the one who can never have enough, and Sethe continues to be at her beck and call, feeding into Beloved's greed. Beloved begins to try to imitate her mother, and over time picks up her mannerisms, dresses like her, and begins to talk like her. The two spend so much time engaged with each other that Morrison writes, "Sometimes coming up on them making men and women cookies or tacking scraps of cloth on Baby Suggs' old quilt, it was difficult for Denver to tell who was who" (283). It seems as if they've had too much a good thing, and can't figure out where to draw the line with each other.
However, soon after Sethe and Beloved become enthralled with each other, through Denver's narrations, readers are able to see Beloved slowly assert her dominance over 124, and especially Sethe. She and Sethe begin to argue, and whatever Beloved wants, Sethe will comply with. Their relationship is being overcome with turmoil, and on page 295, Morrison explains this when writing, "Sethe was trying to make up for the handsaw; Beloved was making her pay for it." Because of her submission to beloved, Sethe becomes reserved, weak, and helpless, and with no one to save them, Denver decides to step out and look for work. In her visit venture out into the neighborhood in years, she visits her old school teacher Lady Jones to ask for help, and Lady Jones in turn enlists the help of the women in her church who begin to drop food at 124 to make sure the three girls don't go hungry. However, even with the new compassion and help of these women, the house and the women in it continue to deteriorate. So, Denver turns to the Bodwins for help and ends up getting a night job from the Bodwins's maid, Janey.
Ella hears Denver tell Janey about Beloved when she visits, and gathers a group of women to perform a sort of exorcism on 124. This is when we see Ella finally sympathize with Sethe, and even defending her, because as readers learn, Ella had a child that she refused to care for due to the circumstances of the pregnancy, and eventually the child passed away. We come to learn that the women of this neighborhood, if able to look past their judgement, may be more alike than they thought.
While the women with Ella sing outside 124, Sethe and a pregnant Beloved watch from the doorway as Denver observes on the steps still waiting for Mr. Bodwin to pick her up for work. We see the full effect of the lingering trauma of slavery as Sethe mistakes Mr. Bodwin for schoolteacher, and flies into a terrifies rage as she tries to kill him with her ice pick. After the women have wrestled her down, they discover that Beloved has disappeared. After this whole event at 124, Sethe and Paul D reconnect as Sethe has taken to the bed much like Baby Suggs had. He realizes the connection they have, and decides to take her of Sethe with Denver, and discusses a future with Sethe.
As the novel wraps up, the people in the neighborhood all begin to forget Beloved, and have trouble remembering if she was even there at all. Through this, Morrison seems to speak to a more general theme of the many forgotten victims of slavery, and perhaps a warning of the significance of remembering history.

Beloved 236-277

               I noticed that these few chapters were divided into two general sections—first, the somewhat-confusing monologues of Sethe, Denver, and Beloved, and second, Paul D remembering the escape plans and speaking with Stamp Paid. The reading opens with Sethe’s stream of consciousness, starting with “Beloved, she my daughter. She mine. See. She come back to me of her own free will and I don’t have to explain a thing” (Morrison 236). Throughout the chapter, Sethe speaks about being a mother and her desire to explain her motivations to Beloved. She recalls her own mother and expresses her desire to serve as a true mother for Beloved now that she has returned. The following chapter depicts Denver’s thoughts, as she discusses her fear surrounding her mother. Denver is afraid Sethe might try to kill her as well, saying “maybe there is something else terrible enough to make her do it again” (242). She sympathizes with her brothers for leaving and expresses her desire to protect Beloved in the future—especially from Sethe. She holds on to the hope that Halle will come to 124 and somehow save them. Following that, is Beloved’s narration, which I personally found the most confusing and disturbing—not only the content but the setup of the pages as well, with large spaces and no punctuation. The chapter has a haunting vibe, as Beloved discusses a dark and hot place—referencing the middle passage, just as before. The repetition of phrases like, “my dead man” and “the hot thing” as well as references to teeth and chewing is extremely disturbing—adding a haunting atmosphere to her thoughts.

