Frye's Link to the Key Question: Why must Hamlet Die?

Although there are many scholars that have analyzed Hamlet in-depth the one that stands out to me is Northrop Frye. I have always fel that there must be a set of rules or standards that characters could be compared to, instead of over complicating and analyzing everything if there was a way to systematically analyze such works of literature it would make things much easier to understand. By using Frye's concepts and realising that High Mimetic tragedy is a specific mode that Frye has outlined helps to make connections in the story. By going over the mode and using its systematic procedure you realise a lot of background things occuring that otherwise I would most likely have overseen and not understood its significance to the story. In relation to the lingering question, "Why must Hamlet die?" Frye explains that the in a tragedy such as Hamlet it is inevitable that Hamlet will become isolated from everyone else and that there is most likely no happy ending in sight. So it seems only natural for the protagonist to die as everyone has limitations that cannot be breached. For these reasons the death of Hamlet restores the balance in the ordinary world and his actions will cause everything to be restored back to the way it was. Although there may be other reasons and ideals for why Hamlet must die Frye's sytematic process suits my opinions the best.

Whats Hamlet to you or you to Hamlet?

It seems that every teenager knows the judgement that is associated with them wherever they go. They carry the burden of sterotypes, this may seem like a small task but the load is heavy when you are a teenager. For these reasons teenagers feel as if they are Hamlet because they are a, "rogues and peasent slave"  (Hamlet, 99) to society. Often it feels that even if you try your hardest to create a good image for yourself, it only takes 2 seconds for someone to destroy it with a influential stereotype. Unfortuantely for these reasons teenagers are often confused and can become angry, they are unsure of what to do and how they can overcome these problems that hinder their ways of living. Due to this they often feel like, "a coward, who calls me villain, breaks my pate across, plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face, tweaks me by the nose, gives me a lie i' the throat, as deep as the lungs? who does me this?" (Hamlet, 99) We search for someone to blame for theses stereotypes but come up empty handed 99% of the time. With no one to seek help from teenagers often result to alternative methods of dealing with stress which results in their own disassociation from family an friends. As a result when teenagers comes across the text of Hamlet they are able to associate their feelings and emotions to something and often feel that they have a special connection to the character of Hamlet.

Informal Essay

Treatment of Teenagers

 

                No matter where one is, one is being judged. Whether it is outright defiance or subtle body language teenagers are being collectively judged. These opinions reach far and wide, touching or influencing every teenager in some way. It has mutated to the point that society feels that teens are stealing from their backs. It is not a matter of wealth, religion or race; it is just a general discrimination that continues to flourish. It sounds terrible, but in reality, it is a truth that is widely accepted.

 

                The first point in the Canadian Charter of Rights under the sub-section “Equality Rights”, directly states, “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.” However, scattered amongst retail stores lies the bold faced truth; “No more than TWO teenagers allowed at any time!” How can this be when our own Charter of Rights proclaims no discrimination of age? Can you imagine if you were to apply the exact same logic and create a sign that declared; “No more than TWO Jews allowed at any time!” There would be political figures scurrying to the scene trying to come up with an explanation for the outraged crowd. So then, what is the difference? A recent report by the Centre for Retail Research found that the biggest shoplifters are men who are “older, more organised and are often stealing higher value goods.” So why not make up a sign saying no more than two of them? According to the report, doing this would deter more shoplifting then is being incurred from teenagers.

 

We pride ourselves on being such an accepting country and yet, we blatantly turn our backs upon an age group.  As one examines the Charter of Rights you will come across the fourth fundamental freedom; the freedom of association. However, how would a teenager ever know? Not only are these negative stereotypes affecting adults perspectives on teens but they are discouraging teens, and creating false feelings about their sense of worth; which to a teen, is everything. But, who gets to decide the validity of such stereotypes? Society? Society is only able to see a one sided perspective and therefore is receiving a tainted view of teenagers. Their overexposure to stereotypes is altering their opinion from what used to be a chosen representation to reality. A Youth Risk Behaviours Survey, a section of Centers for Disease Control revealed that, “Violence, pregnancy, and sex rates among youth have dropped significantly over the years. In addition, a higher percentage of High School students are graduating than 10 years ago.” So, why then do these accusing stereotypes remain?

