Sula, pg 163-end

1. careened (page 164): to cause to heel over.


2. This section begins with Nel looking back on her past and the past of Medallion. She concludes that although there are more job opportunities than there were before they seem to have lost their sense of community. Nel also realizes that she has spent all of her time and energy raising her children after her husband left, she is overcome with despair when she discovers that there is nothing left for her in the Bottom. She goes to visit Eva in the nursing home, who definitely does not look like the Eva she once was. She has also become rather senile so their conversations weren't very coherent. Eva accuses her of killing Chicken, then Nel tries to say that it was all Sula's fault but Eva reminds her that she did nothing to stop it, only watched it happen. She secretly does feel guilty for Chicken's death and decides to go to the cemetery where she finds Shadrack. Nel sits at Sula's grave and cries out to her, overcome with grief.




3. Death is obviously a very prominent theme in this novel, as it is in many other literary works that we have read in this class. I think that part of the reason that death is not considered to be a theme that is discussed too much is because everybody at some point experiences death and the effects that it has. Such as, grief. The way that Nel and Sula deal with the death of Chicken is very interesting to me. At the funeral, Sula is described as sobbing out loud, she is visibly upset by this death. Nel on the other hand remains quiet the whole time. Is this just showing the differences between the girls' personalities or is there any significance to this? Also, on National Suicide day when they visit the construction site and many die, yes, there is some pathos being developed for the characters but for the most part it was just accepted by the community. Why does Morrison do this?

4. a) Was visiting Sula's grave Nel's way of admitting that she was not necessarily the "good woman" she was perceived to be?

b) Was there any significance to the fact that the accident at the construction site happened on National Suicide Day?

c) What was the importance of Sula's death to Shadrack, if any?

Sula, Part Two (up to pg.162)

1. insouciant (page 96): lighthearted unconcern; nonchalance.



2. As soon as Sula returns to the Bottom she is judged by the style of her expensive clothes. Eva ridicules her for not being married, Sula then tells her that cutting off her own leg does not give her the authority to control other people's lives. Sula accuses Eva of murdering Plum, she retorts with the fact that she watched Hannah burn to death. Sula threatens to kill Eva, and later when she becomes Eva's guardian she admits her to a nursing home which causes others to believe that she is evil. Nel and Sula eventually start spending more time together, and through Nel's husband Jude's teasing of Sula the two eventually engage in an affair which is one day discovered by Nel who walks in on them. She feels extremely angered and betrayed by her best friend and husband because Jude leaves her and their children. The community gossips about Sula, and even credit many random accidents to her. Sula has frequent affairs, including with white men. When she has a passionate affair with Ajax, he leaves her after his discovery that she wishes to marry him. Sula soon becomes very ill and Nel decides to visit her and take care of her. She also questions why she had an affair with Jude and they talk about each other's loneliness. Sula soon becomes very remorseful and pained as she remembers watching her mother burn to death and not doing anything about it. She suddenly realizes that she has stopped breathing, her heart stopped and all she wants to do is tell Nel that death is painless. At first the community believes that her death will bring good things to them, however, then there is a brutal frost killing many animals and crops and also causing people to lose valuable days of work. Without having Sula as a common enemy for the town, the people also begin to fall apart until it warms up the day before National Suicide Day. Shadrack feels lonely, remembering the only visitor that ever came to see him which was Sula. The next day, he does not feel like participating but he ends up leading a march to the construction site to vandalize it because they were not allowed to have the jobs because they were black. The site collapses, and many people including the Deweys drown.

3. I think the way that love is portrayed in this novel is very interesting. First of all, Morrison introduces a concept that is new to me. It is not necessary to like somebody in order to love them. I am not sure if I agree or disagree with this statement. However, it is exemplified when Hannah tells Sula that she loves her, but does not like her. Hannah then goes on to suggest that she did in fact feed her children and put clothes on their back, isn't that enough? Does this prove that she really loves them or simply took care of them because she felt obligated to as their mother? Also, Eva raises Plum with plenty of love and care but then she ends up killing him. This event left me baffled, can this be considered an act of love? Just as I was starting to think that Eva was a terrible, heartless mother she makes an attempt to save Hannah when she is being burned by the fire. What is Morrison trying to say here? In addition to this, Nel and Sula were best friends for years, practically inseperable and then Sula has an affair with Nel's husband? How can Sula have loved her, as a friend, and still betray her like that? Romantically speaking, Sula sleeps with many men having meaningless sex with all of them, and the second she wants more out of her relationship with Ajax, he leaves her. What is Morrison suggesting here?


4. a) Has Morrison taken a stance on evil in this novel? This question was asked in the class activity we did, and I couldn't help but wonder is Morrison simply accepting of evil in the world? Is she concluding that there is good and evil in everybody, in every community? Or neither?

b) Was the community correct in thinking that Sula is evil? Immediately after her death they thought good things would happen to them now that she, and the evil brought to the community were gone. However, then the brutal frost comes and destroys the crops and livestock putting many people out of work. Is this Morrison's way of saying she is not evil?

c) Is Sula and Nel's relationship an example of the idea that you do not have to like somebody to love them? Although Sula betrayed Nel, she still comes to visit her when she is sick and offers to take care of her. Also, she is described to be weeping at Sula's grave. To me, this could mean that she loves her but does not necessarily like what she did.

Sula, Part One

1. fastidious (page 7): having high and often capricious standards; difficult to please.


2. This novel begins with Eva's abandonment by her husband and she had to rely on the kindness of her neighbors for things like food for her family. She also has a son who is called Plum, who at a very young age had problems with his bowels and it was up to Eva to cure him. After this, she left her children under the care of a neighbor, promising to return later the same day but did not end up coming back until eighteen months later. Upon her return it is discovered that she has come across a lot of money and also has lost a leg. Her ex-husband, BoyBoy, comes for a visit and she is able to be a polite host, but when he leaves with another woman she looks forward to being able to hate him. Eva creates a boarding house with her money where she, her daughter Hannah, granddaughter Sula, and three adopted children whom she calls "The Deweys" live. When Plum returns from the war, she comes to his room in the middle of the night, covers him in kerosene and burns him to death. In 1922, it becomes evident how Nel and Sula are such good friends, they are complete opposites but fit together quite well. Sula stands up for Nel when she gets bullied, cutting off the tip of her finger in order to scare off the boys who were bullying her friend. She also stood up for a little boy named Chicken when Nel picked on him, she was playfully swinging him by the arms but he came loose from her grip and flew in the river where he drowned to death. Hannah begins to question Eva about if she ever loved her or any of the other children. She gets angry and retorts with the fact that she did in fact clothe them and feed them, Hannah also asks about why she killed Plum. Eva cries and says she had to do it because he wanted to be a child again. Later, Eva sees Hannah catch on fire and tries to jump out the window to cover her body and save her, they both are severely burned but Hannah dies on the way to the hospital. Meanwhile, there is a man named Jude Greene who longs for a manly job as opposed to his job as a waiter at a hotel. He is rejected from a so-called "man's job" because he is black. He and Nel get married and Nel has decided to take the role of a wife who needs her husband to take care of her. Sula leaves for college, and does not return for ten years.


3. I think that Morrison's style of writing in this section is very interesting. I am not sure if it was intentional or not, but it seems that Morrison is almost mocking symbolism. For example, when Hannah tells her about the dream she had where she was wearing a red dress at the wedding, and then she dies in a fire, and then it is concluded that it "must mean something." As in, the fact that she was wearing a RED dress and then died in a FIRE is supposed to be symbolic of something. Also, I find Morrison's technique of characterization to be very intriguing. The way that she describes Sula and Nel as two different people physically, and also their personalities are complete opposites. This becomes especially evident when Nel is being teased and Sula steps in to defend her. Sula has a very bold personality, where as Nel prefers to keep to herself. It is through this way that Morrison seems to suggest that together the two girls could almost be one person.


