#underlined text

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

"For she may strew dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds" (making a fresh argument for my 'Ophelia was murdered' interpretation of Hamlet)

Three-years-and-change ago, I wrote a post with my conspiracy theory literary interpretation that Ophelia was murdered. A couple weeks ago, I was tagged in another post about "The Tragedy of Hamlet," and that brought me back to my chosen hill to die on.

In this post, I'll focus on Gertrude herself, and on the iambic pentameter, because

A) The rhythm of English has not changed in the last 400 years, and B) We know Shakespeare himself wrote it that way on purpose.

Now, Shakespeare used iambic pentameter to direct the pacing of a scene, depending on context (I'm basing this on the work of Shakespearean actor and scholar Ben Crystal; see the link at the end to a video where he demonstrates how this works):

If an actors line was shorter than ten syllables, followed by a full line, that could tell the other actor in the scene exactly how long to pause and do some nonverbal reaction before speaking (the unspoken syllables are there, they're just silent).

If two, or more, lines add up to exactly ten syllables, that could tell the actors to pick up the pace, and answer without pausing

If each line is less than ten syllables, but more than ten when added together, Tell the actors to speak over each other / "step on each other's lines.

And Shakespeare uses all three variations in Act 4, scene Five.

In dialog lines of irregular length, I'll indicate silent syllables with "-_" for each iamb, and I'll underline the when the overlapping syllables blend to make a clean line of iambic pentameter. Then I'll write out the shared & overlapping dialog as though they were lines of verse, showing the stressed syllables in bold.

I hope that's clear (or will quickly become so).

First: Act 4, scene Five (MIT.edu) opens in the middle of things, with a Walk-and-Talk that would make Aaron Sorkin proud:

QUEEN GERTRUDE: I will not speak with her. -_ -_ HORATIO and Gentleman: [Insert astonished blinking man GIF here] Gentleman: She is importunate, indeed distract: Her mood will needs be pitied. QUEEN GERTRUDE: What would she have?

Her moods will needs be pit- What would she have?

Okay, so hearing that Ophelia is "acting up" certainly got the queen's attention, eh? She doesn't even wait for Gentleman to finish the last word of his line (Also: she's being told that a teenage girl is really upset that her dad's dead. And Gertrude's response is to snap: "What does she want?" Really?! Yikes).

The unnamed Gentleman goes on to describe how Ophelia is speaking of her dead father and vaguely alluding to conspiracies, that her speech is basically word salad, but her "winks and nods" give the impression that she's speaking in code.

Gentleman: [concluding] Indeed would make one think there might be thought, Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily. HORATIO: 'Twere good she were spoken with; for she may strew Dangerous conjectures in ill-breeding minds.

Though nothing sure, yet much unhapi-'Twere Good she were spoken with; for she may strew Dange-rous conjectures in ill-breeding minds.

Finally, Gertrude says: "-_ -_ -_ Let her come in."

Horatio and the Gentleman are talking over each other, in their efforts to sway the queen. I get the feeling this attempt has been going on for some time; it may have started with: "She's really sad about her father. she could use some support in dealing with grief.." But the argument that finally sways Gertrude is: "She's a potential threat to Claudius's Power."

Shakespeare wrote the line about the threat she posed in a completely different meter. Instead of giving that line a scansion of: "de-dum, de-dum, de-dum, de-dum, de-dum," he's given it the rhythm of "Dum-de-de, dum-de-de, dum-de-de, dum," which makes it stand out from the rest of the scene. That's another red underline Shakespeare is giving us.

The longish pause could have come at the end of her line, but I think it makes more sense to have her hesitate before agreeing to see Ophelia.

Exit Horatio to go fetch her. Then:

To my sick soul, as sin’s true nature is, Each toy seems prologue to some great amiss: So full of artless jealousy is guilt, It spills itself in fearing to be spilt.

As I noted in my previous post, these are two rhyming couplets -- the only "plain dialog" in the scene that rhymes (other than Ophelia's songs, but they rhyme because that's what song lyrics do), and not even in Shakespeare's usual way of rhyming alternate lines.

Now what, pray tell, could the queen be feeling so guilty about (that she absolutely, positively, does not want Ophelia to find out)?

That Ophelia's father died because of something she had asked him to do? Quite possibly. But Ophelia already knows her father has died, and the queen expressing regret about it would not likely make the queen appear guilty.

