Reflection

There are many common themes in the works that we have studied this semester. One theme is love; this theme is shown in Madame Butterfly, the Marriage of Figaro, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Vanessa. We see the difference between a 'culture of shame' (Madame Butterfly) and a 'culture of guilt' (The Iliad). The Greeks and the Romans would rather live one glorious day then a life of mediocre work, and this is seen in The Iliad and the Oresteia. Dramatic irony played a big role in many of the works we studied. It was in Vanessa, when she was confessing her love to the wrong man. It was in Madame Butterfly, when the audience was able to Pinkerton for a fool who was only using Butterfly and Butterfly, who was in love with him, couldn't see his intentions and waited for him.
I prefer the blog postings when compared to daily quizzes. The postings help me better because I have to read the whole work and then answer questions and/or summarize that work. It's also helpful when we have to compare two works, it gives different views on the works.
I prefer the blog postings to formal essays. The blog postings act as informal essays, being on the internet gives students access to many different sources of information. This allows students to get many different views and versions of a piece of work, and be able to compare the difference.
I like that the blog is portable. I like being able to show my friends and family all that I have done for my humanities class. It is also posted on my personal webpage in case anyone wanted to look or follow my blogs. It will be a good tool for the future, I could use it as a reference for another class or show an employer of some of my work done during college.

Aristotle's Theory of Tragedy in the Poetics

Tragedy- an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of certain magnitude that includes arousing pity and fear. There are six parts to a tragedy: Plot, Characters, Diction, Thought, Spectacle, and Melody.
Simple Plot- have only a change in fortune (catastrophe).
Complex Plot-(Preferred by Aristotle) have reversal of intention (peripeteia) and recognition (anagnorisis) with the catastrophe.
Hamartia- tragic mistake
Katharsis- purging. Aristotle uses the term in a medical way, referring to purging of the emotions pity and fear.
Deus ex machine- an unsolvable problem is suddenly solved by an unexpected intervention.

Sir Francis Bacon, "Of Fortune"/St. Augustine of Hippo, "On Fate"

Fate's Warning- Iron Maiden
why is it some of us are destined to stay alive
and some of us are here just so that we'll die
how come the bullet hits the other guy
do we have to try and reason why

be it the devil or be it him
you can count on just one thing
when the time is up you'll know
not just one power runs the show

are we the lucky ones saved for another day
or they the lucky ones who are taken away
is it a hand on your shoulder from the lord above
or the devil himself come to give you a shove

a volcano erupts and sweeps a town away
a hurricane devastates the cities in its way
the grief and misery for the ones that are left behind
the worst is yet to come a hell to face mankind
Lyrics provided by www.sing365.com


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr_2Kl6KF-4

St. Augustine would agree with the song because the song talks about fate being controlled by God, and sometimes by the devil. If it is the will of God for you to live or to die, then that is your fate already set in stone by a higher power.

The Iliad, books 22, 23, 24

After the death of Patroclus, Achilles has lost his humanity. He no longer spares and sells captured Trojans, he kills them without regret. He kills without compassion and is filled with hate, he goes in to a 'killing frenzy'. ". . .Like a spirit from hell bent on slaughter. He struck over and over, in a widening spiral. Hideous groans rose from the wounded, and the river turned crimson with blood." (page 404, the Iliad, translated by Stanley Lombardo). Achilles becomes crazy with the thought of killing Trojans, it becomes an obsession for him. "All of you Trojans will die like that. . .No, you'll all die, die ugly deaths, until you have paid for the Greeks' loss, for Patroclus dead, killed by the ships while I was away." (page 407). Zeus sends Achilles mother, Thetis, to reason with her son. She tells him to give the body of Hector back to Priam for ransom and to not be so grieved stricken. Iris goes to Priam and she to give ransom for his son, and to appeal to Achilles noble father and beautiful mother to soften his heart. Achilles knows it is the will of Zeus to give back the body of Hector because Priam would not have been able to make it into the Greek camp with the help of an immortal. Achilles' humanity is restored when he decides to take the ransom and prepare Hector's body for Priam.

The Iliad, books 1, 9, 16 and 17

The Iliad begins in medias res, which means in the middle. Taking place during the Trojan War, it tells of the events during the weeks of an arguement between Agamemnon and Achilles. Achilles was born to the nymph Thetis and Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons. Thetis is the daughter of the sea-god Nereus. Briseis, mistress of Achilles, a woman captured Lyrnessos, a small town in the territory of Troy, and awarded to Achilles as a prize; Agamemnon takes Briseis from Achilles after Agamemnon's mistress is giving back to her father in Book 1 and Achilles withdraws from battle as a result. Kleos is the concept of glory earned in heroic battle. Time is the concept denoting the respectability an honourable man accrues with accomplishment, per his station in life. Kleos apthiton is an undying fame, usually earned after death. A paradox is a logical statement or group of statements that lead to a contradiction or a situation which (if true) defies logic or reason, similar to circular reasoning. To achieve immortal glory a warrior had to kill or die, heroically, often doing both. The paradox is that undying fame could only be gained by dying - or inflicting death on others. This paradox raises issues that were vividly illustrated by the case of Achilles. Achilles and Patroclus are portrayed as more than friends. Patroclus, wearing Achilles' armor, is killed in battle by Hector, who thought it was Achilles. Hector takes Achilles' armor that Patroclus is wearing; this leaves Achilles armor less.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ux3-a9RE1Q
The Cover of the Rolling Stone- Dr. Hook