Final Presentation

http://prezi.com/x3qyct1v0eoo/present/?auth_key=i2o3cav&follow=svulwpvn9a3v


Lyrics:

Me and my classmates
We're finished high school
Off into the real world we're not sure what to do

Going to college
Or to the mountains,
These lessons we've learned must show us what to do

And now we're
Out here on our own
We've got a long way to go
We'll use our English class as guidance
And now we're
Starting to feel free
Adults with curiosity
We won't regret our education I guarantee

Frodo Baggins taught me
Stay close with your friends
Through fear and fame they'll be there in the end

Truth and Bright Water
Gave me a lesson in parenthood
What to do, how to love and to be there when I should.

And now we're
Out here on our own
We've got a long way to go
We'll use our English class as guidance
And now we're
Starting to feel free
Adults with curiosity
We won't regret our education I guarantee

Final Reflection: Applying my English Experience to REAL Life

Final Reflection for ELA 30-1

By Marcus Ramsay

      Throughout the course of my high school years, English has always been one of my favorite subjects. English is the only course I have taken that has truly given me the ability to express my self through school projects, and has directly applied to my life outside of school. My learning in ELA 30-1 was significantly more influential on myself as a human than what was taught in ELA 10 and 20. Learning about the paradoxes of the human condition gave a little bit more insight into the adult I would like to grow up to be, and the material covered gave excellent examples of how certain individuals will react in situations of parenting, murder, suicide, substance abuse, heroism and many other topics I may or may not encounter in my life. English class has taught me to use literature and other forms of media as lessons or examples for how I may or may not want to live my life.

     The first unit completed in ELA 30-1 was Hamlet by William Shakespeare. This play is a Shakespearean  tragedy about a young man struggling to take revenge for the murder of his father. The constant frustration at the back of his mind sends him into a state of madness, to which the other characters respond to with a plan to murder Hamlet leaving them all doomed for failure. Although Hamlet was written during the Elizabethan era, it still contains many valuable life lessons that can still be applied to society today, such as the consequences of treating people unkindly. Hamlet somewhat "bullied" both Ophelia and his mother, making them both highly susceptible to emotional pain, resulting in both of them taking situations as what would be considered to far. Hamlet's constant put downs towards woman, telling Ophelia to go to "a nunnery" and comparing his mother to whore, puts a lot of stress on the two female characters, and it is apparent throughout the novel that neither of them are happy. This example shows the harm that verbal abuse can put on an individual, and one must be kind to others in order to truly be happy themselves.

    The second unit we went through in English 30 was Truth and Bright Water. Truth and Bright Water tells the story of two First Nations communities separated by the Canadian and United States border, how ever the two towns have much more in common than the majority of onlookers would think. The biggest impact Truth and Bright Water had on me was the ideas about parenting, letting go and growing up. Most young adults can relate to Tecumsuh because he feels the constant pressure of acting mature and being forced to get a job if he wants his own things. This pressure is what causes a lot of stress in teenagers, along with the fear of having to go off by oneself. The questionable antics of Tecumsuh and Lum's parents is also a little bit of a model of what I do not want to be as a parent. The alcoholism that the characters have to deal with at a young age is a terrible example for children as it makes them think that it is alright. Tecumsuh's dad Elvin constantly deals with the guilt of falling short and giving up on what he has lost. Although he seems like a somewhat happy man, these little things constantly plague him, and I would like to put full effort into everything I do rather than only do the bare minimum like Elvin does.

   The third and final unit we did was Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson's interpretation of Tolkien's novel The Return of the King is a cinematic and literary masterpiece that has become one of my favorite films. There are many heroic characters in the film, some quite typical while some are visually surprising to classify as a hero. The hobbits best fit the classification of "visually surprising" because of their size. Jackson shows the viewer that anyone can have the potential to be a hero, no matter their shape or size. Although the hobbits were usually physically unable kill every villain that crossed their path, their wit and determination enabled them to complete the task of getting to Mordor and destroying the ring. Jackson's film has taught me that with courage and help from friends, a seemingly impossible task can seem a little more within reach.