               The chapter after this was the most confusing for me to read, as it seems to be a combination of Sethe, Denver, and Beloved’s words at the same time. It was difficult to tell who was speaking and their words appear to blend together in a cacophonic chorus of thoughts. I found it interesting how each character’s thoughts were represented differently—yet they all seemed to be an outpouring of their emotions and struggles after being held inside for so long. These few chapters, in particular, were difficult to grasp the meaning of, however it was interesting to read, due to how Morrison chose to depict each character’s feelings—be it Denver’s fearful and longing portion, or Beloved’s haunting and poetic words.

               Another thing I found interesting is how Sethe, in particular, blames Paul D for her inability to initially recognize Beloved as her dead daughter—especially because of his words later in the novel. After his flashback to Sweet Home, where we learn more about the escape and what went wrong, he talks with Stamp Price about the situation in Cincinnati. Stamp expresses his empathy for Sethe, telling Paul D he understands Sethe’s motives for killing Beloved and knows she had no cruel motive for her actions. Paul D replies by saying, “Sethe scares me. I scare me. And that girl in her house scared me the most” (276). I find it incredibly ironic that Paul D blames Beloved for the divisions within 124 when all the inhabitants blame him in return. I’m curious as to why only Paul D and Stamp Price have been the only people to see Beloved outside of Sethe and Denver. All of the haunting imagery in these chapters lead me to believe something bad will happen with Beloved. Also, it seems the story of the escape is almost done, and I am curious if we will find out what happened to Halle.

Beloved 101-147

This section of the book has some of the most beautiful writing I've ever read. I have never felt more emotionally attached to the characters of a novel than I do to the characters of Beloved, especially in these pages. Toni Morrison was born to write this book, and no one else could have done it as well as she did. She accurately depicts the physical horrors of slavery while simultaneously showing us the mental impacts that it has on everyone involved. The chapter that tells Paul D's story of prison in Georgia made me feel like I live in a different world. I cannot imagine surviving the conditions that he did, much less escaping and travelling North, surviving off of the land for months. His mental toughness and resiliency is simply unimaginable. When I first read about Paul D's "tobacco tin heart", I didn't understand why he couldn't let himself tell Sethe about all that he has gone through. Now I think I'm beginning to understand. Morrison depicts the trauma that Paul D has experienced in such a deep and accurate way, that I see now why it would be more difficult to open the tin than to let it stay rusted shut in his chest. All of Paul D's past life experiences come together to form who he is today, and who he will be for the rest of his life. He has been taught by life that you can't rely on anyone to always be there, and that you can't give but a small piece of yourself to another unless you want to lose everything you have when you eventually part ways. In Paul D's life, he has been the one left behind, as well as the one to leave. He has suffered so much at the hands of his previous masters that he has lost his ability to permanently love. During this reading, Morrison reveals that Paul D, whether he knows it or not, seems to be on his way out. It's not that he doesn't love Sethe, because he said that he grows to love her a little more each day. It's that he has been beaten down by life, and that his humanity was taken long ago. Something changed within him, when he had the iron bit in his mouth, or when he was up to his thighs in muddy rainwater in the trenches, that cannot be reversed. I don't have the words to describe it, but based on what we have learned about him and what he started doing in this reading, it's safe to say that Paul D will never be able to lose himself in love ever again.

Now let's talk about Denver. Until this reading, I knew that she was starved of human interaction before Beloved came along, but I didn't quite know the full extent of how much she needs attention. I don't mean to be critical, because I'm sure that I would feel the exact same way if I hadn't spoken to anyone other than my mother for more than a decade. But the part about Denver longing for Beloved to simply look at her shocked me. I have never heard of a person being that deprived of human contact, yet this description made perfect sense to me. Denver has never had anyone to give her attention, as Morrison described Sethe's general disposition towards Denver as lukewarm at best. When Beloved leaves Denver in the cold house by herself, I was almost relieved to see her go, but Denver lost her mind for a minute. At first I was inclined to believe that Beloved leaving would be best for Denver and the rest of the family, but then Denver started going on about how she has no sense of self without Beloved. She says, "This is worse than when Paul D came to 124 and she cried helplessly into the stove. This is worse. Then it was for herself. Now she is crying because she has no self. Death is a skipped meal compared to this" (Morrison 146). Denver has become completely reliant on Beloved, and lets Beloved dictate how she feels about herself. I am worried for the rest of the book, because I personally cannot imagine the book continuing on the way it is going and ending happily, with no change. I predict that something will happen with Beloved, and that Denver will be left alone again.

