The Rape of the Lock

During class a couple of us were talking about how this story and especially canto 3 seems like alice in wonderland! i re-read some of it and i found more and more how they share characteristics. I find it interesting that Belinda is compared to the sun. This has many meanings but i think that this suggests her great beauty and that she is the center of this story. It kind of reminded me of alice because of her bright blonde hair and her being the main character. I also thought the idea of her hair being so important had a lot to do with Pope's commentary on women. Because a stolen lock of hair was such a big deal and was so sad, i think pope is saying that all women really have to value is their hair. Or, the idea that a woman can be loved or known just by simply her hair because there is nothing else.

-Andrea Yarnell

Criticisms of Christianity and Chastity in Rape of the Lock

In "Rape of the Lock" by Alexander Pope he is obviously making fun of the upper class and their focus on the trivial.  I thought it would be interesting to examine some of the specific criticisms he is making in this poem.  On page 2517 of our book, lines 91-95, Pope questions the idea of chastity.  He writes "what tender maid but must a victim fall to one man's treat?" I found this criticism most interesting.  If throughout the poem Pope is making fun of trivial things nobles value, that means he thinks virginity is a trivial thing.  This seems like a thought that would be apart from his time considering the extreme value placed on sexual purity.  This might just be his perspective as a guy and women in general were the ones valuing the chastity. Or perhaps he wouldn't be so flippant about his own wife's chastity.
Another thing Pope makes fun of is the cross that the woman is wearing.  "On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore, which Jews might kiss and infidels adore" (7-8). The criticism here is not about the Christianity necessarily but the pride associated with it. When Christians wear their faith in order to make Jews and infidels feel bad, then Pope has a problem.
In just two minor lines, Pope made fun of overly zealous Christians and chaste women. This poem is not a simple satire about the silly nobles and their trivial desires, Pope makes some serious criticisms.  Of course he does it in a very funny, epic way.
-Molly Hakso

Maybe Slaves Have a Respected Place in the Novel

Like Cherise, I was interested in the author's own personal feelings toward slavery in Oroonoko.  I do think that this novel is more sympathetic toward the slave as an individual than other books of its time.  Oroonoko/ Caesar is meant to be viewed as a noble and honorable character. For example when defending his people "he put himself in a posture of defense, placing all the women and children in the rear" (2219).  This passage both shows Oroonoko to be an honorable character while at the same time I don't think it dehumanizes the other slaves as mentioned in the earlier blog.  The fact that the land in which Oroonoko is from is so idealized reflects the positive view the author has of the people.  It is not a lowering of all slaves besides Oroonoko either as the author writes, "we live in perfect tranquility and good understanding" (2185).  This passage places all the other slaves in the same spot as Oroonoko, which is of course a good things.  Basically, I thought this book was great because it was far ahead of its time.  Some sources I looked at actually said it was the first novel to have slaves shown in a positive light.  And it was fairly well-received even though it was written by a woman!
-Molly Hakso

Peace Between Slaves and Masters is a Load of Crap

I find it interesting that English writer, Aphra Behn, focuses so much on the idea that she and others of her nation have the most wonderfully peaceful relations with their slaves. She even goes so far as to state that they “live in perfect tranquility and good understanding” (2185). Unfortunately, this comes across as an idealized version of the truth. Yes, the slaves may appear respectful toward their masters, but they are by no means living in “perfect tranquility” with them. Slavery is rarely (if ever) a positive situation for those in it.

As the narrator, Behn only appears to respect Oroonoko because he is “a royal slave”(2183). She does not afford the other slaves the same amount of recognition. Instead, they are described as barbarians and uncivilized. The narrator does not hold these slaves in high regard because they are not valuable to him. As stated in the beginning of the story, the narrator states that he and his people are good to the slaves because “it behooves us to do” (2185). They need the slaves to show them “the best foods of the country and the means of getting it” (2185). In short, the English only choose to be peaceful with the slaves for or their own selfish reasons.

In addition to Oroonoko’s royalty, Imoinda is respected for her “pretty features” (2184). Imoinda is only a necessary character in the story because she is an attractive slave, not because she exhibits redeeming characteristics that the English value. The other slave women are not even mentioned; they are unimportant because their looks are not sensational.

In short, Behn’s point that the English and the slaves coexist in perfect harmony is simply ridiculous. The English don’t understand the slaves at all and only value them for superficial reasons.

