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All human endeavor is ultimately doomed to futility. In the end, the striving toward the murders and chess-based sword fights must be enough.
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# ? Aug 18, 2015 08:20 |
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# ? Jun 8, 2024 06:33 |
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Last time on the Yorick path, Ophelia had a pleasant chat with her family while every non-Yorick option seemed to be pushing her to respond with anger and violence. This time, in Act 1 Scenes 4 and 5, Hamlet goes to visit a ghost. Hamlet Full Text Act 1 Scene 4 posted:
Porkchop Weebottoms wasn't doing poo poo all day. Act 1 Scene 4 posted:
We've seen all this before. Act 1 Scene 4 posted:
Yorick ain't afraid of no ghosts. Act 1 Scene 4 posted:
And so begins Act 1, Scene 5. Act 1 Scene 5 posted:
Porkchop Weebottoms isn't going to try to backslide out of this little revelation this time around, not that it matters much. The non-Yorick option loops to this choice immediately after, with Porkchop Weebottoms fessing up that he was telling the truth after all. Act 1 Scene 5 posted:
When in this same situation, Ophelia had the option to refuse outright or even talk Hamlet Sr. out of murder. Hamlet, on the other hand, sees a murder that needs doing and agrees to do it. Act 1 Scene 5 posted:
Followed quickly by our hero's first attempt to be sexist. Don't worry if this attempt fell a bit flat; he gets a lot better at it in time. Act 1 Scene 5 posted:
Ophelia must be pretty into Beth Metal. Act 1 Scene 5 posted:
This whole sad story could be ended in a hurry, but Yorick wants to go to bed. Act 1 Scene 5 posted:
And with that ends Act 1. See you all next time for the events leading up to Act 2.
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# ? Aug 22, 2015 03:03 |
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The 'pernicious woman' thing is odd because, while it's certainly possible that poetic language here can be read to imply 'pernicious womankind' rather than 'pernicious that woman my mother', it doesn't seem to be commonly interpreted that way. And there are better lines to use for the purpose of Hamlet being sexist, like the “Frailty, thy name is woman!” bit.
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# ? Aug 22, 2015 19:01 |
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Porkchop does seem a lot more likely to just add his own spin to what he's told to do, rather than just coming up with new ideas. His other tragic flaw must be the inevitability of fate, or some junk.
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# ? Aug 24, 2015 03:42 |
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Today, we join our hero Porkchop Weebottoms as he pays Ophelia a visit just before the beginning of Act 2, Scene 1.Act 2 Scene 1, Prologue posted:
When Ophelia set out to help Hamlet commit a murder, she started by drafting up a number of different plans as to how to do the murder and get away with it. Porkchop Weebottoms on the other hand might have long-term plans in mind for orchestrating a proper regicide, but we're not privy to them. We're just watching him make an rear end of himself. Act 2 Scene 1, Prologue posted:
We're dealing with a very different Ophelia this time as well, one who didn't throw Polonius and Laertes out of her room for trying to intrude on her love life. Seeing her act so differently on this go-round is actually sorta sad. Act 2 Scene 1, Prologue posted:
That's it for the prologue to Act 2, Scene 1! Our hero doesn't actually appear in Act 2, Scene 1 of Hamlet so on our next update we'll be looking at Act 2, Scene 2. See you again once I'm fini-- Act 2 Scene 2 posted:
Wait. No. I said we're stopping, I need to-- Act 2 Scene 2 posted:
Right, okay now, this is getting out of hand. We're not doing this, we're-- Act 2 Scene 2 posted:
Goddamni-- Act 2 Scene 2 posted:
...Okay. We're stopping. As a side note, the 1990 film adaptation of Hamlet starring Mel Gibson had a particularly awesome portrayal of the above scene. See you next time for the rest of Act II.
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# ? Aug 30, 2015 04:52 |
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Were the filenames this crazy ALL ALONG? do i have to re-read every update?