Scarlet Letter 21-24

So, we've reached the end.

Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale, at the start of the reading, are heading back to Europe, where they can live free and happily together. All is well until it is announced that Chillingworth will be accompanying the party. As we all know, Chillingworth is a major solipsist, and as I mentioned in class last Thursday, there is no way this story would ever come to a close without Chillingworth destroying himself and taking someone else down with him. Though not in an incredibly overt way, this did come to pass, as emphasized by the eventual fates of the two men.

Originally, as plans were made to leave, Dimmesdale seemed to be able to relax and his health improved. Even Pearl, who had met Dimmsdale in the woods only a few days prior, could barely recognize Dimmsdale as he walked through the square, as his health made him seem like a new man. For a moment, we could think everyone was going to have their happy ending, as Dimmsdale took the pulpit/scaffolding/whatever we're calling it to deliver one final sermon in the New World. Though through Hester's eyes, Dimmsdale's new ability to walk without shame drove a distance between the two, overall, it seemed for a fleeting moment that the three could live without scrutiny back in Europe.

That is, until, in the middle of chapter 22, when Mistress Hibbons speaks to Hester and Pearl, saying, "But this minister! Let me tell thee in thine ear! When the black man sees one of his own servants, signed and sealed, so shy of owning to the bond as is Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale, he hath a way of ordering matters so that the mark shall be disclosed in open daylight to the eyes of all the world! What is it that the minister seeks to hide, with his hand always over his heart? Ha, Hester Prynne!" (221, the bottom half of last full paragraph). This is a major twist, and at first, while reading it, I was fairly sure Chillingworth's vindictive solipsism would be the cause of this revelation, but of course, it was not. In fact, Dimmesdale stood up in front of the entire town and brought Hester and Pearl up to stand with him, claiming Pearl as his own flesh and blood daughter, and admitting to his old sin with Hester.

Now, we've all read the book, so we don't need to delve into a ton of plot summary right now. We all know that no one got their perfect ending, nice family, or triumph over solipsism, because Dimmesdale, despite being young and in the best health we've seen him in over the course of the novel, dies almost immediately. He bore the mark on his body (an A he carved into himself?) to the entire town, and shares the burden with Hester. He finally receives acceptance from his daughter, Pearl, and yet, before he can experience any of the sweet relief this admission brought, he died. Soon after, Chillingworth dies, leaving Pearl a sizeable inheritance, and Hester and Pearl return to Europe just the two of them, leaving the Scarlett Letter as nothing more than a legend in Boston's oral history.

I'm not going to get into our fishbowl topic, but I think it's incredibly important that we consider two things. Firstly, what is the significance of the rapid progression of events between Dimmesdale's confession and death? For me, I interpreted that piece to be that even though Dimmesdale "repented", a few words 7 years after the fact cannot replace the lack of inaction in terms of being in his child's life and helping the woman who bore his child bear the shame in the time in which she needed emotional support to do so. This could be a critique of the nature of the Puritan church, deeply and strictly religious, yet, not always ethical, and how that became the eventual death of the Puritan faith.

Secondly, I've been talking a lot about a "happy ending" and a positive resolution for Hester and Pearl. Though this book is by no means a fairytale, I do interpret Dimmesdale's death, followed by that of Chillingworth, to be a positive resolution in their own right. Two men, both morally weak, tried to enter the lives of Hester and Pearl in various ways, Chillingworth via manipulation and secrecy, and Dimmesdale by trying to be Pearl's father only when it was convenient. Hester and Pearl's being able to depart to Europe (with a sizeable inheritance) leaves them empowered all by themselves as we've seen throughout the book. If Dimmesdale had confessed and lived, there's a huge chance he would have been written into their lives in a way he did not necessarily earn, and at least for me, that would weaken the strength of Hester and Pearl as independent women. Perhaps, though the death of the two leading males and flight from Boston by Hester and Pearl, was not exactly the happy ending we expected, it was the happy ending we deserved.

