Response for Hamlet

Response Journal for Act I, Scence 1 to Act I, Scence 5

1. How does the play make you feel at this point? Record your emotional response (s) in a few sentences and explore them for a few minutes, trying to figure out why you feel as you do.

       Reading to Act II, scence II, I feel this story becomes more interesting since the mystery about King Hamlet's dead is revealed, so it makes me curious how the Prince Hamlet will plan to revenge for his beloved father. Is it going to be work? It won't easy for him since he has many barriers to struggle, not only his targeted rival, Claudius, but also Polonius whom is father of his beloved girlfriend. I also feel disappointed in his mother, Gertrude. Her marriage to his uncle, Claudius is unacceptable for me because his father's dead is not long, less than two months, but she changed her mind and marry to someone else. It makes me feel like her love is not the true love while the King Hamlet seems to love her with his truly heart.


2. In what situations have you felt samiliar 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) While I was reading this play, it reminds me of some situations that it used to happen to me before. Like Prince Hamlet, he had to stop mourning and gave up on his studying at Wittenberg School where he used to studying during his father stay alive because of his mother and uncle's requests. I also used to face with this kind of situation when my parent force me to do something that I don't like. I don't like, but I have to say okay and behave as my parent request. I feel depress and uncomfortable.

         b) Moreover, I also feel happy whenever I feel bad and I suddenly meet with my friends. I would feel more release from my seriousness. Like Prince Hamlet, when he was in his melancholy, thinking about his father's dead and his mother's marriage. Then, his friend, Horatio came in to meet him. Prince Hamlet felt happyily when he met his friend.

         c) Lastly, I sometimes need to pretend to do somethings while I have something in my mind. I totally understand how Prince Hamlet would feel. He may have to think carefully, look at things in negative way first and then plan everything. He could not believe others easily. I also used to face with those kind of feelings. It is not easy, but if I have some objective, I will definitely do it.


3. What portions of Shakespear's language attracts your attention? These might be individual words, pharses, lines, scences, or images. Make note of whatever features draw your attention. Speculate for a few minutes about what you think they might mean.

        The scence that attracts my attention is the scence that Prince Hamlet is suspected by Polonius about his madness. I think this scence Prince Hamlet had to act carefully since everything that he would do would mean and communicate something to Polonius. As he was planning to revenge, he could not let anyone to know his secret. I think with this scence, I feel very enjoy with his intelligence because in his word, it would communicate something to Polonius.


4. Make note of any portion of the play, its language, or events that cause you problems. Note any questions that you might ask.

          The problem that I face from this Hamlet journal is Shakespears' language. He used old English language that make it hard to understand for me. I have to read through it many times. I have to ask my friends to explain to me as well. The vocabualry is not easy as well. I need to look for the meaning over the dictionary. As a result, I sometimes loose my attention to read the journal.