Comic of Manners

http://www.pixton.com/comic/022smo34

The River

The River Your life is like a river.  You choose toward what it flows.  Direct it toward the rocks  Or allow it to transpose.  But wherever you shall take it, Be sure to be aware  The movement of the current Will not always seem fair.  You'll encounter winds, rocks, and waves. The journey will be tough, But if you think positively, You'll succeed sure enough. And if ever you get lost Amongst a trembling wave, The power is in your hands, So don't let yourself cave.  And someday you will break through. You will see that you are strong. You'll awaken to the birds  Chirping merrily along.  With this new angle of view, I am certain that you will see, A person is as happy As he makes his mind up to be. I chose to analyze the romantic poet, Robert Burns. Robert Burns used many examples of nature in his poetry. In my poem, I used water and birds to incorporate a natural theme into my poem. Additionally, Burns often used similes and directly stated the purpose of his poem. For example in his poem, "Red, Red Rose", he compares his love to a rose and describes how strong his love is for the girl of his desire. I my poem, I compared life to a river and directly stated how life is similar to a river and gave the purpose of my poem directly within the lines. I also wrote in quatrains ad Robert Burns does, using the same sime rhyme scheme he uses (abcbdefe...). Romantic poets are known for their love of nature and the mysticism they find in nature. In my poem, I incorporated many examples of nature and compared these aspects of nature to life as romantic poets are known for.

Shakespeare

Shakespeare
by: micaelataylor

Macbeth Playlist

Here is my playlist for the character Macbeth: 1. I'll Make a Man Out of You - Mulan I chose this track because it symbolizes Macbeth's transition from a passive man to a strong killer through the influence of his wife who specifically said she wanted to make him onto a real man. 2. Unwell - Matchbox 20 I chose this track because it shows how Macbeth had a mental breakdown after he murdered people. He started seeing paranormal things like the dead Banquo. He saw things and heard voices like the speaker in this song. 3. Be Prepared - The Lion King It shows Macbeth's eagerness to become king. Just as Scar plans to kill Mufasa in this song, Macbeth plans to kill Duncan to gain the throne. 4. Viva la Vida - Coldplay Although this song was most likely written about the French ruler Napoleon, it deacribes Macbeth as if he were speaking from the dead. One moment Macbeth ha so much power and seemed invincible until he was killed I an unexpected duel. His power was torn from him suddenly and unexpectedly. 5. Roll Away Your Stone - Mumford and Sons This song was actually influenced by Macbeth. It contains the quote, "Stars, hide your fires", a direct quote from the play. More importantly, it speaks about how the singer's life has turned to darkness and it now dominates everything. This is what happened to Macbeth when he began to seek power. Darkness and evil and consequence surrounded his life. 6. I Just Can't Wait to be King - The Lion King It shows how Simba is eager to take the gmtheine just as Macbeth was eager to take the throne, leading him to some bad decisions. 7. Getting Away With Murder - Papa Roach It describes the guilty feeling of getting away with murder that Macbeth initially had after killing Duncan which consumed his life. 8. Let's Kill Tonight - Panic! At the Disco The reason why I chose this track is obvious. It deacribes the idea between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth of killing Duncan at night. 9. I Want It All - Queen Being Thane of Calwdor was enough for Macbeth. he had to be king. And after that, he wanted to assure that the line of kings would continue in his name so he murdered children who were potential heirs since he had no sons. His desire to have it all drove his bad decisions and his every move. 10. Papercut - Linkin Park Like Unwell, this describes the paranoid feeling Macbeth had after murdering Duncan and Banquo. It deacribes the paranormal voices and images he saw and heard. http://open.spotify.com/user/1222875807/playlist/25VdolhoxE5YSflDE1Utv6 For some reason the link didn't post before so hopefully this worked.

Masculinity in Leadership 

Does a woman need to have the mentality and force of a man to be a great leader or, for that matter, a leader at all? There is no simple answer to this question. The article, “Can Hillary Cry Her Way Back to the White House?” shows that women do not have to have the mentality or strength of a man to be a leader.  In fact, just the opposite seems to be the case in the political world. It seems as though each time Clinton displayed some vulnerability after having been forceful in the past, she gained some support and followers. The author of the article, Maureen Dowd, seems to believe this surge in supporters is due to the fact that Clinton’s vulnerability victimized her as a woman. In this sense, Clinton gained many sympathy votes. On the other hand, Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” believes that to be powerful and to be a leader to her husband she must indeed have the mentality of a man. When it comes time for her to lead her husband in the murder of King Duncan, she gives a soliloquy in which she says “unsex me” to rid herself of her female characteristics and take on the manly role of a leader. Further, in the movie “The Iron Lady”, Meryl Streep portrays the protagonist who is firm with the mentality of a man, making her a great leader. She must be strong and acct with force so that no one questions her ability as a woman to conduct warfare. However, the facts concerning Clinton’s political race and the leadership of the “iron lady” are far different. Hillary Clinton was attempting to gain a leadership position whereas the latter was attempting to utilize her position of power. In order for Clinton to be a leader at all, she needed to become likeable by displaying her feminine side. The “iron lady”, on the other hand, was concerned about becoming a great leader and needed to be stern and masculine and controlling even if it made her unlikable. Therefore, having the mentality of a man worked well for the “iron lady” and for Lady Macbeth in being good leaders, but Clinton needed to take a softer approach to be elected into a leadership position. It can be concluded that while being masculine may work for some leaders, it is certainly not the solution for others. 

