Period 4, Michael Carleo, Eng 4 HNR

I Believe...

I am in an unnatural relationship with "my" king (I.ii.67).
I must obey my mother, even at the hardest times (I.ii.124).
That my life can't be of any value without my father (I.iv.72-760).
In avenging my father, who was killed unnaturally (I.v.37).
That even a king can praised and be a villain at the same time (I.v.111-116).
In keeping my plan secret between my friends Horatio, Marcellus, and myself (I.v.152-212).
In keeping a real friendship, and not to be played like a fool (III.ii.372-402)!
That when I do kill him, "his heels may kick at heaven, and that his soul may be as damned and black as hell, whereto it goes" (III.iv.98-100).
That my mother has betrayed my father, but also forgotten him (III.iv.13).
In an adventure for the truth (III.iv.23-25).

Period 4, Michael Carleo, Eng 4 HNR

In this soliloquy, Hamlet is resolute because he resolves into doing no harm to his mother after all. He knows that he has to be obeying to the ghost's commands, so he can avenge him. A quote that fits that analysis is "To give them seals, never, my soul, consent." Hamlet is obeying the ghost's wishes on not harming his mother. Hamlet is not melancholy because he is not in a state of sadness. He goes on with being somewhat skeptical about ending up like Nero did, but he wasn't sad or gloomy about anything. "Let me be cruel, not unnatural," is a great line showing that he was not melancholy whatsoever. Hamlet is not pensive because he is not thinking deeply about whether he should hurt his mother. He is just reflecting on how he does not want to turn out like Nero did as in the quote, "...let not ever the soul of Nero enter this firm bosom." Yet with some sadness, he is not gloomy about the situation. Hamlet is not incredulous because he is not skeptical on if he is going to hurt his mother, he just worries if he is because of the situation with his mother "turning" on her own son. "Soft! now to my mother./O heart, lose not thy nature..." is a quote that shows how he is worried, but not skeptical about hurting his mother. Also, besides not being skeptical, he did not have an angry undertone as well. "I will speak daggers to her, but use none," is a great quote to show that because even though he is mad at her, he won't do anything to hurt her physically.

Period 4, Michael Carleo, Eng 4 HNR

In Oedipus the King by Sophocles, the use of sight and tragic irony are used many times in the play. These literary techniques really made Sophocles enhanced the story of the play. In addition, Sophocles used both of these techniques in many ways to express the plot in a very interesting way. He used sight and tragic irony hand in hand to enhance the story of the play. Sophocles first used "sight" when the chorus revealed the plot and gave hints about the outcome that will happen. The audience can "see" what is going to happen in the end, and this enhances the tragic irony of Oedipus. During the story, he goes on further using the chorus as the "seers" of what is going to happen when they talk to the audience. During the play, the blind prophet Teiresias knows the truth of Oedipus' fate, and Oedipus, who has eyes, is so blind and obnoxious of his actions. Teiresias gives off many clues that Oedipus killed King Laius, while Oedipus is cursing "the killer" of the old king. This is a perfect example of situational irony that a blind prophet can see the truth while a king with eyes cannot. This is also tragic irony because the "sight" enhances his tragic flaw that will eventually destroy Oedipus. Lastly, when Oedipus found out he killed his father and married his mother, he decided to stab his eyes out. This use of the lack of "sight" now shows that he knows his fate came true. This further proved the tragic irony was true that the audience was shown in the beginning of the play. It showed that one does not need eyes to know the truth. All of these examples further expressed the conflict between Oedipus v. Fate/Truth.

Period 4, Michael Carleo, Eng 4 HNR

In this article, the author makes his point in various ways. He is proving that Jay Gatsby is a fictional character that is totally real in our lives. Even though he was made up, he represents what happens in our lives each day. Gatsby turned out to make money right until the end, but before he stole his money with Meyer Wolfsheim. However, Gatsby did show his purity in this book by trying to win Daisy back ever since he first saw her before the war. That is the purest thing because he would have sold his soul to be with her, which represents that he understands how dark and cruel the world can be sometimes. He was like almost every American kid was, he told his father what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he planned out his life. Gatsby might have bad qualities, but he is just like every American who is searching for that perfect "American Dream."

It is compelling to see Jay Gatsby as this. To understand what he went through is a similar situation of what we go through everyday to try to make something of ourselves. We might not do it in that form or way like stealing money, going to the army, and becoming rich, but we see how the world has brought such things on us to be perfect. Gatsby saw that he was flawed in this flawed world, and we have to see that as well. It is compelling of how Fitzgerald chose the color green to represent all of our desires like women or men, money, gratitude, etc.

