Week VIII-Hamlets psychological profile

            Many star characters in story's have been made with problems similar to Hamlet's.  Where a parent has been killed (though it's usually the mother) and the star gains an emotional lust for  revenge.  Hamlet's depression and withdrawal from the world after his father's death would have degraded his mental state substantially.  However because his mother marries, within two short months of his fathers death, Hamlet feels as though he's been abandoned!  This is clearly exemplified after his mother's wedding when he, in seclusion, exclaims,"How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me a the uses of this world!". I don't know about you but those sound like the words of an incredibly depressed person to me. 

Week VII-Politicions to shakespeare

                 Okay so let's get one thing straight. I don't believe that in the play Julius Caesar there are any heroes. None whatsoever, it's more like anti-hero vs anti-hero, and yes that is possible... I think. Also politicians bore me so I don't study them any more than I have to, meaning I don't have a lot to work with. So bare with me!
                I'll start with Antony, because he's my favorite character  (but that doesn't mean I think he's a hero).With my lack of knowledge I scrounged up Sam Brownback, at the beginning of his career, as my example. Both came from respectable occupations, Antony form the military Sam from law, making them universally likable. They were both able to accomplish what they did because their political power was underestimated by their advisories. Brutus fatally underestimated Antony's power of speech and the democrat's underestimated Brownback's efficiency at running a campaign (U.S Representative I think), Therefore letting them swoop in and take the prize.
              Next is Brutus whom I believe most relates to Obama (I Know everybody else will use him but hey, you don't run across these kind of idiots every day). I mean think about it, they're both hypocritical, self righteousness, and blame everyone else for their problems. However there are some major differences. For example, Brutus naively believes that he is doing his country a service (which is up for debat). Whereas recent investigations shows that Obama probably knows full well that he is dooming his!
               I would do Caesar but I think he might just be too much of a one of a kind for me. That's all I have for now.  If I come up with anymore I'll be sure to share.

Week VIII-"Yes I did!" "No you didn't!" "Yes I did!" "No you didn't!"

              For a politician Brutus isn't very good at understanding human behavior. This is shown when, during a petty argument with Cassius, Brutus bluntly points out all of Cassius' failings. Then Cassius, whom by this point is completely distraught and on the verge of tears, states,"You  love me not." and Brutus even agrees with him saying," I do not like your faults."
              This here is a wonderful example of two very good friends that have been in politics too long. Having been hardened by war and the death of his wife Brutus has tried to emotionally detach himself from his life. Which forces him to view friendship as an obligation to tell others their faults. Where as Cassius, through the trials of war has become an emotional wreck. So he is reaching out for a steady friend who won't judge him. Now it all comes down to a small misunderstanding in which they don't agree and BOOM an argument erupts. Though monetarily having different views on how they should treat each other they eventually get over it and return to business.

Week VII-The Fear Of Death

                     "Cowards die many times before theer deaths." More philosophical words have rarely been spoken. Caesar, I believe, was far from a coward. He's proven that from the countless wars he's fought. It would seem that Caesar has an understanding that death,"Will come when it will come." even though I'm sure he didn't intend for it to come quite so soon. Perhaps had Brutus heard Caesar say this he wouldn't have thought his plot so liberating for both Rome and Caesar. And yes Brutus did believe that he had done Caesar a favor. He Revealed that when he called himself and the conspirator's,"...friends, that have abridged his(Caesar's) time of fearing death.".

Week VII-Caesar Makes A Mistake...Again

                      Imagine if you were a wise old man with a massive amount of political power in the dominating country of the world. Going to a meeting with people who have been your friends many a long year. And some lunatic stranger runs up to you yelling,"Hail, (insert name here)! Read this schedule."then when someone else tries to give you a different letter he continues, saying,"O (insert name here), read mine first, for mine's a suit that touches (insert name here) nearer. Read it, great (insert name here)." afterword continuing for yet another round of begging. What would you do? I don't know about you but I can't answer this question realistically for three reasons. I'm not a wise old man, I don't have any political power, and no stranger has ever told me to read his letter. However, if I were to make a random guess at how I would react, it would pretty close to how Caesar did, exclaiming," What, is the fellow mad?". Hopefully I'm not lying when I say I would still read the letter, which contaned information that would have saved Caesars life, because unlike Caesar, no amount of power would convince me that I'm infallible. Caesar on the other hand believed himself to important for such things, making this his third and final waring(the 1st being the soothsayer and the 2nd being his wife's dream), but in this case third times not a charm.

WeekV-Hicory Dicory Dock

                "The clock struck three." Okay so lets be logical, how many of you believe in time travel?(not counting those who just want to be annoying) Because that's the only way that a clock would have been in this play. Yes they had sun clocks and water clocks but not what Cassius is referring to in that quote. What that really is, is an anachronism. It's similar to the modern day setting Shakespeare plays done in schools. So, much to my disappointment Shakespeare is not putting a Si-Fi twist to his plays. He's probably just trying make sure his audience is awake.

WeekV-One And The Same

                Have you ever meet two people, generally relatives, who are just alike yet totally different? To be more specific, their personality's are the same but their views aren't or vis versa. I think that's the point of act 2 scene 1 and 2. Both Brutus' wife and Caesar's are worried for them, Brutus' wife going so far as to wound herself to get Brutus' attention saying, "I can bear that with patience, And not my husband's secrets?". Also they both are falling for others deceptive words and make decisions that they later regret. So the faithful republic lover(Brutus) and the power hungry one man ruler(Caesar) are really very much alike. Who knew?