Author:

v  Mary Shelley (1797 - 1851)

Themes:

v  Dangerous Knowledge

v  Monstrosity

v  Secrecy

v  Texts

v  Sublime Nature

Symbols:

v  The monster

v  Electricity

v  Lightning

v  Weather

Genres:

v  Gothic and Romantic Literature

Major Characters:

v  Victor Frankenstein- Creator of the monster. Victor becomes obsessed with the idea of creating the human form and acts upon it. Immediately after creating the monster, he falls into a depression and fear. He leaves the school and returns home to his family, only to find tragedy there. Not fully aware of the consequences of his creating a new human, he spends his entire life trying to destroy the same creation.

v  The Monster- The creature created by Victor Frankenstein while at the University of Ingolstadt. "Formed into a hideous and gigantic creature," the monster faces rejection and fear from his creator and society. The monster's rejection from society pushes him to commit murder against his creator's family.

v  Robert Walton- Arctic explorer on his way to find a Northwest Passage through the Arctic Ocean from Russia to the Pacific Ocean. Robert finds Victor Frankenstein near death, listens to his tale, and records it in letters to his sister Margaret Saville.

v  Henry Clerval- Victor's best friend who helps Victor in his time of need. The monster kills Henry after Victor breaks his promise of creating a female companion for the monster. He studies language at the University of Ingolstadt and is totally unaware of Victor's creation.

The use of satire in Gulliver’s Travels

Satire as a literary device used to criticize society, religion, businesses, the government or individuals in order to point out main problems or foolishness of them. It is used humor, irony, sarcasm, ridicule and analogies in order to achieve those purposes, even thought, the intention is not to make people laugh but to make consciousness on them. Satire is very used nowadays on theatrical plays, television, music, movies among others.

There are different types of satire, some are very obvious and other not that much. As an example there is the use of hyperboles which is an obvious exaggeration or sarcasm which is a sharp mocking or contemptuous remark. This literary device is used in many famous pieces of literature, such as: Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn and Swift’s Gulliver Travels.

            In Swift’s Gulliver Travels he criticizes the political and religion issues around Europe. To satirize this situation, he uses the fictional “Kingdom of Liliput”. There were two parties distinguished by the size of the heels of their boots that governed this kingdom and Swift uses the disputes between the two Liliputians parties to symbolize in his work the minor disputes between the two English political parties. In order to compare the two parties he  points out the arguments that the two English parties had using the next quote, “That for above seventy Moons past there have been two struggling Parties in this Empire, under the Names of Tramecksan and Slamecksan from the high and low Heels on their shoes, by which they distinguish themselves.”

Summary of the play in tabloid style ;)

II. Read the passage below and answers the questions.

How do actors convey meaning and tone?

1. Highlight words and phrases that appeal to any of the five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch.

2. Underline and label examples of personification. Explain what things are being humanized (if applicable).

• ·         The illness should attend it
• ·         They made themselves air
• ·         Which fate and metaphysical ait
• ·         That I may pour my spirits in thine

3. How does this passage sound when you say it out loud? Do you hear a rhythm? Are the words soft and musical or harsh and discordant?

There is a rhythm when reading it at out, there are syllables that are stressed and it sounds harsh, though and rude. It sounds like a person with strong attitude.

For example in: “mortal knowledge”, “burned in desire”, “fear thy nature”, “the illness should attend it”.

 4. What is the mood of this speech? How do the imagery and the personification contribute to the mood?

” Shakespeare’s Macbeth, especially the pivotal and ominous second act, exemplifies both denotations of mood. The act has an “overall atmosphere,” even though the mood shifts, while this mood places a sense of cliff-hanging anxiety at the beginning, an ambiance of hysterics towards the middle, a feeling of tragic realization directly following, and an unsure aura of occult extractions. Shakespeare cleverly uses six key elements to further shape and add to the mood: the characters, the imagery, the setting, the sounds, the characters’ actions, and the characters’ dialogue.

LADY MACBETH

'They met me in the day of success: and I have

learned by the  perfectest report, they have more in

them than mortal knowledge. When I burned in desire

to question them further, they made themselves air,

into which they vanished. Whiles I stood rapt in

the wonder of it, came missives from the king, who

all-hailed me 'Thane of Cawdor;' by which title,

before, these weird sisters saluted me, and referred

me to the coming on of time, with 'Hail, king that

shalt be!' This have I thought good to deliver

thee, my dearest partner of greatness, that thou

mightst not lose the dues of rejoicing, by being

ignorant of what greatness is promised thee. Lay it

to thy heart, and farewell.'

