The Life of a Logophile: AP Literature Blog

My name is Haley Hopkins, and I am a senior at William Mason High School. My favorite subject is (and has always been) English. I plan to major in Creative Writing and English Literature at Miami University in the fall. Outside of school, my favorite thing to do is play tennis. I played on the Girls' Varisty tennis team all four years of high school. Other hobbies of mine include eating, sleeping, and reading The Fault in Our Stars as many times as I can.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Blog Post #18 - Final Portfolio Reflection

When I began to consider which two assignments I was most proud of, two immediately came to mind. The first was my Creative Project. I read the book Room by Emma Donoghue, and created a board game as a physical representation of Jack and Ma's escape from Room. This was my most favorite assignment/work, actually; I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, and I love creating things, so putting the two together was a fun experience. I felt that both my game and explanation had their strengths. I felt that my game was neat and creative, and I hope others viewed it as such because I spent more time than I would like to admit cutting and gluing those colorful squares to the board, as well as creating the game cards. I also felt that the cards captured many of the (disturbing) elements of the novel, since many of them had specific quotes to match the examples. I was proud of my explanation, too, because I felt it showed my understanding of the novel and the darker aspects of it. To many, this novel would seem strange because it is narrated by a five year old; however, it is exactly this aspect that makes the novel all the more disturbing, because Jack's lack of knowledge about his situation is appalling. The only weakness I saw in this project is that when I actually tried to play my game, it didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped. Obviously, the point of the project was not to make a perfect game, but I was hoping it would have worked out. This project taught me how to incorporate complex elements of a novel into a game; I have created things based on books before, but this novel was very complex and it forced me to really think about how I wanted to portray the themes of the novel.

The other work I am most proud of is my group's American Drama Project. The play that we read/acted out, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?', was a very strange one indeed, but that proved to make the assignment all the more interesting. I felt that our acting, while certainly not Oscar-worthy, was decent given the nature of the characters we were portraying. I did my best to pretend to be a middle-aged man, and I think it worked out pretty well. Our explanation, though, was probably the better half of our project. I felt that it was very well written and hit on all of the points it was supposed to, and then some. A lot of hard work was put into this project, and I'm extremely happy with the grade that my group got, because I believe we deserved it. This project, in my mind, did not have any major weaknesses, and I would hope that our near-perfect score is enough evidence to back that claim up. If anything, I would admit that we could have done a little bit more with our video, or perhaps tried harder to make it look a little more realistic; however, I think everything else about our project made up for all of that.

In terms of participation in class, it is with a heavy heart that I admit I did not participate nearly as much as I would have liked to, especially in group projects. During this trimester, I took two other honors/AP classes, and was also participating in the longest tennis season I've had to date. That being said, I found it to be an honestly serious struggle to keep up with everything that was going on. During the first group presentations, there were many times when I came home from matches at 7, only to find that the majority of the presentation had been finished. I felt (and do still feel) awful for putting most of the work on my other group members, and I certainly do not want to make excuses, but there were days when I couldn't help that I was home late and had a lot of homework to do on top of those presentations. I truly and honestly tried my best, however, to contribute what I could and I made sure my group members knew of my situation so they didn't think I was slacking on purpose. While I'm sure they were still upset (I don't blame them at all), they were very understanding, and I'm very grateful for that.

After the tennis season ended mid-October, I found it to be much easier to participate. This was, hopefully, seen in my group's American Drama Project. I chose to take on one of the two larger roles in the play so that I could contribute more. I ended up not contributing as much to the final paper as I had liked; I typed up the scenes (dialogue) that were in the final paper, and was a part of all of the conversations about the final analysis, but the day that portion was typed up in class, I was pretty sick, so I wasn't at school. I told them that I would do anything they needed from my house, but they told me not to worry; once again, I was very grateful for their understanding, but I felt like "that person" who gets a good grade but doesn't contribute. I wanted to make sure my individual papers reflected the hard work that I do put into my writing, and I think that especially with my Hamlet essay, I did that. I am excited for third trimester, because I know I will have a lot more time to contribute, and I would really like to do that.

My goals for the trimester were very broad and, as I later realized, not very good goals. I needed more short term ones. However, I am going to try and address them anyhow. One of my short-term goals was to be able to define more poetic terms and literary devices on the multiple choice tests. I also wanted to be able to "choose between A and C - and choose correctly." I think that I was definitely able to do that; my score went from a 75 to an 89 by the end of the trimester, and I am very pleased with that. I spent a lot of time after the first test looking up terms and whatnot in order to help me with corrections, but that didn't prove to be enough, as I only raised my grade about 7 percentage points. I paid more attention to terms in class throughout the trimester and studied for the final exam ahead of time. This time, my intial score wasn't much higher than my first, but with corrections, I was able to easily eliminate answers and bump it nearly 20 percent. All in all , I think I have met my short term goals, but there is still plenty of room for improvement during third trimester.

On my blog, I listed three long term goals: to earn an A in this class, to earn at least a 4 on the AP exam, and to succeed. These are all very broad goals, but I think I have done a decent job of working towards achieving them. As of now, I have an A in this class, and I truly hope it stays that way after everything is said and done. If so, then I can say I met my first goal. As for the AP exam, I obviously cannot discuss that yet, but I do feel more prepared for it now than I did 12 weeks ago. I know more literary terms, and I know how to better analyze poetry. Hopefully, I will meet that goal this spring. My third goal - and my most broad - was to succeed. I suppose I would define success as meeting my previous goals, and then feeling happy with myself at the end of it all. Feeling more prepared for college, since I am majoring in creative writing/English literature, also seems like a good definition for success. While I know that there is still plenty more to learn and achieve in this class, I still feel that I achieved some degree of success. I can't wait to see what happens third trimester; I can only go up from here.

Blog Post #17 - Hamlet Blog 6: Literary Analysis Essay

Haley Hopkins

Ms. Nichole Wilson

AP Literature and Composition

14 November 2013

Hamlet Literary Analysis: “Words, Words, Words…”

One definition of madness is "mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from it." But Emily Dickinson wrote: “Much madness is divinest/Sense-To a discerning Eye.” Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a "discerning Eye." Select a novel or play in which a character's apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the "madness" to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

I have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course.

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet puts on an “antic disposition,” supposedly to aid him in the quest to avenge the death of his father. However, this façade eventually leads to Hamlet’s true insanity, which can be seen through the disintegration of his relationships with his mother and Ophelia, and in his impulsive murder of Polonius. It is this true insanity that causes other characters in the play to seek vengeance and, eventually, leads to their demises.

