Writing Wednesday

"Twelfth Night"

Reading a play differs from reading a novel because in a novel the narrator says what is happening. In a play, the reader has to figure put what is going on, the interpreting the dialogues the characters are having throughout the play.

If "Twelfth Night" was a novel, it would be so much harder to understand the plot because Shakespearean language would make it very hard to interpret.

When reading a play, the imagery pictured in mind will determine the way the play and the characters are seen. In a novel the characters and the play are established in a certain way, determined by the director of the movie.

DUKE Orsino

Emiliano Zambrano
Ms.Sweezey
English II P-AP
February 14, 2013.

“Duke Orsino Character Analysis in Twelfth Night”

In the play “Twelfth Night or What you will” by William Shakespeare, the Duke Orsino is the protagonist. Orsino is madly in love with Olivia another noblewoman. The plot circles around Orsino’s obsession to try and get Olivia. Orsino’s love to one of his servants is also evident, even though it is a different kind of love; Orsino is also very connected to one of his servants Cesario. Cesario is who takes care of trying to get to Orsino’s love.
  As said before, Orsino is obsessed with Olivia. During the first two acts Orsino tries to get to Olivia by sending his servants to deliver messages. “O! Then unfold the passion of my love; Surprise her with discourse of my dear faith (Shakespeare, 40)” In this quotes it is possible to clearly see the way Orsino loves Olivia. This passage also illustrates how the duke is trying to get her. “Get thee to yond same sovereign cruelty; Tell her, my love, more noble than the world, Prizes no quantity of land, The parts that fortune hath bestowed upon her, Tell her, I hold as giddily as fortune; But ‘tis that miracle and queen of gems, That nature pranks her in, attracts my soul”(Shakespeare 91) After various scenes Orsino wanted one of his servants to say this to Olivia. That is another example of the obsession Orsino for Olivia.
Orsino’s love for Cesario is also evident, but it is a different love. ”There is no woman’s sides, Can bide the beating of so strong a passion, As love doth give my heart; no woman’s heart, So big, to hold so much; they lack retention. Alas! Their love may be called appetite, No motion of the liver, but the palate, That suffer surfeit, cloyment, and revolt; But mine is all as hungry as the sea, And can digest as much. Make no compare between that love women can bear me and that I owe Olivia (Shakespeare 96)” In this passage Orsino gives love advice to Cesario. Orsino certainly does not feel the way a normal master feels towards his servant. This, in my opinion, demonstrates that Orsino loves Cesario in a certain way.
In conclusion, Orsino expresses loves throughout the play. Firstly, Orsino shows the love he feels towards Olivia, which is an obsession. Then, the reader, evidently, sees how Orsino starts to bond with Cesario. Orsino is the main character because the whole play is talking about his love relationships, toward Olivia and towards Cesario.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William, “Twelfth Night”, Hauppauge, NY, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., 1984. Print.

Figurative Language in Pink Floyd

"Wish you were here"

            The following piece of writing will analyze the meaning of the lyrics in the song “Wish you were here” by Pink Floyd, as well the way the author includes figurative language to make the song significant.

            In the song , the main theme is someone that the author would like to be with. The tone is nostalgic. The song’s tone is mainly defined by the way Pink Floyd performs the song. The 70s band give a special mood to this song which we could consider a poem by incorporating the blowing of the wind in the song.

            We can observe various examples of figurative language in this song. First, the author introduces the song with a few antithesis to explain the way he feels with that someone missing. For example: “So, So you think you think you can tell Heaven from Hell”, the author in comparing Heaven, the way he feels when he has that, with an opposite Hell which makes allusion to the way he feels without that. Then, the author includes several rhetorical questions to note the way he feels without that person. Like we can see on this quote “Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rain?”, the author is noting that the difference between a green field and a cold steel rain is the same as being with or without that person. Finally, the whole song is a hyperbole because it exaggerates the fact of not being with that person.

            The lyrics of the song express a feeling of inadequacy, that is a consequence of being away from that person, nevertheless the way the band plays the music is without a doubt what makes this song be such a meaningful piece of art. Perhaps that is why most of this song is instrumental.

            In conclusion, figurative language is present in different types of artwork other than literature. We can also determine that figurative language helps authors give a tone and a mood to a piece of art.

Diary

            Diary:

            Today, some people came into my house; my mom wasn’t there. I was all by myself. They took all of our food. When my mom got back, I told her what happened. She said we didn’t have anything to eat that night. I didn't know what to think. I was scared.

            For as long as I can remember, it has been my mom and I. My mother is one of the revolutionaries fighting for equality. I think its fine that she is fighting for equality, but she is everything I have. I could not live out with her. If something happens to her I have no one else. Sometimes I wish we could go back to our regular lives. I miss going to school. I miss eating every time I am hungry. I miss living fearless.

            Every day in the last couple of months, since the Revolution started, I have been scared at all times. I think we all should fight to get what we want, but that can be frightening at times. I just dream of the day when all this ends forever, that day  when we will all live safe, when we will all eat  and when we will all be fearless. But until that day comes, we need to remain calmed and support the Revolution. 

