Motifs of King Lear

Three motifs from "King Lear" are: breaking of the heart, no recovery from grief, and human decomposition.

1. Breaking of the heart:

Breaking of the heart is evident when, in act 4 scene 1, Edgar says, "How should this be? Bad is the trade that must play fool to sorry, ang'ring itself and others. Bless thee, master!" Edgar and Gloucester cross paths not long after Gloucester's eyes had been gouged out. Despite the fact that Gloucester had treated Edgar horribly, Edgar's heart broke at the sight of his maimed father.

In act 4 scene 7 Lear awakes with Cordelia at his side. She was the only daughter who still cared for him, and Lear's heart broke when he remembered the hurt he had caused her. "[...] I know you do not love me; for your sisters have, as I remember, done me wrong. You have some cause, they have not."

2. No recovery from grief:

In act 5 scene 3 Edmund kills himself. Originally, Edmund thought that he must act as though he is evil because that is how he was destined to act. However, after Goneril and Regan die, he realizes that he has made some terrible mistakes, and attempts to correct them. Yet, he ends up committing suicide because he realized all the pain and trouble that he had caused.

Cordelia was the only daughter that stood by King Lear; and when she is murdered (act 5 scene 3), Lear never recovers. "[...] Look on her. Look, her lips, look there, look there. [he dies]"

3. Human Decomposition:

In Act 4 scene 6 Lear enters, adorned in flowers, and rants about many things (such as his daughters and adultery) to the disguised Edgar and Gloucester. This is the point when the readers see Lear begin to mentally decompose.

The readers see Goneril morally decompose in act 4 scene 2. As Albany said, "Proper deformity seems not in the fiend so horrid as in a woman." Not only was Goneril sending the English army to attack her sister, Cordelia, and their father, but she was planning to cheat on her husband and have an affair with Edmund.


Well, I suppose it's more than obvious that this play is not a commedy! ;)

Sonnet 116

Sonnet 116 (also known as: "Let me not to the marriage of true minds") was written by Mr. William Shakespeare. Although the language of Sonnet 116 is not remarkable for its imagery or metaphoric range, it is a spectacular poem.

This sonnet is a heart-felt piece about being in love. The Narrator describes love as unchanging, and everlasting. He says that love doesn't recognize flaws or changes in the loved one (in other words: "love is blind", and that "love conquers all". (Oh dear... I used two cliches.... the 'cranky old man' is going to be furious. Oh well... I don't care... when it comes to love, there are always cliches up to wazoo.) At the finish, the narrator says that if his statements about love can be proven false, than no man has ever loved at all.

I believe that this sonnet takes place at the beginning of a relationship. This is because when one first falls in love and when everything is fresh and new, one tends to feel like he or she is floating upon a cloud and one tends to overlook flaws. However, life is difficult and many challenges arise; and as time passes, one usually falls off the cloud and finds a few flaws. This doesn't, however, mean that the love will disappear.

Love must change; and change can be a good thing. People grow and change throughout their entire lives. As people who are in a relationships grow and change, their feelings change and thus the relationship will change. However, if the people in the relationship can work and change together, the relationship and love grows stronger. If the love is strong enough, they will remain together and continue to love each other deeply. There is no such thing as a happily ever after because... well, to quote Cerebral Fix, "Life sucks and then you die". However, if you are lucky enough to be with a person that you love, and who loves you in return.... life sucks a little less.

Glycines

One of my favorite paintings by Monet (although I adore most of his work) is entitled "Glycines". It was painted by Monsieur Claude Monet in 1918.

Would you like to read a quote from Monet? Well, it really doesn't matter if you want to or not, because I'm posting it regardless.

"Le nuage qui passe, la brise qui fraîchit, le grain qui menace et qui tombe, le vent qui souffle et s'abat brusquement, la lumière qui décroît et qui renaît, autant de causes, insaisissables pour l'oeil des profanes, qui transforment la teinte et défigurent les plans d'eau." - Monet

Translation: The passing cloud, the cooling breeze, the sudden storm that threatens to burst and finally does, the wind that stirs and suddenly blows with full force, the light that fades and is reborn are all things, elusive to the eyes of the uninitiated, that transfigure the color and shape of the bodies of water.

Continuing of King Lear

I have finished "King Lear" by our friend, Mr. William Shakespeare. Although a bit depressing, the play was very good.

In Act III, Gloucester realized that Lear’s daughters have turned against their father; thus, he decided to search for Lear and aide him in any possible way, despite the fact that Regan and Goneril had forbidden it. Regan and her husband, Cornwall, discovered him helping Lear, accused him of treason, blinded him, and turned him out to wander the countryside. Edgar, in disguise, finds Gloucester and leads him toward the city of Dover.

In Dover, a French army was stationed; Cordelia had planned an invasion, in an effort to save her father.

Edmund became romantically entangled with both Goneril and Regan. Goneril's husband, Albany, became increasingly sympathetic towards Lear’s cause; thus, Goneril and Edmund conspired to murder him.

