Shakespeare Blog Entry #8

For the final Shakespeare blog entry I have decided to answer the second blog topic presented:

“Blog Topic 2: In Act 1 scene 2 what image do you get of Caliban? Is he being mistreated by Prospero”

After both watching the globe theatres rendition of The Tempest and reading along with a script the image I get of Caliban is that of a man who has been broken down over time by a cruel ruler, however, from Prospero’s perspective I can understand why he would have such a disdain for Caliban as he did try to rape Miranda. From his own description of event sit sounds as if Caliban, while uninhibited by the English language was a much more peaceful living man. He was one with the island and nature itself which in a way I think was a clever way for Shakespeare to make the audience question the role that language has on society and whether it truly makes us more civilised.

I can see both sides of the argument about his treatment from Prospero. On one hand, it would be very valid to argue that Prospero is a complete tyrant. Causing immense pain and suffering to be brought upon Caliban as well as essentially stealing the island from him.
On the other hand, I can also see the argument that Caliban brought this pain and suffering upon him when he tried to rape Miranda and that Prospero is doing what he is doing out of a mix of anger, resentment and to some extent fear, fear that his daughter was almost harmed by someone he helped become the man he is today. And despite knowing what extent I would be punished by the law if I were to commit violence against someone who attempted rape on my hypothetical daughter, It would be very hard to not do so.
Which at that point I ask my own question in response to anyone viewing this. Is Prospero’s mistreatment of Caliban warranted?

Shakespeare Blog Entry #7

For this blog entry I have chosen the topic:

“1/ What are your first impressions of the The Tempest.”

First off, I have never read or watched a play or movie adaption of the Tempest, so when I heard it was a comedy I was a bit thrown back. When I think of Shakespeare comedy is not often something that comes to mind. Usually, the first thing that pops into my head is a tragedy. However, after reading and getting to see a bit of the play I am really interested in watching and reading more. I think the premise of the story is quite interesting and look forward to delving into it in more depth. I also really liked the use of music within the segments we have already watched, from the heavy drum beats being used to represent a storm, to the hauntingly beautiful siren song that Ariel is able to use to draw different characters to specific points on the island.

I really look forward to seeing more and reading more of the Tempest, as I think it’s already becoming one of my favourite Shakespeare plays.

Shakespeare Blog Entry #6

For this blog entry I’ve chosen to respond to this creative question:

CREATIVE: Write a paragraph that describes vividly three of things that for you fall into the category of BEAUTY. In other words, say what for you is BEAUTY. (This topic, of course, relates closely to Shakespeare’s ideas in his sonnet 65)

I’ve chosen this topic because I think it’d be interesting to delve into my own emotion/opinions on beauty and it would be interesting to see other peoples perceptions of beauty.
The first thing that Beauty is for me is a warm smile. A smile that no matter how crappy of a day your having can make everything better, one that lets you know that they care. The second thing the Beauty is for me is a laugh. When someone’s laugh is able to make you forget about the world’s problems when someone’s laugh lets you know that they enjoy your company.
And the third thing that is Beauty to me, is support. When someone’s willing to help you out, to take time out of their own busy life to just keep you company, to me, is one of the most beautiful things someone can do for you.

Shakespeare Blog Entry #5

For this blog entry I’ve chosen the creative question:

“Be Hippolyta: tell us what you really think about the imagination and what you really think about Theseus’ point of view.”

How can someone deny imagination? Relegate something so magical to the corner of their minds and forget about it like a long lost relic? Imagination is what drives us, it’s what helps us strive ever forward. Without imagination would we ever sail the seas? Would man or woman ever create fine works of art? To say imagination is useless is to deny one’s essence of creation. As much as I love Theseus I cannot neigh, will not ever understand his disdain for imagination. Perhaps it is the rule of law that clouds imagination from his mind? Maybe without so much responsibility, he would have time to let his mind wander into the magical realm?

Shakespeare Blog Entry #4

For this blog entry, I’ve chosen question three.

“3/ Write a brief synopsis of what you think Bottom is trying to express in the prose passage where he describes his dream at the end of Act 4 scene 1.”