Maybe Ophelia doesn't know, however, that her father was in the queen's chamber when he was killed, and the queen is afraid Ophelia would get the wrong idea. But whatever sin Gertrude is trying to hide, it's probably not that she's cheating on Claudius with Polonius so soon after the wedding (unless that's exactly it. I doubt it, though. Polonius is basically a walking-talking plot point).

At first, I thought she felt guilty about the fact that her own son (and Ophelia's boyfriend) was the murderer, and that's the secret she doesn't want Ophelia to find out. That's reasonable. That's what any halfway decent person would worry about, to protect the heart and mind of a young woman that's almost family.

But then, between Ophelia's first confrontation with the queen and her "Flower Speech," Leartes breeches Elsinore's defenses, and leads a raging mob (those ill-breeding minds in which dangerous conjectures have already been planted) to the doors just beyond Stage Left, and:

Leartes: Where is my father? Claudius: Dead. Gertrude: But not by him.

Where is my father? Dead. But not by him.

I said it in my earlier post, and I'll say it again, here: Gertrude literally does not skip a beat to defend Claudius, even when that puts her own son at risk. Doesn't stop to think about it, even for a breath.

If Queen Gertrude didn't hesitate to risk Hamlet's life. I doubt she'd be overly worried about risking Ophelia's opinion's of his character (especially since appeals to speak to her at all didn't sway her until Horatio mentioned Ophelia' threat to civil order). And yet, Shakespeare very deliberately underlined and circled the point that Gertrude is holding a deep secret guilt, and that she's afraid to speak to Ophelia, lest she let something slip.

(Also, when going back to the scene, to check something, I noticed something my mind skipped over, before: The Danish Rabble promise Leartes not to let anyone come in while he's in the room negotiating with Claudius. And yet, they're heard off-stage saying: "Let her come in" just as Ophelia reenters to give her "Flower Speech" while her brother is there. So while Leartes has been in France, Ophelia has clearly been gaining the respect of the Common Folk in the meantime. Which, to my mind, suggests this "madness" has been going on for a while, and is not a sudden reaction to deliberate or accidental poisoning. Which further suggests to me that she is simply better at "Putting on an antic disposition" than Hamlet is.)

So, all that is why Queen Gertrude started to appear very suspicious in regards to Ophelia's death.

But what's the secret Gertrude is so afraid Ophelia will find out? I think :

Claudius's legitimacy to the Danish Throne depends on the courtiers and common people Believing that he and Gertrude agreed to wed after consoling each other in their shared grief over losing a darling husband and beloved brother.

Queen Gertrude had done a "Lady Macbeth," and it was actually her idea for her first husband to have a final, forever, nap in the royal garden.

She's afraid Ophelia will figure that out. After the coded language of the Flower Speech, I think she's worried that Ophelia has already figured it out, and so gives her a little shove into the river, before she can spread that idea any further.

-----

*Starting here, in a 2014 presentation on Shakespeare's use of language (celebrating Willy Shakes's 450th birthday), Shakespearean actor and scholar Ben Crystal demonstrates how Iambic Pentameter shows us how Shakespeare wanted the dialog to be paced in The Tragedy of Macbeth (sorry, not sorry, not superstitious). A bit later, he and his acting friends demonstrate overlapping iambic pentameter when Hamlet and Leartes fight at Ophelia's grave.

[bruciemilf]

Something Something, Joker’s whole thing in DC is that he does irredeemable, awful bullshit, which he always minimizes by calling it a joke, regardless of how critical the damage is to people around him and never takes accountability for it, something something literally the plot always tells you he’s an absolute loser for that and aspiring to imitate that behavior makes you a loser, something something comedy should be an outlet for laughter and pain, not taking joy in hurting someone else

[phasedsun]

ooooo you wanna read my webcomic so bad oooooo

[officialkendallroy]

im sorry but this is insane to me like i get annotating a book i do it too sometimes but like this is crazy.... why are these people acting like emily henry is academic writing??? how long does it take them to do this???

[koddlet]

hey uh do you have any advice for getting into zine making? especially like the kind of multimedia/collage ones? idk i think they're cool and i maybe want to start making some but i dont know how to start

start with scraps! receipts, tickets, offcuts, etc. takes the pressure off a bit. my first collage zine was put together with receipts and packaging cutouts! it was just about my groceries

you could do something like that. orrr collect some bits and bobs to cut/tear some shapes and stick them onto the pages. very simple but it could be a way to try out different ways of securing them, like using stitch, staples, tape. most of the time its to get a fun effect, but also glue isn't always enough. like i had to sew the netting in the 2nd image ^

tbh i find it kinda hard to give advice with multimedia/collage because for me, it's very much just jumping straight into it. if i think about it too much i get Extremely caught up in details and it's not fun, but you might work better with more planning! also don't be scared to rip or cover something if it's not working. done that many times 👍

[uncanny-tranny]

You know, something that's been healing in ways I never really anticipated was buying secondhand books.