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# ? Aug 30, 2015 09:00 |
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DmitriX posted:Were the filenames this crazy ALL ALONG? do i have to re-read every update? For most of it! I didn't like seeing all the screenshots as IMG_####.png back when I was running To Be or Not To Be on my phone so I started renaming them to amuse myself, and fell into a habit. Was wondering if anyone would ever notice.
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# ? Aug 31, 2015 02:20 |
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Really, your mom let you get named Porkchop Weebottoms. At that point everyone immediately lost any right to be surprised at how you turned out.
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# ? Sep 1, 2015 21:44 |
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Today, we've regained control of Porkchop Weebottoms just in time for him to meet up with his pals from Wittenberg University, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern. We're still doing as Yorick says though, so Hamlet's response is going to be subdued. Act 2 Scene 2 -- Full Text Act 2 Scene 2, Continued posted:
Well, that got right to the point. I had to check back at the game again to make sure I hadn't mis-typed anything. It was Guildenstern who fessed up about being sent for, not Rosencrantz, in the full text. We also skipped over all of Hamlet's silly college-kid banter, so we can go right to this: Act 2 Scene 2, Continued posted:
The original script at this point contains a joke about theatre groups being full of crossdressers, which was pretty brazen given that in the original productions of Hamlet, Ophelia and Gertrude were themselves most likely played by men. However, there's no room for such a stab here, since we're not dealing with a theatre group at all in To Be or Not To Be. Instead, we've got... Act 2 Scene 2, Continued posted:
Instead of traveling performers, we've got a choose-your-own-adventure author who happened to be passing through! I can't tell that Christina Marlowe is an actual CYOA author; she might just a reference to something. We also skipped over Hamlet's hawk-and-handsaw line, which I know chiefly for being referenced well in one of the ending illustrations and for running into it in a scan of some kind of manga adaptation of Hamlet while I was google image-searching for Hamlet artwork. I tried to find that image again for this update by GIS-ing "Hamlet anime" and I deeply regret doing that. Act 2 Scene 2, Concluded posted:
And that's it for Act 2! Next time, in Act 3 Scene 1: To be, or not to be?
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# ? Sep 7, 2015 20:14 |
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I think Christina Marlowe is a reference to Christopher Marlowe, contemporary of Shakespeare.
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# ? Sep 7, 2015 22:24 |
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Huh. So from this perspective, Porkchop never ties to write his own CYOA? Aw.
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# ? Sep 8, 2015 08:55 |
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Yvonmukluk posted:I think Christina Marlowe is a reference to Christopher Marlowe, contemporary of Shakespeare. Neat! I wouldn't have expected that kind of reference to crop up here. Last time, in To Be or Not To Be, Hamlet hatched a daring plan to prove his uncle's guilt by getting him to read a choose-your-own-adventure novel that plays out similarly to the murder that his uncle allegedly committed. He then faced the difficult decision of whether to nap for awhile instead of confronting his uncle right away. In accordance with Yorick's guidance, Hamlet's going to leg it right to the courtroom. Act 3, Scene 1 Full Text Act 3, Scene 1 posted:
We're starting a third of the way into the scene. The start of the scene was Rosencrantz and Guildenstern reporting on Hamlet to Claudius, and Claudius and Polonius arranging for Ophelia to be here and try to look normal so they can watch how Hamlet treats her. Additionally, in the script, Hamlet didn't just show up in this scene as part of his plan to entrap Claudius; Claudius and Polonius sent for him to come here and then went into hiding. Porkchop Weebottoms is currently being spied on by two people, but that's not on his mind right now -- he's got an important question to answer. Act 3, Scene 1 posted:
Whoops! Act 3, Scene 1 posted:
The soliloquy goes on for 20 lines longer in the play, and some of its material is referenced by Ophelia in the game when she's talking to the Ghost King. Either way, the soliloquy ends with Hamlet finally noticing that Ophelia is around. Act 3, Scene 1 posted:
Porkchop Weebottoms doesn't seem to quite get what's truly going on here, but he is vaguely aware that he's being watched. With Yorick's help, he's going to code-talk like a champion. Act 3, Scene 1 posted:
Some of the wording in the original text of Hamlet gets fuzzy at this point. For reference: code:
Act 3, Scene 1 posted:
The script at this point honestly rings with me as Hamlet being in an incoherent rage at this point, but Yorick sees it differently as always. Act 3, Scene 1 posted:
See you all next time for Act 3, Scene 2.
