Shakespeareo-types

One stereotype that was very evident to me during act four of the play (when Hero is accused of messing around with Borachio) was that women are expected to remain maids until they are married. Claudio accused his bethrothed of cheating on him and says, "Not to knit my soul to such an approved wanton" (IV.1.42). I feel that the statement Shakespeare is trying to make about this stereotype of women during this era was that often men are far too overly suspicious of them, and their suspicions are sometimes even proven to be wrong. Through Shakespeare's writing, the audience is able to see that most men wanted to marry the stereotypical virgin during this era, yet they were often so concerned about this that some women were wrongfully accused of sleeping around.
Another stereotype in the play came in act three, scene five when Dogberry and Verges are questioning Borachio and Conrade about the deceiful plot they had devised. He portrays these commoners as foolish since they are in a lower social class than the Prince and Leonato. Dogberry tries to tell Leonato about Don John's plot and says, "Our watch, sir, as you know, has /comprehended two auspicious persons. We'd like for you to examine them this morning"(III.5.39-40). Seeing as how Dogberry struggles with vocabulary and mistakes the word "comprehend" (III.5.40) for "apprehend",Leonato does not take into serious consideration what he has to say. Yet by ignoring Dogberry, Leonato is losing his chance to find out about the plot. Shakespeare shows the audience that the stereotype of poorer people being foolish doesn't always apply.
Through Shakespeare's use of stereotype, the audience is shown that by not judging people with stereotypes, a whole lot of trouble can be avoided in a person's life.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire!

There are two kinds of lies: little white lies and LIES. Both are used throughout William Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing. Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato tell a series of white lies when they are speaking together in the garden trying to be overheard by Benedick.
Don Pedro says, "Come hither, Leonato. What was it you told me of today, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signor Benedick?" (II.3. 72-73). Although Beatrice has no such feelings for Benedick, Don Pedro is simply saying this so that the two will grow to like eachother and stop quarelling. In my opinion, this is simply a white lie since it will improve dynamics between Benedick and Beatrice. Consequelty, they may fall in love, and there's always room for more love in a person's life. In this case, the men's lying can be morally justified since they are only trying to help their friend.
However, Don John and Borachio's lies are not so innocent. They are motivated by revenge instead of spreading love. When Don John asks Borachio how he will be able to hurt Claudio and ruin his marriage with Hero, Borachio responds, " Not honestly, my lord, but so covertly that no dishonesty shall appear in me" (II.2.8-9). The two men go on to devise a plan to break apart Hero and Claudio by making it appear as if she is unfaithful to him. Since the villains are only motivated by self gain, and their lies will bring no joy or peace to the household, their dishonesty is immoral.
Concerning real life examples, lying is not okay when you are delibrately trying to hurt someone, like stealing money from your brother and denying it, or telling your friend you saw her bouyfriend cheeting on her just so they will break up and you can date him. However, there are some cases when lying is okay. If your best friend is having a party and you know it means a lot to her that you be there, I think it's okay to lie to your mom and tell her you're going to a study session since your friend really needs to at her party.

Unfolding Bud

One is amazed
By a water-lily bud
Unfolding
With each passing day,
Taking a richer color
And new dimensions
One is not amazed,
At a first glance,
By a poem,
Which is as tight-closed
As a tiny bud.
Yet one is surprised
To see the poem
Gradually unfolding,
Revealing its rich inner self
As one reads it
Again
And over again.

Naoshi Koriyama uses a central metaphor in his peom to compare peorty to a budding flower. Much like a growing plant, peotry developes its beauty gradually. Koriyama refers to a peom's initial impression as ordinary and reserved. He describes:

"One is not amazed,
At a first glance,
By a poem,
Which is as tight-closed
As a tiny bud" (7-11)

Through this comparison, the reader is shown how a peom starts out with a hidden message inside, waiting to blosom and reveal itself. The connotation used by Koriyama reminds the reader that a "tiny bud" (11) is how a beautiful masterpiece begins, and one must be patient during the early stages of a poem until its true meaning is discovered.

Koriyama further illustrates the transformation from bud to blossomwhen he writes:

"One is amazed
By a water-lily bud
Unfolding
With each passing day,
Taking on a richer color
And new dimensions" (1-6)

Through these vivid words the reader is able to see how a flower is transformed to be magnificiant and beautiful. One can also see that this metamorphisis does not occur overnight, but rather it takes time to fully run its course. Just as Koriyama describes a plant as "Taking on richer color" (5), he later refers to a poem as "Revealing its rich inner self" (15). His diction convinces the reader of their similarities since they both develope a fuller beauty and meaning as time goes on. Through these comparisons, Koriyama shows the audience that to discover the true meaning of a peom, one must be patient and wait for its beauty to bloom.

