So, as much as the class knows I was spacing out during Karinne's presentation (which I apologize for) but I was taken aback with Nathan's. I briefly skimmed it yesterday and have gone back for more but still have not thoroughly finished it. But as he presented I also thought of how the world is not linear (James put it well in his emotional presentation by saying something along the lines of, the world once was looked at as linear but we learned that was false so why do we continue to think our lives are linear? Sorry James you put that much more elegantly) and we continue to have the same three occurring problems in our lives that Shakespeare and all generations before have had. These are simply, plague, famine, and colonization, empire, or what have you.
After all a plague is what forced Shakespeare to take a furlough from being a playwright because the theater scene was shot when people were forbidden from gathering in the masses.
Throughout history their has been an empire that has controlled the way the world whether it be an actual country or a religion. Christianity has consistently forced its' beliefs upon the world with little regard for the people they were attempting to convert. Christians attempted to influence both China and Japan even though their empires had been around for thousands of years before Christianity existed. When they failed to oust Buddhism they started to use force with military invasion. This is a whole other story but with the dropping of the Atomic Bomb on Japan because they would not allow the Western World to remove their Emperor from power because of his tie to not only Buddah but to the original royal family. There will always be a country, person, or any other powerful figure to take this role; presently it is the United States in their attempt to force Democracy on the world even though capitalism comes before democracy in the US.
As for famine, has the world ever come close to being cured of hunger? There always has been a distinct separation between classes where there has been enough money to even form classes. In most of Africa it is hard to differentiate if there are even classes; for my peers who remember last semester in Myth I lectured about Zambia for my final presentation. In Zambia there is Lusaka which has over a million people but offers little for financial gain. The people who live in the countryside live in mud huts and make barely enough money to support their families. They find support for their family in the ground around them but still are not able to properly feed their children. I recently have heard a stat that there are now more obese people than starving, which I find to be an extremely disturbing fact but I suppose it offers an alternative to this cycle we had been in for a mere 6,000 years?
This is a relatively short cycle as I was reminded of today as I wandered around the Museum of the Rockies. There is still plenty of time to change the cycle of going around in a circle constantly making the same mistakes but in order for this to happen people must assist in the aide of others. This starts with acceptance of others beliefs and as I mentioned earlier about 'empires' which must stop attempting to guide countries with financial pressure. I personally believe, this may offend some, but I feel countries need to stop supporting one another with financial aide even when there is a significant disaster (i.e. Japan). Until our problems are solved at home (racism is still as evident as it was in the 60's along with educational/housing segregation) we do not have a right to tell Afghanistan/Iraq/Egypt...they need to have a democratic government. I have recently been researching the Eisenhower's foreign policy on the coup de' tat of Guatemala in 1954 and the amount of propaganda spread about their government is unbelievable. My blog's typically become rants and go places I do not foresee but I guess I want to end this by asking people to seek other sources for their news because knowledge is the only way to change the repetitive circle we have been living.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Final Paper 447 years and one day after Shake's birth!
Remember ya'll keep it gangstah.
Be nought afeard, the isle is full of noises,
I hear dead Indian voices
Why did Lear make such whack choices?
Disownin’ Cordelia
When the King of France was feelin’ on her’
Givin...
Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not
No, not a forget me not
But a cowslip, like the one on Ariel’s tit
Makin me look at Bottom, he’s an ass
Turned by Puck
Makin’ me duck, from Prospero
Jumpin up, down yellin’ ye-i-hoooooooe
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Shakespeare brings us to a level of elevation
With the various temptation
And wooing intoxication
Othello, where art thou brother of dark complexion?
He be shapin’ others destination
Like a rat, racin’ ‘n’ disgracin’
Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices;
Ya, those native voices
Makin’ me Shake from a Speare
One from Coriolanus
Ovid’s stories are heinous
Specially when Cronus iced Uranus’
That if I then had waked after long sleep,
Lear got in deep
Gloucester lost one eye,
Two,
Tried to die
Poor Tom created an ominous situation,
Prevention him from jumpin’ on a crustacean
And no, there was no castration that was the 12th Night
But the 1st and 15th are sacred days
Will make me sleep again, and then, in dreaming,
Miranda’s face is gleaming
Because of the twinkling feeling
Left by Ferdinand
We all tried getting off this god forsaken sand
Hoping to find a few grand, in...
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Paulina be one of my many bitches
Revivin’ Hermione with music I love
Shake is the man I speak of
Never let me get on that pearl
Because I envision myself in an Ovidian world
Ready to drop upon me, that, when I waked
And baked
Read me some Shake
To wake in a world where a serpent hisses
And Venus is covered in Adonis’ kisses
I cried to dream again
King Lear went insane in membrane, insane in the brain
King Henry had a great reign, over a large domain
I tried to refrain
But I apologize for bein profane
The idea for my final was given birth from the blog I wrote on March 20. In the blog I wrote about Shakespeare and present day rappers, Eminem, Dr. Dre, and others whom I consider to be amongst the best writers of our time. They have assisted in the evolution of writing since Shakespeare's lifetime and may have altered it more than any other "grouping." This is because they have evolved the use of puns, just as Shakespeare did; they alter the phonology of a word to have it fit the rhyme scheme or even create words. Snoop Dogg has become infamous for his addition to the Ebonic dictionary with the "shizzle" words. It has to do with more than just the creation of words but the phonology of the word has become more evident than ever. I attempted to do this with specific sections of my performance, for instance in the lines, "Paulina be one of my many bitches...In an Ovidian world" I used deeper vocals than I normally have, in hopes of having my peers see a "gangstah" on stage instead of the little white, suburban kid that I am. Another example of altering phonology I used in my rap was Cordelia (line 4) and "feelin' on her'" (line 5); in order to have Cordelia rhyme with her, her must be pronounced in a specific way. It is more of a "eh" sound at the end of the hard 'r' you are supposed to pronounce.
