Blog Assignment #2

James Bond's return to MI6 headquarters sparks a lot of questioning from his boss M in the movie Skyfall. "Where the hell have you been?"questions M. Bond replies with wit, saying, "Enjoying death. 007 reporting for duty." Seeing as Denmark is in a time of excessive espionage and trickery, it was easy for me to connect Skyfall to the current state of our great nation. In the film, a former agent of the MI6 named Silva is planning to bring the organization to its knees by assasinating M (the boss) and her top agent of old, James Bond. After an explosive is set off by Silva at headquarters, MI6 must act quickly or else their public perception will be going down the tube.

This kind of devilish trickery has been too common in Denmark in these rough times I fear. I have been away from Epsilon castle but I have heard terrible things from my Lord Hamlet. From Hamlet, I hear that everyone is spying on everyone nowadays. Polonius is spying on Laertes to make sure he is not up to no good in France. "You shall do marvelous wsely, good Reynaldo, before you visit him, to make inquire of his behavior," (2.1.3-5). Polonius appears to be up to no good, also falsely warning his daughter from becoming to attached to my honest Hamlet. Hamlet may have pulled a stunt, for I do not believe him to be mad. "My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced," (2.1.77-78). My liege has always been a smart man and I believe he just wishes for everyone to believe he is mad. Abroad, Fortinbras acts like he is wishing for peace but I do not believe he should be trusted. "With an entreaty, herein further shown, that it might please you to give quiet pass through you dominions for this enterprise," (2.2.77-78). If Claudius truly trusts Fortinbras, then he is surely a fool. He responds to Fortinbras by saying "It likes us well, and at our more considered time we'll read, answer, and think upon this business," (2.2.81-82). I believe that very little thinking is going on at all. Lastly, after the meeting with the ghost, I am under the impression that Hamlet has been looking at his uncle in a very spiteful way. Recently, a troop of players came into town and Hamlet wished for them to perform a very specific play on murder. I can't help but think he is up to something deeper. "The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king, "(2.2.583-584).

As I said before, when having some downtime at the castle to watch Skyfall, I couldn't help but draw similarities between the movie and reality. When questioned, James Bond says his hobby is "Resurrection". This led me to think about how my Lord Hamlet is tryiing to revive this once great nation of Denmark. While it is not out in the open yet, something is terribly amiss in Denmark and we all can feel it. Another line I was drawn to was spoken by M, who said, "Regret is not part of our profession." While I do not know what exactly is going on, I can't help but notice that Claudius has done something to effect my liege Hamlet. If Hamlet believes he has a need for revenge, he must not think about regret when coming to a decision about what to do about his feelings.

With so much still amiss in Denmark, those around me are resorting to devilish trickery in order to meet their needs. Hopefully everything comes out into the open soon so that something can be made of this mystery.

Horatio

Blog Assignment #1 Horatio

Write about the political -- and social issues -- surrounding the marriage of Claudius and Gertrude from the perspective of Fortinbras or Horatio. Fortinbras might also want to address his own "atonement of the father" as he addresses what is taking place in Denmark.

 

I fear that these are rough times in Denmark. While it is hard for me to completely grasp what is going on, it would take a fool not to realize that something is amiss. With a logical mind, it would be considered impossible what I saw the other day: none other than the ghost of our old King Hamlet! When Barnado and Marcellus both alerted me of the presence of a ghost, I had, at first, scoffed at any such inquiry. When both insisted that this ghost would once again show itself I said, "Oh, nonsense. It's not going to appear," (1.1.33). But, within no time at all, there the ghost appeared, clad in full armor. I consider myself a very reasonable, logical man, so you must believe me good readers when I say that I am not mistaken in what I saw. The similarties between the ghost and the old King were too close. "Such was the very armor he had on when he the ambitious Norway combated," (1.1.59-60).

 

I could not help myself but notice that these strange occurences have been happening ever since Claudius and Gertrude married, soon after the death of King Hamlet. What a shame, for such an incestuous marriage to occur so soon after the passing of the King. The sheer presence of the ghost of the deceased King said all that I needed to know. Trouble was about to befall Denmark, and while I don't know exactly what that strife may be, it was my duty to alert Prince Hamlet immediately. At the same time of the appearance of this ghost, I have caught wind of a disturbance from neighboring Norway. "As it doth well appear unto our state- But to recover of us, by strong hand," (1.1.101-102). It appears to me that young Fortinbras of Norway believes the marriage of Claudius and Gertrude as a symbol of the current weakness of our great nation. He plans to strike quickly while Denmark is in these times of trouble. "Young Fortinbras, holding a weak supposal of our worth or thinking by our late dear brother's death our state to be disjoint and out of frame, colleagued with the dream of his advantage, he hath not failed to pester us with message importing the surrender of those lands," (1.2.18-23). While Claudius may be able to speak with great confidence, I highly doubt that Denmark is as secure as he is suggesting.

 

And thus I felt it my duty to warn young Hamlet of what I had seen and also about the troubles that I feared were about to fall upon Denmark. Once alone with Hamlet, I explained, "Two nights together had these gentlemen, Marcellus and Barnardo, on their watch, in the dead waste and middle of the night, been thus encountered: a figure like your father," (1.2.196-199). As I knew he would be, Hamlet was astonished at the news I had brought and asked if he could keep watch with us that night to see the ghost. I fear that the ghost is in fact a demon sent to cause unrest to the young Hamlet in this time of turmoil. "What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, or to the dreadful summit of the cliff that beetles o'er his base into the sea," (1.4.72-74). Against my wishes, the Prince went with the ghost. The details of this meeting I do not know. Afterwards, Hamlet would only say that I could not speak of these appearances of the ghost to anyone. Thinking myself a loyal follower, I swore on his sword.

 

With these appearances of the ghost and the threat of Fortinbras entering into Denmark, these are indeed troubled times for Denmark. These turmoils are coming at a time directly after the incestuous marriage of Claudius and Gertrude, and it is hard for me to believe that these events are not somehow interconnected. While I do not know at the moment what is amiss, you will be sure that I will find out and that I will be next to my Prince every step of the way.

 

Horatio

 

 

Immaculate