Hamlet – First Level Inquiry (Grammar Stage)

What is the initial question or tension?

Is Claudius the murderer of Hamlet’s father?

Where is the point of greatest tension?

During the tragedy performance, when the actors played the King’s murder scene, and how after that King Claudius left the room, disturbed. It confirmed the Ghost’s statement and in a way justified Hamlet to take revenge.

Where does the play’s action reach its climax?

After Hamlet killed Polonius (accidentally). Now Claudius realized that Hamlet was serious about taking revenge, so he made plans to kill him. He did not even hide his intention by conspiring with Laertes. Ophelia became mad and killed herself, while Laertes came home full of hatred. Maybe Hamlet was the one unchanged by the climax, I think he remained unchanged since he met the Ghost for the first time.

Where is the resolution?

When Horatio told the whole truth to Fortinbras and later on to the world, so that they all know who were the real Kings, Hamlet, Sr and (supposedly) Hamlet the Junior—whose corpse was treated like a king by Fortinbras.

What holds the play’s action together?

Revenge!

~~~~~~~~~

Hamlet – Act Summaries

Act I

Horatio and some court officers see a ghost similar to the late Danish King in armor suits in midnights. The King has killed Fortinbras—King of Norway—in the war, and now the descendent (also called Fortinbras) was preparing another war to take back the territory his father has lost. Meanwhile, Claudius—the present King, brother of old Hamlet—married Gertrude, Queen of the deceased old Hamlet. This angered young Hamlet who still mourned for his father. When Hamlet told about his father’s ghost, he decided to take on guard with Horatio and the others. On the other hand, Laertes and Polonius the father warned Ophelia to not taking Hamlet’s woe seriously because he was royal.

The Ghost came again and told Hamlet that it has been in purgatory, and urged him to take revenge of his father’s murder; that he didn’t die of poisonous snake but by Claudius, the present King. Hamlet agreed to do the mission and forced Horatio and Marcellus to swear that they won’t tell anyone about the ghost.

Act II

Polonius sent his servant to spy on his son Laertes’ activities in Paris. Norway ambassador brought news that King Fortinbras guaranteed that his son won’t attach Denmark, but he would pass Denmark on the way of attacking Poland.

Meanwhile Hamlet started to act like a mad man; which Polonius took as caused by Ophelia rejection of his love. On a visit of a group of tragedy actors, Hamlet arranged to slip several lines of his into the play to test King’s guilt of murdering Hamlet, Sr.

Act III

Polonius and Claudius hid when Ophelia would speak to Hamlet to prove that Hamlet was really mad because of love. Left alone, Hamlet reflected about life and death (this was where his famous monolog is” to be or not to be—“). Apparently, the tragedy brought the King and Queen’s story to live; which angered Claudius; and thus showed his guilt. Hamlet wanted to kill him when he was praying, but cancelled it. His mother called Hamlet to meet her, and Hamlet did his best to scold his mother for her sin. In the process, he accidentally killed Polonius who is hiding behind the tapestry, whom Hamlet thought as his uncle.

Act IV

Claudius decided to send Hamlet to England on a mission, while he secretly asked the English King to murder him. Meanwhile, Ophelia lost her sanity after her father’s death, and Laertes—her brother—led a rebellion against Claudius because he thought he has killed his father. Hamlet sent Horatio a letter telling that he was imprisoned at a pirate ship, and asked him to come as quick as possible to pick him up. With it, he sent a letter to Claudius that he was coming home. So Claudius told Laertes that the murderer of his father was Hamlet and persuaded him to kill Hamlet. But before the plan was settled, Ophelia was found drowned dead.

Act V

Arrived in Denmark, Hamlet and Horatio witnessed Ophelia’s funeral. Hamlet was angry of Laertes’ show of grief, and they wrestled. Hamlet told his story to Horatio, that he has secretly read Claudius letter to English King—instructing him to kill Hamlet—and immediately replaced the letter with the one he wrote himself, instructing the English King to kill the letter bearer. Meanwhile, Claudius executed his plan to trap Hamlet into a fencing duel with Laertes; either Laertes would kill him by a poisonous sword’s tip or he would drink from a poisoned cup. However, the Queen took that drink—and died. Laertes wounded Hamlet, but then their swords were swapped in scuffle, and Laertes was wounded by his own sword in Hamlet’s hand. Before he died, Laertes told the real plot, and Hamlet forced Claudius to drink from the poisoned cup, so the King died too. Hamlet asked Horatio to clear his name by retelling the story before he died too. Meanwhile, Fortinbras’ army came on the right time to overtake the throne, while Horatio told him and the world the whole story. Fortinbras instructed that Hamlet’s corpse was treated as a king’s.

