Buckingham,+Amanda

// 5-11-11 // **Last day of class!** **Notes from class:** //Paradise Lost// by Milton New literature is born out of unrest, when problems start arrising and people start to write about it to try and learn how to deal with it. Milton was involved with politics. He had a lot of different ideas about religion- He was concerned with censorship. Arobajitca (?) is all about censorship. //Paradise Lost// is an epic work- there are a lot of edgy things that he writes about...Satan and his fall from Heaven (he falls because he thinks he is better than he actually is). God asks him to be subserviant to humankind. During his fall to Hell, he becomes pretty ugly. After creating Hell, Satan decides to get back at God and creates an army. HOWEVER, Satan has a lot of hero-like qualities...perseverance, believes he's doing the right thing...plus a flaw...Pride. So, he has to go to the Garden of Eden. ABOUT THE FINAL: From second half of the term Mulitple choice, short answers, essays, etc.

// 5-9-11 //
 * Notes from class: **
 * // poem = The Altar by Robert Herbert (pg.947) //**
 * // poem = A Dialogue Between the Soul and Body (pg. 959) //**

// 5-4-11 // Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) is a very elusive guy. He went to Cambridge at age 12, and studied there for 7 years. He published his first poems during that time, which were Latin and Greek. Sadly, also during that time, his father drowned. After that happened, Marvell traveled the continent, learning how to speak Dutch, French, Italian, and Spanish. One of his most merited works is "An Hoation Ode Upon Cromwell's Return from Ireland" and after he wrote that, he worked as a tutor for Lord Thomas Farfax's 12-year-old daughter. Marvel was famous after his death from complications of the fever 1678, and was not so much while he was alive. He was generally known as a politician who satirized the government, but T.S. Elliot re-established his reputation in the twentieth century, calling him one of the best "metaphysical" poets. -Complex -Full of paradoxes and ironies -Frequently talks about balance/debates/settling things. -Contradictory poems -Satirical -Wrote seductive love poetry- Marvell wrote many poems that way Soul opens with a complaint- being imprisoned and tortored by the body Escape through death of the body- extended conceit. Body blinds the soul ---> torture. Doesn't like being talked at by the soul Accuses soul of driving body around The soul makes the body restless It feels it is possessed by an ill spirit Soul has grief for being trapped by the body Soul is spirituality of human existence Wants to escape by letting the body die Body wants to keep itself alive- makes soul do so. Suffering because soul forces hope, fear, love, hatred, etc. through the body.
 * Notes from class: **
 * 1) Poet-interesting bio- **
 * 2) Poetry froms- **
 * - ** ABBA form (Cornet), AABBCC etc. Also mixes forms around a lot.
 * 3) Pick a poem- **
 * // A Dialogue Between the Soul and Body (pg. 959) //**
 * // Soul- //**
 * // Body- //**
 * // Soul- //**
 * // Body- //**

