Beowulf Comentary

Julian Teeple
Ms. Peifer
English 10 IB
December 13, 2008
Important passage from Beowulf
“‘Now that I have bartered my last breath to own this fortune, it is up to you to look after their needs. I can hold out no longer. Order my troops to construct a barrow on a headland on the coast, after my pyre has cooled. It will loom on the horizon at Hronesness and a reminder among my people- so that in coming times crews under sail will call it Beowulf’s Barrow, as they steer ships across the wide and shrouded waters.’
Then the king in his great-heartedness unclasped the collar of gold from his neck and gave it to the young thane, telling him to use it and the warshirt and the gilded helmet well.
‘You are the last of us, the only one left of the Waegmundings. Fate swept us away, sent my whole brave high-born clan to their final doom. Now I must follow them.’ That was the warrior’s last word. “
These are the final words of Beowulf in the epic of the same name. The translator, Seamus Haney, uses many different literary devices to make the epic more compelling. He uses alliteration to emphasize major plot points and action sequences. He also uses a different word scheme and choice then if someone else was writing it. These devices, and the storytelling and event points featured in this short 19 lines of text come together to create a passage with meaning to the work as a whole. The depictions of the events are very folk hero like, thus reinforcing the already apparent theme of folk lore.
Word use and vocabulary are very important to the way this work flows. In any other part of less importance, the translator could have used “breathing” instead of the way he describes it as bartering. Bartering, or trading, gives the reader the idea that Beowulf truly did beat the odds. He, even in his death, was honorable. The simple use of “bartered” for talking about his last breath of air makes all the difference in an epic of this epic proportion.
Alliteration is also used by Seamus Haney to emphasize action and characters. After Beowulf is describing how he wants to be remembered, Haney uses “Beowulf’s Barrow” to talk about the place. This shows that the resting place is important and how honor and burial are important to their society, and only a true hero like Beowulf would be worthy of such on honor.
The translation from Old English to modern day brought about the loss of a lot of the original alliteration and the kennings, but the devices used by Seamus Haney more then make up for it. Without the work her did with the literature, it would not have meant the same, and without the word choice and phrasing of his work, the passage sited at the beginning would not carry the same weight. This is the passage of an epic hero, his journey from life to the afterlife, and without the description used by Seamus Haney and the clever words, it would not carry the same impact. In the tale, the Danes lose a great hero, and in the way Beowulf was translated, we feel like we do too.


Damn, it didn't save the formatting this time. Shoot.

Creon. Inocent man, or guilty criminal?

Julian Teeple

Ms. Peifer

English 10IB

November 24, 2008

Creon. Innocent Man, or Guilty Criminal?

Creon is the king of the land. His word is that of the gods. He could never say wrong or cause harm. Or could he? Not only did Creon deny Antigone the right to bury her brother, but made punishment for doing it death. Creon was even cruel to his own son, telling him that he was infatuated with a girl, and not concerned about his father. He took his power as king to say who could receive honor for the same action. Even after he had imprisoned Antigone, he was still under the impression that he was right, until the blind prophet flat out told him he was wrong. Creon obviously has not shown innocence.

Creon declared that anyone who was caught burying an enemy of Thebes would be put to death. The brother to Antigone and Ismene was killed fighting against Thebes, but is still related. Already he is showing an unjust punishment for something that is simply classical Greek honor. Antigone was only going to bury her brother, who had already lost honor due to the fight. She was attempting to preserve what little he had left, before his desecrated body was eaten entirely by the animals he fought against. What type of barbarity would allow something like this? A man’s honor being eaten, even in death, all because he was once enemy to the great city of Thebes. He was even born of royal blood, however, even royalty can be reduced to nothing, and their family killed by a selfish king, A king like Creon.

After Creon’s son Haimon heard the news of the death sentence on Antigone, he went to talk to his father. After long talk with his son, Creon declares “Thou woman's slave, use not wheedling speech with me.” Sopocles. He told his own son that he is nothing but a slave to women. Haimon, who was slated to marry Antigone is now also paying for his father’s ignorance with his happiness. Haimon told Creon that valor and truth should have no age, when questioned, he replied with “In nothing that is not right but if I am young, thou shouldest look to my merits, not to my years.” Sophocles.

An enemy of Thebes may not receive any glory after death, or so said Creon. Even an enemy of state still has friends and siblings. Not allowing them the simple freedom of being able to die with honor is a cruelty in itself for the time. Creon was showing another example of un just behavior. He forbade the brother of Antigone to have glory on the battlefield solely because he was fighting against him. In the times, honor was very important, as was displayed by Achillies in the Iliad. Was he not of the same blood that he was fighting? Creon certainly didn’t think so, and showed it by sentencing Antigone to imprisonment and death for the simple act of pouring ceremonial wine, and covering in dust.

Creon was an un just ruler. He took his power as king and decided who had the right to an honorary burial and entombment. In the end, his actions proved him un noble. He claimed divine right to say who could be buried, and he was wrong. Not only did he learn the error of his ways by way of having Antigone’s blood on his hands, but the blood, both metaphorical and physical, blood of his son and wife. They simply wanted reason, but for fear of loosing credibility, he payed the ultimate price. Vengeance from the gods, and the death of anyone he held dear. Crime is not always black and white.

Extra Extra

Julian Teeple
Ms. Peifer
English 10IB
November 19, 2008

Antigone put to death after attempt to preserve brother!