~~~~~~~~

The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila: Third Level (Rhetoric Stage)

What parts of the writer’s experience does she assume to be universal? Which does she view as unique to herself?

Most of Teresa experiences in her earlier stage of life are universal. Like Teresa, most of us were guided to virtuous life by our parents, the Church and the school authorities from our childhood, but like Teresa too, we tended to get bad influences from world vanities and amusements right after we were adolescence. We might return to spirituality and renew our relationship with God when we are adult. However, trials and sorrows force us to fall into sin again. And the process would be repeated again and again, mostly after the end of our lives. In Teresa, although she experiences the rise and fall of spiritual life, in a way, she has reached a special bound with God farther than most of us. It is a rare grace from God that is unique in Teresa.

What parts of the story do resonate with your own experience?

The rise and fall of the spiritual life; and the astonishment when comparing my own sins and the graces God had granted me over my life. How He has been greatly patient in my early stage of life, during which I ignored Him, though not completely. How He has, ever since, called me over and again; waited for me to come back to Him; and embraced me when I finally returned.

If the writer is laying down a pattern for others to follow, do you find this pattern to be good?

Absolutely. Especially the four stages of prayer that Teresa taught us, although it is very difficult to follow, it will lead us to good. She also inspired us to never abandoning our prayers, although during hard times it seems to be fruitless. Once we abandon prayers, it would be hard to climb again to our previous stage. She (and God) convinced us that in these times, actually God never abandons us, He just waits for embracing us again when He feels right.

Find the writer’s stated reason for putting down her life in writing.

Teresa was commanded by God to write her experiences, and I think she tells this most of the time during the entire story.

How has the autobiography been changed by the years that have passed since its publication?

The main idea is still relevant (our relationship with God), but perhaps the nature of the convents and monasteries has been changing since then (I don’t know for sure). But even if it is changed, I think God still calls His chosen people, and the course of their struggles against sin and the devils are still exist.

What or whom does the writer judge? If she criticizes herself, what basis does she use for judgment?

Teresa criticized herself as ‘wicked’ or sinned woman who didn’t deserve such favours from God. She compared herself with other learned and spiritual men who, like her, have reached high stage in relation with God.

Who is ultimately responsible for her successes, and failures: society, family, God? Do you agree?

God was behind her successes, through his confessors and other people who were connected with her. Her failures were influenced by the society (her superiors, her colleagues, citizens, and her friends). The first three accused Teresa of imagining her ecstasies and her rebellion in founding the new convent, which often brought doubts to Teresa; while her friends (women) outside the convent drew her from spiritual life into vanity.

Do you reach a different conclusion from the writer about the pattern of her life?

No, I believe we all experience the same although in different stages.

What expectation did you bring to the story?

I have heard several things about Teresa Avila and her meditation prayer, but I was more curious to know what kind of woman she is in person, and how an ordinary person can become a saint.

What have you brought away from this story?

First, that saints are ordinary people who are chosen by God for certain mission. They could endure the sorrows and trials, because God helps them, guides them to accomplish the mission.

Second, that virtuous life must be fought. We are so weak and wicked, that very often we think we are alright as long as we don’t do anything evil. But in fact, not doing anything IS doing wrong. God always wait for us to come to Him, but we have the free will to respond to His call or not. And when we achieve higher level in spiritual life, don’t get satisfied too quickly, we must diligently maintain it and stay away from sin, because the closer we are to God, the more severe the devils would persecute and try us.

Do you understand more about the experience of God, than you did before you began to read? Or do you remain on the outside?

