Macbeth LRJ act 1

1. Macbeth: At first Macbeth is perceived as a brave and strong warrior because of the Captains descriptions of him, such as on page 7 lines 15-23. "But all's too weak;/ For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name-/ Disdaining Fortune, with bloody execution,/ Like valor's minion carved out his passage/ Till he faced the slave,/ Which ne'er shook hands nor bade farewell to him/ Till he unseamed him from the nave to th' chops,/ And fixed his head upon our battlements." But once Macbeth meets the three witches he begins to doubt himself that he will become king. While the witches chant "All hail, Macbeth!" he begins to doubt himself and is fascinated by the witches. This shows that he is unconfident with himself and changes the perspective on Macbeth entirely for what it was from when the captain was describing him.

Lady Macbeth: Lady Macbeth appears to be ambitious, smart and ruthless. She appears to be even a bit insane with some of the things she says and does. She is much more vicious than her husband and seems to do everything before he does. When she is first seen, she is already plotting Duncan's murder. Lady Macbeth is very demanding and gives orders to people but when it comes down to something that's needed to be done she is the one who wants to do it, making her independent. This ambitious and independent roll is presented throughout the story such as in lines 71-73 on page 33. "Only look up clear./ to alter favor ever is to fear./ Leave all the rest to me."

Banquo: Banquo is also perceived as an ambitious character just as Macbeth and lady Macbeth. But when he is talking to the three witches about his future, instead of doubting himself he doubts the witches. He begins to question them because he doesn't believe what they're saying and there appearance. This is shown on page 15 lines 39-43, "How far is't called to Forres?- What are these,/ So withered and so wild in their attire,/ That look not like th'inhabitants o'th' earth/ And yet are on't?-Live you? Or are you aught/ That man may question?" He appears to have a little more common sense than Macbeth and seems to be a smarter character.

2. The theme of Macbeth appears to be ambitious acts that are mistakes. Macbeth only wants to grow more powerful but doesn't really know what to do to receive this power. He bases his entire conquest on the three witches foretelling. All of these characters in Macbeth have great determination to do what is needed to be done but sometimes do it the wrong way. It seems as if what the theme is saying is if you do something bad it will come back around. Better judgment always gets you what you want.

3. A striking image I remember is when the three witches were singing and dancing around the cauldron. I probably remember this image the best because I was acting it out in class, but still it was sticking because they were chanting and singing spells.

Ella Thomson: The meanest woman in seven states.

Ella Thomson makes anti-semitic remarks about Jewish people. Why just the other day Ella was making Natalie and I do all the work, when Natalie decided to bring up how merciful God was. Ella, being the naughty child she was, made a snotty remark about Natalie's truthful statement. It was so unbelievably anti-semitic that I couldn't even believe my own two hearing devises. She yelled at the top of her puny lungs, "Natalie's Jewish so therefore she doesn't know what merciful means! I AM SO MEAN! HAHAHAHA!" It was absolutely terrible. I wept for a fort night just hearing the evil tongue she spoke. I really hope Ella learns from her mistakes and becomes a community activist for helping anti-semitic individuals.

(i may have exaggerated quite a bit)

Beowulf LRJ #3

1. Revenge is a key value in this section of Beowulf. The dragoon had burnt down Beowulf's home, his own city, and the best buildings in the city. Because of this, Beowulf became enraged with anger. This is shown in lines 2331-2336. "His mind was turmoil,/ unaccustomed anxiety and gloom/ confused his brain; the fire-dragon/ had raised the coastal region and reduced/ forts and earthworks to dust and ashes,/ so the war-king planned and plotted his revenge." Beowulf was furious and focused on nothing else but killing the dragon. When Beowulf dies, he hands down his legacy to his sons and the people of his city. He understands that he is leaving earth and he must leave what he can, behind. This is shown in, "Now should I give my sons/ my battle garments,/ but fate did not grant/ that I have these sons./ I ruled the people for 50 winters. Not one king among/ the neighboring peoples/ dared greet me/ with a sword;/ I feared no one."

