Friday, October 28, 2011

Act 1 Presenters' Big Question for the Class!

How is Hamlet relevant to to today’s teens based on what we have seen so far? Think about his relationships with his family members and his feelings regarding his life and future plans...

11 comments:

  1. Hamlet is relevant to today's teens because Hamlet is being forced to do something that he does not want to do. In today's world, there are many kids who are being forced to make choices only because they want to please their parents or friends. Kids are not being allowed to make their own choices because they are worried of what people might think of them if they do not do what people want. We see this problem in Hamlet because Hamlet is being forced by his dead father to commit a terrible sin, just so that his father will be avenged. Hamlet wants to please his dead father, but he does not want to damage his own chances of reaching heaven by murdering his uncle. This conflict in Hamlet is an example of the kind of decision making problems that involve so many kids. People making decisions only to please somebody else is the connection that I see between Hamlet and today's teens. This internal conflict we see in people is the reason why Hamlet is so relevant to today's teenagers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hamlet’s action to his dad’s death as well as his dad’s request really shows that he is relevant to today’s teens. After the death of his dad Hamlet was devastated that he was planning to end his own life. In today’s world, there are many kids out there with the same feeling. When you find out your parents have passed away you lose yourself since they were your world. You can see that Hamlet feels he has lost himself after he lost his father since he is willing to end his life. You can also see that Hamlet is relevant to today’s teen because he wants to please his dad even if it means he must commit a terrible sin in order to do so. Though most teens wouldn’t admit it, we all try to please our parents one way or another to get their attention just like Hamlet when he seeks revenge for his dad. Hamlet may know that it isn’t a good thing to murder his uncle but in order to please his dad and get his dad’s attention he is willing to do whatever it takes. The actions towards a parent’s death or request really shows how Hamlet and today’s teens to be relevant to one another.

    ReplyDelete
  3. How is Hamlet relevant to to today’s teens based on what we have seen so far? Think about his relationships with his family members and his feelings regarding his life and future plans...