4. a) After Chicken's death, when Sula goes to Shadrack's house and he simply says, "Always." What does he mean by this?

b) Is there any significance or meaning to the fact that Sula left her belt behind at Shadrack's house?

c) Is there any significance to the way that the characters in this novel react to death? Such as, Sula and Nel with Chicken or Sula with Hannah?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 19-20

1. pernicious (page 382): highly injurious or destructive; deadly.


2. Amaranta Ursula returns from Europe with her husband, Gaston, and is determined to restore the town of Macondo. While she is there she discovers that nobody remembers their family, and also that she is falling in love with Aureliano II. With Gaston gone trying to fulfill his dream of establishing an airmail service, Amaranta Ursula finally gives in to Aureliano II and they are lovers. Meanwhile, the affair between Aureliano II and Amaranta continues even though the Buendia house is falling apart due to red ants. The two of them have a child named Aureliano III and since he is a result of incest, he is born with a pig's tail. Amaranta Ursula bleeds to death after giving birth. After her death he takes comfort in alcohol and with a prostitute, and he neglects the child to the point where it has died and he discovers the corpse is being fed on by ants. Depressed by his realization that this is the end of the Buendia's he locks himself up in the house and deciphers Melquiades' messages. He learns that it is a detailed history of the whole Buendia family and it mirrors his life as it is in that exact moment. Also in that moment, a wind stirs and rips the town away, erasing it from memory.


3. The last paragraph of the novel, the last sentence in particular was very interesting to me, "Before reaching the final line, however, he had already understood that he would never leave that room, for it was forseen that the city of mirrors (or mirages) would be wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory of men at the precise moment when Aureliano Babilonia would finish deciphering the parchments, and that everything written on them was unrepeatable since time immemorial and forever more, because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth." It is because of this last paragraph that Aureliano Babilonia realizes that because of the Buendia's and other character's choices that this is why they were condemned to solitude. He understands that because of his ancestor's decisions, he and many others will not have a second chance. Had several characters not had children as a result of incest or even attempted to make connections with others, they could possibly have had another chance at a different life. It is made especially evident in the last paragraph that the Buendia family's decisions and lack of progress is the reason behind their isolated, and solitary lives.



4. a) Because of the fact that Marquez did not intend for the title to be taken literally, makes me wonder, was I supposed to take some of the other events literally, or figuratively?

b) Was there any significance to the fact that Aureliano Babilonia (a descendant of Colonel Aureliano Buendia) was the one who deciphered Melquiades' messages?

c) Is Amaranta Ursula also unable to fall in love (not lust) due to her name which as we discussed in class is similar to "before love"?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 17-18

1. intransigent (page 345): characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude.


2. Once the rain has stopped Ursula tries to restore the Buendia household, but what she finds is that Jose Arcadio Segundo has been in his room all of this time trying to decipher Melquiades' messages. Aureliano Segundo is having a hard time with money, and he is also spending less time with his children. Ursula continues to go farther into her past and eventually she dies at a very old age, and so does Rebeca. Soon after this a great heat wave comes over the town and all of the people in Macondo begin to reminisce of the town's former glory. Aureliano Segundo is trying his hardest to earn money so that Amaranta Ursula can go to school in Europe, but he is finding that in his old age it is more difficult than he expected as he is dying. His brother Jose Arcadio Segundo is also dying and his last mission is to teach his son about Macondo's history and hope that he will pick up where he left off with Melquiades' prophecies. Aureliano Segundo is finally able to send Amaranta Ursula to school in Europe, and at that instant both him and his twin brother die. At the funeral, their coffins are switched and they are buried in each other's graves. Aureliano Segundo's son is working on Melquiades' messages and he figures out that they cannot be deciphered until they are one hundred years old. Since the Buendia's are poor, they are supported by food given to them by Petra Cotes, Sofia de la Piedad gives up on taking care of the family and just walks out on them one day without saying one word. Fernanda del Caprio is only writing to her children in Europe, and she dies alone. After her death her son returns to Macondo hoping to inherit money, but when he discovers there is no money, he searches for the money that Ursula hid, and he eventually found it. He uses his money to have parties, and is visited by the last son of Colonel Aureliano Buendia who is shot by the police like his brothers. However, four of the people that he was having parties with shot him in his bath and stole his money.

3. When I looked back on what has happened so far in this novel, I found the title to be even more interesting. The story started even before the town of Macondo was created, and ended when Ursula was well over one hundred. I was also curious at the idea that Ursula outlived many of her children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. Was Marquez trying to tell us something about Ursula as a person, such as her great strength? Granted, Ursula did not come to the town as an infant, but there were generations, and generations of Buendia's also I feel that many of the characters should be older than they really were. It was through this that I realized that Marquez did not literally mean one hundred years, it was figurative. The town of Macondo, including the Buendia's, were condemned to a long period of time of solitude and isolation, therefore showing that they are incapable of making any progress, it does not mean one hundred years precisely, as the title would suggest.

4. a) What is the deeper meaning of the incest that occurs in the novel, is it simply to show that the characters are unable to make connections with others? Or is there more?

b) Rebeca, the adopted daughter of Ursula dies at almost the same time as her. Is this Marquez's way of again saying that ages and numbers in this novel are not to be taken literally?

c) The Buendia was once a well known family in Macondo, but after the war is over Colonel Aureliano is no longer seen as a local hero, and almost nobody even remembers the family. Does Marquez intend to say that the same thing happened to his family after his grandfather returned from war?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 15-16

1. conflagration (page 295): a large disastrous fire

2. Meme is so upset my Mauricio's paralysis that she is a mute. Fernanda takes her to the city where she is from, and then Meme joins the convent. Many months after this a nun from the convent brings a baby to the Buendia house, Fernanda pretends that the child is not Meme's and hides it in the workshop. Jose Arcadio Segundo has been organizing a strike for the banana plantation workers to protest the poor working conditions. The government invites them to a meeting "to resolve things", but it ends up being a trick and the government shoots them all and throws the bodies in a train that will go to the sea. Jose Arcadio has been mistaken for dead and manages to jump off the train and go back to Macondo, there he realizes that nobody remembers the massacre and they do not believe his story. The government is denying that this ever took place while they continue to search for leaders of the strike, including Jose Arcadio who they eventually find in Melquiades' old room. The room is so old and decrepit that that is all they pay attention to, they don't see Jose Arcadio who will continue to study the gypsy's manuscripts alone in that room having gone insane. The rain that starts on the night of the massacre does not stop for five years, Aureliano Segundo begins to take care of his children and Meme's. Aureliano Segundo's fortune is quickly wiping away as all of his livestock have died in the flooding, he makes it his mission to find the fortune that Ursula hid somewhere in the backyard. Fernanda makes it her mission to torture Aureliano Segundo and also to contact telepathic doctors to cure her of a disease. When the rain stops and the banana plantations are gone because of it, the town goes backwards in memory.

3. I find the number of biblical allusions in this novel to be very interesting. Most of the novel seems to mirror the occurrences that take place in the book of Genesis. First of all, Ursula and Jose Arcadio Buendia are similar to Adam and Eve seeing as how they were responsible for giving names to many things, and Jose was tied to a tree which was supposed to represent The Tree of Knowledge. Because of this event, Jose and Ursula and their descendants were condemned to lives of solitude. Also, the flood that took place in this section was very significant in comparing One Hundred Years of Solitude to the happenings of the Bible. In the Bible, God flooded the Earth to show that the sins of humanity were already wiped away. It was sort of a cleansing, or purification, just as the flood that happened after the Banana Massacre cleansed the town of Macondo. In a way, it also wiped away the government's sin of trying to cover up what happened to the banana plantation workers.

4. a) Since the massacre is wiped from the memories of the people of Macondo, is Marquez trying to allude to the idea that it was actually erased out of our history too?

b) Are there other events, similar to the Banana Massacre that the government, or media has tried to cover up?

c) Who are these doctors that Fernanda is trying to contact? Are they even real?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 13-14

1. languid (page 245): drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion; weak.