// 5-2-11 // John Donne (1572-1631) was a poet who represented something new in poetry forms; he could be ambiguous, contradictory from one poem to another, wrote in rough meter, and was elaborate. When he wrote poetry, one sometimes could not define the difference between erotic and divine love in his love poems because he blurred them both together. He distanced himself from the Roman Catholic Church; he had a secret marriage to a 17-year-old girl named Ann More. When they were found out, he was disinherited from his father, and was briefly thrown into jail. After that, he had 12 children, 7 of whom survived. Since he didn't have any money, he got help from his friends. He wrote 2 long anniversary poems, lamenting the death of Sir Robert's daughter, Elizabeth. He renounced his Roman Catholicism, wrote 2 anti-Catholic tracts //Pseudo-Martyr,// and //Ignatius his Conclave.// His wife died during childbirth. Donne believed in human inter-connectedness and was facinated by death. He almost died from a grave illness, but then gave a sermon titled "Death's Duel" which was said to predict his own death; he died the March directly after he preached that. (Amanda B.) -Writes love poems and sonnets. -They are not the original 14 line sonnets. Pattern, //Song ("Go, and catch a falling star//"): ABAB CC DDD (Amanda H) conceit- poetic device- extended metaphor...you take an image and you push it and push it and you push it until you can't anymore! (In the poem "The Bait" an example of this would be fishing) One of his most famous poems- "The Flea"- Sex and death are often correlate..."Le Petit Mor" (French) part of you dies every time you have sex.... (?!) 1- Come and live with me and be my love, 2- And we'll find something fun and new to do 3/4- "There's a lot of fish in the sea" so this guy is trying to find that one particular girl and reel her in (First stanza- Joe) 5- When I gaze upon you, 6- I give you life more than the sun 7/8- So many people will be jealous of you 9- When you come with me, 10- Each person 11- Will want to be with you 12- But you don't really want to be with them. They think you're a catch, but they aren't. You want to be with me 13- If you don't have any 14- Light, by either the moon or the sun 15/16- Know that I don't need that light either because you are light for me. (Second and Third stanzas- Ashley) 17-20- Let others come, but none will be good enough for you 21- 24- Make sure you stay with me, because if you go looking for somebody else you might fall into trouble. There is only one woman who is the bait, but all the men are fish. (Fourth and fifth stanzas- Chris) 25- But for you, there doesn't need to be any tricks 26- For you don't need to bait anybody, if you pass her up, you're a fool 27- If you aren't captured by her beauty, 28- Then you are far wiser than I am, because I was caught up in her love. (Last two stanzas- Lombe)
 * Choose a poem assigned for the day to analyze. **
 * 1) Poet-interesting bio- **
 * 2) Poetry forms- **
 * 3) Pick 1 poem- **// The Bait //

//﻿4-28-11// **Source Citation:**

//Elizabeth I Collected Works //. Ed. Leah S. Marcus, Janel Mueller, Mary Beth Rose. Chicago & London: The University of Chicago Press, 2000. Print.

// 4-27-11 // **Response to Kelly Stowell's Monologues:** It is always interesting to see when somebody does a monologue, or any type of acting really. When Kelly got up there and preformed her part of the nurse from Romeo and Juliet, she portrayed the nurse very well and captured her character even within those few lines that she did. It was interesting to hear her talk about how she choose to act out characters; by basing them off of somebody that she knew, that different days she acted differently, etc. She really got into what she was doing and I like how she just up and used the desk as a prop and took off her shoes- that shows how much she is into the character and that although she could be very self-conscious or something because she's in a room full of college students, she just wasn't and that contributed to her good performance. Poetry- very different from prose, shares characteristics with plays but still very different. In writing poetry: how are you going to write it? How are you going to set it up? Believed that artistic/rhyming was a gift from God. Poetry- ? Sonnets- where did they come from? (In 13th century, poetry was BOOMING!) Francis Petrarch- Father of modern poetry Rhyming schemes: (Italian/Petrarch) ABBA ABBA (CDE-CDE) or (CDC DCD) Britian in the 1500s- Shakespearian Sonnet...but really belongs to Henry Howard (who was the last to be beheaded by Henry VIII) Iambic Pentameter: Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? (10 syllabuls, 5 pairs of stressed/unstressed) Most sonnets are about Love. Classic Shakespearian Sonnet: (Birtish) ABAB / CDCD / EFEF / GG Sonnets are about the moment of change, or denials, or something else...mostly in last two lines.
 * Notes from class: **

//4-25-11// Option B: Well truthfully I've been thinking about the project but I haven't really come up with anything so far. The project itself is pretty open-ended...which makes you think it should be easy but then you have to narrow everything down to one question yourself and keep your focus in 6 pages. I was thinking that I would compare two texts and their use of a particular literary device, such as foreshadowing, irony, etc. Just a thought, but I will have to explore this more. Privy council: A mild form of the Spanish Inquisition. (Going in front of a large committee- you have to defend yourself Marlowe might have been a spy...or an atheist? Seems to have been protected, but then he was accused of treason, etc...but then a couple days later he was killed in a bar brawl.  Marlowe is a very bold writer (as opposed to Shakespeare, who has many layers); he just goes out and says it.  Faustus: Sells soul to the devil (Faustian character)- Nothing good ever comes out of it.
 * Option A: Describe your final paper project. **
 * Option B: Brainstorm 1 or 2 ideas for the final paper project. **
 * Notes from class: **