2. This story is different from the other sections of Beowulf because in the end, the hero, Beowulf, dies. In the other stories he always pulls through and has victory over whomever he is fighting. It gives an entirely different vibe because the whole story showed that Beowulf was basically invincible, except for this section where he is killed.

3. Beowulf's death would be honorable because he died doing something that he was born to do, fighting for himself and his people. As he was dying he left his whole legacy to his sons and the others of his city. He also gained quite a bit of treasure, which he shared with his people. He also died heroically by fighting a huge fire-breathing dragon.

Beowulf LRJ #2

1. One value in the battle with Grendle's mother is revenge. Grendle's mother was very mad at Beowulf because he killed her son Grendle. She was furious because of this and wanted to seek her revenge and kill Beowulf for what he had done. This is shown in, "So his mother, greedy/and gloomy as the gallows,/ went on a sorrowful journey/ to avenge her son's death." Another value of this society is the need to help. They fill each other with confidence and help each other through tough times. This is shown when Beowulf is giving the king hope. '"Do not sorrow, wise king!/ It is better for a man/ to avenge a friend/ than mourn much."'

2. Basically the entire story of Beowulf is unrealistic. The monsters and amazing events that happen in it would never exist or happen in reality. "Grendel's mother, a monster/ woman, she who lived in/ the cold streams,/ thought of her misery." This is unrealistic because there are not any monsters that attack people on land that dwell in the water. These unrealistic touches to the story make it much more exciting and eventful. Without them the story would be more dull and boring.

3. My favorite quotes in this story are the ones that add suspense. "They did not know,/ that grim fate/ would come to many nobles/ after evening fell/ and powerful Hrothgar/ went to his house to rest." This quote keeps the reader wondering what will happen next. It gives a small clue to what will happen but there is still a big part missing. "Hard edged swords were drawn in the hall,/ swords off the benches,/ and many broad shields fast in hand,/ though they forgot about helmets/ and broad mail shirts when/ terror seized them." I like this quote because it shows how the soldiers were prepared to fight, but one little mistake left them all for death. I really like how it's worded as well. It uses very good details when describing the armor and it has a powerful way in telling how Grendel’s mother killed the soldiers.

Beowulf LRJ#1

1. In Beowulf, the Dane society valued a mead-hall called Herot. Herot was basically a place for people to read poems, eat, play music and interact with one another. It was the center of the Danes community. As shown, "So Hrothgar decided he would build a mead-hall,/ the greatest the world had/ ever seen, or even imagined./ There he would share out/ to young and old alike/ all that God gave him/ (except for public lands and men's lives). Another thing the Danes valued was religion. In Herot a poet would teach them all they needed to know about God and the creation of earth and people. This is shown in, "The Poet Told how the world/ came to be, how god made the earth/ and the water surrounding,/ how He set the sun and the moon/ as lights for people/ and adorned the earth/ with limbs and leaves for everyone."

2. Alliteration is used in Beowulf to make characteristics and descriptions more detailed. Alliteration is shown in the line, "The old king sat sadly". This puts emphasis on the way the king feels and how he is moving about. Alliteration is also shown in, "Poets sang sad songs throughout the world". This shows how the poets felt, and it creates a livelier and thicker description of the way they are singing, and how they are interacting with the rest of the world.

3. A kenning is a word that replaces a noun, which usually describes something. Kennings are shown in Beowulf such as "Well-braced", which describes the ship being strong and sturdy. It is used again in "War-clothes" which is shows a different and more interesting way of describing armor, and "sea-guard" which is just a different form of the protector of the sea. Kennings are much more interesting ways of saying boring nouns, and they give off more of a powerful meaning.

Antigone Paper (Antigone--guilty)

Listen, we all know that family comes first. Except in the court of law! Antigone buried her brother knowing that she was going to get punished for this crime. She may have thought she was being loyal to her family by burying her brother, but she was being disrespectful and disloyal to her uncle Creon, our king. Because Creon violated the laws of the state I have no choice but to prosecute her for her crime.

