Reposting Lecture VIdeo #10

Several students have had trouble watching the video below, so I'm re-posting it here. Hopefully this one will play better! Not sure why this happened, since it doesn't happen for everyone, and this has never happened before! 

 

Lecture Video #10: Blaming Othello

The last video! Watch this 18-minute video on Othello and respond with a comment below. This will serve as an introduction to your Final Paper (in the post beneath this one). 

Final Paper (Paper #3): What a Tragedy…

 

NOTE: Be sure to watch the video in the post below and respond with a comment before writing this paper! 

In Poole’s Tragedy, A Very Short Introduction, he writes, “But tragedy also asks us to observe the ways in which people reach judgments about who is to blame: the pressures they are under, the motives that impel them, the satisfactions they seek. It offers up for inspection and analysis, not so much the objects themselves, the scapegoats, as the process of scapegoating.”

Q: For this paper, which is really just a longer essay, I want you to answer the question: what makes Shakespeare’s Othello a tragedy? If tragedies are man-made, and the result of flaws or errors made by the protagonists of the play, what is the greatest flaw or error of this play? Who makes it? Is it their fault alone, or a series of errors or faults? Does Shakespeare seem to blame a specific person, or type of person? Or does he lay the blame at society itself? What causes things to go so terribly wrong for Othello and Desdemona in the play? If it was just the ‘evil’ nature of Iago, would it be a tragedy? Or just a play of bad luck? What makes a play tragic, rather than just unfortunate?

REQUIREMENTS

• No length requirement, but do more than one page!
• You MUST quote from the play and use examples from the play to illustrate your ideas. For example, if you think Othello is mostly to blame, show us how and where.
• Use at least ONE other work in class as a source. It can be anything from Sappho to Hafiz. But try to use another book to help us see or understand what makes this work tragic or meaningful.
• Due NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11^th by 5pm! You can turn it in earlier than this, but no late papers will be accepted.

Reading & Questions for Shakespeare, Othello, Acts 2-3

 

NOTE: Read Acts 2 & 3 for next week and answer the following questions anytime by or before next Friday. I'll be posting another video (your last one) soon, and will give you information about the Final Exam in the same video. Stay tuned! 

Chose 2 of the following: 

Q1: How does Iago use language and insinuation to create doubt in Scene 2? How can we see an ulterior motive—and a double meaning—in every conversation he has with another character (and even, perhaps, the audience)? Discuss on example of this in Act 2.

Q2: After Cassio is disgraced, Iago convinces him to ask Desdemona to intercede on his behalf. When Cassio exits, Iago turns to the audience, and in mock-offense, says, “And what’s he then that says I play the villain” (49). Read this speech closely and explain his ‘defense’ to the audience. How is he trying to defend his own character/reputation here, while at the same time laying out his secret plan against Othello?

Q3: What information do you feel ultimately ‘turns’ Othello from trusting husband to jealous cuckold? He tells Iago at one point, “No, Iago/I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;/And on the proof there is no more but this:/Away at once with love or jealousy!” (59). Since he never sees proof, what makes him choose jealousy over love?

Q4: What kind of woman is Emilia, and who’s side do you feel she’s ultimately on: Desdemona/Othello’s, or her husband’s? How much does she actually understand of the plot? You might also consider her lines to Desdemona: “[Men] are all but stomachs, and we all but food;/They eat us hungerly, and when they are full/They belch us” (72). 

Reading & Questions: Shakespeare, Othello, Act One

NOTE: Read Act One slowly and don't worry about getting every word or passage.

Use the scene summaries to help you understand the gist of the story as you go, and read the notes for any difficult words or phrases. Also, watch Act One, Scene 

1 in the post below to help you get on your feet with the play. I'm not worried 

about you understanding everything, but experiencing the play and challenging 

yourself to find meaning in a play that is hundreds of years old, and written for a 

very different audience than 21st century America! 

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: As you might expect in a play written in the early 17th century about a Moor (an African—probably from Morocco), the issue of race dominates the play.  How do we know this is a very racially divided society, and that despite Othello’s accomplishments, he is still seen as a “moor” rather than (solely) a great hero?

Q2: Examine the famous ‘trial’ scene in Scene 3, where Brabantio claims that Othello has seduced his daughter through witchcraft.  How does Othello defend himself from these claims, and how does this scene illustrate his ‘heroic’ character and values?  Related to this, why might it make us sympathetic to him instead of Brabantio? 

Q3: In Scene 1, Iago tells Roderigo that “I am not what I am.”  Throughout the play, he tells various people different stories explaining his motivations, hatreds, and values.  Can we trust anything he says?  Do we ever hear him speaking the ‘truth,’ or something that sounds more plausible to our ears?  In other words, when do we hear the ‘real’ Iago—and can we assume that his comment to Roderigo is even authentic? 

Q4: Choose a passage (a few lines, an entire speech) that you find very difficult to understand.  In writing, try to decipher/translate what is going on here.  Look at the images or metaphors the character uses, and consider what the character is responding to (what has just happened).  Try to ‘think out loud’ in your writing and see if you can shed any light on this passage (hopefully we can discuss a few of these in class).  

Lecture Video #9: The Language of Othello

 The intro to Shakespeare (and Othello) video is below. This will give you a little insight into Shakespeare's language and why it's okay to find it difficult. Sometimes, it's supposed to be! Make sure to respond to the video after you watch/read Act One of Othello. 

Also, here's a link to Act 1, Scene 1 of Othello to help you get into the play. It's not the best version, but I can't find any full versions on-line, though I have some in my own collection (which I might show excerpts of in class). So you might want to watch this first before reading the play, or after the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T20J9xVagFM

Reading & Questions for Hafiz: Chapters 13,14,15 & 23

There's a lot more poems to read in The Gift, but we only have one more week to read them before we move on to Shakespeare. So read the poems from each of the following chapters (but feel free to read more, too, if so moved!):

* Chapter Thirteen: Reverence 

* Chapter Fourteen: A Cushion for Your Head

* Chapter Sixteen: Spiced Manna

* Chapter Twenty-Three: A Clever Piece of Mutton

Answer 2 of the following questions, which are a little different from the questions I usually ask...

Q1: Which poem would you give to someone has recently fallen in love? What would you want them to see in this poem? To appreciate? To learn?

Q2: Which poem would you give to someone who is a know-it-all? Who always seems to have all the answers, and doesn't want to learn from anyone else? How might this poem teach them a little humility? 

Q3: Which poem would you give to someone who is lost and doesn't know what to do with their life? How could this poem help them find their way and give new meaning to their life--or simply a ray of hope? 

Q4: Which poem would you give to someone who has had a great tragedy in their life? How might this poem help them heal themselves? 

Revised Last Five Weeks & Paper #2!

NOTE: The questions and video for this week are in the posts below this one! 

Below is the revised schedule for all General Humanities classes (I'm no longer worrying about individual days anymore).  

NOVEMBER

M 2 – F 6:        The Gift, Part 1: video and questions (assign Paper #2)

M 9 – F 13:      The Gift, Part II: video and questions 

M 16 – F 20:    Othello, Act 1: video and questions (Paper #2 due Friday by 5pm)

M 23 – F 27:    Othello, Act 2-3: only questions / Thanksgiving Break

DECEMBER 

M 30 – F 4:      Othello, Acts 4-5: video and questions

Paper #3 (Final) due TBA 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paper #2: Sage Advice 

Only when your sickness becomes sick/will your sickness disappear (Tao te Ching, Verse 71)

For your second paper, I want you to write a letter of advice to someone close to you: it could be a parent, a sibling, a friend, a significant other, or even yourself (the past or future you—or even the present you). In this letter, you should offer help/advice/insight to someone who is going through a tough time, or has some sort of conflict or pain that you feel you could help with. The trick is that you’re going to give them advice by connecting 3-4 poems from both the The Gift and the Tao te Ching as your ‘message.’

The poems you choose should hover around the same kind of advice about living, healing, accepting, understanding, etc. Your paper should introduce each poem to the reader and explain what these poems mean, and how they can collectively offer wisdom to help the person either heal, or move forward, or keep something important in mind. You SHOULD NOT quote the entire poem in your paper. Rather, quote a few lines from each one that represents the most important part of the message/advice. I want most of your paper to be your writing, and your analysis of the poems—what they say, how they connect, and why you think they offer a valuable lesson to this person.

In general, use the poems to give a message of hope, perseverance, consolation, or simply, love. Though you can say anything (you can even criticize the person in question!), I’ll be grading it on the following factors:

• Connection of the poems (if the poems seem logically to build on one another, and aren’t chosen at random)
• Understanding of the poems (you can explain what each one means and why you chose them)
• Unified theme or message (that your paper seems to offer a general message using the poems and doesn’t go all over the place)
• Proper citation (introducing the poems and cite the page #’s of each quote)

Paper #2 is due in two weeks—Friday, November 20^th by 5pm (for all classes) by e-mail. Good luck and please e-mail me with any questions or concerns!

 

Lecture Video #8: Hafiz and the Sufi Tradition

 The following short video introduces Hafiz's poetry and the Islamic Sufi tradition. Be sure to watch to the end, since there's a question to respond to as a comment below.

ALSO: I have a link the dances of the Whirling Dervishes which I mention on the video. If interested in seeing them in action, click here (the dancing starts around the 1:50 minute mark if you want to skip ahead): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gG8YAUqVIs

Reading & Questions for Hafiz, The Gift: Parts One-Five, pp.21-82

NOTE: These poems are all pretty short, and I don't even care if you read every one. However, in each section, skim through them and try to read at least a few that really speak to you. If one seems too confusing or abstract, go to the next one, but do try to read a few more than once, since as with most poems, repetition helps the metaphors sink in and the music come out. 

Answer 2 of the following:

Q1: Like the Tao te Ching's use of the word "Tao" (or "the way"), Hafiz uses "God" and "Love" as the two key concepts to his spiritual philosophy. In these poems, how does he define one or both of these terms? Just as we can translate "Tao" in many different ways, how else might we translate "God" or "Love" based on the way Hafiz uses them in his poems?

Q2: Hafiz, like Lao Tzu, is against the idea of definitions and naming. We see this explicitly in a poem like "I Have Learned So Much" (32), when he writes, "I have learned so much from God that I can no longer call myself a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Jew." Why might he reject these religious titles? What has God taught him that makes him wary of defining himself by a religious doctrine or creed?

Q3: Daniel Ladinsky writes in his Introduction that "To some readers a few expressions in this book may appear too contemporary for this work. To that I say--nothing doing" (5). Which poem or poems seem to use really contemporary ideas or language that makes it hard to believe this poem was written in the 14th century? Why do you think he chooses these words? Do they take you out of the poem, or bring you closer inside it? 

Q4: Which poem reminds you the most of a poem from the Tao te Ching? What makes them similar? Is it an idea, a metaphor, or an actual line from the poem? Be as specific as possible. 

Reading & Questions for Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching, Poems 42-81

Q1: Poem 47 is one of the most profound of all the poems in capturing the true power of the "Tao" and its philosophy. It claims that "Without stirring abroad/One can know the whole world;/Without looking out of the window/One can see the way of heaven." What do you think this means? How can one travel without traveling, and see without looking? 

Q2: In Poem 53, the poet writes that "The great way is easy, yet people prefer by-paths." Why would it claim the Way is easy, when all of the poems tell us how difficult it is to find? And if it is easy, why wouldn't people choose to follow it? Why according to these poems do most people choose the difficult path? (you might consider how this relates to the English phrase, "to reinvent the wheel"). 

Q3: Here are three translations of a very interesting phrase in Poem 71:

* D.C. Lau (ours): To know yet to think that one does not know is best; Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty.

* Jonathan Star: Knowing what cannot be known--what a lofty aim! Now knowing what needs to be known--what a terrible result!

* William Scott Wilson: Knowing that you do not know rests above the high-water mark. Thinking that you know when you don't know, you are sick enough to be confined in bed.

What do you think these lines mean, and which translation best helped you understand them?

Q4: If you had to summarize the Tao te Ching in a single sentence, what would that sentence be? List three poems which seem to support this summary. 

Lecture Video #7: Translations of the Tao

 Here's a short video that talks about how much translation matters, especially in an old and mysterious work like the Tao te Ching. Watch this when you get a chance and respond with a comment sometime next week. The poems that are part of the video, and the comment, are pasted below. Our version of the poem is on page 13. 

ALSO: Be sure to respond to the questions in the post below by your class day. MANY people are forgetting to do the questions and are losing points (I'll let you miss a set of questions without penalty, but after that you lose points--see the syllabus for details). So be careful! 

Poem 9 (translated by William Scott Wilson)

Better than holding the cup filled to the brim,

Is knowing when to stop.

If you continue to temper and sharpen a blade,

It will not hold its edge for long.

When gold and jewels fill the hall,

Keeping them under your roof will be difficult.

Riding the high horse of your own wealth and position,

You will invite censure all on your own.

When you have completed some meritorious deed,

Back out and go home.

This is heaven’s way.

Poem 9 (translated by Johnathan Star)

Grabbing and stuffing—

there is no end to it.

Sharpen a blade too much

and it’s edge will soon be lost.

Fill a house with gold and jade

and no one can protect it.

Puff yourself with honor and pride

and no one can save you from a fall.

Complete the task at hand

be selfless in your actions

This is the way of Heaven.

This is the way of Heaven.

Reading/Questions for Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching, Poems 21-41 (pp.26-48)

NOTE: These questions are for next week (after Fall Break) so make sure to do the questions below this one first. Also, be sure to respond to the video (two posts down), which many of you haven't done. Your grade relies on keeping up on these daily questions and responses, so be careful! 

Answer 2 of the following:

Q1: Many of these poems seem to share the same basic ideas and metaphors, just re-stated in slightly different ways. Discuss two poems (one from 1-20, one from 21-41) that seem to complement each other, where one explains the other more than either one would alone.

Q2: According to these poems, what qualities should the ideal sage possess? Why might these ideals be hard to achieve, given human nature? Consider for example the lines, "He who tiptoes cannot stand; he who strides cannot walk" (Poem XXIV).

Q3: Some of these poems also seem to be addressed to a ruler or warlord, and give advice about maintaining his kingdom. What advice do they offer? Can a sage also be a good leader--or are they two different paths? Consider Poem XXIX, which states, "The empire is a sacred vessel and nothing should be done to it. Whoever does anything to it will ruin it; whoever lays hold of it will lose it."

Q4: Poem XLI (41) talks about students and the classroom, so is very appropriate to our class. It claims that when the best student hears about the way, they study it carefully; when the average student heard about it, it's "one moment there and gone the next," and when the worst student hears about it they laugh out loud. This is natural, because "if he did not laugh/It would be unworthy of being the way" (48). Why should the way (or any knowledge) be capable of inspiring wonder, indifference, and laughter at the same time? Why does this make it "the way"?

Reading/Questions for Lao Tzu, Tao te Ching, Poems 1-20, (pp.1-25)

NOTE: Be sure to watch the video first (the post below) before reading these poems. It might help! 

For next week, read through the first twenty poems in the Tao te Ching slowly...don't read them the way you would a novel or short story. In fact, I care less that you read them all then you read a few of them carefully and more than once. Remember to think about metaphors and how a metaphor can transform a common experience into something unique and complex--and help you experience it from the poet's point of view.

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: Discuss an important metaphor in one of the poems: what do you think this metaphor is trying to compare--what experience/idea to what experience/idea? Why is this useful? For example, Poem XII (12) says, "the sage is/For the belly/Not for the eye." What does it mean that the sage/teacher is meant to be "eaten" and not "seen"? 

Q2: Many of these poems play with the idea of paradox--two ideas that would normally cancel each other out (like "burning ice" or "kind cruelty"). Discuss one such paradox and why this paradox is not only possible, but enlightening to consider. For example, "use will never drain it." How is this possible?

Q3: Many of these poems can seem repetitive, using the same ideas and even the same language from one to another. Why do you think this is? Does one poem build on the other? Or do they represent different voices, each one offering slight variations on the same theme or idea?

Q4: Discuss a poem or passage that seems hopelessly confusing or impossible to 'translate.' Why is this? What language, metaphor, or paradox seems too dense to penetrate? Do you have any guesses or ideas? 

Lecture Video #6: The World as a Work of Art

Be sure to get a copy of our next book, Lao Tzu's Tao te Ching, so you can answer the questions for next week (I'll post them soon). For now, here's a video that will introduce you to some key concepts in the book, and as always, there's a question to respond to as a comment. Enjoy (if you can)! 

Reading/Questions for Homer, The Iliad, Books 22, 23 & 24 (the end!)

NOTE: For next week, be sure to finish the book and read the last three books (or get as close as you can). Answer 2 of the following questions--your last set for The Iliad! And don't forget to turn in your papers! For Monday classes it's due on Wednesday by 5pm; for Wednesday classes it's due on Friday by 5pm; and for Friday classes it's due on Monday by 5pm. The assignment sheet is a few posts down...please look it over again before you write the paper!  

Q1: In a passage omitted from our version of Book 24, the gods debate about whether Achilles should give up Hector’s body.  Apollo, who thinks he should, speaks:

How callous can you get?  Has Hector

Never burned for you thighs of bulls and goats?

…but now you cannot

Bring yourselves to save even his bare corpse

For his wife to look upon, and his mother,

And child, and Priam, and his people…

No, it’s the dread Achilles that you prefer,

His twisted mind is set on what he wants,

As savage as a lion bristling with pride,

Attacking men’s flocks to make himself a feast.

Achilles has lost all pity and has no shame left.

Shame sometimes hurts men, but it helps them too.

A man may lose someone dearer than Achilles has,

A brother from the same womb, or a son,

But when he has wept and mourned, he lets go.

The Fates have given men an enduring heart.

But this man?  After he kills Hector,

He ties him behind his charior

And drags him around his dear friend’s tomb.

Does this make him a better or nobler man? (lines 37-57)

What do you think Apollo means by an “enduring heart,” and why might this speech suggest that hubris is a quality of gods—not men? 

Q2: How does Book 24 present Achilles’ decision to give Hector’s body back to Priam?  Is it still an act of compassion and mercy?  Does this book redeem Achilles in our eyes, or is he merely a pawn of the gods, forced to do Zeus’ bidding? 

Q3: How do the various women respond to Hector’s body—Andromache, Hecuba, and Helen?  How does this give us different perspectives on who Hector was, and whether or not he died honorably—or for the right reason? 

Q4: Why do you think the book ends with the funeral of Hector, rather than with the fall of Troy, or even the death of Achilles?  If the story is about Achilles’ rage, then why not end with the natural outcome of his rage—his death?  Why is ending the book here, rather than later on in the actual story of Troy, somehow satisfying?

Lecture Video #5 for The Iliad

 Here it is--the new blog for the week! Sorry for the delay, but you can respond to this any time next week with a COMMENT. Just watch the video first. :) And don't forget about the Paper #1 assignment posted a few posts down...the due dates are coming up! 

Writing Tips for Paper #1

 INTEGRATING QUOTATIONS INTO YOUR PAPER, MLA STYLE

 The Quote: “Every decent, sane man

Loves his woman and cares for her, as I did,

Loved her from my heart. It doesn’t matter

That I won her with my spear.”

     I. INTRODUCE QUOTES (some examples)

• In Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles tells the Greeks that...
• In an important passage in Book 9 of the Iliad, Achilles explains why he refuses to take restitution for Agamemnon’s insult…
• In Book 9, Achilles’ response to betraying the Greeks over an insult is…

II. CITE PAGE NUMBER AND/OR AUTHOR

(61) or (Book 9) or (Lines 349-352)

NOT (The Book), OR (The Iliad), OR (Homer)

III. RESPOND TO THE QUOTE (always explain why you quoted it or how it relates to your essay)

When confronted about his stubborn refusal to help the Greeks, Achilles explains that “Every decent, sane man/Loves his woman and cares for her, as I did,/Loved her from my heart. It doesn’t matter/That I won her with my spear” (61). This is important because it shows that Achilles isn’t just stubborn or prideful, since Briseus was more than a prize—she was almost his wife. So if other men, such as Menelaus, are insulted by the loss of their wives, how can Achilles, another “sane man” act any different?

NOTE: You can use (/) to separate lines in poetry instead of making it look like poetry in your paper, since that takes up unnecessary space—and I know you don’t want to do that! J But it’s okay if you quote poetry normally, just try not to use very long passages.

IV. WORKS CITED PAGE

Homer, The Iliad. Translated by Stanley Lombardo. Indianapolis:

Hackett, 2000.

 

 

Reading/Questions for Homer, The Iliad, Books 16,18, 19

NOTE: We'll be spending two more weeks on The Iliad before moving on, so keep reading and finish it as soon as you can. Don't forget about your Paper #1 assignment, which will also be due very soon (a few posts down)! 

Answer TWO of the following: 

Q1: How does Patroclus compare as a hero to Achilles?  While Patroclus is clearly not Achilles’ equal, how does the book contrast him with his more famous friend?  What sentiments/ideas does Patroclus represent that runs counter to Achilles? 

Q2: How heroic or honorable does Hector appear in his battle with Patroclus?  Is Hector the “good” hero as opposed to the “bad” Achilles?  Are we rooting for him?  Does he act in accordance to the values of heroism in our culture?  Does the poet celebrate his victory—or does he, too, betray the code of honor in some way? 

Q3: In Book 9, Phoenix warns Achilles that “if you go into battle without any gifts/Your honor will be less, save us or not” (68).  When Achilles finally decide to fight in Book 18, is this seen as an honorable decision?  Has he ‘saved’ his honor?  What explanation does he offer for abandoning his grudge against Agamemnon?  Is it enough? 

Q4: In Book 19 Briseis finally gets to speak: what does she say and how does it define her as a character?  What do we learn about her (and her relationship with Achilles), and how does she compare to the other speaking women—Helen and Andromache? 

Lecture Video #4: Fate, Gods, and Man

Be sure to watch the video below (approx. 17 min) and respond to the question at the end with a COMMENT below. Also--be sure to read Books 6,9, & 12 and answer the questions in the post below. The questions are always due on your face-to-face class day (even if you don't come), but the video can be answered anytime next week. 

Reading/Questions for Homer, The Iliad, Books 6, 9, & 12

From Gareth Hinds' graphic novel, The Iliad

NOTE: Try to read Books 6-16 for next week, though these questions will only cover the first three books. I'll post a separate lecture video for Book 16, since it's longer and you might need more time to finish it. But we'll talk about all of them next week for those who come to class.

ALSO: If you're having trouble keeping some of the names straight, refer to pages 158-165 of our book, which is a GLOSSARY of the main characters in the book. It really helps the first time you encounter someone with a particularly long and exotic name like Andromache or Polypoetes. 

Answer 2 of the following:

Q1: In Book 9, Achilles makes a long and impassioned defense of his refusal to return to the war. Though Ajax is very dismissive of his answer, what do you make of it? Are we supposed to be sympathetic of Achilles here? Is this how we would respond to Agamemnon's request to return to battle? Or is he being a spoiled demigod here, using his pride and position to doom hundreds of Greek soldiers to their death? 

Q2: In Book 6, the battle stops for a short dialogue between Diomedes, the powerful Greek warrior, and Glaucus, a famous Trojan. Why is this an important encounter in displaying the beliefs and values of Greek society? Though both are warriors, what is clearly more important than winning in battle?

Q3: In Book 9, the Greek named Phoenix tells Achilles that "Prayer are daughters of great Zeus./Lame and wrinkled and with eyes averted,/They are careful to follow in Folly's footsteps,/But Folly is strong and fleet, and outruns them all,/Beating them everywhere and plaguing humans,/Who are cured by the Prayers when they come behind" (65). What is he trying to tell Achilles (and us) through this instructive metaphor? Why might this sound like the kind of advice Sappho gives in some of her poems? 

Q4: Several people in The Iliad seem to have a fatalistic approach to life, as we seen in Book 12 when Sarpedom tells Glaucus, "death is everywhere/In more shapes than we can count,/And since no mortal is immune or can escape,/Let's go forward, either to give glory/To another man or get glory from him" (74). Do you find this an optimistic or a pessimistic philosophy? If you believed this, would you be more inspired to do great deeds of heroism...or to abandon great deeds as a pointless pursuit? 

Paper #1 Assignment: The Greek Conversation

 

Like your reading questions, I’m giving you four possibilities to choose from here, but I only want you to write about ONE of them. However, I want you to give me more thought and effort than you would give in your questions. Write a 3-4 page (double spaced) response quoting from both books as support. Think about our class discussions and videos (and your previous questions) and show me the connections you see between both books. If you don't use both books in your response, or turn in a paper less than 3-4 pages, you risk getting a zero on the assignment (so be careful!). 

We'll discuss proper citation of books in class next week, as well as constructing a Works Cited page (though you should remember this, or know it, from high school and Comp 1 as well). 

CHOOSE ONE:

Q1. Which character or characters in The Iliad could have been written or created by Sappho? In other words, which ones express sentiments, ideas, or even a basic philosophy similar to Sappho’s poems? Discuss a specific passage that shows this character speaking, or acting, in a way that echoes one or more of Sappho’s fragments. Be as specific as possible so we can appreciate the connection. You might also consider whether a character takes her ideas and twists them in a new direction—maybe a more ‘masculine’ translation of Sappho.

Q2. In general, Greek culture is obsessed with immortality—not for the soul, but for the individual’s qualities/character.  As Sappho writes, “later on...in an age unlike our own/Someone will remember who we are” (87).  In The Iliad, how does the poet discuss the difference between doing glorious deeds (for one’s own immortality) and doing just/good deeds (for society’s immortality)?  Can being a hero actually be at the expense of society?  Who should a hero live and die for? 

Q3. According to Sappho and The Iliad, what is the role of the gods in human society? Sure, they’re “gods” and control the fate of the world, but how important are they really? What do they do for humanity, and what do they need from humanity? Do both works agree on this? Do they seem more reverent toward the gods, or more critical of them? You might also consider whether either work even seems to believe in the Gods. Are they the “menu” and not the “food”? (to quote from our last lecture video).

Q4. Sappho writes almost exclusively about the various forms of love (and lust) in the ancient world. Yet The Iliad is also a poem about love, since the love for a woman starts the Trojan War and every great hero (Achilles, Hector) is defined by his love for a woman. So how did the Greeks view love: as a destructive force? An ennobling force? The most beautiful thing in the world—or the most terrifying? Is their view of love basically the same as ours, or did the ancient Greeks have different views on love between men and women—and women and women?

DUE DATES:

• MONDAY CLASS: Wednesday, September 30^th by 5pm
• WEDNEDAY CLASS: Friday, October 2^nd by 5pm
• FRIDAY CLASS: Monday, October 5^th by 5pm

Schedule Changes for The Iliad

NOTE: Since the Monday classes didn't meet last week, I decided to give everyone a break and not post a lecture video this week. Just try to catch up on the reading--The Iliad, Books 1-3. The questions in the post below are due in class next week. ALSO, I changed the schedule slightly since we were a day behind. This reflects our new schedule until the paper is due, at which point we will resume the schedule on the syllabus. As you'll see, the changes are very minor.

MONDAY CLASS

M 7                  Labor Day: No Class

W 9                 Blog: Video, The Iliad, Books 1-3

F 11                 No Blog—Keep Reading!

 

M 14                Discussion: The Iliad Books 1-3

W 16               Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 6, 9, 12

F 18                 Blog: Video, The Iliad, Book 16

 

M 21                Discussion: The Iliad, Books 6-16

W 23               Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 19, 22, 23, 24

F 25                 Blog: Video, The Iliad, Books 19-24

 

M 28                Discussion: The Iliad, Books 19-24

W 30               Paper #1 due by 5pm

 

WEDNESDAY CLASS

M 7                  Blog: Greek Mythology, etc.

W 9                 In-Class Discussion: The Iliad, Book 1

F 11                 Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 1-3

 

M 14                [No Blog: Keep Reading!]

W 16               Discussion: The Iliad, Books 1-3

F 18                 Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 6,9,12

 

M 21                Blog: Video, The Iliad Books 16

W 23               Discussion: The Iliad, Books 6-16

F 25                 Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 19, 22, 23, 24

 

M 28                Blog: Video, The Iliad, Books 19-24

W 30               Discussion: The Iliad, Books 19-24

F 2                   Paper #1 due by 5pm

 

FRIDAY CLASS

F 4                   In-Class Discussion for The Iliad, Book 1

 

M 14                Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 1-3

W 16               [No Blog: Keep Reading!]

F 18                 In-Class Discussion for Sappho, The Iliad, Books 1-3

 

M 21                Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 6,9,12 

 

W 23               Blog: Video, The Iliad, Books 16

F 25                 In-Class Discussion for The Iliad, Books 6-16

 

M 28                Blog: Reading/Questions for The Iliad, Books 19, 22, 23, 24

W 30               Blog: Video, The Iliad, Books 19-24

F 2                   In-Class Discussion for The Iliad, Books 19-24

 

OCTOBER

M 5                  Paper #1 due by 5pm

 

 

 

Reading/Questions for Homer, The Iliad, Books 1-3

NOTE: Friday's class should do the posts below this one first. This will be for next week (the week of the 14th).

Answer two of the following:

Q1: From the first three books, what kind of relationship do humans have with the gods? What role do the gods serve for them, and likewise, what roles do humans serve for the gods?  What makes this relationship so different from the man/God relationship in most monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam)? 

Q2: Examine Achilles’ confrontation with Agamemnon in Book I: how do we respond to him as a hero in this passage?  Does he seem modern and sympathetic here, or is he petulant and childish?  Do you think Homer’s audience would have felt the same (or is it just how we see it)?

Q3: Though Achilles is often thought to be the embodiment of hubris (excessive pride, overconfidence, etc.), in what ways does Agamemnon also deserve this title?  How do we see the leader of the Greek armies display this quality, and how does it endanger the Greeks’ relationship with the gods?

Q4: In Book 3, Helen confronts Aphrodite and tells her, “It would be treason to share [Paris’] bed” (41). Why is she so disgusted by Paris and defiant toward Aphrodite? Do you think this is how Sappho would have envisioned or characterized Helen? Why or why not?

Lecture Video #3: Greek Mythology and The Iliad

NOTE: Be sure to read Book 1 (chapter 1) of The Essential Iliad for next week. For Wednesday and Friday classes, we'll talk about Book 1 in class, but mostly I'll try to tell you some things to notice and look out for. Later next week, I'll post the first reading questions for the later chapters--so feel free to read ahead.

ALSO: I buried the response question in the video itself, so please watch the video so you know what to respond to. Then write your response as a COMMENT below, or e-mail it to me. (I notice some people aren't watching the videos, so be careful--they will help you with the readings!) 

Last Questions for Sappho's Poems

* You don't have to comment on the blog for this assignment--it's like your normal 4 questions, but I only gave you one. You can bring this to class with you or e-mail it to me instead if you like. 

NOTE: Be sure to get our next book, The Essential Iliad, since we'll start reading that next week. I'll post a video soon to introduce you to the world of Greek gods/mythology that the work is set in.

READ THE POEMS FROM PAGES 189-355 (most are just a line long)

ONLY ONE QUESTION THIS TIME!

Q1: Most of the poems in this part of the book are very fragmentary, and some are only a few words. We don't really know if all of these are distinct poems, or actually belong to each other. Indeed, some of these poems might all be part of one 'lost' poem, just in different versions. So choose 4-5 "tiny" poems that you think would work together as a larger poem. Write that poem out and explain why you think these lines work well together and help us 'see' a larger poem or story. 

FOR EXAMPLE, here's mine:

I conversed with you in a dream Kyrpogeneia (134)

and gold chickpeas were growing on the banks (143)

mingled with all kinds of colors (152)

my darling one (163),

someone will remember us, I say, even in another time (147)

I chose these lines because they paint a picture of a dream-world where the poet and her lover live together in happiness, by the bank of a river with gold chickpeas growing, full of all kinds of colors. It's a memory of happier times when they weren't far apart. And she the poet tells her that even though they're apart and forgotten today, someone will one day remember their love, maybe thousands of years later, when they read about it in a poem. Just like we are today! :) 

See? Wasn't that fun? Now try to make your own! 

Video Lecture #2: Sappho and the Female Perspective

Sorry for the delay--I had trouble uploading this video because it was initially too long (I had to shorten it). This is for next week, so be sure to watch it and comment before your class (or no later than the day of your class). NOTE that the question to respond to is in the video itself and not on the blog post. I did this because a few people got confused and I wanted everything to be together. So be sure to respond as a COMMENT below after you watch the video. 

Enjoy!

Reading Questions for Sappho, Part II

 

NOTE: Wednesday and Friday classes should do the questions below this one first (Questions, Part I). These questions will be due next week for all classes, depending on what day you come to class. I'll post another lecture video in a few days which will have a separate due date.

Read the following poems: pages 65, 67, 69, 83, 85, 99, 101, 103, 105, 109, 115, 117, 119, 121, 131, 145, 185-187

Answer 2 of the following 4 questions:

Q1: Try to fill in one of the fragment poems: what do you think this poem was really about, and what ideas do you think are missing based on what we have? What's the 'secret' poem, and what clues lead you to think so?

Q2: These poems offer us a unique insight into the lives of women in ancient Greece, who were often little more than slaves, and couldn't write, vote, or own property. What does Sappho seem to express about the life of a woman 2,000 years ago? Discuss at least one poem that shows us this.

Q3: Poem 94 on page 185-187 is a rare almost complete poem. What seems to be the story behind this poem? Clearly something has happened just before this poem was written, and the poem is responding to it. Who are the two characters in this poem, and what kind of relationship do they seem to have? What is happening to them? And what do they fear about the future?

Q4: Legends suggest that Sappho was a teacher of an all-girl's school in Lesbos, the island where she was born. Many of her poems, it is suggested, were sung with her students and express lessons for growing up and becoming a woman in ancient Greece. Is there a specific poem that seems to offer advice or wisdom for teenage girls emerging into a world of men and adulthood? Does any of this advice sound familiar to us even today? 

Reading/Questions for Sappho, Part I

 

NOTE: Check your syllabus to see what day these questions are due for your class. Remember that you can do them earlier if you want, but they do have a deadline. In general, the questions are due by your next in-class day. So if you  have class on Monday, they're due in-class on Monday (or via e-mail by Monday's class--but not any time on Monday!). 

READ THE FOLLOWING POEMS FIRST in the book If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho (on the left page is the original ancient Greek, which obviously you don't have to read):

* pp.3-5

* p.7

* p.9

* p.11

* p.13

* p.25

* p.27

* p.29

* p.45

* p.51

* p.53

* p.61

* p.63

THEN answer 2 of the following 4 questions in a short response (at least a few sentences). Don't just give me a "yes or no" answer, and please don't restate the question. Try to think out loud and even reason through the questions, because each one has multiple answers and ways you could approach it. You can then bring the answers with you to class OR e-mail them to me, but either way, we'll discuss these questions and readings in class.

Q1: Most of these poems are fragments, like the headless and armless statues in the video. Because of this, we really don't know what the missing pieces would have said and how they would change the poems. Which poem did you find the most difficult to understand based on the missing pieces and why? Discuss what you think the poem might be about based on what we do have--and be specific.

Q2: The most complete poem is the first one, on pages 3-5. As far as we know, th is is exactly what Sappho intended to write. Read this poem carefully and explain what you think the poet is asking Aphrodite (the goddess of love) for. What does she want most of all? Also, why might this poem be a little humorous? Any clues?

Q3: The poem on page 63 is also fairly complete, even though it breaks off at the end. What makes this poem such a modern poem about love? What is the poet worried about? What do they want the reader to understand about the nature of love, and what it feels like to be in love?

Q4: If some of these poems were modern-day songs, what style of music would they be? Choose a specific poem and explain why it 'sounds' like this kind of music. 

Video Lecture #1: Lost in Translation

NOTE: This video is your first assignment for the class. If you haven't been to class yet (Wednesday and Friday classes), don't worry about it yet. I'll explain this in class then. However, for Monday classes, go ahead and watch this video and respond by Wednesday to the question below as a COMMENT. This will allow you to see how other people in class respond to the question, and replicate the kinds of discussions we would normally have in class (and will hopefully have in class once a week). 

MONDAY CLASSES should respond to this video by Wednesday @ 5pm

WEDNESDAY CLASSES should respond to this video by Friday @ 5pm

FRIDAY CLASSES should respond to this video by Monday @ 5pm

[Your class schedule should explain which day you come to class, and which days are on-line days. If you have questions, please e-mail me!] 

RESPONSE QUESTION: Think of your favorite song or your favorite movie: would the song still be as good if we lost the music? Are the words good enough to read as poetry? OR, would your favorite movie be as amazing if you just had the screenplay (the dialogue), and not the movie itself? What wouldn't we be able to understand about the film? Would you have fallen in love with the song and the movie without the music and the images? (remember, respond as a COMMENT...or e-mail it to me if you have problems doing so). 

Welcome to the Course!

Welcome to Humanities 2123, General Humanities I, or as I like to call it, "The Poetry of Time and Space." Why the fancy title? Because we're focusing primarily on how civilizations throughout time used poetry to express their ideals, dreams, and nightmares across time and space--to end up in our classroom. Even though these civilizations have disappeared and many of the poets are forgotten, their words remain, easy to grasp and relate to (thanks to translation), and almost as relevant today as they were in ancient Greece or Elizabethan England. The goal of this course will be to connect the worlds of the past without our own society, and learn how little we've changed--and yet, how much we still have to learn about ourselves as a species. 

Because of COVID, this class has been broken up into three sections, each one meeting once a week, with the rest of the days on-line. Use this blog for those 'on-line' days, since I'll be posting questions and short videos to help you engage with the material. On our in-class days, we'll go over the work you've done on your own and make connections and clarify some of the trickier points (especially if you felt yourself completely lost). 

The posts below have a different syllabus for each section of the class: find the syllabus that pertains to the day you attend face-to-face class, and that's the one our class will follow. However, I'll also give you a hard copy syllabus next week. If you have any questions, e-mail me at jgrasso@ecok.edu. I look forward to talking with you throughout the semester! 

Syllabus for Classes Meeting on Monday

 

Hum 2123: General Humanities 1, “The Poetry of Time and Space”

Section 1: Meeting on Monday (W/F on the blog)

Fall 2020 / Dr. Joshua Grasso

 

Hours: M 10:00-10:50

Office: Horace Mann 348

Office Hours: After class or by appointment

E-mail: jgrasso@ecok.edu        (Phone: X430)

 

Course Blog: Be sure to bookmark our class blog, “ecuhum1.blogspot.com” for future reference. I’ll post all your daily readings, questions, and assignments (we don’t use Blackboard).

Course Description: This course is designed to explore five important works of poetry that have profoundly shaped the modern world—not just in terms of literature, but in our thoughts, ideas, expressions, and ideals. Though you might not be familiar with all (or any) of these works, they exist inside your cultural DNA, providing many of the characters and situations that we continue to find meaningful and ‘new.’ As we read each work, we’ll try to understand who wrote it and where the poet came from, and why ancient cultures responded so strongly to these works. Are they for the same reasons we find them compelling today? Or can we see new things in them that eluded their ancient audiences? Likewise, what do we miss in our own cultural blindness that only the skeleton key of literature can unlock? Hopefully, too, these works can offer you a little comfort and consolation from the outside world, as many of these poets were writing against plagues and catastrophes themselves (COVID would be very familiar to Shakespeare and his audiences).