Oroonoko

Throughout Oroonoko Behn constantly describes the Prince as an intelligent and very noble man, displaying a fervent belief in the natural superiority of the aristocracy. If she believed that one man could be display these qualities, its difficult to understand why she could tolerate the enslavement of other human beings. Therefore when she describes slavery as a cruel sentence worse than death, how does she reconcile that with her belief in the inherent noble qualities of a slave? It seems her regard for human life only applies to someone who she can consider a social equal.

Slavery by Behn

I also thought Aphra Behn's descriptions of slavery were very interesting. What struck me the most is when Behn writes that slavery is worse than death. This passage caught my attention because it reminded me of Arthurian literature in which death is honorable. In Oroonoko, the old king regrets sending Imoinda into slavery because she is too honorable for it. Imoinda begs for death, but the king's wrath sends her into slavery. This perspective on slavery must have been a wake-up call for many Englishmen. Those who never thought about who slaves were before becoming slaves are forced to think about how death is better than their current situation. Behn's text brings the issues of slavery into the public sphere in a way that highlights slaves' humanity. Behn represents slavery in a way that violates human dignity, making a change in behavior or attitude toward slavery inevitable. The emotional involvement of Oronooko forces the reader to become involved in the issue of slavery through a different human perspective.
Lauren Sandelius

The Voice of the Narrator in Oroonoko

Aphra Behn employed a very unique and innovative style of writing in Oroonoko because the narrator frequently comments on her own tale. It is almost as if the female narrator is speaking to readers conversationally or writing a letter to a friend. Despite the informality, this method of writing increases her credibility because she continually states that she was either closely involved with the plot or she received a firsthand account from someone who was. For instance, she did not directly witness the death of Oroonoko, but her mother and sister were standing by and were able to pass on the details of the event. Her words throughout the short novel are infused with authority which makes the story more real and reliable.

I also thought it was interesting how the narrator inserts random anecdotes about her life throughout the tale. Behn obviously enjoyed regaling her readers with descriptions of the local wildlife and the cultural customs of the natives. That is why her writing is often classified as a “travel narrative,” and I think it added a lot of depth to the story. Writing with this narrative strategy also provided Behn with the opportunity to state her opinions concerning matters of colonialism and slavery. The amount of empathy that permeates her words on these subjects exemplifies her authorship as a female and further individualizes her work.

On George Herbert's "Easter Wings"

I always thought of concrete poetry as something that was silly and fun, but not overly meaningful or serious. This is probably because my only experience with concrete poetry prior to this year was in middle school. However, in George Herbert's poem "Easter Wings," I was amazed at not only the complexity of the words themselves, but at the complexity that the shape the words take infers. Firstly, that the image of the wings flying side by side--Christ and the narrator--acts out exactly what the poem says, and secondly, the way that the middles of the wings not only emphasize certain words but specific phrases, and that the middles of both of the poem's wings mark a place where a change happens. Not only that, but Herbert was a genius: what better way to capture the reader's attention than by forcing them to turn the book sideways? They can't get distracted by any other poetry that way. "Easter Wings" completely changed my views on concrete poetry.

-Kelly Johnson

The Innocent

While reading Aphra Behn's Oroonoko I noticed from the narrator's first detailed description of the origin of the slaves the reflection that Behn seemed to hold these people in high regard. It seems obvious that at one point Behn was actually in Surinam and her description of the people at the beginning of the short story suggests that she felt sorry for the Africans who had become slaves. She speaks highly of the slaves origin in Africa stating, "Some of the beauties which indeed are finely shaped/for they have all that is called beauty." Behn reminds readers in this story that even slaves are human and beautiful despite their color. She continues to say they also attain human qualities, "They are extreme modest and bashful/And though they are all thus naked." This contrasts with the traditional 17th century view of slaves as being lesser human beings if considered human beings at all. She also uses many biblical references comparing the slaves to Adam and Eve before the fall. I believe this shows that Behn saw the slaves as completely innocent creatures, undeservedly forced into slavery. I believe this may reflect Behn's feelings toward the institution of slavery as a whole, suggesting that the African people are honorable and innocent human beings that have been made ugly and undesirable through slavery. I thought about this all Thanksgiving Break and was wondering if anyone else had any thoughts on this subject.

A Fall into Corruption

Life before and after the fall is depicted in the narrators voice and descriptions of Adam and Eve as well as nature in Milton's A Paradise Lost.  Prior to their fall, Adam and Eve lived in harmony with nature, living through their senses and communicating with each other peacefully. Everything is described as beautiful and appealing to the senses, from nature to Satan himself. It all switches once they eat of the fruit. They are overcome by animalistic desires and passions. Reason escapes them. Not only do Adam and Eve as people fall but they bring Nature down with them. At the time of the fall nature quakes and thunders, they use the flowers as a bed for their animalistic sex and their corruption pollutes everything around them. Miltons uses this comparison of a beautiful, pastoral setting to one of destruction and chaos to show the effects of the Fall on humankind. What was once perfect was stained, leading to desire, hate, and other passions and forms of corruption bring brought into this world. The Fall was so great that Nature itself was brought down with Adam and Eve.

