Oak Bluffs High School - Beacon Yearbook (Oak Bluffs, MA)

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THE BEACON f if .fx KU. e A ff ... lM lUUlllllllll 1V'lUl '-f ' T '3f1!if:iT, Barbara Bowman, Editor Helen Rose, Assistant Editor HAMLET VVho killed the King of Denmark? Did tl1e Queen have anything to do with the murder of her husband U? Did Hamlet really love Ophelia? lVas Ham- let's madness real or feigned? How did the Ghost's story affect Hamlet? These questions and others come to us when we read f'Hamlet',. t'Hamlet is a tragedy. It is not a drama of action but a psychological study, therefore, the plot lies not in the deed itself but i11 the method of doing the deed. It is lIamlet's train of thought that leads to tl1is failure, that really creates the plot of the drama. Another part of tl1e plot, a kind of sub-plot, centers about the afl fairs of Pt lonius and l1is family. The catastrophe is 11ot reached by the gradual development of the scenes as in other dramasg but rushes on the reader with surprise and rapidity. At one moment all the principal charac- ters stand before the reader, and at another they lie before him, dead. It seems as though, after the will of man had been baffled in every attempt lo disentangle the tragic knot, the hand of Heaven itself had been suddenly stretched out to avenge the murder. The tragedy shows the unfitfulness of a thoughtful, studious man, who sees both sides of the subject, to deal with situations requiring prompt ac- tion under extraordinary circum- stances. Hamlet suspected from the first that his father had died by foul means. VVith the appearance of the Ghost, Hamlet's suspicion was verified, also he was practically sure that it was his uncle who l1ad been the murderer of his father. Hamlet resolved to feign madness so that he might become very certain that his suspicions were true, before he made any accusations. Gertrude the Queen, becoming anxious at Ham- let's apparent madness, summons Hamlet to her boudoir. Polonius lllfid hidden behind the curtain, spying for the King. Hamlet became aware of his presence, and, i11 a fit of anger, thrust l1is rapier through the curtain alnd killed his fathers spy. Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius, was in love with Hamlet. Upon the death of her father, and the seeming indifference of llam- let toward her, Ophelia became de- pressed and committed suicide. Ham- let l1ad bee11 sent away by tl1e King, who determined to make away with Hamlet because he realized that Ham- let was becoming suspicious of him. Hamlet successfully eluded the King's messengers, who had bee11 Sellt with him, and returned to Denmark. The King, seeing that this plan l1ad been unsuccessful, plans with Laertes, who was bitter against Hamlet because he held the latter responsible for the death of his father and sister, to en- gage Hamlet i11 a duel and to defeat

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12 THE BEACON FKANUES PENNEY Class of 1934 The light of her young life went down As sinks behind the hill The glory of a setting star-- Clear, Beautiful and still. Frances left us after we had been in High School only five months. We missed her and we always shall. Frances was a student of rare ability. She was conservative, but friendly. She was sympathetic toward all. Frances took an active part in all school and church alfairs. She was loved by all, and so when she passed on, a breach was left which never shall be filled. WVe loved Frances more than we can say here. She possessed wonderful traits which we have not mentioned, but there is something else--Frances was one of us--we mingled to- gether--we knew one another--we loved one another, and so you see, when Frances said Goodbye there was something more than a classmate leaving ns which pained our hearts--our friend, Frances, had left us: we were parted. No more would we see her, no more would she smile on us--no, never again in this world would we meet! They say anyone can be forgotten. This may be true enough when perhaps some person has left no good impressions behind him, but not so with Frances-- every dillicult subject reminds us of her, we wonder if she would have mastered it as she did so many other difficult things. Our decisions bring her to mind--Oh, we can as easily forget Frances as we can escape our consciences! lint be those things as they may, Frances is gone-- but We cannot say, and we will not say That she is dead, she is just--away, With a cheery smile and a wave of her hand She has wandered into an unknown land, And left us thinking how very fair It needs must be, since she lingers there.

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14 THE BEACON g him, by foul means. The Queen, while watching the duel, drinks the poi- soned cup intended for Hamlet, and dies. Hamlet, seeing this, turns on the King and stabs him. During the duel, in which Laertes had been using a poisoned rapier, the swords had changed hands and both opponents were stabbed with the poisoned sword. Therefore all the principal characters died. The whole play is intended to show that calculation and consideration ex- hausts the power of action. This play is wonderful in the character descrip- tion of several of the characters, es- pecially Hamlet. Hamlet has a strong character and a very weak will. All through the story Hamlet has, no doubt, a distinction between right and wrong, but he cannot bring himself to do the right things. Hamlet is a thinker and a student. He ponders long on every subject and studies ev- ery side of it. He pondered too long on this subject, as was characteristic of him, and lost the opportunity to revenge the death of his father. Ham- let was very loving. He loved his moth- er sincerely, although at times he ap- peared to lose his patience with her. Hamlet loved Ophelia and believed in her. He didn't realize that he was treating her unfairly. It is Hamlet's character that really makes the play so interesting. The reader is interest- ed in Hamlet and Wants to find out how he works out his problem. The character of Hamlet is very clearly brought out and made very true to life by the author. Ophelia is a very interesting char- acter. She has the usual affection for the members of her family, her father and her brother. She is very obedient and although her love for Hamlet is very great, she gives him up at her father's command. Ophelia has 11ot a very strong character, she is rather the clinging vine type. She takes things as they come, not trying to stand them. She had a rather magnetic personality, and draws people to her better them or do her best to under- by her apparent helplessness. Her death left a gap that could not be easily filled because she was so well loved. Hamlet is a very interesting play and is very well written, as are most of Shakespeare's plays. In con- clusion, Hamlet is good because of the various character descriptions in it. The theme is excellent, the setting is ideal, and above all, the whole play is true to life. However, there are some points which detract from its iu- terest, it is too drawn out, the reader rather loses sight of the plot in some places, as the author spends too much time with petty details. Nevertheless, this play is Well worth reading and it occupies an important place in Eng- lish literature. THE IDYLLS OF THE KING Helen Rose The Idylls of the King are a. group of poems Written by Alfred Lord Tennyson. The Word Idyll means picture, Hllfl The Idylls of the King give the reader twelve little pictures of the life and times of the Arthur of the liegend. The poems tell incidents which are either drawn from the old romances of King Arthur's court, or invented by Tennyson in the manner of the ohi romances. The chief groups, or cycles, of these romances are those dealing with CU The Coming of Arthur, C21