Journal: Koran and Everyone's Papers, Last Journal
12/9/2011
I can't believe I'm writing my last journal entry for this class! The semester has gone by so quickly, it's crazy. But I have to say that I'm really glad that this class has been my first Honors class at Ball State. The atmosphere of the class was just really friendly and comfortable, and we always had such great and enlightening discussions. It wasn't an overwhelming amount of work but enough work to make you feel like you were accomplishing something. Overall it's been a great class, and hopefully I'll see most of you next semester for 202!
Everyone's paper ideas were also really interesting as well. I thought it was really cool that not anyone in the class wrote about the same thing as someone else. I'm glad we're all such creative thinkers, haha.
I thought our discussion about the Koran today was pretty interesting. I think Adam made a good point in saying that since we don't have anyone that's Muslim in the class to explain how they interpret the Koran, it's really hard for us to interpret it how they would and to take the same things from it that they would. I also think it's kind of impossible to judge anything about the Muslim faith just from reading it like that because for one thing, it could be translated weird and for another, we just lack the understanding of the literature that the Muslim people have. However, I have always enjoyed studying other religions and it was still really interesting to look at the small things in the Koran and how they contributed to how we looked at it. For example, what Daniela said about them having like 99 different words for God was really interesting, and provided a great discussion topic.
Journal: Lauren's Paper (Devout vs. Radical) :)
12/2/2011
Overall I thought the idea for your paper was really unique and insightful, and was honestly not something I had ever really considered before. Obviously we think all these radical people are crazy, but it was just really interesting comparing them to devout followers of a religion as well. You used a lot of solid evidence and your evidence from the Bible I thought was also really solid, and you analyzed it in a really different way. I liked how you took stories we are familiar with and helped us look at them in a different light.
The only flaw I saw in your essay was really the wording of some things and just how some people reading it might read it a different way than others. For example, towards the end of the essay when you say "Society doesn't believe that God still speaks to people" could be taken in a lot of different directions, and I don't think it would be taken the way you want it to be for the purpose of your essay. This and just a few other awkwardly-worded sentences and phrases were really the only problems I saw with your paper. :)
Again, I just really liked the topic, and really thought it was unique and special. No one else in the class will have anything like your paper, which I thought was really cool. I also really liked how you incorporated modern-day stories, like the one about the lady who killed her five children in the bath tub, and actually made them relatable to ancient literature.
Nice job Lauren! :)
Journal: Ball State's Art Museum 11/18/2011 This may sound kind of nerdy, but Ball State's art museum is really awesome. Back where I come from we don't have access to a lot of museums and stuff and like that, so it was really interesting and exciting for me to see the stuff that they have in the museum here and all they have to offer.
When you walk into the main entrance of the museum, it's definitely designed to impress. What struck me at first was the huge piece of artwork hanging from the ceiling, which I think is totally awesome, especially because it's made out of completely recyclable materials. It's completely white marble, which I think is a really good method of making the room look not only impressive, but like it has something important inside it as well. The huge staircase in the center definitely welcomes you and urges you to explore the rest of the museum.
I noticed a sort of theme to how they arrange objects in the museum, but I'm not sure exactly how to describe it. When you're in the painting galleries, they tend to put the larger paintings in really fancy frames and keep the smaller ones in simpler frames--that is, I thought this was the pattern, until I walked around in other areas of the museum and found they had put fancy frames on some small paintings as well, and put a completely plain-looking frame on this huge painting. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to how they arrange anything in the museum, except for the fact that they always put the sculptures in the middle of the room when they're in the same room as a bunch of paintings. It's like they just kinda threw stuff up on the walls and were like "Okay, looks good to me." No matter how hard I looked I could not for the life of me notice a pattern.
The lighting and the color, however, definitely have an effect on the way you view the objects in the museum. With the paintings, they tend to put them in rooms with brighter colors, and this makes the room look fuller and more interesting. I noticed with the more modern art, though, they use plainer-colored walls and bright light. I think this is because the more modern art is already so bright and colorful, and they don't want to detract from the aesthetics of the artwork. With the more ancient artwork and artifacts, on the top level they use a blue color to present the artifacts in, which I thought was a really nice balance to the plainer-colored artifacts displayed there. On the bottom level, the room with the ancient artifacts is an orangey color, which I thought almost matched the artifacts and accented them in a nice way. They definitely planned out the colors and the lighting when designing this museum.
My favorite part of the museum was on the top level, with the ancient Indian artifacts. My favorite was the statue of Vishnu, which I thought was really cool. I just loved the style and the look of the Indian artifacts, and to me they seem timeless even though they're thousands of years old. I liked how they weren't displayed in glass cases, too. It seems like you can get more out of it when it's not trapped behind the glass.
The museum is definitely designed, in an architectural sense, in such a manner that it's easy to get lost in. This happened to me several times, and it legitimately took me a few minutes to figure out how I had gotten into one room and out of another. I think they designed it like this purposely; instead of making it one large room or something and you could just walk out, you were kind of forced to wander around and appreciate the artwork there instead of just making a beeline for the door. It seemed very streamlined, and all of the rooms seemed to be interconnected even though they had such different things in. It was definitely designed as a sort of architectural trap--and I don't mean that in a bad way.
Journal: The Aeneid 11/11/11
So far I've definitely enjoyed The Aeneid a lot more than The Odyssey. The Aeneid may be a lot more detailed and a little more flowery, but overall I really like the plot and the style in which Virgil writes. He's a much different writer than Homer, but I like how the two authors can be so different and yet we can draw so many similarities between their stories. I suppose that's because Virgil took a lot of his ideas from Homer's works, but all the same, it's pretty neat.
What I found the most interesting was the differences in how they portrayed women. For the most part, Homer wrote his main female characters (Athena, Circe, Penelope, Calypso) as strong, powerful women that had a heavy influence over Homer's male hero, Odysseus. They were smart, cunning and tricky. Yes, they were emotional, but they were a bit more intelligent than Virgil's women (haha). Dido is um...interesting. Not only did she basically go crazy because Aeneas had to leave her, but she then continued to beg him to stay, AND beg to have his child. That counts as crazy in my book. She didn't really seem to have any of the cunning or intelligence as the women in The Odyssey. Not to say that Dido is stupid, but she just didn't seem as smart, which I thought was very odd...seeing as she was a queen and was kind of in charge of a country. But whatever. And then there was her sister, Anna. Why would you offer to kill yourself along with your sister? That's just weird, and again, not very smart. The women in The Aeneid so far just seem kind of ditzy and overly emotional.
However, there are a lot of similarities between Aeneas and Odysseus. They're both the typical strong, smart male heroes who have a strong sense of duty and pride for their homeland. I really liked how in the Aeneid, Aeneas meets with his father in the underworld, and Odysseus meets with his mother in his own version of the underworld. I thought that was a very cool parallel and really showcased how similar the two heroes are, because they both reacted so strongly to seeing their parents again. The only difference I've really seen between the two is that Aeneas seems to be a bit more stoic than Odysseus, but then again, they've both been pulled around by divine intervention and to be honest, I don't really blame Aeneas for his less-than-emotional nature.
Critical Essay Idea I was thinking about doing something with Antigone. I thought the whole "religion vs. civic duty" topic was really interesting, but I also liked the discussions we had about suicide in ancient Greece as well.
I was either going to do something on the suicide or look at how other people view the "religion vs. civic duty" issue in the story.
Kind of going along with our discussion from today, I think it would also be interesting if I did something on the Greek vs. the Roman views of the underworld...now I really can't decide.
Journal: Lao Tzu, Daoism, Confucius 11/4/2011 This week I thought was really...interesting. Not interesting in a bad way, of course, but interesting because I think we learned a lot of things this week that I (and I'm assuming most other people in the class too) weren't really aware of. I think, with especially the country we live in and the part of the country that we live in, we don't learn a lot about Western culture, and we definitely don't learn too much about their religion, either. I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't even know Daoism existed until this week. It's just so cool to be able to learn about things that we're basically completely ignorant about. It's really interesting and I think it will make us a lot more accepting and understanding people in the long run.
The thing that first struck me when I was reading the literature we'd been assigned for this week was how it was written. I guess I'm used to religious, kind of theology-based literature being much more grandiose and formal (like the Bible, for instance). I was really surprised with how this Western literature was largely anecdotal, such as in the Lao Tzu. I thought it was interesting how he portrayed his beliefs in the form of simple, easy-to-understand little stories. Of course we see stories like this in the Bible, but it definitely had a completely different feel in this Western literature. I felt like it was much more direct and to-the-point than things like the Bible and even the Gita, and I really appreciated that simplicity. It seemed a lot more profound and just..."this is what I'm telling you." It was really different, and in my opinion really awesome.
I also thought what we discussed today in class, about Confucius and the role of the "ritual" in our lives, was also really interesting. To me it seemed like a concept we almost subconsciously follow here, but in the Analects it was just phrased in a different way. In our culture we do usually look down upon the people that are courteous and polite because it's the "proper" thing to do, and that's basically what Confucius was saying. I think it's just a little harder to understand these similarities because the literature is so foreign and unfamiliar to us, but after we discuss it a little and dissect it a little more we seem to grasp his points a lot better. Overall I think this Western theology carries a lot of credibility, and even to someone like me, who knows almost nothing about it, it also carries a lot of logical ideas. I mean, it makes sense. And it's just really cool to understand this and make sense of it. I really loved reading all of this stuff, and I wish we could spend more time talking about it. This was definitely my favorite set of readings so far!
Journal: Gita and The Good Life
10/28/2011
This week, I thought the presentations about the literature presented about the Good Life in the book and our discussions on it were absolutely awesome. We all had some really good ideas and brought up some really good points, and over the course of the two days we just had some really great discussion! So far these presentations I thought were the best yet.
I really agree with what several people brought up in class today, how society doesn't really have a specific definition for the Good Life. Society suggests (more like demands) that there are some things we can have that will contribute to a good life, but there's no set definition for it. I do think, however, that what society feeds us contributes to our views of what the Good Life should be and how we as individuals define the Good Life. For example, American society's fixation on materialism, wealth and fame contribute to some people's beliefs that these things do actually make a Good Life. I think we also have to remember that, no matter how much spirituality or philosophy is poured into it, everyone's idea of a Good Life is specific and unique to every person, and no amount of philosophy or discussion can change that. We all have different standards and expectations of life depending on who we are, and it's important to consider this when we're debating "Well, what's a Good Life?"
I also really enjoyed our discussion about the media today. I'm a journalism major, so I obviously like to discuss the media. I'm actually taking one of my required courses for my major, The Media and Society, currently, so it was really interesting to hear our class's perspective on the media opposed to the one I'm used to hearing in my journalism class. Although I don't think the media portrays exactly what they think the Good Life should be, I do believe that the media hinders our own individual accomplishment of the Good Life.
The media focuses on negative news for an obvious reason--to make money. Death and tragedy sells, and, unfortunately, good news does not. Unfortunately journalists these days will dig up anything they can about anything or anyone to make a buck. (Hopefully I won't be one of these journalists in the future...) All of this negativity, tragedy, death and scandal in the media makes the American public very skeptical, in my opinion, and this skepticism can carry over into what we think of our lives. It's hard to focus on attaining a "Good Life" when you are constantly bombarded with negative images and advertising. This also just goes to show how dependent the American public is on the media. It makes me wonder: How different would the American public be if the media didn't play such a critical role in our society?
Journal: Plato/Midterm Journal 10/21/2011
As my first experience with Honors classes here at Ball State, I'm really glad this class was my first experience. I really like the laid-back atmosphere of the class and how we can laugh and joke with each other (and even joke about the literature, most times). Our discussions are always really informal and casual, and I really like that. I've never liked stuffed-up classes. I like classes where you can be comfortable, you can have fun, and you can learn all at once, and I really think this is what this class represents.
I guess the only problem I've had with this class so far is The Odyssey. Not The Odyssey itself, exactly, but how we had to read SO much of it when we were discussing it in class. It was like 20-30 pages a night (or more), and it drove me nuts! However, this is a more technical aspect of the class, and I don't think it really contributes to my overall view of it. The amount of reading we have to do can just get really heavy sometimes.