Adam by Milton and Lanyer
In a continuation of the conversation on Adam, I was also intrigued by Milton and Lanyer's contrasting depiction of Adam. The issue of who's to blame for the Fall is a difficult question because I believe there is no answer. Milton's depiction of the relationship between Adam and Eve is harmonious before the Fall and conflicting after. I agree with his depiction of Adam and Eve after the Fall because both are trying to put blame on the other. Milton accurately captures the problem of the Fall as men and women fight for equal blame. What I disagree with is Milton's perspective of the perfect male-female relationship. His gender roles are too traditional for my tastes, but his depiction of the Fall as a battle of blame is correct in my perspective. He shows an awareness of the blame game in the final lines of Book 9 when he says, "Thus they in mutual accusation spent/The fruitless hours" (1187-8). I believe Lanyer supports my perspective on gender roles; however, her response to the Fall puts too much blame on Adam. Her defense of women shifts blame onto men instead of arguing against traditional gender roles. Her argument is ineffective because she becomes the problem of the Fall by falling in Milton's "mutual accusation."
Lauren Sandelius

Oroonoko

Behn is vague in her support of slavery -- though she portrays it as as atrocious and horrid institution, she never says that she is against it, and in her novella portrays Europeans as superior to the Africans in many ways. Her description of Oroonoko demonstrates this, as she describes not a typical African male, but instead an idealized version, saying that “his face was not of that brown, rusty black which most of that nation are, but a perfect ebony or polished jet. His nose was rising and Roman instead of African and flat. His mouth, the finest shaped that could be seen, far from those great turned lips, which are so natural to the rest of the Negroes. The whole proportion and air of his face was so noble and exactly form that, bating his color, there could be noting in nature more beautiful.” However, Behn also details the horrific torture and abuse of Oroonoko at the hands of the treacherous white governor. She is ambiguous in her support of slavery, for she has arguments in both sides of the debate but never fully commits to one, even in the issue of superiority. For example, Oroonoko slays two tigers that no white man could overcome.

Comedy of Duplicates

I had not realized that even in Shakespeare’s times writers often fell into the problem of common themes. When I watched this play I realized that I had already seen quite a similar story line. Comedy of Errors revolves around not one but two sets of twins. These twins not only look exactly alike but they are also wearing exactly the same clothing. These twins are named Antipholus and Dromio. Both pairs of twins have the same names and have the same master servant relationship; Antipholus being the master and Dromio the servant. To make the story more interesting the Mead drama club has put the story in the 1920’s in America. The change in the place and time does not do very much for the story. To tell truth I think the change was made to be easier on the repetitious needs of the wardrobe department.

The plot you can likely guess is similar to Twelfth Night. After twin look-alikes cause a large amount of trouble everyone in the plot is brought together and the whole plot is explained in the end. Going from one relationship to the other the twins cause problems for everyone. Though, the thing I would like explained is what parents could ever think, naming two sets of twin children the same name, is a good idea. But there are other similarities to Twelfth Night, both of the twin main characters get accused of madness much like Malvolio was. Similarly the play also makes fun of the Catholic habit of exorcism. Though in the Mead play the character that is called to help the insane main character is a doctor I’m pretty sure the original character was a priest. This change was likely made for the time period and audience.

Mead went out of its way to try to make the convoluted story a little more understandable. The first way they did that was to create a Corus that gave summaries for each section. This character would enter and explain in modern language what was about to occur in the play. Over all the play was passable but reminded me greatly of a lot of Shakespeare other, much better plays.

Sexuality in Paradise Lost

Milton has very clear ideas about human sexuality and what is the wrong and right way to go about it.  In the first part of book 9 Adam and Eve's relationship seems innocent.  Sex isn't mentioned at all in book 9.  I think looking at the wreath Adam makes for Eve is the way Milton wants sex to be portrayed in perfection.  Adam "waiting desirous of her return, had wove of choicest flow'rs a garland to adorn her tresses" (line 840-842).  Companionship is the emphasis her, Adam wants to be with Eve for her companionship.  He symbolically drops the garland when Eve returns, like the loss of their innocence.

