Last week, we finished up Gilgamesh and started reading the Ramayana. Gilgamesh's friend Enkidu dies, so Gilgamesh goes on a long quest to find immortality because he fears death. In the end of the story, he doesn't find immortality but a thorny branch that gives him youth. Sadly a snake eats it and he loses the power of youth. Moral of the story is no man can live forever and become young again.
In Ramayana, Rama was about to become a king but his step mom didn't want that to happen. So the step mom used two of her promised on the king to make her son the king and to exile Rama to the forest for 14 years. Even though the king didn't want to do it, he couldn't go back on a promise. He was balling his eyes out when the stepmother told Rama that he was to be exiled under the king's orders. Even though the king didn't want to, Rama agreed with no questions asked.
For the Gilgamesh story, I felt it wasn't really a story of a hero but of a king who was afraid of death. It kind of reminded me of Beowulf in which the morale of the story was that everybody dies, even the greatest. Gilgamesh did fight the giant bull and the demon in the forest, but he didn't fight those creatures to protect the people, but fought them because he was bored. If Gilgamesh was a real fighter, he would've found more ways to protect the people.
I enjoyed Ramayana a little more, especially because I did a presentation on the story in class. I feel that Rama is the ideal person we should all strive to be. We should also be like the king who always honored his promises. But anyways, I believe that Rama wasn't being passive but he was just obeying his father's word. I believe we should all be like Rama learn to control our emotions and follow our elder's words. Now a days majority of us question our parent's logic, disobey people with power, and try to work around the law. If we were to all be like Rama and to control our emotions, I believe the world would be a little less violent.
In Ramayana, the king was crying when his wife told Rama that he must be exiled to the forest for 14 years. As the king, he could have just told her no and continue to let Rama become prince. Instead he was balling his eyes out as his son accepted his fate. I have to give it up to the king because that must be hurtful that you promised the entire kingdom that Rama was going to be king, but now you go back on your word because of promises you made to your wife. It goes to show you that as a king, you must always keep your promises, no matter what.
Also when the king was crying, I believe he had no shame at all. In our society, its unmanly to cry at all. In my opinion if you feel like crying, then cry. The only catch is, don't cry in public. Instead, cry where no one will see you.
WC: 541
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Last week we talked about Gilgamesh and the Iliad. In Gilgamesh, there was king named Gilgamesh who did many bad things like have sex with any woman he wanted. There was no one equal to him, so the gods created Enkidu. Enkidu was like an animal and when he fought Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh stopped the fight and called Enkidu his equal. Then for no reason, they start to go on journeys to slay down monsters as friends.
This story was really weird, given that you're a bad king in beginning, you fight with guy which you become friends with, you go kill a monster with your friend for no reason, then you're considered a hero at the end. For some reason, I can't wrap my mind around it. It's like if Superman and Lex Luther were fight with each other, Superman and Lex become friends, then they both go fight evil together. It seems hard to believe that you were a bad person, then you become good?
Maybe it's also like fairy tales. A little girl walking to her grandmothers house and before she gets to the house, a talking wolf tries to stop her. Or a random girl walks into a house which has an obsession of three's, and later finds out its inhabitants are talking bears. I used to enjoy fairy tales, but now reading this type of literature as an adult, it seems very silly. Maybe its like Gilgamesh and Beowulf, because I shouldn't question why Enkidu and Gilgamesh automatically become friends or why Beowulf can hold his breath for four hours. I believe the Professor called it the benefit of the doubt. In order for me to enjoy stories like these, I shouldn't question every single detail and just go with it.
We also talked about how some texts in Gilgamesh might be related to stories in the Bible. Two examples were the great flood Noah went through and Adam and Eve. Noah had an ark with two of each animal during the flood while in Gilgamesh, they said a great flood cleaned the earth. Adam and Eve were very closely related to Enkidu and the harlot. After Enkidu was done, he felt humble and needed clothing. Some people may deny it out front that Gilgamesh and the Bible are not connected in anyway, but as a christian I like to have an open mind about my beliefs. To have these stories be alike seems like maybe there really was a flood or there really was an Adam and Eve. Maybe we're all connected somehow and we're all aware of these things. I just find it interesting also that some people can cover their ears and call it lies, but there's no need. The Bible and the Koran have many things in common, and we all have beliefs of spirits all around the world. So from this, it just makes me really curious.