When Dr. Sexson challenged me with the idea of doing a rap to explain Caliban's speech in the Tempest I wanted to attempt to do a rap that included the interaction of Caliban and another Shakespearian character but was not able to create anything I felt made enough connections. I eventually gave up on the idea and moved to a rap where I made references to a number of Shakespeare's plays from Caliban's perspective if he had known other Shakespeare plays.
I have posted my entire rap for those of you who would like to read it and I will now break it down and explain where specific lines got their influence from. Shakespeare's lines have been bolded and come from Caliban's speech on page 752, III.2.134-142.8, I will put mine in italics, and the explanation in regular font.
Be nought afeard, the isle is full of noises,
I hear dead Indian voices
This a reference to Trinculo's monologue in II.2.29-32. where he speaks of dead Indian voices and implies it is more disturbing that people gawk at Indians rather than the savage actions made by Indians.
Why did Lear make such whack choices?
Disownin’ Cordelia
When the King of France was feelin’ on her’
These lines are a reference to KING LEAR where King Lear disowns his own, true loving daughter instead of the other two who deceive Lear in hopes of gaining a majority of the kingdom.
Givin...
Sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not
No, not a forget me not
But a cowslip, like the one on Ariel’s tit
Reference to Ariel from The Tempest where Ariel not only has a cowslip on her breast but also sleeps inside of one. As we learned is where the idea for Tinkerbell came from.
Makin me look at Bottom, he’s an ass
Turn by Puck
Bottom is turned into an ass (donkey) by Puck in A Midsummer Nights Dream.
Makin’ me duck, from Prospero
Jumpin up, down yellin’ ye-i-hoooooooe
Prospero is a magician which we see through numerous of his actions and deceptions of people in The Tempest. Using 'ye-i-hoooooooe' is an example of my attempt to play with words to make noises that rhyme but also achieve the explanation of Prospero using his chanting to alter reality on the island.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Shakespeare brings us to a level of elevation
I believe it is clear that Shakespeare brought the English language, playwrighting to an elevated level.
With the various temptation
And wooing intoxication
He was able to do this by having stories revolve around a specific temptation that typically is the main characters intoxication that leads to the story's main dilemma. This can be seen in King Lear where Lear is to selfish to realize who loves him or in The Tragedy of Coriolanus where Coriolanus's life revolves strongly around getting what he wants simply because he is a power hungry, military leader. During this period of history (5 BC) it was common for military leaders to be grandfathered into the political circle but we are shown the birth of Democracy in Rome and the start of a long battle between politics and the military.
Othello, where art thou brother of dark complexion?
Iago be shapin’ others destination
Like a rat, racin’ ‘n’ disgracin’
In Othello we read one of the first plays to have the protagonist be a 'brother of dark complexion' or black. In the play Iago is the villain and instead of having a black play this role during a period of racism it shows that black is not always evil and white can hold a much more nefarious role than is seen in the Bible or other texts during the 1500's.
Will hum about mine ears; and sometimes voices;
Ya, those native voices,
This is another reference to the dead Indian's that Trinculo referenced in II.2.
Makin’ me Shake from a Speare
One from Coriolanus
This reference to The Tragedy of Coriolanus who is a one man army who has defeated the Volscians numerous times. He does this typically with his bare hands but spears were also a popular weapons of choice during the time. I intended to have a pun in the sentence by having someone 'shake' from a 'speare' creating Shakespeare.
Ovid’s stories are heinous
Specially when Cronus iced Uranus
One of the disgusting stories from Ovid's Metamorphoses is between Uranus and Cronus. Uranus is Cronus's father and Cronus was prophesied to be overthrown by one of his children. He thus eats each child as they are born and eventually castrates his father and kills him.
That if I then had waked after long sleep,
Lear got in deep
Gloucester lost one eye,
Two,
Tried to die,
Poor Tom created an ominous situation,
Prevention him from jumpin’ on a crustacean
King Lear is my most mentioned play because it is one I have read multiple times and was able to draw the most information from but I also enjoyed it most next to the Tragedy of Coriolanus. In this stanza Lear gets in deep, he gives both, Regan and Goneril half of his kingdom and they eventually turn on him. Even attempting to ostracize him from England because of his actions. Gloucester losses both of his eyes in III.7 and he starts to lose his mind as well. Poor Tom, Gloucester's disguised son Edgar leads him to the edge of a cliff in Dover where Gloucester attempts his suicide. Poor Tom created an ominous situation by telling Gloucester he was standing of a large cliff but instead it is only a one or two foot fall, in turn saving Gloucester's life, and eventually Poor Tom regains his trust, becoming his favorite son again.
And no, there was no castration that was the 12th Night
Viola plays a castrated woman in The Twelfth Night and there was no castration in King Lear.
But the 1st and 15th are sacred days
The 1st and 15th are sacred days comes from Andre Nickatina's song "88" which is a reference to people who are on welfare. Welfare checks come on the 1st and 15th and are viewed as sacred days by drug lords because they are the days where they make the most money.