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# ? Sep 13, 2015 01:33 |
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Fun Shakespeare fact! "Nunnery" was Elizabethan slang for a brothel, so Hamlet is actually laying it on pretty heavy with the whole calling Ophelia a whore thing here (especially after calling Polonius a pimp before that). It's not surprising that she flips her poo poo.
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# ? Sep 13, 2015 20:13 |
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Guitar_Hero posted:Fun Shakespeare fact! When you think you've comprehended one of Shakespeare's sick burns, there was a sicker one sleeping in the depths of history.
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# ? Sep 13, 2015 21:00 |
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Guitar_Hero posted:Fun Shakespeare fact! The Nunnery Scene and what Shakespeare was getting at with that wording remains debated to this day, from what I can tell. One interpretation I've heard is that Hamlet still loves Ophelia, Ophelia knows he's lying when he says he never loved her, and Hamlet is trying to get her to someplace where she'll be safe from the carnage he's about to unleash on Elsinore. Today, however, we're moving right along to Act 3, Scene 2! As a warning, it is an extremely long scene in the original script, and might run a bit long here, too. Case in point, here's the full text! Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
...Well! We skipped over Hamlet's discussion with the players, since in To Be or Not To Be there aren't any. We also skipped over a few veiled insults thrown at Claudius and Polonius, and are moving right ahead to, oh, this: Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
-- which appears to have been retconned. Whoops! Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
Since Hamlet isn't hanging by Ophelia, we're missing a lot of nervous chatter that amounts to "Porkchop Weebottoms is that guy in the audience who can't loving shut up during the play." That's how I like to see his behavior during the play-within-a-play at least. Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
This entire sequence runs differently from the play-within-a-play; the villain's name was even changed from Lucianus to Battlelord Pete. Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
Around about this time would be when Hamlet would be hissing at the play-within-a-play's villian to get on with it. Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
Another matter that To Be or Not To Be skipped over was that the players were coached by Hamlet to specifically include this scene in their play-within-a-play. It appears to have just happened to be in the CYOA-within-a-CYOA, by contrast. Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
In the original play, the entire play-within-a-play was an elaborate set-up by Hamlet to entrap Claudius, and succeeded at taking Claudius completely off-guard and giving him the shock of his life. Here, however, the entire CYOA-within-a-CYOA was a shot in the dark by Porkchop Weebottoms to get Claudius to entrap himself, but it's still going to work. Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
Back when we were playing as Ophelia, having Claudius abort and flee the room at the start of The Murder of Gonzago caused us to switch right back to Ophelia. That's the only instance in which that can happen; if Claudius had played on to this point, then we still would have switched back to Hamlet. How does To Be or Not To Be deal with this? Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
Like this -- by using a single option to branch all the converged paths back out. I can't actually hold this kind of construction against Ryan North to control flow using mechanics like this, even if it means bizarrely I-want-to-pick-that options such as "If you have a nuclear bomb, turn to page 68." Act 3, Scene 2 posted:
This is a recurring theme in To Be or Not To Be: In the original script, Hamlet is very, very not okay with Rosencrantz & Guildenstern's presence and interference in matters. He's very aware that they're spying on him, and we're skipping over a rather wonderful sequence in which Hamlet tries to get Guildenstern to play a recorder. That being said, the "go stab Polonius through a curtain" choice at this juncture leads to something truly magical. If anybody else wants to show what that choice leads to, they're welcome to! For now, see you all next time for Act 3, Scene 3 and the rest of Act 3 at the same time. Pittsburgh Lambic fucked around with this message at 01:46 on Sep 14, 2015 |
# ? Sep 14, 2015 01:38 |
There is actually a possible explanation for the ear poisoning; basically, since antibiotics didn't exist yet ear infections were a common source of eardrum perforations, and if your eardrum is perforated there's a eustachian tube that becomes accessible that drains from the ear into the throat meaning that you can take a poison that normally needs to be swallowed and instead of pouring it in the mouth where anyone checking for poison might check out first, you can pour it in the ear to avoid leaving otherwise well-understood traces. It's not necessarily the whole of it or foolproof but it's interesting all the same.
