Hamlet/R&G (1 Viewer)

[glitterfairy]

With all the things that we need to put in:

Context Historical/Social/Religious - change in culture and values
Structure Like a play?!?!?/theatrical conventions
Language Iambic Pentameter/prose/colloquial/sombre/light-hearted
Themes Death/Purpose/Destiny/Uncertainty/___?
Characters pretty self explainatory

*feel free to add to this list, ESPECIALLY QUOTES, as I SUCK at transformations*

I've done two hand-written, 40 minute practice essays so far and I'm just finding that I'm not fitting it all in 40 minutes. It's like I only get half-way - I'm not condensing as well as I should (hindered by the fact that this is my "weak" module) and just... argh. Looking at essays that did well to get an insight of how it should be like is just depressing...

Is it just me, or does everyone find this problem?


*stress*

 

[Paroissien]

That is everyone you need to put in, and more. Cut down on the list a bit. I concentrate mainly on the nature of existance, and build the essay from that.

EDIT: I also consider context to be mighty important

 

[glitterfairy]

YAY so my problem is that I'm waffling too much (I know I shouldn't waffle but hey, natural tendancy when you don't know your stuff very well) and trying to squeeze way too much content in...

 

[Paroissien]

Yeah, that's what I think. For example I hardly touch on theatrical conventions, and the transformation of characters (except Ros and Guil)
A good quote is "they only beginning is birth and the only end is death"
"Death is the ultimate negative" and "It's the absence of presence"

 

[CrashOveride]

ok guys what do u think about thematic based essays? my teacher said to not really do this but its basically what my planned essay is. when i say thematic, i mean every main body paragraph essentially is built upon some theme : death, nature of existance, etc. and from there i compare/contrast with R&G. Any opinions and im also willing to post it up later so people can take ideas/ give me feedback etc ?

 

[Paroissien]

Go ahead post it up. Because I also use that structure. Usually start with existance, then death, then go from there

 

[CrashOveride]

Go ahead post it up. Because I also use that structure. Usually start with existance, then death, then go from there

Ok here it is. Please tell me how i can improve etc and if i need to cut out anystuff, coz i would like to shorten it so its easier to memorise, but i cant see what to cut cuz it all looks good to me. &_&

 

[Atticus.]

ok guys what do u think about thematic based essays? my teacher said to not really do this but its basically what my planned essay is. when i say thematic, i mean every main body paragraph essentially is built upon some theme : death, nature of existance, etc. and from there i compare/contrast with R&G. Any opinions and im also willing to post it up later so people can take ideas/ give me feedback etc ?

your teacher said not to do that? ours said do nothing but!!! oh well im going with this structure

intro
reasons for transformation (postmodernism thrown in hear at random intervals
themes:
DEATH
RAGAD "death is the absence of presence" "im talking about death and youve never experienced that and you cannot act it you die a thousand deaths but none of the intensity wher life is squeezed out and no blood runs cold anywhere"
HAMLET: "life is this mortal coil that once shuffled off leads to death. and whats after that? the undiscovered country"
DESTINY AND FATE:
RAGAD "who decides? decides? it is written" "wheels have been set in motion"
HAMLET fate is a "strumpet" and "there is a divinity that shapes ones ends"
PURPOSE FUNCTION AND SEARCH FOR SELF
RAGAD "you seem to have no conception of where we stand" "my dear guildenstern" "did you ever think of yourself as actually dead lying in a box with a lid on it"
HAMLET "one my smile and smile and be a villian" "i am but mad north north east, when the wind is southerly i know a hawk from a handsaw"
summary about postmodernism and context
the end

:uhhuh:

 

[glitterfairy]

themeatic, if that's the term you're using, sounds like good synthesis. Why wouldn't you want to do that?!

 

[CrashOveride]

Hmm so if they asked something about techniques would you still keep your thematic approach and just chuck in stuff about techniques under each theme? The thing is for mine i have a separate part towards the end thats focusses on the techniques (mainly language and metatheatre-play within play). Hmm so im uncertain as to how to integrate techniques under the main body pargrapghs where we talk about nature of existance or death for eg.

Also whats the main difference between values and themes? Becoz i remember my teacher saying u shud focus more on values than on themes, and ive seen "values" come up a lot in Hamlet questions.... ?

 

[mizz_smee]

this is my strongesst module
but its just a prepared essay that i have written
the paragraphs are pretty short
coz it was originally a feature article
but it dosesn't look short when i write it
i was wondering if you could tell me where i could place more qoutes
i submitted it yesterday to put on the resources page
but they take awhile to put them actually on there
so yeah....

oh and as for values its the second paragraph of my essay.

 

[CrashOveride]

ok im looking at it now, if u want u can take any quotes from my essay above.

i was just thinking when i did my intro i kind of talk about fate death etc being elizabethan values so im mixing themes/values? Sorry, ur 2nd paragraph didnt clear it up for me heh I also have a strong inclination that Hamlet will be an essay coz the trend has been for this module to go with essays ^^

 

[glitterfairy]

I think fate and death is relevant in both plays.

In Hamlet it's a much grander theme, and R&G ridicules it. It's still relevant though

 

[CrashOveride]

i know its relevant...but i wanna know is it a theme or a value? how do the two differ? because i essentially seem to use fate/death etc as themes or values whenevr it suits me ^^

 

[glitterfairy]

Hmm they could lie more on the theme side (because you get other values such as existentialism that come off from them) but I guess you could use them as values...

 

[Paroissien]

I like, but it does sound familiar. You wouldn't have worked off Minai's essay by any chance?

 

[mizz_smee]

no i didn't use Minai's essay... didn't even know he had one on here
i had articles from magazines and stuff

i think that fate and destiny are considered themes not values

 

[Paroissien]

Sorry, I was referring to the CrashOveride's essay

 

[CrashOveride]

yeah took stuff from minai =p

hmm yeah i think they are themes too, so i cud just change the wording but then id be almost totally concentrating on themes? is this a bad thing? because hmm yeh like i said the values part seems to come up more in questions than themes? any ideas how to integrate someone ?

 

[Nic11]

in regards to death...

DUDES!!! i know its a bit late now... but you CANNOT say death is a value!!!!! do you value death??? you can say it is a theme yes...