Steampunk? What's that?

I seem to be stuck in some sort of "old-fashioned" music rut.  Until I started looking for materials to help you all become more comfortable with Hamlet, I had no idea what new kinds of music had been created in the past few years.  I'm a pop/rock/country/oldies type of girl.  Throw some Dave Matthews in there too, and I'm a happy girl.  But when I typed "music related to Hamlet" into my Google search bar, the top result was a song from Abney Park called "Dear Ophelia."  This band's music is in a genre called Steampunk.  Have you ever heard of it?  I certainly haven't.  This song is haunting and a bit creepy, but such a great idea!  It is written from the perspective of Hamlet, and it details Hamlet's true feelings for Ophelia while trying to explain his actions within the play.  I've included the version of the song from Youtube that includes the lyrics so you can follow along.

What do you think of the song?  Do you believe Abney Park did a good job writing from Hamlet's perspective?  What would you do differently?  And please, please, explain to me what on Earth "steampunk" is!

You May Not Know This But...

I absolutely love The Simpsons!  I love them because they have done such a great job every time they have tackled classic literature.  I'm sure it sounds like such a "teacher" reason, but hey, if you hadn't noticed, I am a teacher!  How many of you have seen the episodes where the Simpson family and their friends recreate Edgar Allen Poe's short stories like The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart?  How about The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas?  Guess what?  They even reenacted Hamlet!  I've included the link below.  This blogging website won't let me embed the video, so you'll need to click on the link to watch it.  It's pretty short, but hits a lot of the main points of the plot.  So go right ahead and watch the video.  I'll wait for you to come back...

Simpsons do Hamlet (from Season 13, Episode 14)

At the beginning of the clip, when Homer and Lisa are introducing the story to Bart (and the audience), there's another allusion!  Did anyone catch it?  I'm pretty sure most of you read Oedipus Rex last year or the year before.  You know, the guy who killed his father and married his mother?  If you've never read it, I do suggest you do.  The "ick" factor is definitely there, but it is an interesting Greek tragedy by Sophocles. 

In the comments below, please let me know what other literature you've seen the Simpsons cover.  Do you think they did a good job?  Also, please let me know whether this video clip helped you to better understand the plot of Hamlet.  One of your final projects may include comparing and contrasting Shakespeare's Hamlet and the Simpson's Hamlet.

Speaking of Allusions...

Welcome once again to our awesome class blog!  As we said in class, and I mentioned in the last post, an allusion is a reference to one work within another.  With that fresh in your minds now, I have a question for y'all (Yes, I said y'all.  Sometimes I'm lazy in both the spoken and written forms.  And fun fact: I really like some of the country music out there.  And cowboy boots.  Just in case you're looking for gift ideas for me...it's never too late to acknowledge my birthday!).

Anyway, who has seen Coraline?  For those who haven't, it is a Tim Burton-esque film directed by Henry Selick, and very well made.  I don't know about anyone else, but to me, it was a bit scary in a "careful what you wish for" kind of way.  This film is also a perfect response to the question you guys ask me all the time: "WHY DO WE NEED TO LEARN THIS?" (insert supplemental whining)  At the very least, exposing yourself to various works of literature leads to finding little "Easter eggs" in films, television shows, other works of literature, etc.  These allusions can really add something special to a movie, show, or book.  Plus, if you recognize the reference and no one else in the room does, don't you feel super smart?  In the case of Coraline, there is an allusion to the "What a piece of work is man" monologue from Hamlet (Act 2, Scene 2).  Would you ever have caught it if you never been exposed to Hamlet?  Below is the clip from Coraline where the acrobats are reciting the monologue.  My apologies for the poor quality.  I don't own the movie, so I had to rely on Youtube.

Don't We All Just Love Doctor Who?

Hello again!  As we continue to make our way through Shakespeare's Hamlet, I began to wonder whether any of you had seen any clips of the famous soliloquy.  You know, that "To be or not to be..." thing in Act 3, Scene 1?  I know it was a bit boring and hard to follow, but I think I've found something you may find a bit easier to concentrate on.  Based on conversations I've had with a few of you outside of class, and snippets I've heard in the hallways, I know that, like me, there's a possibility you are all hardcore (though maybe closeted) Whovians.  While looking for materials that may help you all to understand and maybe even like Hamlet, I found a performance of that famous soliloquy on Youtube... Do you recognize Hamlet?

It's David Tennant (aka Doctor Who #10)!  Just to refresh your memories, a soliloquy is basically the thoughts of a character being spoken aloud so the audience knows what is going on in the play.  It is not directed toward any other character(s).  In this soliloquy, Hamlet is pondering the meaning of life and whether or not it is worth it to live a life that has so many difficulties to fix.

Who else has seen The Shakespeare Code, the second episode of Series 3 in Doctor Who?  Am I the only one who thinks the connection is pretty cool?  Shakespeare is one of the Doctor's favorite authors!

 One last thing...Just because I love it!

David Tennant striking a Hamlet-esque pose as Doctor Who in The Shakespeare Code...Who knew the word for this was allusion?

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Shakespeare's Hamlet!

Hello my lovelies! I know Shakespeare can be very difficult to understand and get into, but I'm here to help!  I've decided to add posts to this blog that I really hope will help you all really enjoy Shakespeare's Hamlet.

The first thing I've found that I think may help you out includes watching a Disney movie.  Weird, I know.  But it's actually pretty cool! Well, I think it is, but you all know me.  I'm a little lame sometimes.  If you have the movie or the opportunity to borrow it, I'll help you relate the two.

As you all know, this is Simba...son of Mufasa, the king of the lions.  That makes him a prince (like Hamlet).

Simba's father Mufasa is killed by his Uncle Scar, who wants to be in charge (see the relation? Hamlet's father was killed by his uncle because he wanted to rule the kingdom).

What other similarities in character and plot can we find between Disney's The Lion King and Shakespeare's Hamlet?  Is this something you think we should discuss in class?  Let me know in the comments section.  Hope this post helped you all a little bit.  More to come! Hang in there.