Junior Varsity English (Prep for AP, Humanities, and Big Time University)

This a blog for Mr. James Cook's eleventh grade honors English class at Gloucester (MA) High School. Remember what Northrup Frye writes in _Fearful Symmetry_, "No one can begin to think straight unless [she or] he has a passionate desire to think and an intense joy in thinking."

Friday, April 13, 2007

responses to authority

responses to authority--opposing, mocking, obeying, flattering: 2.2.120-121, 1.3.145, 2.2.30b
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1 comment:

emilym said...

2.2.30-41 "But we both obey, /And here give up ourselves in the full bent/ To lay our service freely at your feet,/ To be commanded."

In this quotation Guildenstern is speaking with Claudius and Gertrude. He is agreeing to do whatever the King and Queen command. In this instance he is agreeing that Rosencrantz and himself would spy on Hamlet for Claudius and Gertrude, to detect whether Hamlet has lost it or not. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are old friends of Hamlet. With old friends one would usually think the loyality lies. Guildenstern responded to authority by disregarding loyality to a friend.


1.3.145 "I shall obey, my lord."

Ophelia says this in response to her father, Polonius. At this time Polonius has told Ophelia that she is not to see Hamlet anymore. Although Ophelia may still want to be with Hamlet she obediently responds to her father. This shows that when it comes to authority people will against what they want to do, to do what they are told.

Question:
When the characters respond to authority directly they do exactly what they are told, has there been a time where they negatively respond?

April 24, 2007 at 6:03 PM

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