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

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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

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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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' -f...-12 ,. -- ,...., ,....- -x ' . I:-In D ft-.4 ., -.2 vfrfrfvfvvwvm ., , P! '?.- I W A D117 J f'C2'T-i.-gf!!!- Fi 7Z':'s'c I ET H: 5 gag 1' f-. f Ii,-5' iiiw, 5 5 E 5 1 E . I5 52 A SOPHOMORE REPORTS ON THE v 2, :Z I. 11 - N2 7 -.2 PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION -..-5 3' 3 2 -3 Q g rg 5 :Z 1 ' : K, Y' 'lg' '.,,! .J ,E 1. ' al iz' tv ef. - ,ef T1 BY THOMAS MANNING, '55 ,143 5, 25--jfli' ' fi ' nl' I-gif. Q - .5 f.A. :I fiif ' , IE- Ill tr 1' b ALFRED PEPINO '54 A ' I : E Liz:-Tk 3 32' lil U5 H1011 Y 9 f 'Q fi 1 . -' ': 1 l ' v gf 2 '-L--tx, 1- f Je...-l . mg - . 'El 1 2 45' 'Ea' 'Q-1- -?1 -7 5 FW ? N THE company of eight hundred ' i 6 5,155 - . gp g : Z newsboys from Philadelphia and its U G 29,6 E ' gift V 57,1 I vicinity, I was privileged to attend 559 gil ig ' the inau ' f D ' h D 'd - I 9455 5 f if-.4f4 J V 9 Wil' 5 ' 1 guration o wig t avi .f 1 5655? Z, , .J . Eisenhower as our thirty-fourth Presi- 4 Z '15 g g.A1ig?LfQg r Zvi?-' ., dent. I felt very honored to be present ,-1 ' ' A he in Washington on this auspicious day f' Q. Q 14 5 ' N ' - ' in our ations history. This was an f ,Lg if Vg 1, Q. 3 ., f 5, 6 ,E Z 1, L Fri L 3 opportunity that millions of other I' '5 :E1 'E'E 'lima if ' I Americans would like to have had, but --, ? 5 ' 5 could not. I am, therefore, grateful be- ' ' ' -f I. 1 3 1 youd words to the Philadelphia Evening E I E QE' I .X V f x v Bulletin for having provided me with X, 3 l r such an opportunity, the memory of 3 ' 3' 3 5 7 ', if s which I shall cherish as long as I shall E 5-' t K4 I A live. X 1 5 4 1 T Needless to say, I was thrilled by ' Q pfpmg the spectacle of the inauguration itself. However, I was even more deeply im- pressed by what this should mean to me as an American citizen. It was with a heartfelt sense of national pride that I stood watching the vast assembled throng, realizing that I was standing, almost shoulder to shoulder, as it were, with great dignitaries of our own Country as well as with the representatives of every other nation under the sun. All these outstanding men and women had gathered together for one purpose to pay tribute to a soldier-patriot turned states- mang the man, who in those trying days of World War II, could still flash that famous grin of his. He proved beyond question then that he was the kind of leader who could inspire confidence in both himself and the Colmtry he 76. . represented so ably. Statesmen know, perhaps better than anyone else, the kind of man it takes to grin, and at the same time to fulfill a difficult assignment eiliciently and eifectively. President Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas. His family moved to Abilene, Kansas, where as a boy, he mowed lawns, delivered newspapers, and worked in a creamery to aug- ment his father's modest income. Like any other sturdy and alert American boy, he found the key to physical and mental fitness in a rugged outdoor life that was to prepare him for the military leadership he was destined to assume in mature life. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1909 with an excellent scholastic record. Since his parents could not aiord to . THE CHELSEA REVIEW