Hamlet Blog 2

"Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, / With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts— / O wicked wit and gifts, that have the power / So to seduce!—won to his shameful lust / The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen." (1.5. 49-53)

The ghost of King Hamlet tells Hamlet that he was killed by his brother: Claudius the king. This could be seen as suspicious because Hamlet already despises Claudius for taking his father's throne so easily and without mourning. He also does not like the fact that his mother acted in somewhat the same manner. The ghost tells Hamlet that it wasn't his mother's fault that she was not very upset over the death of King Hamlet. It was Claudius who tricked her into loving him. Claudius could have seduced the queen so that she wouldn't suspect anything. The main thing that the ghost brings up, is that Claudius killed him. But because Hamlet already had issues with Claudius and society for overlooking his father once he passed away, this conversation with the ghost who claims to be his father could be suspicious. Hamlet's confirmation bias could easily cause him to hear only what he wants to hear. The information given by the ghost can not be truly believed yet because Hamlet was the only one to hear it, and he has an incredible confirmation bias.

Hamlet Blog 1

"Why should we in our peevish opposition / Take it to heart? Fie, 'tis a fault to heaven, / A fault against the dead, a fault to nature, / To reason most absurd, whose common theme / Is death of fathers, and who still hath cried, / From the first corse till he that died today, / 'This must be so.' We pray you, throw to earth / This unprevailing woe, and think of us / As of a father" (1.2. 104-112)

The King is claiming that Hamlet is committing a crime against heaven, nature, and the dead by mourning the death of his father. It is completely natural to be upset when one's father dies, and his brother, King Claudius, seems to not care that his son is upset. He might as well have told Hamlet to stop crying like a bitch; it would have had the same effect. In this sense, "unprevailing woe" means, "mourning is useless". One would think that if a man, whose father had just passed away, was told to stop being a baby and stop whining about his father's death, that man would most likely be pretty pissed. The King also commands Hamlet to think of him as his new father. This could also anger a man: if he was told to replace his father in his mind with another man. Claudius is trying to force Hamlet to yield to him and follow his orders. These assumptions could depict a "blind" character, who is unaware of another who could bring an end to his rule.

P & P Blog 9

“You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever" (307).

Mr. Darcy regards Elizabeth as a headstrong woman who is smarter than to argue about petty things. When he refers to Elizabeth's past feelings, he wants to know if Elizabeth is still indifferent in her feelings towards him. He admits that he is still in love with her and if she were to mention that she feels the same way, he will continue to love her unconditionally. If she told him she did not love him, then he would cease pursuing her. The fact that Elizabeth then responds with "common awkwardness" and "not very fluently", suggests that she is for the first time experiencing feelings for anyone that causes her to become incoherent, which is rare in Elizabeth's character. Her propensity is usually quick to respond and not be indirectly laconic. She is not in this case, and the reader can truly understand Elizabeth's love for Darcy.

P & P Blog 8

After Jane and Mr. Bingley become engaged, Lady Catherine appears at the Bennet's home. Elizabeth immediately has no idea what would call Lady Catherine to her home. She quickly learns that Lady Catherine believes that Darcy has proposed to her. She admits that he hasn't. Lady Catherine claims that Darcy and her daughter are engaged. Elizabeth is no longer intimidated by Lady Catherine if she ever was and actively combats her. She points out that if her daughter and Darcy are engaged, then there should be no reason for her to be concerned that Darcy will propose to Elizabeth. It is clear that even Lady Catherine expects a proposal to Elizabeth from Darcy, even though it would greatly damage her felicity. Lady Catherine's haughty attitude is overshadowed by Elizabeth's confident retorts. The more Lady Catherine hints to Darcy's looming proposal, the more confident Elizabeth becomes. Elizabeth may not wholeheartedly believe that Darcy will propose, but she does not fail to seize the opportunity to put Lady Catherine in her place. Lady Catherine's malice and disdain for Elizabeth becomes prominent when she realizes that Elizabeth could possibly take Darcy away from her daughter.

P & P Blog 7

After receiving a letter from her Aunt, Elizabeth comes to the realization that Mr. Darcy still has feelings for her. He had originally described all that he has overcome to pursue his feelings for her and this becomes prominent once again in this letter. Mr. Darcy takes it upon himself to track down Lydia and Wickham. He also pays the amount necessary for the marriage to take place. He even pushes past his immense disdain for Wickham to pull this off. Mrs. Gardiner hints that the reason he has done these things is because he loves Elizabeth so much. She might be convinced that Darcy still has feelings for her, but she still implicity believes that there is no way that Darcy will ever marry into a family that now includes Wickham. This was most likely Wickham's plan when he decided to marry Lydia, and if Darcy doesn't marry Elizabeth, then his plan would have worked. Darcy is not one to be vexed by another's actions so much that he makes irrational decisions. Darcy's actions allow Elizabeth to see how far he will go for her and her family and that if they were to marry, how much he would take care of her.