   And so it begins. The end of high school, the beginning of real life. This journey has not always been an easy one, but each struggle or challenge has simply been another step to shaping the individual I am today, and the individual I will be in the future. It is finished with now, all I can do is study and practice my writing in hope I achieve a satisfactory mark on the diploma. The material covered in the course has benefited me greatly and enhanced my knowledge, now it is up to me to continue reading, watching, studying and listening in order to keep learning.

Truth and Bright Water Visual

Of all the projects completed this year, I was most proud of the Truth and Bright Water Visual project. My teaching statement was "Teaching people to let go," and I was able to come up with many characters from the novels that were struggling to let go, but may or may not have in the end of the novel. This project was a real turning point for me, as it was the first time I had done well on something involving art of any kind, making this match the outcome of extending awareness. It also assisted me in respecting others and strengthening community, because of the interaction I had with others during the presentation. I am proud of my ability to construct meaning from text and context via art and be able to communicate efficiently to explain this project.

Truth and Bright Water: Poetry Question 9

This question asked us to find four poems we thought related to Truth and Bright Water and explain why. This assignment took alot of work, as we had to not only explain the relation of characters but also pull examples and quotations from sometimes multi-page poems. This assignment demonstrates my ability to respond to a variety of print and nonprint texts, this time in poem and novel form. It shows I am able to follow a plan of inquiry, through my forming generalizations and conclusions about the similarities between characters. This assignment also helped me improve my thoughtfulness, effectiveness and correctness of communication.

This assignment also began the development of a new-found love of poetry for me.

Truth and Bright Water Poetry Question 9

Marcus Ramsay

            The poem Icarus by Don McKay has many connections to Truth and Bright Water’s character Lum. Icarus is a character in Greek mythology who builds a set of wings to give him the ability to fly. Despite constant warnings from his father, Icarus flies to high and too close to the sun, sending him “tumbling into freefall,” (line 23, Icarus)and he plummets into the sea to his death. The character of Icarus “isn’t sorry,” (line 1, Icarus) meaning he has no regrets, similar to Lum. Some of Lum’s final words in Truth and Bright Water are him singing “Bye-bye, baby, bye- bye.” (Page 271, T&BW) Lum tells Tecumsuh it was his “mother’s favourite song” (Page 271, T&BW). Although it is not yet known Lum is about to fall from the bridge to his immediate death, the words of the song are foreshadowing, similar to Icarus’s fathers warnings of not flying to close to the sun. The way Icarus “rehearses flight and fall,” (line 5, Icarus) can also be compared to Lum’s running and his constant battle against himself to “go faster” (page 4, T&BW). Both Icarus and Lum’s deaths cause a great deal of pain to family and friends around them, but their stubborn and selfish attitudes leave them with no remorse and neither of them are “sorry”(line 35, Icarus).

            The speaker in William Wordsworth’s The World is to Much With Us has an outlook on life very similar to that of Monroe Swimmer’s in Truth and Bright Water. The speaker in the poem claims “we lay waste our powers” (line 2, The World is to Much With Us), accusing people of wasting the technology and potential we have in the modern age and not doing everything possible with it. Monroe is attempting to bring back First Nations culture and have modern day people respect their ancestors and what they believed in. Both Monroe and the speaker in the poem are not well understood by others, shown in the novel when Miles says Monroe is “probably queer” (page 177, T&BW), or when the speaker says he wishes to be “standing on this pleasant lea”(line 11, The World is to Much With Us), because he would rather be interacting with the gods than with simple civilians that do not understand him. Monroe briefly discusses about his ambitions “to be a hero” (page 209, T&BW) when he was younger. Him and the speaker in the poem are both attempting to discuss that dream all children have to be a hero when they are younger, but as they get older they “are out of tune; It moves [them] not.” (line 8, The World is to Much With Us) and they begin to grow out of touch with their previous dreams and accept the harsh reality of adulthood. Those individuals who are lucky enough to continue dreaming as they age have the ability to continue making the most of their talents and doing something with it to make the world a better place.