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# ? Sep 14, 2015 05:29 |
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Ignatius M. Meen posted:There is actually a possible explanation for the ear poisoning; basically, since antibiotics didn't exist yet ear infections were a common source of eardrum perforations, and if your eardrum is perforated there's a eustachian tube that becomes accessible that drains from the ear into the throat meaning that you can take a poison that normally needs to be swallowed and instead of pouring it in the mouth where anyone checking for poison might check out first, you can pour it in the ear to avoid leaving otherwise well-understood traces. It's not necessarily the whole of it or foolproof but it's interesting all the same. That's really cool! I had never given the ear-poisoning too much thought, other than as being sufficiently unusual that Hamlet could eventually find a way to pin it back on the murderer. I always just looked at the ear poisoning and thought to myself "Man, that must be some really loving nasty poison if it got into his bloodstream that way," especially given the graphic details that Hamlet Sr. shares: code:
Pittsburgh Lambic fucked around with this message at 13:45 on Sep 15, 2015 |
# ? Sep 15, 2015 13:30 |
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Today I learned something I did not know about poisoning people through their ears. I wonder if it was supposed to be, like, shorthand for Claudius being a tricksy bastard.
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# ? Sep 16, 2015 21:13 |
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Glazius posted:I wonder if it was supposed to be, like, shorthand for Claudius being a tricksy bastard. It's probably both. Shakespeare was a pretty good author like that.
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# ? Sep 16, 2015 21:38 |
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Glazius posted:Today I learned something I did not know about poisoning people through their ears. It does explain why he was so careful to poison both ears Today, we're picking up where we left off at the start of Act 3. Claudius has run away screaming, and Hamlet has been summoned to his mom's chamber for a stern talking-to. Hamlet is heading in that direction right now. Act 3, Scene 3 full text We're starting partway through this scene. The first half is Claudius talking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, making arrangements to send Hamlet off to England, and also Polonius making plans to spy on Hamlet when he visits his mother. Act 3, Scene 3 posted:
Yorick is very excited about getting his Act 3, Scene 3 posted:
In the original script of Hamlet, our hero concludes that since Claudius is in prayer, he might go to heaven instead of hell if he's killed at this juncture. Hamlet saw what happened to his father, who died suddenly while napping and didn't have a chance to confess his sins, and so wound up in purgatory, and is enduring all kinds of unspeakable punishments even there. The Christian afterlife is harsh like that. Hamlet really wants Claudius to go to hell, so he doesn't wind up better off than Hamlet Sr. did. Thus, he's going to decide to wait to kill Claudius until he's just done something amazingly lovely, like gently caress Hamlet's mom again. Act 3, Scene 3 posted:
That wraps up Act 3, Scene 3! If you want to see another way this scene could have played out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBtBEUYNaXM&t=49s We'll move right along to Scene 4. Act 3, Scene 4 full text Act 3, Scene 4 posted:
Gertrude also was fully aware that Polonius was spying on Hamlet in her room, and in fact was letting Polonius tell her what to say to Hamlet when he showed up. However, it didn't go to well: code:
However, she did manage to piss Hamlet enough that he up and did this: Act 3, Scene 4 posted:
Act 3, Scene 4 posted:
The above decision is actually a bit of a tough nut to crack in the original script: code:
Act 3, Scene 4 posted:
We've started to encroach slightly on Act 4, but that's fine, because that act is long as hell, and consists of seven scenes. We're skipping over a few matters as well: Rather than have servants tend to Polonius's body, Hamlet chops it into pieces and hides it. When questioned about it by Claudius, Hamlet has this to say: code:
Pittsburgh Lambic fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Sep 23, 2015 |
# ? Sep 20, 2015 20:53 |
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Wow, I forgot just how bitter Hamlet is in this part. I wonder how a CYOA of King Lear would go? Many more potential routes, anyways.
