Telling My Story of Humanities

There's a fine line between learning the values of humanities in a classroom where you have direct access to professors and students who can show guidance in your success, but since some cannot be concluded in classrooms, online courses have provided a unique different system where we have direct access to everything from the nationwide database, that includes resources from schools, and social media that televises teaching concepts including humanities, therefore shows me why this system helped provide me the best resources to succeed and show me how to appreciate the learning of humanities, and some of those come from certain artifacts that cannot be presented in direct contact with professors or students.

Reff, Daniel T. Plagues, Priests, and Demons : Sacred Narratives and the Rise of Christianity

        in the Old World and the New. Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Daniel T. Reff's "Plagues, Priests, Demons - Sacred Narratives" Novel Cover

Located by Folsom Lake College, Published 2005

        • Important to know the history as well as the change that evolves with the nature of Christianity, Daniel Reff’s illustration provides a guidance not just in the studies of anthropology, but he lays out a concept in which the reader can first learn the impact of how Christianity was effected and then beginning to rise in a form which coincided with both the roman empire and the studies of colonial Mexico. A significant topic that showed me as a viewer to learning the ways of Christianity, was the impact in which infectious diseases was taking over the Roman Empire. With this understanding, Reff simulates a form in which new beliefs and practices were deemed to new ideas of indigenous religions that could be accommodated to help rebuild the form of Christianity.

Shakespeare, William, et al. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Updated edition., 

        Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2012.

Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" Novel Cover

Published by New York : Simon & Schuster, 2012

        • In pursuit of learning the psychological characteristics of Hamlet, the author provides a unique pattern of which course of nature, an individual must take in order to avenge his father’s death. Which is what explaining the conflict of Hamlet becoming internal with the ability to wrestle on something based on his uncertainty, in which he feels very strongly to act upon. As a result to the reader, it teaches them that this uncertainty cannot be solved and that it creates side-effects of horrific resolutions evolving around the characters in the play, which also provides a unique system in Shakespeare’s style of creating plays.

EVALUATION OF HUMANITIES

        Looking back on the time that went into the development of this course, and now gathering all of the information that a student can evaluate and appreciate what they learned in a certain amount of time. It can become overwhelming for certain individuals including myself. From the beginning, it became clear to me that this course was meant to understand human geography and the nature of modern religions, almost like a history class, but there is more to it than what has been given in this course. One of those topics that was covered was the course of understanding the early renaissance and how certain religions such as Christianity helped rebuild the system for all religions across the world. I can refer back to one of the first articles I searched when understanding religions, and that was the matter in which Christianity “emerges in the face of a bewildering postmodern world where unity of any sort – religious, political, economic, ideological is contested” (Phillips, 2011). Its these types of arguments that allowed me to fully grasp the exploration of certain regions that provided guidance to help bring back important systems to this world and provide references for future generations to come. In some way, it can say that I accomplish the goal, but it became more of a progressive process, which could entail that I gained knowledge of humanities ethnics by leaps and bounds every week we discussed certain topics in relation to humanities. So overall, my goals in learning humanities provided a supply of leaping experiences that stood out to be more than I anticipated in learning.

"What are the Humanities? What Makes Us Human?" by Being Human Festival, YouTube, Published 13 November, 2020

        Since Christianity was something that I was never familiar with in learning the concept of humanities, it allowed me to look back and remind myself of what I had already learned before it came time to start this course. One of those can be the tragedy of Hamlet, because coming from high school and transitioning into college, where Hamlet was a required topic to learn about in high school, and now taking what I learned and apply that into evaluation of humanities, it only makes you that more interested in what can be acknowledged. Learning Hamlet in high school was something unique where you could analysis each character and present your theory of the play, but in this course, it allows you to go further into the reading process of what Hamlet’s intentions were in the middle of a crisis with certain family members and friends, that allow you to analysis what the author’s potential aspect for the entire play. And this is just another explanation for what each of the lessons has been taught to all of us learning humanities. In conclusion, to what has already been taken from this class and how we have evolved in that time frame, it showed me as a student, as a reader and as a analysis that you can never stop learning the true aspirations of human learning, where humanities evolves around every humanoid event or topic that has come to past and provide a concept of systematic learning that can be taught later in the future for the next generation, which is another reason why you can learn as much as you want in humanities, but you can fully grasp everything that it provides because we continue to evaluate our potential learning with new ideas and forms.

"Renaissance: William Shakespeare", Binogi, YouTube, Published 06 February, 2017

        • And lastly, the most important value that I can take from this class is the fact that we got to engage in certain communitive activities, where we can listen to each and give our evaluations of each other’s opinions on activities relating to the value of humanities, which ultimately makes me believe that the true potential value in humanities to progressing each other’s values in what we feel is important to express as far as humanities go.

Work Cited

Reff, Daniel T. Plagues, Priests, and Demons : Sacred Narratives and the Rise of Christianity

        in the Old World and the New. Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Shakespeare, William, et al. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Updated edition., 

        Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2012.