As far as our class goals, I feel like we've covered a lot of them, especially connecting ancient literature to modern society. I feel like, especially today, it is important to learn from the past, and what ancient societies/authors/literature were like. Obviously, we've heard the "learning from past mistakes" analogy concerning history a million times, but I really think that's a huge part of what we accomplish in this class, especially with our presentations. We've noticed some really interesting trends throughout history, and I hope we can continue to do this! I also think we're accomplishing a lot of Goal #3 in this class, which is something like forming new understandings of the modes of thought of the ancient world, etc. I definitely feel as if we're gaining a lot of new perspective in this class, not only from what we're reading (or for some of us, re-reading) but also the perspectives some other people in the class have as well. I know that I've read some things in this class (like The Odyssey) where I've had the same opinion about it since freshman year of high school, but my thoughts on it have now completely changed thanks to our discussions in class. It's just really interesting (and kind of cool) to have your whole mode of thought about something completely changed just by one discussion.
As we continue for the rest of the semester, I hope we can continue to have these good discussions and continue to learn a whole bunch of new different perspectives, and become more open-minded people. I don't really think this class is just about what happened in the ancient world; I think it's also about what happens today, what we think today, what we believe today. The discussions we have about characters' actions and values, what they represent, and what their respective societies thought they represented are important aspects of our modern society and how we see things today.
Overall I think this is a great class, and it has really opened up my mind to a lot of new things, along with a lot of new literature!
Journal: Antigone, Rulers and Citizens
10/14/2011
Overall, I think we covered a lot of topics this week. Our first discussion was with Antigone, and if it was right for her to go against Creon's will and bury her traitorous brother.
I think it's really hard to argue one side over the other for this topic, mainly because both points overlap with each other on a lot of different things. Basically, it comes down to this: Do religious guidelines/laws bypass the laws set by the state? Here's where they both intertwine. So, let's take the Constitution, for example. The Constitution was written by white, Christian men. You know, all of that "one nation under God" kind of stuff. Where do you think they got all of those rules from (like freedom of religion, freedom of speech, stealing is illegal, etc.)? Probably inspired from the Bible. I have always seen religious "law" and earthly laws to be really similar--not exactly the same, but they usually follow along the same guidelines. This is why I think it's so hard to argue for or against Antigone's actions. Whether you're religious or not, you still have to follow your country's laws. (Or you'll get arrested/killed in ancient Greece, etc.) The problem here is that if you're following the country's laws (don't steal, don't kill people, etc.) you're kind of following religious laws too, since they're roughly the same kind of concepts. Their interconnectedness is what makes it hard to argue.
I was one of 2 people (I think it was two) to say that Antigone's burying of her brother was wrong. I, however, didn't completely agree with what the other person (I can't remember who it was) said about Antigone's attitude. It wasn't so much Antigone herself that was the reason for my opinion, but more of the religion vs. state law idea. I personally am not a religious person. It's not that I don't believe in God, but I just am not that gung-ho churchgoing "Praise Jesus!" kind of person. Today we see a lot of terrible people using religion as an excuse to do really terrible things. (Like kill people and blow up buildings.) I am of the strong belief that religion should not be used as an excuse (no matter how legitimate) to bypass a country's laws. Even though the story was obviously set in ancient Greece, it was the same kind of story. And that's why I disagreed with her actions.
On another note, I really enjoyed the presentation about Rulers and Citizens. I really liked hearing about the Eastern point of view, and the discussion topics. I thought we had a really good discussion and brought up some really good points about what a truly good leader should be.
My Parody! FRODYSSEUS, WHERE ARE YOU? Written by Sam Harsh
ACT 1, SCENE 1: BREAKING WIND It is 1200 B.C. in ancient Greece. A strangely colored ship, blue and green with orange detail, named the “Mystery Mariner,” is sailing on the Aegean Sea towards Ithaca. Its captain isFRODYSSEUS, a strongly-built blonde man, a man of strength and cleverness. His crew has been sadly destroyed; only four remain. His right-hand man is actually a woman: her name isDAPHETRIA.There are three others,ATHENA, his guide and a Greek goddess.SHAPHUS, a skinny, gangly man of great hunger. AndSCOOBIUS, a large dog that kept them amused. The group is currently all standing on deck, gazing out towards the sea.
FRODYSSEUS: Doesn’t Ithaca look awesome from here? I can’t believe we can see it from this far.
SHAPHUS: I can believe it, man. And dude, does it make me hungry! I can’t wait to get home and get some of that Greek’s Pizza. It’s absolutely--
DAPHETRIA: (interrupting) We’re all hungry for some Greek’s, SHAPHUS. But we have to actually get there first.
SHAPHUS: That doesn’t mean I can’t dream. Right, SCOOBIUS?
(SCOOBIUSwhines sadly, bobbing his head in apparent agreement.SHAPHUSpats him on the head sympathetically;DAPHETRIArolls her eyes.)
ATHENA: (in a nasally voice) Come on guys, let’s all get along! We’re almost home, remember?
DAPHETRIA:(sarcastic) Yeah, keep dreaming. SHAPHUS: Hey, don’t go rainin’ on my parade, man! That’s not cool!
FRODYSSEUS: DAPHETRIA’s right though, SHAPHUS...We can’t get too excited about going home just yet. This bag of wind here might run out or something...We have to be prepared for anything.
(FRODYSSEUS holds up the BAG OF WIND, which contains all of the Earth’s winds. It is currently blowing a westerly wind to send them home to Ithaca.)
DAPHETRIA: Come on, Frodysseus, that’s ridiculous. There’s no way it could run out!
SHAPHUS: (clearly mockingDAPHETRIA) Come on, that’s ridiculous! There’s no way wind could be in there!
DAPHETRIA: Well, what else would be in there?
SHAPHUS: It’s a food stash, dude. I just know it.
SCOOBIUS: (barks and perks up ears in agreement)
DAPHETRIA: Now THAT is ridiculous.
FRODYSSEUS: You’re right, that really is. There’s no food in here, Soph. Promise.
SHAPHUS: (says nothing, only eyesBAG OF WINDsuspiciously)
(Awkward silence ensues.ATHENAhovers around the group, exasperated.DAPHETRIAsulks with her arms crossed over her chest.FRODYSSEUSis still trying to look like he knows what he’s doing.)
FRODYSSEUS: (looking around at everyone) Seriously, gang, there’s no food in here. Really.
DAPHETRIA: Well, I believe you. (looks pointedly atSHAPHUSandSCOOBIUS.)
SHAPHUS: I don’t believe it, dude. (trades glances withSCOOBIUS)
SCOOBIUS: (barks excitedly)
SHAPHUS: (yelling) GET HIM!
(SHAPHUSandSCOOBIUStackleFRODYSSEUS, sending him flat onto the deck. They struggle briefly, tugging theBAG OF WINDback and forth like tug-of-war. Finally,SHAPHUSandSCOOBIUSmanage to snatch it.)
SHAPHUS: I’VE GOT IT!
(SHAPHUSrips the bag open.)
FRODYSSEUS: NOOOOOOOO!
(The BAG OF WIND’s contents escape, sending the Mystery Mariner into a crazy spin. All of the different earthly winds whirl around the ship in a windy vortex; the captain and his crew all hold on for dear life. Soon enough, it’s over--and everyone is surveying the scene with wide eyes, gasping for breath.)
ATHENA: Jeepers, that was a--
FRODYSSEUS: Wow, guys, that was a close one. (rushes to the railing of the ship and scans the horizon) Now we’re nowhere close to Ithaca!
DAPHETRIA: Yeah, all thanks to Mr. Genius over here.
SHAPHUS: (throws up hands in defeat) Hey, dude. I had good intentions, man. I was feelin’ it.
FRODYSSEUS: (sighs) Well, gang, there’s nothing we can do about it now. (draws a compass out of his toga pocket and examines it carefully) It looks like we’re in the Bay of Pigs now.
DAPHETRIA: The Bay of Pigs? How far is that from Ithaca?
FRODYSSEUS: Pretty far I’d say. We’ll have to stay in the area for a while until we can figure out how to get home, though.
DAPHETRIA: (sighs) Great. Just watch us get kidnapped by a witch or something.
SHAPHUS: Hey, Bay of Pigs sounds good to me, man. I can hear the sounds of sizzling bacon even now...
SCOOBIUS: (yips excitedly at the mention of bacon)
DAPHETRIA: Can you stop talking about food for like one second? We’re stranded here.
SHAPHUS: What can I say? I’m hungry.
DAPHETRIA: (groans with exasperation)
A FEW HOURS LATER...
(The gang disembarks from the ship, having just anchored it to a dock in the Bay of Pigs. They approach what looks like a small village slowly, looking around in fascination.FRODYSSEUSleads the group confidently.)
FRODYSSEUS: Alright, gang, let me take out my map here...(he consults the map briefly before frowning at it, rotating it to a different position. He continues to scrutinize it.ATHENAsighs heavily.)
ATHENA: We’re on the island of Aeaea, home of Circe, the evil witch! Her home is approximately ten miles that way. (points confidently northwest. She nods with certainty.)
FRODYSSEUS: (still studying the map) Hmmm.
ATHENA: I just said where we were.
FRODYSSEUS: (still studying the map) Hmmm.
ATHENA: I just said--oh, never mind. (buries head in hands)
FRODYSSEUS: Well, gang, this Bay of Pigs business is all Greek to me. Let’s head that way and see if we can find help! (points northwest)
(The group heads northwest, unaware that they will soon encounter the evil witch Circe.ATHENAis clearly frustrated.)
ATHENA: Oh, for the love of Aphrodite. (rolls eyes and follows the group anyway)
END SCENE 1
ACT 1, SCENE 2: JOURNEY, PIGS AND CIRCE, OH MY! The gang is unknowingly heading towards the evil witch’s house, Circe’s. Athena is following along reluctantly. They soon arrive at Circe’s home. Frodysseus knocks on the door. FRODYSSEUS: (knocks on door) Hello, anybody home?
(Enter CIRCE.)
CIRCE: (sees Frodysseus and raises eyebrows) Hey good-lookin’, come here often?
DAPHETRIA: (gasps) Excuse me--
FRODYSSEUS: No, I don’t...do you?
ATHENA: (face-palms)
CIRCE: Oh, I do. I live here. Would you and your...(looks at the other members of the group skeptically) friends like to come inside?
FRODYSSEUS: Sure! (gestures to the rest of the group) Come on, gang!
CIRCE: Wonderful. (opens door wider)
The group enters into Circe’s home. It’s a dark, gloomy place, with a strange pig-pen looking area in the corner.ATHENAnotices this with a sigh;FRODYSSEUSis, as usual, mostly unaware of his surroundings and is too busy oglingCIRCEto notice.
CIRCE: Welcome to my home! (smiles in a slightly creepy manner)
DAPHETRIA: (pullsFRODYSSEUSaside briefly) Frodysseus, I don’t think this is a good idea. This lady gives me a creepy feeling.
SCOOBIUS: (whines in agreement)
FRODYSSEUS: I think we’ll be okay, DAPHETRIA. She looks harmless to me!
CIRCE: Well, please make yourselves at home. I’ll have to excuse me for a moment. (bows graciously and glides out of the room)
FRODYSSEUS: Gang, isn’t this great? She seems pretty friendly. Maybe she can help us get back to Ithaca!
DAPHETRIA: (mumbling) Yeah, friendly to you...
FRODYSSEUS: (ignoring her comment) Let’s get comfy until she comes back. (takes a seat on a nearby chair)
ATHENAignoresFRODYSSEUS’advice and paces about the room anxiously.DAPHETRIAtakes a seat on another chair, twiddling her thumbs awkwardly.SHAPHUSandSCOOBIUSwander around the room, probably looking for food.
FRODYSSEUS: Isn’t this just awesome--
Suddenly there is a loud banging noise, accompanied by a cloud of smoke. The gang looks around in confusion, coughing and wiping their eyes. When the smoke finally clears,SHAPHUShas mysteriously disappeared.
DAPHETRIA: Guys, where’s Shaphus? (scared)
FRODYSSEUS: I don’t know...What’s going on?!
SCOOBIUS: (going around the room and sniffing in various places, searching forSHAPHUS)
ATHENA: (seeing no other option, pulls out her cell phone and sends a text toFRODYSSEUS,trying to tell himCIRCEis an evil witch who just turnedSHAPHUSinto a pig. She hopes this attempt at communicating will work.)
