JLC 1

Mah jong:
it's a card game sort of that is really popular in asian culture. It's played by 4 players at a table and it requires strategy and skill with a little bit of luck also. They use tile things as cards that have a bunch of chinese symbols and pictures and the players represent different winds, which is mentioned in the joy luck club novel. During the game players pick up and discard tiles and you have to get like a certain set in your hand and then you call out mah jong. It's a pretty complicated game with lots of different styles and rules. I think this relates to the book for the obvious reason that the women play it, but also how it relates to the winds and wind is definitely a motif in the novel, the mention of "invisible forces" and winds shifting has come up a few times.

othello- 12/15

character analysis:
I think othello is an interesting character because at the beginning he seems like the most moral, heroic, strong, faithful guy. but then as the story goes on he's completely corrupted by really stupid stuff. it could be sort of a metaphor for how people aren't necesarily who we think they are. and the people who seem like they have everything together maybe don't. and then you have a character like emilia who the whole novel seems so submissive and weak and like a total pushover and then right at the end all the sudden she comes off totally strong when it really counts. she stands up for herself, she tells off iago and she tells everyone the truth. she's crucial to the plot and really kind of saves the day, in a sense. she rises to the occassion and ends up being really heartfelt and strong. i think that's interesting how those two characters contrast and what that suggests about human nature in general.

othello-12/14

One thing that Shakespeare does in the book is the assonance where all the male characters names end with o and all the female characters names end with a. i think that this affects the story in that it sort of creates a divide between male and female like two seperate groups and I think that shows up a little in the book like the difference between male and female and how one treats the other. Another thing is the sentence structure and how he has a lot of long sentences and I think this makes the book a little slower to read but everything is very flowy. and another thing I noticed is that there's a lot of references to animals and metaphors using animals. And this gives it the affect where he could be comparing how people are like animals, especially when they are taken over by certain emotions like jealousy and don't act civilized.

othello 12/13

"Is this the noble Moor whom our full Senate Call all is all sufficient? Is this the nature Whom passion could not shake? Whose solid virtue The shot of accident nor dart of chance Could neither graze nor pierce?"

Lodovico says this about Othello and I thought this was key because he's basically saying aren't you the man who we all admire? Who's strong and doesn't let anything get to him or shake his morals or faith or value. And Othello is acting so out of character and not at all how he usually is. And I think that's key because it's showing how jealousy is basically turning him into a different person. And his whole life he's never let anything get to him and all of this lies and deceit turn him into a monster who's planning to murder his innocent wife. And that's key because the turning point in Othello's character would also be the turning point in the novel where things start to get ugly.

my comment:
I think that's an interesting quote also and I wonder how Othello and the other characters will change throughout the story and if anyone will ever learn the whole truth

Cast for Othello

Othello: I'd cast Denzel Washington because he'd be good as a main character role and he looks strong and important like othello should look. I chose these two quotes because I think that they show how he is very noble and confident in himself and his feelings.
"If you do find me foul in her report, The trust, the office I do hold of you Not only take away, but let your sentence even fall upon my life"
"I love Desdemona, I would not my unhoused free condition Put into circumscription and confine For the sea's worth."

Iago: I'd cast Vin Diesel as Iago because he looks like he could be a nice guy on the outside and he's strong so that's good for the fact that he's in the military. And Iago is very tricky so I don't think he should look too evil on the outside. I chose the first quote because the word poisonous sort of reminds me of his sinister personality and his plotting and how he can't let go of his hatred it "gnaws" at him. and the second because it describes how hes tricky and deceitful.
"the thought whereof doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my innards"
"Knavery's plain face is never seen till used"

Desdemona: I would cast Keira Knightley. I think she just looks like how I would picture desdemona. I chose the first quote because she sort of stands up for herself a little more than other women in the story she's a bit more independent and fierce. I chose the second to illustrate that she's also very loving and caring and sensitive shes very in tune to othello and his feelings and obviously cares a lot for him.
"Do not learn of him Emilia, though he be thy husband"
"Let me but bind it hard, within this hour it will be well..."

Emilia: For Emilia I would cast Zooey Deschanel because I think Emilia would have kind of dark hair and she should be sort of quiet and I think you could give her sort of a plain look. I chose the first quote to show that she is very submissive and not a very strong personality so far and the second to show that although she kind of goes along with Iago and she's a pushover she's not really an evil person.
"I nothing but to please his fancy"
"if it not be for some purpose of import, givet me again. Poor lady, she'll run mad when she shall lack it"

Othello-Journal Response 2

It was interesting how Cassio and Desdemona are just talking and being friendly and Iago, in an aside, he mentions how he's happy about that and he's going to use all their friendliness and their so-called politeness to make it even easier to frame Cassio. When Iago and Roderigo are having their exchange, Iago tells him how he is supposed to do something to upset or annoy Cassio. And he is just manipulating everyone because Iago knows that Desdemona and Cassio's exchange is totally innocent and Roderigo tells him that but Iago twists it all around to convince Roderigo. And I think it was interesting how Iago says "Knavery's plain face is never seen 'till used" at the end of the scene. I think what he's saying is that evil and trickery and deceit are often right in front of you but you don't see them. Like how Iago is right under Othello's nose and is someone he trusts but he has no idea that Iago is plotting against him.

16th century cyprus

Cyprus is a small island located in the eastern part of the medditerranian sea about 30 miles from turkey. The ottomans were a turkish tribe and in 1570 they attacked cyprus who was having a lot of issues with their government. Cyprus got their weapons from the venitians but the ottomans sent in 60,000 troops and took over the island and a lot of people died and they changed the government and stuff.

my comments:

on Moors:

Olivia said...

I wonder who they lost their land to in Africa? and also what was there religon that they were forced to hide? on epilepsy:

Olivia said...

it's interesting how epilepsy was viewed differently at different times. I wonder why they were so fascinated by this disease as opposed to any of the other diseases?