 

Can you imagine if teenagers as a whole had a political figure or media strand that could open the world’s eyes about the astonishing things teens are doing? Then maybe people would know about how teens in the UK are, “Pro-active about ecological and political issues on both a local and a global scale." (Article from March, 31^st, 2004, BBC News) or that, teens in India are, “Creating an oasis in the heart of one of India's most polluted and lawless cities.” (Article from December, 6^th, 2006, BBC News) But the reality is, these things are going either unnoticed or barely noticed. There is no spokesperson for teenagers, so what most people hear about is the latest school shooting where a teenager went crazy.

Argument

During the realese of microsofts new operating system, which should have been a monumental moment, became overshadowed by Vista's lack of use ability with a variety of applications. However, this has been true for every new operating system released. People were simply uncomfortable with learning a new operating system that they immediately put up roadblocks in an attempt to fight back. They should never have done this as Vista is a huge advancement in technology that should have been recognized rather than the overshadowed release it endured. One of the largest problems it faced was regarding a number of applications not running smoothly however, this is simply a known fact for any new operating system being released. Until all the bugs are finally worked out certain applications will not run until updated versions are released so that the application will become compatible. Although people may have felt out of their comfort zone they should not have taken such strict action against something that is merely inevitable. Now that Vista has been running for a few years everything has been worked out and any last skeptics have all but dissapeared. Just wait till Microsoft released their next OS, the exact same thing will happen. For some reason history undeniably repeats itself.

Cause and Effect

The anxiety of 3:00 draws nearer and nearer to the point where the anticpation is almost overwhelming. Then those words you have been waiting to hear all class finally reach your ears and the relaxation is undescribable. You go running home only to remember you have 3 essays due this week and 2 tests the week after. Yet, everyone is calling your house to invite you to the party happening this saturday but your unable to go. It is undeniable that homework takes a toll on your social life. One simple decision made by a teacher can have almost detrimental effects. Although seeming like such a small assignment it stops you now from going to this party on saturday. Now as as a result of you not going to this party you didnt meet the girl/guy that was certainly going to become your next girl/boy friend. Now since you would have found such attraction in this person it would have caused you to go to a university near this person and eventually alter your career. Although since you didnt go to the party you also didnt realise all this way going to happen and how life altering it was actually going to be. However, if you had not even had the assignment in the first place everything could have worked out.

Classification and Division

Whenever there is a trip to any theme park there is always a mixed opinion on the event. There are those that everyone know cannot possibly find enough thrill from the latest roller coaster that soars at new speed records. Of this select crowd we also know those who think this is them but in reality we all know they wouldnt even be able to handle the teacups, shall we call them posers. We all know there is no disguise great enough to hide their true personality. Now on the opposite spectrum there are also those who dread the first days of summer as they know that a trip to Wonderland is imminent and closing in fast. Instead of preparing for the event they scurry around trying to come up with an excuse for why they are going to be unable to go. Now inbetween these two very different crowds there are those people that hide amongst the crowds and hold onto everyones bags whenever a ride is selected by the group. Now unlike the second group mentioned they enjoy the experience of being there with their friends but are quite ok with just sitting beside the ride. The only downside to this group is that if you have one of these people in your group you have to go on Scooby Doo Haunted mansion at least once to keep this person happy. Although everyone reacts differently to the proposal of going to a theme park they all find a way of making sure everything is right for them, which is what is important.

Comparison and Contrast

Is skiing better than snowboarding or the other way around? Many people ask themselves this simple question and often find that the topic never really comes to a conclusion. Many traditionalists see skiing as the ony way to go, however, they give no conclusive evidence to support their reasoning. They both involve sliding down a hill giving you the same thrill and adrenaline rush as you almost clip a tree. Neither one is specifically more expensive then the other. There is no bias based on age that supports one style over the other as there are many young and old people alike doing both hobbies. So then why is there the funamental question of which is better? Some people claim that snowboarding is easier on their knees and therefore is simply the only way to go. Often people who like to ride park all day stream towards snowboards for their useability and durability on the slope. However, the same things go for skiing as people feel more comfortable learning skiing first, gives them a heightened comfort zone. For these few reasons there never has been and probably never will be a defient answer on this fundamental question.