The importance of being earnest commentary

Ian Hedstrom
Ms. Peifer
10 IB Hour 5
5/20/09

the Importance of Being Earnest Commentary

In my section of The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde is trying to show how much the characters use cleverness throughout the book. He does this by using wit and absurdity. He also uses foreshadowing to compare Gwendolen to Lady Bracknell.

It foreshadows the future in some ways because Gwendolen resembles her mother in a few ways. They are both somewhat ruthless and overbearing. They also have some similar speech habits and frames of mind. Both of them say absurd things at times.

Algernon's response to Jack's question is an epigram. "All women become like their mothers. that is their tragedy. No man does, that's his" (Wilde 136). This shows that Wilde uses wit to explain an outrageous statement. It is a very clever response to jacks question. After that Jack asks "Is that clever?" ( Wilde 136). Algernon replies, "it is perfectly phrased! and quite as true as any observation in civilized life should be" (Wilde 136). Algernon answers jacks question with another witty and clever statement. These two statements from Algernon show that he is a witty and clever character. The author uses characterization in this segment to describe Algernon's personality. The author uses the characters dialogue to show their personalities and tendencies.

Wilde also uses some absurdity in this segment. "upon my word, if I thought that, I'd shoot myself... You don't think there is any chance of Gwendolen becoming like her mother in about a hundred and fifty years, do you, Algy?" (Wilde 136). This shows absurdity with the amount of time stated. This shows that Jack does not want Gwendolen to be like her mother because he does not like Lady Bracknell. "I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever now-a-days. You can't go anywhere without meeting clever people. The thing has become an absolute public nuisance. I wish to goodness we had a few fools left" (Wilde 136). This quote is absurd because Jack is saying that he thinks cleverness is becomeing a public nuisance. Jack is getting annoyed with peoples clever statements. He wishes there were still fools so there would not be so many clever remarks. This quote also shows that cleverness is used a lot throughout the book.

This section uses a lot of cleverness, absurdity, and wit. He uses these literary elements to show that the characters are very clever and make many clever remarks. Foreshadowing is also used to explain absurd statements.

atsumori commentary

Ian Hedstrom

Ms. Peifer

10IB Hour 5

5/5/09

Atsumori Commentary

Chorus: He bids the flowers of spring

Mount the treetop that men may raise their eyes

And walk on upward paths;

He bids the moon in autumn waves be drowned

In token that he visits laggard men

And leads them out from valleys of despair

Atsumori: now the clan of Taira building wall to wall,

Spread over the earth like leafy branches of a

Great tree:

Chorus: yet their prosperity lasted but for a day;

It was like the flower of the convolvulus

There was none to tell them

That glory flashes like sparks from flint-stone,

And after-darkness

Oh wretched, the life of men:

In Atsumori by Seami Motokiyo the overall theme is friendship and forgiveness. The author’s purpose of this selection is to describe the great power of Atsumori. This is achieved by using imagery, metaphor, simile, and characterization to describe him and what he can do.

When the chorus is talking about the clan of Taira’s prosperity they say, “that glory flashes like sparks from flint-stone” (Motokiyo 606). This shows that their glory is very brief. Motokiyo uses a simile to describe their glory. He compares the glory to the sparks from a flint-stone. “yet their prosperity lasted but for a day; it was like the flower of the convolvulus” (Motokiyo 606). This also shows how short the clans prosperity lasted. It uses a simile to compare their prosperity to the flower of a convolvulus.

The chorus talks about how powerful Atsumori is. “He bids the flowers in spring” (Motokiyo 606). This shows that he brings the flowers in spring so he must have a lot of power. “He bids the moon in autumn waves be drowned” (Motokiyo 606). This shows that he controls the moon in autumn and it causes the tides to change. He has a lot of power to be able to control all of those things in nature. “ He visits laggard men and leads them out from valleys of despair” (Motokiyo 606). This shows that he is a good leader and he leads people out of sadness and darkness. It shows that people must like him because they follow him and he helps them out. The author uses characterization and descriptive detail to describe Atsumori’s power. The whole first passage shows Atsumori’s strength and gives a description of some of the things that he does.

In Atsumori’s part he talks about how the clan of Taira is growing larger. “Now the clan of Taira building wall to wall, spread over the earth like leafy branches of a great tree” (Motokiyo 606). This shows the great size of the Taira clan. It shows that the clan is increasing in size and they are building too. It uses a simile to compare the size of the clan to a great tree’s leafy branch.