Hamlet is emotionally unstable due to the loss of his father and the betrayal of his mother; therefore, it seems reasonable that he makes the decision to feign insanity in an attempt to avoid suspicion during his quest to avenge his father (Musick). The first time Hamlet admits his façade is when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern visit Elsinore at the request of not only Claudius, but the queen, who fears for her “too much changed son” (1.1.36). Hamlet reveals that he is simply pretending to be mad in front of his mother and uncle. He says to his friends, “my uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived” (2.2327-328). When asked how they are being tricked, Hamlet responds by saying, “I am but mad north-north west…” (2.2.330). Essentially, Hamlet is only acting mad when he is in front of those who might suspect him of wrongdoing. After making this confession, Hamlet learns that a group of travelling actors will also be in Elsinore. It is this news that allows Hamlet to formulate a plan when he is alone. In a rage, he swears to bring Claudius to justice by showing him a play that depicts the murderous acts he committed. “The play’s the thing,” he says, “wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king” (2.2.523-533). Now that Hamlet has a plan to avenge his father, he must keep up his façade so that nobody questions his motives for creating the play. With this information, some may argue that Hamlet is sane because he is aware of his deception and has a plan in mind; however, as his relationships with his mother and Ophelia begin to deteriorate, it becomes apparent that he is not.

Hamlet’s loyalty to his elaborate façade forces him to put on his “antic disposition” (1.5.173) around Ophelia, which eventually causes their relationship to crumble. When Ophelia returns the gifts he had given her, Hamlet states, “No, not I; I never gave you aught” (3.1.95-96). He is pretending that he never gave Ophelia anything, which in turn makes it seem as though he never had feelings for her. Hamlet then further adds to the confusion as he first proclaims “I did love you once” (3.1.112-113), but follows up with “I loved you not” (3.1.116). Ophelia is hurt, admitting that she was deceived by him, and he quickly flies into a rage. He tells her to “get…to a nunnery” rather than “be a breeder of sinners” (3.1.118). His madness builds with his rage as he begins to denounce women in general. Ophelia is appalled by Hamlet’s words; after he leaves, she mourns the loss of a man with “a noble mind” and “the courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s, eye, tongue, sword…” (3.1.140-141). After this encounter, it is apparent that Ophelia and Hamlet’s relationship will never be the beauty it once was; and it is not the only relationship at jeopardy.

Hamlet’s harbored internal anger, when coupled with his acts of deception, not only ruin his relationship with his mother, but could also be argued as the cause of Polonius’ death. Gertrude calls Hamlet into her room to chastise him for his recent behavior; what she doesn’t expect, however, are his responses. “Mother, you have my father much offended,” (3.4.9) he tells her – a clear expression of his distaste of her hasty marriage to his uncle. The two argue until Gertrude fears for her safety and calls out for help. Polonius, who has, as usual, been spying, follows suit. Hamlet believes it is Claudius who is behind the curtain, though, and impulsively kills him. This is what could be argued as Hamlet’s transition from feigned insanity to true insanity; his decision to kill who he thought was the king was a rash one, and it is acts like those that define the term “insanity.” Hamlet’s actions toward his mother seemed to be a mix of true anger and his façade – and these lead to her cries for help, and therefore, Polonius’ death. The theme of vengeance and death is also presented; Hamlet’s quest to avenge his father has now caused the death of Ophelia’s father, and it does indeed lead to major consequences.

The death of Polonius proves to be the turning point of Hamlet, as it continues to support the theme of vengeance and death through the demises of the rest of the characters. The domino effect is seen clearly in the final acts of the play: Ophelia descends into madness and eventually dies, and in the ultimate depiction of vengeance, Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude all meet their demises. All of the men in this final act are seeking some sort of revenge. Hamlet’s final act of vengeance – the murder of Claudius- is simply his way of bringing his father’s murderer to justice. Even Laertes says that the king is “justly serv’d” (5.2.291). Therefore, his actions could be justifiable, because he wants to fulfill his father’s wishes by getting rid of the man who shouldn’t have come to power in the first place. He is also, arguably, in a state of true insanity, brought about by spending far too much time pretending to be mentally ill (Mohamedali). The gruesome scene that Fortinbras ends up discovering was brought about by vengeance – first Hamlet’s, and then Claudius’ and Laertes’. Their madness encompassed them, overtook them, and eventually, killed them.

Hamlet’s “antic disposition” may have started out as simple deception, but it proved to be much deadlier. Fueled by his desire to avenge his father, Hamlet committed impulsive and deceptive acts that not only ruined the only stable relationships he had, but led to multiple deaths – including his own. Hamlet’s transition from feigned to real madness proved that seeking vengeance can only ever lead to your demise.

Works Cited

Mohamedali, Yasyf. "Something Rotten? An Analysis Of Hamlet's Antic Disposition." Yasyf Mohamedali. VanIsland Sites, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.

Musick, Erich. “Antic Disposition.” ErichMusick.com. Erich Musick, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. <http://erichmusick.com/writings/03/antic_disposition.html>.

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Blog Post #16 - Hamlet Blog 4

How hard it is to keep up this ruse when my Ophelia is dead. And what's more, I am being blamed for her death. But I could never kill her - "I lov'd Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not...make up my sum" (4.1.90). The poor girl, she was confused; she had been lied to for too long. And even though I am hurt that she believed all of the lies about me, I am more upset as I think about the toll they must have taken on her. "The habit of mistrust...[was] something new to her" (Seng 220). She did not confront me, though even if she had, I would have been forced to lie to her. So perhaps this could not have been prevented. Perhaps it is true that she was "a violet in the youth of primy nature...-sweet, not lasting." (1.3.15.).

I was reading the paper today and I came across an article written about my dear Ophelia. As painful as it was to read all of the awful things that were said about her, I had to agree. "Indeed, she had believed [me]...and her trust was misplaced" (Seng 220-221). Ophelia chose to put her trust with her family- and though that is not unreasonable, what is not okay is that she believed every word they said. She trusted them, and it got her killed. Polonius - what a conniving liar. His "spying, sneaking eavesdropping..." (Seng 221) finally got him killed as well, though I would rather him be alive if it meant Ophelia would be, too. She told me "I was the more deceived" (3.1.117), but she was being more deceived by her father and brother than me. She had no idea. I told her "I did love you once" (3.1.112-113), and that was my way of trying to speak the truth. I suppose my contradiction did not help...but it had to be done! I had to avenge my father! I just wish things hadn't gone this way.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Blog Post #15 - Hamlet Blog 3

In Hamlet's famous soliloquy, "To Be or Not To Be," Hamlet contemplates whether or not he wants to continue living.