//4-20-11// // Red Crosse- // Holiness, purity (Catholic Church)...is so pure that he is granted miracles by God...which symbolizes his relationship to God. Appalled by sin. Educated in faith. Is an everyman figure; is facing...yourself. When he fights the dragon, he is fighting his own error, as well as his own sin. Also represents England, and the True Church. Fidessa (faithful)...but she is not what she seems. Says that the Catholic Church is two-faced...passing itself off as the True Church, but it is not. Archimado- Shape shifter, magician, etc. "Change glass of wine to something else"...mutated. MAGIC!!! Metaphors compressed into a small space. Blind mother and deaf daughter- like nuns...isolate themselves from the world. A lion comes upon Una...courage...travels with Una. Lion kills the church robber. Shows Natural Law. Una is the only one that can tame the lion...shows that natural law is overcome and tamed by Natural Law and faith. // Utopia // Sir Thomas More- (1478-1515..Henry VIII time period) Devout Catholic. Henry VIII required oaths, but More will not swear feality to him(?) Found guilty of treason, and sentenced to hang...but Henry VIII was "merciful" and instead he was beheaded. Renaissance Man- involved in many different interests. SATIRICAL Utopia...island...England....island. Trying to get people to think about the problems in England by showing them this society. Characters in More: distancing method..can say things as the character -Raphael (well learned, wise, travelled -Peter  -More (not the same person as the author...like Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales)  Book 1- written after Book 2.  Book 2 describes different aspects of Utopian life...like communism, Marx, etc.  Slavery is described as people who have done heinous crimes in their own country.  Why would Utopia go to war? (Loathing...not many reasons for it)(Excuses England uses to go to war).  -Defending their own territory  -Protecting their friends' country  -To deliver a nation from tyranny  Value victory by reason, instead of by violence
 * Notes from class: **

//4-13-11// Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Queene (Queen Elizabeth) Written at the end of the 16th century. Queen Elizabeth found favor with him, and he got patronage (50 pounds a year) from her. Basic level: Medieval story (knights going out on quests, having adventures, rescuing damsels in distress, etc.) Every time you see a female character, it may represent a different characteristic of Elizabeth, both bad and good. // Allegory- // Everything represents something else. (i.e. Knight with cross...represents something else, everything is not as it seems). Agenda- 1) Political- Making fun of people...difficult because he doesn't want to tread too much on certain people's toes. 2) Religion- Prodestant text...first character=dragon (Error) who vomits up pamphlets and books (crapping on Catholicism) Red cross knight = holiness. Also represents England. Una- represents purity...and The one true church. "Holiness is traveling with purity" = "England is traveling with purity" = "England is traveling with the one true church" When Una and the Knight are separated, then England is separated from the church and purity. CANTO II- // Plot- // The knight is sleeping, then wakes up and wanders through the forest, sees the fake Una with someone else, gets mad and leaves. He gets lost and meets a lot of different people and fights for what he believes in...but it's for the wrong people. Fradubio tries to warn the knight because he has had a similar experience with Duessa, to no avail. // Characters- // Archimago- (Arch image-maker/ arch-magician) Evil! Takes pleasure in troubles of others, sneaky, shape shifter, creates a false Una to mess with people. Creating false idols Fradubio- Brother doubt- tries to instill doubt into the Redcross Knight, but it doesn't work. The Red Cross knight- Christian, virtuous, is decieved Sarazin- Not a Christian knight- Shield Holiness overtaking those who don't believe in Christ. Duessa- a false sorceress (implies two...two faced) turns Fradubio into a tree. The knight fights for her (when she is being Fidessa) because he is the good Christian knight and is supposed to protect women.
 * Notes from class: **