Will make me sleep again, and then, in dreaming,
Miranda’s face is gleaming
Because of the twinkling feeling
Left by Ferdinand
Miranda is Prospero's daughter who has only seen one man before, Caliban, and instantly falls in love with Ferdinand when he arrives on the island.
We all tried getting off this god forsaken sand
While we only read about a small amount of the ship's crew in The Tempest there are several others who attempting to get off of the island.
Hoping to find a few grand, in...
Sort of a reference to all romantic stories having pirates in them but the crew of the ship is looking for treasure. I used the line to transition into the next Shakespeare line so it could be read in order, we all tried getting off this god forsaken sand, hoping to find a few grand in the clouds methought would open and show riches.
The clouds methought would open and show riches
Paulina be one of my many bitches
Revivin’ Hermione with music I love
This is the stanza where I took on a different persona, one of a gangster. Paulina is the greatest female magician in all of Shakespeare and revives Hermione from a statue 16 years after she "died" which is seen as one of the most startling events in all of Shakespeare.
Shake is the man I speak of
Never let me get on that pearl
Because I envision myself in an Ovidian world
A reference to the man who wears pearls in the school of the night but because I live in an Ovidian world, one that does not exist. I would never be able to gather the pearls as they fall off his coat as he wanders the streets.
Ready to drop upon me, that, when I waked
And baked
Read me some Shake
To wake in a world where a serpent hisses
And Adonis is covered in Venus’ kisses
Reading Shakespeare allows the reader to encapsulate themselves in a world they wish to create. His stories have both realistic and mythological components that add great detail to the events but how each individual wishes to imagine the events can change the story. I have not seen many Shakespeare plays, which changes how my peer's see the seen of Venus and Adonis compared to how I envision the landscape. This is what makes Shakespeare one of the greatest author's ever.
I cried to dream again
King Lear went insane in membrane, insane in the brain
King Lear literally goes insane, in the membrane, which is in the brain. This line is taken from Cypress Hill's, "Insane in the membrane" though but I felt it added to the lyric as well as rhyming.
King Henry had a great reign, over a large domain
Although I have never read King Henry the Fifth, Sixth, or Eighth I do know they all had significant reigns over a large portion of the world because this was during the period where the sun never set on the British Empire.
I tried to refrain
But I apologize if I was to profane
My goal was to use as little profanity as possible but in certain situations it added to the context of the rap as well as rhymed, which was my goal of the rap. I feel profanity can add depth and feeling in sections where other words can not truly convey the feeling I was going for. Although "Paulina be one of my many bitches" probably could have been omitted.
This was an enjoyable challenge for me because rap is one of my favorite music genres but I have never written any raps before. This took my appreciation for rappers to another level because I not only had to write the rap but I worked with a friend to make the beat, which is the most influential part of the rap. To get motivation I would sit and listen to the beat and one line would come to my head, then another, and I slowly was able to compile the rap in its' entirety. We created the beat in about a week and it took me another to write the lyrics. I was constantly altering lines, even up until I went to perform I changed the wording. Improv is one of the hardest actions to perform but as I performed my rap I improved lines where I stuttered or said the wrong word and this is where I have truly gained the most appreciation for artists because it takes talent few people have to be a great performer.
Thank you to those who attended my first concert ever.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Blurry thesis statement
Ostracizing plays a large role in many of Shakespeare's plays and in my secondary source, Ovid and Shakespeare;Bate writes, "Touchstone's association of exile with 'Ovid among the Goths' raises the question of whether other Shakespearian banishments are keyed to Ovid. The language of exile in the first act of Richard II seems to echo that of the Tristia, with its emphasis on 'frozen winters' spent in banishment and separation from the native tongue. But, save for Falstaff's, the most celebrated banishment is Romeo's. And here the association with Ovid, at least in the mind of one contemporary, is decisive."
Bate continues to explore Shakespeare compared to contemporary playwright Ben Jonson who rewrote the separation of Romeo and Juliet as the departure of Ovid and Julia, one of his women who happened to be the emperor's daughter. Shakespeare and Jonson sought influence from stories in history whereas Ovid found the basis of his stories in the oral history of Greek/Roman myth. The final interaction between Romeo and Juliet is one that is far too short for how much meaning can be found in their words. The reference to the pomegranate tree or the simple statement of, "I must be gone and live, or stay and die" that Romeo throws about often. At first saying he must go so he can continue to live but then having Juliet respond that he is her light and sun that drives her to live he decides, "Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death...Come, death, and welcome!" In Jonson's interaction between Ovid and Julia on a similar balcony,
"Ovid: Yet Julia, if thou wilt, A little long, stay\
Julia: I am content
Ovid: O, mightie Ovid! what the sway of heaven could not retire my breath hath turned back."
Just as the interaction between Romeo and Juliet we see them debate and bicker whether they shall leave one another in hopes of a life without a companion or if staying together and dying in one another's arms is worth. These conversations do not leave us with a solid answer as both are cut short by interruptions from fellow characters; only adding to the suspense.
Through historical context we know Ovid was exiled to Tominus where he would die in 17 AD with nothing more than his works because he sought to survive by a quote from his first book, Amores;in which he quotes, "My name shall live, and my best part aspire." He accomplished this goal and has been one of the most influential authors to have graced this god forsaken planet with his marvelous stories.
