Othello

 What was Othello’s downfall in the play? We were asked this question and many think it was Othello’s passion or his trusting nature. But I believe it was Othello’s insecurities that were the main reason for his downfall. Othello was very insecure. He was trusting of Iago but not of his wife and when it comes to his passion I don’t think that played a big enough role in his downfall. Othello is old and he is an outsider. He let others put in his mind that since he is a moor it isn’t possible for Desdemona too love him. Well at least that’s how I interpret what’s going on in the play. Othello’s insecurities lead him to kill his wife and then after feeling guilty decide to take his own life. I think Othello is smart but naive when it comes to women and relationships. He was too trusting of Iago but not trusting enough of his wife.  I also hate how Othello went out in the end of the play. He should of man up and dealt with his actions instead of killing himself so now I feel like he is weak minded and a coward as well! But that’s just my opinion and I don’t like the character Othello very much.

Iago is the super villain of the play no questions asked. To me he is pure evil and it makes no sense to me why someone could hate someone so much without having a good enough reason.  He is so smart and witty that he could manipulate Othello who I consider to be very smart also. He used Othello’s insecurities to get him to fall from grace. He knew all the rights things to say and do and that to me showed he put a lot of thought in his plan.  He didn’t seem to care all too much that he was the cause of someone’s death. He didn’t even care enough for his wife, he stabbed her without even thinking twice and he killed Rodrigo.  To me he is considered a villain because he is revengeful, has no morals, and did whatever it took to get what he wanted. Although for him things didn’t turn out as planned I think he deserves whatever bad things come his way.

I like the story behind the characters in the play Othello but it just upset me the way the characters acted throughout the story. But then again this was meant to be entertaining hundreds of years ago so I guess that’s why I feel the way I do about the characters.

Word Count: 434

Superheroes vs. Super Villains

         I want to get more into the subject of superheroes and the super villains. In the very beginning of class we listed all the attributes a superhero should have such as they have to possess a super power, have values, defend the weak and or justice, etc.  Another attribute that just recently came up is a superhero must have a costume to be considered a true superhero. I already stated previously that I didn’t agree with that, I think the costume may be a requirement for modern superheroes but there were superheroes before comics came out and the evidence is in the ancient literature we have read this far. According to my beliefs, I think a superhero should be considered a superhero if they have done something that an average person cannot do and more so if they do it for good. So I believe I was the only person in class that considered Rama to be a superhero. He defeated a demon and I’m positive not many people could do that. I do agree however that a superhero should have some kind of power or be really gifted in a way that no one else is. Like with Rama and Beowulf they are really skilled fighters and that alone could be their superpower.

Now on to the super villain, I see a common theme with the super villains in modern comics and even in the ancient literature we have read. All the super villains seem to have been hurt by society or the superhero themselves. I think with most super villains they channel their hurt and anger into every bad thing they do and that just makes the situation worst.  Super villains tend to have built up anger and they are revengeful.  In some cases, super villains have an evil super power and are in a way an evil match to the superhero they are against. They have no morals or values and are willing to kill whoever or do whatever to get what they want. A well known super villain for example would be Magneto he has super powers, wants to get revenge on Mankind for their hatred of the mutants. Magneto has no morals for the simple fact that he willing to kill a human and he is equally match to Professor X. They both have super powers but Professor X uses it for good and Magneto uses it for bad.

Word Count: 415

Sir Gawain and Numerology

                Since I don’t consider myself a nerd or geek or whatever I had no idea that Sir Gawain was an Arthurian legend. I don’t really like Arthurian legends for the simple fact that my father loves Merlin and crap like that, and he would hog the living room T.V watching it. I don’t know why but they bore me.  And it seems Sir Gawain is no different. There are so many things about the story that really irritate me. The fact that Arthur didn’t want to eat until he saw something interesting happen was really childish to me.  Who does that, starves his people until they excite him enough to eat? And then the Green Knight showing up is to pose a challenge was so odd.  I don’t understand why Gawain would agree to the Green Knight’s challenge, it seemed so fishy to me but I guess he wanted to prove himself.  The little twist at the end was entertaining. I think it was good for the story for the Green Knight to be Bertilak. And the whole time everyone was assuming the Green Knight was the villain but in reality he wasn’t and the villain of the story was someone who wanted even important enough to be mentioned that often. This kind of threw me off.