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# ? Sep 22, 2015 21:51 |
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C'mon Hamlet Sr., at least have the decency to corporealize a little for your wife. I realize you're still kind of cheesed at her but I'm also pretty sure that staying cheesed off at people is why there are even ghosts to begin with.
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# ? Sep 23, 2015 18:10 |
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Decoy Badger posted:Wow, I forgot just how bitter Hamlet is in this part. Would be a neat concept, though Ryan North appears to be currently focused on making a choose-your-own-adventure of Romeo & Juliet. Not to say that I don't think Hamlet could have had a shitload of alternate routes that are more story-relevant, too. That's actually the subject of some other kickstarter that I wound up backing for some reason. I'm sorta interested to see what they manage to do. For now, though, we're going to continue To Be or Not To Be, where Hamlet just got on a party boat and is having the time of his life. Act 4? posted:Poor Porkchop's bringing along a lot of baggage, it seems. Act 4? posted:
None of this really corresponds to anything in the original script of Hamlet, so linking to full text won't be of too much help. Most of Act 4 is scenes in which Hamlet doesn't appear at all. The one exception is the following segment: Act 4, Scene 4 full text Act 4, Scene 4 posted:
I'm not sure why the setting was moved from a plain where Hamlet is journeying toward a ship to said ship, but eh. Act 4, Scene 4 posted:
To parse this better: The patch of land that Fortinbras is going to fight Poland over is too small for the whole of Fortinbras's army to even fight Poland's on. It's not even big enough to serve as a grave for all of the thousands of soldiers who are going to die fighting over it. Act 4, Scene 4 thus concludes. We now get back to... whatever's going on. Act 4? posted:
Everything that takes place on the ship to England is discussed after the fact by Hamlet in the original script, including this encounter with the letters carried by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. It runs a bit differently in the script, though. Act 4? posted:
For instance, in the script, Hamlet didn't trust Rosencrantz & Guildenstern at all, and for good reason: They knew exactly what they were carrying, and Hamlet had to steal it from them while they slept to get a look. Upon finding the letters, he replaced them with a forgery ordering that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern be executed immediately. Instead of all that, in To Be or Not To Be, Porkchop Weebottoms decides to handle things like this: Act 4? posted:
Oops. See you next time for more things that might seem a bit out of place!
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# ? Sep 27, 2015 01:34 |
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Party on, Rosencrantz. Party on, Guildenstern. I'm glad Claudius has wised up and is planning to get some counter-kills in.
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# ? Sep 27, 2015 16:15 |
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Ah, here comes one of the scenes he was selling you on for the Kickstarter.
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# ? Sep 27, 2015 16:20 |
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Murdered by pirates is good.
