Journal Entry for November 13, 2009

This week we mostly did two things in class, both of which were relatively productive.

The first was reviewing about the IA and the preliminary bibliography that is due within the next week or so, and the other was that we were asked to prepare a practice preliminary bibliography, so that we can receive suggestions and feedback before the bibliography is actually due. I got a good start on mine, and I was able to format my sources with little difficulty so that I was able to turn in a practice preliminary bibliography today. I think I can still find some more sources before the next copy of the bibliography is due.

The other thing we did was continue to translate Pyramus and Thisbe. The story is unwinding nicely I'd say, and we've come to the point where Pyramus believes that Thisbe has been devoured by the lioness, and he stabs himself in the thigh with a sword. When we went over this I began to wonder, why would anyone do something so horrible to themselves? I came up with two possible reasons; either A. Pyramus is so in love with Thisbe that he can't imagine anything good in his life without her and he can't function without her and her love, or B. he wants to make his ending as painful and tragic as he believes her death was. Either way, I am excited to see what will happen next, and since it's been said that Romeo and Juliet was based off this story I can very easily make predictions. I am finding the story to be interesting, and I especially liked the description of the lioness as fierce and vicious with blood soaked jaws, maybe because I always think of lions as cute and cuddly, like giant cats. Either way, I am looking forward to seeing exactly what will happen next, and compare my predictions to the actual outcome.

We also, in class, drew this very amusing and kind of cute interpretation of the story when Thisbe is running from the lioness into the cave, and I can remember it in detail. We had an anorexic-looking lioness with blood dripping from her jaws, Thisbe running in motion, the mulberry tree (the "agreed upon tree") which I drew, and a crescent-shaped cave. I wish I had a copy of the picture for my online scrapbook, it was amusing to say the least.

Reaction to Pyramus and Thisbe, November 9, 2009

My first reaction to lines 96-104 (the part where Thisbe hides from the lioness and Pyramus comes along next) is that I am worried that Pyramus and Thisbe are not going to get to meet up. Thisbe is hiding from the lioness and Pyramus is looking for her and finds her vale, and sees traces of the lioness' presence there before. I think this is going to be somewhat like in Romeo and Juliet when Romeo thinks Juliet is dead, even though she isn't at the time. I hope Pyramus doesn't kill himself in the same manner, but I am just concerned for both his fate and for Thisbe's. I think Thisbe was very lucky to have been able to escape the lioness, but I think of all places to hide - a cave? Isn't that where lions live? I can predict a tragic ending, mainly because the story has a Romeo and Juliet feeling to it and that was definitely a tragedy. I'm excited to see how the story will unfold from here, I just hope there won't be any deaths until the very end if any at all.