                 We all wanted to know if Sir Gawain should be considered a superhero or not. I don’t think he should be considered one because he is normal guy who decided to do something heroic. He even said himself that he is the weakest knight at the round table.  He really isn’t a superhero because he has no powers, his costume is questionable, he has values and a cause but those alone don’t make him superhero material.  But I will say that Gawain is a Super hero because he wants to protect the honor of his land and defend his King and Queen and he agrees to do something stupid to prove himself worthy.

                We discussed Numerology and how it played out in the story.  I didn’t know that the study of numbers was so important to people and how they live their lives until we discussed it in class.  But I looked up numerology and people really think by calculating numbers they can choose the right paths in life.  I still don’t understand the importance of numerology in Sir Gawain besides the five knightly virtues and the other five 5’s but I know it is significant.

Word Count: 417

Daoism and Kung Fu Panda

         Daoism is a religion that’s sole purpose to me is to have its followers thinking.  It’s very hard to read a passage from a Daoist text and not question the meaning. But still I think Daoism is interesting. The fact that Daoism can’t really be explained is appealing. The Daoist culture is hard to understand period. If we were to read a passage out of the Dao De Jing or any other Daoist text we try really hard to understand it. But to me nothing is ever “clear” in Daoism and I do not think it is meant to be. I think Daoists don’t want people to question anything but just to simply go with the flow of things.  Maybe we are meant to live without wondering since what is cant be explained.  But at the same time I guess Daoism is something you see every day and know but can’t describe or explain. Well at least that is what I take from the text and the background on Daoism. When I try to explain Daoism I feel like I don’t make any sense and maybe that’s the whole point. I worked on the presentation on Daoism and I still barely understand it and while I was working on it I was really regretting my decision to present it. But nonetheless, Daoism still grasps my attention; I think the practices of Daoism are pretty cool. Daoism influences our culture quite a bit. When we see the yin yang symbol we are all recognize it. I think the yin yang symbol is one of the simplest characteristics about Daoism to understand. There has to be a balance with all things one is negative and the other is positive, such as light and dark or good and evil.  

            Kung Fu Panda really grasped some of the practices of Daoism. In the movie, Po had to believe in himself to develop all the powers he needed to defeat Tai Lung.  Another important practice of Daoism is health; people who practice Daoism want to live for a long time. They practice meditation, dieting, regulating their chi and exercising to achieve this goal. Po had to have his body in order to be able to do Kung Fu and fulfill his duties as the Dragon Warrior. Po had to think really hard and channel his lust for food to help him master Kung Fu.  Throughout the movie there were a lot of Daoist quotes.  For example, when Master Oogway is talking to master Shifu and telling him that he cannot control the peach tree, make it bloom another fruit or even bear fruit before its time. He is basically telling Shifu that he cannot control the nature of things and that he cannot change faith, Po is destined to be the Dragon Warrior. That being said I believe he is playing into the Daoist belief that you do not question things but go with the flow and make do with what you are given.  

Word Count: 500

Ramayana-Rama a Superhero?

            I think the story of Ramayana is very similar to a fairytale. Like we discussed in class, there are many attributes that are similar to the plot of a fairytale. There is a prince and his princess and like many Disney movies the prince has to go off to save the damsel in distress. There is an evil stepmother, Kaikeyi who works with an evil hunchback to remove Rama from being crowned prince. And if you analyzed it closely, Rama has step brothers who aren’t necessarily bad but it reminds me of Disney’s Cinderella in ways.  And when Rama is exiled it reminded me of the fairytale Snow White because Snow White is sent off in the forest to be killed because she is standing in the Queen’s way of being the fairest of them all. While Rama is being exiled because he is standing in the way of Kaikeyi and Manthara’s way of being in a higher place in the royal family. Kaikeyi and Manthara are looking out for their selves by insisting that Bharata be crowned prince so they will be taken care of.

To me Rama is a superhero. He may not have a costume or magical powers but to me he has other qualities that make him a superhero.  He has a love interest (his wife Sita) and he has values. Rama wants to obey his parents which is why he went freely when being exiled. His values are his Dharma and Karma.  He is publicly known for being the prince of the kingdom and he is brave and has courage because he took on a demon and won. Which many people would not be able to do, that alone shows his strength. In class we said that since Rama doesn’t have super powers and no costume he isn’t a superhero.  But he is similar to Batman; Batman doesn’t have super powers he is just got good at using gadgets. Batman is basically an average man who fights crime he has a costume yes but if he didn’t I think he would still be able to fight crime.  Another issue there was with assigning Rama as a superhero was the fact that he went to save Sita but then instead of believing that she remained faithful to him, he puts her through several tests so she can prove her fidelity.  I don’t think he had the right to do that but still I don’t think that alone can rule him out as a superhero. If I was Sita, I wouldn’t do any of the tests and if he doesn’t believe me then that’s his problem. I think it was unfair for her to have to go through something so traumatic and have her husband question her about her fidelity.