Hamlet is in so much emotional pain that he feels he cannot continue his time on Earth. However, he is hesitant about ending his life because nobody knows what happens after death. As Hamlet puts it, “no traveller returns, puzzles the will/And makes us rather bear those ills we have”(3.1.80-81). Hamlet is afraid that if he were to end his life, he may regret it. But at the same time, he is living in negativity. He speaks of the pain of "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" (3.1.58) and "the whips and scorns of time" (3.1.70), and it is clear that he feels death would be less painful than what he is dealing with at the moment.

There are appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos scattered throughout Hamlet's soliloquy. Hamlet is trying to be logical about his decision to live or die when he considers that "no traveler returns, puzzles the will..."(3.1.80). Although he is nearly certain that he wants to die, he isn't quite sure of what would come next and if it would be worth dying for. Hamlet appeals to pathos the most throughout his soliloquy, as his emotional disturbance is expressed. He feels "the pangs of despis'd love" (3.1.72) and he wonders "who would bear the whips and scorns of time" (3.1.70). This imagery provokes feelings of despair in the reader, allowing them to connect to the depressed Hamlet. There is also an appeal to ethos when Hamlet remarks that "tis nobler in the mind to suffer" (3.1.57). Hamlet knows that it is a sin to commit suicide, and even though he is extremely distraught, he wants to be noble and continue suffering to prove his strength.

The use of paradox in the line "or to take arms against a sea of troubles,/And, by opposing, end them?” is important because it showcases Hamlet's struggle between fighting and taking the easy way out (killing himself). There is also parallelism in the lines "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, / Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely/ The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay" (3.1.65-66). Hamlet is almost listing the reasons why he cannot bear to continue living.
Hamlet also uses infinitives to emphasize his uncertainty about his decision. By saying things like "to be," "to die," "to sleep," Hamlet is listing his options in a way that shows that he is struggling with
deciding what to do.

The tone of Hamlet's soliloquy is dark. He is rattled with despair and uncertainty as he ponders if he should cross the line between life and death. Lines like "grunt and sweat under a wear life" (3.1.77) show how Hamlet's life has exhausted him, and he wants a way out. The concept of suicide is a dark one, indeed, so it is no wonder that the tone is dark, since he is contemplating it throughout his soliloquy. Hamlet's diction helps contribute to this dreary tone, too. By using words like "suffer", "troubles", "die", and "pale", we are given images of the awful life of Hamlet. We feel his pain as he expresses it.

There are two main metaphors that can be seen in Hamlet's soliloquy. The first is seen in the line, "or to take arms against a sea of troubles" (3.1.59). Hamlet sees his life as one bad incident after another, and he showcases this by using a "sea of troubles" as a metaphor for all of the things that have made him so upset. The other metaphor that can be found in the soliloquy is in the lines, "and thus the native hue of resolution / is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought..." (3.1.84). Native hue is used as a metaphor that is "derived from the color of the face" (Jago).

Hamlet makes many comparisons throughout his soliloquy. He compares life on earth with death when he says that while he wants to be noble and "suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" (3.1.58), he also feels that death will "end the heart-ache" (3.1.62). He also compares this to the uncertainty of death when he states that "no traveller returns" (3.1.80). He discusses humans and how "thus conscience does make cowards of us all" (3.1.83), and compares it to "the pale cast of thought" (3.1.85).

Most of Hamlet's oppositions to his argument have to do with the uncertainty of death. He discusses how nobody knows what will happen after death, because nobody returns to tell the tale. He notes that while death is like a dream, but the nature of the dream is also uncertain, and so he isn't sure if it is a dream he would like to have. Finally, he says that the reason humans cannot take their lives so easily is that they do a lot of pondering, and they spend so long doing it that they end up continuing their lives anyway.

The main philosophical question that Hamlet ponders is whether or not he should continue living. He wonders, "should I continue suffering on Earth like a noble man, or end my life not knowing what will happen after I do?" After pondering this question, Hamlet comes to the conclusion that humans will choose to keep living because their fear of the unknown is greater than their wish to die.

-Mis En Scene Analysis:

Kenneth Branagh: We see Hamlet staring at his own reflection in the mirror. He is speaking softly to himself, which is perhaps because he is deciding between life and death, which is a serious matter. He is looking at his reflection in the hopes that it will give him an answer, or perhaps even a reason to stay on Earth. Hamlet is dressed in all black and there are no other distractions in the room so as to keep the focus on his soliloquy. The only prominent thing about the camera angle is that the camera zooms in on Hamlet is he gets further into his soliloquy, because as his struggle deepens, his words become more important, as he is about to reach his decision. Music is also added in about halfway through, in unison with the camera zoom, to add to the drama that is unfolding inside Hamlet's head. The focus is kept on his words, even though they are uttered softly.

Laurence Olivier: This scene starts in chaos. There is already music playing and the camera ascends a flight of stairs until we see Hamlet, who is facing the sea (to mirror his metaphorical sea of troubles), ready to deliver his soliloquy. The chaos in this scene is also mirroring the chaos in Hamlet's head as he struggles to decide whether or not he wants to die. The camera then focuses in on the back of Hamlet's head, and suddenly, there is a blurry image of the sea. This is an image to represent the turmoil in his head. The camera then switches back to Hamlet, where the scenery is very dark and foggy. In this version, there are some voiceovers during Hamlet's soliloquy. This may have been done to make his thoughts seem more like actual thoughts, since we don't see them being physically spoken. Hamlet is on the edge of a cliff - or rather, the brink of death - and after his soliloquy, he retreats back into the darkness of life, as he has made up his mind.

Mel Gibson: The scene starts with Hamlet in a very dark tomb. The only reason we can see him is because of a single skylight. Hamlet is bending over the tomb, but then he stands back up; this is a physical representation of the back-and-forth struggle going on in his head. Throughout the scene, the camera zooms in on Hamlet as he speaks, but when the time comes for him to decide his fate, the camera zooms back out because a solution is being reached. The darkness of the tomb mirrors the darkness of Hamlet's mind, and it is also an interesting setting because if Hamlet were to have chosen death, he would have ended up in a tomb. We see Hamlet walking out of the tomb at the very end of the scene, towards the light, so we know he has chosen to live.

