Working with Data from Shakespeare Concordance

1. What thematic strands have you located?

beauty...bloom...flowers...decay...rot...youth...growth...death...stench...

2. Where is the data you retrieved found? What is happening in context when Shakespeare employs this particular theme or image?

The data is found in Act 1, Scene 5 and Act 2, Scene 4. Act 1 uses flower to emphasize beauty, Act 2 uses flower to emphasize death. The rose is used to describe the beauty or essence of women but can also symbolize death in the sense that as soon as women blossom, as a rose blossoms, it starts to lose its beauty. The rose wilts, just as a woman ages and is not as youthful and radiant as she once was.

3. How does the data you retrieved support your first thoughts on Shakespeare's obsessive use of a particular image? What can you argue about Shakespeare's figuration?

Shakespeare uses images to convey meaning, but many meanings not just one. The use of the word flower was used as something beautiful as a woman or rose but then also something that rots or dies quickly, and is very frail. Shakespeare's figuration depends on the context of the story, but all of the words he strategically chooses have meanings that can be interpreted any which way you would like to see it.

Twelfth Night- Act II/Act III

Viola: I am the man (II.ii.25)
This line is important for its irony: indeed, Viola is “the man” whom Olivia desires, but more strikingly she is not a man at all! This discrepancy is the source of a major conflict in the play. Viola says it best in her next line: “Poor lady, she were better love a dream.”
-Taken from http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/psu08tn.la.rv.text.lpact2sc2/-
Viola is surprised that Olivia sent her a ring, and now knows that Olivia is in love with Cesario. Viola (Cesario) means that she is the man that Olivia loves, not Orsino. She will not take Orsinos' ring or accept his love, but will take Cesarios' ring even though he did not give her one. She wants Cesario, not Orsino.

Malvolio:...and yet to crush it a little, it would bow to me... (II.v.143-145)
Malvolio is reading the letter Maria wrote as "Olivia" and even though it does not exactly say "To Malvolio, my beloved..." Malvolio uses the clues given to make himself believe that Olivia was referring to him. People believe what they want to believe, and that is just was Malvolio did; he is in love with Olivia and wants her to be in love with him as well, so when he got that letter he automatically assumed it was from Olivia.

Viola: Then think you right. I am not what I am.
Olivia: I would you were as I would have you be. (III.i.148-149)
Viola says that she is not who Olivia thinks she is; a good young man. Olivia tells her she would want her (Cesario) to love her and to be like how Olivia wants her to be. As Olivia loves Cesario, she would want the mutual affection- but Viola tells her she cannot, but not explaining exactly why.

Dang iPod

For me, writing the small object/large subject essay was very entertaining and influential...what I mean is now I want to buy the new iPod Nano, the one with the video camera! How could some information and advertising make me want to ditch my beloved iPod and get a new, red, pedometer-including, video-recording, iPod Nano? After writing so much about how the iPod is cherished here, it made me think about how we as consumers just want, want, want and I do want more! I'll give the old one to my mother, that makes up for it right? As I researched about the iPod, I got to really see how popular iPods really are- millions of people own them. Yes, if you walk outside everyday, you WILL see at least one person with an iPod- but to see hard core facts about how in demand they are, it is astonishing. Not only do people own iPods, but Apple itself had run out of many iPhones because the consumer demand was so high, and not enough were made. I guess Apple didn't know that their phones would be that demanded... Writing this paper was very beneficial to my rambling and freedom of expression; it wasn't just "what did this author mean by this line?" or "how does this story compare to that story- don't forget to use your literary elements!" I hate those papers, and I understand we need to write those types as well, but the expressive ones are better. They are more flexible and you can tweak them to fit your preferences and as long as you put research and back up your data, you are good. So yes, iPods are great...but so are expressive-writing papers :)

Inkshedding Act II. iii. 4-5

"Nay, by my troth, I know not; but I know to be up late is to be up late."
-Andrew

After evaluating all of the responses to what this line may mean; I have come to the conclusion that what Andrew is saying, he does not know for himself. Andrew and Toby are so drunk, that they are speaking nonsense and do not even know if it is late or not; since it is past midnight and the alcohol has affected their sense of time. Andrew does not believe, as Toby believes, "that to rise early is good for the health." Andrew just knows that it is late, because it is past midnight...but could that mean it is early then, since it's technically the morning? All of the responses say that Andrew is just talking foolishly because the alcohol has distorted his processes.