Gary A. Phillips. “Responsibility, and the Question, ‘What Is Christianity?’: <em>The 

        Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity</Em>.” Journal of World Christianity, vol. 4, no. 1, 

        2011, pp. 21–26, https://doi.org/10.5325/jworlchri.4.1.0021. Accessed 15 May 2022.

Binogi, "Renaissance: William Shakespeare (English) - Binogi.com", YouTube,

        Published 06 February, 2017

Being Human Festival, "What are the Humanities? What Makes Us Human?", YouTube, 

        Published, 13 November, 2020

Blogging Museum Visit

When going to a museum, there are certain artifacts that you may find interesting, some that you may not know even existed, and then there’s always that one piece that catches your eye, and makes you want to look and study the facts behind the creation of that certain piece. When it came time to examining the artwork of all paintings provided in this week’s presentation, one particular caught my eye, and stood out more than any other. That particular artist was Anthony Van Dyck, who created a number of portraits, but the one that stood out was his creation of the “Christ on the Cross”, and to describe it “The image of Christ as a solitary figure nailed to the Cross, envisaged with his head and eyes raised heavenward at the extreme moment of his suffering” (Jaffé, 1958). With this meaning, it was meant to represent an important religion of Jesus’ sacrifice, where his death was decided by crucifixion, and part of this symbolism was due to the nature of Christianity where Christians believed it could bring them human kindness in the form of redemption. Because of this, it becomes clear to my mind of the time period where Dyck was creating his portraits, because 1618 and 1627, Dyck was traveling from London to Italy and became influenced by Peter Paul Reubens who wanted Dyck to examine and relate his nature of work to a number of executions that were taking place in Italy. And ultimately, part of the reason why this piece of Dyck’s creation stands out above the rest is because in this particular setting, he wanted to resemble his youth of him and his father where his father never supported and wasn’t around with Dyck when he was growing up, which is why he wanted to present the use of loneliness in this “Christ on the Cross”, which explains why a number of his other works present more than one character in each of them. Theoretically, loneliness was part of the theme that Dyck wanted to incorporate in someone’s execution.

Anthony Van Dyck - "Christ on the Cross" 1627, 

Illutsrated by the Carmen Thyssen Collection, 

https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/dyck-anthony-van/christ-cross

Even though Dyck wanted to incorporate a different tone to the theme of the crucifixion in his design and creation, it only becomes a major influence for what the original work holds in value for the nature of Christianity. In the idea of the crucifixion, there were two major contributors to the idea, which were the Reubens and also Guido Remi. There works present the same tone and theme, but became the idea that was taught to become an inspirational form of how the European Baroque became to be in the creation of the Western Christendom. This is where the idea for the article became to the center piece to Dyck’s creation, because in Michael Jaffé’s article “Rubens' 'Christ on the Cross'”, it explains the nature and ideas that went into the making of the original painting of the Crucifix. One of the best examples that we mentioned was how the use of the Christ was meant to show the expression of dramatic and illusions of what life was like for the Reubens living in Italy and present it in the form of evaluation. An interesting form from the article presents a unique factor where “Christ is shown unadorned by the crown of mockery or the halo of divinity as the stricken hero, victorious and alone” (Jaffé, 1958). By realizing these ideas of events set by the Reubens, it shows the reader that this painting can be honored by the maturity that went into the Reubens mind of creation, for which can express the true nature of baroque imagination, and a certain ikon, in which now has become an inspiration for a number of artists, including Anthony Van Dyck. Even though his name was not the essential idea of Jaffé’s article, he was mentioned through the inspiration that went into the idea of the Crucifixion, also important to note because Dyck’s form provided a unique form of expression and maturity into other artists who were inspired by the Reubens success. 

Portrait of Anthony Van Dyck - "Self-Portrait with a Sunflower" 1633

https://www.anthonyvandyck.org/self-portrait-with-a-sunflower/

Since Dyck’s creation became an inspiration to the original form of the Reuben’s crucifixion, it just goes to show the true nature that many artists can express about their way of life in the form of art. Because we learned that Dyck’s ideal form was to create a form of execution which he witnessed and valued his thoughts through his time in Italy, and symbolic nature of inspiration in Jaffé’s article which he described in the forms which the Reubens expressed that the nature of his Christ was presented to be a dramatic tone of loneliness and redemption, because Christianity was a ideal form of belief for Reubens and they wanted to express their value of opinion. As he mentions “Between the figure in the life study and in the painting, the differences of modelling and expression can be best observed by detail comparison” (Jaffé, 1958). Because of this, it became the inspiration for the next generations to come. Including myself in this process was part of my overall theme for why it is important to take these lessons and values given upon us and express our true nature of how it has impacted us in a way that makes these certain artifacts special than any other. Because when valuing this painting of Dyck’s version, it showed a form of emotion and relief in my eyes because knowing that the man was going to die, he was going to die knowing that stood for what he believed in and knew by standing for his belief that he was going to be in god’s hand wherever the next journey took him. Because of these alternative ideas and symbolic forms of ideas, it allowed me to express a form of encouragement and happiness to stand up and except the nature of forms that bring to us in the learning development and express my true nature and redemption for why I felt this painting was special to me to present.