Corrections "Society's Model"

"Society's Model"
Heroes in ancient stories and heroes in current stories share many common traits. such as, heroes often have a mentor. For example, Odysseus’ mentor is Athena, who helps him throughout his journey. We can see that kind of situations in recent movies, such as Star Wars, when Obi-Wan Kenobi mentors Luke Skywalker in his journey. Even though heroes in ancient tales are alike in many other aspects, this essay will just be focused in one characteristic.

An epic hero is the model of the idealistic person in a society. They represent everything that society believes a perfect citizen should be. In The Odyssey, this is well established. Odysseus clearly represents a perfect ancient Greek. Odysseus is a great warrior, and Greeks considered war a very important aspect of their society. Odysseus is also a clever man with great leadership skills. No society would not want a clever leader between them. Odysseus is an honorable man. In almost every ancient society, including the Greek, honor was the most important value. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is known among Greece as a very honorable man. Odysseus is held in Ogygia by Calypso. She is beautiful; Odysseus could stay with her forever and become immortal. Odysseus chooses to try to go back to his wife Penelope, even though the journey to get back with her might kill him, and even though he gets home, he will not be with a goddess or become immortal. He still goes back to his wife. This shows that Greeks considered loyalty and family very important in their society.

Just as in The Odyssey, in the movie Captain America, some of the United States’ ideal characteristics are represented. Nevertheless the influence of the hero’s traits are not as evident. Captain America’s dream is to go to war and fight for his country. North American society considers nationalism one of the most essential aspects of a perfect North American. This society also has great pride on the citizens that honor their country in war, and everything Captain America did honored his country in  World War II.

In conclusion, stories and societies have evolved over the years. Nowadays stories, told in movies for example, don’t have the same objective that they had in the ancient societies. Societies have different priorities and more open-minded. But Even if stories and societies keep evolving, people will always want to identify somehow with the heroes in the stories. Societies want to see in a hero what they think a perfect human would be, that is a simple thing that would make a diverse society come together.

Heroic Characteristics

Homer, the blind poet, portrays Odysseus with the ideal characteristics an ancient Greek would have. In epic poems or stories there is a hero, that heroes represents what are the values and characteristic a perfect citizen should have in a specific society. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is full of those values and characteristics. First, his entire journey is a consequence of the Trojan War. It is clear that the Greeks considered war the most important, and if not, one of the most important things a perfect Greek must include in its like. Then, he is really respectful of religion; he respects the gods and tries to address the immortals in the best possible manner. As it is known, the Ancient Greek Society was a very religious one. Finally, Homer adds to Odysseus other characteristics that Greeks would find important to have. Odysseus is very clever; he is a man trying to get back with his family. He is always in the pursuit of victory. Along with others, these characteristics are common in most epic heroes because any society would find beneficial to have citizens that behave in this ways.

            Even though Odysseus has many heroic and mostly good characteristics, He has flaws; it does not mean that a perfect Greek should have flaws. What Homer trying to establish, is the way Odysseus overcomes his flaws to succeed in his journey. For Example, Odysseus tends to be an arrogant and sarcastic person. He overcomes this when he addresses Kings and gods that will help him at every stage of this journey. The humble way, in which he approaches the important people throughout his journey, will make him get additional help from both, mortals and immortals.

            In conclusion, Odysseus characteristics contain cultural information about the ancient Greece. Heroes in every epic will have this type of characteristics.

Societies' Model

Heroes in ancient stories and heroes in current stories have a lot of common traits. There is a handful of examples. Heroes often have a mentor. For example, Odysseus’ mentor is Athena, and she helps him throughout his journey. We can see that kind of situations in recent movies, such as Star Wars, where Obi-Wan Kenobi mentors Luke Skywalker in his journey. Even though heroes in ancient tales are alike in many other aspects, this essay will just be focused in one characteristic.

An epic hero is the model of the idealistic person in a society. They represent everything that society believes a perfect citizen should be. In the Odyssey, that is well established. Odysseus clearly represents a perfect ancient Greek. Odysseus is a great warrior, and Greeks considered war a very important aspect of their society. Odysseus is also a clever man with leadership. I do not think any society would not want a clever leader between them. Odysseus was an honorable man. In almost every ancient society, including the Greek, Honor was the most important value. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is known all along Greece as a very honorable man. Odysseus is held in Ogygia by Calypso. She is beautiful; Odysseus could stay with her forever and become immortal. Odysseus chooses to try to get back with his wife Penelope, even though the journey to get back with her might kill him, and even when he gets home, he will not be with a goddess or become immortal. He still gets back with his wife. This shows that Greeks considered loyalty and family very important in their society.

Just as in the Odyssey, in the movie Captain America some of the United States’ idealistic characterists are represented, nevertheless the influence of the hero’s traits is not as evident. Captain America’s dream is to go to war and fight for his country. North American society considers nationalism one of the most essential aspects of a perfect North American. This society also has great pride on the citizens that honor their country in war, and everything Captain America did is honor his country in the World War II.

In conclusion, stories and societies have evolved over the years. Now a days stories, told in movies for example, don’t have the same objective that they used to have in the ancient societies. Societies have different priorities and more open minds. But Even if stories and societies keep evolving, people will always want to be identified somehow with the heroes in the stories. Societies want to see in a hero what they think a perfect human would be, that is a simple thing that would make a diverse society come together.