            One Perfect Rose by Dorothy Parker can be connected to the battle for love between Elvin and Helen. That “One perfect rose” (line 7, One Perfect Rose), describes the love that Elvin is constantly battling for but Helen has given up long ago. Elvin’s many attempts to impress Helen with the chair and the restoration of the Karmahhn Ghia are always foiled by his unfortunate unreliability, leaving Helen with many false hopes that her ex-husband could one day change his foolish ways. The speaker in One Perfect Rose is still searching for the “one perfect limousine,” (line 9, One Perfect Rose) to pick her up and take her away to the place of happiness she feels she deserves. Helen is also feeling this way, but unfortunately may not find a man to be that limousine that Elvin cannot be.

Effectiveness of Film Techniques in The Return of the King

Of all the pieces of writing we completed this year, I felt the most pride when I handed in this film report for The Return of the King. Not only did I have alot of good points, but I had alot of quotations and examples pulled from other texts as well. I think this was the culmination of everything I have learned throughout my ELA career and I hope I am able to produce a piece of similar quality on the diploma exam.

The Return of the King:
Effectiveness of Film Techniques

            The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King tells the story of a hobbit’s journey to destroy a very powerful ring and restore peace to Middle Earth. Many question if the film The Return of the King is a suitable recreation of the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. The director, Peter Jackson has combined a large amount of literary, cinematic and dramatic techniques which raise the question: Is the hero in a story always right? The failure of Frodo to properly dispose of the ring leaves the viewer with the knowledge that the hero of a story can in fact do wrong, and will leave them with that knowledge when they watch other films of similar genres.

Introduction

            In the film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the director Peter Jackson uses cinematic, dramatic and literary techniques through Frodo, Gandalf and other characters to show the viewer that the hero in a story can do wrong, and their journey is as much a quest for knowledge and wisdom as it is for power and recognition. Although Frodo is not attempting to complete his quest for power and recognition, he does feel obligated to risk his life to complete the task assigned to him and learns a lot about himself along the way. Jackson uses J. R. R. Tolkien’s storyline and has developed it for film. Jackson uses Tolkien’s characters of Gandalf and Frodo to portray the doubt about themselves and others that many heroes in stories have. Jackson and his film crew have used a huge amount of scale models, computer generated figures and massive sets to bring Tolkien’s world to life. After going above and beyond with the visual elements of the film, Jackson has also managed to include subtext not mentioned in the story, such as the gluttony of Denothor or the visual corruption of Frodo. The Return of the King has become more than just a story loved by fantasy fans, but a visual masterpiece that has made Peter Jackson worthy of knighting.

Literary Elements

            The Return of the King is Peter Jackson’s interpretation of the original novel by J. R. R. Tolkien. The screenplay, written by Phillipa Boyen, Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson, is their attempt to recreate Tolkien’s work in a way that would be suitable for the silver screen. Many critics have lashed out at Jackson for his removal of some scenes and characters that were in the novel, however the elimination of those was necessary because of the sheer volume of content throughout the three books. For example, in the film Theoden leads the Rohirrim to Minas Tirith with no interruption. In the novel they are warned of an Orc army blocking the way, and are told to take a hidden road to the White City. Jackson felt this was unnecessary to include in the storyline so it was left out of the film in order to keep the viewers attention.

The literary techniques used throughout the film are often used to portray doubt within the character; an uncertainty the character has which becomes a common thread during the film. Many of the heroes in The Return of the King either fear they are wrong when they are right, or believe they are right when they are wrong. Frodo is the hero often believing he knows what is right, but unfortunately for his friend Sam he often puts more trust into the creature Gollum than he should. Sam tells Frodo “He means to murder us!” when Gollum starts to manipulate Frodo into believing Sam is trying to steal the ring from him. Sam realizes that Gollum’s intentions are to kill the Hobbits and steal the ring back, but Frodo is blinded by his affection for the ring. He is able to relate to Gollum because he had been in a similar situation when he was first corrupted by the ring. Frodo does not believe Sam understands the burden he carries, and that it will destroy his happiness for the rest of his life. This is shown when Bilbo asks Frodo if he could see his ring again, and Frodo tells Bilbo he is “afraid [he’s] lost it.” This shows Frodo is sorry the ring is gone, and he does consider it a loss more than a victory.