"Van Dyck: The Man, the Artist and his Influence" 

Created by National Portrait Galley & Published 26 January, 2015

Work Cited 

Jaffé, Michael. “Rubens’ ‘Christ on the Cross.’” The Burlington Magazine, vol. 100, no. 658, 1958, pp.                 

               21–22, http://www.jstor.org/stable/872382. Accessed 12 May 2022.

Jacobs, Lynn F. “Rubens and the Northern Past: The Michielsen Triptych and the Thresholds of 

                Modernity.” The Art Bulletin, vol. 91, no. 3, 2009, pp. 302–24, http://www.jstor.org/

                stable/40645509. Accessed 12 May 2022.

National Portrait Gallery. "Van Dyck: The Man, the Artist and his Influence". YouTube.  

                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfMVd__dkOM&t=8s

Who is Countess Almaviva in "Marriage of Figaro"?

Countess Almaviva 

Portrayed by Ellie Dehn, Located at the Royal Opera, Photograph by Mark Douet, 2015

In order to understand the nature of events in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro”, you have to understand Mozart’s first play that portrays Figaro’s play as a sequel, because technically, the roles that contradict the theme for one individual’s performance, tends to be the exact opposite of what he was accustom too. Which is why, the character in Mozart’s play that should be the ideal one to explore and analyze is the character of Countess Almaviva, who is portrayed as a womanizing husband who seeks to deceive another important character Figaro’s fiancé Suzanne. Countess Almaviva’s version in Mozart’s first play “The Barber of Seville” is appeared to be an outmaneuvering man who was intended to win one particular’s person interest in love, and with the help of Figaro, he was able to find love with Rosine, who was a heroine. But in this play, the role of the countess appears to be more controversial, with his methods of trying to seduce Susanna and guide him with the estimates of faithfulness. Most of these values can be further estimated with the help of Tili Boon Cuille who provides her comparisons of the two plays written by Mozart. One of those important quotes includes “The Countess’ physical imprisonment in Barber deepens into emotional entrapment in Marriage, and by the end of five acts of intrigue one rather wished she would let her wayward husband stew instead of forgiving him in a heartbeat” (Cuille, 2014). This was important due to the intentions of Mozart’s earlier plays where people didn’t feel he was providing enough drama for it be dramatic in some sense, which is why from learning these values of the countess, Mozart was aiming for more features in the countess’ performance, and ultimately why I choose his character for the theme of this presentation.

Performance of Countess Almaviva, voiced by Valerie Evans, YouTube

To go further with that understanding, it was more important to read the play first, then begin watching the entire play on video because in the reading, it appeared to me that the countess appears to be a desolated person but also a very distinguished woman. This can be supported with the statements of her trying to resent her husband from a dashing behavior, but more importantly, she does not want to let any other people know that she is appealing to women who are very young. This can be supported, because according to Richard Andrews, he claimed during a scene with Suzanne and the countess who are discussing certain behaviors with her husband that turn out to be divergent and jealousy. In Andrews article he quotes “she is more judgmental, perhaps more feminist, in her opinion of the behavior of ‘modern husbands’ in general” (Andrews, 2001). This goes with regards of the countess’ actions towards her people because it can show that she was tricking her husband into comprehending her development of love for him was more essential than his desire for more physically charming women. In regards to the role of the countess, this just goes to show that she was an intellectually and philosophical character that explores the idea of accommodating her pursuit of happiness with the need of preserving her social high standers and love joined together. 

Countess Almaviva showing determination to the Count in Act III,

Located at Seattle Opera's YAP, 2005

With all of these circumstances about the intellectual character of the Countess, and throughout the rest of the play, it becomes very crucial to analyze and understand what predicts the accommodations of the play’s theme and irony. This was all mostly represented towards the end of the play. Even though the Count was having an affair it also revealed a scenario of Figaro’s jealousy where the countess decides to switch clothes with Susan which will allow the Countess to seduce the Count which was her husband. In regards to this sequence, it provides a unique accommodation for Figaro suspected that his wife was having an affair and in doing so also believed that the countess was suppose to be Susan. To help present this claim, a quote from the play in which the Countess discusses the plan with Susan, “But forgetting all respect for your friend Figaro, and for the Countess your Godmother, likewise, you are endeavoring here to seduce her favorite woman!” (Holcroft, 1784). This provides the necessity details of both the dramtic irony that takes place in act five of the play and the role of Countess Almaviva’s actions because it depicts an unorganized situation for which only the audience would know at the time when this would occur and the characters would not know what was to come. Plus, it gives the audience an ultimate idea that the Countess was deemed to portray a type of villain for the play that was critical of the dignified corruption and would contradict the nature of the play for it’s low case morality. 

