Character Speech: Hamlet vs. Claudius

In Hamlet, each character's speech reveals the inner workings of their personalities and struggles. As Hamlet has just lost his father, his speech always appears somber and reserved as he struggles with his changing life and the new marriage of his mother and uncle. As the court has moved past this death in their lives, Hamlet still remains in mourning and is constantly put down by his family for his reasonings. Because of this, much of his speech also appears filled with sarcasm and slightly rude comments towards his opposers. As much of his speech revolves around death, especially in his soliloquy, Hamlet's tone in his voice is always one of emotional conflict. Contrastingly, Claudius' speech is quite shallow. His undeserved newfound power is one that is strongly reflected through his speech as he constantly asserts his power. Although, sometimes these assertions reveal themselves as an act of insecurity as he is now the ruler of Denmark when he is not supposed to be. When also speaking to Hamlet about his father, he fails to recognize Hamlet's true sadness for the loss of his father, showing that he is a man of little emotion.

Hamlet vs. Elizabeth Bennet

In both Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice, two characters lead the story through their individualism that strays away from the expectations of their "normal lives." In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet is thrown into the social world of finding a husband who will give her a wealthy life. Instead, she choses to find a husband who she is truly in love with, going against the wishes of her mother and the social standard of her time; "I am perfectly serious in my refusal. You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so" (Austen). Elizabeth's individuality compares directly to that of Hamlet; both characters focus on their true emotions rather than appeal to the common crowd. In Hamlet, Hamlet faces the hardships of losing his father and watches him be replaced by his uncle in all aspects of his life. Although most of Denmark has moved past the passing of his father 2 months ago, Hamlet still mourns the loss, despite peoples' belief that he is only serving his "filial obligations;" "Seems, madam! Nay, it is I know not "seems." 'T is not alone my inky cloak, good mother, nor customary suits of solemn black" (Shakespeare). Hamlet reveals that his appearance is more than just a duty to his father, but a sadness that he feels as he has just lost his father, straying away and presenting himself as an outsider to his own Kingdom. Both of these characters go against the social norm and chose to not lose themselves to societal customs, but rather follow their instincts and emotions.

Act 1: Claudius vs. Hamlet

In Act 1 of Hamlet, King Claudius is introduced as the new king of Denmark with his new queen, the widowed wife of his deceased brother, Gertrude. As Hamlet is introduced after Claudius, the difference in their personalities is strongly emphasized. After just losing his father, Hamlet is in a state of depression; wearing black robes and constantly crying. Through Hamlet's reaction to his father's death, the readers can see that Hamlet is a compassionate and sympathetic character, caring for the things that matter most to him. Unfortunately, King Claudius is not this way. As the man who has taken his father's position, King Claudius reveals no sympathy for Hamlet, telling him that his emotions rule unacceptable and questions why "the clouds still hang." Urging him to take off his "nightly colour," both parents view his mourning as an obligation and not as true emotions for the loss of his father, further illuminating the moral differences between both characters.

Comparing "Out, Out" and "To an Athlete Dying Young"

In Robert Frost's "Out, Out," a young man's life is cut short when he saws off his hand while working. Similarly, a young champion athlete's life is also taken before he can reach his true potential. As both of these poems deal with death, the tone and situation of each poem is incredibly similar as the reader experiences the initially excitement of two promising boys' lives are taken away . In "Out, Out," the story begins with the daily life of a boy who works for his family and ends with the sudden reaction of death to the people around him. By giving the saw alive verbs like "buzzing" and "rattling" and "leaping,"  Frost gives the reader the idea of life being much more valuable as it can be taken away by the smallest things. In "To an Athlete Dying Young," Housman also shows the reaction of the town to a young death as he starts with such hopeful beginning. Similar to "Out, Out," the author shows that life is something taken for granted as people will remember him shortly for his accomplishments but will soon forget him once someone does them better.

Plot: Pride and Prejudice vs. Outside Example

Plot is represented in any type of narrative through 5 stages: the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement. The plot is what helps move the story along and draw the reader into the main conflict of the story. The plot tells the reader what is happening throughout the story, while the characters show us through their actions and dialogue. In Pride and Prejudice, the exposition stars with the foreground of the characters; the societal pressures that push the girls towards marriage and the high class attitudes of their suiters. The rising action presents itself as Jane and Mr. Bingley start to fall in love as well as a conflicting spark between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. In my opinion, I feel the climax of the story is Lydia's eloping with Mr. Wickham. After this event, the family slowly falls apart but is later put together when Lydia returns home and Jane and Elizabeth are married.
For an outside example, The Scarlett Letter uses plot to draw the reader to the final climax of Dimmesdale's final confession. Until that point, the author leads up to this final climax through small hints leaving the reader with a dying desire to hear his confession. After the confession, the story winds down with his death and Hester's disappearance from Boston.

Kumin vs. Stafford

Woodchucks: In Maxine Kumin's "Woodchucks", Kumin parallels his anger and frustration towards the woodchucks in his garden to the cynical and violent actions of Nazi's in World War II. "I dream a sight along the barrel in my sleep. If only they'd all consent to die unseen gassed underground the quiet Nazi way" (Kumin 28-30). Through Kumin's frustration towards the animals that eat in his garden, he channels his inner "murdered" and inner Nazi, killing the woodchucks maliciously with no mercy or care for nature, similar to the actions of Nazi Germany.

Traveling Through the Dark: In William Stafford's "Traveling through the Dark,' Stafford explains the story of a man who comes upon a dead deer and is faced with the decision of saving an unborn life or saving a person's life. Stafford's somber tone reveals the man and his crossroads, knowing that his decision will be watched by all of nature. Similar to Kumin's, both characters are influenced by modern ideals as one choses to kill because of annoying and the other knows that killing the baby and deer will save another human life. Both poems stray away from the idea of nature and more towards the benefits of their actions.

D.W Harding

Disagree: In D.W Harding's work, I strongly disagree with the idea he imposes that Austen wrote this piece for a certain group of people. In his work, he states that because this book was based on making fun a certain class of people that it was Austen's "way out." "And yet she was sensitive to their crudenesses and complacencies and knew that her real existence depended on resisting many of the values they implied. The novels gave her a way out of this dilemma" (Harding 297). I feel that Harding has taken his viewpoint too far in assuming that this was Austen's true intention and sole reason for writing the book. I feel that Austen wrote this story to tell about a way of life and a flawed society.

Agree: I agree with D.W Harding's thoughts on societies reaction to this novel. I love how he states that they are able to laugh at this story while being completely oblivious to the fact it could be about them. "She found, of course, that one of the most useful peculiarities of her society was its willingness to remain blind to the implications of a caricature" (Harding 297). He also says that these are characters that Austen is able to laugh at through her story but she meanwhile "fears and detests." I agree with this idea as Austen created a story in which she could portray her deepest fears and concerns for society while making the readers and herself laugh at the characters without knowing their true intentions.