As mentioned in the previous post about King Lear and all the family issues in Act 1 there are many more to follow. By the end of the play Edgar and his half-brother Edmund argue. At the end of the scene Edmund is dead.
Goneril and Regan twindle Lear's men down from a hundred to twenty-five. After hearing this Lear basically goes into exile with only the fool with him. Soon after Goneril and Regan start get into it. They start fighting over Edmund. Goneril poisons Regan and then is killed by Oswald.
Lear and Cordelia in the meantime are ordered to be hanged. Cordelia hangs herself and Lears dies soon after.
There is alot of family drama in this play that all come together. At first I was not sure about this play and whether I would like but after reading it all I enjoyed it. Between two of the sisters fighting over a man and people being accused of trying to kill others it really doesn't have a dull moment.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
King Lear ~ Act I
Like many of Shakespeare's work, I have not read King Lear. So far in Act I there is very much going on. I have read a few of his plays and like the others I like what I have read so far.
As the first scene opens Earl of Gloucester is speaking to Earl of Kent. Gloucester's illegitmate son is there, Edmund. Gloucester says that he loves Edmund but he is a bastard child. I don't understand if he loves him so much then why was he raised by his mother and not raised with Gloucester. Next enters King Lear. When we see him for the first time he is talking about dividing up his kingdom into thirds; one for each daughter. King Lear asks his daughters to proclaim their love for him and who ever proves to love him more gets the biggest piece of the kingdom. Two of them just go on and on about how much they love him. The third daughter Cordelia does not. She states that she loves him as much as a daughter should. King Lear disowns her on the spot and divides up her piece between the other two sisters.
In the first act there are two instances about love. It is interesting because one proclaims to love his illegitmat child and the other two selfish girls are proclaiming love for their father that they don't have. As we find out later in the first act these two things could back fire on them. Edmund is so angry at his father for not raising him and loving him like his half-brother Edgar that he plots against their father and makes Gloucester believe that Edgar is going to try to kill him. While this is going on Goneril and Regan (King Lear's older daughters) are plotting in taking all power and authority from him. While staying at Goneril's, King Lear is ordered by her to get rid of fifty of his knights. He refuses and leaves to stay with Regan as he leaves he hopes that Goneril will be childless and regrets giving her his power.
I am very interested to see how Act II will be with all of these characters. How will Goneril and Regans plan work out? Will Edgar really end up killing his father, Gloucester? What will happen to King Lear at Regans?
As the first scene opens Earl of Gloucester is speaking to Earl of Kent. Gloucester's illegitmate son is there, Edmund. Gloucester says that he loves Edmund but he is a bastard child. I don't understand if he loves him so much then why was he raised by his mother and not raised with Gloucester. Next enters King Lear. When we see him for the first time he is talking about dividing up his kingdom into thirds; one for each daughter. King Lear asks his daughters to proclaim their love for him and who ever proves to love him more gets the biggest piece of the kingdom. Two of them just go on and on about how much they love him. The third daughter Cordelia does not. She states that she loves him as much as a daughter should. King Lear disowns her on the spot and divides up her piece between the other two sisters.
In the first act there are two instances about love. It is interesting because one proclaims to love his illegitmat child and the other two selfish girls are proclaiming love for their father that they don't have. As we find out later in the first act these two things could back fire on them. Edmund is so angry at his father for not raising him and loving him like his half-brother Edgar that he plots against their father and makes Gloucester believe that Edgar is going to try to kill him. While this is going on Goneril and Regan (King Lear's older daughters) are plotting in taking all power and authority from him. While staying at Goneril's, King Lear is ordered by her to get rid of fifty of his knights. He refuses and leaves to stay with Regan as he leaves he hopes that Goneril will be childless and regrets giving her his power.
I am very interested to see how Act II will be with all of these characters. How will Goneril and Regans plan work out? Will Edgar really end up killing his father, Gloucester? What will happen to King Lear at Regans?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Persepolis
When I purchased Persepolis at the KSU bookstore I didn't give this book a 2nd glance. I was just like oh just a book I have to read. A day or two later I looked up the call number in the front of the book to see where it would fit in my Dewey that I do at work. I saw that it was a 741.5. I started thinking but that is where the graphic novels are. So I start flipping through the book and sure enough it is a graphic novel. I immediately started dreading to read this book. Before I knew it was a graphic novel I was interested in reading about Marjane Satrapi and her childhood in Iran, all that was gone.