Word Count: 463

The Epic of Gilgamesh, Sex, and the Fear of Death

             The Epic Gilgamesh is based on Mesopotamian culture. The first known author wrote the epic of Gilgamesh which is pretty cool his name was Shin-Eqi-Unninni. The story is about the transformation of an awful king into a wonderful king who leaves behind his legacy- the walls of Uruk. Gilgamesh is sleeping with and raping the women of his kingdom and isn’t respected by his people. Gilgamesh is abusing his power as king. He is sleeping with men’s wives right after they get married so instead of the married couple enjoying their first night together Gilgamesh is coming in and consummating the marriage himself.  But then he goes on to have a complete change of heart and become a better king that others admire. Gilgamesh’s sidekick Enkidu first starts out as a wild man and then after having sex with a temple prostitute he becomes a civilized man. The thought of sex civilizing a man was kind of funny to me. I don’t really see sex as a way to civilize a man but hey that’s just my opinion.  I think once a guy finally has sex he is constantly trying to do it again and when a man hasn’t had sex yet he is continuously trying to find someone to have sex with. Or maybe this is just guys now days but any ways I see sex as something that frequently has a man’s attention and something that has a never ending cycle. Don’t take it the wrong way I am not trying in any way to talk badly about men. J

Gilgamesh is afraid of death he goes to great lengths to escape and avoid death especially after his sidekick Enkidu’s dies. I’m sure for most of us after someone we know has passed, think more and more about death and it freaks us out even more.  It is understandable to fear death. It is scary to think about not being here. No one really knows what happens when you die and that leaves an uneasy feeling in people.  Maybe it is the simple fact that once you die that’s it there is no coming back and you do not know what to expect from the afterlife.  People have to accept the fact that life comes with death.  Death is inescapable and inevitable. I think most people fear dying without finishing their lifetime goals and dreams. We want to live as long as we can so we can experience all that life has to offer, I know I do.  But once we accept death as something that is going to happen no matter what it might be easier to deal with.          

Word Count: 442

The Iliad and Achilleus

                I actually like reading the first book of the Iliad maybe because it reminded me of the movie Troy. This was a very good movie and it kind of made it easier to understand what was happening in the book. Book 18 was mainly about Achilleus and his Armor which was kind of dull but anyways.  In class, we discussed whether or not Achilleus is a superhero.  Just about everyone agreed that he wasn’t.  Achilleus is in a sense indestructible and he is a very excellent solider which could possibly be like his super power. When Achilleus’ mother Thetis dipped him into a river or lake he became indestructible all but his heel.  Achilleus has many attributes that would make him a superhero.  He is publicly known to the Greeks, he kind of has a love interest with Briseis and he has a back story.  But Achilleus still doesn’t seem to be a superhero to me. When Agamemnon tell Achilles that he will take his prize (Briseis) Achilleus doesn’t take it lightly.  He seems very selfish when he goes to his mother and asks for his comrades to lose the war against the Trojans. Whether it was for love or not that isn’t very superhero like! Achilleus only thought about himself and he didn’t think of how his wishes could affect his people.

                When Achilleus asked his mom to punish the Achaians I believe that was a direct cause of Patroklos’s death.  When Patroklos went out to battle the Trojans wearing Achilleus’s armor to fight Hecktor, Patroklos was not victorious because Achilleus wished for his comrades to lose the war. But despite Achilleus’s selfishness I still think he is an honorable guy. His mother tells him that his death will come soon.  And Achilleus accepts his fate but says he wants to save Briseis and to avenge Patroklos’s death first.  I’d like to believe that Achilleus wanted to get Briseis back in the name of love and if that was the case then it kind of makes everything bad he did a little less awful. But still there is no evidence that Achilleus was in love with Briseis he might have just thought of Briseis as property.

                In Book 18, it shows the importance of Armor to the Greeks.  Armor was important for the obvious fact that it protects the soldiers. But I also believe Greek Armor to be a symbol of the soldiers honor and pride.  Maybe when Hecktor stripped Patroklos of Achilleus’s armor I think it was a way of stripping him of his honor. And to the Greeks honor is very important. It is acceptable to put honor above all else.  The emphasis on the Armor Hephaistos made for Achilleus shows how the Greeks cared for their armor.  

