Macbeth Act IV Notes

• "Double, double, toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble"
• the reader's first introduction to the witch's actual wickedness, if it was not already assumed
• is there any symbolism to the items being placed in the cauldron, or are they there simply for weirdness sake
• also, were these actually things believed to have magical/evil properties?

Macbeth Notes Act II

• Macbeth identifies himself as a friend to Banquo
• does Banquo feel the same way?
• Banquo's dream of "three weird sisters"
• is he talking about the witches here?
• Macbeth's soliloquy
• marvels at how unreal the situation feels
• an indication that this is not something that Macbeth truly feels comfortable doing
• he feels that this is out of character for himself
• many allusions to mythology to enforce the mystical surreal tone
• Why does Shakespeare choose not to show the murder itself?
• too gruesome for the audience?  Or perhaps too offensive to the king?
• the Macbeths have, apparently, fooled everybody
• "Is't known who did this more than bloody deed?" ... "Those that Macbeth hath slain."
• Macduff and Ross are ironically correct here, although they do not know it
• They conclude seconds later that Macbeth is next up for the throne
• how do they not connect Macbeth and his "thriftless ambition" to the crime?
• Macbeth ma have too good of a reputation.  It is stated earlier that he is well liked throughout the land.

Macbeth Act I: Thoughts and Notes -- Barely Awake Edition

I'm tired right now, so apologies if this post falls short.  And no, this late night (early morning?) post is not because of procrastination for once.  Well, not mostly.

• Macbeth is an interestingly contradictory character
• apparently peerless warrior, but is submissive to his overbearing wife
• has ambitions for the throne, but still has morality (or he at least lacks the disregard for human life of Lady Macbeth)
• Why does he want the throne?  Political?  Egotistical?
• Described as being fearless, but recoils at the witches
• Either Macbeth is not what he appears, or the witches are really just that horrendous
• could be both, obviously
• The witches are certainly not a pretty sight, but are they actively malicious?
• there's allusions to their wicked deeds, but what do they gain from the telling of Macbeth's future?
• Maybe not, could just be a convenient method of both foreshadowing and establishing a context for morality
• Banquo is less disturbed by the witches
• indicates that he is more used to their evil?
• What does Banquo think of Macbeth?
• friendly, rival, etc.
• Lady Macbeth is arguably more evil than the witches
• does Macbeth realize how easily he is goaded and manipulated?

Brave New World Notes (Ch. 8)

• Memories of Linda trying to assimilate to the new culture, John trying to understand the unfairness of the world
• Huxley directly connects alcohol to soma
• Linda's treatment of John is a contradiction
• Part BNW, part "savage"
• Nature vs. nurture?
• Her instinct is to care for John, but her hypnopaedic-twisted mind hates him for what he "made" her
• Linda's stories build up what the BNW is like
• John calls his mother by her first name
• Linda does not want to be called "mother" because she has come to think of it as an insult, or at least an embarrassing phrase
• "A man can smile and smile and be a villain."
• Huxley links the scene back to the theme that happiness is not everything
• "If one's different, one's bound to be lonely."
• thematic isolation an conformity
• John shows a propensity for self-punishment, not unlike Berard's enjoyment of persecution
• "O brave new world," he repeated. "O brave new world that has such people in it. Let's start at once."

Brave New World Notes (Ch. 7)

• Lenina complaining about the reservation isn't just normal aversion to nature, it's the hypnopaedic conditioning at work
• "I wish we could have brought the plane"
• Emphasis on consumerism, like with their equipment dependent sports
• "Yes, and civilization is sterilization"
• Bernard obviously does not mean this in a positive sense
• Bernard goes out of his way to make controversial statements
• Lenina finds the "remorseless persistence of the drums" appealing, why?
• Drum beats provide structure and order through repetition, much like the BNW
• The ritual Bernard and Lenina witness is traumatic even by today's standards
• Represents the polar opposite of life in the BNW
• deliberate self-punishment, rather than forced self-indulgence
• Linda is an interesting character
• Even after all those years, she still retains habits from the BNW
• Testament to the power of conditioning?  Or is it natural to cling to the beliefs one had when growing up?

Brave New World Active Reading Notes (Ch. 4 part II, Ch. 5)

Chapter 4 Part II

• Simile: "He was like a man pursued..."
• Aphorism: "Those who meant well behaved the same way as those who meant badly."
• Direct Characterization:  "He stood eight centimeters short of the standard Alpha height."
• Foil: Hemholtz Watson to Bernard (in a way, although they are also very similar)
• Foreshadowing: "I feel I could do something much more important.  Yes, and more intense, more violent."
• Indirect Characterization:  "But at the same time he felt rather ashamed for his friend.  He wished Bernard would show a little more pride."

