Today we talked about the literary terms, and studied a little for the test on Wednesday. I feel like the literary terms is an area, in which I can improve on. We also talked about books that would be good for essay prompts questions that are on the blog. Discussing why which books would be good, due to the themes, etc.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Intro Essay
A scene that reveals the values of the characters and the society that they live in is in Macbeth, where Macbeth is at a party and he sees Banquo’s ghost. Macbeth had killed his best friend, Banquo, and was now being haunted by him. Only Macbeth could see him, and talk to him, making everybody around him think that he was going mad. This scene shows what Macbeth is, a morally corrupt human being, and what society is, dark and hopeless.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
A Reflection on Unstructured Learning
The first theme of the passage can be patience is a virtue. The character that is creating the costume first has to come up with the appropriate name for it. He doesn’t want to rush into anything without first getting the name. Even though it takes him a little more than two weeks to finally settle with a name. He knows that it is the perfect one.
Another theme could be that good things come in time. Not everything is going to happen to you at once. Some things take time to happen, which you have no control over. You just have to wait for that moment until it all comes together.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Three Essay Questions
1. Choose a distinguished novel or play in which some of the most significant events are mental or physiological: for example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. In a well-organized essay, describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. Do not merely summarize the plot
2. The conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority is the recurring theme of many novels, plays, and essays. Select the work of an essayist who is in opposition to his or her society; or, from a work of recognized literary merit, select a fictional character who is in opposition to his or her society. In a critical essay analyze the conflict and discuss the moral and ethical implications for both the individual and the society. Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose.
3. No prose selection (instead, had the following prompt: A character’s attempt to recapture or reject the past is important in many plays, novels, and poems. Choose a work in which a character views the past with such feelings as reverence, bitterness, or longing. Show with clear evidence how the character’s view of the past is used to develop a theme in the work.)
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Macbeth Notes
About the rise and fall of a great man. Macbeth isn’t theatrical; he doesn’t establish a relationship with the audience. Macbeth starts with a nice wife, castle, etc. He ends by being despised and alone. Macbeth is the only one doing something because he wants to, he makes the choice. He isn’t manipulated or coerced into something that he doesn’t want to do. It’s his own entire fault, he destroyed himself. Macbeth was always changing his mind, when it came to the murder of Duncan. On one hand he knows the immorality of his choices and the consequences, on the other he has the choice of being king. Macbeth as always tempted by the witches and took what they said for truth. While Banquo was always skeptical and resisted what the witches said.
The function of Lady Macbeth in the beginning was to keep Macbeth on the thought of becoming king, telling him to act on his desires. She did convince him to kill Duncan, however Macbeth still chose himself to do that. Lady Macbeth never threatened him. Lady Macbeth eventually feels the guilt and anguish of knowing about the murders, and goes mad. Macbeth could really care less. In the beginning he felt the guilt and dread of knowing he killed Duncan, but he eventually gets over it and becomes ruthless.
When Macbeth becomes king he embraces it. He is also overwhelmed with fear that he couldn’t deal with himself. He becomes ruthless and plans many other murders in order to, in his mind, protect the throne.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Macbeth Test
1.Macbeth won the respect of King Duncan by A. slaying the traitor Macdonwald. B. serving as a gracious host for his king. C. not pleading for advancement.
2. King Duncan rewarded Macbeth by dubbing him A. the Earl of Sinel. B. the Thane of Cawdor him. C. Bellona's bridegroom.
3. In addressing Banquo, the witches called him which of these? "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater." (I) "Not so happy as Macbeth, yet much happier." (II) "A future father of kings." (III) A. I and II B. I and III C. I, II, and III
4. When Macbeth said, "Two truths are told / As happy prologues" he was referring to A. his titles of Glamis and Cawdor. B. the victories against the kerns and gallowglasses. C. the predictions made to Banquo and to himself.
5. "Nothing in his life / Became him like the leaving it" is a reference to A. the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. B. Banquo's son, Fleance. C. Duncan's son, Donalbain.