FRODYSSEUS: (pulls out cell phone and reads text message with a confused frown) That’s ridiculous. There are no pigs in here!
Suddenly, a pig crawls out from underneath a couch, oinking pitifully.
FRODYSSEUS: Wow, where did that pig come from?
DAPHETRIA: (squeals and runs across the room, away from the pig) Ew, a pig!
SCOOBIUS: (walks up to pig and sniffs it suspiciously)
CIRCEre-enters the room.
CIRCE: I’m sorry about that, please excuse my rudeness.
FRODYSSEUS: (smiles at her flirtatiously) Oh, it’s totally fine. But I think your pet pig got loose!
CIRCE: (smiles mischievously) Oh yes, it must have.
DAPHETRIA: Okay, well I think we’ve intruded long enough. We’ll take our leave now, isn’t that right, Frodysseus?
FRODYSSEUS: (somewhat reluctantly) Yeah, I guess. Let’s head out, gang...By the way, Circe, if you come across our friend Shaphus we would greatly appreciate it if you sent him back to us.
CIRCE: Oh yeah, I’ll make sure I will!
FRODYSSEUSand the gang take their leave. They meander along back towards their ship, trying to make sense of what has just happened.FRODYSSEUSstarts the discussion.
FRODYSSEUS: That was really strange what happened back there. I wonder what happened? DAPHETRIA: I’m not sure, either. Either way we have to figure out what happened, or we may not be able to find Shaphus!
SCOOBIUS: (bobs head in agreement)
FRODYSSEUS: I agree. Gang, I think we have another mystery on our hands!
END SCENE 2
ACT 1, SCENE 3: A PRIMARY SUSPECT It is later the same evening. The gang has pitched a tent and started a campfire by the docks, close to the Mystery Mariner. They are currently discussing the mystery and what they can do to solve it.
FRODYSSEUS: I’m out of ideas here, gang. I don’t know what we can do to find Shaphus!
DAPHETRIA: I am too. I just don’t know what we can do.
SCOOBIUS: (whines sadly)
FRODYSSEUSsits and ponders for a little while longer, a frown slowly spreading on his lips. Suddenly he rises from the ground, adjusting his toga angrily and starting to walk with a purposeful stride towards the home ofCIRCE.
DAPHETRIA: Wait, Frodysseus, where are you going?!
FRODYSSEUS: I’m going to go look for Shaphus at Circe’s house. I’m sick and tired of waiting around, waiting for an idea to hit me! I’m going to go find him!
DAPHETRIA: But--
All of a sudden, a strange, glowing man with wings on his shoes appears. The gang all stares at him in confusion, mouths agape, lost for words.
EnterHERMES.
HERMES: Good evening, mortals. I have a message for...(pulls a random scroll out of a bag hanging off his shoulder) ...Frodysseus?
FRODYSSEUS: (raises hand meekly) That’s...me?
HERMES: (sighing with relief) Oh, thank Zeus. I was almost sure I had the wrong address. (coughs awkwardly) Anyways, I have a message for you, sir. Your message is as follows: You are supposed to consume a drug called moly before going to approach the witch Circe, and you must jump at her when she tries to kill you. (coughs awkwardly again) That is all.
FRODYSSEUS: (completely confused) ...huh?
HERMES: Take the moly. Fight the witch. The end.
FRODYSSEUS: Ohhh, I get it!
HERMES: (looks like he’s restraining himself from rolling his eyes) Yeah, that’s great. Okay, bye. (disappears in a puff of smoke)
FRODYSSEUS: Gang, I think we’ve just met our first suspect!
DAPHETRIA: Yeah, I agree. He did seem pretty suspicious...and he was trying to get you to take drugs! How shifty is that?!
FRODYSSEUS: Totally shifty. But I think I should “follow” his advice and see what happens!
DAPHETRIA: That sounds like a good idea. But do you think she’s really a witch?
FRODYSSEUS: I guess it’s possible. Or maybe that Hermes character is the actual witch, and he’s consorting with Circe to hide Shaphus!
ATHENA: But the actual witch is Circe! She’s turned Shaphus into a pig!
FRODYSSEUS: (ignores her this time) I like the sound of my plan. Let’s go set up a trap and solve this mystery!
END SCENE 3
ACT 1, SCENE 4: THE MISGUIDED TRAP A few hours later,FRODYSSEUSandDAPHETRIAare setting up a trap nearCIRCE’Shome.SCOOBIUSis keeping watch.ATHENAis basically just standing around, not doing anything. They hope to catchHERMESin the act of consorting withCIRCE.
FRODYSSEUS: Alright, Daphetria, I think this is going to work. Just wait till he tries to get in, and BAM! We’ll have caught him. Then the mystery will be solved, and he can show us where Shaphus is!
DAPHETRIA: I think so too. I can’t wait to solve this mystery!
The gang finishes building the trap. They go and hide out in some nearby bushes, waiting for their suspect to get caught in their clever trap.
TWO HOURS LATER...
FRODYSSEUS: I wish Hermes would just hurry up and get caught in our trap. This is starting to take--
DAPHETRIA: Look, there’s something in the trap! The gang rushes over to see what’s in the trap. A pig is lying in tangled in the trap, squirming pathetically and trying to escape. They all stare down at the pig in surprise.
FRODYSSEUS: That’s definitely not what I expected.
DAPHETRIA: Me either. But we should help untangle her pig all the same.
FRODYSSEUSandDAPHETRIAdisentangle the pig from their trap. Meanwhile,ATHENAsendsFRODYSSEUSanother text message in the hopes that, this time, he will actually listen to her.
FRODYSSEUS:(checks his phone) Oh, that’s complete nonsense. Circe isn’t the witch, she was nice!
ATHENA:(face-palms again)
DAPHETRIA: Well, what do we do now?
FRODYSSEUS: I have an idea. Maybe I can take some moly and play along with Hermes’ message, and then call ask Circe about his charade!
DAPHETRIA: Okay, sounds like a plan. (digs something out of her purse) Here, I have some... (hands moly toFRODYSSEUS) I hope this plan works.
CIRCE: (jumps out of a corner) BOO! FRODYSSEUS: AH! (jumps)
CIRCE: Hahaha, I scared you.
FRODYSSEUS: Yes, yes you did...(mind becoming foggy from the drug) What did I come here for?
CIRCE: Probably to ask me about Hermes and your missing friend.
FRODYSSEUS: Oh yeah, that’s right. So what about them?
CIRCE: Well, Hermes has nothing to do with it, and I turned your friend into a pig.
FRODYSSEUS: AHA! I knew it was you all along!
CIRCE: I’m sure you did. (pulls out a sword) And now that you know I can turn people into pigs, you must die. (lunges atFRODYSSEUS)
FRODYSSEUS: (lunges atCIRCEand slaps her)
CIRCE:(stumbles backwards and gasps, holding her hand to her cheek) How dare you!
FRODYSSEUS: Haha! And now to unmask the villain! (reaches forCIRCE’Sface and tries to grab it, as if he was pulling off someone’s mask)
CIRCE: STOP! STOP GRABBING MY FACE!
FRODYSSEUS: (stops) Wait, so your face is real?
CIRCE: (rolls her eyes) Yes, it’s my real face.
FRODYSSEUS: Oh, okay.
(Awkward silence) The rest of the gang barges into the house, having heardCIRCE’Sscreams from outside.
DAPHETRIA: Frodysseus, what is going on here?!
FRODYSSEUS: I’ve just solved the mystery! Circe is the villain after all, and she’s turned Shaphus into a pig! That’s him right there! (points to the pig that had followedDAPHETRIAinside)
DAPHETRIA: Oh no, how are we supposed to get him changed back then?
CIRCE: Here, I’ll change him back. (waves her hand lazily)
Where the pig once stood now stoodSHAPHUS, in a human form once more.
SHAPHUS: Hey man, I’m in human form again! Zoinks!
Suddenly there is a bark coming from the back corner of the room. The gang head over to the noise, where they findSCOOBIUShas discovered several other men-turned-pigs in a pig pen.
DAPHETRIA: Wow, good job Scoobius! You’ve found other victims of Circe’s treachery!
SCOOBIUS:(wags his tail and barks happily)
ATHENA: Here, Scoobius, have a Scoobius-Snack! (givesSCOOBIUSone of his famous snacks)
SCOOBIUS:(barks happily)
FRODYSSEUS: Well gang, it looks like this mystery is solved!
ATHENA: And now this mystery is ancient history. Read the rest of Homer-Barbera’s epic play “Scoobius, Where are You?” to find out what happens next!
Journal: Heroes and Adventure
10/7/11
So this week was a pretty chill week. Even though we didn't do too much (and the reading assignments weren't too bad) I still found a lot of what we talked about in class this week very interesting.
What I liked the most that we talked about this week is what we perceive a hero to be. I think this conversation can be both a very scholarly conversation and a very personal one, and that's what I really liked about this discussion. It's one thing to talk about how Odysseus is an epic hero, but it's a completely different story to talk about why your mom or dad is your hero. I think a lot of what we as individuals consider a hero greatly affects how we talk about heroes in class. For example, some people look for different character traits, and hold some character traits in a higher priority than others. Some may see intelligence and the courage to make a difference as traits in an ideal hero. Others may look for a loving and compassionate nature, and the willingness to help others in an ideal hero. I just think it's really interesting that, even today, we all have very different ideas about what a hero can be.
Going along with this topic, I think it's very interesting how superheroes reflect a lot of the same character traits as ancient, epic heroes like Gilgamesh and Odysseus. They're smart, strong (like Superman) and perform a great deal of public works (like Batman). It's really cool how, even though these superheroes reflect more "ancient" hero traits, they're still such a huge part of our modern society today. I also really liked Elizabeth's comments about the role of sidekicks for today's superheroes. I thought it was really interesting how she said that they, too, reflect a lot of "ancient" hero character traits. I think, overall, if there is one thing I've learned in this class is that a lot of the concepts that we've learned in ancient literature still carry over into today. And, even more importantly, that it's still an important part of our society.
I was also very interested in how we talked about how gender roles affected our perceptions of heroes. I agreed, for the most part, about what we said in class: how, generally, females and males can both carry the same kind of role as a hero today. We can see this in female "heroes" from all across history: Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, etc. They all inspired a movement, contributed to huge changes made in society, or, in Anne Frank's case, left a lasting, timeless impression about a historical event (the Holocaust, obviously). However, I don't think we really think about gender when we talk about heroes. At this point in our society, gender prejudices are very outdated, and when we think about heroes, we think more about the traits they carry than whether or not they're a guy or a girl. It's the same with race: we obviously don't consider whether the hero is black or white, Asian, etc. They're just a person with certain qualities that we look up to.
Journal: Hebrew Scriptures and Moses
9/30/11
We all know the Bible stories, even if you're not Christian. Well at least, I know them, even if I don't know all the little details. I mean, most people know the basic story of how God created the Earth in seven (technically six) days and how Moses received the Ten Commandments and blah blah blah. I think it's interesting looking at it from a more academic perspective; it's weird hearing a teacher explaining these stories to us, when I've only ever heard them in church on Sundays as a kid. It's an interesting combination of personal and academic perspectives that I really like.
We discussed Moses and how he compares to an epic hero on Monday. Personally, I think it's hard to compare any characters in the Bible, Moses being among them, to epic heroes from Greek mythology. They're so different and from such different cultures, but at the same time they have one or two similar traits. The only real striking similarity I see between them is their humility. Odysseus, while although not always completely humble, does have his moments in the Odyssey. Moses is humble as well, especially when God is trying to convince him to go tell the people about him--he doesn't think they'll listen to him, and he thinks he won't be a persuasive enough speaker. This similarity is really the only one that stuck with me. Other than that they don't seem very similar. We discussed this in our group--how it's hard to compare Moses to other literary characters we've studied because he's...well...Moses. We associate him with a very personal part of our lives (well, some of our lives, if you're Christian) so we might be able to be like "Well, Moses and _ have this good thing in common" but it's harder for us to contrast them, I think mostly because we put Moses in a different category in our minds.
I think this "comparing people to epic heroes" thing would be very interesting if we took a different religious figure and compared them to an epic hero--a figure that's not a Christian one, perhaps. Just a thought.
