Hamlet in a Comic #3

 

 

For my comic strip, I chose to re-enact lines 24-31. This a crucial part in the play, as it displays the stress Hamlet is under and the craziness of his actions. To some extent, it also shows the emotions of Queen Gertrude.

Modern Day Shakespeare #2

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/18/movies/all-world-s-stage-ruled-guess-who-why-shakespeare-resonates-with-modern-age.html?smid=pl-share

Dear Michiko Katutani,

In your "recently" published article "All the World's a Stage, Ruled by Guess Who; Why Shakespeare Resonates With the Modern Age" I found that you made some compelling points for the popular resurfacing of Shakespeare adapted entertainment, and for the most part I agree with your reasoning.

In one of your points you argue that Shakespeare today is able to accepted through all aspects of the literature spectrum. Classic literature in the modern world can many times be mowed over for more newer and relatable aspects of literature, but the modernization of the Shakespeare can be used to satisfy the left- and right-wings of literature theory.

Another one of your key ideas for Shakespeare's popularity, is the flexibility of his work. No one owns his work, so everyone is subject to reinterpret his ideas in their own fashion. Whether it be in a romantic, restorative, or modernistic approach, there is room for everyone to speak from their own visualization of Shakespeare.

Finally, your article is summed up with the influence modernized Shakespeare can have on todays teens. By turning Shakespeare into an upbeat intriguing movie, rather than a stuffy, boring script, it allows kids to have their interest sparked in Shakespeare. In some circumstances these teens can even relate to the romantic confusion portrayed in many of his plays.

All-in-all I very much enjoyed your article, and I found it refreshing to find out that Shakespeare is more than just high school “required literature.” While, I might not end up being too pleased to be reading Hamlet right now, I know that it will be around for a while, and hopefully I can draw from it some important things.

Hamlet Film Trailer #1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff14DH5WOSM

Although there is no text track in this modern adaptation of Hamlet, the dialogue is taken directly from the text of Act 1. Scene 2, in which Hamlet says in a soliloquy:

O God, God,
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
.....'Tis an unweeded garden
That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature
Posses it merely. That it should come to this:
But two months dead--nay, not so much, not two.
So excellent a king that was to this
Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly.....
.....Why she would hang on him
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on. And yet within a month
Let me not think on 't; frailty, thy name is woman!

Throughout this portion of the soliloquy, we as viewer can see a man (most likely Hamlet) sitting at his computer, watching black and white videos of a man (most likely his father, the former king). We can tell that the watcher is obviously distraught because of the discontent played upon his face. It is assumed he is reminiscing about the man in the photos.

I believe the intended audience is for those who are familiar of the play Hamlet, because if I was not aware of what exactly the narration meant, I would have no clue as to what is going on. It was necessary to have some prior knowledge on this situation which makes me believe that the directed viewers are of those who are knowledgeable about Hamlet.

A Story

"Yo, you wanna go get some McDonalds?" said Evan.

"Nah, Am alright, not really feelin' fast food right now" I replied.

"Well sh*t, let's at least do somethin' tonight! I don't wanna just hang around here all day long." He sighed.

"I agree, let's hit up the fam."

The fam, or more commonly known as the family, is my close-knit group of friends. We hangout regularly, and it consists of about 10 people at this point. 3 guys and 7 girls, so the odds are in our favor if you know what I mean. We're a fairly good bunch of kids, but we do sometimes get into shenanigans. 

"Alright, I'll call Martina." 

Evan finds Martina's contact in his iPhone 4s and calls her. The phone rings three times.

"Hello?" 

"Aye Martina, you wanna hangout? I'm with Luke and we're doin' nothing."

"Yeah sure, Am with Julia right now, do you guys wanna come over for a little bit?" she asked, "We heard there was gonna be a party tonight and we're gonna go check it out."

"Whose party is it?"

"A.J's."

"Alright, we'll be over soon."

Evan and I got into my zippy red Toyota Corolla and headed down 50th to Martina's house. As always, Evan got to the aux cord first, but I don't really mind, unless of course he gets on a country role. That ish is the worst. I cannot stand the twang. 

