Everyman LRJ#1

Ryan Readinger, Alejandro Peltoniemi, Ian Hedstrom, Alex O'Brien

Ms. Peifer

English 10 IB Hour 5

January 29, 2009

The theme of the play is that of ones realization that you can't die with your peers or family, only your deeds follow you into death. In the play, Death is told by God to tell Everyman to go into Death, which is his journey. Everyman then tries to persuade all of his friends to accompany him on his journey, but to no avail. This is where Everyman comes to the realization that nobody will venture into hell with him, except for his friend Dr. Good-Deeds, which symbolizes his deeds, which are the only things that a man can take into death with him.

When Everyman tries to convince Fellowship to come into death with him, at first Fellowship complies with him, but soon after, he rejects Everyman's offer and decides not to. "[Fellowship] Yea, thereto ye would be ready;/ To go to mirth, solace, and play,/ Your mind will sooner apply/ Than to bear me company in my long journey./ [Fellowship] Now, in good faith, I will not that way./ But and thou wilt murder, or any man kill,/ In that I will help thee with a good will." This quote shows Fellowships unwillingness to die with Everyman. He tells Everyman that he will do anything else with him, just not die with him. This was the first of many let downs for Everyman. Everyman is disgruntled that no one will go on his journey with him, only Dr. Good-Deeds will go with him. That thought is the theme of the play.

Inferno Commentary

Ryan Readinger

10 IB English

January 8, 2009

Ms. Peifer

Dante’s Inferno Commentary

“’Your citizens nicknamed me Ciacco, The Hog: / gluttony was my offense and for it/ I lie here rotting like a swollen log. / Nor am I lost in this alone; all these/ you see about you in this painful death/ have wallowed in the same indecencies.’/ I [Dante] answered him: ‘Ciacco, your agony/ weighs on my heart and calls my soul to tears; / but tell me, if you can, what is to be/ for the citizens of that divided state, / and whether there are honest among them, / and for what reasons we are torn by hate.’” (Dante, 49-60 in Canto 6)
This passage is very important to the overall story of Dante’s venture into hell. When Dante talks to Ciacco, this is really his first view and understanding of how bad Hell really was to the people being punished in it. Dante gets that idea and feeling when he sees the misery of Ciacco and the others. When Dante engages Ciacco in conversation, Ciacco tells him that everybody on his level of hell endures the same pain as him, and that they all committed the same felony. Dante’s mistake, though, is his pity for Ciacco and the rest of those being punished “‘Ciacco, your agony/ weighs on my heart and calls my soul to tears’”(Dante, 56-57). He is later scolded for his pity by Virgil, and that’s what makes Dante have no pity for the rest of the doomed in Hell.
The language used in this excerpt makes the passage more in-depth and quite detailed. Dante uses more complex words to brighten, or darken in some cases, a sentence of phrase. He scatters these words thought the passage, using them to describe the situation or thing in greater detail. The way Dante constructs this diolouge throughout the story is quite interesting. Though not mostly in this passage, Dante uses phrases such as “ and I to him” and “and he to me”, but he does start to uses these in this passage. When Dante is asking his question to Ciacco, “’but tell me, if you can, what is to be/ for the citizens of that divided state, / and whether there are honest among them, / and for what reasons we are torn by hate.’”(Dante, 57-60) Dante makes you think about the question by not clearly defining what his asking. Though Ciacco knows exactly what he is querying about, the reader must think back to history and find out when the city from which both Dante and Ciacco came was fighting. It is a smart use of allusion.
The overall impact of this passage on the rest of the story is big because of the pity that Dante shows Ciacco and the scolding he shortly received after wards by Virgil.