2. This chapter begins with Ursula noticing that she is growing much older and time is passing very quickly, she continues to obsess over Aureliano Segundo's son becoming the pope. When he and his sister leave the house it becomes emptier and Fernanda takes even more control over the Buendia household. Aureliano Segundo then moves in with his lover Petra Cotes except when his daughter comes home from school, then he decides that he needs to be a father. Jose Arcadio Segundo reappears to talk with Colonel Aureliano Buendia, who has given up making fish, which used to be one of his favorite things to do, and eventually he dies. In chapter fourteen, Fernanda and Aureliano Segundo have another child named Amaranta Ursula. The elder Amaranta has a premonition of her own death and announces it to the town. She also offers to deliver letters from the people of the town to their dead loved ones, and as she predicted she dies. After this death, Ursula goes to her bed and does not leave it, however, there she establishes a relationship with Amaranta Ursula. Meme, the oldest daughter of Fernanda and Aureliano Segundo creates a bond with her father over a mutual dislike of Fernanda. Meme becomes friends with American girls and learns a little bit of English, around the same time she meets and falls in love with Mauricio Babilonia who is always followed by yellow butterflies. Fernanda catches the two of them kissing and keeps Meme locked in the house, but when she finds out that he has been sneaking in she has a man guard the house who eventually catches him and shoots him so he is paralyzed forever.


3. The political or social path, or lack of, that Macondo has taken I feel is very important to the novel as a whole. Whenever a political or social advancement is made in the town of Macondo, the characters resist the change. For example, when the magistrate comes to the town and tries to dictate what color the houses must be painted, the characters run him out of town. When the Wandering Jew appears in the streets of Macondo, the people in the town are scared of him and try to avoid him at all costs. Politically speaking, the town has again failed to move forward when the Liberal party is unable to win the war and Colonel Aureliano Buendia has to convince his men to stop fighting. He realizes that they are simply fighting for pride, and nothing else. Overall, Macondo does not make much of a path over time as they resist all political and social changes that take place in Macondo.





4. a) In this section the color yellow appears when it is said that Mauricio Babilonia is always followed by yellow butterflies. However, the color appears many times in the novel, is what is the symbolism behind this?

b) What is the importance of premonitions in this novel, such as the one that Amaranta has in this section about her own death?

c) Is Marquez intending to make a point about women by the types of female characters he chooses, such as how controlling Fernanda is in these chapters?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 11-12

1. placate (pg. 203): to soothe or mollify especially by concessions.



2. This section begins with giving the reader the background information of Fernanda del Caprio, who was brought up in a wealthy family, however her family is loosing both their money and power. Aureliano Segundo becomes instantly infatuated with Fernanda when he meets her at the carnival, the two of them get married. Soon after marriage they discover that they are two complete opposites, so Aureliano continues to sleep with Petra Cotes so the livestock can continue to thrive. Meanwhile, Fernanda tries to make the Buendia house more aristocratic, as she would like it. Fernanda and Aureliano Segundo have two children, Renata Remedios (Meme) and Jose Arcadio. The town tries to honor Colonel Aureliano Buendia, he does not accept it. Randomly, the seventeen children he fathered arrive in Macondo to celebrate with him. They all receive the cross made of ashes on their foreheads and do not wash them off. Aureliano Triste and Aureliano Centeno build an ice factory in Macondo, and also Aureliano Triste builds railroad connecting Macondo to other towns. As a result of this new railroad, foreign capitalists come and build a banana plantation in a town right next to Macondo that is fenced in. Aureliano Segundo is excited by the changes that this railroad is bringing to the town, but Remedios the Beauty does not even realize what is happening. She also does not know that she is the cause of death for many men that love her, until one day when she just floats away. Colonel Aureliano Buendia begins to regret his decision to end the war and threatens that he and his seventeen sons will fight, until sixteen of his sons are killed by unnamed men. Aureliano Buendia is deeply depressed and still wishes to fight, so he goes to Gerineldo Marquez for help, but he declines.

3. For me, this section really emphasizes the decline of Macondo. Many people, such as Remedios the Beauty do not understand the changes that this new railroad to bring to them. It is the end of life as they knew it before in Macondo. It seems that the railroad seems to bring in new technology, among other things, to the town but at the same time it replaces the magical things that the gypsies would bring. I also think it is ironic that the people of Macondo are perfectly willing to accept the unrealistic things that arrive in the town, but technology is hard for them to welcome into their lives. Such as when ghosts appear, or when Remedios the Beauty just up and floats away it is completely normal to them, but even simple technology is a marvel. Is this Marquez's way of saying that in Colombian history Western technology was a burden to them?

4. a) The men that Remedios the Beauty is said to have killed bleed an "amber liquid", what is the significance of this?

b) I know that Remedios is incredibly naive, but who is to blame for that? Remedios or the people that kept her sheltered?

c) It is said that Aureliano Triste and Aureliano Centeno build an ice factory in Macondo, is this an attempt to fulfill the dream that the town was surrounded by ice walls?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 9-10

1. blasphemies (page 175): the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God

2. Colonel Aureliano Buendia finally realizes when his friend Colonel Gerineldo Marquez is sentenced to death that the war must no longer continue. Once Aureliano's friend is freed, the two of them work against the Liberals to convince them to stop fighting and end the war. Aureliano feels worthless in that he has betrayed himself and the party he was once fighting for and attempts suicide, but survives and his mother Ursula, takes care of him. After the war Aureliano resorts to solitude and begins to create little golden fishes alone in the workshop. Aureliano Segundo is fascinated by the things in Melquiades' laboratory and spends most of his time there. Both Aureliano Segundo and Jose Arcadio Segundo being to have sex with the same woman, but she does not realize that they are two different men. Soon, Jose Arcadio Segundo decides to no longer have sexual relations with her, but his brother does. As a result of Aureliano Segundo and Petra Cotes' relations, the farm animals begin to reproduce abnormally quickly. Aureliano becomes very wealthy off of his animals. Meanwhile, Jose Arcadio Segundo desires to explore but he only succeeds in bringing a boat up the river, not finding a pathway to the ocean. Also, some women in his boat decide to have a carnival and declare Remedios the Beauty, queen. But when a rival queen visits the carnival her men start a riot and kill many people.

3. After reading this section I was curious if Melquiades had anything to do with Aureliano Segundo's luck, and wealth. Aureliano Segundo spent much of his time in Melquiades' laboratory trying to decipher his messages. He also encountered a large fortune from his livestock's amazing ability to reproduce rapidly in large amounts. Then I began to wonder if Melquiades controlled the entire Buendia family's fate, or even Macondo as a whole. After all, he wrote the book containing the Buendia family's history up until the exact moment that one of Aureliano's descendants solved his messages. Is Melquiades simply able to see the future and therefore was able to write the book, or did he control their fates and then copy it down into a book for them to solve later?

4. a) What is the significance, if any, of Aureliano Segundo resembling the Jose Arcadio's and Jose Arcadio Segundo showing resemblance to the earlier Aureliano's?

b) After reading this section, I was left wondering what view Marquez has on religion and if they appear in his works?

c) What was the point of the riot at the carnival?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 7-8

1. proliferation (page 151): to increase in number, multiply




2. Aureliano and Colonel Gerineldo Marquez are captured and sentenced to death, however, they are saved by Jose Arcadio. He leads the Liberals again, but he has lost the support of many Liberal party officials. While he is fighting he realizes that he is no longer fighting for anything except for pride. Meanwhile, Santa Sofia de la Piedad has two children, Jose Arcadio Segundo and Aureliano Segundo. Jose Arcadio is found dead, and it is undecided as to if he killed himself, or was murdered by Rebeca who will shut herself inside their house for the rest of her life. Gerineldo Marquez finds himself in love with Amaranta, she again turns him away. Jose Arcadio Buendia is no longer tied to the tree, as he has passed away. Chapter eight begins with Aureliano Segundo having an unhealthy attraction to Amaranta, who is almost like his mother as she has raised him. The two of them take it too far when they get caught almost kissing, this is when Amaranta decides she must end whatever was going on between them. Aureliano Segundo joins the Liberals fighting, but soon returns home in hopes to marry Amaranta. Many children, all fathered by Aureliano at some point during the war show up at the Buendia household to be baptized, they give all the children the name Aureliano.





