Tragedy - I am so not a lit major

Ok, so I am pre-law, and although I love to read, very much so, it is the in-depth stuff (in-depth to me anyway) that I struggle with. That is why I waited to take my Lit 103 requirement until senior year!

So my prof wants me to identify the following in Hamlet, and although some of it I am coming up with, I am looking for ideas/answers from those who know better than I (and if you have any questions about con or admin law, I will help you - but really who cares but me).

1. Introduction (if I can't figure that out, I'm in trouble)
2. Rising action - this is stuff I've never learned, I am not sure exactly what this phrase means (yes I am 29, and still do not know this stuff)
3. Crisis (may be a series of them)
4. Reversal (of fortune, change of direction)
5. Recognition (horrifying disclosure)
6. Climax
7. Tragic fall
8. Resolution

I don't know if these then appear in this order. I mean, I can guess on some, but still am not sure - i.e. for Recognition I have Claudius' prayerful admission to his guilt in Hamlet Sr's murder.

Thanks to anyone who can help. I don't want to cheat, I just feel so clueless, so don't give too much away.

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Originally Posted by smarkosa

Ok, so I am pre-law, and although I love to read, very much so, it is the in-depth stuff (in-depth to me anyway) that I struggle with. That is why I waited to take my Lit 103 requirement until senior year!

So my prof wants me to identify the following in Hamlet, and although some of it I am coming up with, I am looking for ideas/answers from those who know better than I (and if you have any questions about con or admin law, I will help you - but really who cares but me).

1. Introduction (if I can't figure that out, I'm in trouble)
2. Rising action - this is stuff I've never learned, I am not sure exactly what this phrase means (yes I am 29, and still do not know this stuff)
3. Crisis (may be a series of them)
4. Reversal (of fortune, change of direction)
5. Recognition (horrifying disclosure)
6. Climax
7. Tragic fall
8. Resolution

I don't know if these then appear in this order. I mean, I can guess on some, but still am not sure - i.e. for Recognition I have Claudius' prayerful admission to his guilt in Hamlet Sr's murder.

Thanks to anyone who can help. I don't want to cheat, I just feel so clueless, so don't give too much away.

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maybe i can help.

introduction: hamlets vows revenge on behalf of the ghost, his father

rising action: hamlet produces a play to provoke and expose his uncle's conscience

crisis: hamlet kills polonius for which he is escorted to england by rosencrantz and guildenstern, ostensibly for his own safety, in truth to be executed

reversal: by subterfuge hamlet contrives to have rosencrantz's and guildenstern's heads chopped off in lieu of his own

recognition: yorick's skull clarifies the life's trivial relation to death, propelling hamlet to face whatever dastardly tricks his uncle is hatching with steady nerves and calm resolve

climax: hamlet and gertrude are poisoned then is laertes who confesses he and claudius were behind the plot to poison and kill hamlet, only hamlet

tragic fall: hamlet kills claudius who denies to the end his role in the plot

resolution: hamlet dies but not before giving fortinsbras of norway and the latter's just claim to denmark's crown his blessing

All of that being what is least interesting about the play.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mayneverhave

All of that being what is least interesting about the play.

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that's the problem (I feel) with this prof. she focuses on the weirdest stuff that takes the joy out of the literature. whatever. thanks for your help chasestalling, I will write my papers and hope for the best.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by smarkosa

Ok, so I am pre-law, and although I love to read, very much so, it is the in-depth stuff (in-depth to me anyway) that I struggle with. That is why I waited to take my Lit 103 requirement until senior year!

So my prof wants me to identify the following in Hamlet, and although some of it I am coming up with, I am looking for ideas/answers from those who know better than I (and if you have any questions about con or admin law, I will help you - but really who cares but me).

1. Introduction (if I can't figure that out, I'm in trouble)
2. Rising action - this is stuff I've never learned, I am not sure exactly what this phrase means (yes I am 29, and still do not know this stuff)
3. Crisis (may be a series of them)
4. Reversal (of fortune, change of direction)
5. Recognition (horrifying disclosure)
6. Climax
7. Tragic fall
8. Resolution

I don't know if these then appear in this order. I mean, I can guess on some, but still am not sure - i.e. for Recognition I have Claudius' prayerful admission to his guilt in Hamlet Sr's murder.

Thanks to anyone who can help. I don't want to cheat, I just feel so clueless, so don't give too much away.

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I'll try, though I am no Lit major either yet .... ;)

Well in the intro we are told of King Hamlet - how he was more the warrior than the political diplomat - establishment of Claudius's and King Hamlet's different style of governing...considering that we are told that King Hamlet brought war onto Denmark with his whole dilemma with King Fortinbras- implies he was not a very good King....where Claudius who then "writ to Denmark" cooling down the rivalry - showing he is the better king...politically rather than ethically. But anyway, whilst the guards are waiting for Norway to attack they see a ghost whom then think is the old King, they then tell Horatio who tells hamlet. Hamlet then is told of how his uncle killed his father and then he vows to take avenge. [ there is Much more that happens in the opening scenes]

action... well I mean Hamlet killing Polonius thinking it was Claudius is something to make of? perhaps - It is one of the few times we see Hamlet actually actively achieving his aim of killing Claudius.




Crisis.... When Hamlet kills Polonius that leads to a series of crisis's Ophelia;s madness.... him being sent to England, resulting in him killing his two friends...indirectly of course [for Hamlet can only kill in anger directly]
that leads to Hamlet's return to England....
Which leads to Laertes seeking Hamlet's death.
leading to a blood bath - the ultimate crisis.

Reversal- the perfect example would be death of R and G. perhaps also the death of Claudius who was killed by his own family member just as he killed his own family.

Recognition : When Hamlet claims "all is silent" he realises the terror of death or that without him the world is nothing but silent....ambiguous.

Climax: well the last scene personifies the word.

Tragic Fall: Fall of innocent Laertes family is tragic, for they had nothing to do with the initial battle and yet their lives were destroyed because of it.

Resolution: Hamlet making his story eternal through passing it down to Horatia.