1) Areusa complains about a pain that she can't seem to get over that started when her lover left, shes complaining because of lack of sex. This isn't really to surprising seeing as she's saying it to the notorious pimp Celestina, but the surprising thing is the old ladies response. The old woman touches Areusa to see if she knows what the ailment is, in a way that the sickness would have to be "...higher up, over the stomach". Celestina seems to be willing to do anything involved in the sexual arts, with no shame and no hesitation.
2) Sex is being spoken of as if it where as normal as eating breakfast, not just sex but sleeping around with multiple people. Areusa and Elicia talk about Melibea as a fat and inexperienced young player, they almost sound jealous but it is my belief that there's something more in their dialogue. When the men in their life start to talk about Melibea as if they themselves where in love with her, Areusa and Elicia have no problem with sleeping around until the possibility arises that their lovers are doing such a thing.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Celestina Day 2 (3-6)
1) I think that Celestina has done enough of this match making work to know that it has a chance of not succeeding. She sounds cautious in everything that she does as she does here, she usually does not speak in definites but instead in possibilities. For her trade to succeed she must always be trusted and by never giving any sincere promises or possibilities without skepticism she keeps her so called "good name"
2) Everyone seems to know Celestina and their feels on her are those of their feelings of her trade. Lucrecia knows what the old woman does for a living and accepts it, but she far from enjoys having her own people tricked by this pimp. Melibea seems to know at least a rudimentary amount about the old woman's trade but she still lets her continue and is eventually led into a situation that might find her in Calisto's bed sometime soon.
2) Everyone seems to know Celestina and their feels on her are those of their feelings of her trade. Lucrecia knows what the old woman does for a living and accepts it, but she far from enjoys having her own people tricked by this pimp. Melibea seems to know at least a rudimentary amount about the old woman's trade but she still lets her continue and is eventually led into a situation that might find her in Calisto's bed sometime soon.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Celestina Day 1 (Acts 1-2)
1) A garden can symbolize a literary setting much as that of The Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden represents the birth of a species, so here this garden may represent the birth of the book or of some other form of literary "life". Here is the two possibly main characters of the tale, whereas there meeting may set the stage for the rest of the book The Garden of Eden supposedly set the stage for the rest of human kinds existence. Melibea is unique in this scene due to the fact that she shows no true wish to be with the good Calisto, most tales that we have read thus-far typically starts with or contain a love that is somewhat desired by both even if that fact is only hinted to in the text.
2) It is clear that even though Sempronio is Calisto's slave he still values his advice at least a little bit, he confides in him that he is suffering from this affliction of love and shows his true face as the type of person he is. The conversation starts out one sided with Sempronio only really caring because he might get in trouble and not going to outright stop him because "maybe he'll leave me something in his will", true friendship is in a complete recall here and we see nothing but a slave covering his own butt. We see a direct quote in this conversation "...the ancient curse that drove Adam out of the delights of Eden;" that really points to the conversation in the garden between Calisto and his would be lover as being that of a biblical standing. This also points to the value he puts on Melibea as not only a woman but as a demon as well, willing to love and sin but not with Calisto.
2) It is clear that even though Sempronio is Calisto's slave he still values his advice at least a little bit, he confides in him that he is suffering from this affliction of love and shows his true face as the type of person he is. The conversation starts out one sided with Sempronio only really caring because he might get in trouble and not going to outright stop him because "maybe he'll leave me something in his will", true friendship is in a complete recall here and we see nothing but a slave covering his own butt. We see a direct quote in this conversation "...the ancient curse that drove Adam out of the delights of Eden;" that really points to the conversation in the garden between Calisto and his would be lover as being that of a biblical standing. This also points to the value he puts on Melibea as not only a woman but as a demon as well, willing to love and sin but not with Calisto.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Day 6 / 9.2, 9.3, 9.5, 9.6, 10.10
9.2) The nuns seem to all suffer from the same ailment, that being sin. The Abbess and the nun both follow the same sin of the flesh and when they discover each other come to an agreement as to what to do. The Abbess, upon being found out, began as if the sins of the flesh where natural. This, in a way, says to me that the church is corrupt and the legality of the sins is based on the highest power, here because the Abbess would be in trouble as well for the sin of sex it is immediately accepted to have men in your chamber at night.
