No Exit Questions

1. I think for me Hell would be a combination of physical torture like in Dante’s Inferno and also mental torture like in Sarte’s no exit. For me Hell would emphasis the fact that it is eternal, that there is no end to the suffering. I believe not being able to see an end to harsh conditions Is a Hell within its self. I do believe that torture can be found in the ordinary and it is very possible to go crazy in seemingly normal circumstances. Sarte portrays this in his play be creating a hell that looks “normal”. There are no flames or torture objects, there are only conflicting personalities that eventually create a very hellish environment despite the hotel like physical conditions.

2. Variety and moderation are key to staying sane. Without change or break, our minds never get to rest or recover. That is why when people are alive and live mundane lives that follow the same old same old they are often times miserable. As humans, we naturally need to rest and recover and also remain engaged. When there is lack of variety and moderation this is nearly impossible.

T3.  he dialogue is key to explaining the plot and also showcasing the rising tension between the three main characters. In the Hell, Garcin tells the others that it would be best to not interact and instead go to their separate corners and think by themselves. He wants to be left alone with his own thoughts rather than engage with the others.  Everyday habits can become Hell when you start to feel as if they are pointless, as if there is no reason for doing them. Losing purpose and self worth can easily create Hell around you.

4. Both Sarte and Plato show the limitations within our thinking in their respective stories. Plato creates a scene in which our ignorance and inability to question things keeps us trapped within a cave devoid of knowledge. Sarte shows that even though all three participants seem normal they can not find the strength to put their differences aside and create a peaceful environment. Each person is too set on their own agenda to really think about the end, big picture.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

In The Allegory of the Cave
Plato writes an extended metaphor
Where most prisoners behave
And never venture outside the door

However, one prisoner does break free
He breaks the chains that held him bound
This brave prisoner squints at what he does see
He is amazed by the new sights, smells and sound

Everywhere around there is light
This world is so different from the dark
He is almost overwhelmed by this new sight
This free man is now destined to make his mark

So look beyond your walls
And watch how quickly reality falls

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1.       According to Socrates, The Allegory of the Cave represents that some people are oblivious to the things (knowledge) they are missing out on due to the restraints they put on themselves.

2.       The key elements of imagery in The Allegory of the Cave are the cave which represents the sheltered reality we are housed in, the light that alludes to the flow of knowledge, and the sun which represents knowledge as a whole.

3.       The allegory suggests that the process of enlightenment or education involves individuals pursuing it for themselves. We learn through our own experiences, it is difficult to just take the word of others.

4.       The imagery of the shackles and the cave show that the prisoners feel like they are trapped, like they can’t change things around them.

5.       Today I think stereotypes narrow the minds of many and therefore prohibit them from exploring truths that knowledge reveals. I also think tradition traps us into thinking we have to stay inside the box and not expand our ways of thinking.

6.       The freed prisoner now believes in a new reality and is forever changed because he has been exposed to the light that knowledge brings. He now pities those underground because their reality is such a dim representation of the truth. Below, the prisoners are still content with their positions because they are unaware of what is above them.

7.       Lack of clarity in the allegory can come from either leaving the cave and being blinded by the sun (knowledge) or entering the cave and being disappointed with the darkness.

8.       Prisoners gain freedom when they free themselves of the shackles that have bound them for so long. The have to take the journey themselves in order to fully understand the exponential benefits of life beyond the cave.

9.       I do agree that there is a distinction between appearance and reality. Often times we are deceived by things we see and we find out later that what we believed to be true was just an illusion all along. What we see today is often modified through things such as media and the press to present something that may not be an exact representation of reality.

10.    If Socrates is incorrect people will continue to view reality synonymously with appearance and therefore will never question what is put in front of them. Without questioning or doubt, people will remain prisoners in the cave and will forever be shackled into the darkness.