Work Cited

CUILLÉ, TILI BOON. Theatre Journal, vol. 66, no. 4, 2014, pp. 621–24, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24580476. Accessed 8 May 2022.

Andrews, Richard. “From Beaumarchais to Da Ponte: A New View of the Sexual Politics of ‘Figaro.’” Music & Letters, vol. 82, no. 2, 2001, pp. 214–33, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3526059. Accessed 8 May 2022.

Holcroft, Thomas. “The Follies of the Day; or the Marriage of Figaro”. Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. Published 1784. https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/holcroft-the-marriage-of-figaro-or-the-follies-of-a-day

Inside & Out of Lady Jane Grey

"The Tragic Life of Lady Jane Grey: The 9 days' Queen"

Illustrated by YouTube, Published 11 September, 2020

INTRODUCTION

There have been a number of different rulers that each provide a unique characteristic about their legacy as a ruler to where they were from, what they did when in office and what became the downfall of their life. This translates to what my view of the theme for the understanding of humanities in this semester, and that is evaluating the unique creations that have been portrayed either in paintings or sculptures of those rulers and what make those creations so unique to how the ruler was portrayed in life. We’ve looked at a number of male kings and rulers and not looked deeply into the history of women rulers or queens, and one of those that stood out when looking at different legacies was the name of Lady Jane Grey. One of the unique characteristics about Grey is that she was only fifteen years old when she was promoted as Monarch and Queen of England, but also to point out she was only on the council for nine days before she was executed for treason. To go further into details, we will be presenting the important events of Lady Jane Grey, who she was, how she became Queen, and how she was executed, plus there will be an analysis of an author who presents a theory into some features that went into the painting and we will be comparing those to the performance of Grey and how it translates to my theme for humanities.

       "The Streatham Portrait called Lady Jane Grey"

Owned by the National Portrait Gallery
Released in 1590s

SUMMARIZING LADY"S LEGACY

To begin, Lady Jane Grey was born in 1537, she was raised in Leicestershire and had a connection to King Henry VII by being the great granddaughter of the King. In 1553, she married Lord Guildford Dudley who happened to be the duke of Northumberland and very close friend to King Edward. After Jane and Guildford got married, King Edward became ill and was dying from sickness, because of this it persuaded the result of finding the next ruler of England, which is why Jane’s father-in-law John Guildford persuaded to tell Edward that Jane should be the next and rightful heir to the throne, in which after Edward’s dies, Jane became the new queen of England. This is where the painting of the "Streatham" portrait came into place, and the emotional side of this painting does not entail the legacy of Grey but of other values in Streatham portraits. For instance, in Susan James article, she claims that “it was not painted from the life, or indeed made during Jane Grey’s lifetime, but is a commemorative image” (James, 2018). This idea was from the possibility that things were not going to do well in terms of populace and ascendance, because Jane had the support of the royal council, but did not have the populace because of Mary Tudor who was the father of Henry VIII and theoretically the rightful heir to the throne after Edward died. For some reason, Dudley decided to depart from London in order to suppress Mary, but ultimately, the royal council declared him a traitor for his departure and both he and his wife Jane were sentenced to death for treason. Many people to this day do not understand the estimation of Jane’s execution other than to conclude that Jane’s father Henry Grey decided to join Sir Thomas Wyatt for the insurrection to go against Mary, but sometime later she had the intention to marry Phillip II of Spain, for the purpose of trying to terminate all of her opponents that could potentially stop her from being Queen. Because of this move, she then signed the death warrants of both Jane Grey and her husband and both were executed on February 12, 1553

DOWNFALL AND ANALYSIS

The devastation of Jane Grey’s execution was some of the biggest events in the history of England, and could be resulted by the presentation in which the portrait of Jane was used to describe her characteristics of life. In Susan James, article she presents a unique theory about the portrait of Lady Jan Grey, which was entitled, the “Streatham of Lady Jane Grey” which according to the National Portrait Gallery, it was determined to be released in 1580, which was almost thirty years after she was executed. This became the historical context of James article, since James found out that there were some circumstances leading that there was an original portrait made of Jane Grey that regards a commemorative likeness for her well-being as a protestant to the royal council. In the author words, she claims “In addition to the unlikelihood of there being time or interest in having Jane sit to a portrait painter during those brief chaotic days, an analysis of the evolution of both the upstanding fan-shaped collar the subject is wearing” (James, 2018). This would be ideal to the outline of Jane Grey’s portrait because there were some indentations of the jewelry and style of clothing that would not be ideal to the time period of 1580. In James estimate, it would have determined to be from the mid-1540s as well as the early 1550s. But even though there is a different portrait regarding the time and phase of Lady Jane Grey, the portrait was deemed to show that portraits were not focused on the ruler’s passion of what their legacy holds in their psychological figures, they were determined to present a phase of what rulers would’ve been deemed to look like in a time where everyone could see the highs and lows of one particular person.