3. I found the character of Colonel Aureliano Buendia to be particularly interesting in this section. He used to be a strong man who fought with conviction, a local hero in the town of Macondo, but after his realization that he was no longer fighting for anything except for pride in the war he became somewhat of a a hopeless character. Also, his attempt to kill himself was due to a combination of two things, the fact that after many years of fighting he had accomplished nothing, and also it was an attempt to end his solitary lifestyle. Through these things is Marquez intending to create a pathos for Aureliano? Aureliano seems to remember nothing from his past, and the people of Macondo don't remember him either, and for that matter they don't even remember the Buendia's who used to be a very well-known family in the town. After Ursula saves him from his attempted suicide, he has nothing left but to resort to the solitude of his own mind.


4. a) At the end of chapter seven, yellow flowers rain down marking the death of Jose Arcadio Buendia, is this piece of magical realism to be taken literally?



b) Is the incest that occurs in this novel supposed to show that for the Buendia's history will just continue to repeat itself?



c) Since Marquez frequently employs the repetition of names, but then he also gives other descriptions of his characters such as physical ones, is this to set them apart from the others with the same name?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 5-6

1. sedentary ( page 87): doing or requiring much sitting.


2. In these chapters Aureliano and Remedios are married. Pietro and Rebeca were supposed to be married the same day, however, Pietro received a letter that his mother passed away. Remedios takes in Aureliano's son with Pilar as her own and names him Aureliano Jose. Soon after the couple is married, Remedios dies. The family goes into mourning and Rebeca's wedding is postponed even more due to the mourning period and the fact that the church that they are to be married in is taking a very long time to build. The priest decides that Jose Arcadio Buendia is not as insane as everybody thinks and the priest pays frequent visits to him and discovers that he is speaking Latin. Jose Arcadio returns, and even though Rebeca is engaged to Pietro she is attracted to Jose Arcadio and the two of them have an affair. Also, they get married and are order to leave the house by Ursula who is ashamed of their relationship. Crespi then becomes more affectionate towards Amaranta. Aureliano becomes upset with the corruption of the Conservatives who have invaded Macondo and he decides to lead a small Liberal army. Aureliano, now given the title of Colonel leaves Macondo with his army and leaves his son in charge. His son tries to sleep with his mother Pilar Ternera and instead she sends him another woman, they get married and have three children. Since the Liberals lost the war and the Conservatives took over again, Arcadio is executed. Pietro proposes to Amaranta and she declines, as a result of this he commits suicide. Amaranta feels guilty and burns her hand.

3. I find the dynamics of the Buendia family to be particularly interesting in this section. Some things, I think are specific to the family and their time period, however some things are applicable to families and their interactions today. For example, in these chapters Rebeca is exiled from the house due to her relationship with her brother, Jose Arcadio. The fact that she was in a relationship with her brother is specific to the family and contributes to their isolation, however, even today in our generation it is common for a parent to be upset by who their son or daughter chooses to have a relationship with, just as Ursula was. Also, it becomes evident that Amaranta is incapable of loving. After she went through all of the trouble of trying to find ways to spoil her sister's marriage to Pietro, when the marriage is finally broken up, she declines his offer. Although this particular situation is unique to One Hundred Years of Solitude, the sibling rivalry that occurs in it is not.

4. a) I read somewhere in my research that Remedios is supposed to be somewhat similar to God, after reading this section I am wondering, is this true or just somebody drawing a false parallel?

b) Why does Aureliano decide to lead the Liberals in the army, even after it was explained to him that both sides are corrupt?

c) Does Aureliano's son know that Pilar was his mother when he tried to sleep with her?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 3-4

1. daguerreotype (page 49): an early photograph produced on a silver or a silver-covered copper plate.


2. In the beginning of this section, Pilar Ternera gives birth to a son, and in addition to this son the Buendia's are also taking care of an orphan named Rebeca who has strange habits such as eating dirt and whitewash. Soon after Rebeca arrives they discover that she is a victim of insomnia which also causes memory loss. Eventually the entire town suffers from insomnia, and in order to remember what things are and how they operate the people in the town begin to label everything. The insomnia disappears when Melquiades comes to the town and brings the cure, he also introduces the daguerreotype. Jose Arcadio Buendia attempts to make the daguerreotype of God in order to prove that he exists, in the laboratory with him is also his son who is a silversmith. Meanwhile, since the family is growing Ursula decides to expand the house and when the magistrate comes he tries to tell them what color to paint the house, Jose Arcadio Buendia drives him out of town and Aureliano falls in love with the magistrate's daughter, Remedios. Because Aureliano was lonely he slept with Pilar Ternera, who also slept with Aureliano's brother. She helps him figure out a plan to marry Remedios. Meanwhile, Amaranta and Rebeca have fallen in love with Pietro Crespi, Pietro falls in love with Rebeca and plans to marry her. Their wedding along with that of Aureliano and Remedios are scheduled to be the same day. Amaranta is very jealous of her sister and says that she will find a way to stop the marriage. Jose Arcadio Buendia, has gone insane and starts to destroy the house and it takes twenty men to get him out of the house, and tie him to a tree.



3. The theme of isolation is very prevalent in this section, especially when the governmental authority comes to the town and tries to dictate what the town must be like. The characters in the novel begin to resist the change being forced upon them and make themselves become even more secluded. Although some characters detach themselves willingly from society, I believe that some characters are isolated not by choice. Such as, Jose Arcadio Buendia who is on a quest for knowledge and striving to make connections and as a result of this he is believed to be insane and tied to a tree where he will spend the majority of his life, alone. Other characters such as his son who chooses to spend most of his time in the laboratory, is separated from other characters by choice.



4. a) Is Jose Arcadio Buendia supposed to represent Adam from the Bible, in that he was searching for knowledge and then exiled because of it?

b) Do the gypsies in this novel, especially Melquiades, hold any symbolism?

c) Does the coming of the governmental official and his attempts to tell the people of Macondo what to do mirror anything that actually happened in history?

One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ch. 1-2

1. tenuous (page 11): having little substance or strength, flimsy or weak.





2. This novel begins with a flashback of Aureliano Buendia. Jose Arcadio Buendia, the founder of the town Macondo is obsessed with the "magical" items that a gypsy named Melquiades would sell him. He squanders his money, and his wife Ursula becomes angry. Again prompted by the gypsy, he decides to explore alchemy which leads him into a life of solitude working in his lab all day. Soon, however, he desires to make contact with civilization and leads an expedition in which he concludes that Macondo is surrounded by water and cannot be reached by others. Jose wishes to move the village to a place that can be reached by other civilizations, but his wife stops him. Gypsies bring word of Melquiades' death, but they then decide to show him ice, which he is fascinated by. In the second chapter, it moves even farther back in time to when Jose and Ursula were first married, and afraid to consummate their marriage as children who are born as a result of incest are likely to have birth defects such as a pig's tail, like some of their relatives who were also born as a result of incest. When another man in the village makes fun of Jose, he kills him and because of this he feels guilty and leaves his home to then go on and establish Macondo. When the gypsies show Jose Arcadio Buendia the ice, he remembers a dream that he had that Macondo was a city built will reflective walls, he took this to be ice. Meanwhile, his son impregnates a woman named Pilar Ternera, and he leaves her before the baby is born to be with a gypsy.

3. I find Marquez's style of magical realism to be very interesting. For example, when the discovery of ice is made it is treated by the characters in the book to be something fantastic, even though it is something ordinary. This is exhibited again when Jose Arcadio Buendia becomes fascinated by the objects that the gypsies bring to Macondo he believes that they are magical although they are just regular items and they are not capable of the things Jose thinks they are. Is there a purpose to this style of writing? Is it to show the power of memory, or what somebody believes something is as compared to history or what it might actually be?

4. a) What is the significance, if any, of the repition of names?

b) Why does Jose have a dream that the town is built within walls of ice? What is the importance of this?

c) Is there a deeper meaning behind the incest that takes place, other than to show that the characters are incapable of making connections with others?