A Poetic Inquiry

I think I’d like to stick to my big question. I believe it is applicable to life in nearly any situation. Love is driving force behind many actions past and present and therefore it is evident how much value we place on. Although we deem it valuable, the question remains as to if love is actually essential to happiness.

I chose my sonnet because I liked the mysterious overall tone. The message I received is that people need to look deeper within things to find their answers. Often times solutions are hidden and entangled in problems. Extra attention to detail and a careful eye aid in revealing these hidden mysteries.

VII. "The perfume hidden at the rose's heart"

The perfume hidden at the rose's heart;

The inner sweetness of a dream; the cry

Of sorrow that escapes within a sigh,

The love within a kiss; the spiritual counterpart

Of a swift meaning motion of the eye,

Or lights that on the lips are born and die,

Named smiles:--all this to me and more thou art.

Search in thy breast, and see what holiest thing

Dwells inmost of thy thoughts, fulfilling each,

A soul unto the body of thy speech:

Then I in thee, as thou in me, shall sing,

And heaven in both, and both in heaven's reach--

Skies in our heart and skies about our wing.

Sonnet Analysis #1

Sonetto: little song or sound

Sonnets: 14 lines

Two kinds of sonnets:
-Petrarch (Italian)
            - octet and sestet
Shakespearean
            - 3 quatrains followed by a couplet

Hamlet Remix

Deadly

what is more deadly
a gun or a thought?

a gun gives you the opportunity
but a thought pulls the trigger

Hamlet Essay

Performative utterances seem to hold a sort of omnipresence both in Hamlet and in life. Daily life constitutes to a variety of promises being made, commitments being created and labels being given. No different than language implications today, Hamlet, set hundreds of years ago, seems to be chalk full of performative utterances that apply meaning and action to language. Perhaps the most tangible benefit of performative utterances in both the play and in today’s reality is its influence on self-realization and exploration.

By definition, performative utterances are credited with changing reality and creating fact. In many cases, these utterances once made to ourselves or to others make us more inclined to carry out said commitment or promise. By committing to something, we create a fact that a commitment has been made and therefore a new reality. This case is exemplified in the beginning scenes of Hamlet, when Hamlet promises that he wants to avenge the death of his father. Throughout the play this promise haunts Hamlet who consistently questions his own bravery and loyalty to his late father. In the scene with Fortinbras’s army, Hamlet becomes disgusted with himself when he realizes soldiers can seemingly kill without a cause while he has yet to kill Claudius, a villain blatantly deserving of death. Hamlet repeatedly kicks himself for not carrying out the promise he made to the ghost in the hall way yet continues to steal clear of actually murdering his uncle. For Hamlet the disconnect comes not between his promises and sincerity but between his promises and acting on them. Although he is able to complete the first action of restoring justice to the kingdom by promising to kill Claudius, he fails to complete the second action, which obviously is essential to obtaining justice, actually killing his uncle.

For Hamlet his strength comes in words; they are perhaps his greatest attribute. Various soliloquies throughout the play reinforce the fact that Hamlet is capable of flowing meaningful language. Self overhearing in these extensive speeches serves to educate not only the audience but also Hamlet. These soliloquies act as a window in Hamlet’s though process, revealing his deepest thoughts and most hidden grievances. In these speeches he reveals many things including but not limited too; his sanity, his thoughts of suicide, and his disgust in himself. These revelations provide insight to the audience but more importantly help Hamlet realize and talk his way through things he did not understand before. Today we have these same conversations but within the privacy of our own minds, we don’t need to display our inner conflicts in order to move a play along as Hamlet does.

In Hamlet language is so important it acts as a force and is labeled as an action. Performative utterances are abundant throughout the play though Hamlet takes time upholding them. He succeeds in creating new reality with his promises yet fails to satisfy them in a timely matter. Language additionally aids in revealing Hamlets inner thoughts to the audience and to himself through a series of dramatic soliloquies. In this play and often in life, words tend to hold more weight than we give them credit for.