Candide Thoughts

Feel free to post thoughts on physics or Candide!

Humanities Exam

About that exam...............
Let's Discuss Influential Art Pieces and Periods and Brainstorm Cultural Essay Ideas

Exam Review Questions and Answers

Questions about Hamlet?
Post questions about Hamlet or our English exam, and/or
Answer other people's questions.

You GO Rococo!

Let's Talk about Rococococo.

Best Disney Channel Original Movie

Is it Zenon? Is it Brink? Post your choice and an explanation as to why it's the best DCOM. And a cute pic lolzz

Could you survive a zombie apocalypse?

Take the quiz and find out.
http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/zombie
(If the quiz is blocked try it from a school computer)

Baroque Art

like mannerism?
how about those intense religious experiences?
like the contorted pediments?
still think Gothic architecture is the bomb?

Northern v. Southern (Italian) Renaissance

vs.

Comments? Opinions? Which do you like more, and why? Who are your favorite artists? And other such fun items of preference and pondering.

Branagh vs. Gibson

Which film production is better? How are they different/similar?

Was Gertrude promiscuous?

Do you think that Gertrude did some things (in the Biblical sense) that would qualify as being promsicuous? Did she have a choice about this? Was it OK at the time?

"Let not the royal bed of Denmak be/a couch for...incest."

-Incest!
-A Couch!
Isn't interesting that many things ivolve incest? Coinidence, Frued? Methinks NOT!

Hammertime

let's talk about Hamlet...

What the Heck is this about?

What are your hells? Who's guiding you?

The Renaissance

Questions? Comments? Observations?

Inferno Review Blog

Just post whatever y'all want that you think is important to remember for the inferno test (who is in what level and why, symbolic retribution, monsters etc.)

"That's right, fawn on him, like the silly bitch you are. Grovel and cringe!"

What about love and attraction in this play?
I really think Sartre make a lot of good points on the fickle nature of human desire and attraction. Why does attraction get sparked? Can people control their attractions? Can they ignore their attractions? What causes people to "settle" for others?

Some quotes I liked concerning this topoic are :

"I shan't love you; I know you too well."

"Come to me Estelle. You shall be whatever you like... and deep down in my eyes you'll see yourself just as you want to be."

"If you'll only will it hard enough, I dare say we can really love each other"

"Love's a grand solace, isn't it, my friend?"

Are any of these comments true? Are all of these comments true?

Has any body seen the movie "Rules of Attraction"? No Exit reminded me a lot in some ways of that movie

"Hell is-- other people!"

What does everyone think of No Exit?

Where Would YOU be in Hell?

Here's the link to the Inferno quiz, which will place you in a circle of Dante's hell.

http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-test.mv

Where did you end up?

Symbolism & Allegory

So I know we have a thread about The Inferno, but I thought perhaps another thread with a narrower topic would be fun as well.

Ciardi (the translator) and Scandizzledazzle have suggested that Dante's work can be seen in an allegorical light. To quote Ciardi in his introduction to the first Canto: "First [Dante] must ascend through Hell (The Recognition of Sin), then he must ascend through Purgatory (The Renunciation of Sin), and only then may he reach the pinnacle of joy and come to the Light of God. Virgil offers to guide Dante, but only as far as Human Reason can go. Another guide (Beatrice, symbol of Divine Love) must take over for the final ascent, for Human reason is self-limited" (1017-1018).

I was hoping we could use this topic to expound on this idea of allegory and symbolism in The Inferno-- how, for example, does Dante represent this Catholic process of repentence and divine forgiveness? How does he use symbolism in general?

How many 4-year-olds could you take in a fight?

We've all wondered about it at some point.

Should Someone Start a Thread about the Inferno?

yes, I think so.

Does love exist?

Your mom exists

Tristan and Iseult

First impressions? Interesting observations?

Here's a starter topic: Do you think Iseult makes good sandwiches? Why or why not?

Greek vs. Romaneque Architecture & Art

Which do you prefer?

Top 3 Movies, Songs, and Books

Omg omg omg this is so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greek Literature Paper 9-28-08

Use this thread to discuss & share topics, ideas and brainstorming, and to ask questions about the Greek Lit paper due Friday.