    Hamlet really relates to any teenager that has lost something and has to deal with it in the biggest year of their lives. The last year of high school is the biggest year in a teenagers life because they have to choose where they're going to college; they need to find a job; most teens have already gotten a car and license; but most of all they have to grow up so fast. In Act 1 of Hamlet, we really see how sad young Hamlet is to hear of his father's death and is mothers marriage to his uncle. He is already trying to adjust to a new life, but when he is blasted with the news of his father's, best friend's, death his life takes a turn for the worst. This relates to the struggles many teens endure on the journey to find themselves. Many experience a death, loss of friendships, or even loss of what they know as home. Hamlet, not only has to deal with his father dying, his mother marrying his uncle after such a short period of time, but also the fact that he is NOT the one taking the throne after his father. This affects Hamlet into the feeling of depression, which many teenagers face. The one thing that stands out between most teenagers and Hamlet, is that most teenagers go through a state of depression but never reach the point of suicidal thoughts. In opposition, Hamlet does go through the period of suicidal actions and thoughts. Moreover, Hamlet relates more to the current days teenagers than any hero we have read about yet.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Today's teens can relate to Hamlet because of the expectations placed on them by others (my idea is basically Jeff's idea). Hamlet feels the pressure from the expectation his father has placed on him just as today's teens feel the pressure to please their parents and fulfill their expectations. On top of all of that, Hamlet is distressed because he finds out everything in his life has been taken from him. Now not everything in every teenager's life is taken from them but when something is it might seem like the end of the world. Hamlet's ocean of emotion filling his head is relevant to today's teens because emotion fills their heads as well. Even more emotion swarms the minds of teens today when expectations are placed on them, furthering the connection between Hamlet and today's teens.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hamlet matches up with today's teens due to the challenges he is faced with. Like many teenagers, Hamlet is indecisive because he does not know whether he is willing to sacrifice himself and ruin his life in order to relief someone else of their sins. King Hamlet makes his son feel sorry for him so that he will avenge him, which will cause for a guilty conscience if Hamlet refuses. Teens tend to give in to the guilt and do what their parents want just to please them but then it ends up hurting themselves in the end. Hamlet and teens see it so that no matter what they finally decide there will always be consequences. Choosing the right approach to the problem is the real challenge Hamlet and teens share.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hamlet is relevant to today's teens because like Hamlet, when things do not go as planned or are completely out of teens control, they cannot handle or comprehend it. Hamlet's father randomly died and two months later his mother married his deceiving uncle. Hamlet would have never wanted this to happen, and in a teenagers perspective, things just keep getting worse, to the point where many teens just want to give up on life. Hamlet would not have chosen for his uncle and mother to marry and because this happened, he cannot bare it. He doesn't know how to conquer this fact and instead he wants to take an easy solution. Teenagers face a tremendous amount of trials. Its a traumatic set of years because they are trying to figure out their path in life. When events do not go as planned, teenagers have a hard time finding a solution to move on. Like Hamlet, teenagers cannot handle the burdens of life as efficiently as adults, and therefor get stuck in trenches with their emotions.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How does Hamlet relate to a modern day teenager? Teens today always feel as if the world is plotting against them. In Hamlets case, this statement is actually validated. His father has been murdered, his uncle took the throne and married his mother, Norway wants its land back, and now his dead father decides to come back and asks him to commit a sin that could land him in hell. So yes, the world hates Hamlet. We as modern day teen should take a moment to realize that no matter what happens, our lives will most likely not be as bad as Hamlets. Let’s face it, your parents getting a divorce is not as horrible as seeing your uncle and mother married after only a few months of your father’s death. Not that another example is needed, but I don’t think your neighbor is going to come in and kill you in order to determine where your fence is.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hamlet is relevant to today’s teens because he is faced with a very hard decision and he does not know how to handle it. Today lots of teens are faced with tough decisions that they do not know how to approach and won’t accept help from anybody. In Hamlet the ghost of Hamlets father wants him to kill his uncle to avenge his death. This is a very tough choice for Hamlet because if he avenges his father he will be less likely to get into heaven. This relates to teens today because today teens try to handle all of their problems alone and things end up going bad. I think that if Hamlet tries to do all of this alone then things are going to get messed up. Hamlet relates to teens today because he tries to solve all of his problems without consulting anyone for help or advice.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hamlet is relatable to today’s teens because he faces big questions. Teens throughout all time have had o face all sorts of choices. You have to decide you identity and major components of your future when you are a teenage. Hamlet just has to face a much bigger choice of avenging his father or not. He also has a tough home life like a many modern teens. A lot of kids today have to deal with divorce and death. Hamlet just has more extreme cases: murder and incest. Hamlet faces many challenges of all teens just in a more extreme way.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I think Hamlet is relevant to teens today, mainly in the respect that he does what his parents, dead or alive, tell him to do. I’m sure Hamlet would rather go back to France to continue his studies, but the King and Queen tell him to stay in Denmark. He does so, without putting up any sort of fight. Also, Hamlet agreed to do what his dead father said, almost without hesitation. Many teens today choose a college or a path to take in life because his/her parents want him/her to. Not only do teens want to please parents, they also don’t want conflict even if it means sacrificing their happiness. There are internal conflicts within Hamlet’s family, but these conflicts are more internalized within certain characters and not recognized by other characters. Hamlet does not want a greater conflict than the one occurring inside him. So far, we have only seen inside Hamlet’s mind, but that may change. We know his internal conflicts, and they don’t seem well known to the King or Queen. I think many parents don’t realize the conflicts within their own children, just as the King and Queen don’t realize Hamlet’s.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hamlet is relevant to today's teens because he his very unstable and he is ready for revenge. He wants to find all the answers and it seems as though he will stop at nothing to find out what happened.
    He is also very emotional toward his life and not so much in a positive way. This is most likely do to the death of his father, and the marriage of his mother and uncle with in a week.

    ReplyDelete