Monday, April 12, 2010
Writing Reflections - Julius Caesar and The Alchemist
ISKL Mission Statement
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Marc Antony: Furious, yet loyal
‘Here was a Caesar! When comes such another?’ As Caesar triumphed over Pompey, he had many supporters that followed him. However, among those many supporters, there was one man that would truly never leave his side. A man that would perform exactly as he was ordered. A friend. This man was Mark Antony. Antony had loved Caesar as a friend, and when Caesar was brutally murdered by the Conspirators, Antony was engulfed in anger. Antony’s goal of avenging Caesar’s death was driven by revenge and loyalty.
Antony’s motivation of revenge was triggered by the murder of Caesar. Throughout the play, Antony had followed Caesar and he had endless respect for him. When he died he desired nothing more than revenge against the Conspirators and to avenge the death of Caesar. ‘Domestic fury and fierce civil strife shall cumber all parts of Italy’. Antony’s formerly noble behavior was soon transformed into furiosity. At the corpse of Caesar, he had predicted that a civil war would break out in Rome, and that blood and destruction would be so in use, that people would dream of death. With those words he described how Rome would crumble without Caesar, and that he would take action against the Conspirators, and with that, he signifies his motivation of revenge. ‘Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war’. Many years ago, in a battle, the leader of the winning army would announce ‘cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!’ Meaning, that his army would enter the city and steal it’s treasures for their benefit. As Antony describes that Caesar’s death would cause a civil war, he says that Caesar would return with the goddess of war and announce Cry havoc! Indicating that Caesar would return and haunt those that had killed him. Antony continues to show his motivation of revenge by listing the events that would occur in line after Caesar’s death. Antony’s furious motivation of revenge had signified not only his anger towards the Conspirators, but it also signifies his loyalty.
Despite the fact that the Conspirators had murdered Caesar, Antony remained loyal to Caesar by continuing to gain supporters for him. During Caesar’s reign, Antony had served him and respected him. After Caesar’s death, Antony showed no difference as he continued strong on Caesar’s side. His loyalty gave him a surge of confidence and leadership, as he became the main leader of Caesar’s side. ‘I shall remember; when Caesar says “do this”, it is performed’ In this quote, Antony shows his loyalty and his responsibility for Caesar. He also shows his respect as he said himself that he would do anything Caesar would ask him. This symbolizes his motivation of loyalty, because he indicates that he’d never leave his side, and he would perform what he is asked. When Caesar died, Antony was enraged, however he continued to remain loyal to Caesar by staying on his side. ‘O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, that I am meek and gentle with these butchers. Thou art the ruins of the noblest man’, Before stating this quote, Antony had engaged in conversation with the Conspirators, shaking each of their ‘bloody’ hands and asking to make peace. Once they had dispersed, Antony revealed his true feelings, and had apologized to Caesar’s spirit for being so friendly with his murderers. This symbolizes Antony’s loyalty to Caesar because despite the fact that Caesar’s dead, Antony persists on avenging his death and by taking action against the ‘butchers’. Throughout the play, Antony shows that he is a true noble Roman to Caesar, supported heavily by his strong loyalty.
When Caesar was murdered, Antony was furious at the Conspirators, and he desired their deaths, and to avenge the death of Caesar. His main motivators; revenge and loyalty, served him well, as they completely changed his personality from a regular noble Roman, to a leader. His anger and his loyalty gave him reasons and supporters, and by the end of the play he had finally achieved his goal of avenging Caesar’s death, as all of the Conspirators, including Cassius and Brutus had died. His goal was a noble one, as he attempted to bring justice to Caesar’s death, and he showed integrity as he never stopped in his goal, despite the many problems that encountered him along the way.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Collage Reflection
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Peter; A Lost Boy of Sudan
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Performance Assessment Passage
Our passage takes place in Act 1 Scene 2 lines 75-175
BRUTUS
What means this shouting? I do fear, the people
Choose Caesar for their king.
CASSIUS
Ay, do you fear it?
Then must I think you would not have it so.
BRUTUS
I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well.
But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
What is it that you would impart to me?
If it be aught toward the general good,
Set honour in one eye and death i' the other,
And I will look on both indifferently,
For let the gods so speed me as I love
The name of honour more than I fear death.
CASSIUS
I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Caesar; so were you:
We both have fed as well, and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Caesar said to me 'Darest thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in
And bade him follow; so indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'
I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber
Did I the tired Caesar. And this man
Is now become a god, and Cassius is
A wretched creature and must bend his body,
If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake;
His coward lips did from their colour fly,
And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world
Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
Mark him and write his speeches in their books,
Alas, it cried 'Give me some drink, Titinius,'
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world
And bear the palm alone.
Shout. Flourish
BRUTUS
Another general shout!
I do believe that these applauses are
For some new honours that are heap'd on Caesar.
CASSIUS
Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that 'Caesar'?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed!
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was famed with more than with one man?
When could they say till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
O, you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king.
BRUTUS
That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
What you would work me to, I have some aim:
How I have thought of this and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter; for this present,
I would not, so with love I might entreat you,
Be any further moved. What you have said
I will consider; what you have to say
I will with patience hear, and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.
CASSIUS
I am glad that my weak words
Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.
BRUTUS
The games are done and Caesar is returning.
CASSIUS
As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve;
And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded worthy note to-day
Tim Challis is my partner.