Final Shakespeare Top Ten List

10. I came into Shakespeare class just expecting it to be another boring English class, but it turned out to be one of my favorite classes of the semester.
9. I learned that although one might think that reading and watching Shakespeare would be dull, I found out that it is actually quite the opposite. I really enjoyed watching as well as reading the plays.
8. Elizabethan era food, for the most part, doesn’t look good, and a majority of the time it also doesn’t taste good.
7. There is never a dull moment during one of our wonderful senior Shakespearean classes.
6. William Shakespeare was a man with a mind full of vulgar and strange thoughts.
5. I learned a few different Shakespearean lines that I don’t think I will be forgetting anytime in the near future.
4. I learned that memorizing lines from a Shakespearean play isn’t an easy task, but it was kind of fun to do.
3. Although at times Miss Perkins really wanted to get mad at us, she was never able to be serious enough to yell at us and get us to believe that she was actually mad.
2. I didn’t realize that you could spend an entire semester of school studying about one man and the work that he did.
1. Shakespeare was a great class, with a great teacher, that was not only fun and entertaining, but also very informative as well.

The Denmark Gossip December 15, 2011

Edited by Michael Ryan

News Opinion Sports Entertainment Obituaries Lifestyles

Unrest in Denmark
or

(Drama in Elsinore)

Denmark is a place riddled with problems. People are going crazy—kidnappings are taking place, anger and guilt are always present, murders are occurring with regularity, and death is looming around every street corner. It may sound like a horrible place to some, but for journalists like me, it is a dream! There is always something new to talk about in this city.

A young man by the name of Hamlet seems to be the center of all the drama. This epic tale began when Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, killed his brother. This tragic event started Hamlet on a downward spiral of depression, which he is still facing. There have also been reports of Hamlet being crazy. Word on the street is that he has been spotted talking to himself late at night, but when I asked him about this incident he swore to me that he was speaking to the ghost of his late father. Crazy? I think yes. Hamlet also told me that the ghost informed him that Claudius was the one who killed his father, which was huge news for Hamlet. Knowing this made Hamlet extremely mad and he stated that he was going to get Claudius. Prior to going a wee bit crazy, Hamlet was in love with a girl named Ophelia, who was the daughter of Polonius. Yes, she WAS the daughter of Polonius. Hamlet’s crazed mindset led to him killing Polonius, which only made things throughout Elsinore much worse. Ophelia, Hamlet’s ex-lover, found out about the news of her father’s death and went a little loopy herself. She became so angry, that she ended up dying by drowning. For the sake of his own safety, Claudius had Hamlet sent to England.

Recently, it was confirmed to me that Hamlet never made it to England. Before he could get there, he was kidnapped by pirates. These pirates had peg legs, eye patches, and yes even hooks. Word has it that Hamlet is currently on his way back to Denmark with the pirates. I have a feeling that something BIG is going to happen upon his return. All of Denmark will just have to wait and see, but The Denmark Gossip will be sure to keep the public informed. Purchase next week’s paper and by then hopefully I will be able to fill you in on the rest of the story.

Until we meet again....

To Be or Not to Be...

To live, or not to live, this is the ever present question:
Is it better to endure the pains of your thoughts
With your dismal fortune wrapped up in them
Or to use weapons against a sea of hardships,
And go against it to end all pains. To die -- is to rest--
Never again; and by resting, is stating that we kill
The heartache, and everyday challenges
That humans are prone to. It's an achievement
To wish for. To die -- is to rest.
To rest -- perhaps means to dream: that is the catch!
So in the rest of death, how can one dream
When they have already departed with life,
We must stop. There's the respect.
That makes a mess of life.
Who would want to deal with the pain and misery of time,
The oppressor's wrong, a confident being's humiliation,
The anguish of rejected love, the law's delay,
The inexperience of officials in general, and the dislike
That patient integrity takes from the unworthy
When he might make his final settlement
With a sharp knife? Who would bear these burdens,
To groan and sweat beneath a discontented life,
But the fear of what follows after death--
The unknown land, from whose borders
No adventurer returns, puzzles the mind,
And makes us carry the problems we have
Rather than drift to others we don't know about?
In this way, a conscience makes cowards of us all,
And in this way the natural beauty of making up your mind
Is hidden with the gray shadow of thinking,
And projects of great substance and importance,
And in this regard, their movement becomes erratic,
And lose the point of action. Wait!
The beautiful Ophelia! Goddess in your eyes
May all my sins be remembered.