I have a physiology textbook that has the name Ernest written in beautiful cursive on the inside cover. Throughout the book, passages are highlighted, and I wonder: What is the difference between a passage underlined in red pen and one highlighted in yellow? Did he have a system, or did he use whatever was around him at the time? What kind of courses did he take? I wonder what he did after his degree... what if he became a renowned physiologist? Or, what if he abandoned everything to run away to chase dreams he knew were unwise?

It's something small you don't really think about, but there really is something holy about not being the first. This book isn't just the sum of knowledge anymore, it's become a love letter, with a completely separate story attached. That's something I will keep with me forever. We have always been here. We will pass down a tiny bit of ourselves no matter how long it has been. We will yet live.

[autumngracy]

Not me creeping up to the wordcount of the fourth longest book ever written

[existennialmemes]

I'll "live, laugh, love" right after we

💥Rally, Rebel, Revolt💥

[mewtwoandme]

HAPPY B-DAY SIV!!!!

O-oh...Thank you so much! ^^

[etchedstars]

they were insane for "ill be all the poets" btw (im breaking down over this)

[riacte]

hi! i love reading your fics but i specifically love the social media shenanigans in dearly beloathed. i was wondering how you would feel if i took some inspiration from that for a fic of mine because i would love to write something that's very similarly formatted but i wanted to make sure you were fine with that (cause i'm assuming it took some time and effort to come up with) before i did. anyways your writing is awesome and i love reading it

Yes sure of course! I took inspiration from ao3 fics (F1 fandom in particular is stunning at formatting, I have so much respect for their dedication), such as this one (I basically took the formatting from this) and this Twitch streamer AU. If you're posting on ao3, there's the option of playing with HTML/CSS for a more "realistic" socmed interface, for example this one for Twitter which is magic to me. This one is an extremely impressive Discord mockup. An Unauthorised Fandom Treatise is a nice look into mid 2010s Superwholock era fandom whereas F1 rpf and indeed mcyt / streamer stuff is more "modern". Anyways yeah there's a lot of potential in this genre of fics and loads of stuff to check out on ao3 if you wish :) I love scrolling through the Unconventional Format tag because people are just so creative. Good luck with your writing!

[sincerelyandyourstruly]

the sun, the moon, & the truth

i used to say that "every opposites attract dynamic eventually distills down to a sun/moon dynamic."

and at first, this seems to hold true for xiaoven as well! i mean, it seems kind of obvious, does it not? venti is happy and bright, a lot of fun and laughter at parties; whereas xiao is quiet and shy, shrouded in darkness and doom. the sun shines a surefire path through the gloom, for through the darkness will always come the dawn; whereas the moon waxes and wanes through the nights, uncertain and untouchable.

i've often seen it said that in a xiaoven sun/moon dynamic, xiao sees venti as his sun, something bright and beautiful and worth every ounce of adoration to be afforded. by contrast, he himself cannot live up to venti's ideals (as much as he secretly yearns to) and views himself as nothing more than a pale reflection, a cold imitation, of that light.

despite this, venti still sees the goodness in xiao, the reflection of that light, and loves it all the same (for the moon is still beautiful), and together, they make one another complete; through venti's light, xiao is (saved) (forgiven) ((set free)) loved.

it's a fairly romantic notion, is it not? for a character to realize that their quiet, reflective nature is something worth loving, and that although they may be surrounded by darkness, that does not make them any less righteous themselves.

but as you study venti's character more closely, start to see the grief and sadness and aching regret underneath his cheerful and carefree facade, it becomes more and more obvious that venti is not really so much of a sun after all. his hopes and ideals were learned from another, from whom he has even taken his entire appearance. he himself is a reflection of someone, something else— the nameless bard and mondstadt— and the light it has living up to its ideals.

and venti knows this. i really don't think he's ever seen himself as much more than a mere reflection of something he admired and wished desperately to become himself, and the other thing is, he tries so hard to embody that which he reflects. to believe venti to be a sun would be to fall for his facade.

now, i believe it was at around the time of the endless suffering trailer that i remember seeing people suddenly start to reevaluate the venti == sun equivocation, specifically because venti in that trailer had been haloed by the moon himself as he welcomed xiao's return. However, what this also meant is that people began to reframe xiao as the sun in this dynamic, which.