Beowulf Commentary

Ryan Readinger
Ms. Peifer
Hour 5 10 IB
13 December 2008
Beowulf Commentary
This passage from Beowulf is significant to the story because it sums up what the Danish man is like and it gives the reader an idea of the values of the Anglo-Saxon lifestyle. It shows the audience how Beowulf’s power really started off. It also shows that the Anglo Saxons had a great belief in the Christian god and that He had the power to decide the fate of any man. The passage shows Hrothgar’s pride in his work, but it also shows his faith and his ability to give away his power. In the same way the passage also shows Beowulf’s eagerness and ability to take that power.
In the passage, the author uses the words in the lines, more so than the way they are put together. The author uses descriptive words to get his point across such as in the lines “Ward and guard it, for it is the greatest of houses. /Be on your mettle now, keep in mind your fame, /beware of the enemy.” (Heaney, 658-660). Words like Ward and mettle kind of beef of the lines and make reading it more interesting because it’s not just simple language. Later on in the passage, the author uses a kenning to keep the reader interested, “Hrothgar departed then with his house-guard” (Heaney, 662). The kenning is used to make the language in the story seem less tradition in a way, because it makes the words more descriptive when the author could have just used simple language. The use of kennings is common throughout the story, and that’s what makes it interesting.
The passage is able to briefly characterize Hrothgar and Beowulf, and it shows how much faith Hrothgar has in Beowulf. It also shows the wealth of Hrothgar, because he has “the greatest of houses and he tells Beowulf “There’s nothing you wish for/ that won’t be yours if you win through alive.” (Heaney, 660-661). That line shows that Hrothgar will give anything to have Beowulf rid his great hall of Grendel, and that is the main point of the story.

Beowulf LRJ #3

The values in this section of the tale of Beowulf are still pride, strength and keeping your name immortalized. Although, in this section, there is also the value of dying a acceptable death and dying a heroic death, which Beowulf does. Beowulf knows his death is upon him, but he wanted to slay the dragon before he died. He does this and thats what makes his death heroic. A proper death is highly valued in Anglo-Saxon culture. The text continues to talk about Beowulfs strength and his will power which were constantly praised by his men.
This section is different from the others because of the premise of Beowulfs death. In the other stories it was always about Beowulf winning the battles and going on to boast about his victories, but in this passage it was about him slaying his final enemy but dying in the process. This section also focuses more on Beowulfs stuggles with his enemys instead of Beowulfs victories over them.
Beowulfs death was an honorable one because he died doing an honorable deed and he died in battle which was considered an honorable death. His end was that of a heros because he killed the monster that was tormenting the citizens of his land, and the people knew him as a great hero by doing that.

Beowulf LRJ #2

The main values of the Anglo-Saxons were that of strength and heroism. Throughout Beowulf, Beowulf is constantly trying to keep his name immortal and the author is always talking about Beowulfs great strength. "But a warrior of Hygelac's heard of Grendel's doings; he was the strongest of men alive in that day, mighty and noble"(Breeden). Strength and the act of showing strength is a strong value in Anglo-Saxon cutlture, because it makes it seem like everybody is way better if you have more strength than somebody else. The immortalization of a name is also a main value as well and the author of Beowulf makes it seem that both Hrothgar and Beowulf are striving to have their name be remembered. "So Hrothgar decided he would build a mead-hall, the greatest the world had ever seen, or even imagined. There he would share out to young and old alike all that God gave him (except for public lands and men's lives),"(Breeden).
Beowulfs strength is the most unrealistic part of this story. The ability to rip the arm off of a monster that is twices the size of you is just unbeleiveable. Beowulf focuses his confidence around his strength so if he didnt have enourmous strength he wouldnt have any confidence. These unrealistic showings of Beowulfs overpowering strength are in the story to beef it up a little. Its unrealistic, but it makes it even more great, and it makes Beowulf even more of an awesome hero, which the people wanted and that was how the author wanted Beowulf to be remembered.
My favorite qoutes are all the ones that have a descriptive effect on the story. "Each was hateful to the other alive. The horrible monster endured a wound: the bone-locks of his shoulder gave way, and his sinews sprang out."(Breeden). That quote shows the awesomeness of Beowulf and the full extent of his strength, which is quite unrealistic, but it adds such a descriptive peice to the battle."The fated fugitive's bloody tracksled into the water-monster's mere.There bloody water boiled,a horrible swirl of wavesmingled with hot gore."(Breeden). This quote has the same effect that the other quote has as well, it adds a nasty but descriptive edge to the story and makes it more intersesting.

