Henry aka Hal aka Henry V aka Hamlet Who Actually Acts

Hal really has two phases in the play. Initially, he is child-like. He wants to please his father blindly, without coming up with ideas of his own. In Hal's case though, he has two fatherly influences. King Henry IV and Falstaff each encourage starkly contrasting ideals for Hal to live by. Hal moves to please each ideal set and cannot due to difference between the two sets, which naturally leads to conflict with each father. Initially, I was going to say that Hal works to please his fathers' intentions rather than his own, but I suppose at this point, he is in that child-like state and his intentions are to please his fathers. So, I guess he is trying to work toward his intentions by appeasing his fathers' intentions. The critical thing though is that he doesn't please his fathers by trying to work on two opposite goals at once. So, he changes his approach. Moving past the child phase, Hal realizes that he needs to employ parts of each ideal set and balance one with the other to be successful in life and in pleasing his fathers, which he does successfully. So then, Hal consistently works towards his own intentions. His own intentions just happen to be pleasing others by appeasing their ideals. At first, a => b =/> c. Then, a => d => c. (a being appeasing his fathers ideals, b and d being how he goes about pleasing his fathers, and c being pleasing his fathers, which is his personal intention) In the end, Hal successfully works towards his personal intention. That is unless you look at the situation as Hal initially working towards the ideals and intentions his fathers have imposed upon him in which case he would not be acting on his personal intentions but those of his fathers. Then later, he creates his own ideal set and works towards it, thus acting of his own intentions. Either way though, in the end, he does satisfy his own intentions.

Now, that being said, it requires that Hal does in fact want to be a great leader who balances teaching and learning because if he truly wants to live his life with Falstaff in a tavern, he acts on what is best for society rather than for himself. Though still (I just keep going on and on), what one wants and what one needs are two different things. Meh. Just to clear the score, let's say that his goals to either be a great leader or live with the rifraf are two need-based intentions. Then, to answer the Big Question, it all depends on if Hal truly wishes for the crown or the tavern. While most of the play suggests he wants to be king, the banishment of Falstaff suggests Hal has longing for his former lifestyle and in fact in a soliliquoy (pardon my spelling) he also states that he dislikes his job as king. Perhaps, Hal is truly happy in the tavern. But then, are personal intentions want or need based? Is a person fully aware of their personal intentions? I do not know.

Oedipus!!!!!! (aka Super Potato)

Oedipus does act for the greater good. So, one would think the answer to the question would be no, but Oedipus satisfies his own intentions and values at the same time. Besides the eye-gouging and his wife dying and being cursed from birth and..... this isn't going the direction I wanted it to. Anyway, I was going to say that aside from all the bad stuff, Oedipus is actually pretty awesome in the respect that he is able to satisfy the will of society and his own will, but then again, his intentions are those established by the society. So, are they his own or are they society's? Well, he essentially willed the society to be what it is as he is king. Did he not?

I am having excessive difficulty here because I am lacking information. If he established the societal values, then he acts both of his own intentions and of those of the society, but if he adapted to the societal intentions, then he does not act of his own intentions... or does he? If he adapted, that would mean that his intentions are now equivalent to those of the society, and therefore, he does satisfy the intentions of society and of himself. Yet, if he did not adapt but simply put on a facade in order to please the people or just because he believed that would be the most effective way to lead, then he does not act of his own intentions but of society's. Overall though, the 'Thought' aspect of Oedipus appears to suggest that he truly believes what he is decreeing as his intentions. So, he does act of societal intentions, and by doing so, he satisfies his own intentions. (Even though he doesn't act in self-preservation, that does not mean that he is not satisfying his own intentions because his intention is to do what is best for the people of Thebes.)

The Big Question

1. Do people act according to their own integral, personal intentions? I find this question interesting because I believe a number of individuals do things in order to please their surroundings rather than act of their own accord. Thus, they become one of the many rather than pave their own individual paths. I feel that most of the time, I attempt to distinguish my self; ideas, personality, and decisions. But there are instances where I find myself holding back so as to not disturb the balance. If I insult someone or otherwise attack that individual because of their ideas or actions, it very well may throw out any opportunity to befriend or even have contact with that individual (due to the fact that the society has evolved to support the run into a corner and cry response -by responding with money, opportunity, and attention.) Anyway, the society has come to the conclusion that insulting anyone is terrible and criticism should be kept on the inside. "If you have nothing positive to say, don't say anything at all." Bah!

2. The Sun Also Rises greatly supports this question through all the social interaction. There are a couple moments when Jake reflects on how he does not actually enjoy spending time with his 'friends' and does not like them very much. Yet, he continues to remain in close contact with them. It is absurd. He is afraid to do anything that would disturb the flow. When he has a chance to have a real friend, who he meets while fishing, Jake does not go to any lengths to get in contact with the man but reflects on how a good time he had with him.

4. In AP US History, the class read about and discussed Anne Hutchinson. She did act of her own accord. She had many followers. She was leading many new ways of thinking and challenging old ways of how things were handled in government and religion. Now, this example would flat out answer my question with a big "YES!!!!!!" But the difficulty here is that other individuals within the society get close to hanging her, and she does end up exiled, which in that time and place was pretty darn close to a death sentence. Perhaps it would be better to verse the question with 'humanity' rather than 'people,' but people make up humanity so...... Anyway, the point is that it is obvious that the behavior to act of your own intentions rather than act within society is not condoned by any means.

post whatever comes to mind what is love
how does the world work
how do you feel about that
blue
candy
statement
house
baby dont hurt me
no more
raven
poe
nevermore
what goes up must come down
spinning wheel goes round
mime
string
footlong
five dollar
what is the unknown
black hole
life
space
constanly spreading
earth
mother earth
why woman
birth
what is nothing
how can nothing exist

Why is my sandwich green? -compliments of Jason

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