Finally, in English we were assigned to read the book. So I picked up my copy of Persepolis and started to read. Despite it being a graphic novel I throughly enjoyed this book. I do not know much about Iran or what it is like to grow up there now or in the past. I could not believe what I got from this graphic novel. This is the 3rd graphic novel that I have read and the only one that I have liked. It opened my eyes to what it would be like to live in Iran in the late 70's and early 80's. Growing up in the US, I have been fortunate enough to not actually witness war. I could not believe how if Satrapi and her family heard sirens they would need to run to the basement. I have lost friends before but not due to a war. She had several uncles tortured and killed and a friends home bombed. The women were forced to wear veils because they (the government or those over the country) thought the womens hair was a turn on for men. They were punished if they did not wear them correctly. Unfortunately, I do not know if Iran is still that way today but I see now what it was like.
Satrapi did a great job of writing this graphic novel to make it not have a comic book feel to it. I believe the illustrations helped explain things instead of just being pictures to go along with the words. On the back cover there is a sequel listed. I do not care if it is a graphic novel or not but I am going to check at the public library to see if they have it or order it. After reading this I have to know what has happened between Satrapi and her parents after she moved to Vienna.
Overall, I think this is a great book and I am actually kinda mad at myself for being repulsed by it after finding out it was a graphic novel. It is defintely a book that I will keep for my personal library and when I begin teaching I will have it in the classroom for my students to borrow. I think it would do students some good to read it; especially those that do not understand what goes on in other parts of the world for kids their own age. I would defintely recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it!
Finally, in English we were assigned to read the book. So I picked up my copy of Persepolis and started to read. Despite it being a graphic novel I throughly enjoyed this book. I do not know much about Iran or what it is like to grow up there now or in the past. I could not believe what I got from this graphic novel. This is the 3rd graphic novel that I have read and the only one that I have liked. It opened my eyes to what it would be like to live in Iran in the late 70's and early 80's. Growing up in the US, I have been fortunate enough to not actually witness war. I could not believe how if Satrapi and her family heard sirens they would need to run to the basement. I have lost friends before but not due to a war. She had several uncles tortured and killed and a friends home bombed. The women were forced to wear veils because they (the government or those over the country) thought the womens hair was a turn on for men. They were punished if they did not wear them correctly. Unfortunately, I do not know if Iran is still that way today but I see now what it was like.
Satrapi did a great job of writing this graphic novel to make it not have a comic book feel to it. I believe the illustrations helped explain things instead of just being pictures to go along with the words. On the back cover there is a sequel listed. I do not care if it is a graphic novel or not but I am going to check at the public library to see if they have it or order it. After reading this I have to know what has happened between Satrapi and her parents after she moved to Vienna.
Overall, I think this is a great book and I am actually kinda mad at myself for being repulsed by it after finding out it was a graphic novel. It is defintely a book that I will keep for my personal library and when I begin teaching I will have it in the classroom for my students to borrow. I think it would do students some good to read it; especially those that do not understand what goes on in other parts of the world for kids their own age. I would defintely recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Moviegoer
The Moviegoer is a very funny novel. Binx defintely keeps the reader on his or her toes. He goes in and out of love very quickly with Sharon and asks Kate to marry him on a whim. At one point in time he mentions his bowel movement. When that part was read it was not expected! One conversation that Binx has with his Aunt Emily reminded me of a conversation with a twelve year old child. His responses are short and mostly consist of one word.
While Binx is funny he isn't the most mature twenty-nine year old I met. He goes off to Chicago for a business trip and Kate goes with him without telling anyone that she is going. When Aunt Emily asks him about why Binx did not say anything his response is that he didn't remember to.
Had I not been in my current English class I would not have read this book, but I am glad I did. I did not always understand the philosophical undertones but I did enjoy it. I enjoyed reading about Binx and how he took on different character types from the movies. Most of all I liked how Binx grew up at the end to take care of Kate and his siblings. I believe he grew up to be a real man.
While Binx is funny he isn't the most mature twenty-nine year old I met. He goes off to Chicago for a business trip and Kate goes with him without telling anyone that she is going. When Aunt Emily asks him about why Binx did not say anything his response is that he didn't remember to.
Had I not been in my current English class I would not have read this book, but I am glad I did. I did not always understand the philosophical undertones but I did enjoy it. I enjoyed reading about Binx and how he took on different character types from the movies. Most of all I liked how Binx grew up at the end to take care of Kate and his siblings. I believe he grew up to be a real man.
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