Sound & Sense 7: Lady Luncheon Club

Prompt: In Maya Angelou's poem "Lady Luncheon Club," the speaker narrates her experiences at one of the dining events. Using devices such as diction and tone, describe the speaker's complex feelings towards the ladies at the luncheon.

Thesis: The declared purpose of the luncheon held in Angelou's poem, "Lady Luncheon Club," is to bring awareness and acknowledgement to horrific topics such as rape and murder. However, the speaker sarcastically observes how the self-serving ladies are more preoccupied with status, reputation, and image.

The speaker utilizes petty metaphors to demonstrate the duplicity and vanity surrounding the event. The women have hired a male lecturer to deliver a speech, and the speaker denounces his efforts: "He summons up / Sincerity as one might call a favored / Pet" (9-11). The word 'pet' is isolated in its own line, drawing attention to the metaphor. The speaker compares his sincerity to a pet: a trained animal that is taught to perform on command. This metaphor is used to highlight the insincerity of his speech, and further critique the superficial intentions of the luncheon.

Throughout the poem, the internal thoughts of the ladies are separated through the use of parenthesis, demonstrating the incongruity between the declared purpose of the luncheon and their undisclosed intentions.  As the lecturer is orating about rape and death, "our woman notes: / (This coffee's much too strong)" (21-22). While the woman should be focused on the devastating stories from his speech, she is more preoccupied with the quality of the food at the luncheon. Although she is physically present, she has no emotional investment in the humanitarian aspect of the event. The speaker is appalled by the superficiality of the luncheon that is supposedly centered around notable and charitable causes.

Hamlet Outline: Prompt 4

Thesis: To seem to be is to be deceitful, and the playwright has effectively punished all deceptive characters with death. In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare mercilessly critiques those who choose to 'seem' by entangling his characters with their true and false representations to such an extent that the duplicity leads to their demise.

1.      Minimal tears of sorrow are evoked upon the death of Gertrude because Shakespeare wants to condemn the shallow adulteress for her unfaithful relationships.

The possibility of 'seeming' is introduced during a conversation between Gertrude and Hamlet when she asks him what seems to be the matter: "'Seems,' madam? Nay, it is. I know not 'seems'" (I.ii.79).

-Hamlet begins as a very transparent character, flaunting his grief or joy to the world. Less than a month after her husband's death, the queen marries his brother. Hamlet is distraught, and he would like the queen to appear more affected by the loss.

Gertrude is content to sleep with the brother and murderer of her beloved husband if it allows her to remain powerful and rich in the kingdom. While she is selfishly pleasing her whims, she is also trying to appear like a caring and honest mother: "What have I done, that thou dar'st wag thy tongue / In noise so rude against me?" (III.iv.47-48).

Hamlet is aware of the incestuous and corrupt relationship that was formed between Claudius and Gertrude, and he has lost all respect for his mother for seeming to care about him. A good mother would not lie and cheat on her family in such a fashion. Gertrude cannot play both the greedy whore and the loving mother, so she is punished by Hamlet and Shakespeare.

2.      Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two other characters who seem to be what they are not, and their lack of sincerity leads to unremorseful ends.

The king and queen ask two of Hamlet's closest friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to spy on him in an effort to determine the cause of his lunacy. They comply by saying, "Both your Majesties / Might, by the sovereign power you have of us, / Put your dread pleasures more into command / Than to entreaty" (II.ii.27-30).

Hamlet quickly perceives the ulterior motive of their visit, and he then dismisses them as friends. Although both friends had little choice over their actions, Shakespeare demonstrates that friendship should be a higher priority than power.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are later ordered to babysit Hamlet on a trip to England, and they again comply. Although, Hamlet has outwit the plot and instead changes the directions of the letter: "He should those bearers put to sudden death, / No shriving allowed" (V.ii.51-52).

"Why, man, they did make love to this employment. / They are not near my conscience. Their defeat / Does by their own insinuation grow" (V.ii.64-66).

Ignorant of the situation, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are killed upon delivery of the message, and there is no one to feel pity for their death. They appeared to be friends with Hamlet; however, their ulterior motive severed their relationship with the prince and cost them their lives.

3.      The disloyal friendship of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is contrasted to the honesty and faithfulness of Horatio.

The only character with whom Hamlet ever divulges his thoughts or plans is Horatio. When Hamlet has uncovered the plan of his disposal, he tells Horatio of his counter actions: "He that hath killed my king and whored my mother [...] is't not perfect / conscience / To quit him with this arm?" (V.ii.72-77). Hamlet is a lonely man wrapped up in his own insanity. He is so insecure and untrusting that it is miraculous that he feels confident enough to share the inner workings of his plan with Horatio.

During the final massacre, Hamlet pleads for Horatio to not commit suicide so that he may live on to tell the tale: "If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, / Absent thee from felicity awhile / And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain / To tell my story" (V.ii.381-84).