Petrarch, 358-366

3. These particular sonnets I find to be much like the last in that Petrarch is very dramatic. Part of this is probably due to the death of his beloved Laura. Petrarch even goes as far as to say that, " Death cannot make her sweet face bitter, but her sweet face can make death sweet." This is a very powerful statement, although for me it is a little bit confusing because Petrarch went most of his life without even knowing Laura, but yet he cannot live without her? Towards the end of these sonnets Petrarch begins to regret spending so much time chasing after a woman, he even asks for forgiveness from God. I find this odd because he had never really established a relationship with God, he was relying solely on Laura to bring him up.

4. Petrarch continues to view Laura in a heightened way, as if he put her on a pedestal, but this time it is slightly different. His heightened views of Laura appear when he asserts that "her sweet face can make death sweet." However, since Laura has died he has lost his will to live which he never would have done if she was still in his life. Also, in previous sonnets he was unable to recognize that loving Laura and chasing after her was a waste of time.

5. I did not find much in my research that would show that this section is either typical or not of Petrarch. However, as I have previously mentioned I think it was unusual of Petrarch to give up on his love (or lust) for Laura after many, many years.

6. I think that due to the death of Laura and Petrarch's realization that after all of this time he was in love with a woman who never really loved him back made the tone of these sonnets different. Petrarch's view of Laura dramatically changed in this section from him being completely infatuated with her to him recognizing that she was not really worth it and it shows in his negative tone where he makes it clear that he has surrendered. For the most part rhyme scheme was the same, and it was his typical format except for sonnet 359 which was abnormally long.

Petrarch, 6-16

3. In these sonnets, Petrarch's attraction to Laura becomes even more evident. I also feel that it becomes obvious that his feelings for her are unrequited. He feels so strongly towards her and it is implied that he feels that he did not have any other choice but to love her. Petrarch has become so invested in his love for Laura that it holds so much power over him and it could potentially destroy him. After reading these sonnets I am not convinced that what Petrarch feels for Laura is love. He gives many descriptions of her physically, and speaks of his desires for her to bring him up, but is that love? Is he merely captivated by her beauty or perhaps in love with the idea of her and the fact that she could be his pathway to Heaven? Towards the end of these sonnets he alludes to the idea that he can only be free of his love in death.


4. I think that these last sonnets continue to discuss Petrarch's feelings for Laura. This last section is very similar to the last although his feelings seem to be more dramatic. Laura seems to have a hold on him, so strong that he feels powerless to release himself from it. Although these sonnets continue to talk about Laura, there are a few random ones also. The seventh sonnet, for example, refers to at least a few of the seven deadly sins such as gluttony or perhaps sloth. Also, there is a hint of Petrarch's humanistic views when he suggests the importance of poetry and higher education.



5. I found that the sonnets that were not discussing how Petrarch views Laura such as the ones speaking of poetry very much supported what I found in my research. Petrarch speaks of the importance of appreciating poetry, higher education, and religion which fall right in line with his humanistic views and support the name Petrarch was given, "Father of Humanism".

6. Nothing much has changed regarding Petrarch's style since the last section. He continues to employ the same rhyme scheme, however, I did not see any examples where Petrarch played on Laura's nam, as he did in the last section.

Petrarch, 1-5

3. In the first sonnet Petrarch is describing the day before he met Laura, as if he is setting it up to show the change between how he was before he met her compared to the man he will be with her in his life. The second sonnet, however, is discussing Cupid and, "Love took up his bow again secretly, like a man who waits for the time and place to hurt," suggesting that he was ambushed by Cupid, or, his love for Laura. The third sonnet continues to speak of this love including when Petrarch states that, " Love found me altogether disarmed, and the way open through my eyes to my heart, my eyes which are now the portal and passageway of tears." This exemplifies the idea that he was not ready for his love for Laura to be so powerful. In the fourth sonnet, Petrarch compares Laura to Jesus, and also compares her to the sun, alluding to the idea that she is the light of his life. In the fifth and final sonnet, Petrarch is addressing Laura and her "regal state" and he speaks of his desire to be with her and have her be his pathway to Heaven.

4. In these first five sonnets, Petrarch describes himself as needing to repent, and also needing Laura to make him a better person. He puts Laura on a pedestal, and suggests that she brings him up and she will be his way into Heaven. Currently, Petrarch's view of Laura and his love for her is heightened, infact, Petrarch makes a comparison between Laura and Jesus in the last stanza of the fourth sonnet, " And now from a small village He has given us a sun, such that Nature is thanked and the place where so beautiful a lady was born to the world."

5. After reading these first sonnets, I found that so far this work is very typical of Petrarch. The first example of this would be that the rhyme schemes match. Also, many scholars suggested that Petrarch wrote this poem about a woman that he was in love with, but that was also married. These sonnets seem to agree with this as he is talking about Laura and his unrequited love for her, and also the desire for her to bring him up.

6. When this poem was first written in Italian it employed end rhyme in the Italian form to make it flow and seem as if it could be a song, however, in English it does not rhyme. In these sonnets Petrarch plays on the syllables of Laura's name in a Latinized version, Laureta. He also uses the word "laurel" frequently when referring to her.

Petrarch

1. Francesco Petrarca is also known as "Father of Humanism." He lived from July 20, 1304 to July 19, 1374, or Early Renaissance time period. He lived and worked in Italy near Florence.

2. This is lyrical poetry, when it was originally written in Italian it followed the abba abba cde cde form, later called Petrarchan or Italian. In his works he introduces many humanistic ideas and his sonnet form became widely imitated and respected in later years. He was also credited with being one of the first people to create the idea of "The Dark Ages." Many scholars suggest that Laura did not even know Petrarch existed until after he became famous. He is writing about the universal theme of love, specifically unrequited love. He was in love with a woman named Laura who was married to a Count, therefore the love he had for her was not returned and therefore became the subject of this work.

Astrophil and Stella, 28-32

3. In the first sonnet of this section, Sidney was discussing the elements. For example, "dig so deepe" could imply the earth. "the raines of Love" was referring to rain, and the sentence that contains both "breathe out the flames which burne within my heart" is talking about air and fire. The word quintessence is alluding to the idea that there is a fifth element, which is love. Sidney is implying that love is simple, it is elemental. Is Sidney then also inferring that just like the other four elements love is necessary for life? Also, in the next sonnet Sidney is suggesting that the man that Stella is married to merely lusts her while Astrophil loves her. "And thus her heart escapes, but thus her eyes serve him with shot, her lips his heralds arre: her breasts his tents, legs his triumphall carre: her flesh his food, her skin his armour brave..." This line exemplifies both that her husband lusts while he loves, and also that these are purely physical reasons of love. In the next couple of sonnets Sidney is suggesting that love is somewhat similar to war. He does by comparing the Turkish people to the Christians who fought against each other in a war, or the French and the Dutch, etc.



4. In these particular sonnets, the way that Astrophil views Stella has definitely changed. Up until this section he hasn't really spoke of love in any other way than this amazing thing that can help him change his ways, that loving Stella brings him back up. Now, however, he is starting to realize that love has similarities with war, in that he realizes now that he has to fight for what he wants. His view of love is now much more realistic and he understands that loving someone is not always an easy thing to to do, it is not going to be perfect, he will have to work for it.



5. I found that this section does not support what I found in my research about Sidney as much as the others did. He does not have the positive outlook that he had on love before, he has started to become frustrated that Stella does not love him back and because of this many of his words have a negative connotation such as, "shame".

6. Sidney continues to stay true to his typical style, Petrarchan, and also using end rhyme. He still capitalizes words like "Stella" or "Love" and in addition to this he capitalizes: " Turkish", "Christian", "Poles", "Moscovy", "French", "Dutch", "Holland", "Orange", "Ulster", and "Scottishe". He does this both to stress them and to point out the idea that love is war.

Astrophil and Stella, 23-27

3. In these sonnets, Sidney seems to be discussing his growing love for her. Also, in the line where it says, "Wealth breeding want, more blist, more wretched grow," it is implied that his infatuation with Stella is like an addiction. In the line before this however, it says, "And damning their owne selves to Tantal's smart," there is a comma separating the two lines is this a further description of his addiction? Sidney also discusses the idea that knowing love and actually loving are two completely different things. This is exemplified in the lines where it states, "As what their hands do hold, their heads do know, and knowing love, and loving, lay apart." Does this mean that he knows love as an emotion, but it is another thing to love Stella?