Beowulf LRJ #1

The author of Beowulf uses alliteration to emphasize the words in phrases that are important to the plot of the story. In this passage, "is the path to power among people everywhere"(Heaney, 25), the author uses alliteration to emphasize "the path to power" which makes power more of a important part of the story. Another passage the author uses alliteration in is "Cain's clan, whom the creator had outlawed"(Heaney, 106), empahsizes the point that Cain's clan was condemned, therfore Grendel too, and that makes Grendel even more sinister. The alliteration in this passage "stealthy night-shapes came stealing forth"(Heaney, 650), makes the passage, more descriptive and makes the line easier to picture.
The kennings in this story actually make the story more fun in some ways, because some of them are kind of ridiculous, but a lot of the kennings make the subject more interesting by making the name more descriptive. "for who could be blind to the evdience of his eyes, the obviousness of that hall-watchers hate?"

LRJ #2

Death is a common image throughout the play. Death is the main premise of the plot and the story revolves around the deaths of many people and how they deal with those deaths. The first instance where death is in the story is right in the beginning when Antigone tells Ismene she is going to bury her brothers dead body. "What, hath not Creon destined our brothers, the one to honoured burial, the other to unburied shame? Eteocles, they say, with due observance of right and custom, he hath laid in the earth, for his honour among the dead below. But the hapless corpse of Polyneices-as rumour saith, it hath been published to the town that none shall entomb him or mourn, but leave unwept, unsepulchred, a welcome store for the birds, as they espy him, to feast on at will." (Sophocles). This first look at death in the play really sets up the plot for the rest of the play and Polyneices death also is the base cause for others to die to. The other parts where death comes in to play in the story are when Antigone, Haimon and, Creons wife all kill themselves. "Lead me away, I pray you; a rash, foolish man; who have slain thee, ah my son, unwittingly, and thee, too, my wife-unhappy that I am! I know not which way I should bend my gaze, or where I should seek support; for all is amiss with that which is in my hands,-and yonder, again, a crushing fate hath leapt upon my head." (Sophocles). All the deaths in this play have a major effect on how the story turns out and Sophocles uses it to prove that death is always there , and by being stubborn, that can cause terrible things to happen.

Creons fatal flaw is that it takes some thing terrible to make him realize that he make a mistake. His inability to see the effects of his actions is a part of this fatal flaw. He is constantly stubbon throught the play and it takes some one to come and convince him to change his mind, but that was already too late. "Even as I am I'll go:-on, on, my servants, each and all of you,-take axes in your hands, and hasten to the ground that ye see yonder! Since our judgment hath taken this turn, I will be present to unloose her, as myself bound her. My heart misgives me, 'tis best to keep the established laws, even to life's end." (Sophocles) Creon finally realizes that his decision was wrong after being convinced to let Antigone go, but his overwhelming stubbornness makes this command happen to late. He convinces himslef that his desicion to sentence Antigone is correct and it takes numerous people to tell him otherwise. This eventually causes the death of Antigone, his son and his wife, and all because of his stubbornness. Creon finally realizes his wrongdoing at the very end of the play, when the news of his son's and wife's deaths reaches him. He laments about this for along time crying out for his own death, because he knows that he caused these deaths. Because of his inability to rule correctly he is banshied and loses everything, his Peripeteia. The audience is led throughout the play to beleive that Creon is a stubborn and wrathful leader and king, which he is, but in the end the audience is meant to almost pity Creon for his losses. This is the Catharsis, because the audince is cleaned of their previous thoughts about Creon and set with completely different thoughts.

Women are characterized in Antigone to be unfit to stand up to men. That nothion is repeatedly said thoughout the play, even by women themselves. "Nay, we must remember, first, that we were born women, as who should not strive with men; next, that we are ruled of the stronger, so that we must obey in these things, and in things yet sorer." (Sophocles) They are made out to be less than men, but even then Antigone still goes and defys Creons law. "O dastard nature, yielding place to woman!" (Sophocles). The men in the play constantly degrade women, and are always comparing what is said to be weak and cowardly behavior to that of a woman.