When we got to Martina's house, we went in the back door and down the stairs to the basement.

"What's up punks?" I smiled.

"Yur the punk!" Martina yelled back at me.

"Sheesh, tone it down Mort. Anyways, what's the dealio with tonights adventure?"

"Well.... sorry to disappoint..... but there's no party."

I just sighed.

"Super."

"Well, that's the end of our night! You guys wanna go to McDonalds?" Evan asked.

And that is how our nights go.

Sample Introduction

Churches have forever been filled with works of creation, displaying the tales and interpretations of the bible,  but how does one decide upon the greatest art piece? Michelangelo's paintings decorating the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican City is one of the most famously known piece of religious art in all of the world, and can be considered one of the greatest works of art of all time. The Sistine Chapel is the greatest church known art piece due to the skill and technique behind the works, along with the meaning and messages conveyed behind the thought provoking masterpiece.

For Calvin by Luke

I never expected my dog to die before I left for college, and especially not because we were forced to put him down. After Animal Control made their decision, we didn't have much longer with him, so we chose to make the most of it. We would take Calvin down to the lake, to fetch balls in the water and get as dirty as doggy possible. This was a golden retriever that loved every second of life, and continued to. It was awful knowing that soon enough I wouldn't have him to greet me at the door when I got home from school, to sit outside of my bedroom door at night, or be the loving family member that he was.

It all happened on a hot summer day in August. My family and I were outside, along with Calvin, who was on his leash. I had been playing basketball with my neighborhood friends, when the mailman walked across the driveway. Calvin was one of the most protective dogs I had ever known and he would have done anything to defend my family from harm. The mailman had gotten just a little too close when I heard the growl, the bark, and then the yelp. My mom quickly brought Calvin away and into the house, but the damage had been done. 

The mailman did not receive a severe bite, but it did rip his pants and puncture the skin. Blood dripped down his leg. The mailman and my mom talked about it for quite sometime, but it ended the same way it would have started.

"You don't have to tell anyone...." My mom whispered.

"I'm sorry Karen, but I do. I could lose my job if things escalated and someone found out," the mailman replied, "it's just too much of a risk."

Our carrier was required by the law to report any on duty injuries, in case of future problems.

Soon after, Animal Control came to our house, to review the facts, meet Calvin and just explain the situation. We were told that soon enough, a person would decide if Calvin was a threat, or not. We were told to collect references, pleas and letters from those who loved and knew Calvin well. Work was started immediately. Calvin received some 30 references describing how much of a great dog he was. But all the work was done in vain. The ruling was soon received in the mail. Calvin would either be forced to be put down, or option 2. 

Option 2 involved mail no longer being delivered to our house, Calvin being required to wear a muzzle at all times outside, and whenever people were at our house, it was required he be in a cage. He would also be required to wear a leash at all times outside. This took away some of the only things he really loved. Swimming would no longer be an option. Playing with other dogs off the leash would also be stripped from him. Romping around, wrestling and visiting with people was taken away. And the there was the added shamed of being require to wear a muzzle at almost all times.

We chose to put him down.

The night before Calvin’s euthanization, we slept with him on the porch. All of my family. We cried, reminisced and just talked about everything and anything that related to him. I remember saying to him, whispering in his ear after everyone had fallen asleep.

"Calvin, you are a great dog, don't let anyone tell you differently. You'll be much happier up in doggy heaven, because you'll be able to do everything that you love all the time. Sid, our old dog, will meet you up there and show you the ropes. You're gonna love it up there and don't worry about us down here. We're going to miss you lots, but this is the best thing for you."

This dog was one of the closest family members I had, and to lose him was terribly hard. Calvin had been there for most of the important things in my life and I would never forget him.

Now, 3 years after the event, I still think about him, because to forget about him, would mean to lose him. It’s important to remember those whom you have lost, so that their memory does not fade away either. Calvin may have been “just a dog” to some people, but to me, he was a brother.

