Gatsby
Literary terms
Hamlet
Links between the two
Random!
100
What does the green light represent?
It symbolizes Gatsby's idealistic dream of achieving a better life, a better self and reaching a better version of the world through Daisy.
100
What is foreshadowing? Give an example from Gatsby.
It is the use of indicative words/phrases and hints that set the stage for a story to unfold and give the reader a hint of something that is going to happen. Example: the car wreck after Gatsby's party and everyone's refusal to take responsibility for the accident, Jordan Baker's comment about being a "bad driver"...
100
Why does Hamlet hesitate to believe the ghost initially?
He is not sure whether it is truly his father's spirit or a demonic apparition.
100
How is conformism represented in both works? Name one character who conforms to social norms for each work.
Conformism is represented in both works as turning people into puppets who end up being manipulated by greater forces. Example: Gatsby or Myrtle, who imitate the social norms they want to follow blindly, and Laertes and Ophelia.
100
Why are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern always together, and indistinguishable one from the other? What do they represent?
They are always together and undifferentiated because they represent the puppet-like subjects of the powerful Court, who are not strong enough to stand apart and be loyal to their friend. They also represent the false friends, who are "a dime a dozen" and insignificant to Hamlet, compared to his few true friends.
200
What does the West represent in the novel and in American culture?
The West symbolizes innocence, the hope associated with settling the New World, the idealism and potential of a new start.
200
Name three formal aspects of Modernism.
Non-linear chronology in the story line, fragmented narrative (different narrators, unreliable narrators), use of ellipsis and gaps in the story.
200
Who says "to thine own self be true" and why is it ironic?
Polonius says it to Laertes, and it is ironic that he should give this advice, since he is a manipulator and a politician who is obsessively concerned with appearances.
200
Identify a moment in each work where the loss of faith/belief is illustrated.
Gatsby: the moment before his death, what grotesque thing a rose is... Hamlet: Claudius's unsuccessful prayer, To be or not to be soliloquy by Hamlet.
200
What hints do we have that Daisy is just as heartless and materialistic as Tom? Name three things that could be good indicators.
The very expensive necklace she wears on her wedding day, indicating that she has been 'bought,' The way she uses her daughter as a prop/thing, The fact that only the shirts make her cry, Her moment at the kitchen table with Tom (after Myrtle,s death) where she seems to be conspiring.
300
Give three examples of consumer culture in the novel.
The items in Myrtle's apartment (movie magazines, etc...), the billboard (The Eyes of Dr J), the luxury cars.
300
What is the difference between monologue and soliloquy?
A monologue is a speech made by a character to other characters, sometimes to a crowd, who listen in silence. In the soliloquy, the convention is that other characters can’t hear, or the speaker believes himself to be alone, because it is essentially a piece in which the character is thinking rather than actually speaking to anyone.
300
At what point in the play does Hamlet actually seem insane?
In Gertrude's chamber, when he alone sees the ghostly apparition of his father.
300
Name a point in each work that illustrates the theatricality of identity (our identity is a performance).
Gatsby's first party (the many rumours, he is standing there);or his initial meeting with Nick and fake stories and props; or the scene with the shirts. Hamlet: the player's speech, followed by "what a rogue and peasant slave am I" soliloquy; or Hamlet's advice to the players: a good actor acts 'real'; or Polonius saying 'to thine own self be true.'
300
What is the Panopticon? Give an example from Gatsby and an example from Hamlet that illustrate the Panopticon.
The panopticon is a prison so built radially that a guard at a central position can see all the prisoners but they do not know if they are being watched. It applies to structures of surveillance where we have reason to believe we are being monitored, but have no way to be sure, and therefore behave accordingly. In Hamlet: most scenes involving Polonius spying on Hamlet and Ophelia, or Hamlet and Gertrude. In Gatsby, Wilson perceives the Eyes of Dr J as part of a panopticon.
400
What is pathetic fallacy? Give 2 examples from the novel.
When the weather (or nature) reflects the current mood of the human characters in the work. Examples: the hottest day during which Tom and Gatsby have their showdown, and the day of Gatsby's funeral.
400
What is memento mori? Give two examples from Hamlet where that convention is brought up or illustrated.
It is an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death. Ex: Yorick's skull scene, Claudius's cynical reminder that all fathers die.
400
Identify three elements in the play that don't make sense in terms of dramatic logic. Phrase them in the form of questions.
Why does Claudius want Hamlet to remain at the court? Why does Hamlet feel the need to act crazy (Put on an 'antic disposition')? Why does Hamlet believe that the Mousetrap will reveal Claudius's guilt (when clearly Claudius is a masterful liar)?
400
What does each work tell us about story-telling, and the truth of telling someone's story (Gatsby or Hamlet)?
In Gatsby, there is no "true" story in the end, only the biased account of an unreliable narrator who is damaged by the story. In Hamlet, it is the opposite: Art can give us truth...the Mousetrap brought out the truth, and the play ends with Horatio's promise to tell the truth of Hamlet's story, which we the audience have just seen.
400
Why is Hamlet a tragedy? Why is it a 'problem' tragedy?
It is a tragedy because it features a tragic hero who sets into motion tragic consequences as a result of his tragic flaw. It is a problem tragedy however because 1) it is hard to say what his tragic flaw is and 2) he is only directly responsible for the death of Polonius (and by accident!). The other deaths are caused by the other people trying to kill him, and finally he gets rid of Claudius in self-defense. This is nothing like the usual tragedy in which a protagonist willfully kills.
500
How do we know that Nick is an unreliable narrator? Give three elements that are clues.
He blanks out after Myrtle's party, offers a fragmented account; his account of the passage of time is very inconsistent (time slows down when he is with Gatsby); he describes key moments through Gatsby's eyes, showing that he identifies with Gatsby (ex: moment of his death).
500
Identify three types of critical readings and explain on what principles they are based.
Marxist: looks at economic relations in a materialist world, and assumes that unequal power is at the root of human interactions; Psychoanalytic: Looks for the unconscious mind, and assumes that humans express irrational impulses through their dreams and art with symbols; Feminist: looks at relationships of power between genders.
500
What could be Hamlet's tragic flaw? Propose three possibilities.
-Indecisiveness (inability to act when he should), -excessive melancholy (he cannot enjoy life or fall in love, or even get angry when he should--he is obsessed with death), -he is idealistic and cannot deal with the world as it is.
500
Name examples of the simulacra in Gatsby and Hamlet.
Gatsby: Myrtle puts on a simulacrum of wealth, Gatsby's fake medals and photos are simulacra, his library filled with unread books, his house is a fake manor-house, East Egg and West Egg are simulacra of each other. Hamlet: the Mousetrap is a simulacrum, the court's displays of celebration (fireworks, etc..) are simulacra, the entire duel is a simulacrum.
500
What was perceived to be the difference between melancholy and madness, in Shakespeare's time?
Melancholy was an unbalanced state of the humours (fluids in the body), and it affected the moods and personality of the person. Madness was seen as giving person access to cosmic truths and permission to say them. Mad people were thought to be visionaries who could say profound truths.
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