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# ? Sep 27, 2015 21:32 |
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Last time, in To Be or Not To Be, Hamlet got on a party boat! There, he and his buddies Rosencrantz and Guildenstern uncovered a plot to have him executed as soon as he reaches England. Because Hamlet's a pretty easygoing guy, and because Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been pretty cool to him, he replaced the execution order with a forged letter asking the king of England to shower Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with riches and comforts for the rest of their lives. However, before they get there, they and Hamlet need to deal with a sudden pirate attack! Act 4? posted:
That pirate ship is seriously huge. For reference, its tonnage is about that of the Vasa launched by Sweden in 1628, 25-ish years after Hamlet is supposed to have been written. The year that Hamlet is set in is not certain, but is hinted at being even earlier. Calypso's Gale might very well be the largest warship in the world in this timeline. Act 4? posted:
The non-Yorick option is an instant game over, by the way, and a shameful one. Act 4? posted:
At this exact moment, back at Elsinore Castle, Ophelia is discovering her father's corpse. This piled on top of everything else happening to her causes her to snap; in fact she goes completely insane. Act 4? posted:
There are multiple paths through this entire sequence that lead to a safe outcome and advance the story without just dropping us into an ending along the way. The Yorick skulls mark only one such path. Admittedly, having them around takes a lot of the tension out of this, since you always have a safe option -- sometimes the only safe option -- clearly marked in front of you. This is in contrast to Ophelia's murder spree and chess showdown, which is so completely off-script that Yorick isn't there to help you at all, so you're always forced to think about your decisions. Act 4? posted:
I don't know how much research Ryan North did for this sequence, and wouldn't necessarily fault him for just saying fuckit and trying to write a story instead. Case in point, Chris Hastings of Dr. McNinja said recently that he used to thoroughly research the medical and scientific underpinnings to anything taking place in his story, only to get a bunch of emails telling him that he got it all wrong anyway. Eventually he just gave up and started doing this. Act 4? posted:
Porkchop Weebottoms is currently zero-for-two on captaincy skill. His first order was ineffectual at getting his ship away; his second order got his ship absolutely destroyed. Act 4? posted:
At this exact moment, back at Elsinore Castle, Ophelia is stumbling around howling out filthy songs and shoving ragged bundles of flowers into people's hands, the types of flowers being in accordance with whatever the language of flowers says about each particular person. There are a great many Hamlet paintings depicting Ophelia in this sorry state. Act 4? posted:
Aww, Yorick Act 4? posted:
This is getting into territory that isn't necessarily easy to reproduce on stage. Act 4? posted:
At this exact moment, back at Elsinore Castle, Claudius has tried to keep Polonius's death under wraps by having him buried in secret. The air in Denmark is thick with rumors. Upon hearing that something may have happened, Laertes hightails it out of France, stirs up a rebellion, and assaults Elsinore head-on. Act 4? posted:
That insult is probably one of my favorite bits of the book right there. Act 4? posted:
Looks like we've got a bossfight on our hands. This isn't a Monkey Island pirate; insults are only going to go so far. Act 4? posted:
Though a well-timed quip or two can still help turn the tide. Act 4? posted:
You've just got to make sure that each hit stings your opponent as much as your words do. Act 4? posted:
Actually, I lied. This entire sequence is one big railroad. Act 4? posted:
Want to see what I mean? Here. This is the bossfight with the pirate captain. All of it. There is literally no way to lose to the pirate captain, and every decision in the tree just leads to the next decision in the tree, up until the killing blow. Act 4? posted:
At this exact moment, back at Elsinore Castle, Ophelia is wandering off into the woods to gather more flowers. She falls into a creek and is too insane to notice, singing softly as she floats atop the water until it soaks into her clothes. The weight drags her down into the mud at the bottom of the stream, and she drowns horribly. Act 4? posted:
See you all next time for the remainder of Act 4. Pittsburgh Lambic fucked around with this message at 03:13 on Oct 11, 2015 |
# ? Oct 11, 2015 03:09 |
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Thanks for the Ophelia and Denmark interludes. Even Porkchop's adventures don't stop things from going 100% tragedy over there.
