Please come to class next Tuesday, April 8, to write your essays on Stones and The Boat.
If you have posted your commentary on the two stories, view your colleagues' posts before Tuesday.
If you have not commented on the two stories, write your commentary on a word document BEFORE YOU VIEW THE BLOG. Once you have finished, post it in the course blog. Please do ths before the essay date, April 8.
If you read the posts before you add your own, you will feel that there is nothing to add, but if you prepare it before viewing the blogs, you will be able to add your own commentary.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
"Othello" Posts Deadline: Tuesday April 8
Shakespeare's Othello. It is in the course text: Pocket Anthology.
As you are reading, take note of the qualities of the major and minor characters in the play. Your post should consist of descriptions of two major and two minor characters.
The deadline for this assignment is April 8, 2008.
Please note the grade breakdown, which, as agreed when the blog option was offered, gives more weight to blog posts. Remember to post your comments on past blog assignments, even if deadline has been missed. The penalty will be calculated at a later date.
As you are reading, take note of the qualities of the major and minor characters in the play. Your post should consist of descriptions of two major and two minor characters.
The deadline for this assignment is April 8, 2008.
Please note the grade breakdown, which, as agreed when the blog option was offered, gives more weight to blog posts. Remember to post your comments on past blog assignments, even if deadline has been missed. The penalty will be calculated at a later date.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
TUESDAY 18 DEADLINE (TEST CENTRE): Commentary Essay in Test Centre
In class today (March 11, 08), we had an introductory discussion of Amilia Lanyer's "Eve's Apology in Defense of Women" and its relationship with Adam and Eve's stories in Milton's "Paradise Lost".
After reading Sam and Francois' posts as well as my feedback, write a commentary essay on Amilia Lamyer's "Eve's Defense of Women" (below). A copy of the poem will be available in the Test Centre, where you should complete the commentary essay by Tuesday March 18, 2008.
Here are some questions to consider in your commentary:
1. What are the speaker's arguments?
2. How does she defend women?
3. How does she indict men (Adam and Plotinus)?
Try to paraphrase the arguments in your own words. You should paraphrase at least five stanzas from the poem (below) to answer the questions above. If you have questions, please post them on the blog, and one of the students who were in class will respond.
Now Pontius Pilate is to judge the Cause
Of faultlesse Jesus, who before him stands;
Who neither hath offended Prince, nor Lawes,
Although he now be brought in woefull bands:
O noble Governour, make thou yet a pause,
Doe not in innocent blood imbrue thy hands;
But heare the words of thy most worthy wife,
Who sends to thee, to beg her Sauiours life.
"Let barb'rous crueltie farre depart from thee,
And in true Iustice take afflictions part;
Open thine eies, that thou the truth mai'st see,
Doe not the thing that goes against thy heart,
Condemne not him that must thy Sauiour be;
But view his holy Life, his good desert.
Let not vs Women glory in Mens fall,
Who had power giuen to ouer-rule vs all.
"Till now your indiscretion sets vs free,
And makes our former fault much lesse appeare;
Our Mother Eue, who tasted of the Tree,
Giuing to Adam what shee held most deare,
Was simply good, and had no powre to see,
The after-comming harme did not appeare:
The subtile Serpent that our Sex betraide,
Before our fall so sure a plot had laide.
"That vndiscerning Ignorance perceau'd
No guile, or craft that was by him intended;
For had she knowne, of what we were bereau'd,
To his request she had not condiscended
But she (poore soule) by cunning was deceau'd,
No hurt therein her harmelesse Heart intended:
For she alleadg'd Gods word, which he denies,
That they should die, but even as Gods, be wise.
"But surely Adam can not be excused,
Her fault though great, yet hee was most too blame;
What Weaknesse offerd, Strength might haue refusde,
Being Lord of all, the greater was his shame:
Although the Serpents craft had her abusde,
Gods holy word ought all his actions frame,
For he was Lord and King of all the earth,
Before poore Eue had either life or breath.
"Who being fram'd by Gods eternall hand,
The perfect'st man that ever breath'd on earth;
And from Gods mouth receiu'd that strait command,
The breach whereof he knew was present death:
Yea hauing powre to rule both Sea and Land,
Yet with one Apple wonne to loose that breath
Which God had breathed in his beauteous face,
Bringing vs all in danger and disgrace.
"And then to lay the fault on Patience backe,
That we (poore women) must endure it all;
We know right well he did discretion lacke,
Beeing not perswaded thereunto at all;
If Eue did erre, it was for knowledge sake,
The fruit beeing faire perswaded him to fall:
No subtill Serpents falshood did betray him,
If he would eate it, who had powre to stay him?