Journal: Sappho, Creation Myths and Genesis
9/23/11
First off, I'm going to just throw this out there. I HATE poetry. My English teacher last year was obsessed with poetry, and I've had my fair share of it...for the rest of my life. However, I genuinely enjoyed Sappho. Well, okay I'm going to be honest. I thought her background was more interesting than her poetry. I thought the community of women she lived in was a very interesting concept, especially back in ancient Greece, and I thought how she chose to write about controversial topics was really cool. I also thought it was interesting that several of her pieces have lesbian references in them; I just figured lesbians were unheard of/nonexistent in those times, so it was super interesting to read about that. I also thought it was a great connection to modern times, since so many people (including a lot in the United States) are working to be accepted as lesbians and gays and still trying to win equal marriage rights and all that stuff. I thought her poetry (especially the last one we read in the book) was a really great connection to that and a lot of people could still relate to that today, even if you're not homosexual. In general though, I thought her poems were very relatable. It's just weird to think that literature that old can still be so timeless!
Secondly, the presentation about creation myths this week was great! It was absolutely fascinating, and I loved their presentation. I've always wanted to learn about creation myths...that weren't Genesis. So it was really awesome to learn about the other myths, spanning over hundreds and hundreds of years. (Some were definitely more "unique" than others...I feel sorry for Aphrodite.) However, even though I may feel sorry for Aphrodite, Greek myths are still my favorite, so that was still one of my favorite myths out of all of them. I would really love to do some more stuff about Greek myths, just because there are so many and they're all so interesting.
Last but not least, our discussion about Genesis today really opened my eyes to a lot of things. What stands out the most to me still is what Daniela said: "You can't put God in a box," which I think is really important to remember when reading the Bible. He may not always make sense or do things that would make sense to you, but then again, we can't completely understand him, so it's meant to seem a bit weird at times (I think this is a recurring theme in Genesis. -MH). With God compared to multiple gods, though, I do think his thought processes/actions seem a bit more logical than the Greek gods and goddesses. With the Greek deities, all the conflict and arguing really clouds all their judgement and creates a lot of problems and chaos, and I think we kind of get lost in all that and forget that they're actual divine people, not just humans. With God, even though we may not always understand him his story is told a little clearer, and he doesn't get caught up in all the stupid stuff, like the Greek ones did. He's more like BAM! and to the point than the Greek gods and goddesses.
Journal: The Odyssey
9/16/2011
Well, it's over. After 24 long (sometimes painful) books, the Homeric epic has reached its end. I was a little dissatisfied with the ending--it seemed very anticlimactic, and, to be honest, kind of empty. I don't mean empty as in nothing happened, because things certainly happened, but emotionally empty. I didn't really feel anything reading the end of the story. It was just like "Athena is still Mentor...the end." And I turned the page, expecting there to be more, and there wasn't. And I was just like "Alright then, I guess it's over." And...that was it. I think the theory that says that Homer may not have written the 24th book is really interesting. Not only can you see how the story is written differently in Book 24, but plot-wise it doesn't seem to completely connect with the previous book. It does connect in a lot of ways, but in some ways you're just kind of like..."Why is this book even here...?" which I think is really interesting.
I guess what really struck me at the end of this story was Penelope. Yes, she was very clever in how she tested Odysseus and whatnot, but overall I was not particularly impressed with her. After the battle and after Odysseus killed all the suitors, and he went to meet Penelope, she was just kind of like, "Jeez, stop messing with me. I'm not stupid...of course that's not him." And Telemachus is like "Why are you being so mean to this guy? It's your husband..." I guess what surprised me is her doubtfulness. She spent so long waiting and hoping for him to come back, and cried every day for her husband, and he's finally there and she's just like, "Um, no." I had thought her to be a more...faithful kind of person, and I was just really surprised at how long it took her to actually believe it was really him. We actually discussed this in class, how Penelope's actions showed her hope and faith in Odysseus' return. Oddly, that's definitely not what she did when he actually came back. I thought it would've been more satisfying (at least for me) if she had just been like "Yay Odysseus, you're back! I love you!" (Obviously not in those exact words, but you get the point.) I just found the whole "testing" thing to be a little less emotional than something like that should've been.
Journal: The Odyssey
9/9/2011
I'm still amazed at how well I'm understanding The Odyssey. Not only does it give me the chance to actually understand what's going on (obviously), but it also gives me a chance to actually analyze and interpret the story. I really get to see more of how it's all put together, how it flows, and how Odysseus reacts to various things and how other people do. I'm just really glad I can actually understand more of what's going on than when I read it for the first time.
To be honest, I don't really like Odysseus that much. He seemed very heroic at the beginning, all cool and brave and courageous and whatnot, but now that we're so far into the story I'm really not getting that vibe anymore. He just seems like kind of a jerk...Like, whenever one of his men dies because of one of the trials or whatever, and his men are grieving, he's just kinda like, "Yeah, well, we have to stop grieving now. Let's move on." There are some points where he seems to express a little sympathy, but I think for the most part he just seems kind of emotionless. There was once or twice where I think he showed a little something (for example, when he sees his mother in the Underworld) but other than that he just seems to be cold and distant. Don't get me wrong, he's a smart guy, and very cool and stuff, but at this point it's just very hard to relate to. And relating to characters is something I enjoy about reading, so it kind of turns me off to the story a bit.
I also thought what we discussed in class today, about the gender stereotypes/women in the Odyssey, was very interesting. My English teacher last year was a bit obsessed with gender stereotypes in literature (she was a strong feminist) so we talked about stuff like that a lot, and now that it's easier for me to pick it out (especially in older literature) it's still interesting to me. I find it especially interesting that the women aren't weak--nor are they obedient. Unless you count Penelope, who remains the loyal wife to Odysseus after all these years. Then again, that's not really "obedient"...so moving on. I think Homer really goes against the "typical" view of women in his time, which is really cool. As we discussed in class, the men in The Odyssey seem to be the "bullies" of the story, whereas the women sneak around the bullies and pull off all this cunning stuff behind their backs. Which almost makes them seem more impressive than the men...until the men get revenge on them. It's like a vicious cycle.
Journal: The Odyssey
9/2/2011
When I first read The Odyssey my freshman year in school, I honestly didn't understand it at all. It may have just been the translation (or my crazy English teacher) but Homer's epic was like complete gibberish to me. It was like a completely foreign language to me (well, I guess it was a foreign language at one time, but that's not the point). For some reason though, this time reading through it I completely understand it. I think it may be because I just have a little more experience with older literature now that I'm a freshman in college and not a freshman in high school...I don't know. But now that I do actually understand it, I really like it!
The concept of Greek mythology has always been really interesting to me, especially their genealogy--like, who's related to who and whatnot. I would absolutely love to do research on that, it would be fascinating. Especially all the stories behind them, like the brothers, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Especially Hades--he's one of my favorites, mostly because one of my favorite Greek myths is the one about him and Persephone. Speaking of gods, I guess I forgot to bring this up in class: why does Athena like disguise herself as Mentor and then end up like revealing herself to everyone at the end of the book anyway? That seemed kind of pointless to me. I guess I was reading it and I was just like "Wow, what a showoff." Like, why would you do that? It doesn't really seem to benefit her plan for Telemachus, anyway. Maybe she just wanted to let everyone know they were in an immortal's presence...? I don't know. That just sort of bugged me.
I also thought a lot about Odysseus's character a lot while I was reading these first few sections. Compared to Gilgamesh, I think he's a much better example of an epic hero--he's also a lot easier to relate to. He just seems a lot more human than Gilgamesh (and I don't think it was because Gilgamesh was 2/3 god, 1/3 human, either). I feel like the fact that he has human flaws and wants the same kind of things a normal human does makes him more of a hero, as well. Because to me, what really makes someone a hero is being a normal person overcoming abnormal circumstances. For example, Odysseus, although unique in strength, bravery and cunning, also wants the same things a normal person would want--to be back home with his wife and family, surrounded by the people that love and admire him as a father, husband and leader. However, he's also faced with temptation (more like entrapment at this point in the story): Calypso. Odysseus, being a (somewhat) typical man, gives in to temptation at first, but later realizes what he really wants, which is to return home. However, in order to get home he has to somehow survive Poseidon's hissy fits and sail the right course back to Ithaca (which is Odysseus's abnormal circumstance). To me, I think that's really what makes a hero, and the more I continue reading this epic the more I see these aspects of heroism in Odysseus.
I also see traces of possible heroism in Telemachus, as well. I mean, it would take a lot of courage to suddenly decide to leave home to go search the seas for your lost father, who may or may not be dead. I mean, no average person could decide to do that. I also think, for just coming of age, Telemachus is a very smart, courageous boy. I definitely see traces of his father's bravery in Telemachus!
Journal: Gilgamesh
8/26/2011
When I first learned that we were assigned Gilgamesh as a reading assignment, I didn't really think much of it. I just thought, "Well okay, another reading. Yay." What surprised me, however, was how incredibly interesting I think the story is so far. It just amazes me that, even though the story was written thousands of years ago, its plot still carries some common themes that we still find in modern literature. For example, the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Although their brotherhood is a little over exaggerated (at least, in my opinion) the same concept still applies to a lot of movies and books we encounter today. (I especially loved the comment someone made in class about them resembling the Star Wars story, or at least a part of it.) Another thing that I found both hilarious and much like modern-day stories was when Ishtar released the Bull of Heaven on Uruk /Gilgamesh after Gilgamesh rejected her offer of being his lover. My first thought was like, "How many times have I seen that in a movie?" Like, when a girl gets rejected and does all this crazy stuff to get revenge on the guy. It was hilarious. And that surprised me. I'm not used to giggling at ancient literature, but there you go. It got a chuckle out of me.
While also reflecting a lot of modern-day stories, I think Gilgamesh also reflects some ancient ones as well. Obviously there's the whole idea with him being the hero, and him having all the traditional traits of one, like the ones you usually see in the Greek epics and whatnot. Besides that, though, I've seen some interesting parallels between this story and the Greek ones. For example, when Gilgamesh is on his journey to find Utnapishtim, and they have to cross the ocean to get to him. My first thought was of the Odyssey, where Odysseus (I think) has to basically cross this huge tract of water to get back home. My second thought was of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where Harry and Dumbledore have to cross the water to get to the Horcrux. Gilgamesh wasn't allowed to touch the water when they were crossing, just like the famous wizards were forbidden to touch or drink the water when they were retrieving a part of Voldemort's soul. I found that interesting. Water always plays a really diverse role in literature--sometimes it's good, a cleansing or a rebirth, and sometimes it's bad, hiding the murky things that lie underneath. In Gilgamesh I think it was a little bit of both--he may not have needed the sort of cleansing water would normally have symbolized, but if he did touch the water he may not have been ready for the death that might have taken him. I love looking for symbols and motifs in stories, so stuff like this always really excites me. (However dorky that may sound.)
What I find the absolute most interesting about Gilgamesh so far is its insane similarity to the Bible. The first thing I noticed when I started reading it is that it almost sounded like the stories in the Bible--how the Bible has that certain strict, to-the-point style. Of course, that wasn't completely consistent once I continued reading, but I did continue to come across a few passages that had the same sort of Bible-esque style, which I think is really cool. I also thought it was interesting that Gilgamesh and Enkidu has to cross seven mountains to get to the cedar forest. Like...okay, it took seven days for God to create the Earth. That is so awesome. I also agreed with someone's comment in class, about how Enkidu was sort of like the Adam in the Bible. There are just so many striking similarities between this story and the Bible...I can't wait to read the Flood section of Gilgamesh to see what kind of crazy parallels there are! I also think a really cool project idea would be to take some ancient literature and look for common themes of it in the Bible, or vice versa. The Bible is just such a huge, diverse text, which makes it so interesting. You can do a lot with it, and I think it would be amazing to do a project like that.
My favorite part about Gilgamesh thus far is how it ties so intimately into other stories and themes that we're familiar with. I really think this was a great way to start out the class, it's gotten me really excited for some of the other stuff we're going to read.
12/9/2011
I can't believe I'm writing my last journal entry for this class! The semester has gone by so quickly, it's crazy. But I have to say that I'm really glad that this class has been my first Honors class at Ball State. The atmosphere of the class was just really friendly and comfortable, and we always had such great and enlightening discussions. It wasn't an overwhelming amount of work but enough work to make you feel like you were accomplishing something. Overall it's been a great class, and hopefully I'll see most of you next semester for 202!