Ethan Hawke: This modern-day scene begins with music playing as Hamlet slowly strolls through a video rental store. He is dressed in a black suit, the black mirroring the darkness of his mind and the decision he has to make. There are intense action movies playing on screens in the background, another mirror image of the intensity in his head. Hamlet continues walking but has yet to choose a movie, which follows his decision-making process. At first, we hear Hamlet speaking, but don't see him (a voice over). This makes it more dramatic because we hear this thoughts but we cannot see him. Eventually, he is physically speaking his lines, and we continue following him through the store.

I felt that the Laurence Olivier scene did the best job of delivering my famous soliloquy. The chaos at the beginning of the scene perfectly mirrored my thoughts, and as I watched myself sit on the edge of the cliff, looking out at the unforgiving sea, I realized just how dark my mind was at that time. I was in an awful place, and Olivier made me realize that because not only was there this raging sea in front of me, but there was darkness and fog behind me, where my real life was waiting for me to limp back and continue the struggle. I felt that the scene's use of voiceovers also allowed those dark thoughts of mine to seem more personal because it looked as though I was actually thinking them, rather than seeing me speak them. The final walk back into the darkness was powerful because it gave me mixed emotions; I was happy that I chose to be noble and continue my life, but watching the fog encompass me was sickening.

If I could change things from the other three scenes, I certainly would. In Branagh's version, I would have made my character speak more loudly. While I realize that it may have been purposeful because of the intimacy of the struggle, I do not feel it was effective in capturing my despair. In Gibson's version, I felt that the tomb was too dark, and it didn't account for the fact that I was also contemplating living. Hawke's version was my least favorite, however. There are many improvements to be made. I was not a fan of the setting; the video store, to me, was not the place to showcase my most personal struggle. I was also distracted by the movies in the background; I missed a few lines of my own soliloquy! All of these changes could have made my soliloquy easier to understand and relate to.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Blog Post #14 - Hamlet Blog 2

Notorious woman of affairs...adventurous man of the world!
Deep their love, great the risk!

The film Notorious is a classic portrayal of espionage and all that comes with it. Alicia Huberman is a frivolous woman whose father was a convicted Nazi spy (he committed suicide in prison). She is hired by a government agent, T.R. Delvin, to infiltrate an organization of Nazis. Alicia and Delvin fall in love quickly and recklessly, and this complicates her mission. Alicia is ordered to seduce one of the Nazis, Sebastian, and she does a good job; he asks for her hand in marriage. Alicia accepts when Delvin does not object (which infuriates her). Even though she is now Sebastian's wife, she continues to spy on him. At Delvin's command, she steals Sebastian's key to his wine cellar. Delvin and Alicia investigate, and are caught immediately after discovering incriminating evidence. Sebastian plots to kill Alicia slowly by poisoning her coffee. Alicia eventually does fall ill, and Delvin rescues her at the end, proclaiming his love for her, and leaving Sebastian to face the consequences of his actions.

I am no stranger to espionage. Everyone here spies on everyone. Claudius, Polonius, and my own mother have gone to the ends of the earth to find out what is "wrong" with me. Polonius read my love letters to Ophelia; and as if that weren't awful enough, he then suggested to Claudius and my mother that they spy on me as I converse with Ophelia. "Be you and I behind an arras then..."(2.2.262), he said. His suggestions disgust me, but what truly enrages me is that Claudius and my mother agreed. I confused Polonius as I rambled on about goodness knows what in response to his questions. When asked if I knew him, I replied, "Excellent well; you are a fishmonger"(2.2.273). I will likely do this again in the future. Aside from my encounter with Polonius, I experienced more attempts at espionage when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern visited. I had known all along that my mother and Claudius had sent them, but I played along for a few minutes. I reminded them that "Denmark's a prison" (2.2.231) and the worst one at that. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern disagreed, however. Then, they proceeded to lie to me. I asked why they came to visit and Rosencrantz replied, "To visit you, my lord: no other occasion" (2.2.253). Of course, it was then that I revealed my knowledge of their intentions. I told them, "You were sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks which your modesties have not craft enough to color..."(2.2.259). Guildenstern replied with the truth: that they had been sent by my mother and Claudius. It was unfortunate how quickly they revealed their intentions, but I suppose I am grateful for their honesty. I am not, however, grateful for elders who do not trust me, and furthermore, have sent my own friends to spy on me. I am more convinced now than ever that nobody can be trusted.

In Notorious, there comes a point when Sebastian questions Alicia's love for him and for Devlin. When confronted, she says, "I've told you before, Mr. Devlin doesn't mean a thing to me." However, that is obviously not that case, as seen throughout the movie. This can be compared to Rosencrantz' blatant lie to Hamlet about why he and Guildenstern are visiting him. Rosencrantz says he is there simply "to visit you, my lord: no other occasion"(2.2.253). Hamlet knows this is a lie and quickly forces him to confess.

Another set of quotes that could be compared starts with an exchange between Alicia and Devlin:
"Alicia: What's this all about, huh? What's your angle?
Devlin: What angle?
Alicia: About last night.
Devlin: Just wanted to be friends.
Alicia: Friends, yeah. You could frame me, hmm?"

This shows that Alicia does not trust Devlin, just like Hamlet doesn't trust his mother and Claudius. Hamlet's distrust leads him to question Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's reason for visiting him, and he eventually says, "You were sent for"(2.2.259) and confirms his suspicions when Guildenstern admits that he and Rosencrantz were indeed sent by the king and queen. The difference between Notorious and Hamlet is that the espionage roles are switched. That is to say, there are only two spies infiltrating a large circle of people in Notorious, whereas in Hamlet, multiple people are spying on Hamlet (and eventually everyone spies on each other).

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Blog Post #13 - Hamlet Blog 1

My father is dead. My father is dead and gone and Claudius - my own uncle - doesn't seem to care. I am mourning the death of the man who helped give me life, who helped raise and shape me, and Claudius has the nerve to tell me that my sorrow, while dutiful, is a "course of impious stubbornness; 'tis unmanly grief..."(1.2.94). Of course I am in misery! Not only that, but I am enraged. I only wish my physical self would "thaw and resolve itself into a dew" (1.2.129)! I cannot bear to exist knowing my mother has married my uncle so quickly, so willingly. And Claudius? Just the same. Both had their people in mind, of course, but not their family members. This family, this world, "'tis an unweeded garden" (1.2.134). We are a mess. My mother, she seemed to love my father so much; and yet, two months after his untimely death, she remarried, "O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets"(1.2.155)! I cannot comprehend. I wish it were not a sin to commit suicide, for if I was certain it would not send me to Hell, I would take my last breath in this moment. "But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue" (1.2.158). I must pretend that everything is okay even though my world has shattered into an immeasurable amount of pieces.