WC: 486
This story was really weird, given that you're a bad king in beginning, you fight with guy which you become friends with, you go kill a monster with your friend for no reason, then you're considered a hero at the end. For some reason, I can't wrap my mind around it. It's like if Superman and Lex Luther were fight with each other, Superman and Lex become friends, then they both go fight evil together. It seems hard to believe that you were a bad person, then you become good?
Maybe it's also like fairy tales. A little girl walking to her grandmothers house and before she gets to the house, a talking wolf tries to stop her. Or a random girl walks into a house which has an obsession of three's, and later finds out its inhabitants are talking bears. I used to enjoy fairy tales, but now reading this type of literature as an adult, it seems very silly. Maybe its like Gilgamesh and Beowulf, because I shouldn't question why Enkidu and Gilgamesh automatically become friends or why Beowulf can hold his breath for four hours. I believe the Professor called it the benefit of the doubt. In order for me to enjoy stories like these, I shouldn't question every single detail and just go with it.
We also talked about how some texts in Gilgamesh might be related to stories in the Bible. Two examples were the great flood Noah went through and Adam and Eve. Noah had an ark with two of each animal during the flood while in Gilgamesh, they said a great flood cleaned the earth. Adam and Eve were very closely related to Enkidu and the harlot. After Enkidu was done, he felt humble and needed clothing. Some people may deny it out front that Gilgamesh and the Bible are not connected in anyway, but as a christian I like to have an open mind about my beliefs. To have these stories be alike seems like maybe there really was a flood or there really was an Adam and Eve. Maybe we're all connected somehow and we're all aware of these things. I just find it interesting also that some people can cover their ears and call it lies, but there's no need. The Bible and the Koran have many things in common, and we all have beliefs of spirits all around the world. So from this, it just makes me really curious.
WC: 486
Sunday, February 12, 2012
2/12/12
Last week made me think about the Iliad. I'm pretty sure I read the story back in high school, but I don't really remember it now. What did make me interested was the talk of Greek gods and goddesses. When I think of the word god, I think of an omnipotent being who can bend reality at whim. In Greek mythology on the other hand, the gods weren't omnipotent and had so many flaws.
The idea itself about how a guy named Chronos created the titans which were his children and tried to eat them. Then Zeus stopped him and now all the gods live on Mount Olympus. Each god has some sort of trait or traits that the people would prey for. For example, if someone wanted to pray for a glorious war, they would pray to Ares. Or if they wanted to hear a prophecy or to lift a plague, people would pray to Apollo.
This talk of Greek gods actually started to remind me of the Disney movie Hercules. How he was a demi-god and that he was a hero to the people trying to get back to his family on Mount Olympus. Now I'm pretty sure that the movie wasn't really that close to what happened in Greek mythology, but I believe it got kids interested into learning more about the gods. The Greeks had so great epics like The Odyssey or The Iliad that it was fun to imagine that these men could interact or even try to work against the gods and show how mighty the human spirit is. There probably movies that were created depicting the Odyssey or the Iliad, but it may be nice to see them in HD and CGI monsters.
But to what we read in the class, I thought book 1 of the Iliad was quite interesting. Achilles loses his trophy girl to Agamemnon so that Apollo can stop a plague and Achilles cries to his mom and makes her convince Zeus to be on her side so that the Trojans would lose the war. I think it seems petty what Achilles did. Just because he lost a girl he got during a raiding of a city and losing her to another guy, it's done right pathetic. I say if he was a real man, he should suck it up and understand it's because of that sacrifice a plague would be lifted and many lives would've been saved. But no, what does he do? He prays to his mom so that the Greeks would win and steps out of the army just so he can watch Agamemnon and the other Trojans die. Very pathetic.
WC: 445
The idea itself about how a guy named Chronos created the titans which were his children and tried to eat them. Then Zeus stopped him and now all the gods live on Mount Olympus. Each god has some sort of trait or traits that the people would prey for. For example, if someone wanted to pray for a glorious war, they would pray to Ares. Or if they wanted to hear a prophecy or to lift a plague, people would pray to Apollo.
This talk of Greek gods actually started to remind me of the Disney movie Hercules. How he was a demi-god and that he was a hero to the people trying to get back to his family on Mount Olympus. Now I'm pretty sure that the movie wasn't really that close to what happened in Greek mythology, but I believe it got kids interested into learning more about the gods. The Greeks had so great epics like The Odyssey or The Iliad that it was fun to imagine that these men could interact or even try to work against the gods and show how mighty the human spirit is. There probably movies that were created depicting the Odyssey or the Iliad, but it may be nice to see them in HD and CGI monsters.