To fully analysis Susan James' article, check out the link below and follow up more on the Streatham

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311983.2018.1533368

"The Execution of Lady Jane Grey"

Created by Paul Delaroche

Published in 1833

WHY IT WAS MEANT TO BE

Even though Susan James’ article may present more of a historical context of Lady Jane Grey’s portrait from 1580, it still provides great detail of what my view of her process was when she became Queen and monarch of England. One of the things that made me choose this particular ruler was because she had a legacy that was deemed for success, such as her being a protestant and trying to protect that legacy for other future citizens of England, and once she determined that she was not going to live out that legacy she still stood by her belief when she was tempted to convert from being a protestant before being executed. This can be determined by which Jean Marsden wrote in her article “Sex, Politics, and She-Tragedy: Reconfiguring Lady Jane Grey” about the indication of Jane’s determined will and strive as a protestant of all women during her time period. For example, Marsden’s estimates “These female figures are spectacles with one specific and noninterchangeable function: either model or virtue or fallen heroine” (Marsden, 2002). This accommodates with the situation that many people during the renaissance era of England, that some rulers were not fearsome of others and not willing to succumb to their beliefs that there era was no longer meant to be part of the world, Jane Grey died willingly with her strong belief in the continuation of protestants and something that focusses my view for the theme of humanities, it’s making someone feel the confidence that someone had willingly to strive for something greater but did not make amends, and in the process became an icon for future citizens to understand and learn from. Lady Jane Grey’s legacy for only nine days shows a tragedy of great succession with great traumatic downfalls that makes them an icon and a hero for the history of humanities.

WORK CITED

  James, Susan E. “Lady Jane Grey or Queen Kateryn Parr? National Portrait Gallery Painting 6804: Analysis and Historical Context.” Cogent Arts & Humanities, vol. 5, no. 1, Cogent, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2018.1533368.

Marsden, Jean I. “Sex, Politics, and She-Tragedy: Reconfiguring Lady Jane Grey.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, vol. 42, no. 3, 2002, pp. 501–22, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1556177. Accessed 27 Apr. 2022.

Why Hamlet was a tragedy as well as a savior to society?

 William Shakespeare's version of Hamlet represents more than just a story or play that details in the pride of revenge, it reveals a tragedy that brings about the nature of what a tragedy can do to a particular person and provide explanations where there are small settlements with no meaning points of views at anytime during place, and provide no central thing as worship that can be represented, which is why my focus for the reaction to reviewing Hamlet, was to show points of how Shakespeare's talents involving the intense motions of Hamlet who is being proven to show that he is not who we think he is, that he is more of a savior and a hero than just the tragic event of the whole play. 

For a more guided reference to understanding more of the character Hamlet, this link below published by Joseph Carroll provides much detail and guidance to a better understanding of what Hamlet is like in the Shakespeare's play Hamlet.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/style.44.1-2.230

Ignite HSC's "Why is Hamlet an ATYPICAL Revenge Tragedy?" video represents a self-explanation of how the play of Hamlet reveals to be a classic of revenge and tragic tale

When going through the outline of the play, is it important to contrast the two different Hamlet’s introduced, which are King Hamlet, who was the beloved by everyone in Denmark and brother to Claudius, who now has assumed the throne after the death of King Hamlet. Now, the other Hamlet is his son who feels distraught over the death of his father, but is more at grief when he learns that his uncle Claudius is now marrying his mother, Queen Gertrude. Most of the tone of Hamlet is set to be angered when Gertrude mentions to Hamlet “All that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity” (Act 1, Scene 2, line 72-73). This scene of Gertrude trying to reconcile with her son Hamlet after the death of his father, was the beginning of great many horrific ideas coming later in the play and also led Hamlet to a conclusion that he would prefer to be dead and not endure anyone, but this is not what everyone is focused on. The prince of Norway is in demand of invading Denmark so that he can avenge his father’s death who was murdered by former King Hamlet. This was an important situation because everyone was still focusing their attention to Hamlet’s situation with Claudius. As the play continues, Ophelia has become aware to not be surrounding her time with Hamlet by Laertes who feels that Hamlet is only after one thing and that it doesn’t include marriage. The intensity of the play starts to increase as the ghost meets with Hamlet to reveal a terrible tragedy. The former king informs Hamlet that he did not die from being bitten by a snake but it was his brother Claudius who murdered him by pouring poison into his ear. This this news, Hamlet becomes enraged with vengeance and anger towards Claudius that he swears to avenge his father’s death. Knowing the situation between Hamlet and Claudius, there is an interest of spying surrounding the other characters including Claudius who decides to hire Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet because of circumstances he feels Hamlet knows about his father’s death. The plan of Hamlet’s vengeance comes into play when he sees a group of travelling actors performing in front of Hamlet, and decides that he will put on his own play for Denmark to watch that will simulate the way Claudius murdered his brother King Hamlet. With this setting, Hamlet believes this will set a mousetrap for Claudius and allow him to confess his guilt when the play begins. Later on, there is still a situation involving between Hamlet and Ophelia, which includes Hamlet abusing Ophelia and letting her know that he never loved her. This was all spied on by Claudius and Polonius who witnessed the outburst of Hamlet but believe their must be another reason for Hamlet’s crazy behavior. This has now turned the tie on Claudius to deal with Hamlet, and in doing so he asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England. Another outburst has occurred with Hamlet and his mother Gertrude, and in the midst of this Hamlet realizes that he is being spied on which he believes is Claudius who is hiding and decides to kill him, but ultimately it turns out to be Polonius that he killed. More deaths have occurred now not just with Polonius but with Ophelia who has thrown herself to her death because she can not tolerate anymore with the abuse of Hamlet’s behavior and the tragedy of losing her father. Once everyone finds out, Laertes decided that Hamlet needed to pay for her death, which gives Claudius a platform to deal with Hamlet. He tells Polonius that he will compete in a dueling fight with Hamlet and stab him with a blade that has been poisoned which will kill Hamlet. Hamlet realized his outgoing with the plan going to England to be executed and decides that it will be best for him to succumb his fate in the duel with Laertes. Once the duel occurs, the plan does not go exactly as planned, because Laertes and Hamlet both have been stabbed with the poisoned sword, and Gertrude has died by drinking a glass of wine that had been poisoned as a backup for Hamlet. Everything started to shift because Laertes confessed the plan, Hamlet then killed Claudius and the two both reconciled before Laertes dies. Lastly, as Hamlet is dying, he instructs everyone that Fortinbras should be the new king of Denmark because Hamlet believes he has proven himself to be the rightful king. Fortinbras comes in the last scene of the play to see all the dead bodies, and shocks the viewers by declaring Hamlet a hero, a great man and be buried honorably. 