Blog Post #12 - Hamlet Character Paragraph

I have chosen to write my Hamlet blogs from the perspective of Hamlet himself. I find Hamlet to be an extremely interesting character; his complexity will allow me to take my blog posts in multiple directions. Hamlet is also very cynical; he trusts no one, and for good reasons. I think a cynical tone will be interesting to take on as I blog from the perspective of Hamlet. I also find it interesting that Hamlet can be found on both ends of multiple spectrums. For example, he can be just as intense as he is tender. A character that can feel so many emotions, and so intensely, is certainly social media worthy. Hamlet's opinions are just as headstrong as he is, and writing from his perspective is a challenge I'm excited to take on.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Blog Post #11 - American Drama Project: Write-Up and Storyboards

Kaitlyn Barnes, Rachel Cawood, Jess Hart, Haley Hopkins

AP English Literature and Language

Ms. Wilson

30 October 2013

Independent American Drama Assignment

Prompt: 1982 Bulletin #2: “In many plays a character has a misconception of himself or his world. Destroying or perpetuating illusion contributes to a central theme of the play.” Choose a play with a major character to whom this statement applies, and write an essay in which you consider the following:

1) What the character’s illusion is and how it differs from reality as presented in the play.

2) How the destruction or perpetuation of the illusion develops a theme of the play. Do not merely retell the story.

Rationale for Prompt, Scene Selection, and Stylistic Choices

We chose the 1982 Bulletin #2 prompt because a major theme in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is Reality vs. Illusions. Martha maintained the illusion of a son whom she wanted but could never have. She was very uncomfortable with the reality so she perpetuated the illusion of a son and George let her do this until she destroyed the illusion when she told Honey about their son. The destruction of the illusion caused George to have to “kill” their imaginary child. The illusion had to end and Martha had to face reality again. This demonstrates the conflict between reality and illusions in the play, which the prompt allows us to address since its focus is on how reality and the character’s illusion conflict in the play. But the illusion develops the theme of sexual maturity as well. It is revealed in the play that Martha and her father had a poor relationship which affected Martha’s relationship with other men for the rest of her life. She wasn’t able to have healthy sexual relationships due to her lack of sexual maturity which came from her childlike innocence which was a result of Martha and her father not developing a healthy relationship with each other when she was young. This prompt allows use to attach the theme of sexual maturity to her illusion because Martha developed the illusion due to her childlike innocence and inability to develop healthy sexual relationships, which is why her child was a boy over a girl. The 1982 prompt was the perfect fit for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf because the play is focused on the effects of living within an illusion, which is the central focus of the prompt.

We selected the three scenes we did to illustrate the prompt because they show Martha’s struggle to have sexual relationships, and the eventual failure of each of her attempts. For instance, in the first scene, in which George pretends to shoot Martha, Martha tries to be sexual with George by making him touch her, but he rejects her. Similarly, in the scene with Martha and Nick, Martha is complaining that even though Nick had considerable sexual “potential” (199), when Martha tried to initiate sex with him, he failed to “perform” (199). This demonstrates Martha’s underdeveloped sexuality as all the times we see her try to be sexual, there is a failure. In the third scene, the illusion of Martha and George’s son is destroyed. George tells Martha their son died after swerving to avoid a porcupine. This is a pivotal moment in the play as the reality of Martha’s situation sets in for her. It is shown Martha understood that her son was an illusion and was only real to her as she was not supposed to talk about their son with anyone. George tells Martha, “You know the rules,” and she acknowledges he is taking away her fake child from her but the loss is still devastating for Martha as she is being thrown into the world of reality (235). The first two scenes and the third scene connect to each other and relate to the prompt in that it is because of Martha’s lack of sexual maturity that she creates the illusion of a son because she fails at all of her real relationships with men. The theme of sexual maturity (or a lack thereof) is developed by the illusion because it is seen as an escape from Martha’s struggles with sexual maturity due to the childlike innocence she still maintains. Despite Martha’s lack of sexual maturity creating the son, it also destroyed him. She failed at the relationship with her son as well and that is why he had to be destroyed. George told Nick and Honey of how Martha would try to “climb” all over him and bathe him at the age of sixteen (215). This is showing the relationship she had with her son was just as sickly as the ones she had with the other men in her life so in the end her lack of sexual maturity and her childlike innocence killed the son. Another significant detail in the scene is when George says their son was killed after swerving to miss a porcupine. A porcupine is a symbol of childlike innocence (Andrews). The porcupine was the reason their son crashed into the tree so Martha’s innocence and underdeveloped sexuality destroyed the illusion of the son as well.

To demonstrate the stark contrast between reality and illusion that is presented in the play and is part of the prompt, we chose to make our video in black and white. There is heavy contrast between black and white just as their is between reality and illusions. Reality vs. Illusion is a major theme in the play as Albee’s larger point of the play was to say that the sexual revolution was an illusion itself. Therefore, it was imperative to find a way to emphasize this theme and making the entire video in black and white makes it very clear the contrast is important.

Also, the choice to make our frame narrative based off an episode of Snapped was made to emphasize that contrast between reality and illusions because the show is centered around people who lose their connection with the real world and finally snap and do something harmful. In the play, Martha had lost her touch with reality so much so that she forgot about rules and told Honey about their son so the illusion had to be destroyed and her son was “killed” because of her. Within an episode of Snapped there are witnesses who speak about what they knew about the person and maybe warning signs they saw. We had Honey and Nick do witness statements because they were the bystanders for most of the play, watching the illusion unravel so we had them share their supposed thoughts after each scene to highlight was just happened in the past scene and move to the next one.

Some other stylistic choices we made were in the camera angles. We didn’t have that many close up scenes but there was one close up on Martha and George when they were sitting at the bar discussing their son. We did a close up there to focus on the emotion they are investing into their son, who is really an illusion, because this is the first time where a major personal topic is getting seriously discussed and later in the video it will be seen that the son they talked so highly of and debated about was really fake, emphasizing how real an illusion can seem. The reason there aren’t more close up shots is due to the emotional detachment from the characters. Especially in the beginning of the play, there is a lot of joking around and teasing but the true relationships of the characters aren’t understood until later in the play, especially in the last scene. Having medium shots doesn’t give that up close and personal feeling that is to be reserved for when the characters get more emotional and deep into their problems as the play progresses.