It is the sense of imitatio (the imitation of god to find virtue. To share stories that explain moral reasoning) that Ovid, Shakespeare, Jonson, and other authors write. Every author writes with the intention of influencing their readers' thoughts and this is shown through Shakespeare and Ovid's works. They both took ideas from past authors whether they were oral or written and devised a story structure unique to their style. It is important for writers to be imitated to ensure their thoughts are clearly shared with the entire population. Author's have different styles and strive for certain audiences and may even strive to avoid specifics.
This is where the Bible and other religious texts come into play because while Ovid is looked at as a mythological work-of-art it is no more mythical than the Bible or Koran. I say this because I believe Ovid just as the composers of the Bible intended for the Metamorphoses to be read with the intent of improving the world and its' community to gain a deeper understanding. Not just in a mechanical sense but in a world beyond what the eye sees, into natural order. Shakespeare uses Puck to explain the feelings behind love. Before witnessing how love occurs between two people in A Midsummer Night's Dream. ;Shakespeare goes even further than Ovid: he invites us to consider the possibility that the love-gods are no more than a dream, something we invent to help us understand erotic love which comes wholly from within" (135). Using the explanation of magic adds an even deeper meaning behind this surreal emotion.
Magic also shows that a simple misunderstanding can dramatically change the outcome between two people. Shakespeare shows us the frenzy of love through Lysander/Demetrius and Puck's influence on the relationship. The two are inflicted by a magical pollen and fall deeply in love with Helena. This is done to emphasize natural order and as we see in Ovid when natural order is evaded only trouble shall follow. Throughout Ovid's mythic encounters we are constantly seeing the power of classical gods in situations. When Arachne runs her mouth and angers Athena because she brags she is a better weaver. Athena continues to mock Athena (amongst other gods) during their contest and weaves a scene in which the gods are portrayed with their weaknesses; it is when these stories are taken too seriously that problems are created. Religion is the number one cause of war and I do not personally believe we will see a peaceful world until religion has been exterminated from our planet. A person's allegiance to religion and an unknown world is currently much stronger than their allegiance to a mankind they know they can influence and a society they can improve. Instead they hope their doings for religious improvement will help improve their standings with God, Allah, or whoever may be their prophet of choice.
So enough babbling, I will try and make a clear, concise statement. "I never may believe/ These antique fables, nor these fairy toys'" (Ovid, v.i.2-3). Stories are written for influence but it does not require a person to believe in the actual story to walk away with meaning. There can be several views taken from a statement and they can be positive/negative but the important thing is that the reader does take something away. The author intends to sway the reader to a side but the counterpoint is likely to be just as strong. The more learned a person becomes the more they think for themselves and are able to draw connections from story to story. This is what makes reading Shakespeare after Ovid special, while my memory does not serve me nearly as well as it does fellow students I am able to see these connections and strive to see more. I make indirect connections to the Bible from what I learned in Bible as Lit. to Ovid even though the church states Ovid is mythological while Biblical stories while also filled with imagination in the Garden of Eden is the basis for earth.
A person should always strive for their virtue to be improved because we live in a world where too many events happen that shouldn't and too little is done to truly improve the world but as the world strives to grow and become connected the understanding of foreign nations/people grows as well. What did Shakespeare and Ovid intend for their readers to take away? Through the readings of plays I feel I have gained a slight concept and Ovid connects back to last semester so hopefully through my paper I can assist in your understandings.
Bate continues to explore Shakespeare compared to contemporary playwright Ben Jonson who rewrote the separation of Romeo and Juliet as the departure of Ovid and Julia, one of his women who happened to be the emperor's daughter. Shakespeare and Jonson sought influence from stories in history whereas Ovid found the basis of his stories in the oral history of Greek/Roman myth. The final interaction between Romeo and Juliet is one that is far too short for how much meaning can be found in their words. The reference to the pomegranate tree or the simple statement of, "I must be gone and live, or stay and die" that Romeo throws about often. At first saying he must go so he can continue to live but then having Juliet respond that he is her light and sun that drives her to live he decides, "Let me be ta'en, let me be put to death...Come, death, and welcome!" In Jonson's interaction between Ovid and Julia on a similar balcony,
"Ovid: Yet Julia, if thou wilt, A little long, stay\
Julia: I am content
Ovid: O, mightie Ovid! what the sway of heaven could not retire my breath hath turned back."
Just as the interaction between Romeo and Juliet we see them debate and bicker whether they shall leave one another in hopes of a life without a companion or if staying together and dying in one another's arms is worth. These conversations do not leave us with a solid answer as both are cut short by interruptions from fellow characters; only adding to the suspense.
Through historical context we know Ovid was exiled to Tominus where he would die in 17 AD with nothing more than his works because he sought to survive by a quote from his first book, Amores;in which he quotes, "My name shall live, and my best part aspire." He accomplished this goal and has been one of the most influential authors to have graced this god forsaken planet with his marvelous stories.
It is the sense of imitatio (the imitation of god to find virtue. To share stories that explain moral reasoning) that Ovid, Shakespeare, Jonson, and other authors write. Every author writes with the intention of influencing their readers' thoughts and this is shown through Shakespeare and Ovid's works. They both took ideas from past authors whether they were oral or written and devised a story structure unique to their style. It is important for writers to be imitated to ensure their thoughts are clearly shared with the entire population. Author's have different styles and strive for certain audiences and may even strive to avoid specifics.
