St Thomas More High School - Utopian Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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E lillt CA BE Slfllllll 9 T WAS a wintry December night, and we, fjust '5Lump and 4'Skip, dear readers, to you,J welcomed most happily the warmth that greeted us as we entered the Sun Ray Drug Store directly opposite St. .loseph's College. We had just seen a remarkable amateur per- formance of one of Shakespcareis great tragedies, 'I'Iamlet.,' Sitting down at the counter, we ordered our milkshakes. While awaiting our order, we caught bits of conversation about the play from the milling crowd that, like ourselves, piled into the store for refreshments. The general opinion of all assembled seemed to be about the same. Everyone was agreed that the production was splendid, and each person had something complimentary to remark about his or her favorite character. Without a doubt, everyone obviously had spent a most enjoyable evening. Oddly enough, they were all young people, too, not much older than ourselves. Finally our milkshakes arrived, and, succumbing to the general mood of the moment, we found ourselves discussing the play that we had just witnessed. '4Lump, what did you think of the play? I asked. He looked rather surprised at first. But then, he couldn't have been any more surprised in being asked the question than I was to have asked it. Well, he answered, my reaction is the same as the people around us. They all seem to be hepped up about it. You know, though, I was surprised that a college group could give such a swell performance. I thought Shakespeare was strictly long hair and big time. After all, Shakespeare and I haven't been exactly buddy- buddy. God knows, I've pushed the pen enough about him. If nothing else about me is cultured, my calloused fingers certainly are. Look at those lumps. 'cThat is exactly my opinion, Lumpy. They really put on a good show. It's funny, but I find that this is the first time I ever fully appreciated Shakespeare. Guess it's due to the fact that until tonight, my only contact with him was through literature books in the class- room. 74.. Maybe, Skip, that's the main reason for the mild interest shown in Shakespeare in high school. All the time I was watching the play I didn't become bored or lose interest. When I think of all the reams of paper I filled out about him and his plays! But that didn't seem to create too much interest-at least, not the way I found myself interested tonight. Well, you know, Lump, all during the play -this will kill you, but itis true--I found myself making mental notes on each of the characters, sort of checking how the acts of one affected someone else. '4What do you mean? I mean, for instance, the main character, Hamletg the way Shakespeare showed that you can't take the law in your own hands, no matter how justified you think you are in doing itg and the way it boomerangs and fouls everything up when you do. Contrary to God's law, Hamlet wanted revenge. He knew that it was wrong, yet he placed a misguided affection above moral principles. Actually, in getting his revenge, he destroyed himself and others, who were so innocent of anything concerning the tragedy. Remember how he involved Ophelia? How about the way he pretended to be insane to the girl who loved him:, that was unforgivable in my books. Boy, she really had it bad. How could a fellow want to do anything that would hurt a girl like her? That's true, Skipg but what about the way his faithful friend, Horatio, stuck by him through all his trouble? Wouldn't that seem to indicate that Hamlet must have had some redeeming qualities? He couldn't have been all heel. '6Come to think of it, Lump, when one compares Horatio with Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, he can see how skilfully Shakespeare contrasted his characters, for instance, Horatio's undying friendship for Hamlet contrasted ad- versely with Gertrude's disloyalty in marrying Claudius right after he murdered her husband. Certainly, she did not have the loyalty and affection for her son that Horatio had for his friend. . THE CHELSEA REVIEW

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weapon which unfortunately has been kept secret by those who should have known better. Mary said that we must pray the rosary for peace and for the conversion of Russia, whose Communistic leaders cause that country to be the most persistent obstacle standing in the way of world peace. At Fatima, Mary also offered us an indis- putably certain way to save our souls. In doing this, she even went so far as to reveal to the three children what hell is like, a sight that so terrified them that they thought they would die with horror. By doing this, the gentle Mother of God tried to make the whole world realize the punishment that is in store for those who grievously offend the just and most lovable God of us all, without confessing their guilt and asking forgiveness. By revealing what hell is like to the children, she further taught us that children, having reached the age of reason, should not be preserved from all the distresses of life, as some people believe. For if children fContinued from page 681 Those blocks about fifty yards down have to be charged, and then we're finished. You gather my fuse wires, Dial. Doubleday and I will finish it. Dial dived beneath the water, and the Com- mander and Doubleday started to swim to the blocks. They reached their destination, but they made the foolish mistake of swimming the fifty yards while on the surface. Suddenly the water in front of them erupted in small spouts. A Japanese machine-gun just beyond the beach had seen them. Both men dived for depth where they would be safe. The Commander looked for Doubleday. He saw him. Bubbles were coming out of his oxygen tanks. Some bullets must have hit them, and his air was escaping. Doubleday shot to the surface for air. He had forgotten all about the J ap machine-gun. The Commander grabbed him, but he jerked himself free. He rose in the midst of exploding bullets. His body slowly sank to the bottom. The Commander saw the horrified expression, still frozen on his face. Blood was beginning to obscure the water about the body. The Com- mander turned away and began to set the THE