Without the Renaissance period, we probably would not have all the artistic choices we do today. The time period really opened a lot of people's eyes to different ways to express themselves. The printing press allowed for thousands of people to afford reading, and in the case of the Bible, opened their eyes to what the Catholic Church was doing wrong.
Though King Henry VIII was in the right to divorce his wives, I don't think he should have had a few beheaded, or even go on a marriage spree in the first place. I wonder if Edward had made a good king if he had lived long enough to rule on his own rather than let his sisters run things. If I had been in Mary's position, I believe I would of forced the people to flee the country rather than break 5 or 10 commandments of my own religion. It would be interesting to know for sure whether Shakespeare was really the playwright we know of him as today, or if it was Queen Elizabeth.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Middle Ages
The Crusades were a series of military conflicts held in the name of Christianity, trying to reclaim Jerusalem from the Muslims. They occurred from 1095 to 1291 and were usually endorsed by the Pope.
The Magna Carta was a document written around 1215, to diminish the King's rights and have him held accountable in a common law. It has had a significant impact on the idea of constitutional law throughout history.
The Black Death, aka the Black Plague, was a very devastating epidemic in which is estimated to have killed around 75 million people world wide. It was spread by fleas which were commonly found on rats during the middle ages.
Thomas Becket was murdered over what is believed to have been a misinterpretation of King Henry II's words. Four of his knight's had plotted to kill Becket on December 29, 1170. He died in the Canterbury Cathedral. King Henry had been angered over an argument about the rights and power of the Church.
The knight is a muscular, pure hearted man who has traveled the world. He is also a very cunning man, but now has lain his armor aside to embark on a pilgrimage. The quotes "Though so strong and brave, he was very wise,"and "For he had lately returned from his voyage, And now was going on this pilgrimage."
The prioress a well mannered nun, who cares greatly about all things. "but ate with so much care the food upon her plate, that no drop could fall upon her breast," shows how carefully she ate. Her kindness and care are demonstrated in the lines "She was so charitable and solicitous that she would weep if she saw but a mouse stuck in a trap. . ."
The monk is an older man who enjoys hunting and riding with his horses. He also is a very handy man who works hard in the garden. "An outrider; hunting was his sport," displays his love of hunting while the line "Or yet go labour with his hands and work and sweat," shows how hard he works with his hands.
The friar seems to be great with words, in that he is one of the best beggars, and a very charitable person. This is best demonstrated in the text "He had arranged many a marriage, giving each of young women, and at his own cost," and "He was the finest beggar of his house."
The clerk is an older man who has studied in philosophy, "A clerk from Oxford was there also, who'd studied Philosophy, long ago." He also doesn't eat much, "As lean was his horse as is a rake, and he too was not fat, that I take."
The Sergeant of the Law seems to be a man of wisdom, and able to bring justice to many situations. "His words were so wise, often he was a judge in court, in assize, by roal assignment or commission giving jurisdiction."
The Franklin appears to be an overly spoiled rich man who spares no expense in his dining routines. "And these in large supplies, it seemed to snow therein both food and drink, of every dainty that a man could think."
The Sailor knows well how to navigate the seas and has survived many storms. "But as for craft, to calculate his tides, his currents and the dangerous watersides, his harbours, and his moon, his pilotage, there was none such from Hull to far Carthage."
The Miller seems to be of Scotish decent. He is good with the bagpipes and also very big and strong. "He was stoutly built, broad and heavy, he lifted each door from its hinges, that easy." "A bagpipe he could blow well, up and down, And with that same he brought us out of town."
The Reeve is very good at his job, and helps out his lord when in need. "Well could he manage granary and bin; No auditor could ever find anything." "He knew well how to please his lord subtly, By giving him, or lending, of his own goods."
The Pardoner has many items he claims to be rare, and also is a great singer. "To gain some silver, preferably from the crowd; Therefor he sang so merrily and so loud."
The Wife of Bathe seems like an older woman, who dresses very nice. "Who was somewhat deaf, it is a pity. At making clothes she had a skillful hand." "Her stockings were of the finest scarlet red, Tightly fastened, and her shoes were soft and new."
The parson is a man full of kindness, preaching equally to both sinner and saint. "And holy though he was, and vituous, To sinners he was not impiteous, Nor haughty in his speech, nor too divine, But in all teaching courteous and benign.
I chose to read the Miller's tale. It involves a few obscenities, but it is also quite funny in a way. It is about a carpenter named John, who has a very beautiful wife named Alison. There is a clerk named Nicolas who tricks John into believing there to be a flood coming in order to sleep with his wife. There is another character involved named Absalom, who sings outside the window every day trying to woe Alison as well. Absalom never gets what he wants, but has the last laugh in the end, seeking revenge for a prank Alison and Nicolas pull on him. John is made fun of by the entire town in the end, believing him to be a madman.
The Magna Carta was a document written around 1215, to diminish the King's rights and have him held accountable in a common law. It has had a significant impact on the idea of constitutional law throughout history.