We filmed the video in a group member’s basement on their couch and around their bar because the setting in the book was a living room and they had a bar as well because they drank a lot throughout the night. It was a familiar and casual setting, as in the play, since it was set in Martha and George’s living room. All of the characters were dressed up in a casual with a formal touch because Martha and George live on a small college campus since George is a professor at the school and they are having another professor over, so we felt they might be slightly dressy but still informal because it is a social gathering.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Synopsis

General Synopsis: Two couples, each embroiled in a very complicated relationship, spend a night drinking and talking, but as the play progresses their conversations reveal the secrets and illusions within their relationships.

Characters:

Martha: A deluded 52 year old woman who is married to George. They have been married for many years but time has fractured their relationship. She is very promiscuous, and craves male attention.
George: The underappreciated 46 year old husband of Martha who feels held captive under the thumb of Martha’s father’s college, at which he is a history professor. He strikes back at Martha’s promiscuity and disobedience by killing their son.
Nick: Honey’s husband and a young professor at Martha’s father’s college. He proves to be an unfaithful husband during the night, as the strength of Nick and Honey’s relationship is shown.
Honey: A young woman who is married to Nick and who, throughout the night, is in an intoxicated state as the chaos ensues late into the night making her unaware of the actions of her husband.

Playwright Background:

All 25 of his plays are controversial and provocative as they attack “artificial values” and disillusionment of American society (The Kennedy Center).
He was kicked out of or left multiple schools due to his artistic dreams, rebelling against his parents and pursuing a writing career in New York (The Kennedy Center).
Albee was the first to introduce absurdist drama (The Kennedy Center).

Setting:

Martha and George’s living room of their on campus house at a small New England college.
The play starts off at two AM and goes until the early morning.
It takes places in the early 1960s.

Significance of Title:

The title means who’s afraid of living without illusions and having to face the reality of the world around them? Because at the end of the play after the illusion is destroyed, George sings to Martha, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and Martha says, “I...am...George,” (242).
So now Martha is saying she is afraid of how she will live her life without the illusion of her son.

Key Plot Moments:

When Martha asks George to kiss her and after she places his hand on her breast he pulls away and rejects her. This demonstrates Martha trying to be sexually mature but not doing it well and being rejected when trying,
After Martha and Nick tried unsuccessfully to have sex, she insults him on his sexual performance, calling him a “flop.” This is another moment in which Martha can’t have a successful sexual relationship with a man.
When George shares that Martha bathed her son when he was sixteen years old and was always going after him, revealing the abuse their imaginary son endured from Martha because of her inability to develop proper sexual relationships with any man.
When George destroys Martha’s illusion of having a son, revealing the poor relationship between Martha and her father, and George“kills” the son by saying a telegram came and he swerved to miss a porcupine and died after crashing into a large tree. The illusion is destroyed and Martha must face the reality that they do not really have a child and she must come back to reality.
At the very end when George and Martha are alone and George sings to Martha, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Martha says she is. This shows Martha is scared of what her life will be without the illusion but this ending scene also shows how even after George kills Martha’s illusion they can reconcile their relationship.

Symbols/Motifs:

Porcupine: it is a symbol of childlike innocence which is embodied by Martha as she lacks sexual maturity which is a result of the poor relationship between her and her father (Andrews). Her lack of sexual maturity is why she can’t have developed relationships with men.
The Child: Martha and George’s child was a figment of Martha’s imagination but the child was another outlet to show her desire for sexual development.
Alcohol: All the characters drank late into the morning but as they became more intoxicated they went further into the truth of the illusion and the instability of both the couple’s relationships. As the play went on it was seen that Honey and Nick got married only due to her pregnancy, Nick almost had an affair with Martha, and the truth about Martha and George’s child was revealed as well as the rules and lies that their relationship was built on.

Key Quotes:

Martha: “Aww ‘tis the refuge we take when the unreality of the world weighs too heavy on our tiny heads” (188). Demonstrating the refuge she seeks from reality with illusions.
Nick to Martha: “Everybody’s a flop to you! Your husband’s a flop, I’m a flop…” (189). Nick pointing out Martha’s inability to have a successful relationship with any of the men in her life.
Martha: “(George) can make me happy and I do not wish to be happy, and yes I do wish to be happy. George and Martha: sad, sad, sad” (191). Martha describing her relationship with George and her conflicting emotions surrounding him and the happiness she desires.
Geroge: “Truth or illusion. Who knows the difference toots?” (201). George says this before he explains how their son died. He is hinting at the unreality that has become their life as he is about to force Martha into reality.

Themes:

Reality vs. Illusion: The reality of Martha and George’s situation is constantly conflicting with the illusion Martha has created to avoid the reality that she couldn’t have children. The illusion kept Martha from the truth that she wasn’t ready to deal with and George allowed the perpetuation of this lie until she broke the rule and told people from the rest of the world, outside of Geroge, about their illusion. Martha is aware of these rules but forgets because of how real the illusion is to her. This is the constant conflict between the reality of the situation and the illusion of the child in Martha and George's relationship.
Sexual Maturity: Martha wishes to be sexually mature and be able to have a healthy relationships with men. She tries with George, Nick, and even her imaginary son but fails each time. This is her continual struggle that is a result of the poor relationship she had with her father which has caused her to maintain her childlike innocence.

Style:

Albee mixes the realistic and relatable setting with the absurd and surreal moments that the characters experience through the play.

Script:Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf

Edward Albee

Characters:

Martha: Kaitlyn Barnes

George: Haley Hopkins

Nick: Jess Hart

Honey: Rachel Cawood

Prosecutor (Intro): The murder of Jim, the son of Martha and George, is a very complex case. But at the very root of this case is Martha’s delusion, and the consequences that occur when George could no longer handle it. In Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Martha is under the illusion that she has a son, whereas, in reality, her son exists only in her mind. Even though babies typically signal a transition in life, Martha’s perpetuation of this illusion represents her inability to develop sexual relationships with men due to her poor relationship with her father. By eventually destroying her illusion and thus her childlike innocence, symbolized through her son’s death by porcupine, Albee examines the changing world around him at the onset of the 1960’s sexual revolution by asserting that the sexual revolution itself is an illusion and people are still constrained by the monogamous aspects of society even as they struggle to attain sexual liberation.

Scene 1:

MARTHA:

...and George wheeled around real quick, and he caught it right in the jaw...Pow!

