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: My kids wanted so much to see an R rated move... : "just like their friends" which I highlhy doubt.. : since they were 7 year olds.. : I did say "well.. there is one R rated movie you : can see.. if you WANT to, but you'll have to write : book reports.. " They agreed. : We watched 20 minutes at a time.. and I explained : and answered their questions.. : so.. here is my analysis.. followed by the kids' views: : Bill: : The Tragedy of Hamletl, Prince of Denmark - - by William Shakespeare : Location: Denmark, Elsinore Castle : The castle guards see a ghost, the spirt of Hamlet's father. : Meanwhile, Hamlet's mother marries Hamlet's uncle Claudius. Hamlet is not happy about it. : Ophelia starts to go crazy because Hamlet says "I love you, I don't love you, I love you, I don't love you" : Polonius sends his son Laertes off to college in France - with lots of advice, like don't be a borrower or a lender, because you can lose the money and the friend. [Is this the first lesson from the play: teach your children when they are young, not when they are about to go to college?] : The King gets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet. : The ghost of Hamlet's father said "my brother poisoned me!" : Hamlet tells his mother "How could you? Look at this picture of my father (good) and this picture of my uncle (bad)" : Then, Hamlet stabs the person hiding behind the curtain. Ooops. It's Polonius. : Meanwhile, Fortinbras, the prince of Norway, marches his army across Denmark to fight in Poland. : The King sends Hamlet, with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to England. : Hamlet wonders "To be or not to be?" Ophelia really goes crazy and then slips and drowns in a stream. : Hamlet tricks the guards and escapes from the ship, back to Denmark. : Hamlet talks to the grave digger. Hamlet looks at Urich's skull and says "Alas, poor Urich. I knew him Horatio". : Hamlet sees the funeral of Ophelia and tells her brother, Laertes, that Hamlet loved Ophelia more than her brother did. : Laertes and the King decide to kill Hamlet. A sword fight with only one sharp and poisoned sword. : The King poisons some wine for Hamlet to drink, but the Queen drinks it instead. : Laertes cuts Hamlet with the sharp and poisoned sword. Then, Hamlet gets that sword and stabs Laertes. : Then Hamlet stabs and poisons the King. : The man from England comes in and says Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. : Hamlet dies, but says to Horatio: "Tell my story" : Horatio says "Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet Prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest". : And Fortinbras of Norway becomes King of Denmark, because no one was watching out for trouble outside the castle. : Bill's questions: : - Was there a King of England who ascended to the throne of England through murder of his brother, and thus is being criticized by Shakespeare by this play? - Was that ascention commonly thought acceptable, only to have Shakespeare hold up a mirror to this event and have it now seem wrong? : - Was England's crown overtaken by some foreign king (James 1 of Scottland) because the country was focused on internal palace matters, rather than the affairs of state? : - Was there a danger of such an overthrow? If so, was Shakespeare warning of such an event? : - Is Shakespeare showing us that life is miserable if we do not obey the ten commandments? : (not to murder[6], not to bear false witness [9], to honor ones mother and father [5], : not to want ones neighbor's property [10], not to covet thy neighbor's wife [7], don't steal [8] : - Is Shakespeare showing us that parents giving advice to children should not wait until they are ready for college? : - What is Shakespeare saying about children telling their parent that they have done wrong? : Kid #1 June 2000, age 7: : Hamet : Author: William Shakespeare : Place: Denmark, Elsinore Castle : Story: : Guards see a ghost. Ghost is his father. : Hamlets mother gets maryed with Hamlets uncle. Hamlet is not happy. : Ophelia is going crazy Because Hamlet says I love you I don't love you I love you I don't love you. : Polonius sends his son Laertes to college in France. : He said don't be a londer or a borower, or you might lose a friend. : The king gets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet. : The ghost of Hamlets father said my brother poisond me. : Hamlet says to his mother how could you. : Hamlet stabs Polonius. : Then the king send Hamlet away. Hamlet tricks the guards and comes back to Deadmark. : Hamlet talkes to the grave digger in deadmark. Who's skull is that. It wus urich. : I knew him, he was my babysitter, he carried me on his back 1,000 times. : He saw the funeral of Ophelia. Hamlet said I loved her more thatn 40,000 brothers. : The King and Layertes decide to kill Hamlet. : Then Layerte and Hamlet have a sword fight. One was poison and sharp the other isn't. : The king makes it poison for Hamlet, but the Queen drinks it. : Then Layartes stabes Hamlet. : Hamlet get the sharp sword and stabs Layartes. Hamlet stabs the king and makes him dring the poison. : Hamlet says tell my story, Horatio : Then Hamlet dies. : Kid #2 age 7: : The Tragedy of Hamlet : Author: William Shakespeare : Place: Deadmark, Elsinor Castle : The guards saw a ghost. The ghost is Hamlet's father. Hamlets uncle marry's Hamlet's Mother. Hamlet is not happy. : Opehlia is going crazy beause Hamlet is saying: I love you, I don't love you. I love you, I don't love you. : Polonius sends his son Laertes to college in France. : He gives him edvice: don't be a lender or borrower because: you can lose your money and your freinds. : The king gets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet. The ghost of Hamlets father said my brother poisened me. : Then Hamlet said to his mother look at these pictures. : Then Hamlet stabs Polonius. The king send Hamlet away. Hamlet tricks the guards and comes back to Deadmark. : Then Hamlet talks to the grave digger in Deadmark. Who's scole is this? It was Urich. : I knew him he was my babysitter. He carried me on his back 1000,000 times in Deadmark. : Then he saw the funeral of Ophelia. Then Hamlet argued with Laertes saying : I loved her more said Laertes : Halet said I loved her ore thatn 4000,000 brothers. : The king and laertes decide to have a sword fight Laertes and Hamlet. : The king makes it poison for Hamlet but the qyeeb drinks it and she dies. : Laertes stabs Hamlet in the arm. : Then Hamlet poisons the king because the king killed Hamlet's mother. : Then Hamlet dies and tells Horatio tell my story. : Shakespeare is telling parents not to wait until the children are ready for college to give them advice, : why doesn't he just say that to us? He wants us to find it our for ourselves.

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