The Black Death, aka the Black Plague, was a very devastating epidemic in which is estimated to have killed around 75 million people world wide. It was spread by fleas which were commonly found on rats during the middle ages.
Thomas Becket was murdered over what is believed to have been a misinterpretation of King Henry II's words. Four of his knight's had plotted to kill Becket on December 29, 1170. He died in the Canterbury Cathedral. King Henry had been angered over an argument about the rights and power of the Church.
The knight is a muscular, pure hearted man who has traveled the world. He is also a very cunning man, but now has lain his armor aside to embark on a pilgrimage. The quotes "Though so strong and brave, he was very wise,"and "For he had lately returned from his voyage, And now was going on this pilgrimage."
The prioress a well mannered nun, who cares greatly about all things. "but ate with so much care the food upon her plate, that no drop could fall upon her breast," shows how carefully she ate. Her kindness and care are demonstrated in the lines "She was so charitable and solicitous that she would weep if she saw but a mouse stuck in a trap. . ."
The monk is an older man who enjoys hunting and riding with his horses. He also is a very handy man who works hard in the garden. "An outrider; hunting was his sport," displays his love of hunting while the line "Or yet go labour with his hands and work and sweat," shows how hard he works with his hands.
The friar seems to be great with words, in that he is one of the best beggars, and a very charitable person. This is best demonstrated in the text "He had arranged many a marriage, giving each of young women, and at his own cost," and "He was the finest beggar of his house."
The clerk is an older man who has studied in philosophy, "A clerk from Oxford was there also, who'd studied Philosophy, long ago." He also doesn't eat much, "As lean was his horse as is a rake, and he too was not fat, that I take."
The Sergeant of the Law seems to be a man of wisdom, and able to bring justice to many situations. "His words were so wise, often he was a judge in court, in assize, by roal assignment or commission giving jurisdiction."
The Franklin appears to be an overly spoiled rich man who spares no expense in his dining routines. "And these in large supplies, it seemed to snow therein both food and drink, of every dainty that a man could think."
The Sailor knows well how to navigate the seas and has survived many storms. "But as for craft, to calculate his tides, his currents and the dangerous watersides, his harbours, and his moon, his pilotage, there was none such from Hull to far Carthage."
The Miller seems to be of Scotish decent. He is good with the bagpipes and also very big and strong. "He was stoutly built, broad and heavy, he lifted each door from its hinges, that easy." "A bagpipe he could blow well, up and down, And with that same he brought us out of town."
The Reeve is very good at his job, and helps out his lord when in need. "Well could he manage granary and bin; No auditor could ever find anything." "He knew well how to please his lord subtly, By giving him, or lending, of his own goods."
The Pardoner has many items he claims to be rare, and also is a great singer. "To gain some silver, preferably from the crowd; Therefor he sang so merrily and so loud."
The Wife of Bathe seems like an older woman, who dresses very nice. "Who was somewhat deaf, it is a pity. At making clothes she had a skillful hand." "Her stockings were of the finest scarlet red, Tightly fastened, and her shoes were soft and new."
The parson is a man full of kindness, preaching equally to both sinner and saint. "And holy though he was, and vituous, To sinners he was not impiteous, Nor haughty in his speech, nor too divine, But in all teaching courteous and benign.
I chose to read the Miller's tale. It involves a few obscenities, but it is also quite funny in a way. It is about a carpenter named John, who has a very beautiful wife named Alison. There is a clerk named Nicolas who tricks John into believing there to be a flood coming in order to sleep with his wife. There is another character involved named Absalom, who sings outside the window every day trying to woe Alison as well. Absalom never gets what he wants, but has the last laugh in the end, seeking revenge for a prank Alison and Nicolas pull on him. John is made fun of by the entire town in the end, believing him to be a madman.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Thoughts on Beowulf.
I've always liked stories (games too) set in the fictional pre-technological era. You know, castles, swords, magic, dragons, gladiators, hobbits and other things of the sort. Beowulf is no exception to this genre. This story, like many others, has a brave hero who has overcome many obsticles in his life.
Beowulf seems to be almost super human as we hear the tales of his competative swim across the sea and the fight with all the sea beasts. Once the battle with Grendel begins you would assume he is crazy to leave his sword behind, but then he succeeds in the battle raising his superman status even more.
It was interesting how Hrothgar allowed Beowulf to feast in his mead-hall, even though Beowulf's people have had wars with Hrothgar's forefathers and other local tribes. It is always nice to be given a second chance to prove yourself worthy of someone's kindness.
If there is one thing about the story that I don't like it is the overall length. It would be neat to explore some of his adventures before Grendel and the mead-hall. I also wonder what adventures he may of experienced between Grendel and his burning demise.
