The Role of jealousy

In “The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice”, there are several characters besides Lago that displays an act of jealousy throughout the reading; for example Roderigo and Brabanzio. Roderigo is love with Desdemona and soon as he hears the news that she has married another man, he is jealous so he went to tell her father Brabanzio because he knew it was going to cause trouble. Roderigo and Lago stands outside of Brabanzio house yelling, Roderigo yells out “what ho, Brabanzio, signor Brabanzio ho!’(line78). They both knew they would get Brabanzio attention one way or another, he then states to him “As partly I find it is- that your fair daughter transported with no worse nor better guard, But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier, to the gross claps of a lascivious Moor”(lines 122-126). Brabanzio wanted to put an end to their relationship because he did not approve of his daughter marrying a Moor. As soon as he heard the news he believed that Othello tricked Desdemona into being with him. Brabanzio appeared jealous because he felt like his daughter went behind his back and got married without telling me. Brabanzio later tries to get Othello arrested” At every house I’ll call, I mat command at most. Get weapons ho, and raise some special offer.”(Lines 180-183) This statement shows me that he will do anything that is in his power to break his daughter marriage up, to me that is a sign of jealousy if your daughter has found happiness just let her me. Even if you feel like that person isn’t right for her, she will find out the hard way.

Shakespeare’s theme focuses on the different ways how jealously can be shown, but in this play jealously was a dangerous thing. This play shows how jealousy can start with one person and build up to something bigger than what it really is. For example, because of all the jealously that was going on many people were kilt due to false information that was given out from others.  Do you think jealously plays a big role in society today as much as it is exhibiting in this play? Why or why not?

Son-Jara and The Lion King

Even though, the epic of Son-Jara is compared to other great epics such as the Gilgamesh and the Iliad, I feel that Son-Jara isn’t as popular as others because of the language that the epic chose to use. “The epic of Son-Jara is the national epic of the Manding people, who inhabit what may be called the heartland of West Africa.”(pg. 2409) This epic is centered on African Culture and how they spoke as well as interacted with others it was meant for the people of West Africa. I believe most people did not want to take their time to understand what the reading was saying because of the different language that was used throughout the whole epic. Compared to the epics that we have read as a class they were centered on Western civilization and to me it was easier to interpret and I was familiar with the language that was used in other epics such as the Gilgamesh and the Iliad. For example, in Son-Jara some of the language that was used was hard for me to pronounce like, “They Kanu Simbon and Kanu Nyogon Simbon, settled in Wagadugu. They left Wagadugu, And they left Jaja”. (Lines 232-235) In most cases individuals that aren’t familiar with the language wouldn’t be able to relate back to it without having any knowing of the culture. Throughout the reading some of the language was understandable but at times it wasn’t because there were a lot of shape-shifting. For example, “the old mother went outside. She laughed out.Ha! Birth-givers!Hurrah!”The little mother has borne a lion thief” Thus gave the old mother Son-Jara his name”. (Line1140-1144) Son-Jara was then compared to lion because he was not able to walk so he crawled wherever he went; he was also violent as a lion. This part of the epic helped me understand how Disney decided to change this epic into the “The Lion King”. In Son-Jara he was described as a lion as I mention before, they changed many characters in “The Lion King” to relate back to the epic far as “Simba” to “Simbon”.  

  I honestly think it was a great idea to turn Son-Jara into a great story which was the “The Lion King”; Son-Jara is and was a good epic that was told by a Griot and a good example as an oral tradition tale. Disney changed the characters to animals to show the importance of the rank class during that time. As well as to show the comparison between that the king rules everything in this case was the lion and the sibling rivalry over the kingdom. The overall theme of both stories was the circle of life, and that you cannot fight destiny/fate no matter what happens in life. Was Son-Jara complicated for you to read, as it was for me? 

Who fits my lifestyle the most?

In Canterbury Tales, Chaucer presents many characters in his General Prologue to distinguish the different social identities. I can relate to several characters that he describes, but The Knight and the Franklin align with my charisma the most. The Knight aligns with my charisma in the ideas of his nobility and loyalty not his militant background. In Canterbury Tales, Chaucer states that, “A Knight there was, and that a worthy man, Who from the time when he first began To ride to war, he loved most chivalry, Truth and honor, Largesse and courtesy.” (663) The Knight was the perfect guy during that time as he fought in over fifteen battles, and always came out a winner. No other man had reach his standards, he was worthy to his commands and everyone loved him. At any event he was seated before any other Knight. Chaucer states “Not only was he worthy, he was wise” (663), “in all his life, no rude word he said to any man, however much his might. He was a true and perfect gentle knight.” (663) I can relate to his traits in so many ways, for example, I was the star player on my high school basketball team and I always got treated different from others. Coaches used to make sure I was in good hands before a game before they checked on anybody else. Even though I was showed all the attention I never looked down on my teammates or talked bad about any of them, I showed them the utmost respect. Also when there was a problem on the team I was always the peacemaker and spoke with intelligence at all times. If I was exactly like The Knight was in today’s society I would be considered a wealthy and well spoken person. This would place me in higher-class society, just like the Knight was considered in the Noble class in his time. The Nobles were like the High class today far as a doctor, lawyer, or a professional athlete is respected in today’s society.

