The best blogger that I read this term would have to be Mallory Stafford. The name of her blog was What does Mal have to say about it? and the link to it is http://patienceumusthavemyyoungpadawan.blogspot.com/.
The reason she was the best blogger to me is because her posts were so detailed. I liked the fact that she tool her time while writing those posts. She used many quotes that I liked. Moreover, her posts were very informative and fun to read.
Quotes From Mallory's Blog
"the funniest man to ever grace this Earth," ~blog post #25
"This song is a major "throw back"!~ blog post #22
'Thus shall you speak, and thus you shall put them in the wrong, '” and “'But now hear how I spoke: -’Old sir fogey,'” which can clearly be very hard at times to interpret what the speaker is trying to say (Chaucer 30). " ~blog post #6
"The ends justify the means"- meaning you shouldn't be cruel for no reason, but if it is necessary for the good of the people that the leader presides over, then it is justifiable to be cruel.~ blog post #23
These are all of my favorite quotes from Mallory's blog. She is an excellent blogger.
The best story in my opinion that we have read in this class for the Spring Semester has to be Dante's Inferno by Dante Aligheri. The reasons that is my favorite story was because it gives people a different insight on what we know as Hell actually. Dante's journey through the different levels and rings of Hell helped to show that Hell is more complex than people believe it to be. Moreover, as he travelled through the levels and rings of Hell he encountered many different situations. Also, he met or saw many people whom he had admired. As well as, he conversed with some of the people who he had known and just liked. Those conversations helped give Dante insight about what happened with different situations and what happened to different people. Another reason that this story is my favorite is because since Dante decided to travel through the level or rings of Hell we as readers got to know what type of people go to Hell. From what Dante saw while travelling through the levels or rings of Hell is that people who committed sins we sent to Hell. The ring or level they resided was determined by the sin or crime that was committed by the person that was deemed to Hell.
"Do not be afraid; our fate Cannot be taken from us; it is a gift"~ Dante "In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself within a dark woods where the straight way was lost" ~ Dante "Love, which quickly arrests the gentle heart Seized him with my beautiful form, That was taken from me, in a manner which still grieves me. Love, which pardons no beloved from loving, took me so strongly with delight in him That, as you see, it still abandons me not..." ~ Dante "But the stars that marked our starting fall away. We must go deeper into greater pain, for its not permitted that we stay" ~ Dante
All of the quotes that I chose are quotes that I just so happen to fancy because they speak to me in way that none of the other quotes do. The reason being that I am a spiritual and earthy person. I believe that our fate is aligned in stars that are in the Universe which has the upmost power; so therefore, we cannot hide or run from our fate because it is predetermined by the alignment of the stars. Furthermore, since the Universe is of the upmost power who we fall in love with is predetermined as well and cannot be taken from us because our truth lies within the stars.
Hamlet considered to be modern because it contains various themes that still appear in modern life. Another reason is that in modern life suicide has become an issue that is very relevant because so many people are choosing to take their own lives. Suicide was also a theme in Hamlet that many people can relate to now people death was the theme and everybody understands that people die in different ways. Moreover, the thought of what happens when we die meaning where do we go in the after we die. This topic is still relevant to us today due to the fact that people often still wonder where do we end up after our life is over. Also, the family dynamic in Hamlet is like the family dynamic in modern life because there are many different types of relationships that are within the family. People from today can relate to Hamlet because many things that happened in the play are still happening today.
Doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love. (Hamlet Act II, Scene II)
Plain English Hamlet Quote
Doubt that the sun moves, doubt that truth lies, but never doubt that I love you.
And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. (Hamlet Act I, Scene III)
Plain English Hamlet Quote
And it must follow as the night follows the day that you can’t be untrue to anyone.
There are many reasons why Hamlet and Gilgamesh can be compared to one another. They are both known for their strength and power. Gilgamesh defeated his enemies and Hamlet avenged for his father's death. That is how they both showed their strength and power. Also they both turn into antagonists with tragic flaw in their stories which leads to them to their downfall. Both Hamlet and Gilgamesh are hubris.
Strength and Power
“Haste me to know it, that I with wings as swift/ As meditation or the thoughts of love/ May sweep to my revenge” – Hamlet to the ghost. Hamlet wants to know the details of the crime so he can immediately seek revenge.