6. Duncan's statement, "I have begun to plant thee and will labour / To make thee full of growing" is an example of A. a simile. B. a metaphor. C. personification.
7. Lady Macbeth characterizes her husband as being A. "the glass of fashion and the mould of form." B. "too full of the milk of human kindness." C. "a cannon overcharg'd with a double crack."
8. When Macbeth agonizes over the possible killing of the king, which of these does he say? "He is my house guest; I should protect him." (I) "Duncan's virtues will "plead like angels" " (II) "I am his kinsman and his subject" (III) A. I and III B. II and III C. I, II, and III
9. Macbeth's statement to his wife, "Bring forth men-children only" signifies that he A. is proud of his wife's transformation. B. is concerned over the succession to the throne. C. has accepted the challenge to slay the king.
10. As part of the plan to kill the king, Lady Macbeth would A. get the chamberlains drunk. B. smear Duncan's face with blood. C. arrange an alibi for Macbeth.
11. Trace Macbeth's transformation from a good man to an evil man. First, give evidence to prove that Macbeth is a good man at the beginning of the play. The strongest evidence is to be found in the way other people think of him. In Act I, Scene ii his courage is highly praised. The bloody soldier obviously admires his captain, and Duncan is moved when he is told of Macbeth's exploits. Quote the references to "brave Macbeth" and "noble Macbeth."
12. What motivates Macbeth to take the evil path he chooses? Macbeth is motivated by his ambition to be king. Show how that motivation is first revealed and how it operates throughout the play. Examine how Macbeth responds to the witches' prophecy that he will be king. Quote Banquo's references to Macbeth's being "rapt." Contrast Macbeth's reaction with Banquo's, demonstrating that Macbeth has a powerful desire to possess the crown.
13. What influence do the witches have on Macbeth? The point here is to investigate both the nature of the witches' power over Macbeth and the limits of that power. The section on the witches in the "Characters" section of this guide will help you.
14. Contrast Macbeth's response to the witches' predictions with Banquo's. What you are really contrasting is how two different people respond to temptation. There are two parts to their responses: how they respond immediately, and what they do as a consequence.
15. Describe the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Trace how it changes over the course of the play. At the beginning, they treat each other as equals. They have great concern for each other. He races to tell her the news about the witches; she immediately begins plotting how to gain her husband his heart's desire. Show how the murder of Duncan is a product of teamwork.
TEST 2
1. "Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible / To feeling as to sight?" is a reference to the A. ghost of Banquo. B. dagger. C. bubbling cauldron.
2. Lady Macbeth confessed that she would have killed King Duncan herself except for the fact that A. she couldn't gain easy access to his bedchamber B. he looked like her father C. one of Duncan's guards spied her on the to stairway
3. Shakespeare introduced the Porter in order to A. allow Macduff to gain admission to the castle. B. remind the audience of the Witches' prophecies. C. provide comic relief.
4. Malcolm and Donalbain flee after the murder A. because they fear the daggers in men's smiles. B. in order to join Macduff in England. C. lest they be blamed for it.
5. Macbeth arranges for Banquo's death by telling the hired killers that A. Banquo had thwarted their careers. B. if they fail, they will pay with their own lives. C. he will eradicate all records of their previous crimes.
6. Macbeth startles his dinner guests by A. conversing with the Ghost of Banquo B. attempting to wash the blood from his hands C. saying to Lady Macbeth that, "Murder will out."
7. The Witches threw into the cauldron "Eye of bat and tongue of frog"(I) "Wool of bat and tongue of dog" (II) "Fang of snake and eagle's glare" (III) A. I and II B. I and III C. II and III
8. The three apparitions which appeared to Macbeth were An armed head. (I) A child with a crown. (II) A bloody child (III) A. I and II B. II and III C. I, II, and III
9. In Act IV, Malcolm is at first lukewarm toward Macduff because he A. wasn't prepared to overthrow Macbeth. B. suspects a trick. C. wasn't worthy of becoming king, in his opinion.
10. Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane when A. the witches rendezvous with Macbeth. B. the camouflaged soldiers make their advance. C. Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to stand and fight.
11. What is the significance of the line "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (I, i, 10)? This line in the first scene tips us off that things will not be what they appear to be. Often, they will be just the opposite. This is a major motif in the play, and examples are numerous. Cite several. Point out that Macbeth's first line echoes almost exactly the witches' chant: "So foul and fair a day I have not seen." When the witches appear and tell Macbeth he will be king, Banquo asks why he seems afraid of things that "sound so fair?" We will learn that the "fair" news is actually foul. Macbeth will become king, and in doing so he will commit himself to a path of evil which will mean his death, and ironically, Banquo's. Choose several other examples and treat them the same way. You may want to focus on Lady Macbeth's instructions to her husband in Act I, Scene v, to "look like th' innocent flower, / But be the serpent undert" (lines 66-67). In other words, "look fair to cover your foul intentions." Show how she does exactly that when she greets Duncan and his party in the next scene. Other examples you can use are pointed out in the "Themes" section and the scene-by-scene analysis. You can also show how Macbeth's sense of good and evil is so corrupted that by the end "foul" and "fair" are indistinguishable to him.
12. How does Macbeth function as a morality play? Morality plays taught simple moral lessons. They depicted the struggle between the forces of good and evil to possess men's souls. The story of Macbeth is a warning to anybody who considers trying to get what he wants by doing something he knows is wrong. It cautions us that the most appealing temptations are often the most horrible traps. To show how the play gets that message across, chart how Macbeth is destroyed by giving in to temptation. Macbeth is hoodwinked by the witches, As you did in Question 3 of Test 1, list the things they tell him. Describe, how each prediction is like a delicious-looking apple which is actually poisoned. Read the scene-by-scene analysis for Act III, Scene v, for a discussion of how the witches give Macbeth a false sense of security. Security was a major theme of morality plays. The play also makes it clear that Macbeth is destroyed because evil is like a disease. Once you let it into your system, it will eat away at your insides until it kills you. Show how each murder necessitates another, and how none of the killings makes Macbeth feel any better.
13. How does Shakespeare use the technique of dramatic irony in Macbeth? Remember that dramatic irony is present when the audience knows something the characters, or some of the characters, do not. When Duncan and his party arrive at Macbeth's castle, they are unaware of the wicked plans that are being made. Their lighthearted, joking mood is ironic to us, because we know what they are really walking into. The scene-by-scene analysis for Act I, Scene vi, details the use of dramatic irony in this scene. Dramatic irony enriches the last act of the play. Macbeth has become a monster, but he's also become a pathetic figure. His desperation is obvious. Ten thousand troops are on their way to overthrow him; his own troops are deserting. And he places his confidence in the weird sisters-the hags whose suggestion that he would be king got him into this mess! We can see that he is doomed, but he cannot. He fights on, talking about his "charmed life." His failure (or refusal) to see what is obvious to us makes the end of the play much more powerful than it would be otherwise. Give several other examples of dramatic irony. You might use the scene after Duncan's murder, beginning with Macduff's entrance and continuing through the discovery of the crime. Find other examples.
14. How does Lady Macbeth overcome her husband's resistance to the idea of killing King Duncan? Lady Macbeth's resolution stands out in sharp contrast to Macbeth's wavering. One way she overcomes him is through sheer determination. Find several quotes from Act I, Scene vii, in which she makes him feel the strength of her determination. (Look at lines 54-59, for example.) She is not above insulting her husband to rouse him to action. Since she is his wife, her comments which question his manhood have an added kick. Finally, she neutralizes his fears with her practicality. After the murder she says, "'Tis the eye of childhood / That fears a painted devil" (Act II, Scene ii, lines 54-55). Find other ways in which she attempts to quiet his over-active imagination, or his visions.