Yes, I understand much more than before, this story is so inspiring me.

~~~~~~~~

The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila: Second Level (Logic Stage)

Where is the life’s turning point? Is there a “conversion”?

Actually Teresa has lived in good virtues since she was a kid. After that, she has been sinned, repented, fell again into sin, and so on, that it’s difficult to find the exact turning point. Until the last end of her autobiography, Teresa still sometimes doubted God, that God rebuked her. However, I think the foundation of St. Joseph’s convent might be her turning point, because after that she could enjoy a totally secluded life from the world. And, as Teresa’s source of sins usually came from her relation with people, it’s good for her to be secluded like that.

For what does the writer apologize? In an apologizing how does the writer justify?

Teresa apologized often for her lack of trust in God. God has blessed her with so many visions and appearances to convince her, however, it’s difficult for he to understand how a sinful person like her could have been blessed so abundantly by God. And so, she doubted some times, whether it did not come from the devils who wanted to lure her from God. I think in this, Teresa justify God’s Infinite Mercy. He never judges His servants by their pureness, but by their love and persistency to serve Him. Most of the Saints were sinned severely against Him at first, and because they (including Teresa) felt the Infinite Mercy and Love from God, their repentance are perfect, and so, they don’t want anything else than serving God faithfully.

What is the model—the ideal—for this person’s life?

Teresa didn’t mention about her ideal, but as she is a severe doubter, stubborn, and has a lack of humility (something she often admitted), the ideal might be a more tender and flexible person with more determination. However, there is no perfect human being, and God chose Teresa anyway, with all her weaknesses. So, I believe the ideal would be someone who love God and trust his/her life completely to Him.

What is the end of the life: the place where the writer has arrived, found closure, discovered rest?

After the St. Joseph’s convent has been founded, Teresa’s duty for God has been fulfilled, and so He granted her chance to be out of the world, and be with Him entirely, and this could prevent her from doing sins again.

“I do not know whether it is for this reason that His Majesty has placed me in this retired place, where I am so strictly enclosed and where I am so much like a dead thing that I once thought no one would remember me again.”

“For the Lord has awakened my soul from the state in which, being neither mortified nor dead to the things of this world, I used to have such feelings; and His Majesty will not let me become blind again.”

~~~~~~~~

Matilda

I’ve been curious for some time with Roald Dahl. Many of my friends like his books, and some recommended me to at least give him a try. I’m not a big fan of children books, although time to time I still read several, but I think I should really try one of Dahl’s children fictions. I found this copy of Matilda last year in a second hand book kiosk, and so I have been delving for a week into children’s world… :)

Matilda is a little girl with brilliant mind. Born from parents who are ignorance to their kids does not hinder little Matilda to educate herself. From age 3, she has already read newspaper; and because her father refused to provide her books, she goes to public library and sits there every afternoon to read books. At age 4! And not just children books—which she consumed in just a few moments—she reads adult classics like Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice, The Sound and the Fury, Grapes of Wrath, and many others. At age 4!

However, far from being treated with special care, Matilda meets challenges both at home and in school. At home, there are her parents; while in school there is the wicked Headmistress who (also) despises kids. Being bullied and distrusted by these three adults forces Matilda to use her brilliant brain to create a coup d’état.

My immediate response while reading this is ‘impossible’ and ‘exaggerating’. But then, Matilda is a children book, and to read this kind of book one needs to borrow children’s mind which is full of imagination. However, still as a child I don’t think I would have liked Matilda. She’s the kind of naughty girls whom I don’t like even when I was a kid.

One thing that annoyed me most is how Matilda abused her father because she doesn’t approve of his cheating way of doing business. Dahl has made parent abuse looks like heroic act! I’m just wondering, is this book really meant for children reading? I would ban this book if I were at an elementary school council! Mr. Dahl, it’s shame on you for teaching children to do that to her parents, not for self-protection, but just to punish! Where does the ‘honor thy father and mother’ commandment go?

Over all, I don’t feel sympathy with Matilda. Yes, she was often misunderstood by the elders, and it’s shame on them!, but still, it doesn’t give her right to use her intelligence to do mischievous things. The book is quite funny sometimes, and actually the story flows nicely. Dahl is good in telling the story, but beyond that, it’s just annoying and harsh.

