Aaron Bentley, Michael Roesemenn, Danielle Chavez-Davis, Justin Cole

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, like in other contemporary works, poetics play a pivotal role. Not only does Shakespeare use rhymed couplets at the end of certain scenes to add emphasis and drama, but he also switches from the ordered iambic pentameter lines to prose (and "paragraph form") in several places throughout the play. This change is more visible to the reader than it is to an audience, however, the lack of order contributes to the frenzy of the spoken lines. These changes in meter are used to signal the reader/audience to potentially important details, namely, Hamlet's decline into madness.

Alejandra, Edward, Santiago, Micah

In William Shakespeare's tragic play "Hamlet", Character motivation plays a large part in the development of the story. We see most of the story unravel through conflicting motivations between characters, such as Hamlet and Ophelia or Hamlet and the King. There is a conflicting love interest betweeen Ophelia and Hamlet, and there are conflicting ambitions between Hamlet and the King. Hamlet has a hard time dealing with his father's death. When the ghost comes and talks to Hamlet, it gives Hamlet the motivation to pursue his uncle for the revenge of the death of his father. This character interaction serves as a catalyst to the story's events as it helps strengthen Hamlet's resolve and forces him to act by replacing Hamlet's indicision with motivation.

Hamlet

I think we had a great day with Act One today. In his introduction to the Barnes and Noble Hamlet, Jeff Dolven writes of the "three spheres" of the play, "family, state, and theater" (3). The issues that dominate these three spheres are "solitude and company, autonomy and longing" (3). In the play thus far, what reminders of the existences of each of these spheres has Shakespeare given you, the reader/viewer? Further, how do the set of binaries of "solitude and company" and "autonomy and longing" inhabit the play thus far? How are these issues evident in the words the character say? Can you offer any examples?

Poetry

What has your experience been with poetry during the course of your life?  When you read a poem, what determines -- for you -- whether it is artful (or literary) or not?  Do you prefer poems that rhyme, that tell a story, that don't rhyme, that are "epic," that are written in stanzas?  Have you written poetry in your life and read your work aloud?  Answer any question, or a few, in your post.  I look forward to reading your replies!

Shea, Roy, Danielle, and Lucio

Many of the texts we have read this semester have explored prejudice and social constraints. Choose one or more of the stories we have read this semester and analyze the prejudice presented and the outcome/epiphany (of lack thereof) that comes from the exploration of the prejudice. To support your claim, be sure to refer to the literary techniques and metatextual concepts within the story (or stories) you are discussing.

Sonnee, Matt, Kristin, and Alex

The beginning of the story "Battle Royal" opens with the narrator's grandfather saying something that affects the main character for the rest of the story. How do similar events affect other main characters in other stories?

Joe, James, Micah, and Aaron

Consider "Cathedral" and "Battle Royal." Between the two stories, compare the three main characters (Ellison, the Blind Man, and the Husband) and how they become more self-aware (or self-perceived). Also, compare the underlying themes of racism and stereotypes in both stories.