15. Contrast Macduff's response to the news of his wife's and children's deaths with Macbeth's response to being told Lady Macbeth is dead The essential contrast is between a good, righteous man and a morally bankrupt one. Each man's response can be divided into three parts: 1. hearing the news; 2. accepting the news, and 3. what he does after. Examine the three stages for both men. Contrast how Macduff, who is virtuous, cannot believe the news at first. Once he accepts it, he feels the pain sharply. Macbeth, on the other hand, seems unsurprised and it is hard to tell if he feels any pain; life is meaningless, he says quickly, and everybody dies. Show the direction Macduff takes (a quest for righteous revenge). Compare it with the final, desperate, suicidal stand taken by Macbeth. Conclude by pointing out what we learn about the soul- destroying nature of evil by contrasting the two responses.
2. King Duncan rewarded Macbeth by dubbing him A. the Earl of Sinel. B. the Thane of Cawdor him. C. Bellona's bridegroom.
3. In addressing Banquo, the witches called him which of these? "Lesser than Macbeth, and greater." (I) "Not so happy as Macbeth, yet much happier." (II) "A future father of kings." (III) A. I and II B. I and III C. I, II, and III
4. When Macbeth said, "Two truths are told / As happy prologues" he was referring to A. his titles of Glamis and Cawdor. B. the victories against the kerns and gallowglasses. C. the predictions made to Banquo and to himself.
5. "Nothing in his life / Became him like the leaving it" is a reference to A. the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. B. Banquo's son, Fleance. C. Duncan's son, Donalbain.
6. Duncan's statement, "I have begun to plant thee and will labour / To make thee full of growing" is an example of A. a simile. B. a metaphor. C. personification.
7. Lady Macbeth characterizes her husband as being A. "the glass of fashion and the mould of form." B. "too full of the milk of human kindness." C. "a cannon overcharg'd with a double crack."
8. When Macbeth agonizes over the possible killing of the king, which of these does he say? "He is my house guest; I should protect him." (I) "Duncan's virtues will "plead like angels" " (II) "I am his kinsman and his subject" (III) A. I and III B. II and III C. I, II, and III
9. Macbeth's statement to his wife, "Bring forth men-children only" signifies that he A. is proud of his wife's transformation. B. is concerned over the succession to the throne. C. has accepted the challenge to slay the king.
10. As part of the plan to kill the king, Lady Macbeth would A. get the chamberlains drunk. B. smear Duncan's face with blood. C. arrange an alibi for Macbeth.
11. Trace Macbeth's transformation from a good man to an evil man. First, give evidence to prove that Macbeth is a good man at the beginning of the play. The strongest evidence is to be found in the way other people think of him. In Act I, Scene ii his courage is highly praised. The bloody soldier obviously admires his captain, and Duncan is moved when he is told of Macbeth's exploits. Quote the references to "brave Macbeth" and "noble Macbeth."
12. What motivates Macbeth to take the evil path he chooses? Macbeth is motivated by his ambition to be king. Show how that motivation is first revealed and how it operates throughout the play. Examine how Macbeth responds to the witches' prophecy that he will be king. Quote Banquo's references to Macbeth's being "rapt." Contrast Macbeth's reaction with Banquo's, demonstrating that Macbeth has a powerful desire to possess the crown.
13. What influence do the witches have on Macbeth? The point here is to investigate both the nature of the witches' power over Macbeth and the limits of that power. The section on the witches in the "Characters" section of this guide will help you.
14. Contrast Macbeth's response to the witches' predictions with Banquo's. What you are really contrasting is how two different people respond to temptation. There are two parts to their responses: how they respond immediately, and what they do as a consequence.
15. Describe the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Trace how it changes over the course of the play. At the beginning, they treat each other as equals. They have great concern for each other. He races to tell her the news about the witches; she immediately begins plotting how to gain her husband his heart's desire. Show how the murder of Duncan is a product of teamwork.