//4-11-11// I found references to God quite interesting within this letter. The first time she references God she is talking about how God is encouraging her rule and helping everyone win. She goes on to say "but being resolved in the midst and heat of the battle to live or die amongst you all, to lay down for God and for my kingdom and for my people my honour and my blood even in the dust [...]". This really shows how much she loves her people and her kingdom and how she believes that God is truly helping her with all of these things. At the end, she states, "[...] We shall shortly have a famous victory over these enemies of God, of my kingdom, and of my people". This relates to the earlier quote because it shows what her priorities are. Once cities (i.e. London) start to develop, then government starts to become more prominent. Parts of government start to become more permanent, it can start to expand. More standardized language because of scribes and people being trained for specific jobs- court can get bigger. More international relationships- (besides wars...) but now we're talking about diplomacy- Spain, France, Portugal- sending ambassitors out to England, and vice versa. HOWEVER this could start problems if ambassitors wanted to start war and were spies- called //intrigue//- you don't know who is a spy for whom- constant confliction with each other. //Lobbiest//- Person who convinces people to vote for a cause (no matter good or bad...Corruption levels are getting higher...people are playing a constant game. Who makes up this court? Chancellors, Soverign,  //Courtier-// Second, third, or fourth sons- Like to think of themselves as nice- Constantly competing- don't inherit anything unless older syblings die...what do you do with these sons? They could go into the military...come back and hang out at the court. Grand courts= good. They tend to write a lot of poetry...about war and military matters...loyalty to the country...fighting...honor...also, they write about the King and Queen. Queen Elizabeth I becomes the "Virgin Mary" that people put up on a pedestal.  --  Mary gets it into her head that Elizabeth is a threat, and imprisons her until Mary dies...Mary is married to the King of Spain...this is problematic because the king could come take over even though she's in charge...he's a foreign king but he has rights to reign. However, Elizabeth understands what is going on even though she's young. Written on a Wall at Woodstock- 1) Statement of corruption in world- guilty can buy themselves out...the innocence (herself) are put in jail 2) She will take revenge on them if she gets a chance. Queen Elizabeth I was known as the "Virgin Queen"...even though she wasn't a virgin....but she managed to keep the image throughout her rule....shows that she doesn't need a man, she has virtue, she's independent, etc. Shows she can rule alone....she does not have a king...or an heir to the throne. Very careful about what she says- in "To the Troops at Tilbury" she shows that God chose her to rule- becomes problematic because you're not supposed to go against God....states that she has the heart of a king, so she wants people to acknowledge her as a king... Queen and King = kingdom. However,she's just a queen..however, she's creating herself as England and making a strong, pure country. Managed to keep a fairly peaceful reign. However, problems with Spain starting coming up- Spain is the one with the power...decide they want to take over England...Spain has a MASSIVE navy, and so...England is pretty much screwed. BUT...in 1588 Spain takes the Armata and crosses the English Channel...basically the Spanish Armata is taken out because of a HUGE storm....Walter Raleigh sets fire to the rest of the Armata...and puts them beneath England...because now Spain is screwed instead of England because their defence and everything is totally gone. Elizabeth shows up in the battlefield and gives them a speech called a //Battle Horang//- Like a pep talk. However, no one heard it except like 3 guys so...that didn't really work. By her showing up on the field, the troops see her there is inspiration, "standing in front of you in full golden armor". She is England, she is standing up to England... sharply defined lines- deliberate for someone to take up the entire country and protecting them. (She covering them with an image of protection)
 * Ruminate on "To the Troops at Tilbury". **
 * Notes from class: **

//4-6-11// **Bible Translations-** Language change- helps to standardize the language of English //D-R-// God's creation, less ambiguous (not worried about agenda) //G-// a lot more things capitalized, slightly less precise //KJ-// Italics (chosen by the translator/type setter) emphasis, wordier...flowery prose...can get lost/lost meaning...the more words there are to discuss. Called versus created. //T-// not as many capitals, explicit statement