This is where the Bible and other religious texts come into play because while Ovid is looked at as a mythological work-of-art it is no more mythical than the Bible or Koran. I say this because I believe Ovid just as the composers of the Bible intended for the Metamorphoses to be read with the intent of improving the world and its' community to gain a deeper understanding. Not just in a mechanical sense but in a world beyond what the eye sees, into natural order. Shakespeare uses Puck to explain the feelings behind love. Before witnessing how love occurs between two people in A Midsummer Night's Dream. ;Shakespeare goes even further than Ovid: he invites us to consider the possibility that the love-gods are no more than a dream, something we invent to help us understand erotic love which comes wholly from within" (135). Using the explanation of magic adds an even deeper meaning behind this surreal emotion.
Magic also shows that a simple misunderstanding can dramatically change the outcome between two people. Shakespeare shows us the frenzy of love through Lysander/Demetrius and Puck's influence on the relationship. The two are inflicted by a magical pollen and fall deeply in love with Helena. This is done to emphasize natural order and as we see in Ovid when natural order is evaded only trouble shall follow. Throughout Ovid's mythic encounters we are constantly seeing the power of classical gods in situations. When Arachne runs her mouth and angers Athena because she brags she is a better weaver. Athena continues to mock Athena (amongst other gods) during their contest and weaves a scene in which the gods are portrayed with their weaknesses; it is when these stories are taken too seriously that problems are created. Religion is the number one cause of war and I do not personally believe we will see a peaceful world until religion has been exterminated from our planet. A person's allegiance to religion and an unknown world is currently much stronger than their allegiance to a mankind they know they can influence and a society they can improve. Instead they hope their doings for religious improvement will help improve their standings with God, Allah, or whoever may be their prophet of choice.
So enough babbling, I will try and make a clear, concise statement. "I never may believe/ These antique fables, nor these fairy toys'" (Ovid, v.i.2-3). Stories are written for influence but it does not require a person to believe in the actual story to walk away with meaning. There can be several views taken from a statement and they can be positive/negative but the important thing is that the reader does take something away. The author intends to sway the reader to a side but the counterpoint is likely to be just as strong. The more learned a person becomes the more they think for themselves and are able to draw connections from story to story. This is what makes reading Shakespeare after Ovid special, while my memory does not serve me nearly as well as it does fellow students I am able to see these connections and strive to see more. I make indirect connections to the Bible from what I learned in Bible as Lit. to Ovid even though the church states Ovid is mythological while Biblical stories while also filled with imagination in the Garden of Eden is the basis for earth.
A person should always strive for their virtue to be improved because we live in a world where too many events happen that shouldn't and too little is done to truly improve the world but as the world strives to grow and become connected the understanding of foreign nations/people grows as well. What did Shakespeare and Ovid intend for their readers to take away? Through the readings of plays I feel I have gained a slight concept and Ovid connects back to last semester so hopefully through my paper I can assist in your understandings.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Modern Day Shakespeare
Err this may be an offensive blog to some...
I have had discussions with members of the class and friends about the quality of writing/acting in our current society and if it is comparable to Shakespeare’s period? This initially came to me when my roommate showed me The Rock’s reintroduction to the WWE, which was an onset of 20 minutes of fireworks and all that jazz. While the WWE is able to gain thousands, millions of followers each year they must be doing something right. They are actors who perform weekly in-front of crowds Shake could have only dreamt of sitting in-front of a stage where any of his plays were performed. I do not enjoy the WWE and find it to merely be a waste of time yet it is entertaining just as Jersey Shore. I find it hard to profess something to others when I do not believe it myself so I have chosen another artist...
Rather, I will argue the case that Eminem and other gangstah rappers are comparable to Shake. To be a great typically means your work creates controversy and this is easily found when you look at Eminem's career which he has based on controversy. His lyrics were driven by a world of hate that surrounded him and he has since lost this hate, which I believe is evident in his newest music. I sit here watching the Up In Smoke Tour dvd which was a music tour promoting Dr. Dre's new cd, 2001 including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Xzhibit, Devin the Dude, Ice Cube, and the list goes on and on but their stage presence is also what could be compared to Shakespeare.
To break it down in order to be specific I posted a video of the song, "What's the Difference" I believe this to be a modern day short story; in this Eminem receives the ending stanza and I suppose I should have warned earlier that this song may be deemed offensive so if you aren't 18+ please stop here and hopefully you didn't watch the video...Other than the stage presence Eminem, Dre, and fellow gangstah's have, the actual stage construction is extremely in-depth allowing each performer to have a place on stage that draws attention to them. Eminem starts his section by interacting one on one with Dr. Dre forming an "aside" which happens throughout Shakespeare's plays and Xzhibit is left to stand on the stage and let Eminem and Dre stand in the light. Eminem starts by stating, "Stop the beat a minute!" to draw attention to himself and Dr. Dre ensuring all ears hear what they has to say in their dialogue. Dre and Eminem interact several times before Eminem takes control and ends the song with a solo. Just as Shakespeare has done Eminem and Dre have created their own poetical styles that do not follow your typical format.
For this I would like to reference the song "Renegade" by Jay-Z featuring Eminem. The pronunciation of words is what makes Eminem's style unique when compared to others. Breathing is one of the most vital practices amongst rappers and to become well known they must learn how to manipulate not only their speech but language. He may not have declared himself to have a Shakespearean sonnet but he his style is ever changing which has to do with the influence of rap. Rap takes on numerous different forms as you may look at popular rap like Lil' John who in my opinion has next to no talent other than the ability to sell his image or Immortal Technique who uses politics to sell rap. Each artist has a specific style to fit who they are personally just like Shakespeare created an image for himself in his works of art. It is a rarity that our earth is graced with lyrical geniuses and Eminem is one of these geniuses even if they are some of the most offensive imaginable to mothers across the country.