TEST 2
1. "Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible / To feeling as to sight?" is a reference to the A. ghost of Banquo. B. dagger. C. bubbling cauldron.
2. Lady Macbeth confessed that she would have killed King Duncan herself except for the fact that A. she couldn't gain easy access to his bedchamber B. he looked like her father C. one of Duncan's guards spied her on the to stairway
3. Shakespeare introduced the Porter in order to A. allow Macduff to gain admission to the castle. B. remind the audience of the Witches' prophecies. C. provide comic relief.
4. Malcolm and Donalbain flee after the murder A. because they fear the daggers in men's smiles. B. in order to join Macduff in England. C. lest they be blamed for it.
5. Macbeth arranges for Banquo's death by telling the hired killers that A. Banquo had thwarted their careers. B. if they fail, they will pay with their own lives. C. he will eradicate all records of their previous crimes.
6. Macbeth startles his dinner guests by A. conversing with the Ghost of Banquo B. attempting to wash the blood from his hands C. saying to Lady Macbeth that, "Murder will out."
7. The Witches threw into the cauldron "Eye of bat and tongue of frog"(I) "Wool of bat and tongue of dog" (II) "Fang of snake and eagle's glare" (III) A. I and II B. I and III C. II and III
8. The three apparitions which appeared to Macbeth were An armed head. (I) A child with a crown. (II) A bloody child (III) A. I and II B. II and III C. I, II, and III
9. In Act IV, Malcolm is at first lukewarm toward Macduff because he A. wasn't prepared to overthrow Macbeth. B. suspects a trick. C. wasn't worthy of becoming king, in his opinion.
10. Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane when A. the witches rendezvous with Macbeth. B. the camouflaged soldiers make their advance. C. Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to stand and fight.
11. What is the significance of the line "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" (I, i, 10)? This line in the first scene tips us off that things will not be what they appear to be. Often, they will be just the opposite. This is a major motif in the play, and examples are numerous. Cite several. Point out that Macbeth's first line echoes almost exactly the witches' chant: "So foul and fair a day I have not seen." When the witches appear and tell Macbeth he will be king, Banquo asks why he seems afraid of things that "sound so fair?" We will learn that the "fair" news is actually foul. Macbeth will become king, and in doing so he will commit himself to a path of evil which will mean his death, and ironically, Banquo's. Choose several other examples and treat them the same way. You may want to focus on Lady Macbeth's instructions to her husband in Act I, Scene v, to "look like th' innocent flower, / But be the serpent undert" (lines 66-67). In other words, "look fair to cover your foul intentions." Show how she does exactly that when she greets Duncan and his party in the next scene. Other examples you can use are pointed out in the "Themes" section and the scene-by-scene analysis. You can also show how Macbeth's sense of good and evil is so corrupted that by the end "foul" and "fair" are indistinguishable to him.
12. How does Macbeth function as a morality play? Morality plays taught simple moral lessons. They depicted the struggle between the forces of good and evil to possess men's souls. The story of Macbeth is a warning to anybody who considers trying to get what he wants by doing something he knows is wrong. It cautions us that the most appealing temptations are often the most horrible traps. To show how the play gets that message across, chart how Macbeth is destroyed by giving in to temptation. Macbeth is hoodwinked by the witches, As you did in Question 3 of Test 1, list the things they tell him. Describe, how each prediction is like a delicious-looking apple which is actually poisoned. Read the scene-by-scene analysis for Act III, Scene v, for a discussion of how the witches give Macbeth a false sense of security. Security was a major theme of morality plays. The play also makes it clear that Macbeth is destroyed because evil is like a disease. Once you let it into your system, it will eat away at your insides until it kills you. Show how each murder necessitates another, and how none of the killings makes Macbeth feel any better.