4. In these sonnets there has not really been much change or progression in the way that he views Stella. He continues to view Stella as this divine being who he is not worthy of loving, however he still yearns for her love. Although the feelings that he has for Stella are unrequited he does not cease loving her. Overall I think that Astrophil's feelings for Stella have not changed since the first sonnet that we read.

5. These sonnets continue to back up what I have researched about Sidney and his style. Most scholars that have researched Sidney said that this was a Romantic poem about his own life. This is further supported because in this section he talks a lot about riches, and fortunes that Astrophil is lacking. I think this means that he himself was lacking these things in his unrequited love for Penelope, who was married to a man who did have these riches.

6. Sidney is very good at following the typical Petrarchan rhyme scheme as he always follows the pattern. He continues to italicize and capitalize words, I think that this is because he wants the readers to stress this when it is read aloud.

Astrophil and Stella, 18-22

3. In these particular sonnets Sidney seems to be discussing how the main character was given all of these heavenly gifts, and he spent them leaving him morally bankrupt. Then he met Stella who he now feels unworthy of because loving her brings back all of the bad things that he has done in the past. Every once and a while Sidney uses the word bend or bent, which leads me to believe that the main character is ashamed and wishes to change his ways and alter his path. Sidney also italicizes words such as nature in the first sonnet, but not in others, why is this?

4. So far in this collection, the main character's love for Stella seems to be unattainable as he has made her out to be this divine being who he is completely unworthy of because he has lead the life of a bachelor and spent all of his gifts. Sidney describes the main character's love for Stella in a very heightened way, as in loving Stella pulls him back up and away from his path of moral destruction. Sidney depicts love in a way that makes it seem capable of doing very powerful things to an individual.

5. So far, my interpretations are very typical of Sidney. In my research I found that Sidney was influenced by the Petrarchan style, and in these sonnets he follows this rhyme scheme almost exactly. Many scholars agreed that this is an autobiography of Sidney's life and he is Astrophil and Stella is a woman named Penelope that he was in love with. They came to the conclusion that is is a Romantic poem about his unrequited love that he has for this woman which is supported when he speaks of how much he loves for her but he has to keep himself in check and is therefore not worthy of Stella.

6. As previously mentioned, Sidney follows the Italian or Petrarchan form (abbaabba) and he also makes use of end rhyme to help the poem flow better, it is also written in iambic pentameter. Sidney capitalizes and italicizes words such as reason, nature, Stella, cupid, and love to really stress these words when they are pronounced.

Sidney

1. Philip Sidney lived from November 30th, 1554- October 17th, 1586. This particular work, "Astrophil and Stella" was thought to be written around 1580 in England, Europe.



2. "Astrophil and Stella" is a series of 108 sonnets written by Philip Sidney that are of lyrical form, and follow the Petrarchan style which is an octave that goes abbaabba followed by a sestet that is either cdecde or cdcdcd. Scholars that study Sidney agree that this is true Romanticism and suggest that Astrophil is supposed to represent himself and Stella is Penelope Rich who was married to another man. In these sonnets he seems to be writing about the universal themes of love and the desire to want what you can't have. Astrophil feels that Stella is too good for him and he is not worthy of her love, and loving her brings back the things he did in his past that he is not proud of. In many of Sidney's works he speaks of the power of love on an individual, and the power of love as an emotion, and this work is a very typical style of Sidney.

Agamemnon, Lines 1500-1964

1. satiate (line 1534): filled to satisfaction





2. Cassandra continues to speak of her own death, and Agamemnon's. The chorus begins worry just as they hear cries of pain from inside the palace. They open the doors to find Clytemnestra standing over the bodies of both Agamemnon and Cassandra with an ax covered in blood. She describes exactly how she murdered her husband to the chorus, without the slightest bit of remorse. The chorus concludes that she should have to leave the kingdom, but then they change their minds and decide that she can stay and they will blame the death on Helen. Clytemnestra reasons that Agamemnon deserved his death because he killed their daughter, and he was evil. Also, Clytemnestra's lover Aegisthus comes into the play and is happy that Agamemnon is dead. He reveals that Agamemnon's father boiled and ate two of Aegisthus's father's sons. Therefore, his family has always wanted revenge and the only way to do this was through Agamemnon's death. The chorus at first says that Aegisthus should take the fall for Clytemnestra's crime, but then she reasons with them and they accept their rule.





3. One of the questions that I had from the first section was if Clytemnestra did her job too well. After reading the last section, I firmly believe that she has done her job too well. When she admits that she murdered her husband and Cassandra, instead of being exiled from the kingdom, she convinces the chorus that Agamemnon deserved his death and that she should not be punished and this crime can be blamed on Helen. She is a very powerful and manipulative woman and can get others to do what she wants. Soon after this, her lover is introduced. The chorus wants to convict him of this crime because he has let a woman do the job for him, and not only do they not follow through with this decision but they even accept the rule of Clytemnestra and her lover. Now that Clytemnestra is in power again, the author alludes to the idea that somebody will come back to avenge the death of Agamemnon.







4. a) Did Clytemnestra defy her fate in murdering Agamemnon?



b) Was the author intending to create a pathos for Cassandra in that she was cursed by Apollo and people will not believe her?



c) Will Clytemnestra be punished by the gods for having an affair?

Agamemnon, Lines 1000-1500

1. wily (line 1028): crafty or sly

2. After Agamemnon's return home and Clytemnestra laid out the purple carpet for him to walk on, he insists that this is not necessary, and does not want the gods to be angry at him. The chorus hears Cassandra's story and how she was given the gift of being able to see the futue by Apollo and she promised to give him a child. Cassandra backed out and because of this he put a curse on her so that nobody will believe what she tells them when she makes a prediction about the future. After the chorus hears this story, she makes a prediction that she and Agamemnon will be killed at the hands of a woman, and their deaths will be avenged.

3. As I read this section I found the character of Cassandra to be very interesting. I think, but I am not sure that the author intended to create a pathos for her as pity was evoked when she told the story of the curse that was placed upon her by Apollo. However, I struggle with the idea that since Cassandra can see the future, why would she have an affair with Agamemnon? Had Cassandra not been Agamemnon's lover, her life could have been spared as Clytemnestra probably would not have killed her. Then I began to think that Cassandra may have wished to die as it was a great burden to live with the curse that Apollo has placed on her. So, is it possible that she has just come to terms with death and did not care if she had to suffer the consequences of being the lover of a married man?

4. a) Around line 1028, was Clytemnestra mocking Agamemnon or was she being genuine?

b) Was the author using animal imagery to describe Clytemnestra as a snake or a lion, and Agamemnon as an eagle?

c) If Cassandra knows that people will believe in fates that tell the future, but not her because of the curse, then why would she try to predict to them both her death and Agamemnon's?

Agamemnon, Lines 500-1000

1. manifold (line 513): rightfully so-called for many reasons

2. In this section the Herald returns to the kingdom, very happy to be home and also announces that Agamemnon will also be returning soon. Clytemnestra orders the Herald to find Agamemnon and bring him home quickly, as she has missed him very much. The chorus questions about Menelaus, Agamemnon's brother, and it is revealed that he has probably died. Because of this loss, they begin to talk of Helen and how she was not worth all of the lives lost and the suffering of many people. Soon, Agamemnon enters in a chariot accompanied by Cassandra he is also greeted by his wife who tells him all about how much she suffered while he was away, and how much she loves him. She even ordered that a purple carpet be laid out in front of him as he enters the palace.

3. I find it interesting that Clytemnestra has made such a big deal over her husband's return home. She is clearly still angry at him for sacrificing their daughter many years ago, and I think that she was enjoying having the power and ruling over her husband's kingdom while he was away. So, it is fascinating that she would be rejoicing Agamemnon's return such as when she says, " First, that a wife sat sundered from her lord, in widowed solitude was utter woe-- and woe, to hear how rumour's many tounges all boded evil-woe, when he who came." Why would the author choose to make Clytemnestra give such a warm welcome to her husband, but yet have it be so insincere? Did the author intend to make it so that Agamemnon could tell that she was not happy about his return?