Three stars for Matilda, and I don’t think I would ever read anything from him again. Apart from the light reading which I sometimes need, It’s such a waste…

~~~~~~~~

I read Puffin Books paperback edition

*This book is counted as:*

12^th book for 2013 TBR Pile Challenge

5^th book for Fun Year With Children Literature

19^th book for What's In a Name Reading Challenge2013

10^th book for New Authors Reading Challenge 2013

56^th book for The Classics Club Project

The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila: First Level (Grammar Stage)

What are the central events in the writer’s life?

I know that I should have written only the most important events for this inquiry, but to refresh my memory, and really…there are a lot of important events in Teresa’s life that is so valuable, I finally rambled over this quite a long post. :)

• Teresa’s soul was aroused since childhood, thanks to the parents’ good virtues. (age 7)
• Lost her virtues through bad company – entered an Augustinian convent in spite of her bitter aversion. (age 14)
• Returned to good virtues – had serious illness; poor health – out from the convent to stay with her sister. (age 16+)
• Finally took the habit at the Convent of Incarnation, 3^rd November 1536. (age 21)
• Feeling great joy for serving God – her health worsens – went to another town for treatment.
• Suffered the inability of meditating, always needed books to pray – been misguided by her confessor. (age 23)
• Asked God to send illness and patience to endure it. God granted it, the treatment worsen her illness, she endured great pain with great patience, almost died.
• Teresa was paralyzed for almost three years, but endured it with great joy.
• She regretted her sins, took St. Joseph as her patron, and through him, God granted her prayers.
• Teresa fell again in sin from amusements and vanity, having too much freedom in the convent.
• She had a friendship with a woman – one day Christ appeared before her looking severe and warned her that the friendship displeased Him. She disobeyed still; then had a vision of a strange toad which she believed to be another God’s warning.
• For some times she stopped communing with God (meditation).
• Her father died from illness.
• Guided by her father’s confessor, Teresa began to pray again – still led two lives: divine and worldly ones.
• However, during those follies, Teresa felt that God veiled her sins from public because He must have known how Teresa longed to serve Him.
• Teresa was tormented when God granted graces to her despite of her sins.
• Teresa saw in her mind an image of Christ terribly wounded; it moved her deeply; that she called up that image in meditations which helped her a lot.
• Teresa had difficulties to stay in meditation because her thoughts were wondering; she needed an actual image to induce mental recollection in mind.
• She began reading St. Augustine’s Confessions; it helped her to incline more to spiritual graces and stayed away from things that did her harm.
• Teresa wrote the contents of this book to her confessors, but warned him to only publish till chapter 10, and left the rest in secret.
• She taught us how to do mental prayer (meditation) in 4 stages, and how to hinder the devils from taunting us. The higher the stage, the more intimate we would be to God.
• 5 or 6 years stretched along from Teresa’s first to third stages of prayer.
• People accused her of making innovations in prayer – Teresa was disturbed by it – abandoned again her prayer.
• Father Barron, a Dominican Friar, woke her up from sins – she realized how God is never tired of forgiving sinners like her.
• Whenever Teresa had an ecstasy from her 4^th stage of prayer (when God enraptured her), her body would be lifted from the ground. Along with the raptures, Teresa experienced distress from terrible loneliness – she longed to die, to be united to God – her body also suffered great pain – she accepted all happily as the way of Cross.
• After 20 years of prayer and avoiding sins, Teresa was afraid that she might be deceived by the devil. She then sought spiritual directors to guide her.
• To one of her five teachers from the Society of Jesus she confided that despite of her sins, God granted her much favours – the teachers concluded that it was from evil spirit, not God – they instructed her to resist herself from the raptures.

Cuzco School: The Second Conversion of Saint Teresa. ca. 1694

• Teresa used to keep her earthly friendship, however one day God told her in her ecstasy that He wanted her to converse not to men, but with angels – on this, she gave up her friendship and everything for God.
• Two years after Teresa was instructed to resist God’s favours, she sensed Christ’s presence at her side, though she couldn’t see him; so real the experience, it convinced Teresa that it was not the devil – her new confessor confirmed, he was Peter of Alcantara (later on a Fransiscan saint).
• Teresa often had the ‘vision’ from God (she could see Him—parts of His body or His whole body).
• People doubted that a sinner like Teresa could have such favours from God – her confessors were also unwilling to take her confession.
• St. Teresa kept welcoming the visions, though her confessors told her to stop it.
• But God reassured her by giving a token of jeweled cross and advice to deal with her opposition.
• Now the raptures began to bring great pain to Teresa’s soul like being pierced by an arrow, but at the same time the pain felt sweet—it is a combination of pleasure and pain, which disturbed Teresa.
• She was visited by Friar Peter of Alcantara who understood her experience and comforted that it came from God.
• Teresa was tormented several times by the devils, which is permitted by God. During these times Teresa was greatly tormented and only relieved after sprinkling holy water to the devils – it happened because she wanted to save another soul, so she asked God to switch the devils to her soul instead – the other soul was saved at last.
• One day Teresa had a vision of hell, she experienced its torment for a few seconds but that terrified her forever.
• She thought of what kind of penance she ought to do to avoid hell.
• God commanded her, in a vision, to found a convent of St. Joseph’s and He promised to watch over it.
• The plan was opposed by many people but God encouraged Teresa to go on – He inspired the oppositions that at the end they were willingly to help the realization.
• The Provincial suddenly changed his mind, and so the project was cancelled – Teresa was persecuted once more by her colleagues.
• God commanded her to obey her superiors – she was sure that the project will be realized nonetheless.
• The present Rector of The Society of Jesus was succeeded by a more spiritual one – under whom the project was resumed.
• God supported Teresa with encouragement and the means of building the convent, including money which she didn’t have any.
• St. Joseph and St. Clare appeared to her when she was distressed of doing everything alone – They promised to help her. St. Mary has even asked Her Son to help her; which He did.
• Teresa was able to save souls of clerics as well as her relatives by the help from God in visions.
• God insisted that the convent should be built on the principle of poverty.
• Finally Teresa was sent by God in secrecy at a perfect time to finalize the sanction and authority of the convent foundation, against her superiors’ knowledge.
• The convent of St. Joseph was founded on 1562.
• It was under greater enclosure and the new nuns were taken without dowry under the rule of poverty.
• Only four hours after that, the devils put her into spiritual battle again, planting the idea that she must have been wrong to disobey her Provincial – again God helped her and convinced her to lead the nuns.
• People who at first opposed her, began to give their consent.
• In the new convent, Teresa’s virtues much progressed – she often got visions from Saints and souls of dead ones being transported to Heaven, or being torn by the devils, according to their deeds while on earth.
• God gave her a vision to encourage her that He won’t ever abandon her at trials – also a vision of Heaven with its Throne and Angels.
• When she doubted (again!) whether the vision was from God, He rebuked her in an apparition.
• Teresa also had a vision of Virgin Mary’s assumption.
• Finally Teresa was strictly enclosed in her convent, completely out of the world and devoted her life solely to God.

Give your book your own title and subtitle

A God’s Servant’s Story: In Which St. Teresa of Avila Becomes One of His Most Faithful Servants Despite Of Her Sins and Weaknesses.