            The White Wizard Gandalf is used as a symbol of hope for the other characters in the film, but he often questions the results of certain battles in the story diminishing the hope of everyone else. Gandalf is portrayed as a saviour of sorts, and gives the viewer a feeling of safety when he comes to the rescue. At other times the things he says gives the viewer feelings of uncertainty. If the saviour character is worried about something, the other characters must be petrified. Gandalf makes Pippin nervous before the battle for Minas Tirith when he refers to the quiet, calm weather as the “deep breath into a plunge.” This is similar to the “calm before the storm” that often happens in nature, meaning he believes the battle ahead will be a bloody one. When Gandalf has uncertainty of the future events, the viewer and other characters also question whether or not the future is in favour of Gondor and the Fellowship of the Ring.

            Tolkien was quite open about his dedication to religion and the Catholic Church and his writings often related to his religious views. With Peter Jackson’s Return of the King being a dramatization of Tolkien’s novel, it can be expected that many  references to Christianity or Catholicism were also reflected in the film. The majority of films and novels with religion as a major theme will often have some kind of Christ-like character that acts as a saviour similar to Jesus. Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities has a Christ-like character in Sydney Carton. Before death, Carton delivers the famous line “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” This is similar to when Gandalf speaks of the “white shores” when Pippin speaks of his sadness for his almost certain death. Both Gandalf and Sydney Carton represent Christ because of the way they look forward to death more than they dread it. They are attempting to spread the idea that Heaven or the land after death is better than the life everyone lives in, similar to what Christ did in Christianity. Tolkien even admitted that “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision.” Peter Jackson did his best to recreate the story that Tolkien created, therefore it became necessary for him to include the religious elements that are reflected in Tolkien’s writings.

Cinematic Elements

            The camera angles, long lens shots, eerie lighting and dramatic music are all examples of the cinematic elements Jackson uses to create effect in The Return of the King. Throughout the film every situation makes the viewer question whether there is still hope or if everything will end. The lighting used in the shots during the battle for Minas Tirith begins as a dark, flat light. This backs up Gandalf’s assumption that this will be the last time any of them will every fight. As the battle goes on, the scene starts to get brighter and as help comes and the Nazgul flies off, Minas Tirith is sunny once again. This is Jackson’s way of showing the viewer that although what is said during a scene, the hero can be wrong and the cinematic effects can show the viewer there is some hope. When Frodo first wakes up after destroying the ring, Jackson uses glowing white light to illuminate the room. This raises the question of if Frodo is really alive or not, as the same lighting is used in one of Aragorn’s dreams and when Gandalf is describing the land after death. The glowing white light is the same that is usually associated with Heaven in other films.

            The cinematic lighting can also be used to represent despair and treachery. The dark spaces and shadows of spider webs in Shelob’s lair make Frodo and the viewer feel trapped and unsure of what could be hidden in the darkness. The lighting during all of the Mordor scenes is also very dark and disturbing. When the top of Minas Tirith is shown in the distance you can see the dark clouds hanging over Mordor with the fires of Mount Doom being the only light you can see. Those dark clouds had been there for 1000 years, forever reminding the citizens of Gondor of the evil that still lingered so closely because of the decisions of their past king.