The despairing Gloucester tried to commit suicide, but Edgar saved him by a strange trick: Edgar lead his father off an imaginary cliff. Meanwhile, the English troops reached Dover; and the English, led by Edmund, defeat the French and capture Lear and Cordelia. Regan's husband, Cornwall, was killed in battle.

In the climactic scene, Edgar dueled with Edmund and won. Then it was made evident that Gloucester had died. Goneril then poisoned Regan out of jealousy (over Edmund) and committed suicide. Edmund’s betrayal of Cordelia led to her needless execution in prison; and Lear past away out of grief for Cordelia’s. Albany, Edgar, and the elderly Kent are left to take care for the country; Kent, however, declares that he will not live for much longer.

Kent may have made his declaration because he was elderly, and thus could not live for many more years; or Kent could have been hinting that he would later commit suicide because he had to go to heaven so that he could continue to serve his king.

I found it interesting that Shakespeare used Animal Imagery to describe Goneril and Regan. For example, when arguing with Goneril, Albany exclaims, "Tigers, not daughters, what have you performed?” This, perhaps, could be because Goneril and Regan are not worthy and do not have enough compassion/ humanity to be described as human beings.

Another intriguing component of Shakespeare's work is that in Lear’s madness he begins to understands that he is not an important, herioc, and immortal man, but that he is a small, meaningless part of the world.

My best photo

O.k., so I lied to you. Not every picture on this blog will be by a French artist.

This photograph was taken by me and, unfortunately, I am not French. I took this photo just outside of Red Rock Canyon (in Nevada), on April 5, 2006. This is probably the best photo I have ever taken/will take. What do you think?

"When to the Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought"

When I read the title of William Shakespeare's "When to the Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought" I believed that I was going to be reading a poem that depicted a quiet place where one goes to be lost in peaceful, serene thoughts.

After reading the sonnet, however, I found it to be quite bittersweet and depressing. In actuality, the poem depicts a sorrowful person looking back upon a very sad life. This person remembered the death of friends and love(s) that had been lost. The narrator states that if the losses were restored (brought back) then the main character would no longer feel sorrow. Yet, it is unlikely that those which were lost will return; thus, it is probably that the protagonist will remain sorrowful and depressed.

Luxembourg Gardens

Robert Doisneau took this photograph in 1953 at the Luxembourg Gardens in France. One of my favorite aspects about Doisneau's work is that his photographs are extraordinary because they depict the beauty of regular people doing every-day things.

For those who find Shakespear confusing...

During class discussions, I have found that many people get so caught up in trying to decipher Shakespeare's language that they begin to hate the story. I, however, am not one of those people. My amazing French teacher once gave me a piece of advice when I was having trouble translating long texts into English. She said "Don't even try to translate this word by word. Take a sentence and translate the meaning."

When I had some difficulty reading poetry, I found this advice to be a big help. The same is true for reading Shakespeare. I understand that it can be very difficult to read... that's because it truly is a foreign language to us. So, my advice to those who have difficulties with Shakespeare's writings..... take it phrase by phrase, and don't worry about each little word.

Muses are a wonderful aide to society.

Here's another artsy post for everyone! This painting is called "Minerva with the Muses". It was painted by Jacques de Stella during the early 1600's.

King Lear

My English class has begun to read Shakespeare's "King Lear". This play follows two plot lines; the first being about Lear, the aging king of Britain, who decided to step down from the throne and divide his kingdom among his three daughters. First, he puts his daughters through a test, asking each to tell him how much she loves him. Goneril and Regan, Lear’s elder daughters, give their father flattering answers. Cordelia, however (Lear’s youngest and favorite daughter), gives her father a different answer; she tells him that she loves him because he is her father, and she could not love him more than that. Sadly, King Lear flies into a rage, disowns Cordelia, and leaves her without a dowry. The King of France, who has courted Cordelia, said that he would still marry her even without her land, and she accompanied him to France, without her father’s blessing.

Lear, however, learned that he made a bad decision. Goneril and Regan swiftly began to undermine the little authority that Lear had left. Unable to believe that his beloved daughters would betray him, Lear slowly goes insane. He fled his daughters’ houses to wander on a heath during a great thunderstorm, accompanied by his Fool and by Kent, a loyal nobleman in disguise.

The second plot line describes an elderly nobleman named Gloucester. His illegitimate son, Edmund, tricks him into believing that his legitimate son, Edgar, is trying to kill him. Fleeing the manhunt that his father has set for him, Edgar disguises himself as a crazy beggar and calls himself “Poor Tom.”

It is obvious in the beginning of the play that King Lear is an insecure man. This is evident because he needed to be reassured of his importance and of his daughters' love. Also, it is clear that King Lear does not want/need his servants for their services, but because they represent his authority and importance.

Additionally, I felt that it was heart- warming when the King of France agreed to marry Cordelia even though her father had banished her, and left her without land or a dowry.