9.3) I think this story just has a lot of dumb and evil minded people, no one is really entirely at fault her. Calandrino is perfect willing to blaim his wife for everything and the friends show no compassion when openly making fun of him in such a way. The only thing I can really say is that I feel very bad for the wife, she is the victim in both stories and she has her most intimate secrets shown to the world by her own husband. In this we see her role as once again an almost servant like position in that her husband treats her secrets like dog poop and blaims her for his sad state of affairs.
9.3) I think this story just has a lot of dumb and evil minded people, no one is really entirely at fault her. Calandrino is perfect willing to blaim his wife for everything and the friends show no compassion when openly making fun of him in such a way. The only thing I can really say is that I feel very bad for the wife, she is the victim in both stories and she has her most intimate secrets shown to the world by her own husband. In this we see her role as once again an almost servant like position in that her husband treats her secrets like dog poop and blaims her for his sad state of affairs.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Decameron Day 5 / 7.3, 7.4, 8.3, 8.7, 8.8
7.3_ Boccaccio keeps coming back to the unfaithful Friar, this figure of great respect is constantly doing one person or another and getting away with it. What does this say about the Friars in the tales and how does this particular Friar use his title to get away with having sex with his friends wife?
This Particular Friar (Rinaldo) set out from the very beginning to get into bed with Madonna Agnesa, his neighbor's wife. As we carry on he eventually begins to honor the position of Friar and he no longer wishes to lay with his neighbor's wife, although, like several other Friars in The Decameron, Rinaldo soon gives into the "sins of the flesh" and starts to have relationships with the mother of his godchild (Madonna Agnesa). Obviously something weird is going on with Boccaccio in that he seems to target Friars as dumb and/or lusty men, previously we saw a Friar tricked into being the middle man between a married lady and a "good looking man". I believe that it might not so much that he has something against Friars but simply that they have such a high position that it's only natural that their trespasses be well known. We also see two of our Friars using their position to get what they want, In one of our first stories a Friar tricks another Friar into sleeping with the same woman in order to have something to hold against him. Here we see Rinaldo using his position as Friar to excuse his being in the bedroom with Madonna Agnesa.
8.7) We see a great example of "The Code of Hammurabi" with an eye for an eye sort of story, we also see this in the following story which end's vastly different than this tale. What is the difference between 8.7 and 8.8 that makes this "eye for an eye" style come out so diversely?
In both stories our main character is first hurt by the one he loves (or thought he loved) and is then scorned by she that they most care about. Instead of simply leaving the woman or revealing her treachery the scorned men instead plan vengeance, although both of them have different intent. We can clearly see this in the pages prior to the actual incident of their revenge, one man (8.8) is trying to keep his friend by simply returning the trespass done against him while the other wants his former lady to first realize what she did to him and understand what she put him through (8.7). In both cases the revenge is successful although I am reminded of what Mahatma Gandhi said in that "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind", we can see this best in the first of the two stories where both the scorned and the later scorched ended up near death. If the whole world carried on with this sort of vengeance then at some point most of us would end up in a situation much like this ladies where someone we have hurt in the past uses a situation against us.
This Particular Friar (Rinaldo) set out from the very beginning to get into bed with Madonna Agnesa, his neighbor's wife. As we carry on he eventually begins to honor the position of Friar and he no longer wishes to lay with his neighbor's wife, although, like several other Friars in The Decameron, Rinaldo soon gives into the "sins of the flesh" and starts to have relationships with the mother of his godchild (Madonna Agnesa). Obviously something weird is going on with Boccaccio in that he seems to target Friars as dumb and/or lusty men, previously we saw a Friar tricked into being the middle man between a married lady and a "good looking man". I believe that it might not so much that he has something against Friars but simply that they have such a high position that it's only natural that their trespasses be well known. We also see two of our Friars using their position to get what they want, In one of our first stories a Friar tricks another Friar into sleeping with the same woman in order to have something to hold against him. Here we see Rinaldo using his position as Friar to excuse his being in the bedroom with Madonna Agnesa.