// 4-6-11 // **Identify one significant difference in the language of the Biblical passages.** In the Biblical passages, there were definitely some differences in the language used. In all of the translations, wording is crucial because it could be the difference between getting the church really mad or walking the fine line between it all. **Notes from class:** //Heresy-// groups of people that start believing in a certain thing that goes against the mainstream thing...dangerous to the Catholic church //John Wycliff-// Lollard. He did one translation of the Bible. Authors of the time period: Chaucer, Langlid..had to be concerned about what they wrote so they wouldn't be considered a Lollard. //Martin Luther-// nailed letter of thesis of what problems he had with the church to the church door.(Like posting something online today...public consumption...) Now the church is very concerned. Movie: Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms (2003). Movie: Name of the Rose (?) Sean Connery- tried for being a hereitic...not really sure, sorry haha. When you go up against the church, you potentially get burned at the stake or go under house arrest...or something else. Like McCarthy era...people being accused of being Communist. Differences: Scripture. In Catholicism, Scripture is interpreted through others- good works, confession, tradition, rights, observences, but for Prodestants, they go back to the Bible "Scriptura Sola" "Scripture Alone"- Faith alone is the most important thing, because all the things of Catholicism derives things from man, not Scripture. Predestination- Calvinistic view- Already decided as soon as you're born if you're going to Heaven or Hell. Explosion of Biblical translations- 1) William Tyndale (1524-26) Many English translations go back to him. Accused of heresy, strangled to death, then a few years later his Bible was accepted in England (IRONIC!!) 2) Geneva Bible- Written in Geneva 3) KJV (1604-11)- Not "strong enough" 4) Douay-Rheims Bible (1582)- Close to the medieval Bible in official translation.

// 4-4-11 //
 * Developments in England: **
 * 1) Gender issues
 * 2) Science and technology
 * 3) Wasn't as restained by the church- power started getting away from the church
 * 4) Bible is being translated, and being made more available to everyday people.
 * 5) More literate, more books in their own language from the printing press
 * 6) Divisions with religion (Catholic vs. Prodestant)
 * 7) Gave more people a chance to be involved.
 * 8) Plays being printed/developed
 * 9) More traveling- international, support of exploration
 * 10) Development of the English language
 * 11) Economic Growth (depending on the area).

//4-4-11// **Notes from class:** Renaissance//﻿-// scholars don't like this term because it seems like it's dismissing everything else that came before it. 1) Nothing happens overnight 2) Everything is part of a //development///revolution. --> People reacting against the church Do not fall into the trap of looking at it as medieval vs. revolution...think of it as a development. // Early modern period: // End of 15th century: War of the Roses, war between two houses that were trying to take control of government Beginning of 16th century- Henry VIII, (father = Henry VII, first king of Tudors) Henry VIII (1491-1547, came to rule at 1509)- was opulent and loved money, big parties, and women. He drains the country. He had 6 wives...annulled, beheaded, died, annulled, beheaded, lived. Henry VIII wants a male heir (which is ironic because he is succeeded by 2 women). A king is supposed to marry so that there are internation alliances. First married to have alliance with Spain. He thinks he's above the law. Asks for an annullment from the church. Asks for help with the Pope, who is highly allianced with Spain (who has money and many explorers, etc.) Pope does not agree to annull his marriage, so Henry gets excommunicated- good chance of not making it...so, England gets excommunicated. (They are still Catholics, but they are still cut off...souls of their country are cut off). He creates the Church of England, sets himself up as the head of the church, which makes it easy for him to get an annullment, everything works in his favor. Now, things concerning religious matters are at unrest- finally...it EXPLODES!! People see the corruption in the church, and they have crises in faith. Previously, the Bible is written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin...people couldn't actually read it on their own or make their own decisions, so people starting asking for guides; church feels their power slipping away. But people want things to change. 1517- Martin Luther, in Germany- nails a thesis to the church door, filled with people's complaints against the church. Begins the Prodestant reformation. Translation may be a human thing, but in this particular case, God is guiding it. This is good for the Henry VIII, because other people are backing him up and going their own way. Henry VIII *Redsox/Yankees* People are starting to translate the Bible into English- within his reign things get a little confusing. Mary I is RABID Catholic...she takes over...doesn't like what's going on within her country, gets Prodestants out... Elizabeth I takes over...politics and religion are taking over...she has a tolerant view of both of these, but knows that she needs to heal the rifts between everything. The only thing there's really unrest about is her unmarried state, but not too much to worry about. Picks her successor- King James. (KJV of Bible). In this time period, Catholics and Prodestants are constantly arguing. Renaissance- Literature, Art, Music(going back to Greek ideas), and Philosophy are flowering. (Well, this wasn't the beginning of these things, but it was beautiful and a change to a different kind of interest.) Creating something new is something you want to do, as opposed to dissing God. Aristotle...virtuous pagan? -He was unfortunate because he died before Christ. Modern Science is being introduced. People study the Black Plague and why it happened, and how to prevent it in the future. Looking at how the world works is now allowed... Printing Press came out, first book = The Bible. Things take a while to move across the continent- about 50-100 years different between Italy and England.