See I'm a poet to some, a regular modern day Shakespeare
Jesus Christ the King of these Latter Day Saints here
To shatter the picture in which of that as they paint me as
a monger of hate and Satan a scatter-brained atheist
But that ain't the case, see it's a matter of taste
We as a people decide if Shady's as bad as they say he is
Or is he the latter - a gateway to escape?
Media scapegoat, who they can be mad at today
See it's easy as cake, simple as whistlin Dixie
while I'm wavin the pistol at sixty Christians against me
Go to war with the Mormons, take a bath with the Catholics
in holy water - no wonder they try to hold me under longer
I'm a motherfuckin spiteful, delightful, eyeful
The new Ice Cube - motherfuckers hate to like you
What did I do? (huh?) I'm just a kid from the gutter
makin this butter off these bloodsuckers, cause I'm a muh'fuckin
Renegade
R.I.P. Nate Dogg
3/15/2011
I have had discussions with members of the class and friends about the quality of writing/acting in our current society and if it is comparable to Shakespeare’s period? This initially came to me when my roommate showed me The Rock’s reintroduction to the WWE, which was an onset of 20 minutes of fireworks and all that jazz. While the WWE is able to gain thousands, millions of followers each year they must be doing something right. They are actors who perform weekly in-front of crowds Shake could have only dreamt of sitting in-front of a stage where any of his plays were performed. I do not enjoy the WWE and find it to merely be a waste of time yet it is entertaining just as Jersey Shore. I find it hard to profess something to others when I do not believe it myself so I have chosen another artist...
Rather, I will argue the case that Eminem and other gangstah rappers are comparable to Shake. To be a great typically means your work creates controversy and this is easily found when you look at Eminem's career which he has based on controversy. His lyrics were driven by a world of hate that surrounded him and he has since lost this hate, which I believe is evident in his newest music. I sit here watching the Up In Smoke Tour dvd which was a music tour promoting Dr. Dre's new cd, 2001 including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Xzhibit, Devin the Dude, Ice Cube, and the list goes on and on but their stage presence is also what could be compared to Shakespeare.
To break it down in order to be specific I posted a video of the song, "What's the Difference" I believe this to be a modern day short story; in this Eminem receives the ending stanza and I suppose I should have warned earlier that this song may be deemed offensive so if you aren't 18+ please stop here and hopefully you didn't watch the video...Other than the stage presence Eminem, Dre, and fellow gangstah's have, the actual stage construction is extremely in-depth allowing each performer to have a place on stage that draws attention to them. Eminem starts his section by interacting one on one with Dr. Dre forming an "aside" which happens throughout Shakespeare's plays and Xzhibit is left to stand on the stage and let Eminem and Dre stand in the light. Eminem starts by stating, "Stop the beat a minute!" to draw attention to himself and Dr. Dre ensuring all ears hear what they has to say in their dialogue. Dre and Eminem interact several times before Eminem takes control and ends the song with a solo. Just as Shakespeare has done Eminem and Dre have created their own poetical styles that do not follow your typical format.
For this I would like to reference the song "Renegade" by Jay-Z featuring Eminem. The pronunciation of words is what makes Eminem's style unique when compared to others. Breathing is one of the most vital practices amongst rappers and to become well known they must learn how to manipulate not only their speech but language. He may not have declared himself to have a Shakespearean sonnet but he his style is ever changing which has to do with the influence of rap. Rap takes on numerous different forms as you may look at popular rap like Lil' John who in my opinion has next to no talent other than the ability to sell his image or Immortal Technique who uses politics to sell rap. Each artist has a specific style to fit who they are personally just like Shakespeare created an image for himself in his works of art. It is a rarity that our earth is graced with lyrical geniuses and Eminem is one of these geniuses even if they are some of the most offensive imaginable to mothers across the country.
See I'm a poet to some, a regular modern day Shakespeare
Jesus Christ the King of these Latter Day Saints here
To shatter the picture in which of that as they paint me as
a monger of hate and Satan a scatter-brained atheist
But that ain't the case, see it's a matter of taste
We as a people decide if Shady's as bad as they say he is
Or is he the latter - a gateway to escape?
Media scapegoat, who they can be mad at today
See it's easy as cake, simple as whistlin Dixie
while I'm wavin the pistol at sixty Christians against me
Go to war with the Mormons, take a bath with the Catholics
in holy water - no wonder they try to hold me under longer
I'm a motherfuckin spiteful, delightful, eyeful
The new Ice Cube - motherfuckers hate to like you
What did I do? (huh?) I'm just a kid from the gutter
makin this butter off these bloodsuckers, cause I'm a muh'fuckin
Renegade
R.I.P. Nate Dogg
3/15/2011
Different lions
During my furlough from blogging I have been doing quite a bit of research on Eisenhower’s foreign policy in the coup de tat of Guatemala in 1954. The reasoning behind Eisenhower’s decision was because the United States could not have a Communism influence between Texas and the Panama Canal. How a society functions varies how a story is told in various parts of the world; the story of Jesus is told significantly different than it is in a Southern Baptist Church found in Alabama.
