Summative Entry

This semester has been personally very hard on me. I’ve been homesick, I’ve had financial problems and I’ve questioned many of my choices. I admit that I didn’t even show up to many of the lectures and tutorials because I just couldn’t find the energy and effort to think about Shakespeare. I kept trying to motivate myself, I know four languages and English is one of the languages that I love! I should and need to learn the history behind it. My love for this not only makes me want to learn it but it compels me to do it! Halfway through the semester I stumbled back to one of the tutorials which was on The Twelfth night. It resonated with so much anguish I had with the current situation that we have in the world that it peaked my interest in the subject. I was furious with myself, I had allowed these things to come in my way of learning, of understanding how the world works! And therefore, my blog hasn’t been up to date. I know that there is no excuse to my mistakes. I’ve bunched up all my blogs at the end to understand and grasp what I have missed out on. I also did all the peer reviews because I loved reading my classmates’ blogs. One of my favourite blogs is Anne-Marie’s. She inspires me so much.

I believe that there is a cycle of life that is constantly going on, no matter what time or year or technology. There will always be a Richard III, a King Lear, a Fool, and a fool’s fool. These experiences are so universal because these characters not only represent the time they were written in but the psychology of the person they were written about. There will always be an arrogant, power hungry person motivated by their deformities. Therefore, I think my blog I, Richard III is my best creative blog. To some extent I resonated with Richard. Although my deformities are not external, I believe they are internal. I don’t receive the hate that Richard feels but to some extent I have disliked some of my own feature and been critical about it. And I believe there is always a Richard III in us. Something that loathes themselves and internalizes all the arguments to push our self to be the best there is, to be a King. My best critical blog is 12. I truly started understanding Shakespeare and the Renaissance after this tutorial and I haven’t felt the same way about Shakespeare.

This unit was a journey in itself and oh what a journey it was.

 

12

The whole theme of 12th night has been deeper meanings. It has sentences that have double-entendres. In one of the lines that Feste uses in response to Viola, “No, sir. I live by the church”. This sentence implies that he lives next to a church but also that he lives by the teachings of the church and it could also mean that he makes a living off the church. This play makes you question meanings behind every sentence, both in the play and real life. This is one of the plays that peaked my interests and pulled me back to re-read it. It made me reflect on conversations that have happened in real life, every compliment, every criticism, every conversation. The complexity of the English language is vast and complex, and the roots of it lies in these texts that we are studying today. It has made me think of all the courtesies that English has: politeness, grammar, pronunciation. We can assess a person through all of these things. It has always held a meaning, their politeness, how they pronounce it, how fast they speak. But through this text I’ve realized how deep the complexities go beyond all of these. And through the 12 weeks of this unit, I’ve truly realized the value of the 12th night.

Nothing prettier than a full earth sky

 

Every time I turn around and see you, it gets more and more grey. Some say that change is good but I can’t get used to this. Your beautiful shades of green and blue keep getting duller and duller. I don’t know what is happening to you, my love. Are you trying to be more like me? Although I do like my appearance, I don’t think it suits you. You are my glowing goddess of green. Every shade more beautiful than other. I don’t know why you’re changing and I can’t do anything to stop it. All I can do is just stare at you from afar. Am I wrong to want to keep you from changing? Our life long relationship of admiration; don’t know if I’m also changing with you but I don’t see it.  I see all of these fleas running about you, having their own way. Are they hurting you? They’ve tried to come to me but I’m trying to keep them away. I’m scared. I’m scared of what they’ve done to you but I’m more scared of what they might do to me.

 

Death

“It is …Death alone that can suddenly make man to know himself.”?

It is said that when you’re about to die, everthing that you value the most in your life flashes before your eyes and everything that we regret and are proud of. And I agree strongly with this. Death is like a drying concrete which seals all the work you have done in you life. This is the only time when you can truly reflect on your life without any intent for progression.