8.7) We see a great example of "The Code of Hammurabi" with an eye for an eye sort of story, we also see this in the following story which end's vastly different than this tale. What is the difference between 8.7 and 8.8 that makes this "eye for an eye" style come out so diversely?
In both stories our main character is first hurt by the one he loves (or thought he loved) and is then scorned by she that they most care about. Instead of simply leaving the woman or revealing her treachery the scorned men instead plan vengeance, although both of them have different intent. We can clearly see this in the pages prior to the actual incident of their revenge, one man (8.8) is trying to keep his friend by simply returning the trespass done against him while the other wants his former lady to first realize what she did to him and understand what she put him through (8.7). In both cases the revenge is successful although I am reminded of what Mahatma Gandhi said in that "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind", we can see this best in the first of the two stories where both the scorned and the later scorched ended up near death. If the whole world carried on with this sort of vengeance then at some point most of us would end up in a situation much like this ladies where someone we have hurt in the past uses a situation against us.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Decameron day four / 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 6.7, 6.10
1) In 5.8 and 5.9 we see two almost rags to riches stories, what are the similarities between them and what makes them so different from other stories we have read before?
In both stories we see men who loved a woman more than he loved him self and gave literally everything to please the person of their dreams, but neither love was mutual and the men ended up going broke with absolutely nothing to show for it. Here is really where the stories split, Nastagio in 5.8 decides to use a horribly disgusting display in front of a large group of people to scare his lady into marrying him. Federigo is a seemingly more noble guy in that he gave everything he had to woe this woman and was only willing to give more, in the end the lady saw that maybe a man like Federigo, who was willing to do anything for her, would be worth the trouble.
2) In 5.10 we see a very different type of story, one that includes not just one big sin but multiple sins. What makes this story so different and how do you think it fits in with the other two stories?
In 5.10 there is a very obvious plot difference from the other two day five stories in that instead of a man trying to woe a wife it was the woman trying to get something from a man, any man. In the end we find all three people, the two men and the woman, doing a threesome. In every way this ending is just completely off base, typically we find ourselves with a still sinful but morally satisfying ending. Here there are no morals and the entire ending is just completely off from typical moral standards.
In both stories we see men who loved a woman more than he loved him self and gave literally everything to please the person of their dreams, but neither love was mutual and the men ended up going broke with absolutely nothing to show for it. Here is really where the stories split, Nastagio in 5.8 decides to use a horribly disgusting display in front of a large group of people to scare his lady into marrying him. Federigo is a seemingly more noble guy in that he gave everything he had to woe this woman and was only willing to give more, in the end the lady saw that maybe a man like Federigo, who was willing to do anything for her, would be worth the trouble.
2) In 5.10 we see a very different type of story, one that includes not just one big sin but multiple sins. What makes this story so different and how do you think it fits in with the other two stories?
In 5.10 there is a very obvious plot difference from the other two day five stories in that instead of a man trying to woe a wife it was the woman trying to get something from a man, any man. In the end we find all three people, the two men and the woman, doing a threesome. In every way this ending is just completely off base, typically we find ourselves with a still sinful but morally satisfying ending. Here there are no morals and the entire ending is just completely off from typical moral standards.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
decameron day 2
2.6) This specific text has much to do with how noble the lady was and the respect that nobles of the day where shown. What could get a servant killed or imprisoned seems to get a noble married. we see this with the son who gets caught (as a slave) making love to this guys daughter behind her back and is imprisoned. this seems to be generally accepted until it is revealed that he is a noble, now things change and we see him returned to glory. the King now, instead of killing the guy doing his daughter, is gaining a new son-in-law and the "wild-woman" mother is also returned to her former glory.