13. How does Shakespeare use the technique of dramatic irony in Macbeth? Remember that dramatic irony is present when the audience knows something the characters, or some of the characters, do not. When Duncan and his party arrive at Macbeth's castle, they are unaware of the wicked plans that are being made. Their lighthearted, joking mood is ironic to us, because we know what they are really walking into. The scene-by-scene analysis for Act I, Scene vi, details the use of dramatic irony in this scene. Dramatic irony enriches the last act of the play. Macbeth has become a monster, but he's also become a pathetic figure. His desperation is obvious. Ten thousand troops are on their way to overthrow him; his own troops are deserting. And he places his confidence in the weird sisters-the hags whose suggestion that he would be king got him into this mess! We can see that he is doomed, but he cannot. He fights on, talking about his "charmed life." His failure (or refusal) to see what is obvious to us makes the end of the play much more powerful than it would be otherwise. Give several other examples of dramatic irony. You might use the scene after Duncan's murder, beginning with Macduff's entrance and continuing through the discovery of the crime. Find other examples.
14. How does Lady Macbeth overcome her husband's resistance to the idea of killing King Duncan? Lady Macbeth's resolution stands out in sharp contrast to Macbeth's wavering. One way she overcomes him is through sheer determination. Find several quotes from Act I, Scene vii, in which she makes him feel the strength of her determination. (Look at lines 54-59, for example.) She is not above insulting her husband to rouse him to action. Since she is his wife, her comments which question his manhood have an added kick. Finally, she neutralizes his fears with her practicality. After the murder she says, "'Tis the eye of childhood / That fears a painted devil" (Act II, Scene ii, lines 54-55). Find other ways in which she attempts to quiet his over-active imagination, or his visions.
15. Contrast Macduff's response to the news of his wife's and children's deaths with Macbeth's response to being told Lady Macbeth is dead The essential contrast is between a good, righteous man and a morally bankrupt one. Each man's response can be divided into three parts: 1. hearing the news; 2. accepting the news, and 3. what he does after. Examine the three stages for both men. Contrast how Macduff, who is virtuous, cannot believe the news at first. Once he accepts it, he feels the pain sharply. Macbeth, on the other hand, seems unsurprised and it is hard to tell if he feels any pain; life is meaningless, he says quickly, and everybody dies. Show the direction Macduff takes (a quest for righteous revenge). Compare it with the final, desperate, suicidal stand taken by Macbeth. Conclude by pointing out what we learn about the soul- destroying nature of evil by contrasting the two responses.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Notes On Macbeth
Opens up with 3 witches We first hear of Macbeth killing someone brutally The witches are mean and cruel, one has taken a thumb off of a sailor
Macbeth meets these 3 witches and has them tell him his future; he makes the deal with the devil. His future was that he would become thane of Glamis and Cawdor. The witches also tell Banquo that his heirs will become king. Just after this the witches vanish, and Macbeth does become thane of Cawdor as the witches had said. Making him wonder if the witches’ prophecy will come true. He became thane due to the previous thane had betrayed Cawdor and was going to be executed.
Macbeth has dinner with Duncan, the former thane, at his castle, with Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan in order to become thane. Macbeth decides to do what she says and stabs him while he is asleep. The next morning when his death is discovered by his to chamberlains, Macbeth blames them and kills them as well. Macbeth then becomes thane of Cawdor.
Banquo begins to think that if the first part of the witches’ prophecy became true then surely the second part about him could come true. He takes off for the afternoon on his horse and plans on returning to Macbeth’s feast later. Macbeth begins to think that everybody is out to get him for the crown. Including his best friend Banquo, he has two murderers hired to kill him. The two murderers kill Banquo but not his son, Fleance who escapes. Macbeth hears of this and is angry, still feeling that his power of king is threatened. At the feast, Macbeth finds Banguo’s ghost sitting in his chair, Banquo is invisible to everyone, except Macbeth. Macbeth talks to him and appears crazy to everyone around him. Lady Macbeth makes excuses for him; however she eventually has the guests leave and has Macbeth go to bed. Macbeth plans on going back to the witches in order to find out how to protect him. The next day Macbeth goes to visit the witches, the witches summon spirits who tell him of more prophecies about who to fear. He sends more murderers after Macduff, in order to protect himself.