Everyone's paper ideas were also really interesting as well. I thought it was really cool that not anyone in the class wrote about the same thing as someone else. I'm glad we're all such creative thinkers, haha.
I thought our discussion about the Koran today was pretty interesting. I think Adam made a good point in saying that since we don't have anyone that's Muslim in the class to explain how they interpret the Koran, it's really hard for us to interpret it how they would and to take the same things from it that they would. I also think it's kind of impossible to judge anything about the Muslim faith just from reading it like that because for one thing, it could be translated weird and for another, we just lack the understanding of the literature that the Muslim people have. However, I have always enjoyed studying other religions and it was still really interesting to look at the small things in the Koran and how they contributed to how we looked at it. For example, what Daniela said about them having like 99 different words for God was really interesting, and provided a great discussion topic.
Journal: Lauren's Paper (Devout vs. Radical) :)
12/2/2011
Overall I thought the idea for your paper was really unique and insightful, and was honestly not something I had ever really considered before. Obviously we think all these radical people are crazy, but it was just really interesting comparing them to devout followers of a religion as well. You used a lot of solid evidence and your evidence from the Bible I thought was also really solid, and you analyzed it in a really different way. I liked how you took stories we are familiar with and helped us look at them in a different light.
The only flaw I saw in your essay was really the wording of some things and just how some people reading it might read it a different way than others. For example, towards the end of the essay when you say "Society doesn't believe that God still speaks to people" could be taken in a lot of different directions, and I don't think it would be taken the way you want it to be for the purpose of your essay. This and just a few other awkwardly-worded sentences and phrases were really the only problems I saw with your paper. :)
Again, I just really liked the topic, and really thought it was unique and special. No one else in the class will have anything like your paper, which I thought was really cool. I also really liked how you incorporated modern-day stories, like the one about the lady who killed her five children in the bath tub, and actually made them relatable to ancient literature.
Nice job Lauren! :)
Journal: Ball State's Art Museum
11/18/2011
This may sound kind of nerdy, but Ball State's art museum is really awesome. Back where I come from we don't have access to a lot of museums and stuff and like that, so it was really interesting and exciting for me to see the stuff that they have in the museum here and all they have to offer.
When you walk into the main entrance of the museum, it's definitely designed to impress. What struck me at first was the huge piece of artwork hanging from the ceiling, which I think is totally awesome, especially because it's made out of completely recyclable materials. It's completely white marble, which I think is a really good method of making the room look not only impressive, but like it has something important inside it as well. The huge staircase in the center definitely welcomes you and urges you to explore the rest of the museum.
I noticed a sort of theme to how they arrange objects in the museum, but I'm not sure exactly how to describe it. When you're in the painting galleries, they tend to put the larger paintings in really fancy frames and keep the smaller ones in simpler frames--that is, I thought this was the pattern, until I walked around in other areas of the museum and found they had put fancy frames on some small paintings as well, and put a completely plain-looking frame on this huge painting. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to how they arrange anything in the museum, except for the fact that they always put the sculptures in the middle of the room when they're in the same room as a bunch of paintings. It's like they just kinda threw stuff up on the walls and were like "Okay, looks good to me." No matter how hard I looked I could not for the life of me notice a pattern.
The lighting and the color, however, definitely have an effect on the way you view the objects in the museum. With the paintings, they tend to put them in rooms with brighter colors, and this makes the room look fuller and more interesting. I noticed with the more modern art, though, they use plainer-colored walls and bright light. I think this is because the more modern art is already so bright and colorful, and they don't want to detract from the aesthetics of the artwork. With the more ancient artwork and artifacts, on the top level they use a blue color to present the artifacts in, which I thought was a really nice balance to the plainer-colored artifacts displayed there. On the bottom level, the room with the ancient artifacts is an orangey color, which I thought almost matched the artifacts and accented them in a nice way. They definitely planned out the colors and the lighting when designing this museum.
My favorite part of the museum was on the top level, with the ancient Indian artifacts. My favorite was the statue of Vishnu, which I thought was really cool. I just loved the style and the look of the Indian artifacts, and to me they seem timeless even though they're thousands of years old. I liked how they weren't displayed in glass cases, too. It seems like you can get more out of it when it's not trapped behind the glass.
The museum is definitely designed, in an architectural sense, in such a manner that it's easy to get lost in. This happened to me several times, and it legitimately took me a few minutes to figure out how I had gotten into one room and out of another. I think they designed it like this purposely; instead of making it one large room or something and you could just walk out, you were kind of forced to wander around and appreciate the artwork there instead of just making a beeline for the door. It seemed very streamlined, and all of the rooms seemed to be interconnected even though they had such different things in. It was definitely designed as a sort of architectural trap--and I don't mean that in a bad way.
Journal: The Aeneid
11/11/11
So far I've definitely enjoyed The Aeneid a lot more than The Odyssey. The Aeneid may be a lot more detailed and a little more flowery, but overall I really like the plot and the style in which Virgil writes. He's a much different writer than Homer, but I like how the two authors can be so different and yet we can draw so many similarities between their stories. I suppose that's because Virgil took a lot of his ideas from Homer's works, but all the same, it's pretty neat.
What I found the most interesting was the differences in how they portrayed women. For the most part, Homer wrote his main female characters (Athena, Circe, Penelope, Calypso) as strong, powerful women that had a heavy influence over Homer's male hero, Odysseus. They were smart, cunning and tricky. Yes, they were emotional, but they were a bit more intelligent than Virgil's women (haha). Dido is um...interesting. Not only did she basically go crazy because Aeneas had to leave her, but she then continued to beg him to stay, AND beg to have his child. That counts as crazy in my book. She didn't really seem to have any of the cunning or intelligence as the women in The Odyssey. Not to say that Dido is stupid, but she just didn't seem as smart, which I thought was very odd...seeing as she was a queen and was kind of in charge of a country. But whatever. And then there was her sister, Anna. Why would you offer to kill yourself along with your sister? That's just weird, and again, not very smart. The women in The Aeneid so far just seem kind of ditzy and overly emotional.
However, there are a lot of similarities between Aeneas and Odysseus. They're both the typical strong, smart male heroes who have a strong sense of duty and pride for their homeland. I really liked how in the Aeneid, Aeneas meets with his father in the underworld, and Odysseus meets with his mother in his own version of the underworld. I thought that was a very cool parallel and really showcased how similar the two heroes are, because they both reacted so strongly to seeing their parents again. The only difference I've really seen between the two is that Aeneas seems to be a bit more stoic than Odysseus, but then again, they've both been pulled around by divine intervention and to be honest, I don't really blame Aeneas for his less-than-emotional nature.
Critical Essay Idea
I was thinking about doing something with Antigone. I thought the whole "religion vs. civic duty" topic was really interesting, but I also liked the discussions we had about suicide in ancient Greece as well.
I was either going to do something on the suicide or look at how other people view the "religion vs. civic duty" issue in the story.
Kind of going along with our discussion from today, I think it would also be interesting if I did something on the Greek vs. the Roman views of the underworld...now I really can't decide.
Journal: Lao Tzu, Daoism, Confucius
11/4/2011
This week I thought was really...interesting. Not interesting in a bad way, of course, but interesting because I think we learned a lot of things this week that I (and I'm assuming most other people in the class too) weren't really aware of. I think, with especially the country we live in and the part of the country that we live in, we don't learn a lot about Western culture, and we definitely don't learn too much about their religion, either. I don't know about anyone else, but I didn't even know Daoism existed until this week. It's just so cool to be able to learn about things that we're basically completely ignorant about. It's really interesting and I think it will make us a lot more accepting and understanding people in the long run.
The thing that first struck me when I was reading the literature we'd been assigned for this week was how it was written. I guess I'm used to religious, kind of theology-based literature being much more grandiose and formal (like the Bible, for instance). I was really surprised with how this Western literature was largely anecdotal, such as in the Lao Tzu. I thought it was interesting how he portrayed his beliefs in the form of simple, easy-to-understand little stories. Of course we see stories like this in the Bible, but it definitely had a completely different feel in this Western literature. I felt like it was much more direct and to-the-point than things like the Bible and even the Gita, and I really appreciated that simplicity. It seemed a lot more profound and just..."this is what I'm telling you." It was really different, and in my opinion really awesome.
I also thought what we discussed today in class, about Confucius and the role of the "ritual" in our lives, was also really interesting. To me it seemed like a concept we almost subconsciously follow here, but in the Analects it was just phrased in a different way. In our culture we do usually look down upon the people that are courteous and polite because it's the "proper" thing to do, and that's basically what Confucius was saying. I think it's just a little harder to understand these similarities because the literature is so foreign and unfamiliar to us, but after we discuss it a little and dissect it a little more we seem to grasp his points a lot better. Overall I think this Western theology carries a lot of credibility, and even to someone like me, who knows almost nothing about it, it also carries a lot of logical ideas. I mean, it makes sense. And it's just really cool to understand this and make sense of it. I really loved reading all of this stuff, and I wish we could spend more time talking about it. This was definitely my favorite set of readings so far!
Journal: Gita and The Good Life
10/28/2011
This week, I thought the presentations about the literature presented about the Good Life in the book and our discussions on it were absolutely awesome. We all had some really good ideas and brought up some really good points, and over the course of the two days we just had some really great discussion! So far these presentations I thought were the best yet.
I really agree with what several people brought up in class today, how society doesn't really have a specific definition for the Good Life. Society suggests (more like demands) that there are some things we can have that will contribute to a good life, but there's no set definition for it. I do think, however, that what society feeds us contributes to our views of what the Good Life should be and how we as individuals define the Good Life. For example, American society's fixation on materialism, wealth and fame contribute to some people's beliefs that these things do actually make a Good Life. I think we also have to remember that, no matter how much spirituality or philosophy is poured into it, everyone's idea of a Good Life is specific and unique to every person, and no amount of philosophy or discussion can change that. We all have different standards and expectations of life depending on who we are, and it's important to consider this when we're debating "Well, what's a Good Life?"
I also really enjoyed our discussion about the media today. I'm a journalism major, so I obviously like to discuss the media. I'm actually taking one of my required courses for my major, The Media and Society, currently, so it was really interesting to hear our class's perspective on the media opposed to the one I'm used to hearing in my journalism class. Although I don't think the media portrays exactly what they think the Good Life should be, I do believe that the media hinders our own individual accomplishment of the Good Life.
The media focuses on negative news for an obvious reason--to make money. Death and tragedy sells, and, unfortunately, good news does not. Unfortunately journalists these days will dig up anything they can about anything or anyone to make a buck. (Hopefully I won't be one of these journalists in the future...) All of this negativity, tragedy, death and scandal in the media makes the American public very skeptical, in my opinion, and this skepticism can carry over into what we think of our lives. It's hard to focus on attaining a "Good Life" when you are constantly bombarded with negative images and advertising. This also just goes to show how dependent the American public is on the media. It makes me wonder: How different would the American public be if the media didn't play such a critical role in our society?
Journal: Plato/Midterm Journal
10/21/2011
As my first experience with Honors classes here at Ball State, I'm really glad this class was my first experience. I really like the laid-back atmosphere of the class and how we can laugh and joke with each other (and even joke about the literature, most times). Our discussions are always really informal and casual, and I really like that. I've never liked stuffed-up classes. I like classes where you can be comfortable, you can have fun, and you can learn all at once, and I really think this is what this class represents.
I guess the only problem I've had with this class so far is The Odyssey. Not The Odyssey itself, exactly, but how we had to read SO much of it when we were discussing it in class. It was like 20-30 pages a night (or more), and it drove me nuts! However, this is a more technical aspect of the class, and I don't think it really contributes to my overall view of it. The amount of reading we have to do can just get really heavy sometimes.
