Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Crucible - Act 4
The final act, this is also a very powerful act, depicting the difficult choice of Proctor between what is right and what is easy. In this act, Proctor is asked to confess to the crime of witchcraft, in order to save himself. He does this to start with, but when asked to name others, he refuses to name anyone, arousing the suspicion of the judges. Finally, when asked to sign a confession note, he does, but will not give it over. In order to save and honour his friends, he rips the note, and is hanged for witchcraft.
This scene is mostly about the important theme of truth over ease. Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey have decided that they will honour the truth, and die for it. Proctor initially chooses the opposite because he will gain nothing from upholding the truth; he is, in his mind, already a sinner, so he cannot be a saint by going to his death. Upon confession he realises that he will blacken the name of those who hanged for the truth by lying. He therefore chooses to uphold the truth, and is hanged with Rebecca and Martha. The theme of truth over lies recurs many times through the play as each of the character that are accused make the choice to lie, and save themselves, or to remain truthful, and die. While some of the characters choose to remain truthful because they refuse to sin, other make the choice because of implications for others. Most of those accused choose to name others as witches, and save themselves. At the beginning, Abigail and the other girls make the same choice, denounce others for witchcraft, rather than to accept their actions and be punished appropriately.
This scene is mostly about the important theme of truth over ease. Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey have decided that they will honour the truth, and die for it. Proctor initially chooses the opposite because he will gain nothing from upholding the truth; he is, in his mind, already a sinner, so he cannot be a saint by going to his death. Upon confession he realises that he will blacken the name of those who hanged for the truth by lying. He therefore chooses to uphold the truth, and is hanged with Rebecca and Martha. The theme of truth over lies recurs many times through the play as each of the character that are accused make the choice to lie, and save themselves, or to remain truthful, and die. While some of the characters choose to remain truthful because they refuse to sin, other make the choice because of implications for others. Most of those accused choose to name others as witches, and save themselves. At the beginning, Abigail and the other girls make the same choice, denounce others for witchcraft, rather than to accept their actions and be punished appropriately.
The Crucible - Act 3
This act is the most eventful of the four, and the act in which the most powerful events happen. The act opens with the accusation of Martha Corey who insists she is not a witch and does not know what they are. It then unfolds to the accusation against the girls, stating that they are lying. From here, the act proceeds through Danforth’s attempt to figure out the truth, ending with Elizabeth lying in order to protect her husband, or so she believes.
Mary Warren is yet again a dynamic character in this act, once she turns away from being an accuser in the court; she becomes more passive and ‘small’. But, once she returns to the side of the line, and accuses Proctor of Witchcraft, she is, yet again, more authoritative and forceful.
This act also has the most examples of rhetoric of the play. An example such as: “do you know that near four hundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature?” shows that the courts do not rely on real evidence to convict people and then say they are correct because they have jailed so many. This is a clear example of rhetoric, as the number of people that they have jailed does not make them any more correct or incorrect in their judgment.
In this act, the connection that this play has to McCarthyism becomes evident, with people being accused for all manner of reasons, being threatened with death, unless they name others.
Another important part of this act is that although Elizabeth proctor supposedly cannot lie, she lies to save her husband’s face. Lying and telling the truth over the consequences is an important part of the play, and comes out here.
Mary Warren is yet again a dynamic character in this act, once she turns away from being an accuser in the court; she becomes more passive and ‘small’. But, once she returns to the side of the line, and accuses Proctor of Witchcraft, she is, yet again, more authoritative and forceful.
This act also has the most examples of rhetoric of the play. An example such as: “do you know that near four hundred are in the jails from Marblehead to Lynn, and upon my signature?” shows that the courts do not rely on real evidence to convict people and then say they are correct because they have jailed so many. This is a clear example of rhetoric, as the number of people that they have jailed does not make them any more correct or incorrect in their judgment.
In this act, the connection that this play has to McCarthyism becomes evident, with people being accused for all manner of reasons, being threatened with death, unless they name others.
Another important part of this act is that although Elizabeth proctor supposedly cannot lie, she lies to save her husband’s face. Lying and telling the truth over the consequences is an important part of the play, and comes out here.
The Crucible - Act 2
This is the second part of the play. It begins after Abigail declares many citizens of Salem to be witches. The second act takes place in the Proctor's house, first in a discussion between Elizabeth and Proctor. In the early section of this act, we find out more about the relationship between proctor and Abigail. We also learn about the tension between Elizabeth and Proctor, since the affair.
In this act, two characters in particular a demonstrated to be dynamic, both John Hale and Mary Warren. In the start of the play, and even when he first enters the scene, Hale is determined to find and destroy the ‘devil’ where ever he may be present within Salem. However, once Elizabeth is accused of being a witch, something that hale cannot agree with, he flips sides on his position in the trials, becoming a proponent for the accused and challenging the accusations and the methods of the court for the remainder of the play. Mary Warren is also dynamic; she goes from being a “mouse” in the first act, not willing to stand up for herself and submitting to anyone, to being significantly more forceful. She resists Elizabeth Procter telling her not to leave the house, and even threatens the Proctors with accusations. This change she exhibits is mostly due to the effect of being powerful and being heard in court.