            Jackson also uses a lot of intricate camera work and editing to create cinematic effect.  At the exit of Shelob’s lair, Jackson uses a longer camera lens to have the background move as the camera pans across. This shot shows the many different cavities to the cave, while still showing the main exit as a circle causing it to look like an eye. Jackson has a lot of shots focused on the eyes of characters or of circles such as the one at the exit of Shelob’s lair. All of these circles hint at the corruption of the ring and all of the circles in the movie seem to deal with some kind of evil or corruption, like the entrance to Mount Doom or the mouth of Shelob’s lair. When Frodo tells Sam to “go home,” the camera shows a still shot of Frodo’’s face, which is filthy and shows his yellowing bloodshot eyes. Throughout the trilogy Frodo goes from a clean, bright blue-eyed hobbit to a dirty, beat-up mess. Much of this filth is from the long tiring journey, but in the “go home” shot the filth also shows the corruption and evil from the ring. Jackson also found it necessary to film The Return of the King near his home in New Zealand. The rolling hills, mountains and large open fields were a perfect fantasy land that was able to represent Middle Earth just like Tolkien had described it.

            The music throughout The Return of the King is extremely significant for plot development in the film. The soundtrack Jackson has chosen can be a warning something drastic is about to happen, or it can show hope for a character in a dangerous situation. There are a few situations when the music changes from a minor key straight to it’s relative major key, changing the mood from gloomy and dark to happy and bright. Each key in music has a relative major and minor key, meaning they use the same notes but create a different mood and atmosphere, just like the characters. As the characters each individually grow throughout the story they stay the same but become just a little bit different and usually for the better. The music also does an excellent job of indicating how much the hobbits missed home. Even during the final trek up Mount Doom, Celtic sounding music similar to what was heard in the first film begins playing, making the viewer realize that all that is on Sam’s mind as he carries Frodo up the hill is that he will get to go home after he reaches the top. The Shire is a place of peace and serenity for the hobbits, and they grow homesick during the film despite their dedication to the task.

Dramatic Elements

            Although some of the smaller incidents in the film may seem trivial, Jackson explains in the bonus feature of the extended edition of The Return of the King that everything that happened in the film had purpose and meaning behind it. The character of Denothor is used to show corruption within a good society and his total disregard for another person’s life. Denothor knows it is idiotic to send his troops out to fight before the help from Rohan comes but he still sends them away in order to defend his honor. There is a scene in the film where Denothor is sitting with Pippin in the hall and he has a huge feast spread out before him. Instead of finishing a piece of food, he simply takes one bite of something, sets it down and picks up something else. Jackson uses this wastefulness as an illusion to the fall of Rome. The gluttony and selfishness portrayed by Denothor is similar to that of the Romans right before the end of their rule. Although Denothor is just a steward who is in control when there is no king, he takes full advantage of his power and shows no remorse for sending his son away to an almost certain death.

            Peter Jackson uses the character of Arwen as a symbol of how well the quest to destroy the ring is going throughout the film. In one scene she is holding a book in what seems like a struggle. Her dropping the book is extremely symbolic, as it represents the loss of hope by Elrond for the destruction of the ring. Elrond says to Aragorn “Arwen is dying. Her fate is now bound to the ring.” Elrond is using Arwen as that extra motivation for Aragorn to do everything he can to have the ring destroyed, as he knows Aragorn has the potential to save Middle Earth.

            Another dramatic element often looked past in The Lord of the Rings trilogy is Peter Jackson’s choice to use Elijah Wood as Frodo. Jackson does a lot of close of shots of the faces of characters, particularly of Frodo. As mentioned in the bonus feature, Elijah Wood has vivid big blue eyes. As the trilogy goes on, those big blue eyes begin to look dirty and eventually turn almost yellow. Jackson wants the viewer to see how the ring has not only mentally corrupted him but visually corrupted him. As the film ends, Elijah/ Frodo’s eyes return to their original vivid blue, but the ring has left a scar in his mind that leaves him asking “How do you go on, when in your heart you know there is no going back?”

Conclusion

            Jackson’s interpretation of The Return of the King achieves his goal of staying mostly true to the novel but making a film that would keep the viewers interested the whole time. He manages to keep the literary elements from The Return of the King novel while including cinematic and dramatic techniques not mentioned in Tolkien’s telling of the story. Jackson uses all three elements to show that he believes the hero is not always right, and everyone needs companions to assist them in making the right decision. The Return of the King is a story of friendship, betrayal and doubt which Jackson has turned into a cinematic masterpiece.