I think it is shocking that Adam and Eve seal their act by having sex. Milton seems in this book to portray all sex as bad since we don't get an example of "holy" sex.  Their guilty sex is described as "they took their fill of love and love's disport took largely, of their mutual guilt the seal" (lines 1042-1043).  Their relations are seen as excess and bad as a result.  Milton really seems to have it out for everything that is woman.  Even the physical side of their relationship is seen as bad and the sign of their guilt. 

-Molly Hakso

Paradise Lost

While reading Paradise Lost, I was interested in Eve's thought process after she ate the apple before returning to Adam on pages 1990 and 1991. She debates in sharing what she thinks is full happiness with him (line 819) or to keep the knowledge to herself. While reading the next line when she said to add what lacks in female sex, the more to draw his love (lines 821, 822). The wording used insinuates that women are below men in terms of knowledge and that by her eating the apple allowed women to be intellectually equal with men; something I had never considered prior to this poem. On another note, I was rather irked when Lanyer asked why poor women are blamed (line 77, pg. 1315), when all I could think of is because she ate the apple. But when talking about placing the blame, Eve doesn't take the blame in Paradise Lost (pg. 1997) but instead she blames the serpent and she blames Adam. I can understand why Eve would blame the serpent, in line 1152 Eve asked why he should mean ill or seek harm, she is innocent or naive, but either way blaming the serpent is expected. But to blame Adam, really?!? In line 1155 she said that you're the head and you should have commanded me not to go and none of this would have happened. At an earlier time in my collegiate study, I argued that Adam ate the apple after Eve in that he knew it was wrong but he did it because his wife told him to; never had I ever read that Adam bit the apple in fear of being separated from Eve, which I found a particularly interesting perspective to read.

Sympathies for Satan

Following the reading of Milton's Paradise Lost, I found Milton's language of Satan to be very interesting. It seems that although Satan is generally depicted and known as the antagonist for deceiving Adam and Eve, Milton writes in an unusually favorable manner toward Satan. In Book 9, Milton reveals Satan's feelings toward the new paradise God has created, "Rocks, dens, and caves; but I in none of these find place or refuge; and the more I see pleasures about me, so much more I feel torment within me." In this passage we can see that Satan is miserable and perhaps regrets his fall from heaven. Here Milton's language seems that he feels sympathetic towards Satan's demise, that no acts can be considered good outside the law of God. Milton puts Satan in a human-like aspect where he feels grief for his rebellion against God, and the sight of God's new paradise only makes Satan more angry towards mankind. I found this aspect really interesting and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but it is interesting to read about Satan in a sympathetic light.

Depiction of Adam

I found it really interesting in the different ways Adam is depicted as being at fault in the fall. In paradise lost is describes Eve as taking a bite from the apple and then running to find Adam for him to do the same. I never heard the story go that way because I always thought they were together when Satan tempted them. And, in paradise lost Adam has already figured out how much damage Eve has made by doing this so he takes a bite too because he doesn't want to be away from her. This is seen as still Eve's fault because she "made him do this." In Salve Deus, there was a really interesting quote that says, "But surely Adam cannot be excused; Her fault though great, yet he was most to blame; What weakness offered, strength might have refused, Being lord of all, the greater was his shame. Although the serpent's craft had her abused, God's holy word ought all his actions frame, For he was lord and king of all earth..." (lines 33-39). I had never looked at the story this way and thought about how much greater the blame should be on Adam because he was the ruler of the garden and the lord. It is interesting to look at the story like this and have the blame sort of pushed on the other side because it is never looked at this way. This is a pretty feminist way to look at the story of the fall but is very different and a new perspective i had never heard before.

Andrea Yarnell

Adam: what a guy

John Milton glorifies Adam in his "Paradise Lost" many times, often using Eve's "shortcomings" to further place Adam on a pedestal. Adam is first depicted as an endearing husband, whose only goal is to be a figure of love and support to Eve. After Eve relays to him that she has eaten the forbidden fruit, Adam first reprimands her for falling prey to the serpent's temptation. However, he then turns sickeningly diplomatic, saying "For what thou art is mine/Our state cannot be severed, we are one...to lose thee were to lose myself" (lines 956-959). Adam clearly states that he will only follow suit and eat the fruit for the sake of being noble, or even to make Eve fell better about herself. This blatantly places all blame on Eve, and portrays her as a weak woman who needs Adam's noble spirit to reaffirm herself. Milton later states that Adam ate the fruit, but "against his better knowledge" (l 998). So Adam not only knows what the consequences are, according to this passage, but willingly eats it, apparently "fondly overcome with female charm" (l 999). I feel that this is not a very valid argument on Adam's part, the fact that he was only "fondly" tempted by lighthearted female charm does not affirm his noble character.