(NICK laughs)

I hadn’t meant it...honestly. Anyway...POW! Right in the jaw…and he was off balance...he must have been...and he stumbled back a few steps, and then, CRASH, he landed...flat...in a huckleberry bush!

(NICK laughs. HONEY goes tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, and shakes her head)

I think it’s colored our whole life. Really I do! It’s an excuse anyway.

(GEORGE enters now, his hands behind his back. No one sees him.)

It’s what he uses for being bogged down, anyway...why he hasn’t gone anywhere.

(GEORGE advances, HONEY sees him)

MARTHA:

And it was an accident...a real, goddamn accident!

(GEORGE takes from behind his back a short-barreled shotgun, and calmly aims it at the back of MARTHA’S head, HONEY screams...rises. MARTHA turns her head to face GEORGE. GEORGE pulls the trigger)

GEORGE:

POW!!!!

(Pop! From the barrel of the gun blossoms a large red-and-yellow Chinese parasol. HONEY screams again, this time less, and mostly from relief and confusion)

You’re dead! Pow! You’re dead!

(HONEY is beside herself. MARTHA laughs too...almost breaks down, her great laugh booming. GEORGE joins in the general laughter and confusion. It dies, eventually)

MARTHA

Where’d you get that, you bastard?

GEORGE

(A trifle abstracted)

Oh, I’ve had it awhile. Did you like that?

MARTHA (Giggling)

you bastard.

GEORGE (Leaning over MARTHA)

You liked that, did you?

MARTHA

Yeah...that was pretty good. (Softer) C’mon...give me a kiss.

GEORGE

(Indicating NICK and HONEY)

Later, sweetie. (But MARTHA will not be dissuaded. They kiss, GEORGE standing, leaning over MARTHA’s chair. She takes his hand, places it on her stage-side breast. He breaks away)

Oh-ho! That’s what you’re after, is it? What are we going to have...blue games for the guests? Hunh? Hunh?

MARTHA (Angry-hurt)

You...prick!

GEORGE (A Pyrrhic victory)

Everything in its place, Martha...everything in its own good time.

(Albee 61-64)

(Transition from Scene 1 to Scene 2)

HONEY I have never been so scared in my entire life! I really thought George was going to shoot Martha. Even though I was pretty intoxicated I can clearly remember being able to tell George and Martha were living in a dysfunctional relationship. This was the start of the evening chaos.

Scene 2:

MARTHA:

Hey, hey...where is everybody…? (It is evident she is not bothered) So? Drop me; pluck me like a goddamn...whatever-it-is…creeping vine, and throw me over your shoulder like an old shoe…George? (Looks about her) George? (Silence) George! What are you doing: Hiding, or something? (Silence) GEORGE!! (Silence) Oh, fa Chri…(Goes to the bar, makes herself a drink and amuses herself with the following performance) Deserted! Abandon-ed! Left out in the cold like an old pussycat. HA! Hump the Hostess! (Laughs greatly at this, falls into a chair; calms down, looed defeated, says, softly) Fat chance. (Even softer) Fat chance. (Baby talk now) Daddy? Daddy? Martha is abandoned. Left to her own vices at…(Peers at a clock)...something o’clock in the old A.M. Daddy White Mouse; do you really have red eyes? Do you? Let me see. Ohhhhh! You do! You do! Daddy, you have red eyes...because you cry all the time, don’t you, Daddy? Yes; you do. You cry alllll the time. I’LL GIVE YOU BASTARDS FIVE TO COME OUT FROM WHERE YOU’RE HIDING!! (Pause) I cry all the time too, Daddy. I cry alllll the time; but deep inside, so no one can see me. I cry all the time. And George cries all the time, too. We both cry all the time, and then, what do we do, we cry, and we take our tears, and we put ‘em in the icebox, in the goddamn ice trays (Begins to laugh) until they’re frozen (Laughs even more) and then...we put them...in our...drinks. (More laughter, which is something else, too. After sobering silence) (Sadly) I’ve got windshield wipers on my eyes, because I married you...baby!

(NICK enters while MARTHA is clinking; he stands in the hall entrance and watches her; finally he comes in)

NICK

My God, you’ve gone crazy too.

MARTHA

Clink?

NICK

You’re all crazy: nuts.

MARTHA (Affects a brogue)

Awww, ‘tis the refuge we take when the unreality of the world weighs too heavy on our tiny heads.

(Normal voice again)

Relax; sink into it; you’re no better than anybody else.

NICK (Wearily)

I think I am.

MARTHA

(Her glass to her mouth)

You’re certainly a flop in some departments.

NICK (wincing)

I beg your pardon…?

MARTHA (Unnecessarily loud)

I said, you’re certainly a flop in some…

NICK (He, too, too loud)

I’m sorry you’re disappointed.

MARTHA (Braying)

I didn’t say I was disappointed! Stupid!

NICK

You should try me sometime when we haven’t been drinking for ten hours, and maybe…

MARTHA (Still braying)

I wasn’t talking about your potential; I was talking about your goddamn performance.

NICK (Softly)

Oh.

MARTHA (She softer, too)

Your potential’s fine. It’s dandy. (Wiggles her eyebrows) Absolutely dandy. I haven’t seen such a dandy potential in a long time. Oh, but, baby, you sure are a flop.

NICK (Snapping it out)

Everybody’s a flop to you! Your husband’s a flop I’m a flop…

MARTHA (Dismissing him)

You’re all flops. I am the Earth Mother, and you’re all flops.

(Albee 195-199)

(Transition from Scene 2 to Scene 3)

NICK I could tell Martha was having some issues after our encounter. Even though I did have some performance issues, I feel like she was determined to tear me down from the beginning. No matter what happened she would have been disappointed because she’s in love with the potential but can’t stand the reality.

Scene 3

GEORGE

Isn’t Martha something? Here we are, on the eve of our boy’s homecoming, the eve of his twenty-first birfday, his majority...and Martha says don’t talk about him.

MARTHA

Just...don’t.

GEORGE

But I want to, Martha! It’s very important we talk about him. He’s a nice kid, really, in spite of his home life; I mean, most kids’d grow up neurotic, what with Martha here carrying on the way she does; sleeping till four in the P.M., climbing all over the poor bastard, trying to break the bathroom door down to wash him in the tub when he’s sixteen, dragging strangers into the house at all hours…

MARTHA (Rising)

O.K. YOU!

GEORGE (Mock concern)

Martha!

MARTHA

That’s enough!

