Ian Donley

Mrs. Ebel
AP Literature, Period 4
17 May 2017
Reflection Essay:

Out of all the assignments I did over the course of my high school career, theres one

project that not only was actually fun to do, but helped me grow the most. The project was to

take William Shakespeares Hamlet and, with the different motif group we received, find

passages within the play that uses the motifs assigned to us throughout the play to develop a

theme of humanity. The motif group my group and I received was weeds, growth, flowers,

nature. Throughout the play, Shakespeare cleverly alludes to these items as metaphorical

observations on the structure and folly of human nature. Our theme was that humans tend to be

destructive and can destroy all good that they may encounter. Hamlet describes the inhuman

courtship of his mother, Gertrude, and his uncle, Claudius, as an unweeded garden, that grows

to seed ; things rank and gross in nature possess it merely, which powerfully conveys his hatred

and disgust of their behavior in light of Hamlets fathers death ( Act 1, Scene 2). Hamlets

fathers life was given out that, sleeping in my orchard,/...a serpent stung him, describing how

Claudius murdered him in a place of peace and Claudius corruption and evil destroyed the

orchards level of nurturing (Act 1, Scene 5). As part of our project, we created a short episode

of The Real Roommates of Temecula, which highlighted many of our key ideas through

slapstick, satirical comedy in the shape of modern day reality TV. Through our use of the video,

we were able to push our key points across in a humorous way.

In this project, I grew the most in two different areas; analyzing and public speaking.
When we write out essays or fill out multiple choice questions, many of the prompts/questions

require us to think outside the box and find new details in order to find the answers. Due to my

autism, I tend to think narrowly instead of allowing myself the freedom to approach material in a

different manner. Ive come to realize in English that the answer that seems so obvious isnt

always the answer. This made me approach this project by keeping an open-mind to new

interpretation, particularly since Shakespeare has the most abstract, crafted language in all of

literature. As for my public speaking, I never can go up and do a presentation without shaking

uncontrollably, which is ironic since Im an actor. My self-doubt and nerves tend to get the better

of me and I fumble on words and forget what Im talking about. Through participating in the

video and studying the material of our project, I grew in confidence and nailed the presentation.

My focus was on point and I had a clear understanding and interest in what I was sharing to the

class.

This project has inspired me to carry that same level of confidence when Im performing.

In a field where your personal demons plague you with insecurities and hopelessness, its crucial

that each actor take the upper hand in order to face the entertainment industry. The project has

influenced me to go out into the world after graduation and fight for what Im passionate about

without hesitation. I started compiling a list of songs and monologues to use for audition pieces

and I started seeing an acting coach who will help give me the tools I need in order to fearlessly

handle myself in the profession I want to work in. Standing out in front of a crowd can be

intimidating. As a performer, I still get the toxic ideas of not being worthy to become a star and

how I wont be to amount to anything. These thoughts will never go away; however, overtime, I

hope to get more opportunities to control those feelings from controlling every action I take.

Throughout my two years at Great Oak High School, Ive learned many different aspects
on education and life that I will carry over the course of my life. I learned how to grow as a

writer through the intricate essay writing portions of the AP Language and AP Literature classes

I took. The skills my teachers had in drilling in these concepts into my mind changed how I am

as a student due to the different tools I gained from the various strategies I comprehended.

Also, the students I met at GOHS have inspired me to be fearless in interacting with people who

come from different backgrounds. Being exposed to various caricatures and behaviors has made

me culturally aware of the world around me. Ive developed a talent for being able to start a

simple conversation to being a shoulder to cry on for anyone in need of someone to talk to. As I

go off into the real world, I know that these lessons will come in handy and I will be ready to

overcome situations that come my way. These profound lessons have transformed me from a boy

to a man.