Genesis 3 as a Narrative

I think one of the reasons I particularly appreciate John Milton’s Paradise Lost, is because he adds a narrative twist to an otherwise straight-forward and biblical story. The story of the Fall of mankind according to Genesis chapter three is very blunt and to the point, without any deviation from the simple retelling of events. In Milton’s illustrious version however, he provides motives, dialogue and thoughts that make the relationships more dynamic. For instance, the Bible never suggests that Adam sins not out of temptation for knowledge, but for the sake of Eve whom he loves. I thought it was a brilliant editorial decision on Milton’s part to make Adam choose loyalty to Eve over obedience to God. I had never before considered the thought process that must have gone into making that decision—if Adam had rebuked temptation and refused to take a bite of the apple, he and Eve would have to be separated. He wonders if God would make him a new Eve, or if he would be left as sole steward of Earth. In the end, he would rather be sinful with Eve, than innocent and alone. It is interesting that Milton’s poem suggests that even before the fall, man feared isolation enough that he would be willing to sacrifice anything in order to have someone to spend their life with.  Eve recognizes this as well, which is why she presents the situation to Adam in such a way that made him believe he had no alternative but to eat the apple and join her in her fallen state.

Milton and the serpent

I think it is interesting in 'Paradise Lost' how Milton portrays the serpent and how he explains why Eve listened to the serpent. I have always wondered why Eve was so easily convinced by the serpent, and what happened that is not described in the Bible passage. While I do not necessarily agree with Milton's version of events, I think it is very interesting how the serpent tells Eve that he had already eaten of the tree and it had given him speech, how the serpent was beautiful, and how the serpent manages to persuade Eve that it was alright right after she tells him that it means death to eat from the tree.

Rachel Means

Layner vs. Spreght

In From Dalve Deus Rex Judaeorum Aemilia Lanyer addressed the issue of Gender. Her argument is that men need to stop holding a grudge against women because of Eve's decision of eating the forbidden fruit and deceiving Adam to also eat it. In turn she holds a grudge against the men by saying that it is their fault for killing Christ and his apostles. My question is, is she really being the more mature and bigger person by pegging this horrible incident on men? Yes, Eve did eat the fruit first but Adam and Eve did not realize the sin till they had both consumed the fruit. This leads me to Spreght's view on gender. She believed that both men and women were responsible for the sin in the world. I believe that she would respond to Lanyer's argument of it being men's fault for killing Christ as a fallible argument. Spreght would say that it is not one specific gender's fault, instead it is everyone's fault because both male and female are fallen. When it comes to the gender issue, I still side with Spreght. Layner's argument is a little more on target compared to Swetnam, but Spreght saw the equality in both genders.

Be A Bigger Man

After reading Lanyer's "Eve's Apology in Defense of Women," I realized that the author makes a really good point that a stronger man, a man created perfectly in the image of a perfect God, would have refused the forbidden fruit Eve had taken from the garden. This idea really struck me because it is something that even our biblical literature courses here at Whitworth neglect to explain. If Adam was created so perfectly and in the image of God, how is he so easily tricked? Furthermore, how can men be seen as "better" than women in just about every biblical context when men blame the "weaker" sex they should be protecting? By blaming women for the downfall of humanity in general, men prove that they are incapable of being God-like because they cannot forgive. Maybe the next time this issue is raised in a theological discussion some men will have the...guts to call out the church for using women as a scapegoat for the fall of man.

Eve, Eve, Eve

It's clear that Milton is not a feminist. Eve doesn't listen to her husband and tries to be wise and look what happens! The fall of humanity. And Adam only joined in because he loved her and was bound to her for life-good man. He knew what he was sinning when he bit the apple while Eve had reasoned herself out of guilt beforehand. Strangely my favorite character in this reading is Satan. Milton's language at describing the serpent and the way he carried himself was appealing. By the end of book 9, he was the only character who didn't change. Adam and Eve were bickering and blaming one another, and Adam was winning the argument. Eve's defense of herself isn't that she was trying to do a good thing but that Adam wasn't in control enough of her. Adam's defense was that he was too trusting of his wife. This portrayal is clearly favorable of men over women which has been typical in most literature since the dawn of time. Milton goes back to the reason why women are lower then men-they caused the fall. His work is beautiful-full of poetry and wonderful descriptions. I disagree with his portrayal of women, but I do think it's interesting how he in a way very comically describes (stereotypically)both genders post fall. Eve's first reaction was to win her love over through intelligence and have control while Adam wanted to have sex right away. Bits of that stereotype are still relevant today. I don't like how Milton portrays females, especially pre-fall; however it is typical of the time and hasn't changed too much even in today's culture.