2.7) we never really hear that it was the woman who was doing the act, it was always the guy tricking her into making love. either that or it is lust that guides her unwillingly to her fate, she seemed so virtuous until her first time. After that she seemed to sleep with just about all the nobles she came across, she even sleeps with non-nobles and thinks nothing of it. The message here may be that by possibly hiding your wrongdoing you might live happily ever after. Although this woman lived for so long in times of great misfortune she lies about having sex and gets to be returned to her former glory and live forever in happiness.
2.7) we never really hear that it was the woman who was doing the act, it was always the guy tricking her into making love. either that or it is lust that guides her unwillingly to her fate, she seemed so virtuous until her first time. After that she seemed to sleep with just about all the nobles she came across, she even sleeps with non-nobles and thinks nothing of it. The message here may be that by possibly hiding your wrongdoing you might live happily ever after. Although this woman lived for so long in times of great misfortune she lies about having sex and gets to be returned to her former glory and live forever in happiness.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Decameron Day 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2.3
1.1) "Dearest Ladies, it is fitting that everything done by man should begin with the marvelous and holy name of Him who was the creator of all things;I intend to start with one of His marvelous deeds,so that when we have heard about it, our faith in Him will remain as firm as ever and His name be ever praised by us." This quotation is not unlike the opening of many of our other stories such as Tristan and Ysolde in that it is a brief description of events to come and gives us (the audience) an idea of what the basis of the story is. After this first page about holy men and this person who reached such a status as Saint was simply a manipulative fraud and yet may have been all the more holy, after this page we only hear about how bad of a person he is. But we know that all of the tell of how holy this guy would pretend to be was going to come into play somewhere. It's like a foreshadowing prologue that reveals the true meaning of these first tales as nothing more than spoken stories from one noble to the others, meant for entertainment.
1.3) "The Jew willingly gave Saladin as much money as he desired, and Saladin later repaid him in full; in fact, he more than repaid him: he gave him great gifts and always esteemed him as his friend and kept him near him at court in a grand and noble fashion." As we already know that these tales are being told to a group of nobles by other nobles this quote gives us an eye into how corrupt the government of the day was. This man Saladin had put great effort into tricking this other man and when the other man found out he not only turned the trick against him but gave the man more than he would have had he fallen for the trick. The idea that a man would give another man everything he wanted without a seconds thought simply because he tried to trick him into giving him money seems to be the conjuring of twisted logic. Could this be foreshadowing the rest of the book?
1.4) Having completed her story, Filomena fell silent and Dioneo, who was sitting close to her, without awaiting any further order from the Queen (for he realized by the order already begun that he was the next to speak) started speaking in the following manner:" Here we can tell amny things, first off we see an introduction of the author of this specific story much like those by chretien yet here it is more likely that it is to put us in the mind set of the author. A King, for instance, might think about a story differently than a lowly servant girl. We also see that they have started an order meaning that some of these stories may sound purposely forced in order to convey the sub-plot that is going on behind the smaller short stories.
1.3) "The Jew willingly gave Saladin as much money as he desired, and Saladin later repaid him in full; in fact, he more than repaid him: he gave him great gifts and always esteemed him as his friend and kept him near him at court in a grand and noble fashion." As we already know that these tales are being told to a group of nobles by other nobles this quote gives us an eye into how corrupt the government of the day was. This man Saladin had put great effort into tricking this other man and when the other man found out he not only turned the trick against him but gave the man more than he would have had he fallen for the trick. The idea that a man would give another man everything he wanted without a seconds thought simply because he tried to trick him into giving him money seems to be the conjuring of twisted logic. Could this be foreshadowing the rest of the book?
