Romeo and Juliet Play Reflection

The ninth grade english class took on a challenge this monday morning. They had to memorize a section of the monologue said by either Romeo or Juliet during the Capulet Orchard scene and perform it in front of the whole class. I was Romeo, and being him has been a lot of fun. Somehow, it amuses me to see a guy with so much to say. Either way as fortune has it, my partner and I were selected to go first and the rest didn't went as well as I hoped. First of all, I couldn't stop giggling a bit as I recited my lines. My partner is a boy and it seemed kind of funny to me at that time that our roles should have been reversed. That was problem number 1. Problem number 2 was the fact that I wasn't very into my acting. Apparently, I still hadn't got the lines down to an art and the words could not just flow through me. I made hand gestures, but they were relatively small. Something else I felt that I could have improved on is to cooperate with my partner better before the performance. My partner and I didn't act like a couple, but like two strangers who had never seen each other ( and still hasn't) throughout the play. This part I would like to correct. In general, I felt this performance was a pretty rewarding experience. Performing, to me now, seemed less of a mental dread. Perhaps one day I could finally get out of my shell and act in a real play.

pg. 789 Odyssey Part 2 Quick write.

Every bird's got to leave its nest. One day, all of us will leave home to soar in the skies. As the wind rippled across our face as we glided through the free, open air with gracious vigor, we couldn't help but miss home. After years of wondering and accomplishing, one day, you decided to return to your old home. At that time, people will have different reactions. Some will feel incredibly nostalgic. Those are the sentimental types. One can observe their eyes widen at the sight of their homeland. They would step in gently, nimbly, and almost soundlessly. Their fingers will strike the bark of the old oak tree they spent so much time as a child under, and they lie stare up the mountains the way they used to when they were little. Tears would then swell in their eyes as a feeling of happy joy reached them. Another type would be so set on seeing their homeland that they would dash directly for their house and family. This is the energetic and impatient type. Another type would be hesitant at the doorsteps of their home, afraid. So much could have changed since their last arrival and they are afraid to find out what those changes are. There is also another type that contained all the qualities combined. He or she can be nostalgic, joyous and afraid at the same time. Personally, I would probably be a combination of all. I'm sure many would agree.

Difference between epic poem and the movie of Cyclops from the Odyssey

There are much difference between the movie and the epic poem laid out by master Homer. In the epic poem, Odysseus and his men waited in the cave for one full night before striking. In other words, they stayed in the cave for one night and one morning until Cyclops returned the next day. In the movie, however, the entire event of the eye-stabbing and escaping happened within the same night. Only two men were devoured in the movie when in the poem, six were. The first two were sacrificed in the first evening, two more for breakfast, and two more for the following evening when Odysseus planned his escape. Cyclops in the movie also didn't let any of his sheep into his cave, and therefore, Odysseus and his men did not escape the way they did in the book- by riding on the belly of one sheep chained to two other ships.He in the movie, escaped by putting sheep fur on top of his body.  Cyclops, of course, did not touch any of the sheep's head the way he touched it in the poem. In the epic poem, Odysseus also presented to Cyclops several bowls of wine( three?) before Cyclops passed out, and in the movie, only one bowl was presented. In the epic poem, Odysseus encouraged his four other men and they lunged the stick into Cyclops's eye together,  in the movie, only four men finished the task. When Cyclops screamed for help in the movie, his dialogue was shortened. Instead of saying " Nohbdy's Nohbdy's tricked me. Nohbdy's ruined me." in the movie, his dialogue was shorten into simply: " Nobhbdy's blinded me!" Quite interesting. Also, at the end of this story in the epic poem, Odysseus ordered his men to drive Cyclops's sheep onto his ship and row away quickly, the movie, nothing like that happened. After Odysseus and his men escaped and Cyclops launched his rock( in the story it was a hilltop)  at their ship, Odysseus's men complained to him for not being discreet but Odysseus did not listen. This part of the dialogue was cut out from the movie. Finally, in the end of the poem, Cyclops once begged Odysseus to return, that part was cut from the movie as well. Cyclops in the epic poem cursed Odysseus directly only after Odysseus provoked him further by saying if he could take Cyclops's life he would throw him into hell where Posiden cannot save it. In the movie, this part was eluded. I could go on and on about the major differences but the rest are mainly the elude of dialogue to make the movie a bit less tiring and ransom. Just another note, in the poem, Odysseus drove a steaming pike into the Cyclops eye while in the movie that wasn't exactly the case. There was also a guy in the movie that plays an instrument and was not mentioned in the poem.

From the Odyssey, Part One.

When thinking of a hero, the image of superman and spiderman would immediately come to mind. Yet what is it about these characters that made them heroes? What is it about all heroes that made them " heroic?" An important part of being a hero is the willingness to sacrifice yourself for the sake of others. That,  is one of the most obviously important forte every hero contains. Of course, it would be a big bonus if the hero happened to have some sort of talent that stand them out from everybody. There is also something within every hero that people tend not to see. Every hero has to be human, in other words, mortal. To better rephrase this statement, every hero had to have a weak point. No hero is absolutely invincible. What is the good of a person who is already naturally great at everything? What is the admirable quality in that? Some characters I found heroic are 1) Eric from the Phantom of the Opera, 2) D'Artagnan Romances from the Man Behind the Iron mask, and 3) the little mermaid from the famous children tales. Eric from the Phantom of the Opera was an ingenious soul trapped beneath an ugly face. In the end, he was to sacrifice his happiness for the sake of Christine's. Eric was smart, but he was also mortal. He was human, and he had a flaw. The fact that he is not invincible simply makes his sacrifice even more heroic. In the story " The Man behind the Iron mask" D'artagnan Romances is the main protagonist who stood loyal to the king of France. In the end of the novel, he was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of his friends. He was also vincible as he had also been imprudent. He was also capable of getting hurt. Just like Eric, his vinciblility places his courage in a more amiable light. The last hero I have on the list was a rather uncommon one. The little mermaid was a mermaid who sacrificed herself for the sake of love and her prince. That was sacrifice. THe Littler Mermaid also had a fatal flaw- she could not walk without burning sensations up her legs and she could not speak. These two forces made her fatal, and her decision to sacrifice became even more heroic then ever. I think being mortal and willing to sacrifice is a universal content for all heroes throughout the world. There are, however, some parts of the world who considered heroes to be invincible at all costs. Some cultures thought of gods as heroes, and they are invincible. But the majority such as the United STates, would still consider heroes to be brave, but human. So these heroic qualities I described doesn't only reflect my culture.