The act has an ironic moment when Proctor, who is being questioned and has been asked to recite the Ten Commandments, can remember them all, except the seventh: “Thou shall not commit adultery”. This is ironic because he himself is guilty of that crime and cannot remember the only commandment that he has violated.
In this act, two characters in particular a demonstrated to be dynamic, both John Hale and Mary Warren. In the start of the play, and even when he first enters the scene, Hale is determined to find and destroy the ‘devil’ where ever he may be present within Salem. However, once Elizabeth is accused of being a witch, something that hale cannot agree with, he flips sides on his position in the trials, becoming a proponent for the accused and challenging the accusations and the methods of the court for the remainder of the play. Mary Warren is also dynamic; she goes from being a “mouse” in the first act, not willing to stand up for herself and submitting to anyone, to being significantly more forceful. She resists Elizabeth Procter telling her not to leave the house, and even threatens the Proctors with accusations. This change she exhibits is mostly due to the effect of being powerful and being heard in court.
The act has an ironic moment when Proctor, who is being questioned and has been asked to recite the Ten Commandments, can remember them all, except the seventh: “Thou shall not commit adultery”. This is ironic because he himself is guilty of that crime and cannot remember the only commandment that he has violated.
The Crucible - Act 1
This is the first part of the play, and as such, serves as a build-up to the events that will occur in the play. In this section of the play, it is reported that Parris caught the girls are dancing in the forest, attempting to make a love potion. It also includes the accusation of Tituba, and Abigail and Betty accusing many of the members of the town are accused of being witches.
This Act has the most authorial intrusion of the play. Throughout the act, the author will step in. He will do this either to explain characters, describe other events, either in the past or the future of the play, or, he may even draw direct parallels between the events in the play, and the current events of the time, McCarthyism and anti-communist hilarity. This authorial intrusion in this act is used to transform the story from a historical recount into a Parable, as a reminder of the problems if fear and hilarity remain unchecked. The events that happen in this part of the play also have to do with irony, because although the girls and Tituba where the ones performing the ‘witch-like’ activates, they become the accusers at the end of the act, and others are accused in their place.
It is interesting to view the character foil between Betty and Abigail in the early part of this act. Whereas Abigail admits to having participated in the event and dancing, Betty claims to have been possessed and will not respond to any of the characters.
Within this act, none of the characters act dynamically, with the possible exception of Abigail, who changes from denying that there was any witchcraft going on to accusing others of witchcraft.
This Act has the most authorial intrusion of the play. Throughout the act, the author will step in. He will do this either to explain characters, describe other events, either in the past or the future of the play, or, he may even draw direct parallels between the events in the play, and the current events of the time, McCarthyism and anti-communist hilarity. This authorial intrusion in this act is used to transform the story from a historical recount into a Parable, as a reminder of the problems if fear and hilarity remain unchecked. The events that happen in this part of the play also have to do with irony, because although the girls and Tituba where the ones performing the ‘witch-like’ activates, they become the accusers at the end of the act, and others are accused in their place.
It is interesting to view the character foil between Betty and Abigail in the early part of this act. Whereas Abigail admits to having participated in the event and dancing, Betty claims to have been possessed and will not respond to any of the characters.
Within this act, none of the characters act dynamically, with the possible exception of Abigail, who changes from denying that there was any witchcraft going on to accusing others of witchcraft.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Science of Oryx and Crake
Having now finished reading the book, i come to realize that the rate at which scientific progression happen was the downfall of the society. Scientists are always happy to advance in whatever way they can, and put no limits on this advance. While on it's own, this is not a problem, the issue lies in using these advances before we have developed the mentality to be able to. Morals are always behind, as morals cannot possibly be created ahead or even at the same rate as scientific advance. we don't develop morals around things we cannot do, simply because we don't need to. Morals cannot even be parallel in development, because the idea for something always is thought of before the implications of it.
In Oryx and Crake, the major scientific revelation is genetic modification. The people of the story have learned how to modify almost any creature, in to anything that they need. This ability sparks great innovation, but at the cost of becoming an unstoppable rolling stone. The people go from making pigoons, which are simply pigs that grow extra organs, to making genetically modified chickens that no longer even have a brain, and are simply meat that grows.
This ultimately leads to the downfall of the human race, when Crake decides that humans should be replaced with his enhanced version of humanity, The Crakers. Because of genetic modification, Crake is not only able to make people, but kill the current ones.
All of this was able to happen because of the lack of moral ability. Human morals had not yet caught up with the ideas behind genetic modification, and so, science could keep stretching things farther and farther.
A blue strawberry. While this may seem benign, what harm is a blue strawberry? The people of the book probably asked themselves the same question. What harm is a pigoon? and on and on from there.
A blue strawberry. While this may seem benign, what harm is a blue strawberry? The people of the book probably asked themselves the same question. What harm is a pigoon? and on and on from there.
Friday, October 29, 2010
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