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A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.1 Performance: Lysander Lines 156-168a
New ReviewThis video captures a theatrical interpretation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" focusing on Lysander's proposal to Hermia to escape Athens and marry in secrecy. His persuasive speech reveals his plans to leverage his aunt's remote estate...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.1 Performance: Lysander Lines 99-110
New ReviewThis video features a performance from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" where Lysander passionately argues his right to marry Hermia, contrasting his love and status with Demetrius's. The performance highlights Lysander's eloquence and...
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A Midsummer Night's Dream 1.1 Performance: Lysander and Hermia Lines 202-225
New ReviewThis video showcases a theatrical performance from "A Midsummer Night's Dream," where Hermia and Lysander plot to escape the oppressive laws of Athens. The scene vividly brings to life their intense emotions and plans for freedom,...
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Hamlet 3.4 Performance: Hamlet Confronts Gertrude
New ReviewThis video captures a compelling performance from Act 3, Scene 4 of Shakespeare's "Hamlet," where Hamlet confronts his mother, Gertrude, about her remarriage to Claudius. The scene is marked by Hamlet's intense and emotional dialogue,...
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Hamlet 1.5.13 Discussion:The Ghost
New ReviewThe ghost reveals itself as the spirit of Hamlet's father and indicates that it comes from purgatory, where it must remain until the sins committed in life have been atoned for. This haunting of Elsinore Castle might even be part of the...
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Hamlet 1.5 Discussion: The question of Gertrude’s Adultery
New ReviewIn this transcript, a discussion revolves around the meaning of the term "adulterate" as used by the Ghost in Shakespeare's "Hamlet." The dialogue explores whether it implies actual adultery between Claudius and Gertrude before the...
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Hamlet 1.5 Discussion: Adulterous
New ReviewHamlet had previously described his mother's relationship with his uncle as incestuous, and the ghost adds to this by implicating them in adultery, suggesting Claudius had an affair with Gertrude while King Hamlet was still alive. The...
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Hamlet 1.5 Discussion: "Swift"
New ReviewHamlet expresses a desire to swiftly enact his revenge, invoking the proverbial expression "as swift as thought" to highlight the speed with which he intends to act, contrasting sharply with the more contemplative aspects of his...
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Hamlet 1.5 Discussion: "Remember Me"
New ReviewWhen Hamlet speaks of remembering, he isn't referring to memory in the literal sense but vows to prioritize the ghost's command for revenge in his thoughts, ensuring he acts upon it when appropriate. This sets up a central question for...
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Hamlet 1.5 Discussion: "My Table"
New ReviewAfter the ghost departs, Hamlet engages in an odd act of writing in his notebook, penning the realization that one can smile and still be a villain, reflecting his insight into Claudius's deceit. This act suggests Hamlet views himself as...
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Hamlet 1.5 Discussion: "Eternal Blazon"
New ReviewThe ghost uses the term "eternal blazon", which has a connection to heraldry and can be metaphorically extended to depict the afterlife. This video dives into these ideas and use of imagery. It also further explores Shakespeare's...
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Hamlet 1.5 Dig Deeper: The Ghost's Vocabulary
New ReviewKing Hamlet was murdered without the chance to confess and be absolved of his sins, necessitating his atonement in purgatory. The ghost's use of archaic and unusual language, such as "unhoused," "disappointed," and "unaneled," imbues his...
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Hamlet 1.5 Dig Deeper: Poisoning
New ReviewClaudius murdered King Hamlet by stealthily applying poison to the king's ear during his afternoon rest in the garden, which gruesomely curdled his blood and induced a skin condition akin to the bark of a tree, evocatively compared to...
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Hamlet 1.5 Allusion: Serpent
New ReviewThe video discusses the ghost's revelation that Denmark has been misled about King Hamlet's death, invoking biblical imagery by likening Claudius, who now wears the crown, to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. This comparison deepens the...
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Hamlet 1.5 Allusion: No reckoning made
New ReviewThis passage explains the significance of the sacrament of confession within Catholicism, where sins are confessed and absolved by a priest, emphasizing the importance of last rites before death to ensure one's sins are forgiven and the...
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Hamlet 1.5 Allusion: Lazarus
New ReviewThe ghost recounts the horrifying effect of the poison Claudius poured into his ear, leading to a rapid and gruesome skin disease that covered his body with a crust resembling tree bark. This skin condition is described as "lazar-like,"...
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Hamlet 1.5 "Duty Bound"
New ReviewHamlet believes that he's duty-bound to hear out the ghost because the ghost resembles his father and he therefore owes it to his father's memory. The ghost replies that Hamlet will be equally duty-bound to revenge once he's heard what...
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Hamlet 1.4 What's Happening?
New ReviewAs scene 4 opens, night has fallen and Hamlet has joined the guards hoping that the ghost will reappear. When the spirit does indeed return, Hamlet notices that he looks very much like his dead father but he's suspicious it could be the...
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Hamlet 1.4 Interview with Hamlet
New ReviewIn Act 1 Scene 4 of Hamlet, the scene shifts to Elsinore Castle at midnight during the ongoing celebrations by King Claudius. Against this backdrop, Hamlet discusses with Horatio the problematic Danish custom of heavy drinking,...
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Hamlet 1.3 What's Happening
New ReviewIn this scene, we are introduced to Polonius and his children, Laertes and Ophelia. Laertes warns Ophelia about her romance with Prince Hamlet, cautioning that Hamlet, due to his royal obligations, may not be able to choose his bride...
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Hamlet 1.3 What the Critics Say
New ReviewPolonius's first major speech in Hamlet leaves audiences and critics divided on his character: some see him as a wise, caring father imparting his wisdom to his son Laertes, while others view him as a foolish, meddlesome old man. His...
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Hamlet 1.3 Polonius's Proverbs
New Review"Having the wind in the shoulder of the sail" is a metaphor Polonius uses to signify that conditions are optimal for Laertes to set sail, or metaphorically, to embark on his journey. It evokes an image of favorable winds supporting a...
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Hamlet 1.3 Polonius's "Blessing"
New ReviewPolonius uses the metaphor of seasoning wood to express his hope that his fatherly advice will become increasingly valuable to Laertes over time. By wishing his blessing to "season" in Laertes, he implies that just as wood must be dried...
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Hamlet 1.3 Performance: Polonius Gives Advice
New ReviewAs Laertes prepares to leave for France, Polonius offers him a final blessing and a wealth of advice aimed at guiding his conduct abroad. This counsel encompasses moderation in all things, from speaking and acting judiciously to choosing...