But to what we read in the class, I thought book 1 of the Iliad was quite interesting. Achilles loses his trophy girl to Agamemnon so that Apollo can stop a plague and Achilles cries to his mom and makes her convince Zeus to be on her side so that the Trojans would lose the war. I think it seems petty what Achilles did. Just because he lost a girl he got during a raiding of a city and losing her to another guy, it's done right pathetic. I say if he was a real man, he should suck it up and understand it's because of that sacrifice a plague would be lifted and many lives would've been saved. But no, what does he do? He prays to his mom so that the Greeks would win and steps out of the army just so he can watch Agamemnon and the other Trojans die. Very pathetic.
WC: 445
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Last week in class we finished up Beowulf and started reading Oedipus Rex. In the last part of Beowulf, king Beowulf is old and not as strong as he used to be. A dragon attacks his kingdom and he goes with 12 other men to kill the dragon. He kills the dragon but in in exchange he loses his life. The story shows that even though you're a great hero, you're still only human and humans die.
The other story was more complex. It was about King Oedipus who was a king. There was a curse in his kingdom of Thebes and the only way for the curse to be lifted was to find the man who killed the former king. Tiresias the blind prophet tells him that he was the one who killed the former king. Oedipus was furious, but then starts to realize something. It is known that there was a prophecy that the prince of Thebes was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Even though Oedipus was abandoned on the hill side, he was raised as an orphan and never knew he was a prince.
So knowing that he fulfilled the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother, a question has risen. Is it possible to run away from destiny? This is a hard question to answer because it's very complex. Maybe its the fact that you're told that something is going to happen, therefore you try your best to not make it happen. But in reality, it's because you know what will happen, you drive yourself so in the end it does happen.
We only know of destiny from old stories and modern television and movies. In the shows sometimes when someone can see the future, they can alter it. But other times, when they know the future and try to change it, the outcome still happens and it was because they tried to change the future, the outcome stayed as it is.
Personally I really don't know what to believe in. I mean its a nice idea that I'm meant for great things, and that everything I do will lead me to fulfilling my destiny. But at the same time, destiny can be what I make it to be. Like if I chose my destiny to make a difference in this world, then more than likely I'll have fulfilled my destiny if I worked hard enough. I don't think destiny is as concrete like you're destined to die in an airplane accident or you're destined to be a lawyer. I think it's more on the lines of "I'm destined to change the world for the good of mankind" or "I was destined to always make this man/woman happy, no matter what". Maybe if we were to view destiny like that, it wouldn't be as complicated.
WC: 475
The other story was more complex. It was about King Oedipus who was a king. There was a curse in his kingdom of Thebes and the only way for the curse to be lifted was to find the man who killed the former king. Tiresias the blind prophet tells him that he was the one who killed the former king. Oedipus was furious, but then starts to realize something. It is known that there was a prophecy that the prince of Thebes was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Even though Oedipus was abandoned on the hill side, he was raised as an orphan and never knew he was a prince.
So knowing that he fulfilled the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother, a question has risen. Is it possible to run away from destiny? This is a hard question to answer because it's very complex. Maybe its the fact that you're told that something is going to happen, therefore you try your best to not make it happen. But in reality, it's because you know what will happen, you drive yourself so in the end it does happen.
We only know of destiny from old stories and modern television and movies. In the shows sometimes when someone can see the future, they can alter it. But other times, when they know the future and try to change it, the outcome still happens and it was because they tried to change the future, the outcome stayed as it is.
Personally I really don't know what to believe in. I mean its a nice idea that I'm meant for great things, and that everything I do will lead me to fulfilling my destiny. But at the same time, destiny can be what I make it to be. Like if I chose my destiny to make a difference in this world, then more than likely I'll have fulfilled my destiny if I worked hard enough. I don't think destiny is as concrete like you're destined to die in an airplane accident or you're destined to be a lawyer. I think it's more on the lines of "I'm destined to change the world for the good of mankind" or "I was destined to always make this man/woman happy, no matter what". Maybe if we were to view destiny like that, it wouldn't be as complicated.
WC: 475
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