What I am getting at is Shakespeare’s time period influenced who his stories effected and how a person was influenced. This got me thinking about the current situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa and how a majority of the people wish to have as little Western influence as possible. Yet we continually force our ideals and morals upon them with no regard for their personal interest. This is how things go though and a society must learn to adapt because regardless of what the common person wants they will not get their way; especially when there is a world super power on the opposing side. The difference between Shakespeare’s life and ours’ is the fact he was influenced directly by the people who surrounded him and rarely spoke of Asia, India, or any other varying culture because he wrote about what he knew or was able to study (Ovid, Greek military history, yada yada ya). Whereas in today’s world our government is making decisions to influence what is happening in Libya even though we do not truly understand their culture.
While reading my group’s play, The Tragedy of Coriolanus, Martius (soon to be known as Coriolanus) says, “Upon my party, I’d revolt, to make only my wars with him. He is a lion. That I am proud to hunt” (I.1. 232-235). Whereas today we may be proud to hunt the lion but we do not understand what makes the hunt of the lion special. We rather are able to kill the lion without ever laying eyes on it removing any emotional consequences that could come from the kill. Our media and government are able to remove the public from what truly happens with the words they choose to use they are able to distort the truth that reaches the public. I was talking to a friend who is in Japan currently and was telling me the differences in media between the US/Japan over the earthquake. The following words are written by my friend Mitch P.
“it seems as though the Japanese media is using terms like help, recovery, action and CNN is using words like destruction, terror, mass death. Perhaps it is just the different perspective that I have been so used to seeing, but it looks like the Japanese media is trying to spread helpful tips instead of dramatic daily conversation fillers.
There seems to be a general calm here given the circumstances that have hit this country. Granted I am very far from the real affected area, however, the Japanese people seemed determined to rebuild quickly. They are not looking to point fingers at which organization failed and where. They do not care if FEMA didn’t follow exact protocol. They are simply rolling their sleeves up and doing what they can to recover. I think very few cultures throughout the world have that type of audacity in a time of disaster. Instead of worrying about comparative casualties and where this earthquake stands statistically in history they are developing plans.”
This blog has gone in a direction I did not intend and seems to be a bit of rant on the the bull spit that is constantly happening in our world but I believe this shows the power of language. The Japanese are looking at their situation with positivity while in America we continue to find the negatives in each story because that is what makes more news (i.e. Money) but to change the world we must attempt to understand one another or, live and let live because no two nations will ever have the same ideals.
What I am getting at is Shakespeare’s time period influenced who his stories effected and how a person was influenced. This got me thinking about the current situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa and how a majority of the people wish to have as little Western influence as possible. Yet we continually force our ideals and morals upon them with no regard for their personal interest. This is how things go though and a society must learn to adapt because regardless of what the common person wants they will not get their way; especially when there is a world super power on the opposing side. The difference between Shakespeare’s life and ours’ is the fact he was influenced directly by the people who surrounded him and rarely spoke of Asia, India, or any other varying culture because he wrote about what he knew or was able to study (Ovid, Greek military history, yada yada ya). Whereas in today’s world our government is making decisions to influence what is happening in Libya even though we do not truly understand their culture.
While reading my group’s play, The Tragedy of Coriolanus, Martius (soon to be known as Coriolanus) says, “Upon my party, I’d revolt, to make only my wars with him. He is a lion. That I am proud to hunt” (I.1. 232-235). Whereas today we may be proud to hunt the lion but we do not understand what makes the hunt of the lion special. We rather are able to kill the lion without ever laying eyes on it removing any emotional consequences that could come from the kill. Our media and government are able to remove the public from what truly happens with the words they choose to use they are able to distort the truth that reaches the public. I was talking to a friend who is in Japan currently and was telling me the differences in media between the US/Japan over the earthquake. The following words are written by my friend Mitch P.
“it seems as though the Japanese media is using terms like help, recovery, action and CNN is using words like destruction, terror, mass death. Perhaps it is just the different perspective that I have been so used to seeing, but it looks like the Japanese media is trying to spread helpful tips instead of dramatic daily conversation fillers.
There seems to be a general calm here given the circumstances that have hit this country. Granted I am very far from the real affected area, however, the Japanese people seemed determined to rebuild quickly. They are not looking to point fingers at which organization failed and where. They do not care if FEMA didn’t follow exact protocol. They are simply rolling their sleeves up and doing what they can to recover. I think very few cultures throughout the world have that type of audacity in a time of disaster. Instead of worrying about comparative casualties and where this earthquake stands statistically in history they are developing plans.”