  

Citations

Tolkien, J. R. R. (1963). Letter to miss eileen elgar. In Letter. Retrieved from http://www.americanidea.org/handouts/06240110.htm

Williams, S. (2003). Lotr: Christian and catholic. In Article. Retrieved from http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0160.html

Actors. (2003). Viggo mortensen (aragorn) quotes. In Quotes from cast. Retrieved from http://versaphile.com/lrcanon/quotes/viggo.shtml

Lord of the Rings: Restoring Honor

This essay was used to prepare us for the diploma. By the time I got the computer working and was prepared, I wrote this in about 60 minutes. I am proud of this essay because it shows I can perform well under pressure, and sometimes my best work happens when I have no time to think about it.This essay covers 4 out of 5 of the course outcomes and it demonstrates my ability to write a large amount in a small amount of time so I decided to include it in my blog.

 The Return of the King: An Individual’s Quest to Restore Honor

Marcus Ramsay

    In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the director Peter Jackson uses certain characters and scenes to show the viewer how all the characters struggled through many different forms of hardship in order to restore honor and stability to their home of Middle Earth. Frodo, a young hobbit from the Shire, is given the seemingly impossible task of carrying the Ring of Power across Middle Earth, facing many evil enemies all while carrying the burden of the ring. Aragorn, the future King of Gondor, was living with only the memory of Arwen, his one true love and was most likely fighting in the hope he would one day see her again. Gandalf the White, the born-again wizard has lived a long and relatively happy life, but feels responsible to fight to the death for Middle Earth if he knows there is a chance of it being saved. All of these characters are fighting for a cause much bigger than themselves, however with perseverance and a lot of luck they were able to destroy the Ring of Power and bring an end to the evil reign of Sauron. The morals developed in The Return of the King can be correlated to an individual’s ideas of struggle and perseverance in real life. Jackson is attempting to show the viewer the when a situation effects one’s friends, family and lifestyle, it takes everyone’s effort to make a difference, no matter your size or importance in the world.

   Frodo Baggins is a very literal way of Jackson showing viewers that no matter someone’s size, they still have the ability to make a huge impact on society. Frodo is just a young Hobbit who has never left his home of the Shire when Gandalf first gives him the task of carrying the ring. Hobbits are relatively small compared to the other beings of Middle Earth, and the fact that Gandalf would ask Frodo to carry such a burden seemed quite ridiculous. At one point Merry asks Gandalf if there is “any hope left for Frodo?” Gandalf simply replies, “There was never hope,” indicating he believes it was his own poorly judged instinct that has sent Frodo to his apparent death. The Return of the King also reflects that a death defying task such as Frodo’s can ruin an individual’s self-esteem and seemingly corrupt them to the inner core. After the ring is destroyed, Frodo spends 4 years feeling the guilt of knowing that he did not complete the task, and tells his Uncle Bilbo that he has “lost” the ring, not destroyed it like he was meant to. Near the end of the film, Frodo asks himself “How do you go on when in your heart, you know, there is no going back?” In his attempt to restore honor and certainty to Middle Earth, Frodo was corrupted by the temptation of the ring, and is forced to live with the guilt of knowing he has failed. He remained unhappy until he sailed away on the Elven ship, to the “white shores” that Gandalf promised would bring him eternal happiness.