The final man entrusted with the story of Hamlet is none other than Horatio. Shakespeare has already killed nine characters, but he makes a point of keeping Horatio alive to reward those who are true and pure. Horatio is unlike any of the other characters in the play because he does not seem to be something he is not.

4.      The duplicitous Claudius puts on a false act of grief for the kingdom, although he begins to suffer when sentiments of guilt and remorse for murdering his brother weld up internally.

Shortly after the death of the King, the new King, Claudius, addresses the court about the passing of their ruler. The false words of sorrow and misgivings deceive the court into believing the honest intentions of Claudius. However, Hamlet senses a shortcoming in the honesty of the king and considers him, "A little more than kin and less than kind" (I.ii.67).

It is not until Claudius begins to feel the pangs of guilt that the audience feels confident in labeling him a murderer.

"O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven; / It hath the primal eldest curse upon't, / A brother's murder" (III.iii.40-43).

Claudius is a unique character in the sense that the other deceitful characters do not admit to their crimes and express signs of remorse. Although Claudius talks about forgiveness, he is shown none by Shakespeare as Hamlet forces the poisoned drink down his throat. This second attempt at murder only allows more toxins to be injected into his body, and it prevents Claudius the honor of having his final words.

5.      The constant state of turmoil and pain in which Hamlet resides is brought upon by his twisted and entangled character. Throughout the play, the audience has glimpses of Hamlet the grieving son, Hamlet the actor, the performer, and the director. All of these personalities begin to intertwine until Hamlet is no longer able to discern one from the other.

Hamlet begins as a very overt character with clear intentions. However, he is lost, and the ghost of his father gives him a purpose to live. He was hopeful that he may one day feel joy again, but his isolation pushed him father down into disparity. After he realizes that his own friends have been turned against him he pitifully remarks, "Now I am alone. / O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!" (II.ii.576-77).

Hamlet is a slave to the kingdom, bound by societal expectations. He also feels obligated to revenge the death of the king, shackled by the honor and love he has for his father. The more obligations that arise, the more isolated Hamlet becomes, and the farther he strips away into his lunacy.

The various personalities of Hamlet force him into a constant state of torment. Between the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune [and the] sea of troubles" (III.i.66-67), Hamlet hopes for death, finality: "a consummation / Devoutly to be wished" (III.i.71-72).

The constant pain and suffering Hamlet endures in his mortal life encourages thoughts of suicide, but he eventually resists the temptation because he is more fearful of the unknown. Hamlet, the most complex character in the play, is not coincidentally the one who suffers most. Shakespeare punishes his deception towards others by placing him in a constant state of agony.

Conclusion: Shakespeare punishes the duplicitous characters in Hamlet by allowing their deception to lead to painful and unforgiving ends.

The play begins, "who's there," and in the end, the only characters that survive are the ones that remained honest and loyal. Through the theme of 'seeming,' Shakespeare is trying to show the audience the peril of deceit and the value of kinship and morality.

Hamlet #7

     Poor Ophelia has become overtaken by insanity in response to her father's murder. She mopes around the castle, and she is now singing her way through life with hopeless songs about betrayal and sorrow. This side of Ophelia is the third and final phase of her character. Ophelia begins as the loving and honest 'girlfriend' of Hamlet. When Polonius and Cluadius order her to spy on Hamlet, she is forced into deception and falsehood, which Hamlet heavily criticizes and mocks. The extreme polarity of these identities, added to the unforeseen death of her father, launches Ophelia into a bewildered state of insanity. Her lunacy tends to differ from Hamlet's perceived madness because Ophelia does not feel angered by the murder, but instead she is devastated, weakened, and physically and mentally destroyed. As she wanders about the castle, she sings; perhaps because she no longer trusts the value of words. She is not simply rhyming her speech, but she is trying to express the depth her pain and emotions. This is the first time where the audience witnesses the boldness of Ophelia and her emotions ruling over her reason.
     In my opinion, the most depressing line of the play thus far is when Ophelia begins to distribute the flowers. Flowers become very symbolic in her for this section, perhaps because they are a beautiful piece of nature that she believes cannot betray her. She begins to distribute the flowers, and she gives rue to Laertes, which symbolizes sorrow or repentance. Then, in the heart wrenching remark she says, "There's a daisy. I would / give you some violets, but they withered all when / my father died" (IV.v.207-09). Ophelia is not guilty of any crime except for trusting and loving. To hear her say that all of the violets, which symbolize faithfulness, have died, it symbolizes how she no longer has anything for which to hope or live. As Hamlet voiced, when the pain of living overbears the fear of the unknown, people will be courageous enough to end their mortal suffering. "The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to- 'tis a consummation / Devoutly to be wished" (III.i.70-72).