As far as our class goals, I feel like we've covered a lot of them, especially connecting ancient literature to modern society. I feel like, especially today, it is important to learn from the past, and what ancient societies/authors/literature were like. Obviously, we've heard the "learning from past mistakes" analogy concerning history a million times, but I really think that's a huge part of what we accomplish in this class, especially with our presentations. We've noticed some really interesting trends throughout history, and I hope we can continue to do this! I also think we're accomplishing a lot of Goal #3 in this class, which is something like forming new understandings of the modes of thought of the ancient world, etc. I definitely feel as if we're gaining a lot of new perspective in this class, not only from what we're reading (or for some of us, re-reading) but also the perspectives some other people in the class have as well. I know that I've read some things in this class (like The Odyssey) where I've had the same opinion about it since freshman year of high school, but my thoughts on it have now completely changed thanks to our discussions in class. It's just really interesting (and kind of cool) to have your whole mode of thought about something completely changed just by one discussion.
As we continue for the rest of the semester, I hope we can continue to have these good discussions and continue to learn a whole bunch of new different perspectives, and become more open-minded people. I don't really think this class is just about what happened in the ancient world; I think it's also about what happens today, what we think today, what we believe today. The discussions we have about characters' actions and values, what they represent, and what their respective societies thought they represented are important aspects of our modern society and how we see things today.
Overall I think this is a great class, and it has really opened up my mind to a lot of new things, along with a lot of new literature!
Journal: Antigone, Rulers and Citizens
10/14/2011
Overall, I think we covered a lot of topics this week. Our first discussion was with Antigone, and if it was right for her to go against Creon's will and bury her traitorous brother.
I think it's really hard to argue one side over the other for this topic, mainly because both points overlap with each other on a lot of different things. Basically, it comes down to this: Do religious guidelines/laws bypass the laws set by the state? Here's where they both intertwine. So, let's take the Constitution, for example. The Constitution was written by white, Christian men. You know, all of that "one nation under God" kind of stuff. Where do you think they got all of those rules from (like freedom of religion, freedom of speech, stealing is illegal, etc.)? Probably inspired from the Bible. I have always seen religious "law" and earthly laws to be really similar--not exactly the same, but they usually follow along the same guidelines. This is why I think it's so hard to argue for or against Antigone's actions. Whether you're religious or not, you still have to follow your country's laws. (Or you'll get arrested/killed in ancient Greece, etc.) The problem here is that if you're following the country's laws (don't steal, don't kill people, etc.) you're kind of following religious laws too, since they're roughly the same kind of concepts. Their interconnectedness is what makes it hard to argue.
I was one of 2 people (I think it was two) to say that Antigone's burying of her brother was wrong. I, however, didn't completely agree with what the other person (I can't remember who it was) said about Antigone's attitude. It wasn't so much Antigone herself that was the reason for my opinion, but more of the religion vs. state law idea. I personally am not a religious person. It's not that I don't believe in God, but I just am not that gung-ho churchgoing "Praise Jesus!" kind of person. Today we see a lot of terrible people using religion as an excuse to do really terrible things. (Like kill people and blow up buildings.) I am of the strong belief that religion should not be used as an excuse (no matter how legitimate) to bypass a country's laws. Even though the story was obviously set in ancient Greece, it was the same kind of story. And that's why I disagreed with her actions.
On another note, I really enjoyed the presentation about Rulers and Citizens. I really liked hearing about the Eastern point of view, and the discussion topics. I thought we had a really good discussion and brought up some really good points about what a truly good leader should be.
My Parody!
FRODYSSEUS, WHERE ARE YOU?
Written by
Sam Harsh
ACT 1, SCENE 1: BREAKING WIND
It is 1200 B.C. in ancient Greece. A strangely colored ship, blue and green with orange detail, named the “Mystery Mariner,” is sailing on the Aegean Sea towards Ithaca. Its captain is FRODYSSEUS, a strongly-built blonde man, a man of strength and cleverness. His crew has been sadly destroyed; only four remain. His right-hand man is actually a woman: her name is DAPHETRIA. There are three others, ATHENA, his guide and a Greek goddess. SHAPHUS, a skinny, gangly man of great hunger. And SCOOBIUS, a large dog that kept them amused. The group is currently all standing on deck, gazing out towards the sea.
FRODYSSEUS: Doesn’t Ithaca look awesome from here? I can’t believe we can see it from this far.
SHAPHUS: I can believe it, man. And dude, does it make me hungry! I can’t wait to get home and get some of that Greek’s Pizza. It’s absolutely--
DAPHETRIA: (interrupting) We’re all hungry for some Greek’s, SHAPHUS. But we have to actually get there first.
SHAPHUS: That doesn’t mean I can’t dream. Right, SCOOBIUS?
(SCOOBIUS whines sadly, bobbing his head in apparent agreement. SHAPHUS pats him on the head sympathetically; DAPHETRIA rolls her eyes.)
ATHENA: (in a nasally voice) Come on guys, let’s all get along! We’re almost home, remember?
DAPHETRIA: (sarcastic) Yeah, keep dreaming.
SHAPHUS: Hey, don’t go rainin’ on my parade, man! That’s not cool!
FRODYSSEUS: DAPHETRIA’s right though, SHAPHUS...We can’t get too excited about going home just yet. This bag of wind here might run out or something...We have to be prepared for anything.
(FRODYSSEUS holds up the BAG OF WIND, which contains all of the Earth’s winds. It is currently blowing a westerly wind to send them home to Ithaca.)
DAPHETRIA: Come on, Frodysseus, that’s ridiculous. There’s no way it could run out!
SHAPHUS: (clearly mocking DAPHETRIA) Come on, that’s ridiculous! There’s no way wind could be in there!
DAPHETRIA: Well, what else would be in there?
SHAPHUS: It’s a food stash, dude. I just know it.
SCOOBIUS: (barks and perks up ears in agreement)
DAPHETRIA: Now THAT is ridiculous.
FRODYSSEUS: You’re right, that really is. There’s no food in here, Soph. Promise.
SHAPHUS: (says nothing, only eyes BAG OF WIND suspiciously)
(Awkward silence ensues. ATHENA hovers around the group, exasperated. DAPHETRIA sulks with her arms crossed over her chest. FRODYSSEUS is still trying to look like he knows what he’s doing.)
SHAPHUS: So there’s no food in there.
FRODYSSEUS: ...No.
SHAPHUS: You’re absolutely sure?
FRODYSSEUS: ...Yes.
SHAPHUS: (still looks suspicious)
FRODYSSEUS: (looking around at everyone) Seriously, gang, there’s no food in here. Really.
DAPHETRIA: Well, I believe you. (looks pointedly at SHAPHUS and SCOOBIUS.)
SHAPHUS: I don’t believe it, dude. (trades glances with SCOOBIUS)
SCOOBIUS: (barks excitedly)
SHAPHUS: (yelling) GET HIM!
(SHAPHUS and SCOOBIUS tackle FRODYSSEUS, sending him flat onto the deck. They struggle briefly, tugging the BAG OF WIND back and forth like tug-of-war. Finally, SHAPHUS and SCOOBIUS manage to snatch it.)
SHAPHUS: I’VE GOT IT!
(SHAPHUS rips the bag open.)
FRODYSSEUS: NOOOOOOOO!
(The BAG OF WIND’s contents escape, sending the Mystery Mariner into a crazy spin. All of the different earthly winds whirl around the ship in a windy vortex; the captain and his crew all hold on for dear life. Soon enough, it’s over--and everyone is surveying the scene with wide eyes, gasping for breath.)
ATHENA: Jeepers, that was a--
FRODYSSEUS: Wow, guys, that was a close one. (rushes to the railing of the ship and scans the horizon) Now we’re nowhere close to Ithaca!
DAPHETRIA: Yeah, all thanks to Mr. Genius over here.
SHAPHUS: (throws up hands in defeat) Hey, dude. I had good intentions, man. I was feelin’ it.
FRODYSSEUS: (sighs) Well, gang, there’s nothing we can do about it now. (draws a compass out of his toga pocket and examines it carefully) It looks like we’re in the Bay of Pigs now.
DAPHETRIA: The Bay of Pigs? How far is that from Ithaca?
FRODYSSEUS: Pretty far I’d say. We’ll have to stay in the area for a while until we can figure out how to get home, though.
DAPHETRIA: (sighs) Great. Just watch us get kidnapped by a witch or something.
SHAPHUS: Hey, Bay of Pigs sounds good to me, man. I can hear the sounds of sizzling bacon even now...
SCOOBIUS: (yips excitedly at the mention of bacon)
DAPHETRIA: Can you stop talking about food for like one second? We’re stranded here.
SHAPHUS: What can I say? I’m hungry.
DAPHETRIA: (groans with exasperation)
A FEW HOURS LATER...
(The gang disembarks from the ship, having just anchored it to a dock in the Bay of Pigs. They approach what looks like a small village slowly, looking around in fascination. FRODYSSEUS leads the group confidently.)
FRODYSSEUS: Alright, gang, let me take out my map here...(he consults the map briefly before frowning at it, rotating it to a different position. He continues to scrutinize it. ATHENA sighs heavily.)
ATHENA: We’re on the island of Aeaea, home of Circe, the evil witch! Her home is approximately ten miles that way. (points confidently northwest. She nods with certainty.)
FRODYSSEUS: (still studying the map) Hmmm.
ATHENA: I just said where we were.
FRODYSSEUS: (still studying the map) Hmmm.
ATHENA: I just said--oh, never mind. (buries head in hands)
FRODYSSEUS: Well, gang, this Bay of Pigs business is all Greek to me. Let’s head that way and see if we can find help! (points northwest)
(The group heads northwest, unaware that they will soon encounter the evil witch Circe. ATHENA is clearly frustrated.)
ATHENA: Oh, for the love of Aphrodite. (rolls eyes and follows the group anyway)
END SCENE 1
ACT 1, SCENE 2: JOURNEY, PIGS AND CIRCE, OH MY!
The gang is unknowingly heading towards the evil witch’s house, Circe’s. Athena is following along reluctantly. They soon arrive at Circe’s home. Frodysseus knocks on the door.
FRODYSSEUS: (knocks on door) Hello, anybody home?
(Enter CIRCE.)
CIRCE: (sees Frodysseus and raises eyebrows) Hey good-lookin’, come here often?
DAPHETRIA: (gasps) Excuse me--
FRODYSSEUS: No, I don’t...do you?
ATHENA: (face-palms)
CIRCE: Oh, I do. I live here. Would you and your...(looks at the other members of the group skeptically) friends like to come inside?
FRODYSSEUS: Sure! (gestures to the rest of the group) Come on, gang!
CIRCE: Wonderful. (opens door wider)
The group enters into Circe’s home. It’s a dark, gloomy place, with a strange pig-pen looking area in the corner. ATHENA notices this with a sigh; FRODYSSEUS is, as usual, mostly unaware of his surroundings and is too busy ogling CIRCE to notice.
CIRCE: Welcome to my home! (smiles in a slightly creepy manner)
DAPHETRIA: (pulls FRODYSSEUS aside briefly) Frodysseus, I don’t think this is a good idea. This lady gives me a creepy feeling.
SCOOBIUS: (whines in agreement)
FRODYSSEUS: I think we’ll be okay, DAPHETRIA. She looks harmless to me!
CIRCE: Well, please make yourselves at home. I’ll have to excuse me for a moment. (bows graciously and glides out of the room)
FRODYSSEUS: Gang, isn’t this great? She seems pretty friendly. Maybe she can help us get back to Ithaca!
DAPHETRIA: (mumbling) Yeah, friendly to you...
FRODYSSEUS: (ignoring her comment) Let’s get comfy until she comes back. (takes a seat on a nearby chair)
ATHENA ignores FRODYSSEUS’ advice and paces about the room anxiously. DAPHETRIA takes a seat on another chair, twiddling her thumbs awkwardly. SHAPHUS and SCOOBIUS wander around the room, probably looking for food.
FRODYSSEUS: Isn’t this just awesome--
Suddenly there is a loud banging noise, accompanied by a cloud of smoke. The gang looks around in confusion, coughing and wiping their eyes. When the smoke finally clears, SHAPHUS has mysteriously disappeared.
DAPHETRIA: Guys, where’s Shaphus? (scared)
FRODYSSEUS: I don’t know...What’s going on?!
SCOOBIUS: (going around the room and sniffing in various places, searching for SHAPHUS)
ATHENA: (seeing no other option, pulls out her cell phone and sends a text to FRODYSSEUS, trying to tell him CIRCE is an evil witch who just turned SHAPHUS into a pig. She hopes this attempt at communicating will work.)