// 3-28-11 // Mak is a very decieving character. He takes advantage of the shepards and takes their sheep so that he can have dinner. In the days of the Bible, shepards were considered very low people in society, and Mak perhaps thought it would be easy to fool them. However, the shepards already know of Mak's reputation, and they are on guard and as soon as they all wake up and Mak leaves, they check their belongings to see if everything is there and then they go check on their sheep. Once they found that the sheep were missing, they immediately went to Mak's house, where he and his wife, Gill, had planned a scheme to make it look like they didn't take the sheep and instead had had a baby. All the while that the shepards are searching the house for their sheep, Mak continually tries to trick them, even as the shepards check the cradle and he knows that they know on his evil deeds. This is quite interesting to me, because I would think that when you're found out about a bad thing that you've done, you feel ashamed and ask for forgiveness, but Mak doesn't do either of those things. Notes from class: Plays, dramas: When did playwriting begin? -The Greek plays (comedy, tragedy, etc.), which were very popular with festivals and low-cost sets. -It was male dominated, no women were in the plays, so me played woman roles -Actors were not highly respected back then, but playwriters were; actors are now more highly regarded -Fun to watch because its watching something not in your own life, so that we can be able to understand something about ourselves (as well as entertainment). It's a personal thing though, because different people pull information from different things. Ultimately...it's fake. -People thought that actors had low moral standards (equated with prostitutes, gypsys, etc.) HOWEVER -Plays contradict Christian morals. -Many plays weren't religious...this is a problem because if the church is controling this, then it shouldn't be discussing non-Christian things. Getting entertainment by watching other people's sins...big problem. -How do you get God or Christ onto a stage? Who would be arrogant enough to play those roles? -So...as Christianity came in, plays went out. -Around 14th-15th century, Churches started to use skits in front of the alter.. little role-playing. Starts creeping out of the church- out on the church steps...but, church has control over it still. -Rise of the classes and the middle cities; guild pops up and becomes intricate part of the cityscape. Guilds decided to start taking over the plays. On holy days, they would create pagent wagons with minimal decorations and sets, and they would perform, then they would move the wagon to a different part of the town. These plays were typically related to one another and called cycles. Different towns were known for different types of plays. Church is still firmly watching this. So..plays started out religious based: __Morality play-__ About morals; teaching you something about how you're supposed to act as a Christian. (i.e. Everyman) __Miracles plays-__ About saints, and saint's lives __Mystery plays-__ Catch-all. Mostly about Biblical stories. After people get bored with the same Biblical stories, they really start to be creative. They start to use humor, but still truthful. Now we are in the beginning of the Second Shepard's Play, in 15th century England. When they show up, they talk about how much they hate their jobs and how they're not making a lot of money. They also hate their wives. They talk about the weather. And you have the audience get involved by getting the audience involved. Mak comes in, who is a theif. The shepards immediately tell him to leave, but Mak knows how to con the audience. He starts off by saying he knows the shepards, gets acquainted with them, and then...casts a spell on them to make them sleep? Mak, the devilish man, steals the lamb of God, and has "magic powers"...AH! Brings the sheep home...she's not upset, but only upset about being caught. Puts the lamb of God in the manger...going to eat the sheep (sacrifice the lamb of God) both pagan ritual with sacrifice of animals, to crucifixtion of Christ. Once the shepards see that it's a sheep, then Gill and Mak try to con them still. Once Mak gets punished, then the Shepards go to the birth of Christ. They bring a tennis ball.
 * Discuss the character of Mak. **
 * Best way to study: identify as many themes as you can that cross over multiple texts.
 * Trying to analyze certain parts in the test
 * Re-read people's wikis, ask questions on here, etc.

