Journal for Act 1, scene 1 to Act 1, scene 4.
1.
How does the play make you feel at this point? Record your emotional response(s) in a few sentences and then explore them for a few minutes, trying to figure out why you feel as you do.
- After I finished reading the last scene in act 1 there was many feeling that entered my mind. The first feeling I felt was I felt motivated to continue reading, after the ghost appeared to tell the antagonist that ended up as Hamlet’s own uncle, I believe that the story will have a long way to solve the problem. Another feeling is towards Shakespeare’s choice of language, I was bewildered after reading the first few lines. Maybe because I wasn’t born in that time so the use of language had changed.
2.
In what situation have you felt similar to the characters? What persons, places, or ideas from your own experiences came to your mind while you were reading this portion of the play? Try to list at least three associations, but don’t worry about trying to figure out why they came to mind. Just accept that they occur.
- a. About a year ago, I had dreamed of seeing my grandfather walking in the house with his favorite suit walking around as if he was waiting for something. I remembered as if I was peeking at him for hours wondering what he was about to do. The next day was the day in which everyone in the family must praise our ancestors. I was like Hamlet in the story, that he saw his father coming back as a spirit but my grandfather coming back in the dream.
- b. During the teenage life, friends usually come before parents when we want to talk about personal ideas. Years back, when I met with many things that were quite interesting, I usually go to tell my friends first about it before I would tell my parents. Just like Horatio, after meeting the ghost he quickly thought about Hamlet and quickly informed him to make him see with his own eyes.
- c. I have not met with this, but my relative had. After his father died, her mother quickly married to a new man without even mourning. So, I think I could a little bit understand how he and Hamlet felt after their father died and their mother quickly marrying a new man.
3.
What portions of Shakespeare’s language attracts your attention? These might be individual words, phrases, lines, scenes, or images. Make not of whatever features draw your attention. Speculate for a few minutes about what you think they might mean.
- In act 1, scene 1 where Horatio shouted to the ghost. “What art thou, that usurp'st this time of night, Together with that fair and warlike form in which the majesty of buried Denmark did sometimes march? By heaven I charge thee, speak!” In my opinion it drew my attention because though Horatio was in fear, but still he dared to shout to a ghost. Not just a word asking him to speak, but by shouting how it was different to wear an attire so abnormal at this time of the night.
4.
Make not of any portion of the play, its language, or events that cause you problems. Note any question that you might ask.
- To note all the portion of the play would be tiring because nearly all the words are used in the olden days ex. tis, nay, thou, avouch, etc. But whether knowing the full meaning of the word, I still receive the idea that the story was trying to tell.
Finally, I have arrived to the exorbitance airport, putting my heavy luggage on the luggage cart and pushing it through the clear door. I was amazed to see a large crowd of various color hair. It was quite strange because I usually don’t see this much people in the airport. I had an apprehensive feeling, that I wasnt going to board the plane on time. I quickly find my check-in line and waited in a long zigzag line, in quite a long time I finally reach the counter. Not to wasted time I put my luggage on to the weighting conveyer as usual. I look up to see the airhostess, she welcome me with a nice word and a smile. After the process was done, I watched my luggage go down the conveyer line that seems for ever until it reached to a large silvery machine with a rubber strap hanging down from the entrance, my bang went inside and that was the last time I saw my luggage before I get to my destination.