Example of Deception: The Inside is different from the outside

Deception is one of those factors humans ingot that leads to a delicious drama, partially due to the extremely negative feelings the victim experience after realizing him or her has been deceived. There are a few cases when a huge part of the public was deceived by those who claimed they were committing a good cause. This type of deception places made the deceptions most despicable and place them in the least amiable light. An excellent example of this sort of deception is the ones done by some charity organization. The organization persuaded the public to donate money to help out the less fortunate somewhere else around the globe, but in truth, the donated money did little to help anyone but the organizer's bank accounts. An example is the Civic Development Group that was based off on New Jersey. The money the organization claimed to have been " donated" actually went into its two founder's bank accounts. The inside of this charity organization sure is different from what it seems on the outside. Another example is the Police Survivor Fund that claimed to be funding for the police officer's families who died during the September 11 attack. The charity organization collected an estimation of half a million dollars, but paid only 24500 to the families in need. The United Homeless Organization also served a similar disappointment. Most of the money collected were served for personal uses instead of public usage. These organizations deceived the public by claiming and seeming to be one thing, but was deep inside the other. It certainly does not feel pleasant to be deceived, and many these days glanced at all charity organizations with weary eyes. The charity culture seemed to have been polluted by the few who practiced the concept of deception. What a shame.
I now discovered that a classmate is doing a similar topic as I am doing so I decided to provide a second example. A few years ago a taiwanese baseball player had faked losses against another team after being bribed. People at that time used to have high respects for the team and were willing to spend the valuable time they had on devoting to watch the game. Even the president's wife showed up and was sitting in one of the best seats cheering the team on. Yet who would have known it was all a planned fake and that there was not actually any real " game" going on? The baseball player was bribed with females and money in order to loose on purpose on the field. I found this act quite despicable. Very despicable actually.
Another resample just incase some one else did this example are those men who committed domestic violence in the urban society. MOst of these men seemed like the perfect gentlemen on the outside, but when they returned home and had a couple of drinks, they turned into something unthinkable by their dear wives. They never thought her husband's outside could conceal the fact that her husband was such a monster on the inside. BUt they were wrong, and that would become a mistake that they were regret deeply over the remaining years of that marriage. The wives were deceived by the husband's appearance by first few meetings that this would have never happened to them, but it did. In this case, the husband's appearance deceived the wives intentionally or unintentionally.

Beware of the Dog pg. 686

Sight is one of the dominant sense an organism could ever possess. As we wade and mellow our way slowly through the obstacles life throws in our face, we often times come across things and people whose appearance deceived and mislead us. I will admit that I have, several time. There had been times when I was prejudice against a classmate who does not appear all that intelligent at one particular time period. There had also been times when I was stupid and narrow-minded and looked down at people of a particular profession and race. I had been wrong most of the time. People are often much more then they appear. People may be mislead when they see an aggressive looking person with a dark scar across his or her face. They will automatically label these people criminals and distance their noble selves away from these so -called " criminals" . In truth, these " criminals" may be a person with a genuine, and kind nature, you never know. The people might be mislead due to stereotypical images that exhausted throughout movies and books that ported the antagonists as someone like that image. People may discover their initial reaction was wrong when they really got to know these people, and look at them, for the first time, beneath their skin and appearance. People also may be deceived by a person's ethnicity. An example being aborigneese. People might be mislead by their ethnicity and some may think of them as people who sang and dance all day long( which is a stereotype that is not necessarily true). They were mislead because of again, the media.  They, again, might discover they were wrong after getting to know these people. The rest of the example I had in mind have a similar content so I will simply list them: Race, Religion, and personality.

Animal Farm

Mr. Frederick is the leader of Germany as he represents Hitler and his actions throughout the book. Germany is smaller than England, and is better governed. Hitler is obviously tough and shrewd.  

Mr. Pilkington- the owner of Foxwood is the leader of England and the United States.England and the United States are the head of the ally force and are enemies with Germany. The United States and England to Russia could be large, neglected, and old fashioned as they clung to their capitalist ideals and not much was going on. They were probably overpopulated and developed. Leaders of England and the United States obviously would appear more friendly and easy-going, marking a sharp contrast between Germany and them. 

= Both Germany and the United States and England were looking for ways to turn Russia’s uprising into their advantages. Yet the countries were on opposing sides of the war, and that prevented them from collaborating forces. 

= It turned out that Russia seemed to first betray Russia and then turned to it for help when Germany attacked in the biggest militarist operation - Operation Barbarossa against Russia. It was the same in the novel when Germany at first traded with Foxwood, claiming they are the good guys. They also claimed the Pilkington was evil, but later came to trade with them instead.