CHELSEA REVIEW . . are to have a proper love of God, they must have a proper understanding, too, of the punishment which they will receive if they offend God. They must understand that just as the effects of sin bring death and destruction to the world, so do they bring death and destruction to the soul that ofends unrepentantly its Creator. What does Fatima mean to me! Does it mean to me just--to pray for the conversion of Russia? I wonder. I wonder if Russia is the only thing that we should pray for the con- version of. What about me? If the billions of me's,' that make up the population of the world started praying for their conversion back to the practice of things Godly, wouldn't that help Russia more and oppose the arch-enemy of God-more? Yes, this is what Fatima means to meg it means that I, not the other fellow, have a job to do on me, first of all. And then -yes, then even Russia could have her Fatima, and Mary would have-back-her prodigal off- spring-Russia. charges and fuses. He took extra precaution not to surface. Then he swam back toward Dial, who had collected the fuse wires together. The Com- mander hit him on the shoulder, and they sur- faced behind a coral formation. The Com- mander attached the fuse wires to a small plunger. Dial looked about and noticed that Doubleday was missing. Before he had a chance to ask the Commander where he was, the Com- mander anticipated the question. Jap machine-gun got him. Where is he? Why did you leave him? He was dead, that's why. Look, head for the pick-up station. I'll be there as soon as I set this primary fuse. Take care of yourself. You're the last member of Mermaid One Team. Now, get out of here. I'll-I'll see yuh, Commander. The Commander replied in a soft voice, Yeh, kid, maybe-maybe some day-I'll see you. He waited until he thought that Dial was at the pick-up position then he whispered a hurried, but humble, prayer. His trembling CContinued on page 801 ..73

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'5Another interesting character that appealed to me, Skip, was the old Lord Chamberlain, Polonius. That crafty, scheming, old guy was partly responsible for his daughter's and his son's death! He was really a 'characterf '6But, Lump, when you think it over and come down to fine points, Hamlet's father was the one responsible for the whole mess, his unjustifi- able desire for revenge drove Hamlet to murderg Hamlet's screwiness makes Polonius's nose grow longer, Ophelia sees herself an old maid and takes to the water, Laertes sharpens l1is sword for business of blood, and pretty soon everybody is ready to settle down-but six feet under. '4True, Skip, but the plot was so involved that almost everybody had a hand in it. Even the F.B.I. would have to get the bloodhounds out for that one. 'SI think the one who suffered most, and didn't deserve it, was poor Ophelia. There she was, tormented by Hamlet's indilferenceg then she was thrown for another loss by the death of her father. Guess it was too much for her. Aw, you're just saying that because she was blonde and cute, but what about her brother? Do you think that Laertes was justified when he planned to kill Hamlet for the death of his father and his sister? Why, yes and no! I found myself almost sympathizing with him for wanting to kill Hamlet. But then my conscience told me that he had no right to, because, after all, the old man was responsible for his own death, and his sister's death indirectly led from her father's. You know, Skip, it's amazing how much enjoyment you get out of just sitting here and talking about the characters of the play. There are so many different traits about them. That boy Shakespeare certainly knew how to keep his audience on the edge of their seats. What a brain he must have had! How right you areg but what did you think about Hamlet's uncle, the King? Wasn't he a pleasant relative to have around! My reaction about him was really mixed up. Remember, during that scene when he knelt in prayer? I felt sorry for him then because, I thought to myself, here is a man who had com- mitted a very grave sin, and now the burden of it on his conscience had become too heavy for him. So, seeking the only outlet human beings THE CHELSEA REVIEW . have for their sins, he begged forgiveness. Yet Hamlet planned to kill him later on because of that. I thought that was rough, didn't you, Skip? You can say that again. That was a rough deal anyway you look at it. I suppose I should have disliked Claudius too, but, for some reason or other, like you, I didn't. Not the way I should have. Yet there were two other charac- ters whom I really disliked. They were Rosen- crantz and Guildenstern. They posed as two loyal friends whereas they were nothing more than spies, fully aware of the act of dishonor they were carrying out. Real pals, they were. To my mind, Skip, Shakespeare's greatest plays were 'Hamlet' and 'Macbethf I'll bet a very interesting comparison can be made be- tween those two. In what way? '4Well, by taking the similarities and dissim- ilaritics of tl1e two plays. The only similarity that comes to my mind right now, Lump, is that both were honorable men before circumstances in their lives caused them to become corrupt. I can think of one striking dissimilarity, Skip, and it's this: Hamlet did not want the crown, he wanted only to kill the king to avenge his father's death, on the other hand, Macbeth wanted the crown, and killed the king, his friend and patron, to get it. True, Lumpy. Macbeth, spurred on by his wife, was ambitious and greedy. And Hamlet spurred on by his father's apparitions was revengefulf' '4Another thing that comes to my mind, Skip, is that Macbeth at first did not want to kill the kingg yet Hamlet yearned for his revenge from the very beginning. That's rightg and if you recall, Hamlet was loyal to his one friend, Horatio, but Macbeth sought to kill all his friends when they stood in his way for power. Makes you stop and wonder how, or why, people let themselves get all involved by ignoring the fact of sin and its punishment. You know, all this boils itself down to the seven capital sins and the seven capital punishments that go with them. Say! Look what time it is, pal. Well, let's finish these 'shakes' and get f Continued on page 851 99 .15