FRODYSSEUS: (pulls out cell phone and reads text message with a confused frown) That’s ridiculous. There are no pigs in here!
Suddenly, a pig crawls out from underneath a couch, oinking pitifully.
FRODYSSEUS: Wow, where did that pig come from?
DAPHETRIA: (squeals and runs across the room, away from the pig) Ew, a pig!
SCOOBIUS: (walks up to pig and sniffs it suspiciously)
CIRCE re-enters the room.
CIRCE: I’m sorry about that, please excuse my rudeness.
FRODYSSEUS: (smiles at her flirtatiously) Oh, it’s totally fine. But I think your pet pig got loose!
CIRCE: (smiles mischievously) Oh yes, it must have.
DAPHETRIA: Okay, well I think we’ve intruded long enough. We’ll take our leave now, isn’t that right, Frodysseus?
FRODYSSEUS: (somewhat reluctantly) Yeah, I guess. Let’s head out, gang...By the way, Circe, if you come across our friend Shaphus we would greatly appreciate it if you sent him back to us.
CIRCE: Oh yeah, I’ll make sure I will!
FRODYSSEUS and the gang take their leave. They meander along back towards their ship, trying to make sense of what has just happened. FRODYSSEUS starts the discussion.
FRODYSSEUS: That was really strange what happened back there. I wonder what happened?
DAPHETRIA: I’m not sure, either. Either way we have to figure out what happened, or we may not be able to find Shaphus!
SCOOBIUS: (bobs head in agreement)
FRODYSSEUS: I agree. Gang, I think we have another mystery on our hands!
END SCENE 2
ACT 1, SCENE 3: A PRIMARY SUSPECT
It is later the same evening. The gang has pitched a tent and started a campfire by the docks, close to the Mystery Mariner. They are currently discussing the mystery and what they can do to solve it.
FRODYSSEUS: I’m out of ideas here, gang. I don’t know what we can do to find Shaphus!
DAPHETRIA: I am too. I just don’t know what we can do.
SCOOBIUS: (whines sadly)
FRODYSSEUS sits and ponders for a little while longer, a frown slowly spreading on his lips. Suddenly he rises from the ground, adjusting his toga angrily and starting to walk with a purposeful stride towards the home of CIRCE.
DAPHETRIA: Wait, Frodysseus, where are you going?!
FRODYSSEUS: I’m going to go look for Shaphus at Circe’s house. I’m sick and tired of waiting around, waiting for an idea to hit me! I’m going to go find him!
DAPHETRIA: But--
All of a sudden, a strange, glowing man with wings on his shoes appears. The gang all stares at him in confusion, mouths agape, lost for words.
Enter HERMES.
HERMES: Good evening, mortals. I have a message for...(pulls a random scroll out of a bag hanging off his shoulder) ...Frodysseus?
FRODYSSEUS: (raises hand meekly) That’s...me?
HERMES: (sighing with relief) Oh, thank Zeus. I was almost sure I had the wrong address. (coughs awkwardly) Anyways, I have a message for you, sir. Your message is as follows: You are supposed to consume a drug called moly before going to approach the witch Circe, and you must jump at her when she tries to kill you. (coughs awkwardly again) That is all.
FRODYSSEUS: (completely confused) ...huh?
HERMES: Take the moly. Fight the witch. The end.
FRODYSSEUS: Ohhh, I get it!
HERMES: (looks like he’s restraining himself from rolling his eyes) Yeah, that’s great. Okay, bye. (disappears in a puff of smoke)
FRODYSSEUS: Gang, I think we’ve just met our first suspect!
DAPHETRIA: Yeah, I agree. He did seem pretty suspicious...and he was trying to get you to take drugs! How shifty is that?!
FRODYSSEUS: Totally shifty. But I think I should “follow” his advice and see what happens!
DAPHETRIA: That sounds like a good idea. But do you think she’s really a witch?
FRODYSSEUS: I guess it’s possible. Or maybe that Hermes character is the actual witch, and he’s consorting with Circe to hide Shaphus!
ATHENA: But the actual witch is Circe! She’s turned Shaphus into a pig!
FRODYSSEUS: (ignores her this time) I like the sound of my plan. Let’s go set up a trap and solve this mystery!
END SCENE 3
ACT 1, SCENE 4: THE MISGUIDED TRAP
A few hours later, FRODYSSEUS and DAPHETRIA are setting up a trap near CIRCE’S home. SCOOBIUS is keeping watch. ATHENA is basically just standing around, not doing anything. They hope to catch HERMES in the act of consorting with CIRCE.
FRODYSSEUS: Alright, Daphetria, I think this is going to work. Just wait till he tries to get in, and BAM! We’ll have caught him. Then the mystery will be solved, and he can show us where Shaphus is!
DAPHETRIA: I think so too. I can’t wait to solve this mystery!
The gang finishes building the trap. They go and hide out in some nearby bushes, waiting for their suspect to get caught in their clever trap.
TWO HOURS LATER...
FRODYSSEUS: I wish Hermes would just hurry up and get caught in our trap. This is starting to take--
DAPHETRIA: Look, there’s something in the trap!
The gang rushes over to see what’s in the trap. A pig is lying in tangled in the trap, squirming pathetically and trying to escape. They all stare down at the pig in surprise.
FRODYSSEUS: That’s definitely not what I expected.
DAPHETRIA: Me either. But we should help untangle her pig all the same.
FRODYSSEUS and DAPHETRIA disentangle the pig from their trap. Meanwhile, ATHENA sends FRODYSSEUS another text message in the hopes that, this time, he will actually listen to her.
FRODYSSEUS: (checks his phone) Oh, that’s complete nonsense. Circe isn’t the witch, she was nice!
ATHENA: (face-palms again)
DAPHETRIA: Well, what do we do now?
FRODYSSEUS: I have an idea. Maybe I can take some moly and play along with Hermes’ message, and then call ask Circe about his charade!
DAPHETRIA: Okay, sounds like a plan. (digs something out of her purse) Here, I have some... (hands moly to FRODYSSEUS) I hope this plan works.
FRODYSSEUS: Me too, Daphetria. Me too.
END SCENE 4
ACT 1, SCENE 5: LAMEST BATTLE EVER
FRODYSSEUS: (enters CIRCE’S house quietly, tip-toeing around)
CIRCE: (jumps out of a corner) BOO!
FRODYSSEUS: AH! (jumps)
CIRCE: Hahaha, I scared you.
FRODYSSEUS: Yes, yes you did...(mind becoming foggy from the drug) What did I come here for?
CIRCE: Probably to ask me about Hermes and your missing friend.
FRODYSSEUS: Oh yeah, that’s right. So what about them?
CIRCE: Well, Hermes has nothing to do with it, and I turned your friend into a pig.
FRODYSSEUS: AHA! I knew it was you all along!
CIRCE: I’m sure you did. (pulls out a sword) And now that you know I can turn people into pigs, you must die. (lunges at FRODYSSEUS)
FRODYSSEUS: (lunges at CIRCE and slaps her)
CIRCE: (stumbles backwards and gasps, holding her hand to her cheek) How dare you!
FRODYSSEUS: Haha! And now to unmask the villain! (reaches for CIRCE’S face and tries to grab it, as if he was pulling off someone’s mask)
CIRCE: STOP! STOP GRABBING MY FACE!
FRODYSSEUS: (stops) Wait, so your face is real?
CIRCE: (rolls her eyes) Yes, it’s my real face.
FRODYSSEUS: Oh, okay.
(Awkward silence)
The rest of the gang barges into the house, having heard CIRCE’S screams from outside.
DAPHETRIA: Frodysseus, what is going on here?!
FRODYSSEUS: I’ve just solved the mystery! Circe is the villain after all, and she’s turned Shaphus into a pig! That’s him right there! (points to the pig that had followed DAPHETRIA inside)
DAPHETRIA: Oh no, how are we supposed to get him changed back then?
CIRCE: Here, I’ll change him back. (waves her hand lazily)
Where the pig once stood now stood SHAPHUS, in a human form once more.
SHAPHUS: Hey man, I’m in human form again! Zoinks!
Suddenly there is a bark coming from the back corner of the room. The gang head over to the noise, where they find SCOOBIUS has discovered several other men-turned-pigs in a pig pen.
DAPHETRIA: Wow, good job Scoobius! You’ve found other victims of Circe’s treachery!
SCOOBIUS: (wags his tail and barks happily)
ATHENA: Here, Scoobius, have a Scoobius-Snack! (gives SCOOBIUS one of his famous snacks)
SCOOBIUS: (barks happily)
FRODYSSEUS: Well gang, it looks like this mystery is solved!
ATHENA: And now this mystery is ancient history. Read the rest of Homer-Barbera’s epic play “Scoobius, Where are You?” to find out what happens next!
Journal: Heroes and Adventure
10/7/11
So this week was a pretty chill week. Even though we didn't do too much (and the reading assignments weren't too bad) I still found a lot of what we talked about in class this week very interesting.
What I liked the most that we talked about this week is what we perceive a hero to be. I think this conversation can be both a very scholarly conversation and a very personal one, and that's what I really liked about this discussion. It's one thing to talk about how Odysseus is an epic hero, but it's a completely different story to talk about why your mom or dad is your hero. I think a lot of what we as individuals consider a hero greatly affects how we talk about heroes in class. For example, some people look for different character traits, and hold some character traits in a higher priority than others. Some may see intelligence and the courage to make a difference as traits in an ideal hero. Others may look for a loving and compassionate nature, and the willingness to help others in an ideal hero. I just think it's really interesting that, even today, we all have very different ideas about what a hero can be.
Going along with this topic, I think it's very interesting how superheroes reflect a lot of the same character traits as ancient, epic heroes like Gilgamesh and Odysseus. They're smart, strong (like Superman) and perform a great deal of public works (like Batman). It's really cool how, even though these superheroes reflect more "ancient" hero traits, they're still such a huge part of our modern society today. I also really liked Elizabeth's comments about the role of sidekicks for today's superheroes. I thought it was really interesting how she said that they, too, reflect a lot of "ancient" hero character traits. I think, overall, if there is one thing I've learned in this class is that a lot of the concepts that we've learned in ancient literature still carry over into today. And, even more importantly, that it's still an important part of our society.
I was also very interested in how we talked about how gender roles affected our perceptions of heroes. I agreed, for the most part, about what we said in class: how, generally, females and males can both carry the same kind of role as a hero today. We can see this in female "heroes" from all across history: Harriet Tubman, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, etc. They all inspired a movement, contributed to huge changes made in society, or, in Anne Frank's case, left a lasting, timeless impression about a historical event (the Holocaust, obviously). However, I don't think we really think about gender when we talk about heroes. At this point in our society, gender prejudices are very outdated, and when we think about heroes, we think more about the traits they carry than whether or not they're a guy or a girl. It's the same with race: we obviously don't consider whether the hero is black or white, Asian, etc. They're just a person with certain qualities that we look up to.
Journal: Hebrew Scriptures and Moses
9/30/11
We all know the Bible stories, even if you're not Christian. Well at least, I know them, even if I don't know all the little details. I mean, most people know the basic story of how God created the Earth in seven (technically six) days and how Moses received the Ten Commandments and blah blah blah. I think it's interesting looking at it from a more academic perspective; it's weird hearing a teacher explaining these stories to us, when I've only ever heard them in church on Sundays as a kid. It's an interesting combination of personal and academic perspectives that I really like.
We discussed Moses and how he compares to an epic hero on Monday. Personally, I think it's hard to compare any characters in the Bible, Moses being among them, to epic heroes from Greek mythology. They're so different and from such different cultures, but at the same time they have one or two similar traits. The only real striking similarity I see between them is their humility. Odysseus, while although not always completely humble, does have his moments in the Odyssey. Moses is humble as well, especially when God is trying to convince him to go tell the people about him--he doesn't think they'll listen to him, and he thinks he won't be a persuasive enough speaker. This similarity is really the only one that stuck with me. Other than that they don't seem very similar. We discussed this in our group--how it's hard to compare Moses to other literary characters we've studied because he's...well...Moses. We associate him with a very personal part of our lives (well, some of our lives, if you're Christian) so we might be able to be like "Well, Moses and _ have this good thing in common" but it's harder for us to contrast them, I think mostly because we put Moses in a different category in our minds.