"A Watercolor of Hamlet", Act III, Scene IV: Hamlet makes a pass through the arras, by Coke Smyth

After reading and summarizing what Shakespeare illustrates in his play of Hamlet, it has allowed many viewers, including myself to conclude that this play revolves around a revenge play and more importantly a tragedy. This can go beyond the nature of Christianity, because according to the ethnics, revenge was immoral which is something Hamlet illustrated as a human being. To go further into the role of that form, there were many different meanings that Shakespeare makes about Hamlet’s character of the play. The most important that caught my view of the play was the use of anticipation on Hamlet’s plan for Claudius. For example, after his discussion with the ghost in act two and mentions Claudius, “As he is very potent with such spirits. Abuses me to damn me. I'll have grounds. More relative than this. The play's the thing. Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King” (Act 2, Scene 2, line 631). This presents a clear focus to the viewer that Hamlet is on a higher meaning of life, and something I believe was essential to what Shakespeare was looking for in Hamlet, that he is as much shocked by his father’s death as by his mother’s haste or marrying his uncle Claudius. Throughout Hamlet’s plot, there’s too much thinking going on with Hamlet that he cannot allow himself to control what is right and wrong. And ultimately, it allowed me to conclude that this play sits above any other play in Shakespeare’s performance because this play contributes the essential aspect of a great tragedy that truly represents all of the criteria of an Aristotelian tragedy.

"Le duel d'Hamlet", Created by Sarah Bernhardt, Published in 1900https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/style.44.1-2.230

There are many people throughout the world who’ve expressed great knowledge about the performance of Hamlet, but what is it that makes it so unique, and how did Shakespeare make it stand out more than his other works. One of those can be that Shakespeare was wanting something more out of his characters in Hamlet, a way to reveal just how complicated they can make a viewer, and one of those particular is being variety to the human mind. Being variety has it privileges, and Shakespeare acknowledged that through the use of soliloquy in each character, where each can talk amongst themselves alone on stage and just open their mind to the viewer. One of the most brilliant soliloquies in Hamlet is his first soliloquy “To be, or not to be? That is the question, Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer, The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles” (Act 3, Scene 1, line 64). A soliloquy can be a long paragraph of expression, but this first expression of Hamlet illustrates a purpose that Shakespeare wanted his viewers to develop, with Hamlet asking questions and the paralysis of which Hamlet is over-thinking a majority of the time when he is trying to carry out his vengeance on Claudius. It’s these performances that catches the view of the reader that allows them to think deeper into the character’s mind and explicit the nature of what each person in Hamlet reveals to the plot of the play. Ultimately, these soliloquies hold the cards to this play, in a way where each viewer has a range of feeling for each character, with a little of madness, angriness, craziness and happiness all exhibit a great tragedy and allows the viewer to see the difficult portions of Hamlet in a way where humans do not often see in the real world, which makes it more of a relief and a comfort to the reader. Shakespeare’s play of Hamlet illustrates the nature of following, contrasting and expressing one’s interest to one particular character which stands above all other plays of William Shakespeare.

Work Cited:

Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet". Folger Shakespeare Library. Edited by Mowat, A. Barbara & Werstine, Paul. Originally published 1603. Edited 1992.