4. a) Was Agamemnon intending to flaunt Cassandra in front of his wife?

b) Did the people of Agamemnon's kingdom (possibly the chorus) believe that he was a hero?

c) Can Agamemnon, or other people in the kingdom tell that Clytemnestra is not sincere when welcoming her husband home?

Agamemnon, Lines 1-500

1. emprise (line 140): an adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise



2. In this section, Agamemnon has been away at war for 10 years, leaving his kingdom to his wife Clytemnestra to rule. In order to go to war, Agamemnon was told to sacrifice his daughter to the gods. Selfishly, he has his men kill his daughter which greatly angers Clytemnestra. When Clytemnestra was in power, she tells the chorus, which is made up of the elderly and wise citizens that they have defeated Troy. They are skeptical of this, and ask Clytemnestra if it is possible that she had dreamed this, or heard a rumor. The chorus gives thanks to the gods for the fall of Troy, but they also wonder if the gods have tricked them or perhaps if Clytemnestra is celebrating this victory too soon.

3. It seems to me that the chorus is doubting Clytemnestra because she is a woman. It is possible that they think she has more power than any woman should have and she is doing an excellent job of ruling, or they simply think that because she is a woman she has no idea how to rule a kingdom. An example of the chorus being skeptical of Clytemnestra's great news is exhibited starting on line 324 where the chorus says, " Thrills thro' my heart such joy as wakens tears." Clytemnestra replies,"Ay, thro' those tears thine eye looks loyalty." The chorus is still doubtful in saying, "But hast thou proof, to make assurance sure?" The queen has told the chorus time and time again that the messenger has seen the flames that would signify the fall of Troy, but they have yet to believe her. Finally she commands to them, "Peace--thou dost chide me as a credulous girl."

4. a) In class we researched the story of the Trojan War, and I found myself wondering if Helen was stolen by Paris or if she went with him on her own accord. If she did leave with him on her own, what was the reason for this war?

b) Do Greeks believe that we as humans have one set destiny?

c) Was Agamemnon forced to sacrifice his daughter or was he just willing to do so because he really wanted to go fight in the war?

King Lear, Act V

1. abhorred (page 106): to regard with extreme repugnance, loathe.

2. In this act, Regan asks Edmund if he has had physical or emotional relations with Goneril, and she advises him to stay away from her. Immediately after, Goneril and Albany enter with troops ready to fight the French army. Edgar enters disguised as a peasant and gives Albany the letter from Goneril to Edmund that states that she wishes to have him killed, but Edgar promises to take care of it. Albany exits, and Edmund makes an aside about his predicament in that he has promised his love to both Regan and Goneril, and he tries to devise a solution. When the battle begins Edgar takes Gloucester to a safe place and battles on Lear's side, however, they have lost and Lear and Cordelia were captured by Edmund. Edmund gives the guard instructions on what to do with the captives and soon Albany comes with Goneril and Regan. Regan, who feels ill, claims that Edmund is going to marry her. Albany arrests Edmund on charges of treason and he must now fight in a battle with Edgar, who defeats him. Albany reveals to Goneril the letter which states that she intended to have him murdered, and she flees. Edgar says that he revealed to Gloucester his true identity, and he died of overwhelming mixed emotions. A messenger hurries in and reveals that Goneril has committed suicide, and poisoned Regan just before. Edmund tries to repent for his wrongdoing before his death and stop the order he placed to have Cordelia hanged. The messenger arrived too late and Lear enters carrying Cordelia's body, he thinks she is breathing again and just as he sees this, he himself dies. Albany invites Edgar and Kent to rule with him as they reflect on all of the ones who have just died.

3. I find it interesting that Regan and Goneril's hunger for power and selfish intent essentially lead to their death. Throughout the play, the two sisters were united for the mission of stripping their father of all of his power and land for their own benefit. However, as soon as Edmund came into the picture and both girls were seeking a relationship with him, they turned against each other. It is Goneril's jealousy of Regan's relationship with Edmund that causes her to poison her sister who up until this point was her ally. Also, Edgar arrives to deliver the letter to Albany that contains Goneril's plan to have him killed and when Albany confronts Goneril with this plan she flees and it is later revealed that she stabbed herself with a knife in order to kill herself.

4. a) Does Edmund love either of the sisters, or is this just another act of deception?

b) In class somebody brought up the idea that essentially the evil characters recieved justice in the end through death, but then how would the death of Cordelia be explained as she was a very honest, and good character?

c) Is there any significance to Kent foreshadowing his own death?

King Lear, Act IV

1. lamentable (page 75): that is to be regretted, deplorable.




2. Edgar is silently reflecting upon his situation as he is presented with the sight of his father who has had his eyes gouged out being lead by an old man. He hears Gloucester tell the old man that he wishes to touch his son Edgar again rather than getting his sight back. Gloucester orders the old man to give the beggar some clothes and then he asks the "Tom" the beggar to lead him to the highest cliff in Dover. Goneril and Edmund arrive outside her castle where Oswald informs them that Albany is angry that Regan and Goneril have driven Lear mad, Goneril realizes that he is no longer her ally. She hints to Edmund that she wishes to be his mistress as she tells him goodbye, and as Edmund leaves Albany enters. As Albany and Goneril are arguing a messenger comes to deliver a letter containing the news that Cornwall has died. Albany demands to know where Edmund is, and soon after Albany learns that it was Edmund who betrayed his father and is determined to help Gloucester. Kent's letters have been delivered to Cordelia who learns of what her sisters have done to her father, and also that he has arrived in Dover but does not want to see her because he is ashamed. Cordelia, the queen of France stands ready with her army and also orders to see her father and speak with a doctor about Lear's health. Oswald carries a letter from Goneril to Edmund, Regan assumes it is about her love for him but she informs Oswald that she would be a much better match for Edmund than her sister as she is a widow, and also offers him a reward to find and kill Gloucester. Gloucester, however is being lead to the "cliffs" of Dover where Edgar tells him that they are at the top so that when his father tried to kill himself he merely fell to the ground. When Gloucester wakes up, Edgar takes care of him still in disguise. Lear is soon discovered by Cordelia's men as they try to bring them to her but he refuses. Oswald sees Edgar and Gloucester with the intent of murdering Gloucester, but Edgar instead defends his father and kills Oswald, as a result Edgar is given the letters. Eventually Lear is brought to Cordelia where he admits he has gone insane and understands if she wants to kill him, but rather she forgives him.

3. I find it very interesting that Gloucester has to become physically blind before he can really see. It is not until after Cornwall gouges his eyes out and he has to be lead around by a servant that he realizes his mistake. Beginning with line 19 of this act Gloucester says, " I have no way, and therefore want no eyes; I stumbled when I saw: full oft 'tis seen, our means secure us, and our mere defects prove our commodities. O dear son Edgar, the food of thy abused father's wrath! Might I live to see thee in my touch, I'ld say I had eyes again."Hetruly feels regretful about trusting Edmund who clearly had evil intentions rather than Edgar and he would give anything to be in Edgar's presence. Gloucester does not care that he is blind, and no longer has a will to live because he is so overcome with grief.

4. a) Why does the Fool no longer appear in the play?

b) How did Cornwall get away with punishing Gloucester?

c) Why doesn't Edgar reveal his true identity to his father?