This blog has gone in a direction I did not intend and seems to be a bit of rant on the the bull spit that is constantly happening in our world but I believe this shows the power of language. The Japanese are looking at their situation with positivity while in America we continue to find the negatives in each story because that is what makes more news (i.e. Money) but to change the world we must attempt to understand one another or, live and let live because no two nations will ever have the same ideals.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Ovid within Shakespeare
This sorta stems off of what James said in his blog and the comparison of Ovid and Shakespeare. In Jonathan Bates' book, the fourth chapter is titled, Comedy and Metamorphosis. One of the first points he brings up is how to define trans-latio, he settles on the simple, yet definite "it is to make a text from an alien culture speak in the distinctive language of the translator's culture" (Blight, 131). This is because a trans-latio can be done in any language; where the typical word is translation Blight uses trans-latio to emphasize the use of latin within Ovid and Shakespeare, two authors who are able to take a simple language and complicate it while also showing the beauty of simplicity with the words used. He continues to explain how imitation is an important part of translation because it incorporates part of the culture into the rewritten and 'modernized' "is how the classics are kept alive" (Blight, 131). It is "where Ovid found causes in gods and ancient stories, Shakespeare finds in contemporary history" (140) the stories are unique because the author's ability uses the time period they lived in to emphasize the intended purpose of their words. Whether this is done through A Midsummer Night's Dream where the use of the fairies (Bottom as Cupid) to give a understanding to the surreal feeling love gives a person. This is because Shakespeare, "invites us to consider the possibility that the love-gods are no more than a dream, something we invent to help us understand erotic love, which comes wholly from within" (135). This is what influences authors like Shakespeare and Ovid; to explain the unknown. Ovid writes hundreds of stories about gods and mere mortals that have affected how the earth is "run" whether it is how man is motivated by Narcissistic needs/wants or North Koreans believe Kim-Jong Il's birth in the Baekdu Mountain was prophesied by a swallow and brought about the change of winter to spring with the birth of Kim-Jong Il and a new star (which neeever happens).
Blight continues, "In reading the hounds as an image of Actaeon's own desires, Shakespeare is following the tradition interpretation of the myth" this is followed by a reference to Samuel Daniels' Delia in which he makes a reference to Actaeon being hunted by his dogs in the 12th line...
Samuel Daniels' Delia
Blight says this is a reference to, "Shakespeare's allusion economically suggests the exact sense of self-consuming passion that will recur through the play" (146) whereas I believe this is a statement about how mankind is always consumed by a self-imposed passion to improve our personal life. It does not have to require an actual decision to be narcissistic but it happens naturally, this is what creates the survival of fittest culture. When it came down to it during the 'Black Death Plague;' Shakespeare gave up being a playwright because there was no one to perform these plays for; equating to no income. Instead he decided to create his own form of a sonnet which he would be able to sell without risking his own infection of the plague.
Blight follows this by stating, "The pun concentrates the double identity of Malvolio as Narcissus (the self-obsessed 'I') and Actaeon (the desiring 'eye')" (147).
Another interesting fact that Blight raises is "A Midsummer Night's Dream, saves himself through his own musical art. In Twelfth Night, too, the power of music-as embodied in the name Viola- calms emotional storms and restores harmony. It is noteworthy in this respect that the name of Cadmus' wife, though not mentioned by Ovid, is Harmonia" (145)..."But Viola redeems the play because she proves to be selfless, not selfish, in love. She becomes Echo instead of Narcissus" (148).
Aloe Blacc
Thursday, February 17, 2011
On Originality
Well I suppose James is right. As he stated Ovid is no more original than you or I. For some odd reason I thought Ovid had been one of the first recorded publisher's but he did not finish The Metamorphoses of Ovid until 8 AD setting him on the late end of the spectrum. In the beginning of Shakespeare and Ovid by Jonathan Blight he writes, "he (Ovid) was equally both an innovator and a rewriter of material from a vast range of earlier writers, most notably Euripides and Callimachus. He did not invent his stories, he just happened to have codified them and told them in an artful and memorable way at an unusually stable moment in early Western culture" (Blight, 18). Hmm, sounds an awful lot like James' statement but I would like to emphasize his point that it is the style the author adopts to tell his story that gives credit to his originality. It does not matter when their style comes about as long as they are willing to explore unknown territory. The amazing thing about artistry is that it can come in many forms, complex as Shakespeare; to simple, the Beatles; or abstract like Salvador Dali's paintings.
It is when a artist is born and is given the opportunity to express themselves, that mankind proves its' superiority to other animals; at least through mental intuition. Blight brings up an excellent point when he says, "We do not have to believe in gods; we do not even have to believe that Shakespeare and Ovid believed in them. But we do have to believe in the reality of the human conditions and aspirations that are storied in myth-negatively, that desire is often blind (Cupid) or self-consuming (Narcissus, Actaeon); positively, that a marriage might be blessed (Hymen)" (Blight, 19). I suppose this is how I would have to define my religious beliefs. I am an athiest but I believe the simple power a religion holds in a person's beliefs can give them the ability survive a bout with cancer. The Bible is a similar collection of stories to me because it is simply meant to be a guide to how to live; while exempting some of the rather obscure lessons (i.e. homosexuality/sexism yada yada ya). When used as the basis for beliefs it can lead a person to live a simple, enjoyable life where they simply turn their cheek instead of fighting back violently realizing this may pay off in the long-run. It is often when a person becomes too encapsulated with an idea that they allow the positive effects an idea may have be overshadowed and ruin the entire idea. When an idea is the basis of a persons' beliefs and as the short film says, "I was raised to embrace, Ma always encouraged us to open our eyes and hearts to the world. Make up our own minds from experience and be inspired." I believe if we developed our own belief systems upon the numerous books created to influence our moral/beliefs we would have a more peaceful world. It would not be the Bible vs. the Koran etc. but it would be a blend of all ideas spawning into even more ideas. This could result in a violent world since man is naturally violent as we have seen in recent weeks in the Middle East but out of chaos peace will prevail. This has proved time and time again whether it was during Ovid's time in Greece or in 1778 (1780 could be argued as well) when America succeeded from the British Empire. This may be a bit of a stretch but I feel the pagan religions have always influenced mono/polytheism because in order for either to exist their must be the belief of the opposer.
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