Blog #4

Justin Enriquez

British Lit. P.6

October 3, 2013

Symbolism in Macbeth

There are many ideas that surface in Kenneth Muir’s “Image & Symbol in Macbeth”. However one of the most significant is the use of symbolic writing y Shakespeare in his play, Macbeth. In addition to symbolism Muir also hints at imagery present in Macbeth. For example, he utilizes images like those which represent infants, illness, villains and heroes, and types of rest like sleep. Muir emphasizes that the most important of these images is sleep.

These symbols, themes, and images are emphatically addressed by Shakespeare and time and time again are used by him in order to bring together both the significant and insignificant events present throughout the play. Muir emphasizes sleep as a prime example of imagery due to acts committed by Macbeth that involve sleep.

When Macbeth murders Duncan, the victim was sleeping providing Macbeth with an easier way to commit murder. This image of sleep is often utilized by authors in order to signal weakness, in my opinion. In this case sleep was just an opportunity for Macbeth to reach his ambition to become king. Another example of sleep being utilized as an image is when Macbeth was resting and suddenly heard a voice which was his own conscience telling him to wake up, due to him now having a guilty conscience for murdering Duncan.

Blog #3

Justin Enriquez

British Lit P.6

October 3, 2013

One Character, Same Name, Different Stories

In both narratives, Sir Gawain is utilized as one of the central characters. In both, he is depicted differently and is done in order to convey different ideas and actions the author deems necessary for the narrative. However, there are also similarities between the Sir Gawain's in both narratives. Therefore, I will draw comparisons between the two in order to show the different roles Sir Gawain plays in Arthurian Romance.

The similarities between the two are what I will explain first. Gawain as discussed in class was the best knight in Arthur’s court. Gawain was also the one who often won the girl at the end of the story, but then always appears single again at the beginning of other stories, which gives him a reputation as a philanderer. Gawain’s philandering is limited to relations with unmarried woman, most of which are portrayed as the aggressors in the relationships. In The Green Knight, Sir Gawain is portrayed as a courageous, honorable, loyal, and somewhat truthful knight. Gawain does not back from the Green Knight which is evident in keeping his word with the deal the two had with each other. Gawain is also portrayed as a philanderer due to his relation with the Green Knights wife. Due to his Gawain being untruthful about the girdle this portrays him as being unloyal to the terms he had agreed with the man at the castle which will eventually turn out to be the Green Knight. Similar to the Green Knight, Gawain in Le Morte D’Arthur is also portrayed as a knight in King Arthur’s court. In his first adventure, he fails to show mercy to a knight who asks for it, then kills the knight's lady by accident. Like in Sir Gawain & The Green Knight, Gawain fails at something like he failed to tell the truth about the girdle. Then Gawain promises another knight to help him win his lady, and ends up sleeping with her instead. Again there is a similarity in which Gawain is portrayed as a philanderer.

Differences are that in The Green Knight, Gawain is an overall better knight unlike in Le Morte D’Arthur in which he is a less excelling knight. For example, in the Green Knight, he is able to complete his journey and keep his end of the deal with the Green Knight unlike in Le Morte D’Arthur which he fails time and time again to complete various acts such as showing mercy to a knight who asks for it and then killing the knight's lady by accident.

These help us understand Sir Gawain's role in Arthurian Romance by giving us different aspects on Gawain’s overall traditional character in Arthurian Romance. For example, he is almost always portrayed as a philanderer.

Blog #2

Justin Enriquez

British Lit. P.6

October 3, 2013

Campbell Applied to Sir Gawain

In applying Campbell to Sir Gawain there are an abundance of topics that can be mentioned. However, one of the most important of these topics is how Sir Gawain is included in Campbell's guidelines of a heroic epic. For example, one of the most obvious ways Sir Gawain can fall into Campbell's guidelines of a heroic epic is the very broad fact that Sir Gawain journeyed throughout the narrative. By reading this you will not only draw comparisons between Campbell and Sir Gawain but will be able to draw specific comparisons that will show insight on both Campbell and Sir Gawain. Therefore, I will explain how Sir Gawain falls into Campbell's guidelines of a heroic epic.

One way Sir Gawain falls into Campbell's heroic epic is by being introduced in the ordinary world. In the beginning of the narrative, a mysterious Green Knight approaches King Arthur and his crew in which Sir Gawain is present. This is considered the ordinary world because the event takes place during a New Year’s Eve feast at King Arthur’s court. Even though I am considering it ordinary it will soon be proved to be extraordinary in my second point.

The second way Sir Gawain falls into Campbell's heroic epic is by being called or challenged in which an adventure can be applied. For instance, Green Knight says that he will allow whomever accepts the challenge to strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the challenger find him in exactly one year to receive a blow in return. King Arthur is whom the challenge is originally pointed to but Sir Gawain steps up and chops the Green Knight's head off. As mentioned before, this is where the ordinary and extraordinary world collides due to the fact that the Green Knight is still able to talk even after he is beheaded. Therefore, Sir Gawain is challenged and being called upon to chop at Green Knight's head which along the way is going to have to venture on a journey in order to meet the Green Knight in a year.

        The third way Sir Gawain falls into Campbell's heroic epic is by being in possession of a reward they have earned along their adventure. In the case of Sir Gawain one of the most significant rewards he is given is a girdle in which contains magical powers that will be of benefit to him when he meets the Green Knight. This girdle helps him survive the otherwise lethal blows the Green Knight provides him with which is why I suggest that it is one of the most significant rewards.

Justin Enriquez P.6 Blog #1

Justin Enriquez

British Lit. P.6

30 August 2013

The Analysis of Beowulf

My take on agreeing or disagreeing with the criticism made by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on Beowulf is that I do in fact agree with the author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. From his critique on Beowulf I agreed with his view on the missing elements of poetry that the unknown author of Beowulf failed to provide. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien provides a very accurate perception on Beowulf in which he states, “Beowulf has been used as a quarry of fact and fancy far more assiduously than it has been studied as a work of art". In addition, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien also states, “So far from being a poem so poor that only its accidental historical interest can still recommend it”. In these statements of Beowulf that John Ronald Reuel Tolkien provides, he is basically saying that Beowulf is utilized more as a historic  story of fiction than what it is meant to be used and appreciated as which is a poetic story in which lies historic events. One reason why many readers may mistake Beowulf as a fictional story rather than a piece of poetic literature is largely due to the style in which the unknown author of Beowulf wrote it in. Normally, readers would read poetry as short stanzas in which additional lines may be provided by the specified author. However, Beowulf being in the epic style it exists in is 3,182 lines of alliteration long. Beowulf is written as an epic poem which is a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds. This plays a major role in how readers perceive Beowulf because if it were written in the lines of how readers regularly perceive poetry than it would be more easily identifiable. Therefore, since Beowulf is written in its epic style readers fail to perceive it as poetic literature and instead a very long historic fictional story. As one has just read, I do in fact agree with John Ronald Reuel Tolkien and his analysis of Beowulf and how he criticized the epic poem stating that the author failed to represent poetry in his literary work.