Chapter 5

• Repetition: "...and then, under the influence of those endless repetitions, the gradual soothing of her mind, the soothing, the smoothing, the stealthy creeping of sleep."
• Juxtaposition:  "'Do you know what that switchback was?  It was some human being finally and definitely disappearing.  Going up in a squirt of hot gas...Everybody's happy now."
• Refrain:  the song by "Calvin Stopes and his Sixteen Sexophonists"
• Mood:  "Eyes shone, cheeks were flushed, the inner light of the universal benevolence broke out on every face in happy, friendly smiles."
• Note the slightly truncated phrases and emphasis on sensation rather than thought
• Irony:  "She looked at Bernard with an expression of rapture, but of apture in which there was no trace of agitation or excitement-for to be excited is still to be unsatisfied."
• Motif: the number 12

Brave New World II (Chapters 2-3)

Following the structure of society laid down in the first chapter is a description of the children's indoctrination.  Coupled in stark contrast with "erotic play", it makes for two shocking chapters.  As with the setup of genetic engineering, Huxley's goal here is to create a seemingly ludicrous scenario (in this case, one that most readers would presumably find disgusting) that seems completely fabricated.  Then, he seeks to reveal over the course of the rest of the novel that these abominations are not so far-fetched after all.

This is also mirrored in the dialog, which jumps between characters in different conversations.  The jumps become increasingly rapid until eventually it is just flashed snippets of each line.  The dual conversation reveals an anomaly in the system -- Bernard.  As one group talks about the virtues of everybody belonging to each other, Bernard is painted very clearly as an outsider in another.  A few important things can be gleaned from this.  For one, the society is not "perfect".  There are, for whatever reasons, people that do not quite fit in.  Subsequently this also introduces conflict for the first time.  In a way, this marks the beginning of the plot.

What's the Story?

A Tale of Two Cities has a strong sense of duality.  This is a quality that it shares with Great Expectations, according to the lecture in class today.  The key opening lines ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...") are some of the most memorable in literature.  From the start, Dickens primes the reader for what is to come.  There are two cities, two time periods (Dickens's present, and the historical time frame of the story), and a multitude of comparisons between these pairs.

So, what does this say about what the story is?  Why did Dickens write it?  There is strong indication that Dickens saw parallels between 1775 and his own time, particularly when it comes to the subject of revolution and "mob rule", as pointed out in the lecture previous to this post.  These contrasting elements serve multiple purposes.  On one level, it allows Dickens to easily relate a historical story to modern readers.  On another, it provides him with a structure through which he can highlight specific aspects of society (the disparity between the wealthy and the poor is a major one).

A particularly striking example is in chapter five, "The Wine-Shop".  The chapter opens with a cask of wine breaking open in the streets.  For a few precious moments, the crowd is overcome in manic joy.  However, once all the wine is lapped up and only mud is left, the citizens retreat back to their dreary, depressing lives.  As far as the core of the plot goes, this adds very little.  Its sole purpose is the establish an environment in which both extreme joy and sadness can exist closely together.

Further support comes in the form of Lucie's relationship to her father.  In many ways, Lucie is a foil for Dr. Manette, at least upon their introduction.  While Lucie is described as an embodiment of youthful beauty, her father is a decrepit shell.  One is full of life, the other drained of it.  And yet, despite their differences, they are brought to an emotional level upon meeting each other -- there is much sobbing and confusion to be had.

A Tale of Two Cities: Lecture Notes

These notes are on this lecture by Dr. Tony Williams.

• Personal significance to Dickens
• The Frozen Deep, amateur production by Dickens and friend
• Dickens returns to themes of self-sacrifice in A Tale of Two Cities
• Lucie a reference to Lucy, a woman he fell in love with
• Dickens's Crisis
• Publications, public readings for profit, tours, etc.
• 1868 separated from his wife
• London
• Both a source of revulsion and inspiration for Dickens
• City of extremes in wealth
• Paris
• Made a huge impression on Dickens
• "The most extraordinary place in the world"
• Awed by the novelty and character
• Not as sprawling or uncontrolled as London
• The Opening
• Dickens emphasizes the similarities between the two cities
• Duality of the introduction
• Sets the reader back in time, but also parallels modern times
• Published 1859, refers to events in 1775
• Revolution
• Dickens feared mob rule, like many people of the age
• Hence, the theme of revolution in A Tale of Two Cities
• Written in installments for publication
• Episodic
• Dickens wrote as he went, and wrote in response to reader reactions
• Cliffhangers
• The Personal Story
• Beginning of Chapter 3 contains an uncharacteristic narration from Dickens
• personal intensity

I didn't finish the last three minutes of the lecture.  The speaker was indicating that he was about to discuss the end, and I heard the word "guillotine" before I closed the tab.  I'm not sure if he was speaking figuratively or not, but I did not stick around to find out.  A Tale of Two Cities may be a well known story, but I still don't know how it ends.  I'd prefer to keep it that way, at least until I get around to finishing the book.

Notes on Hamlet: Particularly Polonius

Of all the elements of Hamlet, I would say that my view of Polonius as a character has changed the most.  Over the course of the play read so far, he has become my favorite character.  He is by far not the most likable character, but he is the closest thing to comic relief in the play.  While he initially just seems like a prolix old man, he is eventually revealed to be a fool.  Almost with no exception, scenes involving both Polonius and Hamlet result in outrageous dialogue, usually ending in Polonius's befuddlement.