1.4) Having completed her story, Filomena fell silent and Dioneo, who was sitting close to her, without awaiting any further order from the Queen (for he realized by the order already begun that he was the next to speak) started speaking in the following manner:" Here we can tell amny things, first off we see an introduction of the author of this specific story much like those by chretien yet here it is more likely that it is to put us in the mind set of the author. A King, for instance, might think about a story differently than a lowly servant girl. We also see that they have started an order meaning that some of these stories may sound purposely forced in order to convey the sub-plot that is going on behind the smaller short stories.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Movie Response, Tristan and Isolde
1)I believe the movie starts out with a fight scene to set the stage of the movie. The nobles who would have been told this story knew full well about the feud between the English and the Irish but today's masses are not as informed. We in a way had to be informed about the frequent fights between the two countries and the atrocities committed by all sides.
2)The way that this film shook out made it so that the love potion wouldn't have made a difference. The couple was simply love-struck instead of love-sick, in the movie the couple had already fallen deeply in love and sought each other out only to be heart-broken by a mistake of identities.
3)All of the characters in the movie are what the youth of today might consider to be the stereotypical medieval knights and nobles. We see these traits in not only our characters but in other Hollywood flicks as well, with King Mark as the selfless king, Tristan the brave yet love struck knight, and Isolde the classic "Femme Fatale" of yet another story.
4)The whole movie was based on the mix-up of identities between Isolde and Tristan, in Hollywood the main plot must be the fault of the "Femme Fatale" as we see in numerous other flicks so the filmmakers needed to find a way to make the whole tragedy her fault. By having her hide her identity she makes the audience reach out to Tristan in a way that would have been otherwise difficult to achieve, in the text it is much easier to keep the attention on one character but on screen you need to alter events to get a desired effect.
5)As always the barons are seen as selfish and short sighted, although in this case they wish to overthrow not only Tristan but the king as well. They would rather be enslaved by the English once more and have their land back then to have to give up their rights to a single entity such as the king. This seems to also be an extreme method of the director to get you on Tristan's side, in the text the barons have a defense but on screen they rather deserve what they get.
6)It is very odd that Isolde survives the ending of the movie, but it rather makes sense considering the main character of the whole plot was Tristan. We as the audience usually see him as a loner so it is rather fitting that he should die by himself.
7)This movie was made in classic film noir and as such has a very mixed together story line, we see the main plot of the love story but there are also a great many sub-plots. The feud between Ireland and England plays a much greater part and in the end Tristan dies fighting for the King and we get the sub-plot of Tristan's love for his uncle.
2)The way that this film shook out made it so that the love potion wouldn't have made a difference. The couple was simply love-struck instead of love-sick, in the movie the couple had already fallen deeply in love and sought each other out only to be heart-broken by a mistake of identities.
3)All of the characters in the movie are what the youth of today might consider to be the stereotypical medieval knights and nobles. We see these traits in not only our characters but in other Hollywood flicks as well, with King Mark as the selfless king, Tristan the brave yet love struck knight, and Isolde the classic "Femme Fatale" of yet another story.
4)The whole movie was based on the mix-up of identities between Isolde and Tristan, in Hollywood the main plot must be the fault of the "Femme Fatale" as we see in numerous other flicks so the filmmakers needed to find a way to make the whole tragedy her fault. By having her hide her identity she makes the audience reach out to Tristan in a way that would have been otherwise difficult to achieve, in the text it is much easier to keep the attention on one character but on screen you need to alter events to get a desired effect.
5)As always the barons are seen as selfish and short sighted, although in this case they wish to overthrow not only Tristan but the king as well. They would rather be enslaved by the English once more and have their land back then to have to give up their rights to a single entity such as the king. This seems to also be an extreme method of the director to get you on Tristan's side, in the text the barons have a defense but on screen they rather deserve what they get.
6)It is very odd that Isolde survives the ending of the movie, but it rather makes sense considering the main character of the whole plot was Tristan. We as the audience usually see him as a loner so it is rather fitting that he should die by himself.
7)This movie was made in classic film noir and as such has a very mixed together story line, we see the main plot of the love story but there are also a great many sub-plots. The feud between Ireland and England plays a much greater part and in the end Tristan dies fighting for the King and we get the sub-plot of Tristan's love for his uncle.
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