GEORGE

Well, do you want to take over?

HONEY (To NICK)

Why would anybody want to wash someone who’s sixteen years old?

NICK

(Slamming his drink down)

Oh, for Christ’s sake, Honey!

HONEY (Stage whisper)

Well, why?!

GEORGE

Because it’s her baby-poo.

MARTHA

ALL RIGHT!!

(By rote; a kind of almost-tearful recitation)

Our son. You want our son? You’ll have it.

Our son. Our son was born in a September night, a night not unlike tonight, though tomorrow, and twenty...one...years ago.

GEORGE (Beginning of quiet asides)

You see? I told you.

MARTHA

It was an easy birth…

GEORGE

Oh, Martha; no. You labored...how you labored.

MARTHA

It had been an easy birth...once it had been...accepted, relaxed into.

GEORGE

...Martha thinks she saw him at delivery…

MARTHA

...with slippery firm limbs, and a full head of black, fine, fine hair which, oh, later, later, became blond as the sun, our son.

GEORGE

You see, Martha, here, stops just when the going gets good...just when things start getting a little rough. Now Martha, here, is a misunderstood little girl; she really is. Not only does she have a husband who is a bog...a younger-than-she-is bog albeit...not only does she have a husband who is a bog, she has well a tiny problem with spirituous liquors--like she can’t get enough.

MARTHA (without energy)

No more, George.

GEORGE

...and on top of all that, poor weighed-down girl, PLUS a father who doesn't really give a damn whether she lives or dies, who couldn’t care less what happens to his only daughter…on top of all that she has a son. She has a son who fought her every inch of the way, who didn’t want to be turned into a weapon against his father, who didn’t want to be used as a goddamn club whenever Martha didn’t get things like she wanted them!

MARTHA (Rising to it)

Lies! Lies!!

GEORGE

Lies? All right. A son who would not disown his father who came to him for advice, for information, for love that wasn’t mixed with sickness--and you know what I mean, Martha!--who could not tolerate the slashing, braying residue that called itself his MOTHER. MOTHER? HAH!!

MARTHA (Cold)

All right, you. A son who was so ashamed of his father that he asked me once if it --possibly--wasn’t true, as he had heard, from some cruel boys, maybe, that he was not our child; who could not tolerate the shabby failure his father had become….

GEORGE

Lies!

MARTHA

Lies? Who would not bring his girlfriends to the house…

GEORGE

...in shame of his mother…

MARTHA

...of his father! Who writes letters only to me!

GEORGE

Oh, so you think! To me! At my office!

MARTHA

Liar!

GEORGE

I have a stack of them!

MARTHA

YOU HAVE NO LETTERS!

GEORGE

And you have?

MARTHA

He has no letters. A son...a son who spends his summers away...away from his family...ON ANY PRETEXT… because he can’t stand the shadow of a man flickering around the edges of a house…

GEORGE

...who spends his summers away...and he does!...who spends his summers away because there isn’t room for him in a house full of empty bottles, lies, strange men, and a harridan who…

MARTHA

Liar!!

GEORGE

Sweetheart, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you. Well, Martha…I’m afraid our boy isn’t coming home for his birthday.

MARTHA

Of course he is.

GEORGE

No, Martha.

MARTHA

Of course, he is. I say he is!

GEORGE

He...can’t.

MARTHA

He is! I say so!

GEORGE

Martha…(Long pause)...our son is...dead.

(Silence)

He was...killed...late in the afternoon…

(Silence)

(A tiny chuckle) on a country road, with his learner’s permit in his pocket, he swerved, to avoid a porcupine, and drove straight into a…

MARTHA (Rigid fury)

YOU...CAN’T...DO...THAT!

GEORGE

...large tree.

MARTHA

(Quivering with rage and loss)

NO! NO! YOU CANNOT DO THAT! YOU CAN’T DECIDE THAT FOR YOURSELF! I WILL NOT LET YOU DO THAT!

GEORGE

We’ll have to leave around noon, I suppose…

MARTHA

I WILL NOT LET YOU DECIDE THESE THINGS!

GEORGE

...because there are matters of identification, naturally, and arrangements to be made…

MARTHA

(Leaping at GEORGE, but ineffectual)

YOU CAN’T DO THIS!

(NICK rises, grabs hold of MARTHA, pins her arms behind her back)

I WON’T LET YOU DO THIS, GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!

GEORGE

(As NICK holds on, right in MARTHA’s face)

You don’t seem to understand, Martha; I haven’t done any thing. Now pull yourself together. Our son is DEAD! Can you get that into your head?

MARTHA

YOU CAN’T DECIDE THESE THINGS.

GEORGE

He’s dead. POUF! Just like that! Now how do you like it?

MARTHA

(A howl which weakens into a moan)

NOOOOOOoooooo.

GEORGE (To NICK)

Let her go. (MARTHA slumps to the floor in a sitting position)

MARTHA

YOU CAN’T KILL HIM! YOU CAN’T HAVE HIM DIE!

HONEY

Lady...please…

GEORGE

There was a telegram, Martha.

MARTHA (Up; facing him)

Show it to me! Show me the telegram!

GEORGE

(With a straight face)

I ate it.

MARTHA

(A pause; then with the greatest disbelief possible, tinged with hysteria)

What did you just say to me?

GEORGE

(Barely able to stop exploding with laughter)

I...ate...it.

MARTHA (To GEORGE, coldy)

You’re not going to get away with this.

GEORGE (With disgust)

YOU KNOW THE RULES, MARTHA!

You broke our rule, baby. You mentioned him...you mentioned him...you mentioned him to someone else.

MARTHA (Tearfully)

I did not. I never did.

HONEY (Crying)

To me. You mentioned him to me.

MARTHA (Crying)

I FORGET! Sometimes...sometimes when it’s night, when it’s late, and...and everybody else is...talking...I forget and I...want to mention him...but I...HOLD ON...I hold on..but I’ve wanted to...so often...oh, George, you’ve pushed it...there was no need...there was no need for this. I mentioned him...all right...but you didn’t have to push it over the EDGE. You didn’t have to...kill him.

(Albee 226-251)

(Conclusion)

Prosecutor: Throughout the progression of the night, the deterioration of George and Martha’s relationship becomes apparent. Her promiscuity affects him to the point that he can no longer stand it: and he snapped. He killed their son Jim in an attempt to subdue Martha’s struggle towards sexual liberation. As yet another one of Martha’s relationships with a man fails, so does the sexual revolution of the 1960’s.