Poor Stupid Eve

In Salve Dues Rex Judaeorum I had thought Aemilia Lanyer was writing in response to Milton’s Paradise Lost, especially in the section, Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women. But I just looked up the dates and realized that Paradise Lost was written after Salve Dues Rex Judaeorum. Though, Eve’s Apology might not have been written directly at Milton; it is likely that Milton was not the only man to hold this low opinion of women. Lanyer was probably writing this piece in response to other men at the time. She specifically responds to the biblical claims of intemperance, pride and ambition that Eve was accused of at the time.

Lanyer does this first by bring up women who were close to God and tried to save Jesus. She prefaces the poem by bringing up Bible figures from Deborah to Marry who were beloved women and integral in God’s plans. In the poem she refers to the fact that Pilate’s wife received a vision and tried to save Jesus. She also portrays Eve as a “poor soul” (28) who was betrayed by her simple goodness. This does not vindicate women as great towers of knowledge and strength but it does at least try and argue that the fall was not from spiteful cunning. In the end she even turns the poem on men calling out that it was Pilate, and in turn men, that sent Jesus to his death not women. And I suppose considering the fact that Jesus’ death was a bigger religious mistake than the fall Lanyeris trying to say; men messed up bigger than women did.

Milton the sexist

Milton has a very unflattering portrayal of women in his description of Adam and Eves fall in Paradise Lost. Eve in the story seems little more than a ditz. She is easily won over by the flattery of the snake and by taking the apple to Adam the story makes it look like she realizes what the apple has done to her and wants to take Adam down with her. There are almost no redeeming qualities to the Eve portrayed by Milton.

I would like to propose that Milton is not portraying Eve in the Biblical sense as much as he is superimposing the problems he had with his wives on Eve. In some ways I believe he is even taking out his own resentment towards women in this story. We learned from class that the first women he married left him within a few weeks of the marriage. This shows a deeply indecisive women who is unwilling to commit and is very likely unable to communicate with the brilliant Milton. This experience likely solidified Milton’s view of women as ignorant and fickle. Milton also tries to portray women as something that will bring you down if you care for them to much. We see this evidently when Eve brings the apple to Adam and he decides to follow her because he doesn’t want to be without her. Obviously Milton does not have a very good opinion of women.

Paradise Lost-Satan

After reading the first five-hundred lines of Paradise Lost Book 9, I started thinking of the mental state Milton must have been in to write this depressing work. I think it says a lot about the time period that Milton would pick Satan as a type of epic hero for his work. After reading Molly's post about Satan as another villain, I couldn't agree more. The descriptions of him wanting to cause misery and suffering for others is obviously a villainous trait but the disturbing part, to me, was the amount of time and detail Milton put into describing Satan. This type of familiarity with such evil could be representative of the time period in that the people (Milton included) feel so deprived and depressed that they can almost sympathize with Satan himself.

Satan in Paradise Lost

My brother read Paradise Lost for a great books class he had at his college. He couldn't stop raving about it, especially the role Satan plays.  And after reading the introduction, it was clear that my brother isn't the first person to be fascinated by him, Blake and Shelley thought he was the real epic hero of the story.  Anyway, my point is, I paid a lot of attention to Satan in this section we had to read.  The first thing that this Satan, as told by Milton reminded me of was of Don John in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Both characters recognize that they are more unhappy around beautiful things.  Satan says at one point "the more I see pleasures about me, so much more I feel torment within me" (lines 119-121).  This doesn't seem like an epic hero to me, just another villain.  The reason I don't think it sounds like an epic hero is because Satan has accepted his inability to be happy. He now knows he made a mistake in rebelling so he will bring everyone down with him.  I think that Satan must have been more admirable character in the previous books because he is currently just depressing.  As he possesses the serpent "mixed with bestial slime" (line 165), Satan sinks to a low.  The only way for him to be happy would be to repent, yet he is determined to destroy the human race.  I hope someday I can read the rest of the epic so I can closely read Satan's degeneration.
-Molly Hakso

Elizabeth's Effect On Gender Worth

During and after her reign Queen Elizabeth was lauded as a very effective and ruler, making her respected as a Queen and surprisingly, for the time, as a woman. Her command in politics and skill in diplomatic leadership forced her rivals and peers to regard her very highly. As England's first undisputed female monarch, Elizabeth's capabilities must have motivated a change in society's value of women and shaken beliefs about sexual inequality. It is interesting to note the change the literary role of females before and after her time as queen; few of the pre-Tudor works that we have covered feature prominent, strong female characters and yet the Duchess of Malfi is a strong, albeit tragic character.