Below is Bottom’s monologue at the end of Act 4 scene 1.

“(waking) When my cue comes, call me, and I will answer. My next is “Most fair Pyramus.” Heigh-ho! Peter Quince? Flute the bellows-mender? Snout the tinker? Starveling? God’s my life, stol’n hence, and left me asleep? I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream—past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass if he go about to expound this dream. Methought I was—there is no man can tell what. Methought I was, and methought I had—but man is but a patched fool if he will offer to say what methought I had. The eye of man hath not heard, the ear of man hath not seen, man’s hand is not able to taste, his tongue to conceive, nor his heart to report what my dream was. I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream. It shall be called “Bottom’s Dream” because it hath no bottom. And I will sing it in the latter end of a play before the duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death.”

Within this scene, I think Bottom is trying to tell the audience about a profound dream that he has had. Within this dream, Bottom has clearly experienced something that even he cannot comprehend yet he still feels that he needs to get his thoughts out to the public. It’s only halfway through the monologue we see Bottoms ego kick back in.

” I will get Peter Quince to write a ballad of this dream. It shall be called “Bottom’s Dream” because it hath no bottom. And I will sing it in the latter end of a play before the duke. Peradventure, to make it the more gracious, I shall sing it at her death.”

It’s also at this point that the humour within Bottoms lines can be seen as he has just claimed “I have had a dream—past the wit of man to say what dream it was. Man is but an ass if he goes about to expound this dream.” yet he immediately want’s to get Peter Quince to “write a ballad of his dream”.

I think within this scene Shakespeare wanted to portray Bottom as a kind of Jester/fool. Not in the sense that he is dumb or a laughing stock but similar to what a Kings Jester would be, being a wise yet comical individual that contains some profound wisdom.

American Literature – Summative Entry

So the semester has come on gone, and another Literature unit is completed.
Within American Literature we covered a heap of various authors and their works, ranging from Native starting with early Native American writing and working our way up to modern day Poets, all while learning parts of America’s history.

As someone who didn’t really know many of the American Classic authors and poets, it was quite a journey for me. I read some works that made me want to stay up all night researching more into the topics they were writing about, and others that made me want to slam my head in the car door. Out of all the pieces, we covered, however, I would have to say that  William Faulkners’ As I Lay Dying was my favourite author and book to cover. Both the book and the film were so uniquely made, with a story being told through the eyes of 15 different characters, all giving their own view on the events, made for a be it, confusing but overall immersive read and watch. And while the story was simple the underlying subplots of each characters motivation on why they were helping out really made for an interesting study on family dynamics of that time era.

I couldn’t recommend this Unit more for those not sure whether or not they want to take the class. Michael is a great lecturer who gives a great deal of depth and insight to the authors and their pieces. Jess was also pretty dang awesome, leading tutorials into discussion was always great, even if it was only a few voices talking most days.

I’m glad I picked this unit and very much look forward to Shakespear next semester!

– Adam

American Literature – Blog Entry #1

So where back, after a break which felt way too long it’s good to be back at uni. And I’ve decided to kick off the literature blog posts by answering the 1st question in the critical category.

“Can we apply the Native American sense of the importance of nature to make our own lives more whole and meaningful?”

I think this question is great, I whole heartedly believe that if everybody did impart some of the importance of nature within our lives that we would all live a much fuller and meaningful life. So much of our life these days is spent doing tasks that are either pointless or are just done with the sole attempt to just perpetuate our existence, not that this is a bad thing, but by being able to take a break from these tasks and step back and really embrace nature it could help us find who we truly are, and what we truly want in life. I know personally that if I’m ever stuck in a rut I’ll often take the dog for a walk out in the park and either just think about the situations I’m in and the actions I can take to put myself in a better position or throw on some philosophy podcast and truly self-reflect. I don’t think I’d be able to do this if I was stuck at a desk or doing some sort of activity that I don’t enjoy doing.
I believe that by embracing the importance of nature within one’s own life and getting away from the hustle and bustle of life can have great positive effects on one’s self, which in my case allows me to self-reflect on my current state and in turn allows me to strive towards the actions I have to take to live a much more whole and meaningful life.

