Catullus

The poems by Catallus were interesting to read. It was easy to see similarities between Caullus and Sappho, especially since Catallus' poetry was embued with much passion. However, I did not find the basic nature of each poet to be the same, since I found the poetry of Catullus to be more shocking at times. It was easy to find humor in some of the poetry of Catullus and the goals of the poetry seemed to be clearer. I’m wondering, though, if there was some influence going on here, due to the very obvious similarities between the two poets.

Othello

This past week we read the 2nd and 3rd acts of Othello. I find the character of Iago to be very interesting, due to his relentless scheming and overall evilness. It's interesting how Othello manages to trust Iago, though, even over his own wife. Othello has a very trusting nature, but when it comes time to trust the one person he should, over everyone else, he fails to and i think it is this that proves to be his downfall. I also feel that Othello is quick to action in some cases, like the punishment of Cassio, and it is also this that helps his downfall.

Othello

I have never read Othello, but I have seen the movie, O. I really enjoyed the movie, actually, most likely because, even though it’s based on Shakespeare’s play, they don’t in that way. To be honest I’m not really a big fan of Shakespeare. I tend to like the overall concept of the story better then I enjoy actually reading it. Othello hasn’t proven to be an exception to that as of yet. As I have only read act 1 so far I have only gotten into the beginnings of the story. Iago is evil, but also kind of clever, which is interesting. I also find Iago’s rage and pure passion for revenge to be interesting, especially since I know he’ll cause a lot of damage throughout the play.

Medea

Medea by Euripedes was one of the most interesting stories, in my opinion, that we have read so far this semester. Once I began reading this story it was very easy to sit there and finish. I found this story to be very passionate and the character of Medea was powerful and enthralling. The character of Jason mostly annoyed me because I found him to be a coward. He was a true smooth talker when he was talking to Medea and trying to win her favor back and sooth her anger. I have mixed feelings about the ending, mostly because it was so ambiguous. I also, felt that Medea let Jason get off too easily.

Oedipus

Oedipus by Sophocles is such an interesting play to read, in my opinion. The twists and turns are intriguing and keep the reader captivated. Reading Oedipus is almost like watching a crash; you know what is going to happen but there's no way to stop and you just can't look away. It's interesting that the punishment Sophocles chose for Oedipus was to have him blind himself and be exiled, a punishment worse then death. The only thing that bothers me about the story of Oedipus is that they waited so long to find the killer of Laius.
I have not begun reading Medea yet but I look forward to doing so because the story sounds interesting.

Agamemnon and Oedipus

Agamemnon was a very interesting story to read. The character of Clytemnestra, though completely interesting, is also very fascinating. I thought that it was nice to see a strong female character in a story, who is not controlled by a man and controls her own actions. I think that the fact that she is trying to enact revenge for the murder of her daughter is a redeeming quality.

Oedipus Rex is one of my favorite stories. The twists and turns in the story make it intriguing and an easy read. I always find it amusing how characters who have had a prophecy of doom that will come with a child tries to prevent that doom by sending their child away. Then, by doing sending the child away, they bring about the prophecy anyway. Although this necessary for a story, it’s still an interesting point to think about.

The Ramayana

After I found out more about The Ramayana I began to enjoy the story more because I understood what was happening a little bit better. I enjoyed how the translation made it so easy to flow through the story, and how it made it much more natural to read, even if I didn’t know entirely what was happening the whole time. Cantos 47-49 of Book 3 were particularly interesting and I enjoyed reading Sita’s defense of Ram. I think that, even if she played the subservient wife to Ram, that she is still a very strong female character and that it is admirable how she resisted Ravan during the time of her capture.

the end of the Illiad and The Ramayana

I enjoyed discussing the Illiad in class. It was a simple reading and I enjoy the story. I had forgotten how Hector died in the book. I was, I instead, remember the fight scene from the movie, which is quite different. So, when reading of Hectors’ death it was almost surprising to find how much of a coward he was depicted as. It disappointed me that he ran and that he was so easy to kill, I suppose that my expectations were high from remembering the movie. I guess I was expecting this grand, epic battle. Instead, I found Hector running, then being tricked into fighting, and then being brought down with a single stroke.
I found The Ramayana very difficult to read, due to the way it is written. It is extremely confusing to me. Going on the background information that was given in class, though, I think that it’s interesting that the characters are meant to be perfect examples of certain stations, such as a wife or a ruler. I also think that, if I were to completely understand the text, it would be a great source for cultural information. I find the parallels between the Ramayana and the Illiad, such as the abduction theme, to be intriguing.

The Illiad

I enjoyed reading the Illiad and I think it has been my favorite reading so far. I like it because it is like a soap opera of Gods. It is interesting, to me, to look at something that was a source of great entertainment for people such a long time ago. (Not that it still isn’t a source of great entertainment.) There are many things in this story that I find particularly intriguing. One such thing is that, in Book I, when Achilles’ mother goes to Zeus to ask for help for her son, Zeus says that he must first respect Hera’s wishes overall, but that he will do what he can. However, later on when Hera confronts Zeus about why Achilles’ mother was there he tells her he will do what he wants.

Metamorphoses

I enjoyed reading Metamorphoses by Ovid. I found it to be more entertaining then the Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis. I think that the may be because, at least in the case of Genesis, there was no religious background or meaning to it really. Since Metamorphoses was meant more as fiction and not religious instruction it was more appealing and intriguing. Also, Greek and Roman mythology is very interesting to me and I enjoyed the intertwining of the actual facts of Caesar into the story. I found it difficult to compare this story to the flood myths of Genesis and Giglamesh mostly because I felt that the background for it was entirely different. I also think that it was difficult because the flood story that is included in Metamorphoses is short and is almost like a passing thought in a much larger story.

Gilgamesh and Genesis

Gilgamesh and the Genesis are two stories with the same basic concept but with a lot of differences. One of the main differences between the stories is the reasoning that is given behind choosing who builds the ark. In Genesis it is stated that Noah is chosen for his character and for the quality of human being that he is, which shows to the reader that he is chosen so that this is what the human race will become, or at least what it will hopefully become. In Gilgamesh, no reason is given. There is also no reason for why the flood was brought about in Gilgamesh whereas in Genesis it is stated that the flood is brought about due to human corruption.

Laura Flower, Genesis 6-9

The story of Noah and the flood is actually one of the few stories in the bible that I find to be interesting. I find it appealing for all of its details, but mostly for the characteristics that it gives to God throughout the story. That God could become vengeful and seek to destroy the entirety of the human race and then, following his actions, to realize what he has done and repent, makes God an intriguing figure. These human characteristics that are attributed to God, however, do not diminish his power in any way; it is still very evident that he is more then capable of bringing about anything he desires. Although God is presented as this all-mighty and potentially terrifying being in this story I like the fact that he steps in and takes charge to cleanse the earth of all the evil and corruption.

Question to ponder:
What is the underlying message(s)/purpose(s) of this story?