Polonius has a deceptively complex character.  He is a humorous character, but also villainous and obsequious.  The audience loves to hate Polonius, but enjoys what he contributes to the plot.  When Hamlet kills him the audience is glad for his death (he's a "bad guy" after all).  However, even in his humiliating death he is able to make people laugh.  His unfortunate comedy makes him some kind of bizarre villainous butt monkey.  Despite his generally deplorable role in the play, the variety of different sentiments he brings makes him my favorite character, if only on the merit of design.

"Where do you see things going from here?"
Pulling from what I already know about the end of plot, as well as Shakespeare's typical idea of an ending, I would guess that things are going toward a massacre.  Tension has been building the entire play.  With the killing of Polonius, blood has been spilled, and it should not be too long before swords start swinging.

Notes: 2011 AP Essay Rubric

In General

• quality of writing is as important as content
• good quality can be bumped up a score
• poor quality cannot receive higher than a 3
• Keep in mind both literary devices used by the author, as well as the complexity of characters and their relationships
• a good essay includes both of these, as well as provides specific support

Scoring Breakdown

• 9-8: persuasive analysis, variety of interpretations, references insight on both literary devices and character relationships
• specific examples with clear writing; a 9 should be especially persuasive
• 7-6: reasonable analysis with an understanding of both literary devices and character relationships, but lacking the precision and clarity of 8-9
• 5: plausible analysis, but superficial; lacking specific support or has mild misinterpretations of the poem
• 4-3: inadequate analysis due to lack of support, ignorance of character complexity, poor control over language, or significant misreading
• 2-1: lacking analysis; the student made an attempt at responding to the prompt, but the essay had no support or contained serious mechanical errors; incoherent or extremely brief
• 0: No analysis, only reference to the task
• --: Left blank or completely off topic

Textbook Notes: Epics and the History of English (pg. 64-82)

The Epic

• long narrative poems that celebrated the adventures of legendary heroes
• Heroes: role models of their times, represented the society's ideal values
• provided examples of how to behave properly in a variety of circumstances

Gilgamesh

• Gilgamesh prologue establishes the heroic (or even legendary) history of Gilgamesh and his accomplishments
• the excerpt from the Iliad is very characteristic of an epic
• heroic characters clashing in a realistic scenario, but with the supernatural involvement of the gods
• About Sumerian king who lived between 2700-2500 B.C.
• stories of Gilgamesh handed down by Sumerians for hundreds of years after his death
• pg 66 "two-thirds a god, one-third a man"
• emphasizes building the city of Uruk

Notes: Beowulf Textbook Excerpts

The Wrath of Grendel

• Contrast of merriment inside the hall and evil lurking outside
• Twelve years of torment by Grendel
• Grendel is described as "mankind's enemy"
• interesting way of emphasizing Grendel's monstrosity

The Coming of Beowulf

• quality over quantity: Beowulf picks out the best men, which only amounts to fourteen
• especially small when considering Grendel killed thirty on his first attack
• the watchman is quick to grant entrance to the Geats after learning of their objective; testament to the terror Grendel caused
• "My lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to,if I hid behind some broad linden shield."
• classical heroic ideal of courage and honor

Notes: Beowulf Prologue-Chapter X

Prologue

• "Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him..."
• Beowulf's introduction
• "weeds of battle"
• what is this referring to?

Chapter I

• "Then, one after one, there woke to him, to the chieftain of clansmen, children four: Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave..."
• setting the stage: Hrothgar is constructing "a master mead-house"
• "...til one began to fashion evils, that field of hell.  Grendel this monster grim was called."
• antagonist's origins

Chapter II

• atheling: a prince or lord in Anglo-Saxon England
• wassail: a salutation wishing health to a person
• Basically, Grendel is terrorizing Hrothgar and his people over the course of several years
• still more of background information than the core of the story

Notes: The Poisonwood Bible

Initially, these notes were written in the margins, making them much more concise than my other notes.  They also relied on color coding to cut down on having to repeat my thoughts in similar circumstances (pointing out things such as character development or family crises):

By the end of the novel I found the color coding to be counterproductive, so opted for more conventional separate paper notes for the other two books.  Hopefully this explains the brevity, even if it doesn't necessarily excuse it.  Anyway, here are the notes.

Notes: Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Chapter 1

• Introductory analogies: pushing the point that routine and custom deafens the senses; the unusual becomes commonplace
• pg 8: "'Custom,' replied Plato, 'is no little thing.'"
• pg 8: Cozen: to cheat, deceive, or trick
• pg 10:  "...he asked me, what privilege this filthy excrement had, that we must carry about us a fine handkerchief to receive it..."
• still "nauseous and offensive", but it's a good point
• pg 11-13: Are the "customs" being written of real, or made up to prove a point?
• Montaigne is opposed to novelty, but also warns of customs' danger
• Are the allusions to Greek mythology common for philosophers of the time, or a particular interest of Montaigne?