Blog entry #7 Week 9.

For this post, I decided to “Describe a moment in your life where, like Marner you have been horrified, shocked by the loss of something that has been desperately dear to you. (In Marner’s case it was his gold)” since I have been recently thinking a lot about the subject of lose.

November 2nd, 2015 to most people will just be another blip in our past, most of us probably have no idea what we were doing or where we were that day. For me that day will never be forgotten, I mean, how could it? How could I possibly forget the day where I was woken up by a phone call saying “Alex..Alex died..”? After a 2-minute car ride that felt like an eternity, I was assured that this was not some terrible practical joke to get me to come over to Alex’s. As I walked through the white squeaky gate leading into the outdoor space we had spent countless nights drunkenly arguing who would win in hypothetical fights, my personal favourite was The island from Shutter Island vs the Island from Lost, any sort of hope in that the call was a prank quickly drained out of me. In front of me sat three of my closest friends, each one with their head bowed in anguish, only looking up briefly to give me a unwelcoming hug. The weight of the situation didn’t fully hit me until Alex’s parents came outside, Steve (Alex’s Dad) holding a weeping Jocelyn (Alex’s mum) in his arms, tears running down both of their cheeks. Immediately they came over to me and embraced me in a long hug. It felt like the final nail in the coffin, this wasn’t an elaborate prank, Alex was gone.

Alex enjoying what I think was a brownie.

I had known Alex since I was 16, he was one of the funniest, most loving and caring people I ever met. He was extremely intelligent, had a knack for knowing exactly what to say and was wise beyond his years. He introduced me to Smash Brothers Melee and took his time to teach me everything he knew about the games detailed mechanics, it’s intricate metagame and would sit up at ungodly hours of the night just to watch overseas tournaments with me. He was practically my 4th unofficial roommate, and honestly, the house felt empty if he wasn’t around. He had so much passion for life despite his difficulties and was always there to give a helping hand or to make you laugh when you were down. He was truly one of my best friends and I could never thank him enough for being in my life. I’m not a religious person but I do hope he is somewhere better, and I hope I’ll get to see him again one day.

It was the last match we ever played, Marth vs Peach on Final Destination. I guess it is fitting. The situation still hasn’t sunk completely in yet and I’m still wishing this was a shitty dream. – I posted this on his facebook wall on November 8, Marth and Princess Peach where our two main characters of choice in Melee, him being the Black Marth and me being the White Peach.

From my experience, I want to encourage everyone who reads this to stop and let those who really matter to you know right now. Even if it’s just a text message, let them know you care about them. You never know when your time or anyone else’s will be up, so make the most of it while you can, try new things and follow your dreams. Don’t wait for someone to tell you how to live your life, just go out and do it.

I miss you Alex, not a day goes by where I don’t have some sort of thought of you in my mind. Keep on Bopping dude.

Literature Blog Entry #6 (Week 8)

Man, these blog entries/weeks are getting me confused! If I go back and rename my blogs to match the weeks instead of “# whatever” you now know why. This post will probably be pretty long so I’ll add a TL:DR at the bottom, or if that’s to much work just click here to watch a 22 second Rick and Morty clip that, in a sense, captures my feelings on the subject written below.

For this week I wanted to create my own topic, and seeing as how last week was centred around Universities and the freedoms/benefits of breaking free of its shackles and going to live as a gypsy to acquire some sort of wisdom. I wanted to throw my two cents in about what is happening with Universities in the western world right now. Now admittingly a lot of this will be aimed at American colleges and universities (Oh boy I bet you can already guess which ones are coming up in this post) however, I do know that these issues are also starting to arise in Australian universities too. So with that out of the way let’s jump in shall we?

*This post may rustle some jimmies. If your jimmies are rustled I’m not sorry.*

So to say things bluntly universities/colleges in my opinion (again more so in America but it’s starting to creep into some Australian Uni’s) are becoming a joke. Universities and colleges were once seen as instutions in which people could learn, grow and broaden their horizons not only in the subject they are studying but of their life in general. This was done through meeting new people, listening to opposing views of either students or teachers and truly learning your own values. This, however, is something that is slowly dying, or if you are in America has been dead for a while now. With the rise of the social justice culture we live in, where everything can be construed as racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, bigoted, offensive or deemed a nazi or a fascist we are losing the vital skills of growing as individuals and constructively thinking for ourselves and are instead automatically labelling everything and anything that doesn’t conform to our own ideologies as evil.

