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Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 1

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Hamlet Act 2, Scene 1: In this scene Polonius is giving instructions to his servant Reynaldo to spy on Laertes, his son, in Paris. (Again, note the theme of spying) Polonius is giving Reynaldo money to give to his son, but tells him to “to make inquire of his behavior”. “Inquire me first what Danskers are in town….” This is an example of elision or omission of words (words are intentionally left out to insure the lines scan in iambic pentameter.) What word or words are left out? Dansker: Danes Polonius tells Reynaldo to inquire about Laertes’ behavior in a roundabout general way: “encompassment and drift of question” and by this way will arrive at the truth faster and more completely than by asking directly (“…come you more nearer / Than your particular demands will touch it.”) Do you think that’s true? Polonius further instructs Reynaldo, the servant, to say that he doesn’t know him well, but has some “…distant knowledge of him…” Mark: Listen well! Are ...
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Oedipus Rex

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Oedipus Notes Act 1 There is a pestilence which has descended upon Thebes.  The people of Thebes have assembled at the front steps of Oedipus’ palace to plead with him to save them as he once did with the Sphinx. Oedipus says that he has sent Creon to ask Teiresias to come and tell them what he knows, but Creon has been gone for some time now and all anxiously wait for his return. Creon at last arrives and says he has spoken with Teiresias but first asks Oedipus if he would like to hear the news in private or in front of the people. By his comment, “I am prepared to speak, but should we not go in?” suggests that he would like to be more cautious and circumspect. Oedipus’ response is “Let them all hear it. It is for them, I suffer, more than for myself.” This is magnanimous and is suggestive of a large, generous and open heart but also one that might be foolish and a little rash.  What if the news is not good, frightening or embarrassing for him?  The crowd m...
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Notes on CRIME and PUNISHMENT: Part One

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Notes on CRIME   and PUNISHMENT Part 1 Page 1: End of an afternoon in July in St. Petersberg. It is unbearably hot and the streets of St. Petersburg are fetid with garbage and sewage. The young man, unnamed, lives in isolation. The ubermensch does not need people. What terrible act is he contemplating? Page 2: Conflict of thought vs. action. Example of Hegelian Theory of synthesis. “Can I really be capable of that?” The root word of Raskolnikov is Raskol which means schism in Russian - a perfect name for this conflicted man hanging between his emotions to do good, to be compassionate, and his cool analytical intellect to sit back and judge. Page 3: Contemplating an unspeakable but at this point unknown act. The young man is strikingly good looking, darkly handsome and taller than average, but he is dressed in rags. He is strangely  concerned with the conspicuousness of his hat. But why should that distress him so? Pages 4-5: The...
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