"Not Eue, whose fault was onely too much loue,
Which made her giu this present to her Deare,
That what shee tasted, he likewise might proue,
Whereby his knowledge might become more cleare;
He neuer sought her weakenesse to reproue,
With those sharpe words, which he of God did heare:
Yet Men will boast of Knowledge, which he tooke
From Eues faire hand, as from a learned Booke.
"If any Euill did in her remaine,
Beeing made of him, he was the ground of all;
If one of many Worlds could lay a staine
Vpon our Sexe, and worke so great a fall
To wretched Man, by Satans subtill traine;
What will so fowle a fault amongst you all?
Her weakenesse did the Serpents words obay;
But you in malice Gods deare Sonne betray.
"Whom, if vniustly you condemne to die,
Her sinne was small, to what you doe commit;
All mortall sinnes that doe for vengeance crie,
Are not to be compared vnto it:
If many worlds would altogether trie,
By all their sinnes the wrath of God to get;
This sinne of yours, surmounts them all as farre
As doth the Sunne, another little starre.
"Then let vs have our Libertie againe,
And challendge to your selues no Sov'raigntie;
You came not in the world without our paine,
Make that a barre against your crueltie;
Your fault beeing greater, why should you disdaine
Our beeing your equals, free from tyranny?
If one weake woman simply did offend,
This sinne of yours, hath no excuse, nor end.
"To which (poore soules) we neuer gave consent,
Witnesse thy wife (O Pilate) speakes for all;
Who did but dreame, and yet a message sent,
That thou should'st haue nothing to doe at all
With that just man; which, if thy heart relent,
Why wilt thou be a reprobate with Saul?
To seeke the death of him that is so good,
For thy soules health to shed his dearest blood.
After reading Sam and Francois' posts as well as my feedback, write a commentary essay on Amilia Lamyer's "Eve's Defense of Women" (below). A copy of the poem will be available in the Test Centre, where you should complete the commentary essay by Tuesday March 18, 2008.
Here are some questions to consider in your commentary:
1. What are the speaker's arguments?
2. How does she defend women?
3. How does she indict men (Adam and Plotinus)?
Try to paraphrase the arguments in your own words. You should paraphrase at least five stanzas from the poem (below) to answer the questions above. If you have questions, please post them on the blog, and one of the students who were in class will respond.
Now Pontius Pilate is to judge the Cause
Of faultlesse Jesus, who before him stands;
Who neither hath offended Prince, nor Lawes,
Although he now be brought in woefull bands:
O noble Governour, make thou yet a pause,
Doe not in innocent blood imbrue thy hands;
But heare the words of thy most worthy wife,
Who sends to thee, to beg her Sauiours life.
"Let barb'rous crueltie farre depart from thee,
And in true Iustice take afflictions part;
Open thine eies, that thou the truth mai'st see,
Doe not the thing that goes against thy heart,
Condemne not him that must thy Sauiour be;
But view his holy Life, his good desert.
Let not vs Women glory in Mens fall,
Who had power giuen to ouer-rule vs all.
"Till now your indiscretion sets vs free,
And makes our former fault much lesse appeare;
Our Mother Eue, who tasted of the Tree,
Giuing to Adam what shee held most deare,
Was simply good, and had no powre to see,
The after-comming harme did not appeare:
The subtile Serpent that our Sex betraide,
Before our fall so sure a plot had laide.
"That vndiscerning Ignorance perceau'd
No guile, or craft that was by him intended;
For had she knowne, of what we were bereau'd,
To his request she had not condiscended
But she (poore soule) by cunning was deceau'd,
No hurt therein her harmelesse Heart intended:
For she alleadg'd Gods word, which he denies,
That they should die, but even as Gods, be wise.
"But surely Adam can not be excused,
Her fault though great, yet hee was most too blame;
What Weaknesse offerd, Strength might haue refusde,
Being Lord of all, the greater was his shame:
Although the Serpents craft had her abusde,
Gods holy word ought all his actions frame,
For he was Lord and King of all the earth,
Before poore Eue had either life or breath.
"Who being fram'd by Gods eternall hand,
The perfect'st man that ever breath'd on earth;
And from Gods mouth receiu'd that strait command,
The breach whereof he knew was present death:
Yea hauing powre to rule both Sea and Land,
Yet with one Apple wonne to loose that breath
Which God had breathed in his beauteous face,
Bringing vs all in danger and disgrace.