// 3-21-11 // The Miller's Tale is a fabliaux because the story itself is coarse humor because within the story the young girl Alisoun and the boy Nicholas trick the old husband named John, consequently making a fool out of both John and Absolon, who is the other young courter that comes to call on Alisoun. This story is a fabliaux purely because of so many love triangles within the text. //Canterbury Tales:// Knight's Tale- Courtly romance, knight represents upper class and titles. In the story, the two men are very close friends, fall in love with the same girl (Emily) and so the king, who is Emily's brother-in-law, decides to have a tornament between them. One wins, then immediately dies, so the other one gets the girl.
 * Why is the "Miller's Tale" a fabliaux/farce? **
 * Notes from class: **

Miller's Tale- Miller represents middle class; he drinks a lot and tells ribald (off-color) tales. The host of the pilgrimage had originally asked the Monk to quite the tale (answer back to it) but the miller jumps in, with a parody of the knight's tale. The people in the story are all people that are on the pilgrimage. Alisoun= Alice (Wife of Bath) John, old husband = the Reeve etc...can't remember what else was said about that. In the story, it says Nicholas is a "handy" guy. This could mean 3 things: 1) That he's good with fixing things 2) He's there a lot 3) He's handsy....(yep, we went there). Absolom is a religious clerk who thinks he's a ladies man...he's vain and dresses "foppishly" (although idk what that means).

// 3-16-11 // __Miller__- Stout, big man, loves to drink, steals __Knight-__ Courteous, concerned with chivalry, worthy, Christian man, "perfect" __Squire (knight's son)-__ lusty bachelor, lover, neat, average man, active/strong, sings, not as much of a knight as his father, humble, willing, able __Yeoman-__ Useful, skillful in craft, forester __Nun (Prioress)-__ Modest, coy, knows French, concerned about etiquette, not a usual nun, but charitable and pious __Monk-__ Likes hunting, cares little about rules, does care about eating __Friar-__ Corrupt, gossips, "ladies man", creep, accepts bribes __Merchant__- Full of himself, wealthy __Clerk-__ Poor, spends money on books, learned man __Wife of Bath-__ Expert in love, thinks of herself highly __Pardoner-__ Not nice, sells forgiveness cards so you can buy yourself out of sin __Parson-__ Nice, charitable __Summoner-__ Lecherous
 * Additional Notes on Characters in The Canterbury Tales. **

// 3-7-11 // **Pick your favorite pilgrim. Why?** My favorite pilgrim would have to be the prioress because she is described so uniquely and interestingly, i.e. the way she dresses and the way she rides a horse. She just seems comfortable with who she is and I like that about her.

// ﻿ ﻿2-28-11 // I originally read through this article before the weekend and didn't really find it interesting or intriguing. However, since we didn't discuss it in class last week, I decided to re-read it last night and I'm glad I did. I got a lot more out of it this time than I did last time- I could see the depth to the article and had insight into the analysis. However, one thing I didn't particularly like in the article was the fact that when Do Ree was quoting something, he used the old English version and so it was kind of annoying to continually have to go back to the text while reading the article. Do Ree made some really good points though- I thought it was interesting when he was discussing Sir Gawain's blemished honor and whether or not Gawain was in the wrong when it came to Lady Bertilak coming into his room. It was important also that he pointed out the ambiguity of both Sir Gawain and Lady Bertilak when they both talk; I had noticed it in Lady Bertilak's speech, but not in Gawain's, and that caused me to re-read that part of the text.
 * Response to "Undressing Lady Bertilak" **