I love you Calvin.

Stereotypes of Muslims after 9/11 and the Ground Zero Mosque

“Plan for mosque near world trade center moves ahead,” New York Daily News 5/11/10
Link to Website

The proposal of a mosque to be built near Ground Zero has received a variety of controversy from those who suffered loses from the 9/11 attacks. Although some members of the community find the plans to be offensive, the 12-member Community Board 1's financial district committee has unanimously voted to endorse the project and work will hopefully begin by the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Families who suffered from death of the terrorist attacks are the main group who oppose the building of the mosque. Ground Zero has become a site of sorrow and despair for anyone who had a loved one die on 9/11. The attacks have become one of the most remembered days of grief in the United States. To add a mosque only a few blocks from the scene of the crime, would greatly penetrate some people.

However, many of these community members who are against the mosque do not realize the link between Muslims and those who committed the terrorist acts in New York and Virginia. Although, those who did fly the planes into the World Trade Towers were deemed Muslim, it does not reflect the viewpoints or beliefs behind a religion of more than 1.6 billion people. It is not fair to judge an entire culture based on the acts of a few people.

The plans for the mosque should be treated just as fairly, as that of a church. The mosque will hopefully become a major asset to the community along with a place of worship for thousands of Muslims. The building will be open to all, and has in reality received little opposition from those who are informed. This mosque will hopefully build better relations between Muslims and the "West," and break down barriers that restrict cultures.

The mosque will be a 100 million dollar project and become a major place of worships for an expected 1,000 to 2,000 Muslims every friday. The building will also be a major asset to the community as it is open to all and contain a swimming pool, performing arts venue and basketball court. The opportunities are endless and relations will hopefully be able to prosper between the Muslims of the community and those who were initially against the project.

The mosque may seem to be an offensive action against some, but in reality is barely opposed by those who are educated. The mosque does not represent a slap in the face, but instead is a place for relationships and understandings to take place. If those who were against the plans were able to better educate themselves on the Islamic religion and open their minds, better relations would occur and the community would prosper.

Hurricane Katrina Media Coverage by Luke Anderson

September 1, 2005 The New York Times

In "Evacuation of Stadium - Police Ordered to Stop Looters," an article about the mandatory evacuation of the Superdome, although the word survivors is used in place of refugees, the noun looters makes up the subject of the passage where it is used in the title of the column and later in the column  itself when it is stated, "With police officers and National Guard giving priority to saving lives, looters brazenly ripped open gates and ransacked stores for food, clothing, television sets, computers, jewelry and guns, often in full view of helpless law-enforcement officials." This was the context on which the Mayor ordered police officers to stop search -and-rescue and zero in on the 'crime' in the city. 

The claim is that law enforcement is helpless while it seems that hundreds and thousands of thefts are occurring daily. Also, by describing the people as looters it shows that the writer of the article agrees that these people are generally law breakers and need to be put into place. The bias is obviously against the victims, making it seem that if a person isn't being rescued, they're out running wild on the streets, taking whatever they want. Although there is never any mention of race, the article is biased for the government's perspective, and that sending 1,500 police officers to patrol the streets is the main priority.

The focus of the article starts with relief and rescue effort, highlighting the forced evacuation of the Superdome and the largest deployment of domestic relief in history, but then begins to dwindle on to the crime. After covering the basis of aid and evacuation the author chooses to go on an angle that is all about the crime. The purpose of the word looters is to describe the alleged thieves and persuade readers that the priority of enforcing the law is more important than searching and saving Hurricane Katrina victims. This article is on the front of the New York Times, one of the most widely read newspapers, intended for a vast variety of people. The author wants the audience to know that although there is chaos, the police are going to be having some sort of control from now on and the government is handling the situation correctly.