I can relate to the Franklin because he was “A householder, and a full great on, was he ;(670). He always kept food in his house nobody was stocked better than he was, he always had new items in his household according to what season it was. Chaucer describe him as someone who thought  the way to perfect happiness was through pleasure, he takes pleasure in eating and drinking as well as providing for others through his generous engaging. Like Franklin, I enjoy seeing other people happy and like having good company. For example, I am a college student with my own stove in my college dorm and all of my teammates come to my room, because they know I don’t mind cooking team dinner for them. I always keep food in my freezer and stacks of goodies in my cabinets. I feel as long as we are all having a good time and I have good company around me that is all that counts. The alignment with the Franklin would place me in the lower or middle class today because our present day society does not value being there for one another and being sure your neighbor is comfortable. The nobles were like the higher class in the reading, I would be considered as chef/ Host in the president house. So which character describes you the most? 

Do you believe in the Qur’an or the Bible?

I believe that Qur’an is just like the bible, but used for Islamic culture. According to Muhammad he believes that the Qur’an is the righteous belief and no other belief is correct, for most people once they have learned one religion they stick to it.  The Qur’an has a lot of biblical references within the text, as many has stated that the Qur’an was written before the bible, somebody could have very well taken the ideas of it and put it into better worded when referring to the bible. I don’t agree with the Qur’an because it’s not my religion that I practice nor do I follow. I do have Family members that I am close to that studies Islamic it doesn’t bother me because everybody has their own judgment on what they believe in. As long as I have a strong faith in my God that is all that matters.

The biblical references are placed in the Qur’an to tell the readers that the bible took from the Qur’an in order to form the bible. In the bible both Gideon and Saul are military leaders of Israel between Exodus and Exile. In the book of Judges in the bible, Gideon is hesitant about leading the Hebrews to battle. To demonstrate God’s power, God tells Gideon to observe when the troops reach a river and whoever drinking it without his hands Gideon must send home.  In the Qur’an, the same thing happens to Saul on the way to meet Goliath. In the biblical account of Saul and Goliath, Saul is also hesitant about the battle with Goliath’s army. I believe that they both believe in the same thing but they just describe it in different ways. “I will wipe put your sins and admit you into the Gardens graced with flowering streams” (75). This made me think of the Garden of Eden because was the place created for man, which was Adam. In the Qur’an it was describe was in the same way but just different details.

The word Islam relates to the biblical references because of the meaning of Islam which is an Arabic word which literally means submission, obedience and peace. Islam is derived from the word ‘Aslam’ and the Arabic root “SALEMA” that means peace, purity, submission and obedience. It shows that everything that was written in the Qur’an was true, why would they lie if they are focused on the belief of the submission of the will of God. In the Quran it says “Those people who say that god is the Third of three are defying: there is only one God”(79). This quote means a lot to me because in so many words it is saying no matter who your God is there will only be one God that a person believes in. I am a Christian in I read the bible from time to time and while reading the Qur’an it allowed me see different things from a different view, it different test my faith but simply allowed me to get a better understanding of other people faith.  So how do we know which one was written first? 

 

Fate, Destiny or Curiosity?

Fate is a very significant theme in Oedipus The King, the whole story centers around fate. When Oedipus the King tries to escape fate that’s when everything begins to happen. In Greek Philosophy it’s believed that people’s fate is unchangeable and it’s prearranged. Greeks believed they should accept their fate flaws and all and that there is no way to escape it.  Oedipus knows that all that Thebes is going through is fate; he still tries to stop it.  He states, “And after careful thought, I’ve set in motion the only cure I could find: I’ve sent Kreon, my wife’s brother, to Phoibos at Delphi to hear what action or what word of mine will save this town.”(79-83) Because as we all know it is fated to happen he chose to send Kreon  to figure out what could be done to prevent it Instead of letting the plaque occur. Oedipus is so determined to stop what is going to happen that he doesn’t know it is going to come back on him worse than before.

The Gods, from day one, had already planned fate with Oedipus and Jokasta when they were born, “it was said that Laios was destined to die at the hands of a son born to him and me.”(829-830) Apollo made the prophecy to Laios and Jokasta that they would bear a son who would kill Laios and Oedipus would kill his father and lay with his mother. She then tries to escape it like everybody else, I believe from experience that every decision that you make affects the outcome of your present. I think fate is God’s plan. I believe that everything is already planned out from the beginning to end no matter how you look at it. As I learned every action has a reaction, most people may call it free-will but every person determine which direction there life will go.

Fate is also shown when Oedipus searches for the murder of Laios, and Tiresias tells Oedipus the truth about what happened; “You killed the man whose killer you know hunt”(435). When Tiresias tells Oedipus his fate, that he is the one that killed Laios, and that he can stop the search for the killer because he is the one that killed Laios.  Even when he was told his fate he did not want to believe it, he was still against the story. In most cases that is the first stage of the healing process, denial. Even in today world people do not want to hear things they do not believe.

Also when it was revealed to him that Jokasta was his mother, wife, and the mother of his children was the cause of the whole plaque: It was all too much for him that’s why he stabbed his eye. He said. “All! All! It all happened! It was all true. O light! Let this be the last time I look on you. You see now- the child who must not be born! I loved where I must not love! I killed where I must not kill!”(1336-1342). It shows his fate and why he felt he had no choice in choosing how his fate went.  When he explained how he does not wish to die but be punished for his actions, I believe he realized all that he had done and regretted it. Oedipus knew Jokasta couldn’t deal with her actions; he learned his lesson that you cannot hide from fate, seeing his mother kill herself out of guilt was enough for him. In most cases when people see their true fate in life they try their hardest to fulfill their purpose in life. So are you going allow fate to control your destiny or curiosity?

 

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com! This is your very first post. Click the Edit link to modify or delete it, or start a new post. If you like, use this post to tell readers why you started this blog and what you plan to do with it.

Happy blogging!