P & P Blog 6

Elizabeth's disposition regarding Darcy has almost completely changed. She is realizes that if Darcy were to propose to her again, she would gladly accept. She is also aware that because of the affronting nature of her refusal, there is a very good chance that such a proposal will not arise. She now understood that "he was exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her" (261). She originally found his manners abrasive and implacable, but she now believes that she was originally mistaken about his personality. She thinks that maybe if they were to marry, her personality would soften him up and he would be come very affable. She is, however, disappointed by that fact that because Lydia is to marry Wickham, there would be no chance that Darcy would want to deal with such a family. She is now confident in her feelings about Darcy, but now she has doubts about Darcy's feelings towards her.

P & P Blog 5

Elizabeth receives a set of letters from Jane that fastidiously describe a terrible truth: Lydia has run off with Wickham. This especially angers Elizabeth because she knows of his shady past with Georgiana. She's also aware that it is imminent that the Bennets' reputation will be completely ruined. She doesn't exactly blame Lydia for this, in fact she blames herself for not exposing Wickham for the scumbag that he is. After telling Darcy, he is also upset with himself for not exposing Wickham. Elizabeth assumes that Lydia is implacable at this moment, and would be difficult to locate and pull out of this predicament. What's interesting about this situation is that she holds Lydia with no responsibility, she is only disappointed in herself for not realizing that Lydia was an easy target for Wickham. She is also having trouble understanding why Wickham would want to marry Lydia, because he should be aware that the marriage would bring him no wealth, and it has been proven that he specifically cares about his wealth and status. Elizabeth believes that doing what she can and stopping the marriage if possible is incumbent and extremely important for her family's posterity to prosper.

Mr. Collins' Proposal Essay

Peter Sanfacon

Mr. George

World Lit Honors

13 February 2011

Mr. Collins, The Loser

            Mr. Collins, the unusual cousin of the Bennet sisters, enters the story with a unique aspiration: to find a wife. He is not searching for a soul mate, but for someone to “complete” his life. Elizabeth Bennet peaks his interest after realizing that Jane is unavailable. Mr. Collins, once he decides that he wishes to marry Elizabeth, brings his proposal to her, but not in the most planned or heart felt way. Mr. Collins’ proposal is absolutely pitiful because it lacks sincerity, love, passion, and honesty; he lacks the principles of a proposal that make it so appealing.

            Mr. Collins’ proposal lacks merit from the start, considering his original reasons for marrying in the first place. According to Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine told him “a clergyman like you must marry” (Austen 92). Mr. Collins, being the buffoon he is, automatically believes that getting married is something he must do simply because someone with a high reputation, such as Lady Catherine, told him to. Most women wouldn’t think it too sincere to propose simply because someone advised it. He also believes that it is important for a clergyman “to set the example of matrimony in his parish” (92). Instead of marrying because it’s his heart’s desire, he wishes to marry because it will raise his reputation. This is a fairly selfish pursuit. Elizabeth is smart enough to recognize that this reason alone would mean that Mr. Collins does not view Elizabeth as a person, but as property. Although that is the custom, Elizabeth is a headstrong woman who wants nothing but a unique relationship filled with love. This is evidence that Elizabeth wasn’t necessarily Mr. Collin’s specific choice for a spouse, thus the lack of sincerity and passion.

            His following statements systematically contradict any sign of sincerity and honesty he may show. He says that the marriage would “add very greatly to my happiness” (92), but directly after that, he says, “perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier” (92) which implies that the latter statement is more important than the former. The latter statement is that Lady Catherine recommended the marriage. According to Mr. Collins, someone else’s opinion is more important than his own when it comes to a decision that should involve love.

            The relentless proposal continues even after being rejected several times by Elizabeth.  She says it is “impossible for me to do otherwise than decline [the proposals]” (93). Elizabeth is bluntly stating that there is no way in hell that she will ever marry Mr. Collins. Again, he makes a foolish mistake, but this time attributes her rejection to a “typical” female flaw: “it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept” (94). There are several insults to Elizabeth in this statement. First, he is putting Elizabeth in the same category as other women, which Elizabeth prides herself in not being a part of. Second, he does not take Elizabeth’s rejection seriously, which to Elizabeth is a big deal because it also means that he doesn’t respect Elizabeth, or women for that matter, enough to warrant trusting her opinion. Third, Mr. Collins automatically thinks that Elizabeth is playing a game with him, again calling into question his respect for women.

            Mr. Collins’ proposal is despicable because it is not truthful and he insults Elizabeth’s intelligence by continuously proposing even after being undisputedly rejected. Mr. Collins is a foolish individual for thinking that he would be successful; this simple fact exemplifies exactly what Elizabeth dislikes about Mr. Collins, and why she believes him to be an unfit husband.