I agree with the editor because I feel that Fitzgerald did use Jay Gatsby to represent us as people in a fictional way. Through all of the media, music, and marketing that our generation goes through is what Fitzgerald is trying to get us to see. All of these materials and "perfections" we are trying to meet isn't the way to get that "American Dream". He related the war in the 20s to the war now that we face. He related the corruption in the story to the corruption of the Watergate. All of these symbols in this novel represented us as Americans or even people in some shape or form. I believe that Gatsby is a true symbol of what an American can potentially be.

Period 4, Michael Carleo, ENG 4 HNR

"I AM" Poem



I am



Odysseus

The Technician of Tactics

Son of Anticlea and of King Laertes of Ithaca, Husband of Penelope, and Father of Telemachus

Who likes being king of Ithaca, Tactics, Puzzles, and Deceiving

Who loved Helen of Troy, but loves Penelope

Who fears nothing

Who wishes to make Ithaca wealthy

Who admires Sisyphus and his cleverness

Who needs money to make Ithaca wealthy and to have companionship

Who aspires to make Ithaca wealthy, to loneliness, and to move from matter to spirit

Period 4, Michael Carleo, Eng 4 HNR

1)

During the excerpt of Book 1 from the Iliad, Achilles show anger very much to the people he came in contact with. Although Achilles’ anger showed that he was powerful and strong, he actually showed his insecurities of being threatened by another warrior, like Agamemnon. The response to his anger was either detrimental to Achilles by instigating it, or beneficial to stop him from being angry. When Achilles came in contact with Agamemnon, he was always enraged when he saw him. From lines 175 to 202, Achilles expressed his anger stating that no Greek would listen to Agamemnon, and that only they would listen to him. He also expressed how could they listen to him and not Achilles. Agamemnon’s responded by saying if Achilles really thinks that, then think that because soon enough the Greeks will follow him. He doesn’t need Achilles, and he thinks nothing of him. This is significant because by responding like that to Achilles, this made Achilles angrier, and this was detrimental to Achilles. When the gods sent down Athena, Achilles was angry and asked why would they send her down, he doesn’t need any help. Athena responded by saying that you must stop now and not hurt him, because Hera loves you both. She said that you could say whatever you want to him, but just don’t hurt him. Like a child to a parent, Achilles obeyed Athena and didn’t do anything to harm Agamemnon. This is significant because he actually listened to Athena instead of just getting angrier when he was talking to Agamemnon. This was very beneficial to Achilles. When Achilles came in contact with Nestor, he expressed his anger toward Agamemnon still. Nestor, being an elder, responded by saying just stop this nonsense and stop this fighting. Peace is what he wanted. He also said to Achilles, that he doesn’t need to be afraid of losing his dignity of a warrior because “no one can match the honors dealt a king, a sceptered king to whom great Zeus gives glory.” This is significant because Nestor addressed Achilles insecurities about the situation, and it was beneficial to Achilles. Unfortunately, Achilles didn’t listen to him and just kept ranting at Agamemnon. Even though Achilles showed much strength and passion in his anger, he really showed his weakness and insecurities in his anger. The responses by each of the people Achilles came in contact with gave a different result. The first response showed the detrimental result and the last two responses tried showing the beneficial result of that anger Achilles showed.

Period 4, Michael Carleo, Eng 4 HNR

Page 231 #1 and 6

1) I understood the poem "He is More Than a Hero" the best for many reasons. The title of this poem helped me understand it the best unlike the other two because it was actually like a title instead of a line in the poem or an ode to a god. Also the content in the poem supports the title like in lines 3 through 8, "he who listens intimately to the sweet murmur of your voice, the enticing laughter that makes my own heart beat fast." This explains how important this person is to Sappho. As it goes on in the poem, it says that when Sappho sees this person, Sappho is star struck, almost to the point of death. The other two poems were too confusing to me because of the line setup and also the content within them. I also got lost going through the others until i read them 3 or 4 times. I understood this one the first time i read it.

6) These poems would do justice to a R&B singer like Beyonce or KC and JoJo. The reason why these poems fit their genre is because when each of these singers sing, they do it with such passion and believe in what they actually sing. Sappho does the same thing in poetry like the hero poem. Beyonce and KC and JoJo also have a lot of deeper meaning in their songs like Beyonce's "Dangerously In Love" and KC and JoJo's "All My Life". These songs can relate to the hero poem again and also to "To Aphrodite of the Flowers, at Knossos" because they speak about one person, god in Sappho's case, and how much they care and wait for that person.