A few things I'm perplexed about... ("Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare)

1.) Why does Viola want to join Olivia's household as it says on pg. 10?

2.)How does Viola know Orsino...enough to love him? (pg. 22)

3.)Why doesn't Orsino get some courage and just profess his love for her by himself?

4.)I'm confused about the conversation between Maria and the fool and then with Olivia, what are they talking about? (pgs. 27-31)

5.)Why didn't Viola just pass on Orsinos' message to Olivia in front of her attendants and Maria? Why did it have to be so private?

6.)Why, after criticizing her, does Olivia begin to love "Cesario"? (pg. 43)

To Take Wildness is Hand- by Michelle Nijhuis (Abstract)

Global warming is effecting our planet, and the health of trees is evidence of that. The Torreya Taxifolia in Florida that Connie Barlow studied showed signs of deteriorating the last half-century, and eventually death of the once- "vibrant and strong enough to use as Christmas trees" trees. Torreya State Park, where the trees once used to flourish is now "rich only in plant life and prisons, stupefyingly hot in summer and eerily quiet nearly all year round." Where the name of the park would suggest that it would have Torreya trees, it does not explains Nijhuis, because the trees have been dying due to the increasing temperature. Like all living things, trees need to be in a certain environment to live and grow strong and healthy, but these trees grew no more than a few feet tall and were very skinny- not big, tall trees you had in mind and usually see. The reason for all this says Nijhuis is because of climate change. Not only are trees dying, but animals and plants move toward cooler regions as well. They want to get away from all the heat, thus causing a major shift in direction, and a major change in the ecosystem. Many conservationists have tried to do their part to help, and continue to do so, but global warming is evident and there is no denying it says Nijhuis. So what do people think of doing for the Taxifolia? Well move it to another region of course. This caused much controversy, but after it had been done- it showed that many of the trees grew healthier than before. There's that idea, then there's burning the land to "restore" it and start anew. People do what they can, and believe that it's the best way to help- but who knows what is the most efficient way to help? Nijhuis says that we must all get together as a society and stop global warming from escalating, and we must. If global warming keeps escalating, the taxifolia tree, and many other living things, will diminish and eventually become extinct.

Virtual Iraq- Abstract

Sue Halperns' article "Virtual Iraq" describes the system of virtual reality games and how they help veterans of war overcome their fears of everyday living. [Virtual Reality therapy] "It requires the patient to revisit and retell the story of the trauma over and over again...[to] rid it of its overwhelming power...so that although the memory of the traumatic event remains, the everyday things that can trigger fear...are restored to insignificance." So little by little, with patience, patients like Travis Boyd* get to overcome their fears of socializing with people or going out or just living a normal life. They put on a headset that allows the psychologist to show moving images of, say Iraq, to expose the patient to what they fear. The patient will feel as if he is in the scenario again, as if he is really there in Iraq, or wherever the experience occurred. Slowly, the psychologist adds cars, then people, then more details such as gun-firing sounds, smoke, murders, etc. All of these sensory details help the patient get used to seeing it, they won't be afraid of something that triggers these memories (such as loud noises). The key to benefiting from this treatment is patience and exposure. The psychologist has to slowly add the objects that trigger stress to the war veteran; one day the soldier could just be sitting down in a bus, then slowly people would be added, and on and on until they reach the point of when the memory is disturbing to the patient. By that time, after going over it again and again, the soldier gets used to it and starts to understand that just because it happened once, does not mean that it will happen everyday, and they should not fear living the life they used to, a normal life.