Hamlet #6

     Hamlet and Claudius may commit the same crimes, but they will never comprehend their actions in the same manner. In this section, the King has a soliloquy where he finally discloses information about the murder: "O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven; / It hath the primal eldest curse upon 't, / A brother's murder" (III.iii.40-42). The first curse issued by God was upon Cain for murdering his brother Abel. Therefore, Claudius is directly admitting his crime to the audience (although he never employs the name of King Hamlet). Within Claudius' soliloquy, he acknowledges the two conflicting forces he faces, demonstrating his reasoning and logic. While describing the motivation behind the murder, Claudius says, "My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent, / And, like a man to double business bound, / I stand in pause where I shall first begin / And both neglect" (III.iii.44-47). Claudius sees the murder as the outcome of an internal battle fought between moral dilemmas and personal prosperity. And even after the sin has been committed, he still suffers between pangs of guilt and resentment for his act even though he thrived from the murder.
     Hamlet, on the contrary, is singularly focused on achieving revenge for his father's death, and there appears to be no remorse, regardless of the collateral damage. When Hamlet is talking with his mother, he spears Polonius from behind the curtain (...so much for solely confining the daggers to words...) and follows with a sarcastic remark when his mother frantically questions if he understands what he has done: "Nay, I know not. Is it the king?" (III.iv.32). Hamlet does not appear to be shaken by any guilt, and he voices his disappointment about preferring it would have been Claudius. Hamlet considers the murders he commits justifiable by the death of his beloved father. Although the ends align, Claudius strategically murdered his brother and is now plagued with guilt, whereas, Hamlet is emotionally committing these acts of terror without the slightest hint of remorse.

Hamlet #5

     The hypocrisy coming from the men of the play is unbelievable! Whenever Shakespeare wants to allude to deception or duplicity, a female reference will soon follow. However, the primary source of treachery and betrayal resides within the male characters.

     The image of women in this play is linked with derogatory and misgiving connotations such as untruthful and conniving. As a sliver of guilt begins to emerge from the King about his prior deceitful actions, he compares himself to a whore: "The harlot's cheek beautied with plast'ring art / Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it / Than is my deed to my most painted word. / O heavy burden!" (III.i.59-62). The audience is under the impression that Claudius killed his brother, the King, in order to be enthroned himself and marry Gertrude. A promiscuous woman may have more than one bed friend, but to stoop so low as to compare murder and treason to undisciplined sexuality is a little out of proportion. Similarly, Hamlet is quick to judge and make assumptions about an entire gender. Poor Ophelia has obeyed her father's wishes to resist the temptation of Hamlet even though she cares deeply for him. When Hamlet and Ophelia are united, Hamlet denies his love for her and then criticizes and condemns the unfaithful fate of all women: "God hath given you one face, and you / make yourselves another" (III.i.155-56). He lashes out on all of womankind, and he adds his comment about God to show that women are not only unfaithful to their husbands, but also to God and religion. Womankind is consistently degraded and accused of being deceitful and conniving by the men in the play.

     The irony of this accusation is that the majority of the duplicitous actions are performed by the men. Claudius is the one who supposedly murdered his brother, and subsequently (metaphorically) poisoned the ear of the kingdom through his false grief and dishonest motives. Polonius attempted to use Hamlet's friends and lover against him, contrary to their desires. And finally, Hamlet is the most deceitful character of all! The twenty year old is concocting a plan to overthrow the king on account of a rumor he heard from a ghost. He also turns his back on his loving Ophelia, and he cannot seem to keep his stories straight. Hamlet says, "I did love you once" (III.i.125), and then less than four lines later he says, "I loved you not" (III.i.129). Hamlet is beginning to utter multiple variations of the same concept because he is internally struggling with his own duplicity. The men in this play have committed far greater acts of betrayal and deception thus far, yet the women act as a scapegoat for the manipulative thoughts and actions plaguing the men.

Prose Passage #2

Thesis: The young man and his father share a complex relationship because although the boy begins to hesitantly assert his independence, the father selflessly supports this growth, arousing sentiments of guilt and sympathy in his son.

     The young man is hesitant to break tradition and go fishing without his father because the son fears his father's disappointment. Every year for the past fifteen years, the father and son have shared the tradition of camping and fishing. Much like the routine and upkeep of their camping adventures, the father always made sure his fishing rod was in pristine condition: "The man in Colorado Springs carefully scraped the varnish off the rod and rewound it and revarnished it and it came back glistening new each year" (49-52). The excessive use of 'it' towards the end of the quote begins to blur the lines between the camping trip and the rod. In the following sentence the son mentions, "There was nothing his father treasured more" (52-53). The ambiguity of the word choice illustrates the lack of clear communication between the father and the son. The son recognizes the importance of the rod and trip to his father, but neither of them expressly state the impact of the son's assertion for independence. Although there is a deep love and understanding between the father and son, their ambiguous and indirect style of communication complicates their relationship.