Prime examples of this come from both sides, and yes this is about to go slightly political, hence the jimmy rustling warning. We see it every day in the media, the western world since Trump did the impossible and became the President of the United States, the western world has been split in two, and your either now a far left libtard snowflake who believes in 72 genders. Or you’re a racist far right neo nazi fascist white supremacist. There is no longer an in between, your either left or right, well that’s according to the internet and media.

So why am I talking about all of this? Well, remember when I said, “Universities and colleges were once seen as institutions in which people could learn, grow and broaden their horizons” but now they’re a joke? That’s largely due to these Left and Right politics or as we hip young cool kids want to call it “social justice warriors and Anti-social justice warriors”. These two groups have basically destroyed the dream of having a university or college that tolerates different views and allows speakers who believe in different opinions. And what happens when any speaker from the right (And remember if your right leaning your basically Hitler) comes to speak on any topic that opposes social justice ie Feminism, men’s rights and even free speech itself? Ironically they are shut down with violent rioting while simultaneously deeming those who wanted to speak and attend the talks, fascists. Now I’m no fancy lawyer but isn’t shutting down an event with violence because it doesn’t agree with your ideology practically the definition of what a fascist movement would do?

Nothing says peaceful protest like burning down and vandalising your own city causing upwards of 100k in damages.

Now this subject is huge, and honestly, I could type pages and pages of stuff analysing and critiquing both sides and their actions but I want to stay semi-relevant to the topic of university and what they represent, or at least should represent. To close this already long post off I will just leave you with some parting words.

Universities, colleges and other tertiary education facilities should NOT be a safe space to echo your own beliefs and values. Universities and colleges should be places in which EVERY view is equally valid and why you may not agree with it, they should have the same right to have those beliefs and values. You as a university student should actively encourage having your point of view challenged and confronted, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. If you can not back your views up in your own words then maybe take a step back and ask yourself “why do I hold these views? Do I truly believe in them?” I know I have done this many times on multiple stances I’ve had in the past. It is perfectly acceptable to change your views based on information you receive, that is how we learn and grow as individuals. And lastly, don’t just get information from one place and base all of your assertions upon this one piece of evidence, listen to opposing views and form your own opinion through hearing both sides, you may be surprised what you learn about yourself.

TL:DR: Social Justice and Anti-Social justice movements, in my opinion, are causing universities to become a joke. Learn to listen to the other sides reasoning and don’t just blindly through accusations at those who disagree with your views.

Blog Entry #3 – A letter to Her Majesty.

For this week I took the ‘Letter to the Queen’ idea and decided to write as if I was someone of high enough status to frequently be in contact with the Queen and her family.

To Her Majesty The Queen.

I wish to inform you of a piece of information I have acquired with my travels to and from Her Majesty’s Palace.
Last night in my travels I had stopped at this small delightfully cozy tavern, not a single drunkard inside, I had only just begun my meal when I overheard two young men, they must have been but twenty and four talking about Her Majesty’s train carriage. They were discussing between each other that the royal carriage does not help the United Kingdom one bit. Now I do not wish to repeat the vulgar words that these young ruffians were using to address Her Majesty, but they said the icing on the cake was your royal carriage. That the carriage should be robbed and burnt to the ground for ever thinking such a display of wealth and snobbery would help the common folk. Oh, My Majesty the foul things these young ruffians were spouting out would have their mothers reeling in disgust. Why I have never been in such a mood. One of the young men, a short fellow with a scraggly beard even went as far to make a comparison to Her Majesty and a barnyard animal. Claiming that Her Majesty is less in touch with the common folk than a loon in a nuthouse.
I do urge Her Majesty to be careful whilst traveling in your lovely carriage as I do worry that such horrible words and thought could spread between the unhappy factory workers.
Please do take care.

Warmest Regards.

Mr. Adam Jones.