    Aragorn, the ranger from the North who eventually becomes the King of Gondor was forever haunted by the knowledge that his ancestor fell for the power of the ring when it had the opportunity to be destroyed. Perhaps this is why he was so driven to have the ring destroyed. Peter Jackson uses Aragorn and a role model of sorts who gives the other characters hope in times of darkness. During many of the battle scenes, Jackson uses dark lighting to symbolize the evil and corruption in the scene. Often enough, when Aragorn enters there will be light again, with victorious music playing and fast shots or fighting. Even as the King of Gondor, Aragorn tells the hobbits to “bow to no one.” He believes that no matter someone’s size, when one has done a great deed like the hobbits did, they are the ones who should be hailed as heroes. When it becomes apparent that Aragorn will be crowned king, a white flower blooms on the seemingly dead Tree of Gondor. Jackson uses the color white to symbolize hope, which Aragorn is bringing to the people of Gondor. Once Mordor is finally destroyed there is no longer a dark cloud hanging over Gondor, and with their new king and the absence of evil the honor is restored, and the people can be happy once again. Aragorn also shows his honor by fighting for the one he loves. He often dreams of Arwen the Elf Princess, the woman he loves. As the evil in Mordor grows stronger, Arwen grows weaker and comes closer to death. Aragorn knows to have the opportunity to see his love again he must do anything in his power to get Frodo and Sam to Mordor to destroy the ring. The decision to bring out all of Sauron’s armies may seem foolish to the viewer at the time, but Aragorn proves it is the right decision when Frodo and Sam make it to Mount Doom relatively unscathed.
 

     Gandalf is another character used to show hope in the film. Everything about Gandalf shows hope and honor, from his magic tricks to his white robes to his age, showing he is wise and an all knowing savior of sorts. Gandalf often speaks of death as “white shores,” portraying to the viewer the idea that life after death can be better than the current life we are living. The scene in which Gandalf tells Merry about death proves to the viewer that he is a very honorable man, as he does not fear death but he fears the battle ahead. This shows he still has the courage to stand up and fight to defend the ones he loves, instead of running away from the fighting to the “white shores” he often speaks of. The color white that Gandalf wears is also a symbol of hope to the viewer. Gandalf can be a bright light in a dark room, guiding the viewer into the sun.
 

     Although the concept of hobbits, wizards and magical rings may be seemingly far-fetched, The Return of the King shows the viewer that it is possible to restore honor when all hope is lost. Though the plan is not always certain, when individuals work together in unity anything is possible. Jackson uses certain characters to show that anyone has the ability to restore honor to their homes.

An Individual's Response to Injustice: Hamlet Essay Revision

My first essay from this semester. 
This essay was a good introduction into what would be expected of us in future projects in ELA 30-1. I received 66% on the original copy of this essay, forcing me to go back and see what I did wrong and improve my writing to meet the outcomes of the course. This essay helped me with managing my ideas and information because the majority of the points I made required quotes to back them up. With Hamlet being written in the Elizabethan era, some of the language used made it difficult to select quotes that were appropriate for the point I was trying to make. I think I had some good points and  information and once I fixed the grammatical and format errors, this turned into one of my favorite critical responses from the semester. This essay covers the outcome of exploring thoughts, ideas feelings and experiences by questioning Hamlet's behavior. It demonstrates my ability to comprehend literature and other texts in print form, because I am discussing a play. This essay shows I can manage ideas and information by using quotes, and it demonstrates I am able to create print text to enhance the clarity of my communication with an audience.

An Individual’s Response to Injustice

Marcus Ramsay

            The play Hamlet is full of different examples of how certain types of individuals respond to things they consider unjust, and the way the go about seeking revenge. The main character, Hamlet, is seeking revenge for the murder of his father by his uncle, Claudius. Hamlet holds a great deal of respect for his late father and having Claudius attempt to replace his father does not make Hamlet Sr.’s passing any easier. When Claudius calls Hamlet his son, he replies with “Not so, my lord; I am too much I’ the sun.” (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 67), a metaphorical expression meaning he does not want to be Claudius’s son. After a late night encounter with the ghost of his father, Hamlet says “Adieu, Adieu! Remember me. I have sworn’t,” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 112), and swears to kill Claudius. Laertes, son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia, also seeks revenge for his father, and makes plans to kill Hamlet. Both characters are planning to respond to acts of injustice by similar means, and are excellent examples of how Shakespeare likes to portray me: arrogant, violent and impulsive. The characters that Shakespeare has developed in Hamlet show us how impulsive men with a great deal of self respect will ten to react to acts of injustice.