yes, it is cool that we are trying to subvert the sun/moon dynamic here. there's a tumblr post that's crossed my dash before that considers this very concept, that of a sun-coded character who views themselves as Too Much, damaging to stare at or be around for too long. but guys.

we can be gay about the sun/moon dynamics by having two moons.

like, party rock with me for a second here and consider it this way: venti is like the bright full moon, shining in the night whilst hiding its dark side underneath; whereas xiao is like the shadow of the moon during a lunar eclipse.

they still have that "opposites attract" kind of vibe this way; it's just that rather than making them into characters who are fundamentally dissimilar, yet ultimately perfectly complimentary, they are each at their hearts exactly the same despite what one may believe at first glance.

comparing xiao specifically to things like the new moon, or the shadow of the moon during an eclipse, highlights the way he tends to bury himself in the shadows of the legacies he carries as his life continues to revolve around his duty to liyue. venti, on the other hand, is just as i stated earlier: he shows that which he reflects very brightly, that which he loves so ardently, like the full moon hiding its secrets and sins beneath itself.

and like, this interpretation doesn't even mean that we can't have that tasty tasty character struggle in xiao where he views himself as lesser than or unworthy of venti's feelings! bc it's fun, y'know, and really easy for xiao to just assume these things abt venti, that he's better or purer or less sinful (far less sinful) than himself.

to xiao, venti is something more beautiful, more divine, more knowledgeable, and more trustworthy than himself. he likely views venti this way for a long time after they first meet and believes it to be true down to the very core of his heart.

but that's in all likelihood simply untrue about venti! as an original archon who partook in the archon war, he absolutely has to have some war crimes under his belt, committed to keep mondstadt safe. or even barring that, his "negligence" (if that's what you want to call his periods of sleeping and leaving mondstadt to its own devices) has led to the suffering of many, such as the days of the aristocracy in mondstadt and the legend of vannessa. just bc venti doesn't talk abt these things explicitly (either by choice or some higher power's force) doesn't mean he does not shoulder their burdens every moment he's alive the way xiao shoulders his karmic debts.

and i think that until he realizes that venti loves gentleness in a person more than he loves vibrancy and life, xiao would probably struggle to understand why venti would fall in love with him (monster that he is). bc venti has seen many a person come and go through the centuries, and he has seen so much bloodshed in his life that i would imagine he values a gentle spirit very highly as a result. and seeing the gentility in xiao? for venti, oh— that's easy.

and yet xiao doesn't see that in himself!! he sees his every move as compensating for his own past sins!!! Until he starts to see past venti's facade, and realizes, oh, we are not so different after all.

(and i think that something similar could happen from venti's end as well— that he sees xiao as lovely and gentle and worth every mite of grace the heavens can grant him, for not a single sin he has been forced to shoulder has been performed by his own willing hands. and i think that he would struggle to accept xiao's love for him, because he believes that what xiao loves is his facade, this idea of what the divine barbatos, not venti, is supposed to be, but once he realizes xiao sees him for himself…!)

it is through falling so deeply and irrevocably in love and then recognizing themselves in one another that xiaoven can achieve some much-needed self-love and acceptance. and that thought makes me wanna sob facedown in a rainy ditch as lightning strikes from above forever and ever and ever.

[ur-fav-pet]

Text interaction please!

"Kylar we've talked about this..."

I wanna see where you take this Muehehehehehehe

》 Direct Messages: My Love🖤🌸

[22:31] Kylar: my love ( ´-｀)

[22:31] Kylar: im sorryyyytyyy

[22:31] Kylar: plsplsspls dont be mad ( ｡ﾟДﾟ｡)

[22:31] Kylar: i kno u said nit to take yuor udnerwear but they smell so good and i love u and i miss u (/´△`＼)

[22:31] Kylar: i can give u mine........ (*≧з≦)

[22:32] Kylar: my love??

You get the feeling you're never getting those back.

[bonny-kookoo]

Well thank FUCKING GOD-

[miniiinebulaee]

! miniiieevee -> miniiinebulaee

Heya! you can call me Mini! ✨

she/her (they/them is also fine) ☆ 19 ☆ italian

Commissions: CLOSED - waddle sea creatures adopts open

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DO NOT repost/use my art without credit or asking please!

Proshippers DNI

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[babymafuyu]

i love the st cassian chamber choir i wish age regressors were real