// 2-23-11 // Lines 1677-1682, pg. 188 After the lady came into Sir Gawain's room a second time, the lord comes home and says, in line 1677, " And I shall hunt in the woods, and keep the compact / Exchange winnings with you when I return here, / For I have tested you twice, and find you trustworthy." This passage shows that the lord was but testing him, which could be a clue as to what the end of the story will bring. I feel like lord Bertliak is sort of forewarning Sir Gawain about what is to come. Lord Bertliak is also reminding Gawain about the bargain they made in giving each other what they get during their day- both Gawain and the lord know what is happening; but the lord is reminding Gawain that he is a good knight and is supposed to be "trustworthy" and so this also forces Gawain to keep his word as well as his honor. In line 1680, lord Bertliak says, "Now tomorrow remember, 'Best throw third time'; / Let us make merry while we can and think only of joy, / For misery can be found whenever a man wants it." I feel that these are extremely insightful lines, not just for Gawain, but for everybody. Lord Bertliak is telling Sir Gawain to "think only of joy" in the midst of certain death to give him courage.
 * // "Pick an important/key passage from Fitt 3. Analyze." //**

// 2-14-11 // Going through some of the numbers: 1) As we talked about in class, this "set of rules" permits adultery within a very Christian communitiy. Although they try to reconsile this by making people monks or nuns at the end of stories, this is still very un-Christian and seems to me to be taking advantage of God's love. 2) I find the correlation between jealousy and love very strange. I guess what they are thinking is that if you aren't jealous of someone, than you can't tell if you actually love them or not. 3) I am slightly confused as to what "no one can be bound by a double love" means. I guess the author is saying no one should love more than one person, but that seems to contradict being married and then also permitting adultery. 4) I guess I agree with the statement that "love is always increasing or decreasing" in some form. 6) I think being in love does not depend on age... 8) Yes, no one should be deprived of love unless it is really wrong. However, these people permitted adultery, so I sort of disagree with this statement 11) Because of the time, I can see where breaking this rule would be an issue. It would throw off the entire balance and order of things. 13) I'm not sure what is meant by "public love". Does the author mean if its not kept secret it won't last? Because that seems kind of odd to me 15) I find that when people are in the presence of those they love, they don't turn pale, but blush instead?  21) Again, with the whole correlation between jealousy and love. Not sure what that's about.
 * "The Art of Courtly Love" **

// 2-7-11 // In general, I liked Beowulf...but I was kind of disappointed by the ending honestly. It seemed kind of anticlimactic...I mean, I loved the beginning when he was fighting off Grendel and Grendel's mother; it was full of action and the story pullled itself along. however, then it went into sort of a lull (for the next 50 years Beowulf was alive) and after he fought the dragon, Beowulf just died.It seemed like it should have lead up to something bigger but it didn't. I personally don't like cliffhangers very much...so...I feel like it could have had a stronger ending (but since it's an epic/classic so I guess it's allowed to do that). However, I can see why this story has survived through time.
 * "Ruminate on the end of Beowulf" **

// 1-26-11 // Well so far this class has been pretty interesting...I mean, we've only had one actual class and that was kind of an introduction, and then the second class was Gareth Hinds coming in, and now we're here in the third class...but all of them are pretty much so far so good. Anyway, I think it was cool that Dr. Tracy got Gareth Hinds to come to campus to talk with us and that students from both the art department and the English/education department came in and had something to learn. I'd have to say my favorite part of the presentation was at the beginning when he told us how he got into the field and showed us his book of drawings from when he was 4 years old. It was kind of funny that he wrote "I will not write at all" on his younger drawings, and then turned out to be a graphic novelist later in life, where he didn't have to include writing too much in his books; the illustrations can tell most of the story. It is intriguing to take a look at graphic novels, because it's like you can literally see how someone else views a story. I'm glad we got a chance to read this version of Beowulf for class and that Gareth Hinds came in to give a presentation on his works.
 * This Class, in General **

// 1-23-11 // Although I have never read a graphic novel before this class, I'm glad that we read this version of Beowulf. It was clear and effective, plus it was very interesting to see this take on the tale. Although reading the modern English translation of Beowulf before I came to this class helped to clarify some of the illustrations, the drawings still got the point across very well.
 * Gareth Hinds **

Learning about paying wergild and how gold hoarders are bad and gold givers are typically honorable the other day helped me understand more about the novel and see why Beowulf was such a hero. On the other side, this really makes Grendel, his mother, and the dragon more evil characters as well because they all violated the customs of the time.

As for tomorrow, I'm pretty excited about meeting Gareth Hinds and learning more about Beowulf and his other works.