~~~~~~~

Scene on Three (7): The Life of Saint Teresa Ávila

From the autobiography of a saint which I just finished reading, I would like to share one of the scenes which has lasted longer in my mind than the rest.

“One day when I was at prayer, I found myself, without knowing how, plunged, as I thought, into hell. (…) The entrance seemed to me like a very long, narrow passage, or a very low, dark, and constricted furnace. The ground appeared to be covered with a filthy wet mud, which smelt abominably and contained many wicked reptiles. At the end was a cavity scooped out of the wall, like a cupboard, and I found myself closely confined in it. But the sight of all this was pleasant compared with my feelings. There is no exaggeration in what I am saying.  (…) I felt a fire inside my soul, the nature of which is beyond my powers of description, and my physical tortures were intolerable. I have endured the severest bodily pains in the course of my life, the worst, so the doctors say, that it is possible to suffer and live. (…) But none of them was in any way comparable to the pains I felt at that time, especially when I realized that they would be endless and unceasing. But even this was nothing to my agony of soul, an oppression, a suffocation, and an affliction so agonizing, and accompanied by such a hopeless and distressing misery that no words I could find would adequately describe it. To say that is was as if my soul were being continuously torn from my body is as nothing. The fact is that I can find no means of describing that inward fire and that despair which is greater than the severest torments or pains. (…) In that pestilent spot, deprived of all hope of comfort, it was impossible for me to sit or lie down; there was no room to do so. I had been put in what seemed a hole in the wall, and the very walls, which are hideous to behold, pressed in on me and completely stifled me. There is no light there, only the deepest darkness.”

Yep, it is hell, and it is really frightening. Teresa of Ávila said that she was brought there for merely several seconds. Can you imagine how will it feel to be there forever? It really made me want to go to a confession right away; but instead…well…I flipped through many pages of the book, kept reading… :) But seriously, I wish to stick this picture in my mind, to remind me everytime I seem to be falling into sin.

~~~~~~~~

Jadi bagaimana cara berpartisipasi dalam Scene on Three :

• Tuliskan suatu adegan atau deskripsi pemandangan/manusia/situasi/kota dan sebagainya ke dalam suatu post.
• Jelaskan mengapa adegan atau deskripsi itu menarik, menurut versi kalian masing-masing.
• Jangan lupa cantumkan button Scene on Three di dalam post dengan link menuju blog BacaanB.Zee.
• Masukkan link post kalian ke link tools yang ada di bawah post Bacaan B.Zee, sekalian saling mengunjungi sesama peserta Scene on Three.
• Meme ini diadakan setiap tanggal yang mengandung angka tiga, sesuai dengan ketersediaan tanggal di bulan tersebut (tanggal 3, 13, 23, 30, dan 31).