I think this "comparing people to epic heroes" thing would be very interesting if we took a different religious figure and compared them to an epic hero--a figure that's not a Christian one, perhaps. Just a thought.
Journal: Sappho, Creation Myths and Genesis
9/23/11
First off, I'm going to just throw this out there. I HATE poetry. My English teacher last year was obsessed with poetry, and I've had my fair share of it...for the rest of my life. However, I genuinely enjoyed Sappho. Well, okay I'm going to be honest. I thought her background was more interesting than her poetry. I thought the community of women she lived in was a very interesting concept, especially back in ancient Greece, and I thought how she chose to write about controversial topics was really cool. I also thought it was interesting that several of her pieces have lesbian references in them; I just figured lesbians were unheard of/nonexistent in those times, so it was super interesting to read about that. I also thought it was a great connection to modern times, since so many people (including a lot in the United States) are working to be accepted as lesbians and gays and still trying to win equal marriage rights and all that stuff. I thought her poetry (especially the last one we read in the book) was a really great connection to that and a lot of people could still relate to that today, even if you're not homosexual. In general though, I thought her poems were very relatable. It's just weird to think that literature that old can still be so timeless!
Secondly, the presentation about creation myths this week was great! It was absolutely fascinating, and I loved their presentation. I've always wanted to learn about creation myths...that weren't Genesis. So it was really awesome to learn about the other myths, spanning over hundreds and hundreds of years. (Some were definitely more "unique" than others...I feel sorry for Aphrodite.) However, even though I may feel sorry for Aphrodite, Greek myths are still my favorite, so that was still one of my favorite myths out of all of them. I would really love to do some more stuff about Greek myths, just because there are so many and they're all so interesting.
Last but not least, our discussion about Genesis today really opened my eyes to a lot of things. What stands out the most to me still is what Daniela said: "You can't put God in a box," which I think is really important to remember when reading the Bible. He may not always make sense or do things that would make sense to you, but then again, we can't completely understand him, so it's meant to seem a bit weird at times (I think this is a recurring theme in Genesis. -MH). With God compared to multiple gods, though, I do think his thought processes/actions seem a bit more logical than the Greek gods and goddesses. With the Greek deities, all the conflict and arguing really clouds all their judgement and creates a lot of problems and chaos, and I think we kind of get lost in all that and forget that they're actual divine people, not just humans. With God, even though we may not always understand him his story is told a little clearer, and he doesn't get caught up in all the stupid stuff, like the Greek ones did. He's more like BAM! and to the point than the Greek gods and goddesses.
Journal: The Odyssey
9/16/2011
Well, it's over. After 24 long (sometimes painful) books, the Homeric epic has reached its end. I was a little dissatisfied with the ending--it seemed very anticlimactic, and, to be honest, kind of empty. I don't mean empty as in nothing happened, because things certainly happened, but emotionally empty. I didn't really feel anything reading the end of the story. It was just like "Athena is still Mentor...the end." And I turned the page, expecting there to be more, and there wasn't. And I was just like "Alright then, I guess it's over." And...that was it. I think the theory that says that Homer may not have written the 24th book is really interesting. Not only can you see how the story is written differently in Book 24, but plot-wise it doesn't seem to completely connect with the previous book. It does connect in a lot of ways, but in some ways you're just kind of like..."Why is this book even here...?" which I think is really interesting.
I guess what really struck me at the end of this story was Penelope. Yes, she was very clever in how she tested Odysseus and whatnot, but overall I was not particularly impressed with her. After the battle and after Odysseus killed all the suitors, and he went to meet Penelope, she was just kind of like, "Jeez, stop messing with me. I'm not stupid...of course that's not him." And Telemachus is like "Why are you being so mean to this guy? It's your husband..." I guess what surprised me is her doubtfulness. She spent so long waiting and hoping for him to come back, and cried every day for her husband, and he's finally there and she's just like, "Um, no." I had thought her to be a more...faithful kind of person, and I was just really surprised at how long it took her to actually believe it was really him. We actually discussed this in class, how Penelope's actions showed her hope and faith in Odysseus' return. Oddly, that's definitely not what she did when he actually came back. I thought it would've been more satisfying (at least for me) if she had just been like "Yay Odysseus, you're back! I love you!" (Obviously not in those exact words, but you get the point.) I just found the whole "testing" thing to be a little less emotional than something like that should've been.
Journal: The Odyssey
9/9/2011
I'm still amazed at how well I'm understanding The Odyssey. Not only does it give me the chance to actually understand what's going on (obviously), but it also gives me a chance to actually analyze and interpret the story. I really get to see more of how it's all put together, how it flows, and how Odysseus reacts to various things and how other people do. I'm just really glad I can actually understand more of what's going on than when I read it for the first time.
To be honest, I don't really like Odysseus that much. He seemed very heroic at the beginning, all cool and brave and courageous and whatnot, but now that we're so far into the story I'm really not getting that vibe anymore. He just seems like kind of a jerk...Like, whenever one of his men dies because of one of the trials or whatever, and his men are grieving, he's just kinda like, "Yeah, well, we have to stop grieving now. Let's move on." There are some points where he seems to express a little sympathy, but I think for the most part he just seems kind of emotionless. There was once or twice where I think he showed a little something (for example, when he sees his mother in the Underworld) but other than that he just seems to be cold and distant. Don't get me wrong, he's a smart guy, and very cool and stuff, but at this point it's just very hard to relate to. And relating to characters is something I enjoy about reading, so it kind of turns me off to the story a bit.
I also thought what we discussed in class today, about the gender stereotypes/women in the Odyssey, was very interesting. My English teacher last year was a bit obsessed with gender stereotypes in literature (she was a strong feminist) so we talked about stuff like that a lot, and now that it's easier for me to pick it out (especially in older literature) it's still interesting to me. I find it especially interesting that the women aren't weak--nor are they obedient. Unless you count Penelope, who remains the loyal wife to Odysseus after all these years. Then again, that's not really "obedient"...so moving on. I think Homer really goes against the "typical" view of women in his time, which is really cool. As we discussed in class, the men in The Odyssey seem to be the "bullies" of the story, whereas the women sneak around the bullies and pull off all this cunning stuff behind their backs. Which almost makes them seem more impressive than the men...until the men get revenge on them. It's like a vicious cycle.
Journal: The Odyssey
9/2/2011
When I first read The Odyssey my freshman year in school, I honestly didn't understand it at all. It may have just been the translation (or my crazy English teacher) but Homer's epic was like complete gibberish to me. It was like a completely foreign language to me (well, I guess it was a foreign language at one time, but that's not the point). For some reason though, this time reading through it I completely understand it. I think it may be because I just have a little more experience with older literature now that I'm a freshman in college and not a freshman in high school...I don't know. But now that I do actually understand it, I really like it!
The concept of Greek mythology has always been really interesting to me, especially their genealogy--like, who's related to who and whatnot. I would absolutely love to do research on that, it would be fascinating. Especially all the stories behind them, like the brothers, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Especially Hades--he's one of my favorites, mostly because one of my favorite Greek myths is the one about him and Persephone. Speaking of gods, I guess I forgot to bring this up in class: why does Athena like disguise herself as Mentor and then end up like revealing herself to everyone at the end of the book anyway? That seemed kind of pointless to me. I guess I was reading it and I was just like "Wow, what a showoff." Like, why would you do that? It doesn't really seem to benefit her plan for Telemachus, anyway. Maybe she just wanted to let everyone know they were in an immortal's presence...? I don't know. That just sort of bugged me.
I also thought a lot about Odysseus's character a lot while I was reading these first few sections. Compared to Gilgamesh, I think he's a much better example of an epic hero--he's also a lot easier to relate to. He just seems a lot more human than Gilgamesh (and I don't think it was because Gilgamesh was 2/3 god, 1/3 human, either). I feel like the fact that he has human flaws and wants the same kind of things a normal human does makes him more of a hero, as well. Because to me, what really makes someone a hero is being a normal person overcoming abnormal circumstances. For example, Odysseus, although unique in strength, bravery and cunning, also wants the same things a normal person would want--to be back home with his wife and family, surrounded by the people that love and admire him as a father, husband and leader. However, he's also faced with temptation (more like entrapment at this point in the story): Calypso. Odysseus, being a (somewhat) typical man, gives in to temptation at first, but later realizes what he really wants, which is to return home. However, in order to get home he has to somehow survive Poseidon's hissy fits and sail the right course back to Ithaca (which is Odysseus's abnormal circumstance). To me, I think that's really what makes a hero, and the more I continue reading this epic the more I see these aspects of heroism in Odysseus.
I also see traces of possible heroism in Telemachus, as well. I mean, it would take a lot of courage to suddenly decide to leave home to go search the seas for your lost father, who may or may not be dead. I mean, no average person could decide to do that. I also think, for just coming of age, Telemachus is a very smart, courageous boy. I definitely see traces of his father's bravery in Telemachus!
Journal: Gilgamesh
8/26/2011
When I first learned that we were assigned Gilgamesh as a reading assignment, I didn't really think much of it. I just thought, "Well okay, another reading. Yay." What surprised me, however, was how incredibly interesting I think the story is so far. It just amazes me that, even though the story was written thousands of years ago, its plot still carries some common themes that we still find in modern literature. For example, the relationship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Although their brotherhood is a little over exaggerated (at least, in my opinion) the same concept still applies to a lot of movies and books we encounter today. (I especially loved the comment someone made in class about them resembling the Star Wars story, or at least a part of it.) Another thing that I found both hilarious and much like modern-day stories was when Ishtar released the Bull of Heaven on Uruk /Gilgamesh after Gilgamesh rejected her offer of being his lover. My first thought was like, "How many times have I seen that in a movie?" Like, when a girl gets rejected and does all this crazy stuff to get revenge on the guy. It was hilarious. And that surprised me. I'm not used to giggling at ancient literature, but there you go. It got a chuckle out of me.
While also reflecting a lot of modern-day stories, I think Gilgamesh also reflects some ancient ones as well. Obviously there's the whole idea with him being the hero, and him having all the traditional traits of one, like the ones you usually see in the Greek epics and whatnot. Besides that, though, I've seen some interesting parallels between this story and the Greek ones. For example, when Gilgamesh is on his journey to find Utnapishtim, and they have to cross the ocean to get to him. My first thought was of the Odyssey, where Odysseus (I think) has to basically cross this huge tract of water to get back home. My second thought was of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, where Harry and Dumbledore have to cross the water to get to the Horcrux. Gilgamesh wasn't allowed to touch the water when they were crossing, just like the famous wizards were forbidden to touch or drink the water when they were retrieving a part of Voldemort's soul. I found that interesting. Water always plays a really diverse role in literature--sometimes it's good, a cleansing or a rebirth, and sometimes it's bad, hiding the murky things that lie underneath. In Gilgamesh I think it was a little bit of both--he may not have needed the sort of cleansing water would normally have symbolized, but if he did touch the water he may not have been ready for the death that might have taken him. I love looking for symbols and motifs in stories, so stuff like this always really excites me. (However dorky that may sound.)
What I find the absolute most interesting about Gilgamesh so far is its insane similarity to the Bible. The first thing I noticed when I started reading it is that it almost sounded like the stories in the Bible--how the Bible has that certain strict, to-the-point style. Of course, that wasn't completely consistent once I continued reading, but I did continue to come across a few passages that had the same sort of Bible-esque style, which I think is really cool. I also thought it was interesting that Gilgamesh and Enkidu has to cross seven mountains to get to the cedar forest. Like...okay, it took seven days for God to create the Earth. That is so awesome. I also agreed with someone's comment in class, about how Enkidu was sort of like the Adam in the Bible. There are just so many striking similarities between this story and the Bible...I can't wait to read the Flood section of Gilgamesh to see what kind of crazy parallels there are! I also think a really cool project idea would be to take some ancient literature and look for common themes of it in the Bible, or vice versa. The Bible is just such a huge, diverse text, which makes it so interesting. You can do a lot with it, and I think it would be amazing to do a project like that.
My favorite part about Gilgamesh thus far is how it ties so intimately into other stories and themes that we're familiar with. I really think this was a great way to start out the class, it's gotten me really excited for some of the other stuff we're going to read.