King Lear, Act III

1. impetuous (page 57) : marked by impulsive vehemence or passion




2. Kent runs into one of Lear's knights and learns that he is wandering around somewhere with only his fool. He tells the knight about the fight between Albany and Cornwall and gives him a ring to deliver to Cordelia while he himself decides to search for Lear. Meanwhile Lear is still out in the storm with his fool behaving rather emotionally unstable and insane. Kent finds Lear and the fool and tells them to take shelter. Gloucester speaks to Edmund about Regan and Goneril and how they shut their father out in the storm and then they ordered Gloucester to never speak to Lear again, he feels uneasy about this situation and decides that he must take Lear's side and go search for him. Edmund decides that he must tell Cornwall of Gloucester's absence hoping that Gloucester will be put to death and then he will inherit his father's land. Lear is resisting going to shelter, but when he finally gives in the fool insists that there is a spirit in the place that they're staying which is really Edgar disguised as Poor Tom. Lear takes sympathy on Edgar when they discuss what a wonderful life Edgar had before he went insane and became a beggar. Lear then gives Edgar the clothes right off his back, and when Kent and Gloucester arrive to take him back to Gloucester's castle he insists that Edgar come with them. Meanwhile, Cornwall wishes to seek revenge on Gloucester after he read a letter that "proves his acts of treason" and sends Edmund to find Gloucester. Gloucester, Lear, Kent and Fool are staying in a shelter and Gloucester goes to get supplies and comes back to reveal to Kent that he has heard of a plan to kill Lear, so they send him to a place in England to hide. Gloucester is found, and it is decided that he must be punished for being a traitor, his consequence was getting both of his eyes gouged out by Cornwall. Gloucester calls for Edmund to help him but Regan reveals that it was Edmund who betrayed him and Gloucester realizes that it was Edgar who truly loved him.




3. I think Shakespeare's character of the Fool is very interesting, and much more complex than I expected. Prior to reading this act I thought the role of the fool was merely to provide comic relief in a depressing tragedy. While he does do this, he is also very wise, contrary to what his name might lead one to believe. Although the Fool does occasionally ramble on about things that do not make sense, there is always some truth to them. An example of this would be in lines 10-13 of this act where the Fool says, " O nuncle, court holy-water in a dry house is better than this rain-water out o'door. Good nuncle, in and ask thy daughters' blessing: here's a night pities neither wise man nor fool." Here the Fool is wisely advising Lear to ask for forgiveness from his daughters. A few moments later in lines 78-81 the Fool sings, " He that has and a little tiny wit-- with hey, ho, the wind and the rain,-- must make content with his fortunes fit, for the rain it raineth every day." At first the song seems to be nonsense, but it does actually contain truth to it.





4. a) Through the gouging out of Gloucester's eyes, is Shakespeare alluding to the idea that the majority of Gloucester's pain is physical while Lear's is emotional?


b) Does Shakespeare intend to use animal imagery when comparing Regan and Goneril to a wolves or "she foxes" or is this simply another example of Lear's insane rants about his daughters?

c) Is there significance behind all of the violence in this act?

King Lear, Act II

1. enmity (page 54): positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will.

2. Act two begins in Gloucester's castle where Curan (Gloucester's servant) informs Edmund that Regan and Cornwall are coming to visit, Edmund plans to use Cornwall as part of his plan to kill Edgar. Edmund summons Edgar out of hiding to tell him that Cornwall is angry at him, Edgar does not understand what he is talking about so instead Edmund tells him that Gloucester has discovered his hiding spot in an effort to make him flee. Edmund fakes a sword fight with Edgar and cuts himself to make it look like Edgar has hurt him because he refused to take part in a plan to kill Gloucester. Regan and Cornwall arrive, Edmund tells them that Edgar is planning to kill Gloucester and Regan decides that he is one of Lear's knights and the other knights put him up to it. Outside of Gloucester's castle Kent disguised as a peasant attacks Oswald with his sword and screams for Regan, Cornwall, and Gloucester resulting in Kent being locked up in the stocks. Edgar comes into the scene nervous that he will be found so he decides to disguise himself as a beggar named Tom. Soon after, Lear arrives at Gloucester's castle and sees Kent in the stocks, angered by this he demands to speak with Regan and Cornwall who refuse to speak with him. Lear tells Regan about the way that Goneril treated him, she tells Lear that Goneril may have been correct as he is getting very old. Goneril also arrives at the castle, and the two girls tell Lear that he may only have a few knights if he lives with either of them, and eventually they tell him he can have none. Lear is angry at Regan and Goneril and leaves the castle into a brutal storm.

3. The storm that Lear has ventured out into, as pointed out by Gloucester is depicted by "the bleak winds do sorely ruffle; for many miles about there's scarce a bush." I believe that Shakespeare is using this treacherous storm to show what is going on inside of King Lear. In this act Lear is slowly beginning to realize the true intentions of Regan and Goneril, this causes him grief as he has banished the daughter who truly loved him. Regan and Goneril are trying to cast away Lear's knights and gradually gain control of the land that their father once ruled. As his evil daughters try to take away his knights, they are also taking away part of his identity. They are taking away the part of their father which felt needed, and powerful over many people and leaving him with his own thoughts which are torn between grief, anger, and the search for a new identity. This powerful and brutal storm is a tool in illuminating the confliction and turmoil which takes place inside of King Lear's mind.

4. a) Is the storm also supposed to represent something going on in Gloucester's life?

b) Are the sisters (Regan and Goneril) reliable sources of information?

c) What is the significance of the fight between Oswald and Kent, resulting in Kent being put in the stocks?

King Lear, Act I

1. sojourn (page 14): a temporary stay


2. Act one begins with Kent and Gloucester talking about how King Lear is going to divide the kingdom, but soon after they begin to talk about Gloucester's son Edmund who he reveals to Kent is a bastard child, but he still loves him as much as his other son. King Lear announces that he wishes to divide the kingdom into three equal parts, for each of his daughters. However, he is requiring his daughters to tell him which one loves him the most because he will give the most land to the one who claims to love him the most. Two of his daughters, Regan and Goneril immediately say that they love him the most but Lear's other daughter Cordelia refuses to express her love, but then she finally insists that Goneril and Regan cannot possibly love him that much otherwise they would not be married. Because of this Lear gets angry and banishes Cordelia. Kent tells Lear that he should not have rewarded his daughters because he thinks Cordelia loves Lear the most, he then also banishes Kent. The Duke of Burgundy no longer wishes to marry Cordelia because she will not inherit any land, but the King of France would still like to marry her. Regan and Goneril plan to reduce what little power their father has. Edmund vents to the audience about how society treats bastard children, and then plots to retain whatever his brother land or power his brother was to inherit. He creates a fake letter to make it look like Edgar was planning to kill their father Gloucester, and makes sure it gets delivered to Gloucester. Lear is spending time with Goneril and she wishes to cause trouble so she tells her servants to be rude to King Lear. Kent disguises himself as a servant at Goneril's castle and aids King Lear. The fool arrives and also tells Lear that he is foolish to give his power to Regan and Goneril. Goneril orders that Lear get rid of half of his knights as they are disorderly, Lear is beginning to regret giving power to Goneril and decides to go live with Regan at her castle instead.



3. I think the parallel that Shakespeare is trying to draw between Lear's situation and Gloucester's is very interesting. Both men have children who are dishonest and will do anything to get what they want, which in both cases is land and other inheritances. For Lear this is his two scheming daughters Regan and Goneril. For Gloucester this is his illegitimate son Edmund. Lear's daughter Cordelia however, refuses to tell her father how much she loves him even if it means not getting her share or money or land. This is exemplified in lines 95-99 where Cordelia states, "unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart unto my mouth: I love your majesty according to my bond; nor more nor less." Lear replies with, " How, how, Cordelia! mend your speech a little, lest it may mar your fortunes." Lear is extremely angered at the idea that Cordelia will not tell him how great her love is, and banishes her. Many people including Kent, one of Lear's trusted friends warns him that he was foolish to reward the false confessions of love from Regan and Goneril. I think this could be Shakespeare possibly setting up Lear's tragic downfall. As for Gloucester, his mistake in trusting Edmund could be where Shakespeare is setting up this character for doom.

4. a) Did Shakespeare intend for the opening scene to be taken literally or symbolically?

b) In Edmund's speech to the audience, is Shakespeare trying to develop a pathos for him through pointing out his need to be accepted as a bastard child?

c) How does King Lear not realize his mistake in trusting his two evil daughters as opposed to Cordelia even after it is brought to his attention by a long time trusted friend such as Kent?