Can You Learn Anything From a Void?

The article, “Can you learn anything from a void”, creates an interesting dilemma for the reader. Upon reading the article, the reader must decide if a person is guilty of murder merely because he or she was submissive. Is a person guilty of murder if he or she is simply carrying out the orders of someone in a position of higher power? Is a bystander who did not have the courage or morals to defend the victim guilty as well? Although these questions are incredibly controversial and have been debated throughout history, the answer to all of these questions is quite simple. If a person has not done absolutely everything in his or her power to prevent the murder of another person, he or she is in fact guilty in their own manner, although each to different degrees. One must then address the degree to which each person is guilty of murder. The executioner who completes the demand of his or her master is as guilty as the person of power handing out the orders despite the amount of guilt he or she may or may not feel. It is the duty of each individual to simply have the courage to say ‘no’ regardless of the consequences he or she may face. Kirsch’s article introduces the idea that such an executioner may, in fact, be innocent due to the fact that the victim may be murdered notwithstanding the executioner’s lack of compliance, as was the case in the Holocaust. This likely would have been the case in Macbeth as well had the executioners under Macbeth’s orders refused to comply. Regardless, executing a human being, even under another’s demands, simply because the execution is inevitable, is murder. The article adds that one particular Holocaust executioner shamelessly announced his lack of regret or guilt for slaughtering Jews. Not only is this man guilty of murder in multiple cases, but also he is equally horrible and vile as Adolf Hitler himself. Although a bystander does not actively participate in a murder, he or she is guilty of appeasement. Once again, regardless of the consequences, it is the individual’s duty to do everything is his or her human power to prevent murder, and not having the courage support one’s morals is, without a doubt, a crime when the issue is murder. Those who do not even possess the morals to believe the particular murder is wrong to begin with are even more reprehensible. Had bystanders possessed the courage and morals to condemn the genocide of millions of Jews or to condemn Macbeth’s executions, history could have played out much differently, both in reality and in theater. 

Globe Theatre Writing Prompt

Globe Theatre

If I had lived in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, I would have been in the lower social class, the peasants, as peasants comprised most of European society. Since theatre was one of the most common and appreciated forms of entertainment, I most likely would not have traveled far to see one of Shakespeare’s plays as theatre could be found a lot closer to home and Shakespeare was considered a good playwright but was not particularly recognized until long after his death. Therefore, I would have lived fairly close, particularly in London, the very city in which the Globe Theatre was located. That specific day, I would have gone to see Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespeare’s most famous works in modern times which was nothing more than another average play and performance at that time. Being a peasant, I would not have had the luxury of nice seats in the theatre, so I would have paid a single penny to stand on the floor of the theatre. However, I would arrive to the performance as early as possible to get seats close to the stage.

Standing near the foot of the stage, I would begin to feel crowded in as more and more peasants would fill the floor of the theatre pushing me in closer and closer to the edge of the stage so that the stage itself would begin to obstruct my view. As I look up, I would see dozens of rows stretching upward filled with men and women dressed in nice clothing, clothing far  better than the mere rags which would have lined my back. People would begin to shout as they grow impatient of waiting for the play to begin. With no more room for anyone on the floor to move and the formal seats lacking any gaps or openings, I would hear and vaguely see the doors of the theatre being closed, those who did not make it in shouting their complaints and muttering phrases of regret as they would be absent from a truly phenomenal performance that evening. At last, Romeo and Juliet would begin, everyone in audience growing silent and waiting in anticipation for the action to commence.  The actors would give a commendable performance as they reenact a play they have performed multiple times thus far. However, this would be my first time seeing this particular work and the anticipation as to the actions of Romeo and Juliet would be more than I could handle. Finally, the conclusion would come and the stunning and ironic deaths of Romeo and Juliet would be revealed to the crowd. As I would leave theatre, everyone would be discussing the events of the play in its aftermath. Well pleased by the events of the evening, I would depart and return to my nearby home in London.