Antigone knew what she was getting into from the beginning. She knew that she would get prosecuted for such a crime, but carried through anyways. This is shown in paragraph 5. "For Creon this mater's really serious. Anyone who acts against the order will be stoned to death before the city." Therefore the consequences must stand. We can't let crimes like this just slip by. We need to show that we have a strong economy; when people are breaking laws like this, they must be punished.

Antigone even tried to get her sister, Ismene, involved with her plan to bury Polyneices. Ismene had some common sense and refused to help her sister. This is shown in paragraph 16. "I'm not disrespecting them. But i can't act against the state. That's not im my nature." She knew the punishments and the dangers of breaking the law.

I understand that Antigone was just trying to bury her brother because she was staying loyal to her family. But at the same time she wasn't being loyal to her family, because her uncle is our king, Creon. This shows disrespect and unforgivable sin. She needs to learn from her wrong doings and be punished for the things she has done.

Antigone buried her brother even though he was going against their own city, Thebes. She knew the consequences of what she was doing but ignored them. She disrespected her family and even tried to get her sister involved with burying Polyneices. Because Antigone violated the laws of the state, I find her guilty for burying her brother.

LRJ #2 - Antigone

- Antigone wants to have a proper burial for her brother, Polyneices, but she can't bury him because he was fighting against their city, Thebes. She carried through with it anyways and now Creon could kill her for it. Antigone is perceived as a very strong and stubborn woman, but also shows her loyal, and courageous care for her family. Lines 118-119 on page 824 show how she cares for her brother even though he went against their city. "It is my nature to join in love, not hate." Antigone really does not care what happens to her because she knows that what she is doing is right. This is shown in lines 107-108 on page 824. "There is no guilt in reverence of the dead."

- Antigone's fatal flaw was that she chose to bury her brother, because even though she thought she was doing the right thing, she would be vanquished from the city because of it. Her stubbornness led up to this because she refused stop at trying to get her brother buried. This is shown throughout many quotes in the story such as page 824, lines 107-108. "If that is what you think, I should not want you, even if you ask to come. You have made your choice and you can be what you want to be; but I will burry him; but if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me. Not the living who makes the longest demands. We die forever. You may do ask you like, since apparently the laws of the gods mean nothing to you."

- Antigone's anagnorisis is that she realizes that even though her uncle is the king, he still will not cut her any slack for her trying to bury Polyneices. He will still kill her no matter what. This is shown in paragraph 242. "O city of my fathers in the land of Thebe! O ye gods, eldest of our race!-they lead me henc--now, now-they tarry not! Behold me, princes of Thebes, the last daughter of the house of your kings,-see what I suffer, and from whom, because I feared to cast away the fear of Heaven!"

- Antigone's Peripeteia happens when she kills herself because she knew that the after life would be better than starving in a dark, cold, cave. She knew she was going to die for this crime all along, so rather than suffer. She decided to end her life right away. There was nothing else to live for and she was going to die anyway.

- The audience has a catharsis when Antigone is about to be sent off to the cave where she will starve. The audience is not sure what Creon is going to do with her and it is quite suspenseful. When the audience finds out that she will be sent off to a cave to starve, they feel very bad for her because she was only trying to do good. She does not deserve such harsh punishment because she was staying loyal to her family. This is shown in paragraph 235. "Tomb, bridal-chamber, eternal prison in the caverned rock, whither go to find mine own, those many who have perished, and whom Persephone hath received among the dead!"

- In Antigone, women seem portrayed as weak characters. There appears be the vibe that women cannot do anything on their own and they always need help from men. This is shown in when Haemon says this quote in paragraph 197, "If thou art a woman; indeed, my care is for thee." Even Ismene talks about how women should not fight against men because they would lose. This is shown in paragraph 16. " Nay, we must remember, first, that we were born women, as who should not strive with men;"