Perfect Forms and Ancient Relics

Is there any connection between ancient relics in early Christian churches (i.e. Mary's robe) and the pursuit of perfect forms?

Middle Ages

Where they as dark as we thought?

Women's Studies

Are the "Woman's Studies Dept" in modern colleges/universities necessary?

3 Word Stroy

You can only use 3 words, keep the story rolling...if we could tie this into the stuf we've been studying, that would be pretty cool.

Soft Tacos vs. Hard Tacos

Which is the Perfect Form of Taco?

Sappho

Coming soon: Sappho's poetry!! Bring your lit. books to class the period after the art test Monday. We'll read aloud.

Think about this: why have Women's Studies Departments at universities latched on to Sappho?

Roman Art & Architecture

How do the Romans compare to the Greeks in the art we studied?

Is there any evidence that art & architecture are evolving, "improving" from the Greeks to the Romans? Or is it simply chronology?

Please do remember that the textbook and (God forbid) your teachers have presented you a biased representation of Roman (and all) art in our selection of pieces to study as well as in our attitude toward the subject.

Aesthetics

I will be very happy if I can successfully post this...

I want to talk about Medea

Please?

Jackets Vs. Sweaters

Possibly the most important topic of the entire Humanities course. Post your thoughts here

incest

Let's talk about Freud Oedipus!

Auden's Essay

As you read Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, & Euripides, ponder Auden's essay. Why do you think western culture is so deeply founded on Ancient Greek ideals?

Aristotle's "Poetics"

Read the following:

1. the link to Aristotle's background on the right of the screen
2. the excerpt from "The Poetics" that's in the Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. If you don't have your book, see the link on the right of your screen & read sections VI - XI.

Post any thoughts you have about Aristotle's ideas on this thread. We really discuss Plato, Socrates & Aristotle because they are the foundation of western thought. The Catholic church actually revised Aristotle's theories a little then adopted them as official Catholic philosophy. All of these philosophical writings really serve as the backdrop to understanding the ancient Greek & Roman art we study as well as the ancient Greek plays we read.

"Poetics" are really an intro for us to Oedipus Rex & Medea, which we'll read next.

Plato

See the list on the right of your screen of "literary works online."
Go there & read the following:
1. The Apology of Socrates
2. Paideia--Out of the Cave


Read a bit about Socrates' life & background. He was accused of "corrupting the youth" and sentenced to death by poison. Plato, his student, allegedly wrote down true accounts of his philosophy & also his death. The "Apology" is Socrates' defense of himself to the Athenian court. In this context, "apology" does not mean he's repentant; it's simply an explanation & even a justification.



You may have already read "The Allegory of the Cave." If so, did you notice anything new this time? What's your general response?


As you read these two works & skim some others, what evidence do you see of the so-called "Socratic method" of instruction? Can you come up with a definition?


How does Socrates strike you?

Diaspora

So, where'd you end up?  I'm actually at home.  Call me crazy.  I do expect to lose power some time tomorrow, so I thought I'd throw out some posts now.  Those of you with electricity can keep the discussion going.  :)  By the way, it's NOT the mother of all storms.  I should have run for mayor.  

We can't get too far behind.  Let's begin reading "The Apology of Socrates" & "The Allegory of the Cave" by Plato.  The "Apology" is in your anthology, but both are available on the web in full text versions.  

Be safe!!  

Ancient Greek Art/Architecture

Do you prefer Hellenic or Hellenistic sculpture so far?  Why?

Foucault, dang it!!

Go!

You must become an "author" of this blog!!!!

If you're not an "author," you can't start a new post.  

History as Construct

Postmodern philosophers have declared that many of the concepts we take for granted (history, Western civilization, the canon of great literature, etc.) are simply "constructs." Society has created these concepts out of nothing for certain purposes, and these concepts (like history) actually don't exist or are misguided.

Is "history" as we know & study it a construct? How do Marquez & Grass challenge our assumptions about history?

100 Years of Solitude

Incest, anyone? How does incest drive the plot in this novel? (Or just post your random observations about the novel here.)