I don’t think that I would be too pleased if I found out that my parents hired someone to spy on me, but if they did this is how I would feel:

Really guys, you did this to me
Now I’m self-conscience and want to flee

I look over my shoulder, check behind my back
Worried the spy will come and attack

I thought I could trust you, but obviously not
I can’t break the law without getting caught

I used to run rampant all over the town
But now I feel I’ve been chained down

I like my freedom and privacy too
I wish you felt the same way that I do

I have a shadow even when dark
A small, creepy man who looks ready to bark

I try to lose him by running real fast
But it never works, I always come in last

He hovers around like a shark that smells blood
And thinks he’s a gallant, magnificent stud

I love you both with all of my heart
But this deceitful trick just tears me apart

With practice and patience can you learn to trust
To spy on your son should not be a must


I feel that times have changed significantly since the Hamlet era. For example, it seems to me that a majority of parents and their kids would be able to say that their relationship is much stronger than the relationship between Polonius and his two children. I would hope that most present day parents trust their children and therefore feel no need to hover. On the flip side, I think that the children in either time period would not appreciate their parents sending someone to spy on them. In today’s world parents may not hire someone to follow their kids, but there are gps devices that can be used on cell phones or cars to keep track of a child’s location. We as kids like both our privacy and freedom and sometimes it is nice to get away from your parents for awhile. I also think that as teenagers, it is natural that we want more freedom since most of us will soon be moving away from our parents to live on our own. I believe most teens would be perfectly content to have their parents give them ample money and few rules. Perhaps times haven’t changed quite as much as I thought.

Sunday Hunting

Most Sundays for me are a relaxing affair,
Napping a must—from bed to chair.

However...

During hunting season, in the coolness of fall,
My attitude shifts and the elk they do call.

One day a week my mind clears of all "stuff",
My focus is stalking, it's never enough.

So...

The day begins rather early, a bit before daybreak,
I jump out of bed to go search for some elk steak.

The weather is freezing, yes it seems a bit cold,
I must bundle up, at least that's what I am told.

I go grab my gun and get in the truck,
Ready and willing to see a huge buck.

Then...

When the morning ends, and we all get back home,
I take a long shower and don't use a comb.

Sometimes we’re finished, but usually we're not,
We rest up till later hoping elk will be shot.

Best end to a hunt is of course some good meat,
But if no shots are taken, the day is still sweet.

Finally...

I now settle down with The Amazing Race,
Reflect on the day, how hectic the pace.

Future Sundays will slow as hunting does end,
Filling my day will be a task I must tend.

EXHAUSTION....

According to dictionary.com, the word exhaustion is a noun meaning
1) the act or process of exhausting
2) the state of being exhausted
3) extreme weakness or fatigue
4) the total consumption of something.

The definition that comes closest to what I at times feel is number three. My family tells me my favorite hobby is sleeping. I do enjoy a good nap, and have at times done some crazy things when I was overly tired.

During my freshman year I was trying my hardest to enjoy as many aspects of high school as I possibly could. I was in sports, music, and clubs while trying to keep up on homework too. It seemed as if I never got quite enough sleep (I still feel that way), and was tired much of the time. When football season had ended, but basketball had not begun, I remember the school had an in-service day. My friends wanted me to go play video games, but I decided that the afternoon was perfect for a nap. I got home about 2:30, went downstairs to our rather dark basement, turned on the television, and promptly fell asleep.

I don’t remember my parents coming home, but my mom swears she came downstairs to try and wake me up about 5:00 p.m. She said I wouldn’t budge, so she threw a blanket over me and let me sleep. I think my parents forgot I was downstairs and so did not wake me, but they say they were letting me sleep since I apparently needed the rest. Nevertheless, I awoke about 8:00 p.m., but was sure it was morning. I was almost always to school by 7:30 a.m., so I hurried into the shower hoping I would not be late. I remember I got out of the shower, got dressed and rushed upstairs. Both of my parents were sitting in the living room watching television. They looked up and said, “Well good morning. It’s about time you got up. Why did you take a shower?”

“Am I late? Did you see where I put my backpack?” I asked. It never really dawned on me that my parents would have been late for school too because I was a bit flustered at the time.

All of a sudden they realized I thought it was morning and started laughing. I was mad when I figured out that it was 8:00 p.m. not a.m., and was not a very good sport. I turned around and went back to bed. I didn’t even eat dinner. The next morning I did not even remember the incident until my dad asked me about it. He said if he had realized what I was doing he would have let me go outside to the car.

I have not mistaken the night for morning again, but I have had friends come and wake me up when I have slept in until noon. Hmmm...maybe my family is right and my favorite hobby is sleeping. zzzzzzzzzzz.......

Top Ten Reasons to Enjoy Shakespeare in the Schools

#10 William Shakespeare was a fantastic writer.

#9 The stage fight workshop was fun.

#8 I understood the play much better since I have taken Shakespeare as a class.

#7 We got a break from our regular school day.

#6 The scenery was great.

#5 We actually got to watch one of Shakespeare's plays be performed live.

#4 I got to give an introduction.

#3 Great acting.

# 2 I will now willingly go to Shakespeare in the Park with my Mom.

And the number one reason to enjoy Shakespeare in the Schools is...

#1 Lindi and I learned to stage our own spectacular fight scene!

Every summer my Mom and sister want me to attend at least one Shakespeare in the Park performance with them. I have gone, but never really enjoyed the plays. When I did attend, I usually just watched other people, ate the snacks we brought, and enjoyed being outside. If the play was not set in modern times, I usually did not understand what the actors were saying--or I did not even try to understand. The last few years I have always conveniently found something else to occupy my time when they ask if I want to go. I think that the time our class spent on Othello and now A Midsummer Night's Dream has helped me understand so much more. I enjoyed the performance in our gym and would really like to try a play again this summer. I am sure I will actually enjoy the play--not just the snacks.