First Quarter

Looking back on the past 8 weeks or so in Ms. Froehlich's class, I've learned a lot. I'd say the biggest thing I was thought is that a theme is not simply one word or idea, but a series of insights that are all related. This has really helped me improve my writing and dig deeper into the literature or film we're studying. There are still a lot of tough things to deal with in class, though. I really want to work towards making my voice come out more in my writing, and also to make sure my ideas are solidly supported with evidence. Another thing I want to focus on improving is not stressing out about papers and essays. I get so nervous and ask too many questions (Sorry, Ms. Froehlich).
I feel like our classroom environment is fairly mediocre. 5th hour seems to be very talkative and I think we should channel all that energy into trying to focus. That way, not only will our grades improve, but so will Ms. F's feelings towards 5th hour :). Also, I think that during group discussions it would be good to hear from some people who don't usually talk so we can hear the new ideas they have to contribute.
My goals for second quarter are to really focus on improving my writing skills. I want to vary my word choice, and make my ideas come accross in a clear and interesting manner. Another goal I want to work towards is meeting some new people in the class. There are people who I haven't spoken to much yet, but they seem very interesting and fun. Looking ahead at the final part of first semester, I hope that I can acheive my goals and that our class can keep up the hard work.

MORE Conflicts...Poor Harry :(

Since my last posts about the conflicts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry's problems have gotten even more serious. Harry learns through looking into the thoughts of Proffessor Snape that he will one day need to be killed by Lord Voldemort since part of the dark lord is bound to Harry. Not only is Harry demotivated by this realization, but he also gets angry with the late Proffesor Dumbledore. He believes Dumbledore used him to get to Voldemort and was planning to sacfrifice Harry when the need would arrise. But when Harry is struck in a duel by Voldemort, he does not die. Only the part of Voldemort that remained in Harry died. Through this, Harry learns to trust others and not to fear death, but accept it as a part of life. Another struggle Harry has is with himself. While defending the Hogwarts castle from Voldemort's army, several of Harry's friends perish. When Harry enters the Great Hall he sees Voldemort's many victims and the Harry's reaction is described as, "He could not draw breath. He could not bear to look at any of the other bodies, to see who else had died for him,"(662). Getting through these conflicts, Harry realizes that it is up to him alone to defeat Lord Voldemort and he must stop at nothing to complete his task so that others to not suffer the same fate as his friends.

Conflicts also interfere in the lives of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. When Harry escapes from the Malfoy manor (where he was supposed to be held prisonner until Voldemort arrived), Lucius Malfoy is punished by the dark lord. He gets beaten up severely for not carrying out his task of holding Harry. This experience is what starts to turn the Malfoy's against Voldemort, and they learn that perhaps such an cruel tyrant is not worth devoting their lives to helping. Another conflict arises for the Malfoy's when their son, Draco, is missing inside Hogwarts castle. They are worried that Draco may have been killed in the battle and author J.K. Rowling descibes their franticness as, "Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy running through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for their son," (735). In the end of the novel, when they have finally been reunited with Draco, the parents learn that working for Voldemort wasn't worth it in the end because he put their family through so much violence and fright. These and other events lead the reader to see how the characters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows face many hardships, but learn and benefit from them and in the end.

New Characters in Harry Potter

Since my last post about the main characters in the novel Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows, several new people have been introduced into the story, and others have been better developed by the author. One new character is Luna Lovegood, who comes into the story when she meets Harry and his friends in the cellar of the Malfoy Mansion. Luna is very kind to everyone around her. She is very concerned about leaving the cellar without Harry and when he suggests that she flees to safety without him, Luna responds, "Harry, we want to help you!" (468). Luna is also very unique. She is different from most other witches her age and is fascinated by bizarre creatures and objects. Luna seems to be motivated by her hope of helping Harry defeat Lord Voldemort so that the world can once again be a peaceful place to live for wizards.
Luna is stuck in the Malfoy's cellar with another key character, the goblin Griphook. He has a grumpy disposition towards those around him and seems to prefer being alone rather than with wizards. He id very offended that wizards and witches pass goblin-made goods amongst themselves and is motivated by his hope of obtaining these goods one day. For instance, Griphook only agrees to help Harry gain access to a goblin bank vault if he will award him with a valueable goblin-made weapon in exchange. The goblin insists, "I want the sword. The sword of Godric Gryffindor," (505). Griphook's eye is also caught by a gem-encrusted tiarra which is owned by Ron's aunt.
Griphook's greed is nothing compared to that of another character, Lord Voldemort. The dark lord (whose former name is Tom Riddle) is cruel and vengeful. He will turn on even his allies when he is upset. Peter Pettigrew, a follower of Voldemort, is attacking Harry Potter when he is overcome with sympathy for the boy. Instead of strangling Harry with the artificial hand given to him by Voldemort, Pettigrew releases him. However, Pettegrew is strangled by the hand and the scene is described as, " The silver tool that Vodemort had given his most cowardly servant had turned upon its disarmed and useless owner; Pettigrew was reaping his reward for his hesitation, his moment of pity; he was being strangled before their eyes," (470). This cruel deed of the dark Lord reveals his anger and hunger for revenge. Voldemort is motivated by power, and he hopes to one day have control of the entire world, both of wizards and non-wizards. All of the new characters in the novel are quite different and play big roles in the novel.

Swimming...ahhhh!