Carroll, Joseph. “Intentional Meaning in Hamlet: An Evolutionary Perspective.” Style, vol. 44, no. 1–2, 2010, pp. 230–60, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/style.44.1-2.230. Accessed 18 Apr. 2022.

Changing the Renaissance in Music Theory

 

"The Concert", Created by Gerrit van Honthorst & Published in 1623

With the form of music and how it has become very beneficial to our society, “could secular art forms secure a stable place for themselves with the community” (Hertzman, 1940)? This statement from the author allowed me to look further into the history of music theory in the demands of the renaissance. Towards the end of the fifteenth century during the renaissance, there had become a huge increase in demands of qualifications in which certain areas like Europe were pushing for new ways of establishing their demands by law. This can be simplified by the matter in which the printing press had become a success for the entire north and western areas of Europe, but by the time the rise of the sixteenth century came into our world, there became a new form of showing the civic and religious life of what personal expression would bring to the members of the renaissance and that was the new ways in which music was being portrayed. In this presentation, we will present a new form of music theory that became a major factor in the performance of the renaissance and explain how it has impacted the rest of the renaissance in regards to how it was the solo form of the courtly life.

"Renaissance Music" - Created by Spark Music - Published by 11 March, 2019

From the early renaissance, the phase of music was still in early stages of sacred tones, which focused more on religious purposes, but all of that changed when a new phase came into play was the use of the chanson, which helped develop a new style of music that this is in regards to secular music. In an article written by Enrich Hertzman, he mentions the use of Chanson and its form of polyphonic helped create a new era of how music can become more than just of religious purposes. In his article, “Trends in the Development of the "Chanson" in the Early Sixteenth Century”, he mentions that chanson is “written in a more declamatory style, with tone repetitions and few melisma’s” (Hertzman, 1940). This was important to make out because as it grew, the development for sacred music began to dwindle and more publishers were wanting to expand the usage of chanson, not only just in Europe, but in other regions of the renaissance. With the help, more people began to see more ideas and creations can be transitioned into music which ultimately expanded more criteria of music development such as motets and masses, became more increasingly developed with the help of chanson.

"Renaissance Music Sacred vs Secular" - Created by Bookish (YouTube) - Published 30 November 2015

Chanson plays more than just the lyrics developed by the use of polyphonic singing, it composed a more ideal purpose to help translate the old purposes of which sacred music was portrayed and present in a way common way where more people can be acknowledged and expand more than just one outline of creating music. One of the greatest composers in Hertzman’s article Josquin des Prez had become so influenced by the use of Chanson that he believed it would be beneficial to be used in the teachings of his public school so that the next generation can fully grasp the nature of music in the concept of what was portraying in the renaissance. In regards to how Josquin expanded the use of chanson it showed a positive outlook on the rest of the renaissance because when brings about the usage of wars in criteria’s of creating poems, he concluded that “French poets and scholars had come in closer contact with Italian humanists and had yielded to their influence” (Hertzman, 1940). With this concept, it became clear to understand that chanson was becoming more than just an outline, but more of an influence for new renaissance members to seek and explore new forms of music theories that would eventually lead to new influences that music can be expanded not just on printing presses but on the concept of expansion in producing new religious and catholic forms of performing arts. Chanson ultimately showed that music like sacred does not have to be minimized to only religious criteria’s, but that secular music can be developed in the form of humanism, because ultimately it begins to show that people have more interest in the achievements of how human cultures have developed and expanded throughout the world and also express how their fulfillment through these forms of music theory have made an impact on how we view the world today.

(For more information in regards to understanding the true meaning of what Chanson is, one of the best links that helped me into fully grasping the idea of what it brings to the renaissance).

https://doi.org/10.1093/em/cau108

Work Cited:

Hertzmann, Erich. “Trends in the Development of the ‘Chanson’ in the Early Sixteenth Century.” Papers of the American Musicological Society, [University of California Press, American Musicological Society], 1940, pp. 5–10, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43873083.

Early Music, Volume 42, Issue 4, November 2014, Pages 567–578, https://doi.org/10.1093/em/cau108, Published: 08 November 2014

"The Concert" - 1623, created by Gerrit van Honthorst National Gallery of Art, Washington Patrons’ Permanent Fund and Florian Carr Fund, 2013. (Courtesy National Gallery of Art)

