Post 28

One of the best bloggers in my opinion this semester has been Devasha Washington. Her responses are always so thoughtful and well planned. She has had very educated opinions and responses. For example, she described Hamlet as a "plain jane", which was a very interesting perspective.

Post 27

From this semester, I really enjoyed Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. I would definitely read it again because the Wife of Bath character really intrigued me. Her trailblazing views and "socially unacceptable" actions really intrigued me. Her blatant promotion of sex and sexuality grabbed my attention.

Post 26

Hamlet is more of a modern hero because of the types of struggles he deals with. Most of Hamlet's struggles are internal. For example, one of Hamlet's biggest internal struggle was deciding "to be or not to be" (Hamlet). Most of the ancient heroes dealt more with external problems, such as a monster or some sort of disaster. As the stories become more modern, the stories begin to incorporate more feelings and emotions, which are still easily relatable today.

Post 25

Hamlet is quite similar to Oedipus. Both characters struggle in an internal way. Also, both characters eventually lose their fathers. In Hamlet, when the ghost is seen, he says that "if it assume my noble father's person, I'll speak to it" (Hamlet). Likewise, in Oedipus, he aims a threat to the unknown murderer, stating "and on the murderer this curse I lay" (Oedipus). Both Hamlet and Oedipus seem to have a certain respect and some sort of connection with their fathers.

Post 24

At the moment. the United States shows little resemblance with Thomas Moore's Utopia. According to Moore "Kindness and good nature unite men more effectively and with greater strength" (Moore). The United States is nowhere near united at this particular time, especially with the recent change in power. Moore also states "personal prejudice and financial greed are the great evils that threaten courts of law" (Moore). These two characteristics are two of the most common traits in the American system. In fact, I believe that it actually drives almost every action and decision, especially regarding government. Moore mentions that "the folly of men has enhanced the value of gold and silver because of their scarcity" (Moore). Money, in value of silver and gold, is the backbone of the American economy which relates to America's power. With these examples, America is not an utopia.

Post 23

Machiavelli states that "it is better to be feared than loved". As for Trump, the people of America, as well as the leaders of other nations, surely fear Trump rather than love him. In a Machiavellian view, this is a good thing for him as President. Machiavelli also mentions that "he who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command". As President so far, Trump has made it a point to command or order certain things regardless of public opinion. In a democratic society's view, this is not a good thing in a leader. However in a Machiavellian point of view, this would be another characteristic of a good leader.

Post 22

The song "Losin' Control" by Russ is such a beautiful song. It talks about a relationship that has ended, but neither one of the couple has moved on yet. To me, it's so beautiful because I think a lot of people can relate to the feeling. One line in particular, and also my favorite, is "He redefines in every way what love is, she fell for him and hasn't gotten up since". Everyone has had that first love, and more than likely, someone from that relationship struggled to move on. This song captures that moment and those feelings in such a beautiful way. This song captures the beauty of feelings and emotions.

Post 21

The nights become shorter as the days become longer.
The sun shines its warmth across the Earth.
Classes have become such a bother.
Summer, please don't take your time.

Post 20

In my opinion, Socrates does not deserve to be in Hell. The citizens of Athens wouldn't agree with me, but they were just scared of the change Socrates was creating. The best quote to explain this is when Socrates states "my plainness of speech makes them hate me, and what is their hatred but a proof that I am speaking the truth" and I think that is well said. Socrates doesn't belong in Hell for simply trying to educate the people (Apology). In the Inferno, there is a quote that I think describes Socrates' situation perfectly. In Inferno, it says "Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift" (Inferno). Even though Socrates knew the Athenians wanted his death, he continued to teach his philosophy without fear. For his courage and teachings, I don't think Socrates deserves Hell.