Monet for your Day

Well, here's a little Monet to brighten up you're day. This piece, painted around 1899, is call "Waterloo Bridge, soleil voilé"; in English: "Waterloo Bridge, Hazy Sun".

To quote Monet, "Londres n'est pas un endroit où l'on puisse finir un travail ; on ne peut trouver deux fois le même effet."

Translation:"London isn't a place where one can complete a work : you can't find the same effect twice."

September 11th

In remembrance of September 11, my class read "Try to Praise the Mutilated World". This Adam Zagajweski poem is absolutely astounding.

The majority of my class felt that the tone of the poem was sad, sarcastic, or one of pleading/urgency. Most seemed to feel that the poem was saying that in the midst of all the bad in the world, the only good was the small things. I, however, felt that the poem was very optimistic. To me, the phrase 'try to praise the mutilated work' means look for the beauty in a world that isn't always beautiful.

I don't believe that the poem was saying the only good left in the world is small things.... but if one takes good from the little things, everything else gets better. For example, the strawberries in the poem.... just remembering the taste of freshly-picked strawberries can put a smile on one's face... and then if something every better happens.... say, you see an old friend that you haven't seen in 5 years.... you can appreciate it, and take great joy from it.

Ozymandias

'Percy Shelley's "Ozymandias" depicts a story told by a traveler about a decaying statue. In pieces, the statue proves that the power of time and nature triumphs over mans' delusion of permanence.'

Above is a proper thematic statement, thus it suffices to say that mine was vague, to say the least.

I have just one additional thing to say about Shelley's poem. One aspect that I found striking was that the king, who was obviously powerful and disliked by the people, was immortalized in a statue; and the one who immortalized that king was simply a worker.

I'm melting!

Tonight I was assigned to read "Ozymandias", an astounding little piece by Percy Shelley. The first time through, it was a bit choppy and difficult to read... and the question came to mind: "What the hell is a visage?" By the way... I'm pronouncing it v-is-aaaaa-age (I accentuated the 'a' a little), with a semi-British accent. Well, after consulting my handy-dandy dictionary, it turns out that visage means: the face, or the appearance. That makes line four soooo much more poetic (no sarcasm folks).

When I read it the second time through, however, it flowed much more easily and it became more meaningful/ poetic.

In addition to reading this poem, my class was also assigned to write a thematic statement. Mine is as follows:

"Percy Shelley's 'Ozymandias' is a poems that describes a lost civilization, buried beneath the deserts of Egypt."

To my displeasure, my teacher has forbidden the class to research this poem... so my interpretation is probably not even close to correct. I swear, I will go into class tomorrow, and find that the poem is really about magical, flying lizards. And after everyone hears my completely incorrect thematic statement, the professor will say to me, "You numb-nut, how did you not pick up on the symbolism for the flying lizards!" ... and then I will feel completely embarrassed and wish that I could melt into the floor tiles. Tomorrow's going to be fun!

Hurray for the French!

In addition to critiquing literature, I will also be posting weekly doses artwork (per the request of the honorable JJ).



"Musician in the Rain" is an other Doisneau; it was taken between 1942 and 1948. You know what... I'm tired of telling you what I think.... what do you think about this piece?

By the way, not all of the pieces I post will be by Doisneau (all though I can assure you that you will see more of his work), but most of the art I post will most likely be French..... there's just something about French art.... I can't get enough of it.

The Kiss by the Hotel de Ville

Robert Doisneau once said, "The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street."

I discovered Doisneau's works in my French II class, during my sophomore year of High School. He is one of the most famous photographs in the world, and I find his photographs to be absolutely moving.

The photo to the left is entitled "The Kiss by the Hotel de Ville"; and it was taken in 1950. It's exquisite, isn't it?

Great art means something different to everyone

Today, in English class, we continued our discussions on Barthes The Death of the Author. Something my teacher told us really struck a cord with me. He said, "Don't look at literature as an artifact, but as an organic structure... don't reduce it to something that was. Art sustains itself... it lives for multiple generations."

Poetic guy, isn't he?

In his essay, Barthes says that "every text is eternally written here and now". Although most classics were not written during this time period, readers should always be searching for comparisons and similarities. If one is creative, many parallels can be found between today and many classics.

One should never be concerned with what the novelist or artist wanted you to take from his/her piece. Art is interpreted... our theories about artworks depend upon who we are. Half the fun of enjoying a good novel or a spectacular painting is theorizing what the piece is really about. Take what you will... great works mean something different to everyone.

The Death of the Author

The Death of the Author by Roland Barthes describes his views upon literature and those who compose it. Barthes writing is powerful, but I disagree with some of his thoughts. For example, he says: "[...] writing is the destruction of every voice, of every point of origin." I feel that this is completely untrue. Writing can be a constructive outlet; it gives many the opportunity to organize thoughts, and in many cases it gives people voice.


I do, however, agree with one of his main ideas: that one doesn't need to know the background/history of the author to read his/her work(s). The language is all that is important. Language is powerful and moving; it is the language that invokes passions, and great emotions in the reader, not the author.