In most story lines, love is a main component. Whether it be happy or sad, everything can usually be traced back to the love between two characters. Claudio and Benedick are both dealing with love in Much Ado About Nothing, but they both handle it in different ways.
Claudio, a fickle, young soldier in Don Pedro's army, is in love with Hero, the daughter of the governor of Messina, Leonato. He declared his feelings for her at first sight and wasted no time in arranging to marry her. Even through false accusations involving Hero and Borrachio, a servant of Don John's, Claudio still marries her and they lead a happy life together.
Benedick, another soldier in Don Pedro's army, has a completely different outlook on love. When Claudio tells Benedick of his intentions to marry Hero, he begins to rant about what a stupid idea it is and how he will never get married. This point is further proven by his constant bickering with Beatrice, Hero's cousin. However, on the inside, Beatrice and Benedick actually love each other. They come to realize their true feelings through the manipulation of Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio, Hero, and other citizens of Messina. Once the truth is out in the open, Benedick immediately and publicly decides to marry Beatrice.
From the very beginning, Claudio decides to marry Hero. Although his loyalty wavers when Don John makes him believe that Hero is cheating on him with Borrachio, their love wins in the end. Benedick's outlook on love is very different from Claudio's in the beginning. He despises the very idea of marriage, especially marriage to Beatrice. Even though he doesn't consciously know, the audience can tell that he really loves her, and he just uses sarcasm to cover up his feelings. Once he realizes that he really loves her, he doesn't waste any time in deciding to marry her. By the end of the story, Claudio and Benedick are both madly in love with Hero and Beatrice, respectively.
In conclusion, while Claudio and Benedick start out with opposite outlooks on love, they each end up falling in love and getting married.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
"A Place At The Table" Essay
Walking through the halls of Citrus High, I hear the conversation flow down the corridor. It isn't uncommon to hear students call eachother names that are offensive towards their race, followed by laughter. Having spent twelve years of my life living in New York, this still isn't something that I am used to hearing. I agree with Reina when she said, "We're not born prejudiced. It comes from our homes and families, how we're brought up."
When I lived in New York, I had friends of all different races. I am Jewish and my best friends consisted of an Italian, an African-American, and a girl that immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh when she was two years old. I never thought that racist people still existed today since I was brought up in such a diverse environment.
However, when I moved to Citrus County in 2006, I realized that I was wrong. On my first day of seventh grade at Inverness Middle School, I heard the "n-word" used for the first time. I asked my mother what it meant when I got home and I was shocked to find out that it was a racial slur against African-Americans. I couldn't understand by anyone would ever say such a mean thing about someone else, especially when that person hadn't done anything wrong to them.
It still amazes me to this day that people can say something derogatory to someone and then turn around and claim that they aren't racist. Since moving to Inverness three years ago, I have heard more inappropriate names for someone of another race than I ever thought could have possibly existed. I believe that the main reason that racism is so widely accepted in the south is how people are brought up. If someone has parents, siblings, or any other relatives that are racist, it is likely that they will become racist too, since they thing that it's okay.
In conclusion, I think that the way that people are brought up is one of the main reasons that they grow up to be racist. This is why I agree with Reina's quote, "We're not born prejudiced. It comes from our homes and families, how we're brought up."
When I lived in New York, I had friends of all different races. I am Jewish and my best friends consisted of an Italian, an African-American, and a girl that immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh when she was two years old. I never thought that racist people still existed today since I was brought up in such a diverse environment.
However, when I moved to Citrus County in 2006, I realized that I was wrong. On my first day of seventh grade at Inverness Middle School, I heard the "n-word" used for the first time. I asked my mother what it meant when I got home and I was shocked to find out that it was a racial slur against African-Americans. I couldn't understand by anyone would ever say such a mean thing about someone else, especially when that person hadn't done anything wrong to them.
It still amazes me to this day that people can say something derogatory to someone and then turn around and claim that they aren't racist. Since moving to Inverness three years ago, I have heard more inappropriate names for someone of another race than I ever thought could have possibly existed. I believe that the main reason that racism is so widely accepted in the south is how people are brought up. If someone has parents, siblings, or any other relatives that are racist, it is likely that they will become racist too, since they thing that it's okay.
In conclusion, I think that the way that people are brought up is one of the main reasons that they grow up to be racist. This is why I agree with Reina's quote, "We're not born prejudiced. It comes from our homes and families, how we're brought up."
"I Am" Poem
I am intelligent and creative.
I wonder what is in store for me.
I hear my friends calling my name.
I see success in my future.
I want to find happiness.
I am intelligent and creative.
I pretend that people care about everything I say.
I feel excited and nervous for what is to come.
I touch lives.
I worry about the people I love.
I cry about growing up too fast.
I am intelligent and creative.
I understand that everyone makes mistakes.
I say "Florida" and "orange" with a New York accent.
I dream about seeing my niece.
I try to do my best at everything.
I hope that I will get everything I want out of life.
I am intelligent and creative.
I wonder what is in store for me.
I hear my friends calling my name.
I see success in my future.
I want to find happiness.
I am intelligent and creative.
I pretend that people care about everything I say.
I feel excited and nervous for what is to come.
I touch lives.
I worry about the people I love.
I cry about growing up too fast.
I am intelligent and creative.
I understand that everyone makes mistakes.
I say "Florida" and "orange" with a New York accent.
I dream about seeing my niece.
I try to do my best at everything.
I hope that I will get everything I want out of life.
I am intelligent and creative.
Monday, October 5, 2009
"A Separate Peace" Ch 1-5 Response
Gene and Finny had a very special, unique, kind of friendship. There were many aspects in which they were very different, yet, it seemed that these differences helped them get along. When it came to sports, Finny was a natural athlete who assumed he would always win, while Gene had to work a little bit harder, and he was much more modest about his success. In school, Gene was always focused on getting good grades while Finny didn't care about his schoolwork at all. Finny had a way with words, and he was always able to talk himself out of any obstacles that may stand in his way. On the contrary, Gene didn't really like breaking the rules, but he always did whatever Finny told him and stood in the background while Finny saved the day.
On the surface, their friendship seemed perfect. However, if you look a little bit deeper, you would be able to see some conflicting feelings Gene had about Finny. Deep down, Gene suspected that Finny was jealous of his accomplishments. While Finny had always been great at sports, Gene's forte was in school. If Gene ended up becoming first in their class, he would have, theoretically, have one-upped Finny.
It is easy to tell that Gene is much more emotionally mature than Finny. While Gene is worried about his schoolwork and making good grades, all Finny wants to do is go play a game of blitzball or play around in the river. While Gene had a few conflicting emotions when it came to his friendship with Finny, he is still more mature, overall.
On the surface, their friendship seemed perfect. However, if you look a little bit deeper, you would be able to see some conflicting feelings Gene had about Finny. Deep down, Gene suspected that Finny was jealous of his accomplishments. While Finny had always been great at sports, Gene's forte was in school. If Gene ended up becoming first in their class, he would have, theoretically, have one-upped Finny.
It is easy to tell that Gene is much more emotionally mature than Finny. While Gene is worried about his schoolwork and making good grades, all Finny wants to do is go play a game of blitzball or play around in the river. While Gene had a few conflicting emotions when it came to his friendship with Finny, he is still more mature, overall.
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