He walks around in the enclosure of Uruk, like a wild bull he makes himself mighty, head raised (over others). There is no rival who can raise his weapon against him. His fellows stand (at the alert), attentive to his (orders?), and the men of Uruk become anxious in … Gilgamesh does not leave a son to his father, day and night he arrogantly(?) … (1.51-58)
Here, the narrator transitions from fawning over Gilgamesh's great strength and handsomeness and accomplishment to telling the citizens to ask the god Anu to save them from Gilgamesh's horrible behavior. Is this a coincidence? Not likely. What could be more typical of an immature ruler like Gilgamesh than letting your gifts and possessions go to your head, resulting in prideful, arrogant behavior? Thus, these lines set the stage for one of the major issues in the story: how Gilgamesh learns that he basically the same as other humans, for all that 2/3 divine parentage business.
These quotes show how both Hamlet and Gilgamesh showed their true strength and power when they were about to face their enemies. They were both seen as the most powerful and courageous person in the land in which they lived.
Hubris
O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.
— Hamlet says that he could fool himself into thinking that infinite space existed in a nutshell where he ruled as king were it not for his bad dreams.
It is Gilgamesh who will venture into the Forest and cut down the Cedar down and win the glory.
My fame will be secure to all my sons.'"
America is like Utopia because it is the land of opportunity. Many people move to America to escape the poverty and oppression of their home country. America is known as the land of opportunity. People come from all over the world just so they can live the American dream. People see see America as a place where they can live peacefully and be in a state of euphoria at all times. America gives its own natives hope because there is no tyranny. America is known as the land of the free and brave. People are either proud to be an American or proud to become a citizen of America.
“Instead of inflicting these horrible punishments, it would be far more to the point to provide everyone with some means of livelihood, so that nobody's under the frightful necessity of becoming first a thief and then a corpse.” ― Thomas More, Utopia
“If a king should fall under such contempt or envy that he could not keep his subjects in their duty but by oppression and ill usage, and by rendering them poor and miserable, it were certainly better for him to quit his kingdom than to retain it by such methods as make him, while he keeps the name of authority, lose the majesty due to it.” ― Thomas More, Utopia
“but in Utopia, where every man has a right to everything, they all know that if care is taken to keep the public stores full no private man can want anything; for among them there is no unequal distribution, so that no man is poor, none in necessity, and though no man has anything, yet they are all rich; for what can make a man so rich as to lead a serene and cheerful life, free from anxieties; neither apprehending want himself, nor vexed with the endless complaints of his wife?” ― Thomas More, Utopia
All these quotes show how the land of Utopia is great because there is nothing but peace and order. Everyone is happy and free because they can live the life they want to live. Just like America, people are free to do as they please and our rights are protected under the laws of the land.
According to Machiavelli's "The Prince" Presidenr Teump is not a good president. The reason being that he does not put the rift type of fear into people. Moreover, he is not a man that is t respected by the people of his country so no one takes him seriously. Also he is considered to be a racist bigot to many Americans and other countries that are either an ally to America or an enemy.
“Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses they will not save you if you are hated by the people.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince
“From this arises the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both: but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved. ” ― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince
Both of these quotes describe what makes a good leader in Machiavelli's eyes. President Trump does not fit the criteria or description of a good leader according to what Machiavelli wrote in "The Prince".
The lyrics to this song are describing how Solange tried everything in her power that she can think of to get rid of the pain she was feeling inside. She uses different methods to try to escape all of the hurt she felt from her divorcing from her late husband. She uses the metaphor "It's like cranes in the sky" to describe how her relief from all the pain she felt inside was finally gone and she was set free. The flight of a crane is one that is gentle and smooth. They glide through the sky as if they have no trouble in the world. The beauty in this song is that she described her pain in a few words and repetitive phrases. She repeats away in the refrains to describe her sense of freedom from the divorce and unpleasant marriage. Moreover, she says "Sometimes I don't want to feel those metal clouds"; this metaphor describes how she does not want to feel pain at times; just as a crane does not fly high up into the clouds because it is not in their nature to do so because it keeps them from the dangers of flying to high and the clouds. The beauty also comes into play at the end of the song, when she hits the high note and uses her vibrato to show the release of the pain. This song shows how love can become poisonous and once you suck the venom out of your system (hence the divorce) you are healthy, happy, and pleasant again.
The beauty of love fades as time passes on
As the seasons change and the sun fades away
When the seasons return to where the sun shines bright
All I can see is beauty reflecting back to me from the suns light