The Catholic Church: The Duchess of Malfi

After reading Act 5 of the Duchess of Malfi in class on Monday, a couple of things caught my attention in my analysis. Its interesting to think that when the Cardinal confessed to Julia his part in the killing of the Duchess, that this was Webster commenting on the the politics of the Catholic church and Queen Elizabeth. Even after the Cardinal confesses this to Julia he poisons her with a Bible. Both of these actions are references to what Webster seems to claim as the destruction of by way of the Catholic church. Assuming that the Duchess is a representation of Queen Elizabeth, Webster asserts in this play that the Catholics themselves were involved in the death of Queen Elizabeth. This is primarily symbolism suggesting that the Catholic church has threatened and corrupted England undesirably. Similarly, when referring to the instance when the Cardinal kills Julia with a poisoned Bible, I found that this represented the English belief that the Catholic church was a false and poisonous sect, infecting the English people themselves. I found this commentary very intriguing and it certainly helped me understand the historical aspect much more thoroughly.

Duchess of Malfi

I agree with Elaina on the fact that the Duchess's persona has reversed. I too had the opportunity to act this scene out and it was very interesting to see how the characters have become more complex through every act. For example the Duchess went from a women who was portrayed a lot like Queen Elizabeth in the fact that the Duchess was strong willed, intelligent, did what she wanted to do, was stubborn, and strong; but by the beginning of act 4 everything changes. Now the duchess is weak, emotional, and depressed because the center of her life (her family) is gone. I feel that this portrayal of women is seen more throughout literature after the death of Queen Elizabeth. In the Jacobean age women are either seen as horrible creatures who ruin every man's life or they are seen as hopeless unintelligent human beings who cannot help themselves. I also feel that a comparison could be made between the people of England mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess's emotional instability. Before death took over both the citizens of England and the Duchess were content and and lived in stability. After the death of Queen Elizabeth and fake deaths the Duchess's family, depression and instability rule the lives of both the citizens and the Duchess.

The Coy Mistress

After reading the Coy Mistress, I thought it was interesting to see the way the author poked fun at the Petrarchan style of romantic writing that was so prevalent in the Elizabethan Age. The author had a number of funny and sometimes disgusting ways of drawing parallels to that style, but none was better than lines 13-15 which say: "An hundred years should go to praise Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze; two hundred to adore each breast." This was the best line I've read all year in terms of humor. Talk about a slap in the face to so many romantic poets, Andrew Marvell stepped it up a notch in saying that he would spend twice as much time on a single breast as he would on her eyes! Obviously, when trying to woo women this tactic would not be very successful and his sarcasm toward the Elizabethan romantic works was much appreciated.

Duchess of Malfi's Despair

Act 4 scene 1 in Duchess of Malfi showed an interesting insight into the characters of the Duchess and Bosola. I able to perform it and I watched it as well and was taken aback by how distraught and hopeless the Duchess has become. At the beginning of the play she is such a strong-willed woman who doesn’t dwell on death. She opposes her brothers and does as she wants. Her breaking point is in this scene when she is tricked into believing Antonio and her children are dead. She has nothing left in this world that she wishes to live for and turns into a dramatic, wailing mess. Bosola has changed from his heartless, murdering, ruthless character to one who is trying to convince the Duchess that life is worth living. “The stars shine still,” there is hope in the world and she shouldn’t just give up. It’s heartbreaking to see how much the Duchess has fallen and is looking for every possible way to get it across that she doesn’t wish to live anymore. They have switched roles in a way, to the Duchess being obsessed with death and Bosola the one who is encouraging life. This scene shows Bosola’s respect and affection for the Duchess in that he is trying to convince her to not give up.

Duchess of malfi act 4 scene 2

I really liked this scene and think it was important to this text. Ferdinand fails in his attempt to break his sister's spirit because before dying, she affirms her sense of self-worth and says, “I am Duchess of Malfi still,” which shows that no one could take that away from her. She has attempted to show her destiny in a world run by men, but remains to the end defiant and proud, high above the corrupted world she leaves behind. Her love and strong will in life in the midst of everything bad that is happening grabs on to existence even after being strangled to death. Bosola, inspired by her brave example, experiences a conversion of spirit as well, and becomes a better person. The entrance of the madmen is also interesting at this point in the play because it kind of foreshadows how things are going to fall apart and not be good after this. This relates to the point in history when Elizabeth dies and then the people do not like James and mourn Elizabeth a lot. With the end of the tudor dynasty there was a lot of hard things that came about with religion and this goes along with the duchess of malfi because it shows the ideas of unrest and controversy.