            Claudius feels that Hamlet is a potential threat to the throne, and begins to plan for his murder. Claudius is much more cunning and deceitful than Hamlet, as demonstrated when he says to Laertes “And where the offence is let the great axe fall,” (Act 4, Scene 5, Line 215). He is attempting to convince Laertes that it is necessary for them to kill Hamlet in order for Laertes to have revenge. Laertes is beginning to believe Claudius when he says “Stood challenger on mount of all the age for he perfections: but my revenge will come,” (Act 4, Scene 7, Line 29). Claudius is able to think about the consequences of his actions more than Hamlet does, and although he realizes Hamlet dislikes him Claudius still tries his best to be civil with Hamlets for the majority of the play, calling him “my cousin Hamlet, and my son,” ( Act 1, Scene 2, Line 64), and attempts to defend him by saying “Love! His affections do not that way tend; nor what he spake,” (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 164). Claudius comes up with a number of plans to have Hamlet killed, but unfortunately for him none of them go quite as planned. Shakespeare is portraying Claudius as a smarter and less impulsive version of Hamlet, but their similar goals also give them a common dislike for each other. Claudius is embarrassed by the way Hamlet is acting in public, saying “Hazard so dangerous as doth hourly grow out of his lunacies,” (Act 3, Scene 3, Line 6). Claudius and Hamlet both react to the injustice in their lives in the same ways (murder), however Claudius tens to be much more thorough and doesn’t let his pride get in the way of his plans.

            In Shakespeare’s Elizabethan era, it seemed that the solution to everybody’s problems was to kill the person that was causing them. Laertes is another character set on the act of murder, and develops a cunning plan with the king to go through with it. Laertes had never taken a liking to Hamlet, and says “Let this be so; His means of death, his obscure burial,” (Act 4, Scene 5, Line 209) when he finds out his father has been killed. Between that and the constant manipulation from Claudius, Laertes is completely willing to go through with the King’s plan to “Requite him for your father,” (Act 4, Scene 7, Line 139). Like Hamlet, Laertes thinks to quickly and does not consider his actions first, often letting his lust for revenge take control of his mind, which eventually gets him killed.

            The character of Hamlet is a young man who has become disturbed by the pressure of three heavy weights that lay upon him: the death of his father, the separation of him and his lover and the obligation he feels to kill his uncle. All the confusion he feels has driven him into a state of madness, and he thinks of himself as “pigeon-liver’d,” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 574) and “Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 564). Even his own mother is convinced of his madness, and is sure of it when he murders Polonius, Ophelia’s father. However, Hamlet’s disrespect towards his mother has some reasoning, as she had been sleeping with Claudius before Hamlet’s father had even passed away, as revealed when the Ghost says “And to those thorns that bosom lodge, To prick and sting her.” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 88). The ghost of Hamlet Sr. does not want Hamlet to kill his mother, but would rather have her live with the pain of knowing she had cheated on the king and had let “the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damned incest.” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 84). The character of Hamlet tends to be irrational and self centered, meaning he does not think things through and needs things to go exactly as he wants, as demonstrated in his attacks at Ophelia and his mother, saying rude things to them.

            Shakespeare uses many different character structures in Hamlet to show how different personalities will react to what they think is wrong. Although there are examples all throughout the play, the most significant responses are the ones played by the main characters. When the mind of Hamlet begins to go, his behaviour becomes erratic and passionate and he becomes very defensive over what he believes in. Hamlet is a smart man, but as Claudius said, “Madness in great ones must not unwatch’d go,” (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 190). Claudius’s behaviour is not quite as unpredictable as Hamlet’s, however his corruption eventually gets the best of him. Laertes’ behaviour is similar to that of Hamlet, and both of them die a similar death. The personalities Shakespeare develops throughout the play are similar to those in many men in modern times, although it seems like murder is less common than it was during Elizabethan times. Although Hamlet ends in a tragedy, it can teach us to think of the consequences of our actions before our pride lets us make the wrong decision when defending something we believe in.