The murderers arrive at Lady Macduff’s castle and they kill her son, when he kills the murderers’ liars. Lady Macduff runs away. Malcolm talks to Macduff and gives him a loyalty test, without Macduff’s knowledge in order to see if he is really loyal. Macduff passes and Malcolm takes Macduff in as his friend. Macduff hears of the murder of his wife and children because of Macbeth and vows revenge for it.
Lady Macbeth begins her descent into madness; she is feeling guilty about what she done with the murders. The English army joins with the Scottish army to fight and kill Macbeth. Macduff joins the English army. Macbeth feels that he can’t be harmed due to the prophecy of what the witches had said. Lady Macbeth is killed. When the battle happens Macbeth fights, believing that he cannot be harmed. He kills Lord Siward’s son and then disappears. Macbeth meets with Macduff and Macduff kills Macbeth. When the battle is over, Malcolm is crowned King of Scotland
Friday, April 6, 2012
Literature Analysis
The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald.
Characters: Jay Gatsby: The main character of the story lived in poverty as a child. His one goal in life was to become rich, not only to escape poverty but mainly to try and impress Daisy Buchanan, the love of his life. He does everything to try and win her.
Nick Carraway: Nick is the narrator of the story. He is the narrator because he happens to be Daisy Buchanan’s cousin, which lets him help in the affair between Jay and Daisy and everyone seems to entrust in him their secrets.
Daisy Buchanan: She was in love with Jay, but when he left for the war, she found Tom and married him. The only things that Daisy really cares about are money, being wealthy and living in luxury. She can’t seem to really show affection for the people around here.
Summary: Nick Carraway moves to New York in the West Egg district in Long Island. His neighbor is Jay Gatsby, who has huge parties every week. Nick goes to a dinner party, with his cousin, Daisy and her husband Tom. They introduce Nick to Jordan, who he has a relationship with. Jordan tells Nick that Tom is having an affair, with Myrtle. Nick goes to one of Gatsby’s parties and he meets Gatsby, with Jordan. Through Jordan Nick finds out more about Gatsby and his lifestyle. Gatsby then wants want Nick to create a meeting between him and Daisy. Nick does this and Gatsby and Daisy begin an affair. After a while Tom begins to suspect of his wife’s affair. When he figures out that it is with Gatsby he approaches Gatsby and says that Daisy and he have a history and he can’t ever comprehend it, she then tells his wife that Gatsby is a criminal and he obtained his fortune from bootlegging. Daisy then stays faithful to Tom and leaves Gatsby. When Nick Jordan and Tom are driving through the valley of ashes, where Myrtle lives. They find that Gatsby’s car has hit and killed Myrtle. When they go back to Long Island, Nick finds out from Gatsby that Daisy was driving, when she hit Myrtle, but Gatsby is going to take responsibility. Tom tells Myrtle’s husband George, that Gatsby killed Myrtle. George then assumes that Gatsby was Myrtle’s affair. George then finds Gatsby and kills him then shoots himself. Nick holds a funeral for Gatsby calls it off with Jordan and moves back to the Midwest.
Theme: A theme from The Great Gatsby is the shallowness of the upper class. Daisy cares about no one except herself and being rich. She only really cares about material items and possessions.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Notes On Macbeth
Shakespeare got Macbeth from Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles. Shakespeare changed the story for three main reasons. The dramatic purpose of creating a more exciting story, the thematic purpose of creating a more complex characterization of Macbeth and the political purpose of sticking with the beliefs of the monarch, King James the First. Shakespeare changes many things in order to flatter King James and his political agenda. Shakespeare takes the Chronicles, and uses bits and pieces of it to make a good story. Macbeth became king when he killed the previous king, Duncan. This was actually not a big deal. It was common for a Scottish king to be killed, as to let the new king take his place. Shakespeare changes Macbeth’s actions to create a heightened dramatic situation.
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