Curated Video
Hamlet 1.3 Character Interview with Hamlet, Polonius, and Laertes
New ReviewIn this detailed enactment from "Hamlet," Act 1 Scene 3 is dissected, focusing on the domestic sphere of Polonius's household as Laertes prepares to leave for France. He offers his sister Ophelia advice to be cautious with Prince...
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Hamlet 1.3 Background: Elizabethan Trends
New ReviewPolonius advises Laertes to purchase the finest clothing his budget allows, yet steer clear of extravagant or trendy items. This guidance reflects a timeless concern over fashion's fleeting trends and the suspicion that designers...
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Hamlet 1.3 Background: Clothing as Rank
New ReviewDuring Shakespeare's era, the clothing worn by the upper classes served as a direct indicator of their social status, with laws like the Statutes of Apparel of 1574 dictating who could wear materials such as purple silk, gold cloth, or...
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Hamlet 1.3 Double Blessing
New ReviewApparently Polonius and Laertes have already said goodbye once but Polonius's reappearance means that Laertes will receive his father's blessing a second time. Although Laertes is certainly being respectful of his father here we already...
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Hamlet 1.2 Why It's Cool
New ReviewThis video, examines the varied reactions audiences may have to Hamlet's intense response to his mother Gertrude's remarriage to Claudius, which he views as incestuous. It compares the situation to the Greek tragedy of Oedipus to...
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Hamlet 1.2 What's Happening?
New ReviewIn this summary of the the opening scenes of "Hamlet," where we learn that King Hamlet has died and his ghost appears at Elsinore Castle. Denmark is preparing for war, and Prince Hamlet has not succeeded his father as king; instead, his...
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Hamlet 1.2 What the Critics Say
New ReviewLearn how T.S. Eliot, A.C. Bradley, and Harold Bloom interpreted the characters and events of act 1, scene 2 of Hamlet. Is Hamlet a believable character? Can we sympathize with him? What might you do in his situation?
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Hamlet 1.2 Relationships in the Royal Family
New ReviewIn this video, Hamlet reflects on his deep despair, rooted primarily in his father's recent death and his idolization of him, contrasting sharply with his contempt for his uncle Claudius. He venerates his father, likening him to a Greek...
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Hamlet 1.2 Performance: Hamlet's First Soliloquy
New ReviewIn this transcript, Hamlet expresses profound despair and disillusionment with the world, wishing his physical form could dissolve and free him from his earthly troubles, but is constrained by the moral law against suicide. He laments...
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Hamlet 1.2 Mythological Reference: Niobe
New ReviewIn this transcript, Hamlet reflects on his mother Gertrude's initial grief over his father's death, comparing her to Niobe from Greek mythology, who was known for her extreme sorrow. Niobe, punished by the gods for her arrogance, wept...
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Hamlet 1.2 Mythological Reference: Hyperion to a satyr
New ReviewIn this transcript, the discussion highlights Hamlet's comparison of his father to Hyperion, a Titan god known for wisdom, and his uncle Claudius to a satyr, known for drunkenness and sexual appetite. This contrast serves to praise his...
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Hamlet 1.2 Frailty and Women/Opinion of Gertrude
New ReviewIn this transcript, Hamlet transitions from contemplating his father's death to reflecting on his parents' love, ultimately fixating on his mother Gertrude's short-lived grief. This leads to one of Shakespeare's most famous lines,...
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Julius Caesar 1.2 Digression: Homer's Iliad and Odyssey
New ReviewUnderstand the basics of the Battle of Troy as well as how and why it is referenced in Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.
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Julius Caesar 1.3 Word Nerd: Offal
New ReviewExplore how the word "offal" is used today and how it was used in Shakespeare's time. While today it usually refers to leftover animal parts, the word used to refer to a range of leftover parts and pieces, including carpentry scraps.
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Julius Caesar 1.3 Scene Summary
New ReviewThis video explores a critical scene from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," where Casca and Cicero discuss a tumultuous storm, symbolizing divine unrest over political developments in Rome. Casca interprets the storm as a sign of the gods'...
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Julius Caesar 1.3 Performance: Cassius, Lines 89-100a
New ReviewThis video provides an analysis of a powerful monologue from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," where Cassius speaks about the liberating potential of the human spirit. He declares that physical constraints like towers, brass walls,...
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Julius Caesar 1.3 Performance: Cassius, Lines 57-78
New ReviewThis video examines a scene from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" where Cassius critiques Casca's reaction to the unusual and ominous events occurring in Rome. Cassius challenges Casca's fearful response to the supernatural signs, arguing...
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Julius Caesar 1.3 Performance: Cassius, Lines 103-115
New ReviewThis video analyzes a reflective passage from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," where the speaker contemplates Caesar's tyrannical tendencies and the complacency of the Roman populace. The speaker reasons that Caesar would not have become a...
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Julius Caesar 1.3 Performance: Casca, Lines 15-32
New ReviewThis video provides an analysis of a scene from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," where Casca describes a series of ominous supernatural occurrences. He recounts seeing a slave whose hand burned like torches without being harmed,...
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Julius Caesar 1.3 Interview Casca and Cassius
New ReviewThis video offers an in-depth analysis of a scene from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" where characters Casca and Cassius discuss ominous natural phenomena and their interpretations. Casca describes unusual and terrifying events like men...
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Julius Caesar 1.2 Wordplay: “put to silence”
New ReviewThis video explores the nuanced interpretation of the phrase "put to silence" in Shakespeare's use, highlighting the historical context and linguistic evolution surrounding it. This analysis enhances understanding of the political and...
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Julius Caesar 1.2 Word Nerd: Yoke
New ReviewThis video examines the etymology and symbolic use of the word "yoke." The video highlights how Romans used the yoke as a symbol of subjugation when conquering new territories, illustrating the transfer of this concept into modern...
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Julius Caesar 1.2 Word Nerd: Colossus
New ReviewThis video explores the etymology and historical significance of the term "Colossus," connecting it to both the ancient and Shakespearean contexts. The narrative explains how the term was used metaphorically in Shakespeare's "Julius...
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Julius Caesar 1.2 Scene Summary
New ReviewThis video analyzes the dialogue in Act 1, Scene 2 of Julius Caesar. In it, Cassius and Brutus discuss Caesar's rise to power, neither fully liking the idea. Cassius seems to be trying to pursuade Brutus to take action against the...