Antigone, Oedipus' daughter was put to death today by Creon after she was found attempting to preserve her brothers soul and body. Her brother had died fighting against the city of Thebes after his brother took control. It was declared that anyone found performing ritual burial on any enemy of Thebes will be put to death. Although in Antigone's eyes, her brother was in the right, and even if he was fighting the city she lived in, he was still her brother to honor. Her sister, Ismene, was in the know about it, however decided to say nothing. She did not want to help her sister in the crime of family honor. Antigone was soon slatted to be Creon's daughter in law. His son Hiamon, who was soon to be wed to Antigone, was in tears due to this affair. Spectators saw him going into the tomb after Antigone, wanting to spend the last time of her life with her. He loved his father, and honored his wishes, but understood the right and the wrong of this situation. A blind prophet was seen talking to Creon about right and wrong. The phrophet told Creon that sending the poor girl to death was against the gods, and he needed to right the wrong before it was to late. Sadly, he was to late, and by that time, her brother's body had been raveged by beasts and made carion, and Antigone had commited suicide. Haimon, in his destraught, made a lunge for his father, and stumbled on his own sword. After hearing the news of her sons death, Creon's wife commited suicide aswell. Plunging a dagger into her heart. Creon was left with no one, loosing everything, and being left alone in to world.

Top Ten

Really. Thank you Ms. Peifer. For giving me more ways to completely kill my time and stay up at night blogging. Its one more thing to update, and grrr..... its addicting. Normally at this time I would be making food, sleeping or atleast trying to sleep, but no. I have to check my google reader and make sure I'm not missing an update or go to my blog and fill it with less then usefull posts about how I like blogging. It seriously is an addiction. I think I've accepted this new format a bit too much.

My Top Ten on "How you know you need to stop blogging"
10. "Your stomach is telling you to eat instead of blog about being hungry"
9. "You've listened to the same three songs over and over, and don't care"
8. "Your couch feels like memory foam, but it has springs in it"
7. "Your mouse is telling you to go to sleep"
6. "Your night dreaming about blogging"
5. "You're thinking about all the awesome stuff that will happen tomorrow to blog about"
4. "You have 5 tabs open, and only one is something non blog related"
3. "You are talking to yourself, commenting on your blog before its done"
2. "Your fingers are asking you to stop.... and they have faces drawn on them for laughs"
1. "You are typing up a Top Ten list at half passed midnight when you should be in bed, partying, or just doing something better then this"

And you know you need to stop if you read any of this and said "Oh man.... thats me..."

All joking aside, Thanks Ms. Peifer for showing us how easy it was to setup and create our own blog. The idea of a digital presense is really cool, and I feel like this is a place to start. I know I wouldn't have done it outside of school.

Greek Drama?

Today was kind of surreal for me. I took a class last year called "World Drama" offered by the theater department at my old school. It was a fun elective, and I thought "Hey, theater I like. Why not take a class on it?" (yes, I am a MAJOR theater geek) and I thought it would never be of any help. Boy was a wrong. The whole lesson today in English was stuff I had learned last year in this one class. Albeit, Ms. Piefer explained them alot faster. We didn't spend 2 weeks on her notes. But the general concepts were the same. Even for a project I decided to make a Deus Ex Machina for class, all because of this lesson. It just brought me back, and kinda took away the doubt I had about my previous high school schooling. I was under the impression that everything I took last year wasn't worth anything.

Thanks for teaching that lesson today. It made me happy. (As you can tell, I'm also a Greek culture, food and everything else Greek lover)

Friday

My dad picked me up from school today, for the sole purpose of going to see the new James Bond movie. Ever since I was a kid, James Bond has been a male thing in my family. My mom stays away from the movies, as does my sister, so it was nice to carry on that tradition of male bonding. The movie was incredible. I thought Casino Royale was as good as James Bond got... Boy was I wrong. All the action was there, the well delivered lines and awesome cameos were there, everything that should have been there, was there. The gun fights are even more gritty, and the final sequence is absolutely stunning. My dad has always enjoyed them, as in the end, James wins, he kills the bad guy, gets the girl and makes it out alive. They always had a formula. However, that formula has been put to the side for a more personal level that no action hero has ever had. Its amazing how they personify the characters with only a few moments on screen.

Oh, and it helped that the main enemy looks like my old Saxaphone teacher if he grew out his hair a little and ate on occasion.

Anyway, looking forward to a great weekend. Hopefully get some more work done on my SNAP. If anyone wants to know, they can ask. Its kinda a personal hobby..... and it just makes me more of a nerd.

Today.

In English today, we had to spend time adding and managing a feed for others blogs. It was kind of annoying, and so I played Solitaire and checked out other websites.

At first I was skeptical of boot camp running on a mac, and after using it, it has made my opinion..... stay exactly the same. Its like putting a mask resembling your best friends face on a stranger and trying to talk to them. It feels foreign and not worth the effort. I Honestly (as a PC guy) felt a little out of place. I tried to customize it to atleast make it resemble the settings I use at home, but to no avail. You can make a mac look like a PC, but you can't make it a PC. Anyone who knows PCs knows what Im talking about.

Today... whatever the date is

Today in English our teacher decided to try to implement a new system for the already dreaded LRJs (literary response journals). She is attempting to use Blogspot as a host for a new digital age of information. She says that with the computer becoming more of a tool then ever before in schools, that it would make sense to have us all switch to an internet formula.

So, my first step in going toward this direction was to make a general blog. I suppose I could use this to blog about other stuff the school too, and it seems like a good idea. We could then access out work from anywhere, work on it any place with an internet connection, and all around, have a more dependable work ethic, or so she thinks. I for one, would just start an LRJ, never finish it, then play mine sweeper or something else that takes time. Anyway, its a step in the next direction of schooling, and why not? So this is my contribution.