There are several areas in the poem which highlight Anglo-Saxon beliefs and ways of life. One of which is the religious belief that dragons guard hoards of treasure and sometimes warriors' graves. This is demonstrated in the lines "And this dragon's treasure, his gold, and everything hidden in that tower. . ." Another way of life is that there are many lords to keep control of small segments of the country, "The king sends Wulfgar, one of his thanes (or feudal lords), to greet the visitors." The Anglo-Saxons also glorify being brave warriors and Beowulf is not one to let them down as seen before his final battle, "'I'd use no sword, no weapon, if this beast could be killed without it, crushed to death like Grendel, gripped in my hands and torn limb from limb, but his breath will be burning hot, poison will pour from his tongue.'"
To compare Beowulf to more modern heroes, you could think of him as an ancient Batman minus the utility belt. They both are normal human beings who seem many times stronger than the average man because of training and honing their skills over the years. You really see Beowulf's amazing strength as he tears Grendel's arm off. In the movie "Batman Begins," Batman is trained by a man who later is revealed to be the 'evil' character. Throughout the movie Batman is forced to fight off multiple foes at once.
Unlike most modern heroes, Beowulf's fatal flaw does get him killed as he duels the dragon. His flaw is that his pride gets the best of him. He always wants to find another challenge to best and hear his name echoing across the country.
In the final battle when Beowulf finally dies, the first I look at is how in all his greatness he is unable to beat the dragon by himself. Near the end, Wiglaf finally grows the courage to run back toward the battle unlike the rest of the warriors. As he runs back he is yelling at the other men, because after all that Beowulf has given them in return for nothing but loyalty, they run in his time of need.
I believe that Beowulf died an honorable death. He was trying to defend his country, his people, and died as a great warrior who would be remembered forever. If he had not died while fighting the dragon, but instead died running away from the battle, we would not have a great story to read.
Beowulf seems to be almost super human as we hear the tales of his competative swim across the sea and the fight with all the sea beasts. Once the battle with Grendel begins you would assume he is crazy to leave his sword behind, but then he succeeds in the battle raising his superman status even more.
It was interesting how Hrothgar allowed Beowulf to feast in his mead-hall, even though Beowulf's people have had wars with Hrothgar's forefathers and other local tribes. It is always nice to be given a second chance to prove yourself worthy of someone's kindness.
If there is one thing about the story that I don't like it is the overall length. It would be neat to explore some of his adventures before Grendel and the mead-hall. I also wonder what adventures he may of experienced between Grendel and his burning demise.
There are several areas in the poem which highlight Anglo-Saxon beliefs and ways of life. One of which is the religious belief that dragons guard hoards of treasure and sometimes warriors' graves. This is demonstrated in the lines "And this dragon's treasure, his gold, and everything hidden in that tower. . ." Another way of life is that there are many lords to keep control of small segments of the country, "The king sends Wulfgar, one of his thanes (or feudal lords), to greet the visitors." The Anglo-Saxons also glorify being brave warriors and Beowulf is not one to let them down as seen before his final battle, "'I'd use no sword, no weapon, if this beast could be killed without it, crushed to death like Grendel, gripped in my hands and torn limb from limb, but his breath will be burning hot, poison will pour from his tongue.'"
To compare Beowulf to more modern heroes, you could think of him as an ancient Batman minus the utility belt. They both are normal human beings who seem many times stronger than the average man because of training and honing their skills over the years. You really see Beowulf's amazing strength as he tears Grendel's arm off. In the movie "Batman Begins," Batman is trained by a man who later is revealed to be the 'evil' character. Throughout the movie Batman is forced to fight off multiple foes at once.
Unlike most modern heroes, Beowulf's fatal flaw does get him killed as he duels the dragon. His flaw is that his pride gets the best of him. He always wants to find another challenge to best and hear his name echoing across the country.
In the final battle when Beowulf finally dies, the first I look at is how in all his greatness he is unable to beat the dragon by himself. Near the end, Wiglaf finally grows the courage to run back toward the battle unlike the rest of the warriors. As he runs back he is yelling at the other men, because after all that Beowulf has given them in return for nothing but loyalty, they run in his time of need.
I believe that Beowulf died an honorable death. He was trying to defend his country, his people, and died as a great warrior who would be remembered forever. If he had not died while fighting the dragon, but instead died running away from the battle, we would not have a great story to read.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Unfortunately. . .
I got home this evening to find my pet mantid, legs up, in the bottom of his cage. Oddly, I'm not very sad over his passing, considering I thought he would of been dead 2 months ago, like the rest of the mantids I've had in my care.
A little bit about me
I, Kevin, am a high school student with an interest in computer gaming and entomology. I've assisted teachers in Entomology high school classes. I have a pet preying mantid of whom I've yet to name. In 2005, I took high school entomology and passed with an exellent score on testing. We had a class pet, another preying mantid which died in late november/early december of that year. Currently, my main goal is to graduate college with a masters or Ph.D in some field of entomology. I have not narrowed my choices down enough to know exactly what I would like to do. Other than entomology, I also have a little interest in psychology, specifically behavioral analyzing.
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