The theme of the selection is Atsumori and describing his great power. Another theme is the clan of Taira and its size and prosperity. In the selection the author uses many similes and metaphors to describe these things. They also use descriptive detail and imagery.

sonnet 73 commentary

Ian Hedstrom

Ms. Peifer

10 IB hour 5

2/23/09 Hedstrom 1

Sonnet 73 Commentary

Sonnet 73 is the story of the author slowly realizing he is growing older and that he does not have a whole lot of time left to live. Shakespeare uses a series of metaphors to describe his purpose, which is the nature of his old age. He develops the theme through a series of metaphors, each implying something different. The first quatrain has the metaphor of a winter day and emphasizes the harshness and emptiness of old age “upon those boughs which shake against the cold, bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang” (3-4). This gives the sonnet a cold empty feeling. In the second quatrain the metaphor changes to the twilight and emphasizes the gradual fading of the light of youth “which by and by black night doth take away” (7). This shows that the light is being overcome by darkness and implies that his youth is being taken over by old age. With these metaphors in each quatrain he fails to face his issue. The metaphors of winter and twilight imply that they will happen again, but age does not start over, it is final. In the third quatrain he must realize this fact. The image of the fire consumed by the ashes of its youth is significant for its vivid imagery of the past and for the fact that when a fire goes out it can not be lit again.

The couplet renews the author’s plea for the young mans love, wanting him to “love that well which thou must leave ere long” (14). The couplet could not have been spoken after the first and second quatrains. After the third quatrain the author makes clear the nature of his “leaving ere long” (14) and the couplet is possible. He realizes love and death are intimately connected and that is true knowledge.

my trip to Italy

over winter break my family and I went to Italy to visit my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin. We arrived in Rome and stayed in their apartment with the rest of my family for a few days. While we were in Rome we went shopping and walked around seeing the sights. The food in Italy was really good, especially the pizza. We only stayed in Rome for 3 days before we went to my Aunt and Uncles house in a small town called Montissi in Tuscany. Their house is really big and they have a basketball court and swimming pool. Our family stayed there for about a week and we celebrated Christmas there. Two days after Christmas we went back to Rome for a day then flew back to Minnesota. It was a very fun trip.

antigone paper

Antigone Guilty

Antigone should be found guilty by the court of Thebes for deliberately going against King Creon's orders to not bury the body of Polyneices, Antigone and Ismene’s brother. Polyneices died while fighting against Thebes and because of this King Creon ordered that his body could not be buried and if anyone disobeyed this order they would be killed. “for him, the proclamation in the state declares he’ll have no burial mound, no funeral rites, and no lament. He’ll be left unburied, his body there for birds and dogs to eat, a clear reminder of his shameful fate. That’s my decision. For I’ll never act to respect an evil man with honours in preference to a man who’s acted well. Anyone who’s well disposed towards our state, alive or dead, that man I will respect” (Johnston 231-241). This shows how strongly he feels about leaving Polyneices body not buried. It shows how he thinks the corpse should be put to shame by letting birds and dogs eat it. It also shows how he will never respect someone who dies fighting against their state over someone who died fighting for it. Creon really did not want Polyneice’s body to be buried. This is shown when he says “There are men assigned to oversee the corpse” (Johnston 249). He assigned guards to watch the body to make sure that it was not buried.

Antigone was not afraid of the consequences for burying her brother’s body. “Don’t fear for me. Set your own fate in order” (Johnston 102). This is what Antigone says to Ismene when Ismene says that she is afraid for her. It shows that she is fearless and thinks her sister should worry about herself. Antigone says “No, no. Announce the fact—if you don’t let everybody know, I’ll despise your silence even more” (Johnston 106-108). This shows that she wants her sister to let everyone know that it was her who honored Polyneices and she was proud of it. Antigone was willing to bury her brother even if it meant death because she felt she was doing the right thing. “So be what you want. I’ll still bury him. It would be fine to die while doing that. I’ll lie there with him, with a man I love, pure and innocent, for all my crime. My honours for the dead -must last much longer than for those up here. I’ll lie down there forever. As for you, well, if you wish, you can show contempt for those laws the gods all hold in honour” (Johnston 88-96). This shows that she would be willing to die for burying and honoring her brother. She would gladly die for honoring her family even if it goes against the orders of the king. This is why she should be found guilty.

Antigone even admits to being guilty when asked if she committed the crime. “Yes. Zeus did not announce those laws to me. And Justice living with the gods below sent no such laws for men. I did not think anything which you proclaimed strong enough to let a mortal override the gods” (Johnston 508-512). This shows that since the gods did not tell her to not bury her brother she should be able to. She thinks that Creons order does not matter because a mortal came up with it, not a god. When she is told she will be sentenced to death she says “where could I gain greater glory than setting my own brother in his grave?” (Johnston 570-571). This shows that she is willing to die because she would die for honoring her brother, and she thinks that dieing that way is a great honor.

Antigone is a criminal. She blatantly disobeyed the King’s order and is proud of it. She thinks that the king has no authority over her and that breaking the law to not bury Polyneices was the right thing to do. She even talked Ismene into joining her as well, even though she felt that it was the wrong thing to do. She is nothing but a criminal and a manipulator and that is why she should be sentenced to death!