It is the time when a person can truly contemplate on his life’s decision and what the have accomplished and what they want to accomplish, they see themselves in plain sight. If I was on my deathbed, I would think about if I had accomplished enough in my life to make my family proud of me, if I had accomplished enough to die happy. And one of the most amazing gifts would be to die content. But it is also impossible because if that were to happen, no person would be motivated to do anything. When a person does reach this position when they have no way to improve their position in life, then you truly know yourself as a person.

Peer Review #6

I’ll be reviewing Victoria’s blog “ It’s a fool’s Fools World “.

This is a very strong post, Victoria! I love the details that you’ve added in, including the latin inscriptions. I was trying to analyse the map on the image and I started seeing a creepy image of a face with sharp teeth grinning at me, a bit spooky. I loved your conclusion of the blog. Most blogs don’t have this, including mine. The informality of blogs just leaves a wider ending rather than a conclusion. Reading your blog was a pleasant change. Keep up the good work!

Cheers!
Prarthana

Peer Review #5

I’ll be reviewing Natasha’s blog ” Twelfth Night – How should a man act?“.

Natasha, I really liked your creative blog as Maria! At some parts I felt like you were talking to me; very authoritative and commanding. The picture is perfect for this blog – that blushed and outraged face complements your blog very much. I love the overall setup of your blog too, very bright and inviting.

Looking forward to reading more of your blogs!

Cheers!
Prarthana

Peer Review #4

I’ll be reviewing Daniel’s blog for Week 4.

Firstly I would like to say that I love the play on words for your title, “Daniel White Lit Blog” and it is definitely “lit”. I love your theme and the space-themed header image. This blog is really detailed. I found the second sentence of the first paragraph very repetitive, the phrasing just seemed a bit off. But I love how you gave your readers a background of how you are a history student and why these two paintings fancied you. As a fellow history student, I can understand when an object that is hundreds of years ago triggers a connection with the information in your brain and brings out fireworks in your brain. I really liked the way you’ve laid out the two painting and then put an explanation for it.

Great work, Daniel!

Need to get some salad dressing now! 😉

Cheers!
Prarthana

Peer Review #3

I’ll be reviewing Tamara’s blog “Language of Ladies“.

I love your analysis of Lady Anne’s speech. I am intrigued by your observation of how a women’s strength or defence is cursing in Shakespeare plays whereas a man’s weapon would’ve  been crying; it would be amazing if you could attach an example with this to really highlight your point. This blog post is very strong but it does have minor typos which can be fixed. Nonetheless, love the work you’ve put into this.

Looking forward to your other blogs.

Cheers!
Prarthana

Peer Review #2

This week I’ll be reviewing Samantha’s blog

Your blog is really nice Samantha! I love your Center of the Universe. It is well spaced out and very detailed. You have a lot of information and it is a very well researched blog. You’ve enticed some interesting thoughts about Shakespeare and Marlowe’s work. I had never thought of these two writers focusing on the major flaw in the philosophy of their time.

I’m looking forward to reading more of your work. Keep up the good work. I also love the images you’ve used and the placement of them.

-Prathu

The Faerie Queene

Lo I the man, whose Muse whilome did maske,
As time her taught, in lowly Shepheards weeds,
Am now enfrost a far unfitter taske,
For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds,
And sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds;
Whose prayers having slept in silence long,
Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds
To blazon broad emongst her learned throng:
Fierce warres and faithful loves shall moralize my song. 

The opening stanza of The Fairie Queene sounds almost like a prayer. The use of words in this stanza such as “Am now enfrost a far unfitter taske”,  he is bracing the audience for what is about to come and let them know that although he has been given this noble task, he may be unfit or unworthy of it. He is aware that the task in hand is great and if he completes this he will be praised as a knight and that he has people’s prayers that will be protecting him.

The language in the opening lines is very strong. In the first look, it was really hard to comprehend. But as it progresses to the second stanza it becomes clearer and clearer. He asks the holy virgin of nine to grant him the strength to carry out a task that only they can accomplish but with their support, he will attempt to take care of. Overall, it is very powerful not only in terms of the language he uses but also the strength he gathers upon with the use of his words to fight the monster.