hamlet's development spirtually/ philosophically

Our protagonist, Hamlet begins as a firm protestant. we infer this because his mother begs him "to go not to Wittenburg" (act1 scene 2) - a key place in the protestant reformation. He regards his soul as "a thing immortal" (act 1 scene 4).
However, his confidence in this worldview deflates after he sees the ghost of his father coming from purgatory, a concept only held by Catholics. When he first sees his father's ghost he believes it is either an angel or a demon bringing "airs from heaven or blasts from hell" (Act1 scene 4) but does not seem to believe he is a ghost. After the ghost assures him that he is his "father's spirit" (act 1 scene 5) and tells him of his uncle's wicked actions, Hamlet disregards his previous denial in ghost existence and goes forth to fufill his task of vengence.
This initiates his play-long struggle to find what to believe comes after death. Previously he lamented over society's point of view believing that he could not end his life for that would land him in hell. He wished that "the Everlasting had not fix'd his canon 'gainst self-slaughter!" (act1 scene 2). Seeing and hearing his father's ghost on top of all his other trouble brings him to question whether living is really worthwhile debating over it better "to be or not to be" (act 3 scene 1). In this debate we sense his new uncertainty when he states, "for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause" (act 3 scene1). However it is evident that as he goes deeper into his plot for vengence he has taken on a Catholic worldview because he chooses to not kill the king while his is praying out of fear that he would then then "send [his uncle] to heaven" (act 3 scene 3).
After killing Polonius Hamlet goes through a period of naturalistic thought seeing death simply as a return to the dirt where everyone comes from. While in the graveyard he describes how to "trace the noble dust of Alexander, till he find it stopping a bung-hole" (act 5 scene 1).
Towards the end, however, after the death of his beloved Ophelia who commits suicide, he shifts back to Protestantism disregarding omens and believing once again in Divine Providence. Before dueling Laertes Hamlet senses trouble but resigns to God's will and acknowledges "a special providence in the fall of a sparrow" (act 5 scene 2). This is the solution of his worldview struggle as Horatio, also a protestant, suggests that he is sung to heaven by "flights of angels" (act 5 scene 2).

senior quote?

“Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” - Dr. Seuss

what i've learned from tragedies

Before we studied tragedies this year I never enjoyed reading them because they always left me feeling sad and depressed. Now after learning about catharsis I see how feeling the emotions of the tragic hero helps me work through my own emotions. I actually appreciate tragedies more because of that function. I feel much more emotionally satisfied accompanying the protagonist on their rise and inevitable crash and burn than i do with a character whose emotional journey is the equivalent of crawling up and down a mole mound and then back up again.
This purging also took place as we talked about the dark truths of Christianity. It forced me to think and work through them and see that I can't just ignore the hard parts of being a Christian. Christianity isn't all butterflies and teacups and I have to remember these aspects because they are real and people have to face them. At the same time I can rest in knowing that God is sovereign and that he is always faithful.

evange-blogging for oedipus

In Sophocles play, Oedipus Rex, the protagonist, Oedipus, is given the tragic flaw of pride. This vice causes him to kill the people of the carriage that was in his way and declare exile for the pollutant of the city. He killed his father, an act he was trying to avoid, and he exiled himself because he was unknowingly the cause of the city's problems. Since he did not control his anger he acted recklessly bringing abhorrence and banishment upon himself.
As we have learned from CS Lewis, pride is the worst of sins because it is the root for more sin and it makes people impossible for a person to look up since their always looking down. Oedipus's pride leads to his anger which causes his recklessness. Being full of pride also means that he is looking down. He accuses Terisius and Creon for plotting against him, but if he were looking up he would see that "fate" is controlling him.
God's word gives us warnings to keep people from ending up like Oedipus for "pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18

dostoevesky

When I started out reading Crime and Punishment I honestly did not enjoy it, but the more we talk about it and the more I look at the work as a whole the more I have come to really appreciate it. After today's discussion I appreciate Dostoevsky's novel even more especially in taking a detailed look at the history and philosophy behind it. I remember learning about existentialism in tenth grade but I did not realize how significant it is in Crime and Punishment. I thought it was very interesting exploring how existentialism played a part in Dostoevsky's life and how it is embodied by the character Raskolnikov as the reader gets into his head to examine his motives and sees how his redemption came through his suffering.
Also, before I had never thought of the story as being the story of Lazarus, and I'm still not exactly sure how it is, but I thought that was interesting and something new to think over.
While reading the book I definitely felt drawn into Raskolnikov's mind and after finishing a reading session I would often feel unsettled like I had just commited his crime so when he said that we had all murdered- with our hatred and anger, it really struck me. That's why Raskolnikov's psychology drew me in, not only did Dostoevsky write it out well, but I could relate to it because I had actually commited his crime but with my thoughts and not with an axe.
I enjoyed this talk today becuase it gave me a bigger perspective on the novel and the important factors surrounding it from a very knowledgeable pastor's point of view.

Crime and Punishment

Raskolnikov finally comes to repentance the very end after he has a dream about destruction and he flings himself at Sonia's feet. Right after he remembers that he has not opened the Bible Sonia gave him, he does not open it but he asks himself if Sonia's convictions can become his. Prior to this he never really repents for what he did. When he first confesses to Sonia he tells her that he has "a bad heart" but "that's not the point". He admits that he is bad and later he admits that he was wrong, but he keeps rationalizing his actions and says "I've only killed a louse". The main reason for his public confession was for Sonia, he took her cross because he "wanted her tears" and to feel connected to a person. Sonia tells Raskolnikov to kiss the crossroads in the haymarket square and confess that he is a murderer, he is overcome with emotion and falls to the ground but when people begin to ridicule him he could not bring himself to say he is a murderer.

mere christianity

"For mere improvement is not redemption, though redemption always improves people even here and now and will, in the end, improve them to a degree we cannot yet imagine. God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature."