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!)
Friday, September 4, 2020
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.
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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)...
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An actual fragment of Sappho' s poetry Be sure to read the few fragments in the last chapter, "The Wisdom of Sappho" befo... -
Here's a short video that talks about how much translation matters, especially in an old and mysterious work like the Tao te Ching . W...
William Carter
ReplyDeleteI believe one of the most retold stories is the story between hero(es) and villain(s). You know the ones: Superman v. Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman v. Ares, Batman v. Joker. People everywhere can't get enough. The villain wants to destroy or enslave the world and the hero wants to stop him/her. But I think the reason we can't get enough is because the stories change, either when the characters evolve or something connects with us mere mortals. Honestly, we went from wishing we were superheroes to kinda being superheroes. Those stories came into our real world. In a way, it feels like life is a comic book.
Yes, great response--and this is VERY close to the world of Greek myth and The Iliad as well. In fact, I might argue that superheroes are themselves re-telling of the old hero tales of Achilles, Odysseus, Hector, and others. But today, the Greeks mean less to us than Superman and Batman do, so we keep retelling those stories to keep them up to date.
DeleteA movie I think that's the most retold story of the present is a 2019 Disney movie called "Aladdin" because it's the same story and has some different scenes but in the end, it's the same outcome. The live action was so good and I love the way Will Smith played as the Genie. The kind of story we can't get enough of is the fact that it's romance and fantasy. We also like and dislike the characters we see. It's the same for other movies as well. There has only been one remake of the movie from what I know, but I love the story. This movie and "The Lion King" remake were both amazing to watch. I loved the scenes and how well it was put together, especially with the technology there is now-a-days. I haven't seen many of remakes, but I should watch them at some point for the ones I have seen originals of because it's interesting on how some things were different in both movies and how the movies itself have changed over the years with the editing and characters.
ReplyDelete-Brittney Taylor
Yes, that's a great observation--stories like Aladdin keep getting retold throughout the decades, from the Disney animated version in the 90's to the most recent film version, and then going back to versions in the 50's and 60's. And even more interesting, the story itself goes back to the Middle Ages, as it first appeared in a book called Tales from the 1,001 Nights; we've been retelling it ever since! Even The Lion King is a kind of re-telling of Kipling's The Jungle Books, which also drew on African folklore. So everything old is new again, and thanks to movies, we've translated them into a completely different medium. The stories are the same, more or less, but they look more new and relevant.
DeleteI think one of the most retold stories of the 21st century that we can't get enough of is Spiderman. In my lifetime they have come out with all different versions of Spiderman that change throughout the course of the decades. The newest versions have younger kid's and have a more friendly feel to them as opposed to the older Spiderman's with Toby Mcguire. We can't get enough of them because, even though they're similar in ways, the stories all vary with time and actor. Watching these movies and seeing cinematic differences as well as the development of the character allow people to really connect to them. Society truly enjoys the thrill and excitement of a familiar story with a different plot or twist.
ReplyDeleteYes, all superhero movies are versions of the old Greek myths: semi-divine heroes who can defeat monsters and save the world! Yet superheroes are a modern twist on the old story, and one we can relate to especially well because they look like us (people in masks, who are normal when they take them off). For that reason. we want to tell these stories over and over to feel close to them. Spiderman is one of the most popular because he's really like us--he starts out as a teenager (and a geeky teenager) and has to learn to grow up as he fights crime. Very relatable!
DeleteI think a story that has been told over and over again and used as a symbol over and over again is the classic "Cinderella Story." I don't mean the actual Disney classic, Cinderella, but the basic story line. The "underdog" story, where the less likely person, team, or choice prevails. The actual movie/story has been told in a variety of different ways but still has the same story line. There has been many modern remakes of the Disney movie and the 'Cinderella Story" is actually used in sports as well. The team that is not predicted to win, wins the game. I think that it is used over and over again because "everyone loves a good cinderella story." I think that this is because a lot of people see themselves as the "underdog" or "overlooked" and they would love to be the one that is overlooked and then finally picked and acknowledged. It leaves a good feeling on the heart that people are some what addicted too.
ReplyDeleteYes, great response--even though Cinderella goes way back, hundreds if not thousands of years (there is even an ancient Egyptian version of the story) it resonates with us because of the underdog quality you mention. In fact, isn't Harry Potter another version of this story? The "loser" who is secretly a "winner"? I agree--it gives us hope to watch someone defy the odds and makes us think we can get a little bit of that as well.
DeleteWhen it comes to remakes in this century, all I can think about are scary movies like It, It: ch. 2, and the Purge series. I think as technology develops and new generations grow up, it gives artists/movie makers the opportunity to tell the story in a different or even a better way with the advance technology that is being put into production each and every day. Sometimes though, even the very first version of that story is better, for example the Lion King. I love the original Disney version but the live action one that just recently came out was just not as good. I have noticed Disney remaking a lot of their original movies which I understand because most of them are like cartoon versions and people like watching live action movies now with real people.
ReplyDeleteYes, great response--Disney is constantly updating its movies for a new generation with new sensibilities. However, a lot of people think something is lost in translation. I think this is because they're taking animated movies, which are universal, and trying to make them into live action movies, which aren't. We can see ourselves easier in a cartoon than an actor, because the cartoon isn't real. But the actor is--so it often takes us out of the magic. Disney movies are fairy tales, and fairy tales need to seem as fantastic and unbelievable to be the most relatable and believable. So the question is, when you retell a story, can you also ruin it or change it too much?
Deletei think that the most told or retold story is probable Cinderella and yes i was from along time ago but as the years go on we change it to fit the situation that teens of people that have been treated wrong go through and that why i think its always coming back but in new and different ways it just shows that people who are the under dog can do great things just like the wethy or popular just someone overcoming a problem are stereotype.
ReplyDeleteYes, as I said a few posts up, the underdog quality is very appealing to us and makes this story easily adaptable to many different cultures and time periods. Also, the idea of a fairy Godmother who comes to our aid and is watching over us--that's very appealing, too. So many stories can be said to follow this one story, even when they're not about a glass slipper.
DeleteYHelm:
ReplyDeleteThe idea of having a "one true love" or "soulmate". This idea or story is found in romantic movies, comedies, sci-fi, novels, commercials, and too many songs to count. It appeals to everyone, regardless of age or sex. It continues to draw in movie -goers, it is enforced in songs and books. It is used in commercials to sell jewelry, cars etc. I think the power of this "soulmate" story is that it provides hope and feeds our desire to be special to one person.
I believe one of the most retold stories is the story of a character being separated by what he or she finds most comfortable, the normal if you will, such as their home or family, and having to make the journey back. I think we see these stories constantly. In most cases a tragedy happens and the character is lost. A big portion of these stories is the comeback; how the character overcomes this tragedy to come back to his home or original life just to make everything normal again.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of a story told over and over again. I immediately think of a lot of the Disney movies. Over time they have made the same story over and over again. As a college student I watch a lot of Disney plus and Netflix. The other day I noticed that there were three different versions of the jungle book. All with similar stories but maybe a different ending or different characters. In one of them called "Mowgli" they changed Baloo to an older wiser bear that never sings the bear necessities which made me very upset. Yet I still noticed how they used this newer version of Baloo to express a wiser adult figure that Mowgli could look up to, instead of a friend that helps make bad decisions. For me this is an example of a story that has been retold and remade though out the years. I think they do this to help captivate a different crowd. While giving a different outlook to a story that has been told so many times.
ReplyDeleteLily Windsor
DeleteThis was a hard question for me because I don’t watch a lot of movies or read a lot of books. I know one story that gets remade a lot it lion king. The original movie was made in 1994 and then they made a “live” version in 2019. After the first one came out the made sequels. I guess a lot of other movies has sequels too but they actually made a live versions. Making the characters and the senses look more realistic rather then animated. Same story just different versions. There’s also some books about it too which I didn’t even know.
ReplyDelete-Emily P.
A story that has been retold throughout horror cinema history is possession. The most prominent possession movie to date is The Exorcist. The story of the exorcist is retold over and over. It is also manipulated to fit whatever setting the writer/producer chooses. I've seen possession movies and TV show set anywhere from pre-1700s to present day. The movie industry is also going to remake the original exorcist sometime in the near future. Another commonly retold story is that of the Minotaur. Whether the characters are literally being chased by a Minotaur, or by something else in a maze/labrynth it is a very common theme in the entertainment industry.
ReplyDeleteAlex Smith
DeleteI believe one of the most retold stories in our time today would be just simply, love stories. This is seen over and over again in movies like The Notebook, Sweet Home Alabama, and Grease. People love the idea of love. It is something that everybody wants, but is very difficult to find. This idea of love and romance gives people butterflies and makes people feel good, so it is repeated over and over again.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of films that I always see make a comeback, I think of disney movies. Just recently, the live action remake of the film "Mulan" released on Disney+. Although I'm not much of a disney enthusiast, the film has a great message that can carry on for generations. The moral behind the movie fights gender stereotypes between the sexes. Mulan, being a female character goes against the all-male soldiers during the war. Also, it teaches watchers that 2 minds are better than one when it comes to teamwork. The combination of hard work, humility and honesty makes it a great movie to bring back and remake for future viewers.
ReplyDeleteMonica Guajardo:
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most oversold stories is the classic love story of a nerdy girl/boy turned pretty. The coming of age movies where a girl/boy goes from nerdy to beautiful/handsome. Pretty in pink and the breakfast club are some examples. Then everyone wants to date them or be their friends. It is a part of every teen love story movie even in these days like the Kissing Booth that came out on Netflix a while ago. It is overused and predictable but of Course we love to watch it for the sake of watching.
Brooklyn Barnes
ReplyDeleteI would say one of the stories that I've heard/seen would be about Cinderella. I have seen so many different versions of it. There has been some made that have a more modern day setting some of them are A Cinderella story, Ella Enchanted, Another Cinderella story, and many more. There is so many different things about each movie but they all have the same context as the original.
I believe one of the most retold stories I have heard is any Disney fairy tale or movie. Almost everyone knows the Disney princesses and how they got to where they are. Snow White was the first princess with her own full length film in 1937. Even though that was long ago, a ton of people are familiar with her still and there has been several spoofs of the movie. Cinderella has several movies in a modern day setting with a different story line in each film. Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Maleficent, Christopher Robin, and so many other great childhood stories we all know, have been made modern and people still love them as they are.
ReplyDeleteI think that a very common retold story are horror stories where so called "monsters" come to get you. There are many movies and books and even to this day many people have either heard or told different stories of different creatures for example, The Boogy Man, La Llorona, Haunted dolls and etc. People are very familiar with all of these stories because growing up you hear all about them and not only that but they make movies about them that are shown to this day! I think the idea of knowing there is more out there in the world then we think whether it's the paranormal or extraterrestrials, really interest people and that's why there are so many retold stories!
ReplyDeleteThe story that is repeated in the modern era is true love. Almost every Disney movie and Hallmark movie shows that everyone has someone and when you find that someone nothing else can go wrong, it always ends with a happy ending. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, almost everyone loves a good story with a happy ending and your one true person.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most repeated stories is the boy and girl have a conflict at the beginning of their journey and throughout their journey they build a bond that turns into love and they end up together in the end. You see this in almost every disney princess movie (Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, etc.). You also see this in literally every single Hallmark movie ever... small town girl falls in love with a big time company owner from the big city, they go through some big event and end up together.They always get their happy ending no matter what.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most repeated stories is cinderella. I have watched different makes of cinderella, that I can not identify the original movie. My tribe back home also made a make of cinderella movie. There are a lot of books titled Cinderella, telling the story of how a step mother is being wicked to her step daughter.
ReplyDelete