Treacherous Tasks of Repatriation & the Tamil Refugees

Humanities can play a major role in a person or a culture’s lifestyle, whether it’s the foundation or the major crisis of something becoming the end of a cultural lifestyle is all dependent on what some actions can lead or mislead too, and that mostly involves around a certain event which is called repatriation. Throughout the course of this particular outcome there have been a number of cultures that have suffered with an outbreak of either a war closing in on them or the separation of their party coming to the end of life, and one of those that became the major topic of humanism was in an article that was written and published by an economist named Abhijit Dasgupta and his work “Repatriation of Sri Lankan Refugees” explains a major event that occurred back in the early 1980s and continued into the 1990s about a certain repatriation that took place in India. As the article mentions the repatriation, the author represents more than just a event it provides a comparison of two different time lines that involve India’s enhancement. The first being was that of the IPKF where they were signed to direct certain refugees off of India because a number of war related events were occurring in some of India’s cities. As this was occurring, the signing of the repatriation included a memorandum of both the MoU and the Sri Lankan Government. With these governments, they could send up to 65,000 refugees that had been taken from India and place them in certain refugee camps including Batticaloa and Vavuniya. Throughout the article, the author mentions also the conditions that these refugees were forced to endure which evaluates the essential topic of what the author was trying to present. During the returning of these refugees, Dasgupta mentions places where refuges were placed in by the governments and “refugees were kept inside marriage halls at Tambaram near Madras the place looked like a prison with policemen and officials on guard day and night” (Dasgupta, 2003). This was one of the more important quotes of the article because the author was presenting the major crisis of the difficult terranes that these refugees had to endure when facing the Lankan Government and the repatriation of their homeland. As the movement continued, Dasgupta made arguments in regards to how these governments were trying to salvage certain areas of India by reopening economies, public schools for children and local housing developments so the foundation of India’s return could potentially return to normal.

In earlier points of chapter thirteen, one of the main topics that features the true meaning of repatriation is of course the returning of humans to their original homelands or state where they traditionally belonged, but long the way, the chapter cannot include the backside or behind the scenes events that would naturally occur during in a repatriation. In Dasgupta’s article, “Repatriation of Sri Lankan Refugees”, he argues that a majority of the refugees had suffered a tremendous aspect that would affect them for the rest of their lives. One of those being was the act of the Lankan Government getting ready to send back a number of refugees back into India when the IPKF was still in war with the LTEE, and some of the refugees were facing situations that the author claimed were not in character in regards to the actions of Repatriation. One of those included refugees being asked to sign documentation regarding their return, but some documents refugees could not read because they did not know English language and all documents were written in English. For example, in the article provided Dasgupta included “Refugees were asked to sign a consent form in which they declared, ‘I confirm that I wish to go back to Sri Lankan with my family members on my own accord’. Since the contents of the form were in English, many refugees had no idea what they were asked to sign” (Dasgupta, 2003). With this example, this became a standpoint for the number of the refugees regarding the repatriation in which they wanted to decide when would be the right time to back to India and not go when there was an outbreak of both the LTEE and IPKF governments going into war with each other. These became the seriousness of what the author was wanting to explain that repatriation had became a physical but more serious of re-establishing a homeland’s refugees that would allow a safe place for India’s hometowns people to go and return too with the help of the Sri Lankan government to help rebuild the foundations of India. 

Tamal Refugees were put into play when the Repatriation was sent out to Southern India and pick up and move refugees to camps operated by the Sri Lankan in 1985.

Repatriation can occur in a number of different outcomes but the outcome that Dasgupta presents in his article is so unimaginative that it stands out from the rest of other similar events. As the reading went into play with this article, it became clear to me that these refugees were being treated some poorly in the early stages of this repatriation that included some being separated and going into different camps for a long period of time, and also the way in which governments were handling these refugees and this was due to a number of mixed groups when refugees were deciding which camps to go into that would best suit them before returning to India. Another important link was a matter in which the Sri Lankan provided two different camps in which some can be under surveillance all the time, but that the same time, this wasn’t important to the refugees because they were focused on the circumstances of providing the care for themselves and whatever camp they decided to go into, they knew with these rights of destination, they can evaluate their rehabilitation for when it would be time for them to go back to their homeland. Even if “These women gave up their rights to live in camps as refugees, obtained clearance to leave the country” (Dasgupta, 2003), they can still determine when it would be the right time to leave for their home country. This was one of the things that caught my eye and saw a different transformation of how the earlier repatriations had taken place verses how some refugees in the later stages would establish themselves with the governments in which tried to problem-solve their rights by returning them at heavy burdens. Ultimately, for my understanding, this reading showed me the overall importance at repatriation is an essential and important aspect to achieve in regards to the overall importance of humanists because it’s the foundation that these refugees lived upon and were trying to regain custody of when the wars took place and how other governments were handing their rights and deciding when they should return, because ultimately, every culture deserves the right to have the decision and desire if they want to go to a place whether its home that needs complete rebuild or somewhere outside India, the outside world will know that India refugees have a saying and a peace for how they should live out their life and that is exactly what Abhijit Dasgupta provided.

One of the last homes of the refugees that still sits abandoned from the time zone of the repatriation  where several events related to the civil war demolished homes like this particular one which was later determined to be impossible to rebuild for the refugees but sits as a reminder of the events related to the repatriation of the Indian Refugees.

Work Cited:

Dasgupta, Abhijit. “Repatriation of Sri Lankan Refugees: Unfinished Tasks.” Economic and Political Weekly, vol. 38, no. 24, Economic and Political Weekly, 2003, pp. 2365–67, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4413676.

Chapter 13 - The High Renaissance