Works Cited

Sophocles. “Antigone.” Sophocles Antigone. Trans. Ian Johnston. 9 Aug. 2008. Vancouver Island University Malaspira. 11/24/08 .

LRJ 2

LRJ #2

Antigone wants to give her brother, Polyneices, a proper burial but she can't bury him because he was fighting against Thebes so King Creon said that nobody could bury his body. She buried him anyways and now faced the wrath of Creon. Antigone is perceived as a very strong and stubborn woman, but also shows her loyal and courageous care for her family. She cares for her brother even though he went against their city. "It is my nature to join in love, not hate" (Sophocles 118-119). This shows that she is stubborn because she wants to bury her brother against Creons orders. It also shows that she is strong and loyal because she is going against the king to protect her brother’s honor. Antigone really does not care what happens to her because she knows that what she is doing is right. "There is no guilt in reverence of the dead" (Sophocles 107-108). This shows that she thinks she should be able to show her dead brother love and respect.

Antigone's fatal flaw is that she chose to bury her brother, because even though she thought she was doing the right thing, she could be killed because of her actions. Her stubbornness led up to this because she refused stop trying to give her brother a proper burial. This is shown throughout many quotes in the story. "If that is what you think, I should not want you, even if you ask to come. You have made your choice and you can be what you want to be; but I will burry him; but if I must die, I say that this crime is holy: I shall lie down with him in death, and I shall be as dear to him as he to me. Not the living who makes the longest demands. We die forever. You may do ask you like, since apparently the laws of the gods mean nothing to you" (Sophocles 107-108). This shows that she is willing to bury her brother even if it means death for her.

Antigone's anagnorisis is that she realizes that even though her uncle is the king, he still will not show her any mercy for trying to bury Polyneices. He will still kill her no matter what. "O city of my fathers in the land of Thebe! O ye gods, eldest of our race!-they lead me hence--now, now-they tarry not! Behold me, princes of Thebes, the last daughter of the house of your kings,-see what I suffer, and from whom, because I feared to cast away the fear of Heaven!" (Jebb 242).

Antigone's Peripeteia happens when she kills herself because she knew that the after life would be better than starving in a dark, cold, cave. She knew she was going to die for the crime, so rather than suffer, she decided to just get it over with herself because there was nothing else to live for and she knew she was going to die either way.

The audience has a catharsis when Antigone is going to be sent off to the cave where she will die. The audience is not sure what Creon is going to do with her and it is very suspenseful. When the audience finds out that she will be sent off to a cave to die, they feel bad for her because she was doing what she felt was right. They think that she does not deserve such a harsh punishment because she was staying loyal to her family. "Tomb, bridal-chamber, eternal prison in the caverned rock, whither go to find mine own, those many who have perished, and whom Persephone hath received among the dead!" (Jebb 235).

In Antigone, women are portrayed as weak characters. It appears that women cannot do anything by themselves and they always need the help of a man. This is shown when Haemon says "If thou art a woman; indeed, my care is for thee" (Jebb 197). This shows he feels that women need his help. Ismene also talks about how women should not fight against men because they would lose. "Nay, we must remember, first, that we were born women, as who should not strive with men;" (Jebb 16). This shows that women feel that they are less important than men.

Works Cited

Sophocles. “Antigone.” The Internet Classics Archive. Trans. R. C. Jebb. 04 Oct. 2000.
Classics.mit.edu. 11/24/08
.

Sophocles. “Antigone.” Literature Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes: World Literature. Trans.
Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001. 814-826.

LRJ #1

Creon's Orders Ignored.

Yesterday morning news reached Creon, the king of Thebes, that his order to not give Polyneices a proper burial had been disobeyed. The news was broken to him by a sentry that ran to his palace. When the sentry arrived he was exhausted and out of breath, so he could not speak the moment he got there. Once the sentry caught his breath he explained to Creon that Polyneices had been buried. The king was furious when he heard this. The king replies “go and find this traitor and bring them to me, or else, you will suffer the wrath that I must bestow upon someone. Do not fail me in this task!” The king did not want to give Polyneices a proper burial because he dishonored Thebes, however, his brother Etocles was given a proper burial for his loyalty to Thebes. The citizens of Thebes agreed with Creon and were outraged when they heard the news that Polyneices received a proper burial.

Antigone was seen near where Polyneices was buried shortly after it happened. She was brought to the palace but Creon did not believe that she had buried Polyneices all by herself. Our wise king knew that she was denying her sister, Ismene’s involvement in the burial. When the king spoke to Ismene about the incident she confessed to helping her sister bury Polyneices. Despite this Antigone continued to deny her sisters involvement in the burial and insisted that her sister death would not be necessary.