"And then to lay the fault on Patience backe,
That we (poore women) must endure it all;
We know right well he did discretion lacke,
Beeing not perswaded thereunto at all;
If Eue did erre, it was for knowledge sake,
The fruit beeing faire perswaded him to fall:
No subtill Serpents falshood did betray him,
If he would eate it, who had powre to stay him?
"Not Eue, whose fault was onely too much loue,
Which made her giu this present to her Deare,
That what shee tasted, he likewise might proue,
Whereby his knowledge might become more cleare;
He neuer sought her weakenesse to reproue,
With those sharpe words, which he of God did heare:
Yet Men will boast of Knowledge, which he tooke
From Eues faire hand, as from a learned Booke.
"If any Euill did in her remaine,
Beeing made of him, he was the ground of all;
If one of many Worlds could lay a staine
Vpon our Sexe, and worke so great a fall
To wretched Man, by Satans subtill traine;
What will so fowle a fault amongst you all?
Her weakenesse did the Serpents words obay;
But you in malice Gods deare Sonne betray.
"Whom, if vniustly you condemne to die,
Her sinne was small, to what you doe commit;
All mortall sinnes that doe for vengeance crie,
Are not to be compared vnto it:
If many worlds would altogether trie,
By all their sinnes the wrath of God to get;
This sinne of yours, surmounts them all as farre
As doth the Sunne, another little starre.
"Then let vs have our Libertie againe,
And challendge to your selues no Sov'raigntie;
You came not in the world without our paine,
Make that a barre against your crueltie;
Your fault beeing greater, why should you disdaine
Our beeing your equals, free from tyranny?
If one weake woman simply did offend,
This sinne of yours, hath no excuse, nor end.
"To which (poore soules) we neuer gave consent,
Witnesse thy wife (O Pilate) speakes for all;
Who did but dreame, and yet a message sent,
That thou should'st haue nothing to doe at all
With that just man; which, if thy heart relent,
Why wilt thou be a reprobate with Saul?
To seeke the death of him that is so good,
For thy soules health to shed his dearest blood.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
First Blog Assignments (due March 4, 2008)
Due March 4, 2008
Comment on
1. Eve's story in John Milton's "Paradise Lost". We have discussed Adam's story. What I would like is a comparison between his and Eve's stories. What are the differences, and what are the similarities? Both stories can be found online (Google Search "Adam's Story" and "Eve's Story"; there are many sites).
The focus of our in-class discussion on Adam's story was the way in which Adam concludes that there is a Creator. We looked at the different steps he has taken to reach that conclusion before we looked at his dissolution. These steps can be roughly represented as knowledge gained through (a) use of the senses, (b) excercise of reason, and (c) meditation or mystical dissolution or meditation. What about Eve's story?
2. Two exerpts from Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. I am looking for a comparison with Adam and Eve's stories. First look at Chapter 2 (especially page 2) in www.biblomania.com or http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/17/31/frameset.html and then look at Chapter 6, especially pages 7 and 8. In the latter, how does the dicussion between Crusoe and Friday resemble or differ from (a) Crusoe's own thinking in Chapter 2, (b) Adam story and (c) and Eve's story.
Please write your FULL NAME and answer numbers 1 and 2 in ONE ENTRY. The last entry appears last in the blog, so scroll down.
Your comments should be in between today February 26 and March 4, 2008.
Comment on
1. Eve's story in John Milton's "Paradise Lost". We have discussed Adam's story. What I would like is a comparison between his and Eve's stories. What are the differences, and what are the similarities? Both stories can be found online (Google Search "Adam's Story" and "Eve's Story"; there are many sites).
The focus of our in-class discussion on Adam's story was the way in which Adam concludes that there is a Creator. We looked at the different steps he has taken to reach that conclusion before we looked at his dissolution. These steps can be roughly represented as knowledge gained through (a) use of the senses, (b) excercise of reason, and (c) meditation or mystical dissolution or meditation. What about Eve's story?
2. Two exerpts from Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. I am looking for a comparison with Adam and Eve's stories. First look at Chapter 2 (especially page 2) in www.biblomania.com or http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/17/31/frameset.html and then look at Chapter 6, especially pages 7 and 8. In the latter, how does the dicussion between Crusoe and Friday resemble or differ from (a) Crusoe's own thinking in Chapter 2, (b) Adam story and (c) and Eve's story.
Please write your FULL NAME and answer numbers 1 and 2 in ONE ENTRY. The last entry appears last in the blog, so scroll down.
Your comments should be in between today February 26 and March 4, 2008.
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