Andrea Yarnell

The Unknown Webster

I was also surprised that I have never come across John Webster before, especially as a theatre major. Because of a parallel of classes, we are studying the Jacobean revenge tragedy in Theatre history next week. While it is unfortunate John Webster is not more well-known, I can understand why. The way I see it, the revenge tragedies are difficult plays for professional actors to perform, let alone high school students. The plays studied and read in high schools are usually plays that can be performed and understood by high schoolers. The revenge tragedy is a difficult genre that is best characterized in the Jacobean era. Because of our bias toward Elizabethan arts, I believe that many teachers choose to focus on this era. However, we know that the monarchs reigns are arbitrary dates that do not actually correlate with any real literary change or achievement. Although the social and political changes during the reign of King James turned the focus of literature in a different direction, the styles of Shakespeare and Webster are similar in their focus on the episodic form. Webster should be studied because of his prolific revenge plays and his embodiment of the Jacobean period. However, I believe he is not studied in high schools or a popular figure because of the preference and extent of the Elizabethan era.

The Duchess of Malfi

To be honest, I'm really surprised that I've never heard of John Webster, or that he's not more popular. I know he was a contemporary of Shakespeare's but was not nearly as prolific as him, which I suppose is a huge factor in any author's popularity and relevance. Still, I think that The Duchess of Malfi is my favorite play that I have read in class so far, even beating out Shakespeare's Twelfth Night or Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. Though it is deeply disturbing and macabre, it provides a fascinating look into sexual psychological aspects that were taboo in Elizabethan times, and I think that it is one of the earliest major English feminist plays that I have read so far. Though the Duchess ultimately dies a tragic death, she is undoubtedly a gracious and noble character, while most of the men in the story are weak, murderous, incestuous, or confused. By contrast, the Duchess is strong, intelligent, beautiful and charismatic, and is victimized by her two evil brothers, who are notably part of the church. Many of the men in her life are in love with her -- Antonio, Bosola, and even her own brother. This is part of the psychological aspect that I find so intriguing. It never says outright that the Duchess' twin brother Ferdinand has incestuous feelings towards his sister, but it is hinted at implicitly throughout the play and would provide a good motive for Ferdinand's violent obsession with her.

Exploration and Sensuality

Please excuse the late post as my google account has been shut down for the past 4 days. Last Friday when we covered Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress," I found it really interesting that exploration and sensuality went hand in hand. While the entire poem involves the act of man seducing woman, there are many instances where a reference to English exploration is mentioned. In lines 4-6, "To walk, and pass our long love's day. Thou by the Indian Ganges' side, Shouldst rubies find," Marvell mentions the English exploration of India, referencing the English East India Company hold in India in the 17th century. I found that marvel uses this comment of exploration to also refer to the exotic, distant ends of the British Empire, therefore making exploration sensual. Also, the fact that this poem is considered one of the best known carpe diem poem of the 17th century, while remaining very sensual, alludes to the comparisons of exploration and sensuality. I find this similarity very interesting, that the far reaches of the empire were considered dangerous, sensual, and dream-like in 17th century England, not much different for US citizens and far off vacation spots like Hawaii or the Virgin Islands.

John Donne's "The Flea": Based on True Events?

While we were reading and discussing Donne's poem in class, it struck me that there were a lot of similarities between the events in the poem and Donne's biography a few pages earlier. Obviously, there are no references to a flea in any part of Donne's biography, but there are myriad other parts that match in the poem. For example, Donne married his wife Ann secretly, and when it was revealed, both Ann's father and Donne's employer were furious. In the poem, the narrator speaks of forbidden love and secretly marrying, despite the fact that relatives would be angry: "though parents grudge" (14). I simply couldn't help but notice a lot of similarities and wondering if Donne's poem had any basis in fact.

While reading a post below, titled "The Salmon/Dogfish" by bmshelton, I couldn't help but notice that the way the Duchess' monologue at the end of scene 5 of act 3 is described again brings to mind the discussion of relating the Duchess to Queen Elizabeth that we had in class. I had not thought of the nets described in the poem (132) being symbolic of marraige, but now that I hear the analogy, it makes a lot of sense. Perhaps the sisterhood that seems to be formed between the two fish is symbolic of being between the Duchess and Queen Elizabeth?

-by Kelly Johnson