Words, words, words...

"All that lives must die, 
Passing through nature to eternity."
- William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1.2

I love this quote for it is very true and applies to everyone no matter what religion, race, sex, age or gender a person is. This line is universal and will not die over time. From a beggar roaming the streets to a millionaire living in a mansion, everyone has to die. Here Shakespeare shows the people how nobody can escape death. He mentions how people pass “through nature into eternity.” This is to say that people return to where they come from. Even if you shock the world like Alexander the Great, in the end you will still turn to dust and return to the nature. Nature is the course that keeps going without an end.

I also liked the fact that ironically this quote was said by Gertrude to Hamlet. Instead of being a mother who comforts her child, Gertrude is basically saying ‘your father died but now you need to move on.’ This quote is used to emphasize how quickly Gertrude moved on from the death of Hamlet Senior to Claudius. Hamlet takes this line as a symbol of betrayal from his own mother.

Something is rotten in the state of BHS!

        I loved Franco Zefferelli' version of Hamlet the best out of the three we saw. To me the actors in this film bring out the true characters from Hamlet. The depth of their feelings, emotions and hidden intension are portrayed vividly. Starting with Gertrude, she is just as I imagined.  The first scene shows her crying over Hamlet Sr.’s body. This lets the viewer know that she is mourning for her husband’s death. However, then we see Claudius in an inky cloak and half covered with shadow. The shadow is used to show that Claudius may be hiding an important fact and it adds to the suspensful mood of the play. Claudius goes over where Gertrude is weeping and stands over her. There is a message that passes between their eyes that may suggest that Gertrude may have known how Hamlet Sr. died or she could be already moving on. The mood and the suspense is beautifully conved through camera angles and use of light. Such as when Hamlet talks about how everything in the world is wrong, the camera shows Gertrude running towards Claudius. Lots of important facts are demonstrated this way. I loved this version the best because of the acting and the way the movie shows hidden facts.

From Daisy's heart

Dear Jay,

          I do not know where to began. This is my sixth time trying to write a letter that will make you understand me and my feelings. So, I will be truthful and tell you from the beginning that I am about to make a life changing decision today that I may later regret. I do not know if it is the right one. I just know that I am tried to begin alone and waiting for you every single day of my life. When you left me a hole appeared in my heart. I loved you very much and that is why a resented you as well. Because loving you meant pain and missing you meant extreme solitude. Everyday a piece of me died from within and it seemed that there was no end to this pain. Therefore, I have made the choice that will set me free from this dreadful prison. Jay, I am getting married but my heart still belongs to you. I am going to start my own life and be happy. Jay, I want to be able to feel happiness again. I want to feel alive again instead of being half death and living off the memories from the past.

          I know you are going to hate me for what I am about to do. But, please try to see my poor heart and then judge me. The man that I am marrying is someone that my family approves of. He is well educated, wealthy and a good person. I know he will treasure me just as you once did. I believe that he is the one who can set me free from this misery. Jay we should just think of our time together in Kentucky as a beautiful dream. However, a dream is only a dream. It has to end sometime and so I am going to wake up to reality as should you.  Forgive me for this selfish act and forget me.

                                                                                                                Goodbye,

                                                                                                                             Daisy

Chapter 3- Passage Four

In Chapter three, Nick is invited to Gatsby's party unlike most people. Gatsby's party is enormous and wild where people follow "rules of the amusement park." Nick feels out of place at the party. However, in passage four one can see how Nick's attitude of the place changes. Nick is drunk and therefore unreliable as a narrator of the story. Suddenly, he starts enjoying himself after drinking alcohol.  He says "...the scene has changed before my eyes into something significant, elemental and profound." Nick contradicts himself from what he had said about the party earlier. Also, drinking is illegal during this time period. However, nobody is shocked or rejecting towards the alcohol present in the party. This is a normal situation  for them.


In the beginning of the passage, it says "There was dancing now on the canvas in the garden, old men pushing young girls backward in eternal graceless circles..." This sentence shows the behavior and attitude of girls, especially young girls, during the 1920's. Many people got rich over night due to the stock market. These girls desired part of that fortune and wanted to be accepted into the 'high class society.' The fastest road to get in would be to marry a old men with abundant amount of money. This action shows how shallow and selfish people were. However, the object that made them so immoral in first place was money.


The passage also demonstrates how extravagant and exquisite the parties' in high class societies were. Gatsby did not have a five piece orchestra but rather the whole set with trombones, saxophones, viols, cornets and low and high drums. Even the drinks were not average. Champagne was served in glasses bigger than finger bowls. There was also "a celebrated tenor that was sung in Italian, and a notorious contralto had been sung in jazz..." All these commodities shows how wealthy and powerful the people were to be able to have these kinds to parties.