Word Count: 463

Oedipus the King

                It is clear that Oedipus is not a superhero.  He is king of the Thebes and a victim of Greek fate.  In the play, Oedipus kills his father and sleeps with his mother.  There is so much dramatic irony in this play.  When Oedipus sends Creon to Apollo to investigate the cause of his kingdom’s suffering he returns and tells Oedipus that everyone is suffering because someone murdered the previous king.  Oedipus goes on to tell the people of his kingdom that anyone who aides the murderer will be punished. He curses the murderer not knowing until he talks to Teiresias that he is the murderer. Then he becomes more suspicious when Jocasta tells him of the prophecy Laius received. So this whole time he was cursing and speaking badly of himself.

                This play deals a lot with Greek fate. To the Greeks fate is something you cannot escape and when you to try to fight this fate it happens no matter what.  Oedipus’s fate was that he would kill his father and marry his mother.  I’m sure if most of us heard this about ourselves we would do everything in our power to fight it also. But when Laius tries to fight his fate as well he ends up twisting things and making it so it does happen.  When he pierces Oedipus’s ankles and leaves him on the hillside a man comes and saves Oedipus’s life and raises him as his own. Oedipus grows up to also heard the same prophecy as his parents and trying to fight this fate also he runs away from his adopted parents to run into his real father along the crossroads and kills him. He then goes on to marry his mother just like the prophecy foretold.

                 I looked more into the Oedipus Complex and I have to say it really is a disturbing way of thinking. Sigmund Freud came up with the idea that all men secretly want to kill their father and have sexual relations with their mother. Then on Wikipedia it said that even women fall into this way of thinking. I don’t know how true this is since Wikipedia isn’t a very reliable source but never the less he may have thought this.  Freud supposedly said that even women have a homosexual crush on their mother.  I’m sure most of us love our mother very much but I wouldn’t go as far to say that we would ever want to have sexual relations with our mom. That is obviously sick and wrong! I have no problem saying Freud is a crazy guy for thinking the way he did. Who would ever think this way without being crazy themselves?

Word Count: 449

Beowulf a Superhero?

In World Literature we are discussing the topic of superheroes. What are superheroes? And can your average person who does a great deed be considered a superhero? There is clearly a difference between a hero and a superhero.  A superhero is a hero that goes above and beyond what is required of him or her.  To be considered a superhero a superhero needs some kind of “super” power, they have to be courageous and have an antagonist.  Super heroes are typically well known and defend the weak in the name of justice.

What makes a superhero a superhero?

·         Super Power

·         Courage/ Brave

·         Beats Adversity

·         Defends the weak/Justice

·         Has values

·         Cause

·         Back story

·         A weakness/ Kryptonite

·         Publicly Known

In the poem Beowulf, the protagonist Beowulf seems to be a superhero but there is a lot of skepticism over whether or not he is. I believe Beowulf is a hero because he has most of the traits that a superhero consists of. Beowulf is courageous he shows no fear when he agrees to fight Grendel with no weapons.  Super strength is Beowulf’s “super” power he manages to rip off Grendel’s arm with his bare hands. No average man could do that. He has more power or strength than a normal man who could be considered a hero. Beowulf beats adversity by succeeding in getting rid of Grendel like he promised. He was doubted by Unferth but in the end he proved himself. After defeating Grendel Beowulf’s story was told by many throughout the land.  Beowulf doesn’t seem to have a weakness so far in the poem. He is very cocky and proud but for the most part he has a reason to be. Beowulf has defeated Grendel, his mother and a dragon. He like many other superheroes has to defeat a number of villains which makes them more publicly known and admired.To the Danes and maybe even the Geats Beowulf really is a superhero. He has done what the Danes and so many other people from other lands have tried to do for years in one single night. To the people of Heorot Beowulf has brought them justice and happiness.

A little off topic but after reading the first part of the poem it wasn’t clear to me if Beow and Beowulf was the same person. On page 1566 in our book the caption said that the person who wrote the poem jumped to the protagonist I’m guessing they made a mistake.  I’m pretty sure they aren’t the same person because Hrothgar was old by that time and his grandfather Beow would be dead or pretty old by then.  However when I compared the version in our book to another version online when they talked about Hrothgar’s grandfather his name was Beowulf. This just confused me.

Word Count: 474