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# ? Oct 13, 2015 14:50 |
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Glazius posted:Thanks for the Ophelia and Denmark interludes. Even Porkchop's adventures don't stop things from going 100% tragedy over there. Glad you liked it! Today, in To Be or Not To Be, we've got a comparatively quick update as Hamlet gets his wee bottom back to England and finishes up Act 4. Act 4? posted:
It's probably for the best that Hamlet not attack Elsinore from a pirate ship. The castle has cannons too, and they have plenty of practice. To Be or Not To Be doesn't mention it, but every night that Claudius gets drunk, he has ordnance shot off in his honor. Act 4? posted:
Hamlet is right to be worried about Horatio getting subverted by King Claudius. Claudius has been making good use of his skills as a master manipulator: While Hamlet's been away, Claudius has been working over Laertes and successfully recruited him to his side. Laertes has been thoroughly corrupted, and is prepared to be as ruthless and traitorous as Claudius in his quest for revenge. Hamlet's walking into one hell of a trap. Act 4? posted:
It actually makes some sense for the pirates to have let Hamlet go, when you think about it. Hamlet, though seemingly a lucrative hostage at first, was a dead man walking. He was being sent to England to be executed and had official documents backing up that alibi, so he was of no value as a ransom. What did make him valuable was that he was a volatile and charismatic prince with plans to dethrone the king of Denmark and claim his rightful spot on the throne. The pirates had little to lose, and everything to gain, by helping him out; if their captain had any sense he'd see that. Act 4? posted:
Looks like we just walked in on act 5! The second gravedigger just lost a game of riddles and was sent off to fetch some more booze. See you all next time! We're on the home stretch now.
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# ? Oct 17, 2015 01:53 |
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It's a shame the betrayal's left Porkchop unable to trust Horatio. Events sound far lamer than they actually turned out.
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# ? Oct 18, 2015 01:55 |
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The pirate sequence was pretty enjoyable despite the railroading. I'm guessing there's no way to avoid getting rammed either.
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# ? Oct 19, 2015 17:30 |
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Decoy Badger posted:The pirate sequence was pretty enjoyable despite the railroading. I'm guessing there's no way to avoid getting rammed either. There are ways, but they involve the Vesselmania IV getting shot to pieces and everybody dying. In theatre news, there was recently a production of Hamlet put on in the UK starring Benedict Cumberbatch. They're doing screenings of it now all over the world, one of which I went to. The performance is amazing on many levels and and absolutely worth seeing if you're into Shakespeare at all. Now back to the LP: Last time, in To Be or Not To Be, Hamlet returned to Denmark and rejoined his buddy Horatio. While talking about events that have transpired, they stumbled upon a gravedigger! The gravedigger has been singing, and Hamlet has the option to either listen or join in. Joining in leads to a short (one-page) rap battle between Hamlet and the gravedigger, which we won't be doing. Yorick's skull says so. Act 5, Scene 1 full text Act 5, Scene 1 posted:
You'll notice if you're following along in the original script that the gravedigger is referred to there as a "clown." This was accepted slang for common folk back in Shakespeare's day, but it wouldn't surprise me if at least one costuming director has had both the gravediggers dress up as Ronald McDonald anyway. Theatre is awesome like that. Act 5, Scene 1 posted:
Act 5 has only just started and already the body count is climbing fast. Act 5, Scene 1 posted:
The conversation with the gravedigger is one of the best moments in the entire play. It's rather ominous that Hamlet has such a long comic relief sequence just before the climax. Act 5, Scene 1 posted:
I'm sure Yorick has a whole lot of interesting opinions about Rhenish. But we're going to talk about Yorick today. He's been following us throughout the entire book. It's time for him to have the spotlight for a bit. Act 5, Scene 1 posted:
That second option rewinds time so we're playing as Ophelia right after Hamlet showed up and fouled his stockings. Act 5, Scene 1 posted:
It seems Ophelia's -1 weakness against water finally caught up with her. She'll never be a ninja, mass murderer, brilliant scientist, or chessmaster in this timeline. She died alone, amidst garlands of flowers that she had woven in her insane grief. The specific kinds of flowers she was playing with suggested that it wasn't her father's death that tore her mind apart -- more than anything, she just wanted the Hamlet she knew back. Goodbye, Ophelia. See you all next time for the rest of Act 5, Scene 1.