The title of the story impacts viewers immensely, one of the first things readers see is "Police Ordered to Stop Looters." This gives the impression that in New Orleans, a city ravaged by a category 5 hurricane, the number one priority of the police is to stop looting. There is such an "abundance" of it that 1,500 police officers have been ordered to prevent it. It impresses on readers that there is more crime than people needing rescue. This story was deemed newsworthy because it was crime story. For some reason, the public enjoy soaking up misery, despair, violence and lawlessness. Sometimes, I do too. This is because it is not the norm to see or hear about people able to just go into stores and take whatever they want. Whether it is true or not, the story gives something to people that they are interested in and want to hear about.

In conclusion, there is not a relationship between race and news media...... In this article. There is no mention of race in the article to describe the looters to any extent. This article focused on the article, and the crime, without ever classifying or claiming the "thieves" to be of any certain race.

Mohammed Zeitoun: God's Swimmer

By Luke Anderson

 

Mohammed Zeitoun, recently the winner of the Capri to Naples race, has been unanimously named the best ocean swimmer in the world.  Emerging from Syria as a champion swimmer, he has moved on to worldly competitions, facing some of the best swimmers of all time. Graciously, he has chosen to sit down with me for an interview in his hometown Jableh, to talk about his success, family and how he found swimming.

Anderson: Mohammed, you have been named the best ocean swimmer in the entire world. How has your childhood attributed to the success of your swimming?

Mohammed: Growing up, my father, Mahmoud, wanted nothing more for all of his sons to work on dry land.  I think that in some sense, the being forbidden from doing something made me only want it more. I’m not sure why, but I felt as if I belonged in the water.

Anderson: When was the first time you got your “sea legs”?

Mohammed: I spent most of my “tween” years apprenticing for an ironsmith and laying brick, but after years of pleading, my father gave his consent for me to crew on the local boats. I think I was about thirteen or fourteen at the time. After every fishing excursion I would jump off the boat and race the crew to the beach. Sometimes I would win! I guess that could be considered the start of my training.

Anderson: You mentioned earlier your father wanted all of his sons to work on land. Why is that? And how did you finally overrule your father’s decision?

Mohammed: When my father was a young man, he worked on a ship, and on one stormy trip, he was cast out into the sea. The crew threw what they could to my father, for staying afloat, but they were unable to turn around. My father drifted at sea for 2 days enduring sharks and storms until finally he washed on shore. He could not believe he had survived.  It was a miracle but from then on he promised to toy with fate again, and forbid all of his children, including me, to work on the sea. I eventually overruled my father’s decision to work on a ship but when I told no one of my training to swim. After becoming the greatest swimmer in Syria my father knew that Allah had wanted me to be a swimmer. That is when my father accepted my decision.

Anderson: Does your father come to watch your races?

 

Mohammed: He loves to watch me swim. He has never missed a race since he knew of my passion. I can always count on him to be in the crowd, even if I cant pick him out directly.

 

Anderson: You are the oldest of the family, if you could tell your younger siblings one thing about your beliefs, what would that be?

 

Mohammed: Nothing is impossible if Allah is on your side. If your heart is set on something that is how you know God is backing you up. Why would God defy what your heart desires and why would your heart defy what God desires?

 

Anderson: Has your religion impacted the way you live your life? If so, how?

 

Mohammed: We are here because God has willed it to be. My family is filled with strong willed Muslims, and the Zeitouns are an ambitious clan. I try to live my life, as Allah would want. I pray 5 times a day, and I like to think that I am a generous and kind person. One thing I know is that how you live on Earth will define your afterlife. That is the most important conviction of my faith. Do the right thing, whether you want to, or not.

Anderson: You are an amazing swimmer no doubt, but what is the most successful thing you fell you have ever achieved?

Mohammed: No doubt one hundred percent would be breaking my dad in for younger siblings who want nothing more to be a part of the sea. It may seem strange but Zeitouns and water go together better than Syrian food and their presentation.

 

Anderson: Now comes the most important question of all. If you could be one superhero, who would you be?

 

Mohammed: Ha-ha, well it may come as a shock, given everything you know about me, but I would choose Aquaman! Isn’t that surprising?

 

Anderson: Well thank you for much for your time Mohammed and good luck to you on your next quest!