Glamis thou art, and Cawdor; and shalt be

What thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature;

It is too full o' the milk of human kindness

To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great;

Art not without ambition, but without

The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly,

That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false,

And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou'ldst have, great Glamis,

That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it;

And that which rather thou dost fear to do

Than wishest should be undone.' Hie thee hither,

That I may pour my spirits in thine ear;

And chastise with the valour of my tongue

All that impedes thee from the golden round,

Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem

To have thee crown'd withal.

III. Refer to the document Macbeth Overview, Literary Devices and then provide:

1. An example of a simile: two unlike things are explicitly compared

"This is the sergeant

Who like a good and hardy soldier fought

'Gainst my captivity." I. ii. 3-5.

2. An example of a metaphor: a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance.

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage." V. v. 25, 26.

3. A personification: the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.

"I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;

It weeps, it bleeds. IV. iii 39-40.

4. An example of alliteration: the frequent recurrence of the same initial letter or sound.

"To doff their dire distresses." IV. iii. 188.

5. A symbol that catches your attention: something used for or regarded as representing something else.

“The Weather”. Macbeth’s murders are accompanied by a number of occurrences in the natural realm. There are thunders and lightning that accompany the witches’ appearances and a terrible storm on the night of Duncan’s murder, these violations of the natural order reflect corruption in the moral and political orders.

IV. Discuss. Write a four paragraph essay to support your ideas.

The word fear occurs 48 times in Macbeth in noun and verb forms and as a root in words such as afeard and fearful. Which characters exhibit the most fear? What causes their fear? How does fear differ from guilt?

There are several characters that show fear in Macbeth. Malcolm and Donalbain fear being killed next and Banquo fears the murderers will kill his son. Lady Macbeth fears that Macbeth is not man enough to kill Duncan. Although many of the characters show some fear, Macbeth without a doubt is the most fearful character in the play.

In the beginning, we can see Macbeth feeling “fear [for] things which do sound fair” (I, iii, 54-55). Since the witches are unclear, Macbeth fears things that he doesn’t understand (neither the witches nor their prophecies). Later in the same scene (lines 146-149), Macbeth continues to contemplate the witches and their prophecies:

“Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair

And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,

Against the use of nature? Present fears

Are less than horrible imaginings.”

Here, Macbeth states that the witches scared him (his heart "knocked" at his ribs). He also admits that fears one can see are far less frightening than those one cannot see (the disappearing act of the witches). Once charged with the murder of Duncan by his wife, Macbeth admits to the fear that the murder of Duncan will “revisit” him.

“Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair

And make my seated heart knock at my ribs,

Against the use of nature? Present fears

Are less than horrible imaginings.”

Here, Macbeth states that the witches scared him (his heart "knocked" at his ribs). He also admits that fears one can see are far less frightening than those one cannot see (the disappearing act of the witches). Once charged with the murder of Duncan by his wife, Macbeth admits to the fear that the murder of Duncan will “revisit” him.

Shakespeare Sonnets and the English Renaissance

Shakespeare's Sonnets is the title of a collection of 154 sonnets which cover themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty and mortality. It was first published in a 1609 quarto with the full stylized title: SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS. The quarto ends with "A Lover's Complaint", a narrative poem of 47 seven-line stanzas written in rhyme royal.

"From fairest creatures we desire increase,

That thereby beauty's rose might never die,

But as the riper should by time decease,

His tender heir might bear his memory:

But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,

Feed'st thy light'st flame with self-substantial fuel,

Making a famine where abundance lies,

Thyself thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel."

The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer. In 1386 Chaucer became controller of customs and justice of peace and then three years later in 13 89 Clerk of the King’s work. It was during these years that Chaucer began working on his most famous text, The Canterbury Tales. The tales (mostly written in verse, although some are in prose) are presented as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from London to Canterbury in order to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. The prize for this contest is a free meal at the Tabard Inn at Southward on their return. 

Moreover, there is a tale that really caught my attention, The Wife of Bath's Tale, which I would like to show you by the next video. Enjoy! 

                                                             

For me, the most thrilling episode was the final battle. It shows how strong and brave Beowulf was, for example in this part where he says "I'd use no sword, no weapon, if this beast/ Could be killed without it" (630-631). It shows many characteristics of this kind of stories. 

I’ll share here a little summary of it so you can understand better this part of the story ;)