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# ? Oct 28, 2015 20:29 |
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Life sucks and then you're spackle. Or possibly grout. You just went over this, Porkchop. Not so fun when it's someone you want to smooch, is it? Actually, I shouldn't assume you never wanted to smooch Yorick. Shouldn't judge.
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# ? Oct 31, 2015 00:05 |
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Glazius posted:Life sucks and then you're spackle. He did love kissing Yorick when he was more than just a skull, which was tactfully left out of Poor Yorick. Last time, in To Be or Not To Be: Hamlet reflected on the meaning of life and death, and eavesdropped on a funeral. All too late he discovered it was a funeral for his ex-girlfriend, Ophelia! She died while Hamlet was away, and they're treating her death as a suicide, which is particularly ominous. Our hero needs to process all of this. Act 5, Scene 1 full text Act 5, Scene 1 continued posted:
Yes, we can choose to play as Ophelia at this juncture. But instead, Hamlet's going to barge into the scene. Act 5, Scene 1 continued posted:
Ophelia's funeral is already ruined; I don't think we need to go that far. Act 5, Scene 1 concluded posted:
The transition from Scene 1 to Scene 2 is a bit funky here, but we'll get to that next update. See you all next time!
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# ? Nov 3, 2015 20:20 |
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Yes, Porkchop. Emotions are a competition, and yours are the realest. That is completely what is happening here.
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# ? Nov 5, 2015 01:15 |
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Last time, in To Be or Not To Be, Porkchop Weebottoms discovered that his ex-girlfriend had suddenly died and decided to raise a huge scene at her funeral, getting into a fistfight with Laertes on top of her coffin. It was kind of awful, and it has since broken up. Our hero is now on the way back to Elsinore, and wants to talk to Horatio about his trip to England.Act 5, Scene 1? posted:
In the original script of Hamlet, this conversation never happens at all until Hamlet and Horatio are back at the castle, which doesn't happen until Scene 2, so marking the specific scene break here is a bit finnicky. Not a big deal, considering how many liberties directors tend to take anyway when bringing Shakespearean theatre to life. It's not uncommon to see entire scenes re-ordered. Act 5, Scene 1? posted:
It's good to see some acknowledgement of how ridiculously huge and powerful the Calypso's Gale is, especially for a ship in the early 1600s or earlier. Act 5, Scene 1? posted:
And there's the actual start of Act 5, Scene 2, which is in fact the final scene of Hamlet. We're on the home stretch. Act 5, Scene 2 posted:
This is all part of Claudius's elaborate scheme to get rid of Hamlet. In the original script, that scheme included rousing Hamlet's envy of Laertes's swordfighting ability, to entice him into the fencing match. Osric actively does this here, and the handicap of the match is intended to further goad Hamlet into agreeing. When Hamlet does agree to the match, he comments that it's about time for his daily workout anyway. It's just another day for him. Act 5, Scene 2 posted:
Some directors have Horatio sigh loudly and roll his eyes at Hamlet's remark about fencing practice. Act 5, Scene 2 posted:
A lot has been written about Hamlet's words here: code:
Act 5, Scene 2 posted:
In the original script, Laertes takes one sword, examines it carefully, says it's too heavy, returns it, and picks out another. Hamlet is quick to grab a sword of his preference, asking only if they're all the same length. Something's going on, but Hamlet's not going to find out about it until next time, in the climax of To Be or Not To Be.
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# ? Nov 9, 2015 01:48 |
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Huh. Yorick's got unexpected preferences for swords. What could this mean?
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# ? Nov 9, 2015 04:54 |
I'm betting one of the two non-Yorick swords is the sword Laertes is supposed to have, and so Hamlet wins the duel instead of dying.
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# ? Nov 9, 2015 12:58 |
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Going to wrap this up.
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# ? Nov 28, 2015 20:47 |
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# ? Jun 8, 2024 06:33 |
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One more post to get the finale onto the next page.
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# ? Nov 28, 2015 20:47 |