Chapters 17-20 Scarlet Letter

     The first thing I noticed within chapter 17 was the rapid transitioning of Hester and Dimmesdale's
relationship from cold and informal to friendly and semi-romantic. Hawthorne notes how Dimmesdale, "put forth his hand, chill as death, and touched the child hand of Hester Prynne" (174). Considering the context of their relationship, I expected their reunion to be amiable and affectionate, yet Hawthorne sets up a contrast here, as what follows is a discussion of their romantic indiscretions and their mutual decision to flee from their Puritan society. Their conversation progresses from one filled with awkwardness and shame to one of hope and love.
     One theme I was interested in was the connection of Hester and Pearl to the natural world and order. When conversing with Dimmesdale, Hester refers to their relationship as a "consecration" (178) instead of a sin, indicating that Hester believes their romance to be sacred and heavenly, regardless of its inconsistencies with the Bible. In comparison, Dimmesdale condemns the actions of Chillingsworth, even saying Chillingsworth's "revenge has been blacker than my sin" (178). Hester and Dimmesdale justify their actions because they were natural and born out of passion. Chillingsworth, however, is characterized as evil because his behavior was inhumane.
     I was pleased to see that Hester has taken off the scarlet letter and that her old radiance and beauty returned to her. Hawthorne notes that after Hester took off the letter, she "heaved a long, deep sigh, in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit... She had not known the weight, until she felt the freedom!" (186). Hester, who has endured 7 years of judgement and shame, has freed herself from the burden of the scarlet letter.
     Relatedly, Pearl, who is the product of an organic love, also continues to be found interacting with nature. As Hester and Dimmesdale are speaking, Pearl is enjoying her time in the wild. Hawthorne notes that even the flowers speak to Pearl, saying, "Adorn thyself with me, thou beautiful child" (188). Because of Pearl's connection to nature and her freedom from the constraints of society, I wonder how she will interact with Dimmesdale later on in the book. I have a feeling Pearl will be apprehensive about accepting Dimmesdale, as when Hester and Dimmesdale urge Pearl to cross the creek, she refuses to do so until Hester puts the A back on.
     I fear that the relationship between Dimmesdale and Hester is threatened by Pearl, who also happens to be the thing that keeps them tied together. Similarly, I wonder about the assurance of Dimmesdale's decision to reunite with his Hester and Pearl. Pearl asks, "Doth he love us?... Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town?"(194). I am unsure if this is foreshadowing, and wonder if the three will follow through on their plans. Considering the events of the last chapter, I am curious to know if Dimmesdale's decision to leave will be his moral undoing.
Also, it is so clear that Dimmesdale does not have half the emotional strength of Hester Prynne.
   

In these chapters, the scarlet letter itself is nearly characterized. We see in these chapters how the letter reverts from inflicting guilt on Hester to marking her as a kind and generous townswoman. Hawthorne writes, "they had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since" (147). This addresses how people are viewed in society, whether they are viewed for past sin or present good.I think it is interesting, though, later when Hester still refuses to tell Pearl what it is for and for the first time strays away from its connection to her sin.

These chapters also address femininity. I find it interesting how Pearl has prevented Hester from being a free woman. She has tied her down to traditional womanhood. Hawthorne writes, "At times, a fearless doubt strove to possess her soul, whether it were not better to send Pearl at once to heaven, and go herself to such futurity as Eternal Justice should provide" (150). Although almost questioning and something one may just casually ignore, this line is deep in regards to feminism and dark with its morbid speak of sending her daughter to heaven. But, this addresses how the traditional woman is tied down by children, and Hester exemplifies this as the father of her child cannot expose himself.

Furthermore, in these chapters Pearl is given a more human nature. Though she is still compared to elves, witches, and demons, On page 163, Pearl is attributed with human qualities and characteristics, yet at the end of the long paragraph, she is still called an "elfish child." This gives the reader more insight to her as she has grown, but begs to remind the reader that she is still the same, nearly possessed, child that has been born from sin.

Finally, I think the questions Pearl inquires are very interesting, particularly the one about Mr. Dimmesdale with his hand on his heart. I believe he keeps it there because he feels agony in his soul and his soul, as a minister, has sinned. Though not visibly branded, he brands himself to society by visually gripping at his soul. I was curious why Hester is not envious of his lack of public humiliation as he has equally sinned, but now I see that he is facing a much harder inward humiliation. Hester is able to move on now in society; whereas, Mr. Dimmesdale must move on by himself through revealing the truth.

p.s. Chillingworth has gone mad... if you couldn't tell